Hollywood Gold

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Hey Pod Fam - sorry we have been absent! We will be back very soon with all new episodes. Be sure to like, review and listen to past episodes. Follow us @staygoldfeatures. Thank you for listening and STAY GOLD! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Producer Fred Berger guides us through the making of 2016's wildly popular musical LA LA LAND starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The film was the brainchild and passion project of director Damien Chazelle, but as a young and new filmmaker, no studio was willing to take a chance on his vision for a big movie musical that he wanted to be both nostalgic and incredibly modern. In order to prove himself, he made 2014's Oscar-winning WHIPLASH, and soon it was off to the races with producers Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz, whose faith in him never wavered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Producer Mason Novick recalls the making of 2007's unlikely cultural sensation Juno. Mason reached out to Wisconsin-based writer Diablo Cody whose edgy blog grabbed his attention. Diablo had written a book about her time as a stripper, but never a screenplay. A few years later, after securing huge stars Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman and the genius casting of Elliot Page and Michael Cera to star in Jason Reitman's groundbreaking film, Diablo and Mason found themselves at the Oscars. Juno resonates to this day and remains one of the only indie films to find massive success at both the box office and the Oscars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Producer Ram Bergman recounts the magical making of Rian Johnson's Knives Out, a film that defied box office odds by grossing over $300 million. Hot off the success of The Last Jedi, the duo took a huge risk on an idea Rian had for a film and started investing money before there was even a completed script. Their faith and determination paid off and soon the likes of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Jamie Lee Curtis were on board, and the hugely successful film became the start of a franchise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time on the podcast, host Daniela Taplin Lundberg talks to her right-hand woman Becca Cammarata to discuss their own trials and tribulations when producing the historical biopic HARRIET. From the stress of pivoting from a indie film to convincing a studio to come on board to taking a risk on casting relatively unknown Cynthia Erivo, the two share spiritual stories from a muddy set with the goal of showcasitng how Harriet Tubman was a real life superhero. Previous guest and legendary producer Debra Martin Chase is the real hero of this story, having been with the project for years and never wavering on her belief that the world had to be ready before this movie could be made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer, director, and producer Phil Kaufman recalls the scary moment when the hottest writer in Hollywood walked out of a meeting with the studio because they wanted to change his script. That fateful moment changed the course of the film. Phil Kaufman took a stab at his own draft of the script, but wasn't sure if he wanted to direct the film until the legendary Jean-Luc Godard told him he would direct it if Phil passed. It was a hard shoot, but a magical one launched the career of Sam Shepard and won 4 Oscars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary Director and Producer Ed Zwick recalls the making of 1989's triple Oscar winner Glory. Fresh off of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the studio wanted the young Matthew Broderick to be the star in a film about the U.S. Army's first all-Black regiment. Zwick had to fight to ensure the movie told the right story, relying on his ingenuity to convince the studio of his vision from start to finish, and inventing the sizzle reel in the process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Producer Brad Simpson recalls the production of the hit romantic comedy that was groundbreaking in both its casting and concept. After one meeting where a studio exec pitched changing the lead character to white to appeal to a wider audience, the producers decided to finance the script independently. Authenticity was incredibly important to them, but it was hard to find support for a film set in Singapore. They struck gold with writers Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim alongside director Jon M. Chu, and multiple studios bid on the film that went on to gross over $200 million at the box office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind producer Anthony Bregman dishes all the behind the scenes movie magic on this iconic film. From having to find a new editor three days into filming, to some little white lies about the daily’s when asked by Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, this movie had no shortage of drama both on and off camera. But, beyond that, its incredible camera work and unique sets helped push the boundaries of what was possible at the time making it one of the 2000s finest films. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.