344 - Jeff Clanagan, Founder of CodeBlack & President, Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat - Working with Kevin Hart, WGA Strike, AI Concerns, and Making History from Necessity

Hello, Hello! In this episode, we have a conversation with Jeff Clanagan, Founder of CodeBlack and President & Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat, Kevin Hart's entertainment and production company. We talk about: His opinions on the WGA Strike Why he doesn't want his kids to work in entertainment His concerns regarding AI in the Film & TV Industry Working with Kevin Hart, Master P, and Luke Skyywalker Why are brands financing content instead of making ads …and much more! The MAKE IT podcast is brought to you by the Voice of the Filmmaker program, which is sponsored by Women in Film and Television, Nashville (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization). If you like what we're doing, please donate here: https://www.bonsai.film/donate . How you can continue to enjoy MAKE IT content: Subscribe to the MAKE IT YouTube channel. Subscribe to the MAKE IT Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.bonsai.film/subscribe . The MAKE IT podcast amplifies the voice of the filmmaker by exploring the filmmaking journeys of actors, writers, directors, producers, and a host of other creatives from across the film industry. We provide a platform for filmmakers to provide advice, lessons learned, personal reflections, and insights through our Filmmaker Conversations, Mistakes in the Making, Industry Insights, Indie Talks, and Film Investment Series. We are the go-to film podcast for independent creatives! More On Jeff Clanagan Jeff Clanagan is an award-winning producer and innovator in entertainment, serving as President & Chief Distribution Officer of HARTBEAT, Kevin Hart's global, multi-platform media company. At HARTBEAT, Clanagan leads HARTBEAT Media, connecting consumers around the world through events, gaming, music publishing, Web3 initiatives, and an expansive distribution network. He oversees the strategic vision and expansion of HB Media, leading the company's flagship consumer brand - the LOL! Network - which reaches audiences across O&O social media, audio (SiriusXM) and OTT partners (Peacock, Roku, Tubi, PlutoTV, Vizio, Redbox, Xumo). Projects he recently or currently is producing include Die Hart, Hart to Heart, Olympic Highlights, So Dumb It's Criminal, Kevin Hart: Zero F*cks Given, and more. He has been behind highly successful experiential projects as a producer of Nick Cannon's Wild N Out Tour, and Kevin Hart: Reality Check. HARTBEAT was formed in 2022 from the merger of Hart's two entertainment entities - Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions. Prior to his role with HARTBEAT, Clanagan was CEO of Laugh Out Loud, a global comedy brand and multi-platform company, where he oversaw development, production, distribution and experiential efforts. He was previously CEO of Codeblack Films and Codeblack Digital, a film production and distribution company dedicated to super-serving the black community worldwide. Clanagan has broken new ground with his digital-first approach to the successful release of films The Perfect Match and the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez On Me ($27M its first week). He partnered with Hart to produce and release concert movie Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain ($32M at the box office), comedy concert Kevin Hart: What Now? (marking first comedian to headline an NFL stadium), and stand-up comedy tour, What Now? ($100M+ and 1.3M tickets sold). Clanagan began as a concert promoter for the "HBO Def Comedy Jam" tour, NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" tour, Mary J Blige, Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff. He was previously President of rapper Master P's No Limit Films, cultivating the startup into a $40M juggernaut multimedia company and the pioneer of the urban home video sell-thru market. Clanagan has successfully marketed and distributed home entertainment properties The Def Comedy Jam series, BET's Arabesque Films, and The Fat Albert TV series; and has released 300+ movie titles grossing $350M+ in revenue. Clanagan has been awarded the Pioneer Award from the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), the Game Changer Achievement Award from Uptown Magazine and Kia Motors; and named to Ebony's Power 150, and Black Enterprise's Top 50 Power Brokers. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-make-it-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy