Xavier Grobet is a cinematographer for movies and television shows. He is known for his work on films such as Focus and Nacho Libre and tv shows like The Watchmen and WeCrashed. Xavier is also the cinematographer for the Emmy-award winning show, The White Lotus, which is available for streaming on HBO Max.

Will artificial Intelligence end our jobs and the world as we know it, or is its “intelligence” limited? While many of us feel nervous for the impact it may have on our careers, A.I. is also opening up new opportunities to those who want to break into the industry.

Walé Oyéjidé is a director, writer, designer, photographer, musician, and lawyer who uses the power of storytelling to combat bias. His debut feature, Bravo, Burkina!, had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The film is about a Burkinabé boy who flees his village and migrates to Italy. When later disillusioned by heartbreak, and haunted by memories of home, he travels through time in hope of regaining all he has lost.

If you have ever been treated like garbage by others with power positions, we can relate. How do you respond to that type of treatment? Do you “kill them with kindness” or do you yell right back at them? Is there a way that we can train those in the industry to start being more conscious and kind?

When it comes to following your dream of breaking into the entertainment industry, you have to hustle in order to make that dream a reality. The question is, when does all that hustling become toxic to your well-being?

With the WGA being on its third week of strike, we can’t help but start to think about all the ways the industry is changing and what that looks like for us filmmakers. Will Hollywood still seek out our creative ideas, or will we be pushed to only making IP projects in order to market an existing idea? And how does this all affect brand new filmmakers who are struggling just to get their short films accepted into labs?

Laurel Parmet is a director and writer who has been nominated and awarded for her shorts, Kira Burning and Spring. Kara Durrett is a producer who works in both independent film and television, producing films such as Save Yourselves! and Topside. We were honored to speak to both of them about their recent film, The Starling Girl, which made its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

The Writer’s Guild of America went on strike on May 2, 2023. The strike is more than just writers putting down their pens and picking up their picket signs, to fight for their rights. This strike also symbolizes “the beginning of a bigger conversation about morality and labor practices” throughout corporate America.

Traci Hays is a DGA Award-nominated director, a production designer, and art director who has received numerous awards for the various shorts she has directed. Her feature directorial debut, Tangled, was named a “must-see movie” by The Hollywood Reporter. She recently directed Blood, Sweat and Cheer, her second feature, which is a dark love letter to Heathers, Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, and Clueless.

Are the best movie stars only the older ones? What’s the difference between celebrities of the past compared to today’s stars? What are some effective strategies you can use to navigate a troubled production?

Kelly Fremon Craig is a writer and director who has earned awards and nominations for her first feature, The Edge of Seventeen. Her second feature, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, is based on the very famous Judy Blume novel of the same name. A main theme of this film is what it’s like to undergo the complicated process of puberty, which is ironically similar to Craig’s experience with the screenwriting process.

How can a truly independent film find success at the large film festivals? How does one manage to get well-known actors to star in your film? The answer is simple, yet takes effort. You need to get in the mix!

Stephen Williams is a producer, director, and writer who has worked on popular TV shows such as Lost, Undercovers, and Watchmen. He recently directed, Chevalier, a film based on the true story of one of France’s most important composers. Chevalier is about the journey of understanding oneself better, through the trials and tribulations that life sends one’s way.

It’s Day 2 of NAB 2023, and Tech Editor Yaroslav Altunin and NAB host Raafi Rivero sit down to share more details about the conference. Joining the episode are special guests, Haeleigh Royall and Indeana Underhill of Cinematography for Actors, and producer Ian McClellan of Coco Butter Family. We all agree the one word that comes to mind when describing NAB 2023 is “innovation.”

Tech Editor Yaroslav Altunin and NAB host Raafi Rivero sit down to discuss Day 1 of NAB 2023. So what does the most prominent tech trade show have to offer this year? How about some of the hottest pieces of kit? The duo also chat about Blackmagic Design CEO Granty Petty, filming on Fujifilm cameras with Frame.io, and what makes the community of this trade show such an essential part of the broadcast and cinematic medium.

“Your sword is sharpened by all the people around you.” If you can let go of control and allow space for playfulness and creativity on set, you will create a great movie. Also, you will become a better filmmaker in the process.

A film is like a baby, and everyone involved is a parent. How do you keep all the parents happy, calm, and on the same page?

In terms of diversity and inclusion, is Hollywood actually making big strides or is the industry regressing? As a writer, are you allowing yourself to be unique and original, or do you rely only on mimicking what has already been done?

Kabir Akhtar is an Emmy award winner who has worked on a long list of TV shows, such as Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Never Have I Ever, and The Sex Lives of College Girls. This accomplished director-editor-producer has directed 45 episodes of TV as of today.

Should you tell others how much money you make? Should you pay for your own productions? How should you be properly allocating your money?

Have you ever thought about drawing inspiration for your characters, from your own family? How do you accomplish that in a way that protects them while also being true to the story?

What does “work-life balance” mean to you? How do you come up with new ideas for projects? Can you believe Tarantino is working on his final film of all time?