2025 Year-End Director Panel - Just Shoot It 508

2025 Year-End Director Panel - Just Shoot It 508

Author: Filmmakers Matt Enlow & Oren Kaplan January 1, 2026 Duration: 1:49:20

The 2025 year-end Director's Panel is here! Each year, Matt and Oren have a little cocktail party with some of the past year's guests. It's a chance to reconnect and chat about what went well, what didn't, and what they're hopeful for in the coming year.


Carlyn Hudson, Jamaal Parham, and Mercedes Bryce Morgan participate in this first-ever, on-camera, live-to-tape panel. And if you've got questions about the impact of AI on Hollywood and the impact of how movies are getting funded on A-list talent, then this is an episode you won't want to miss!


Bringing together directors who have attended TIFF, worked with Jake Gyllenhaal, have films on Hulu, travel the globe, and know how to utilize the JOBS Act to fund films yields a diverse range of topics. And this crew talks about the need to do more with less, finding time to be creative, and further pushing the boundary of what's possible in an 8-hour shoot day. And yeah, AI is a big subject on everyone's minds. But is it really a threat? Or are we all whale hunters nearing extinction?


There's a lot of hope and ideas in this episode. Happy New Year, everyone!


Find Mercedes on IG @mercedesbrycemorgan or https://www.mercedesmorganfilm.com/


Find Carlyn on IG @carlynhudson


Find Jamaal on IG @jamaalparham and @jamsandbash


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Help our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod


Matt's Endorsement: Fire extinguishers. AND, the fire department. 


Oren's Endorsement: Download everything from your phone related to your work projects, weekly () or on some fixed schedule) so you can find it later. Also, James Cameron's interview on "The Town" podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/part-1-james-cameron-on-avatar-misconceptions-ais-skynet/id1612131897?i=1000738091636


Mercedes's Endorsement: Photoshop's Remove Tool (currently in Photoshop Beta version)

Kind of like Harmonize.ai (which adds shadows and reflections when you add objects to photos)


Carlyn's Endorsement; Send words of affirmation to people you appreciate.


Jamaal's Endorsement: Akari Sauna with 2 locations in Brooklyn, NY, Greenpoint and Williamsburg https://www.akarisauna.com/. And use saunas as your time to develop creative ideas. Also the book "The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era" by Thomas Schatz https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780805046663/thegeniusofthesystem/


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Behind every film you've ever loved is a collection of hard-won lessons, creative struggles, and moments of pure luck. Just Shoot It: A Podcast about Filmmaking, Screenwriting and Directing pulls back the curtain on that process. Hosted by working directors Matt Enlow and Oren Kaplan, this podcast operates like a long-form conversation between peers, delving into the granular details of building a life behind the camera. Each episode features an interview with a filmmaker, but the focus is less on promoting projects and more on dissecting the craft. You'll hear directors, writers, cinematographers, and other artists break down their approach to story development, the visual language of a scene, working with actors, and the practical realities of navigating a career. The discussion is grounded in the hosts' own experiences, making the advice tangible and the pitfalls relatable. This isn't abstract theory; it's a field guide compiled from the trenches. Whether you're an aspiring director, a seasoned screenwriter, or simply fascinated by how movies are truly made, this podcast offers an honest, unvarnished look at the art, business, and relentless problem-solving that defines filmmaking. Tune in for a masterclass that feels like a coffee shop chat, where the goal is to demystify the journey from script to screen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Just Shoot It: A Podcast about Filmmaking, Screenwriting and Directing
Podcast Episodes
Where Do I Fit In w/Matt & Oren - Just Shoot It 524 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The Meteoric Rise of Chandler Levack - Just Shoot It 523 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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BriTANick Bake a 'Pizza Movie' - Just Shoot It 521 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Writing to your Budget w/Aaron Pagniano - Just Shoot It 519 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Ending Relationships w/ Carlyn Hudson - Just Shoot It 518 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:26
As directors, we live a very atypical work life. And Carlyn joins Oren and Matt to clear the air about some frustrations they all share about producers and crew who just aren’t meeting the grade.In any given year, a work…
How to be a Person w/Matt & Oren - Just Shoot It 517 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:22
Matt and Oren spend some time figuring out how to be a normal human being in a world where there’s so much that isn’t normal anymore. We’re way past the new normal!!Like, can you really pitch a potential client on how mu…
Is AI a Tool? w/Sarah May Bates and Susan Song  - Just Shoot It 516 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:09
Sarah May Bates https://www.sarahmaybates.com/ is an AI director, and she’s been getting lots of work! And Matt and Oren dive deep into how she makes that happen. She’s joined by actor Susan Song.Sarah has a clear line f…