The Art of Risk-Taking: Why Studios Call Michael Mendelsohn for Difficult Projects

Hello, Hello! Make It friends and family, Chris here to announce that starting today, with the episode you are about to hear, we’ll be publishing our segments and bonus content on this feed daily. Why are we doing this? Because there’s a good chance you’re already listening to our episodes over the span of the week, we decided to publish our segments from each long-form episode to make it easier for you to enjoy the entire thing. Also, Nick and I are always looking for new ways to spice things up, meet our audience in the middle, and improve the show for you. There you have it, daily goodness in segments and bonus content from Make It. Of course, we’ll still be releasing longform episodes every two weeks on Friday —that hasn’t changed. Thanks as always for your support, and be sure to let us know what you think on any of our platforms at Beacons . --- In this Story is King , legendary producer Michael Mendelsohn joins the Make It Podcast to discuss his incredible journey from being Johnny Carson's driver to producing iconic films like The Matrix, Reservoir Dogs, and True Romance. Mendelsohn shares insights about his current focus on training young filmmakers and his recent projects including "California Scheming" directed by James McAvoy and the sci-fi film "Dream Quill" with Paramount. The conversation explores the challenges of breaking into Hollywood's nepotistic system, the importance of authentic storytelling over franchise filmmaking, and Mendelsohn's philosophy on giving back to the industry. We also talk about: The origins of blooper reels and their psychological impact on audiences Industry consolidation and the Paramount acquisition's effects on independent filmmakers Breaking into Hollywood without family connections in the 1980s The difference between cinema and franchise filmmaking Biblical philosophy and the potential need for a "Volume Three" in modern times Mentions: Films: Lord of War, Air Force One, The Hurricane, The Matrix, What Women Want, True Romance, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, California Scheming, Dream Quill, Princess Bride People: Johnny Carson, Quentin Tarantino, Lawrence Bender, James McAvoy, Alex Prager, William Goldman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Evans Companies: Paramount, Warner Brothers, Sony, Miramax Places: Toronto Film Festival, Egyptian Theater, Nashville, LA, London, Scotland Technology: LIDAR, AI, robots Other: Hot Ones podcast, Iocane powder, Chevy Chevelle Super Sport We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT All Links: https://beacons.ai/themakeitpodcast 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