Fri, 29 July 2016
We talk with Lawrence Grey, producer of Lights Out, an indie horror thriller from first-time feature film director David Sandberg. Lights Out began as an independent short film, created by Sandberg in his native Sweden. The super creepy 3-minute horror short caught fire online. Lawrence discovered it, decided to collaborate with Sandberg to bring it to the big screen, and enlisted help from James Wan, the director of horror mega-hits Saw, Insidious, and the Conjuring films, as well as international blockbuster Furious 7. They also assembled a talented cast, including Teresa Palmer, Billy Burke, and Maria Bello. Lights Out was produced for just $5 million dollars, but last weekend it opened with a stellar $21.6 million at the box office. With great reviews and word of mouth, it’s estimated for a $50 million domestic run, which is huge business for a little horror film. We talk about this remarkable Hollywood story, from YouTube short by an unknown director, to a silver screen success. And we discuss putting together a dream-team of professionals from big budget blockbusters who saw something special in this unique premise. Lights Out is in theaters and thrilling audiences now.
Direct download: n4al72-lawrence-grey-lights-out.mp3
Category:Film & Television -- posted at: 11:04pm CDT |
Wed, 20 July 2016
This episode features the return of Tony Kim. Well known on the convention circuit for his Crazy4ComicCon blog, which covers all things San Diego Comic-Con, Tony has recently launched a new and completely different business endeavor. Hero Within is a nerdy fashion line for guys, offering classy, stylish, and beautifully tailored clothing. Hero Within’s first line of blazers, peacoats, and jackets are themed with characters from the Justice League, and are officially licensed by DC Comics. These initial high end men’s fashion items are available for pre-order on HeroWithinStore.com until July 31st.
Direct download: n4al71-tony-kim-hero-within.mp3
Category:Business and Marketing -- posted at: 1:08am CDT |
Tue, 12 July 2016
We talk with cross-genre author Quincy J. Allen, writer of the recently released Blood Curse from WordFire Press. A western steampunk epic fantasy, Blood Curse is the second book in his Blood War Chronicles series. Quincy also creates the book layout design for all of WordFire’s print and digital offerings, manages their warehouse, and is constantly on the road, working their impressive displays at cons. We discuss juggling multiple aspects of a demanding career, realistic goal setting to guide his progress, and life on the road as an introvert who talks to hundreds of con-goers at every show. |
Mon, 4 July 2016
This episode was recorded live earlier this year at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, WA. Our Wendy Buske moderated this panel, titled How to Be a Nerd For A Living: Discovering Careers in Pop-Culture. It features a collection of great nerdy professionals, including Dane Ault, artist and co-founder of Monkey Minion Press; Samantha Kalman, creator of the video game Sentris, and previously one of the team-members behind video game engine Unity; Kevin Konrad Hanna, a film director and comic creator who was also the art director on Plants versus Zombies: Heroes; Janet Lee, comic artist and Eisner award-winning co-creator of The Return of the Dapper Men; and Jaimie Cordero, co-founder and CEO of nerd makeup company Espionage Cosmetics. Our speakers pull from a wide variety of professional and personal backgrounds to discuss how they got started, the ongoing challenges they face, and the successes that keep them going. The panel caps off with an audience Q&A with a number of really great questions from the packed room of attendees. |