The FilmUp Podcast

Did you watch Rihanna's Halftime Show at Super Bowl LVII? If you did, you are going to be particularly interested in our next guest! We are excited to welcome Sean Flannery to The FilmUp Podcast! Sean is an incredibly talented Steadicam Operator. He has worked on various live concerts and performances of major musical artists including Luke Bryan, Adele, Smokey Robinson, Norah Jones, TI, and more. He now primarily operates the Trinity 2 Steadicam for commercials and live shows including the Grammys, the MTV Music Awards, and most recently Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. Sean is also a supporter of St Jude, a non-profit that is dedicated to treating childhood cancers and pediatric diseases. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to stjude.org

We are excited to welcome Jon Brandon Cruz to The FilmUp Podcast! Cruz is a content creator and video magician for some of the biggest celebrities and companies in the world, including Selena Gomez, Will Smith and The Rock. In his 15 year career, his videos have garnered over a billion views. And aside from videos, Cruz is passionate about mental health awareness and spreading the message of work/life balance, having boundaries with technology and practicing mindful living. Cruz is also a big supporter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a non-profit that is dedicated to providing education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to nami.org.

Please welcome the multi-award winning producer, screenwriter, director, show runner and head of content for Westbrook Media to The FilmUp Podcast!! Lukas has been with Westbrook since 2017, where he helped oversee the launch of the company’s efforts into the digital space - most notably Will Smith’s social & digital platforms along with the company’s successful slate of original content across Facebook, Snapchat, Youtube Originals, Roku & Oculus & beyond. He has created & oversaw execution of The Fresh Prince Reunion on HBO Max, The Best Shape of My Life & Will Smith’s The Jump (into the Grand Canyon) for Youtube, Ryan Reynolds’ “Ryan Doesn’t Know” and Meg Thee Stallion’s “Off Thee Leash” for Snapchat, The Bucket List for Facebook Watch, the Shaqtacular Spectacular New Year’s Eve Special starring Shaq for Oculus / Meta & various specials across linear & digital platforms, including a special for Shark Week. Lukas is also a supporter of ASPCA, a non-profit that is dedicated to providing effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to aspca.org.

When you watch a movie, have you ever wondered where the fake dead bodies come from? You may know our next guest from some of our most recent social media posts garnering millions of views. Posts include showcasing artificial disembodied figures, gut-spilling torsos, severed limbs, or decapitated heads! And with that introduction, please welcome Tenille Shockey to The FilmUp Podcast! Tenille has been a Special Makeup effects artist for 15 years in Toronto. Primarily working for MindwarpFX. She has developed skills from mold making, silicone casting, and seaming to artistic finishing such as hair punching, painting, and fabricating. Her credentials include TV series; Hannibal, The Boys, Chucky, Reacher and feature film work including Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, IT chapter 2, A Dogs Journey, Pacific Rim, Silent Hill 2, and many more. Tenille is also a big supporter of The Center of Human Rights in Iran, a non-profit that is dedicated to protecting and promoting human rights in Iran. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to iranhumanrights.org/

Please welcome the incredible Filmmaker and Award-winning Director of Photography Rina Yang to The FilmUp Podcast!! Rina is a Director of Photography originally from Japan, based in London. She has an extensive background in commercials and music videos working with many notable brands and artists including Nike, Apple, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Sam Smith and many more.   Her recent feature and TV projects include; Flint Strong for MGM studios,, EUPHORIA Season 2 Episode 6, 'NANNY' a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, and Top Boy3 for Netflix.    She is also the first Asian woman ever to join the British Society of Cinematographers.    Rina is a big supporter of Arts Emergency, a non-profit that is dedicated to helping young people flourish in higher education and the cultural industries. So she is dedicating this episode to their organization.   You can learn more by going to arts-emergency.org.

Have you ever wondered how to make your content go viral? or crack the social algorithm to work in your favor? Well, if you have, you're in luck because our next guest has the answers! Please welcome to Derral Eves to The FilmUp Podcast! In this episode, we discuss how Derral cracked the code to make content go viral before viral was a thing. He shares his experiences working with Mr. Beast, producing the series The Chosen (which has over 100M streams), and so much more. Derral is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The YouTube Formula. He is also founder of Creatus, a marketing and consulting company, and founder of VidSummit, an annual video conference. He has helped 34 YouTube channels go from zero to more than a million subscribers and has generated over 84 billion video views on YouTube. Derral is also Executive Producer of The Chosen, the first multi-season series about the life of Christ, and the highest crowd-funded TV series or film project of all time. Derral is a supporter of Kids In The Spotlight, a Los Angeles based non-profit that helps foster youth heal and grow from trauma through the power of storytelling and filmmaking. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to kitsinc.org.

It's not everyday where you connect to the remarkable talent behind the Disney Marvel Universe. On today's episode, we did just that! We are so excited to welcome the incredibly talented Kat Coiro to The FilmUp Podcast. Kat is a director, producer and writer that continues to be at the forefront of the industry. 2022 was a big year with her studio directorial debut Marry Me starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson as well as She-Hulk, which she directed and executive produced for Marvel Studios. Kat has also directed on television series including It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Shameless, Modern Family, The Mick, and many more She lives between Los Angeles and Atlanta with her husband, three children, dog and 30 chickens. Kat is also a big supporter of Habits of Waste, a non-profit that is focused on changing people's habits by encouraging everyone to rethink wasteful behavior. So she is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to habitsofwaste.org.

From Bar-Mitzvahs to Hollywood Productions like Euphoria. Our next guest is responsible for some of the most iconic stills and behind the scene photos you have of seen from your favorite shows. We are thrilled to welcome the phenomenally talented Eddy Chen to The FilmUp Podcast. Eddy is a Taiwanese American Photographer that lives, works, and plays in sunny Los Angeles. Eddy photographs some of the most amazing talent in Hollywood. He is best known for his film stills and his editorial approach on Euphoria and he recently just wrapped up HBO's The Idol which is set to premiere later this year. Come join us for inside scoop on what it takes to become a still photographer on major motion productions and for globally recognized brands. Eddy is also a big supporter of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) , a non-profit that has developed into one of the most engaged Buddhist movements in the world, fostering and promoting grassroots activities in areas such as human rights and education for sustainable living. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to sgi-usa.org.

All he had was a vision and dream, and he did everything he could to make his way to becoming the Cinematographer he is today. When you know you know. That is the origin story of our next guest, Nick Mahar. Nick is an accomplished commercial cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He has worked on projects for top clients around the world, including Marvel, Meta, Google, Ryan Reynolds, Macklemore, Logic, and many others. Originally from the Bay Area, Nick’s upbringing had a profound influence on his art, and he brings that unique and diverse perspective to every project he works on. Join us for a thrilling episode showcasing how Nick made his way to the top and continues to thrive and inspire others. Nick is a big supporter of the Spondylitis Associates of America, a non-profit that is dedicated to empowering and advocating for people living with spondyloarthritis. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to spondylitis.org 

It is rare to come across someone who has so much humility coupled with so much accomplishment all in one. Today, we did just that. Please welcome Taylor Stephens to The FilmUp Podcast Taylor is a Director, Editor and Videographer who has worked in film and social media for over a decade. His most recent claim to fame is being the creator behind Jack Black's youtube channel, Jablinksi Games. He has collaborated with notable celebrities and brands including The Rock, Reese Witherspoon, Netflix, LEGO and more. Come join us for an hour enjoy a fantastic episode that we know you're gonna love. Taylor is also a supporter of St Jude, a non-profit that is dedicated to treating the toughest childhood cancers and pediatric diseases. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to stjude.org and as always, all the details are listed in the description of this episode.