From bookstore events to hosting the SINNERS Los Angeles premiere, what’s it like to start a film community from scratch? Armen and Mary Karaoghlanian, founders of Armenian Film Society, share how they turned their passion for cinema and community into a cultural hub that hosts major film festivals, galas, and premieres. They discuss their recent 10-year anniversary gala featuring a conversation with Proximity founders Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian, where Sev was inducted into the Armenian Film Hall of Fame. They also reveal what it’s like to build your dream passion project while working full-time jobs and becoming new parents, the importance of consistency and authenticity in community building, and how they’ve spotlighted everyone from indie filmmakers to major Hollywood productions like SINNERS and ANORA. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian in proximity at AFS (00:55) From a small bookshop event to a widely-attended gala… (02:25) Voice Memo from Sona Movsesian (Conan O’ Brien Needs a Friend) (04:02) Why Cher and Charles Aznavour are iconic (04:42) What is the Armenian Film Society? (05:00) First community event at Abril Books in in Glendale (07:41) Screening Sean Baker’s TANGERINE and Alexander Payne’s SIDEWAYS (09:23) Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian at the FAS 10th Anniversary Gala (10:27) Videos from the night of the AFS gala (12:35) Honoring ELIO director Madeline Sharafian & ANORA actor Karren Karagulian (14:58) Steven Zaillian, Rouben Mamoulian, and the importance of Armenians in film (16:17) How Armen and Mary built Armenian Film Society (17:45) Building community takes consistency (19:39) From university film professor to film society founder (21:46) Armen and Mary’s meet cute story… and their AOL Messenger screen name (23:16) Family inspiration: Armenian International Magazine and a vintage film camera (28:17) Prox Recs

Step into the kitchen with Courtney Storer, culinary producer and co-executive producer of FX's Emmy-winning series THE BEAR! In this special holiday episode of IN PROXIMITY, host Paola Mardo learns how to make Italian red sauce pasta while digging into what it takes to bring THE BEAR’S iconic food moments to life. Courtney shares exclusive behind-the-scenes stories from filming the intense holiday “Fishes” episode with Jamie Lee Curtis, training actors like Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Lionel Boyce on professional cooking techniques, and working alongside her brother, series creator Christopher Storer. From 4:30 a.m. call times to creating detailed culinary reference guides for Michelin-level plating, discover how food becomes a character in one of television’s most acclaimed shows. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) What does a culinary producer do? (clips) (00:55) Storytime! (03:13) Welcome to Courtney’s kitchen studio (04:13) Ingredients for THE BEAR red sauce (05:22) Start cooking (07:16) Cooking on a TV set (09:00) Culinary reference guide (10:30) All the details, Carmy’s chef journey (Jeremy Allen White), TOMORROW episode, peas, chef mentors, Chicago, Ever, Chef Terry, is this the vibe? (13:02) Is the sauce sticking?? (14:00) Training actors (14:38) The FISHES episode and the Feast of the Seven Fishes (16:29) Inspiration binder, pre-production, photos, visuals, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) (20:20) It was like “art therapy” with the cast, crew, and her brother Christopher Storer (22:00) What does a culinary producer do? (full segment) (23:50) Having real chefs on the set of TOMORROW (24:52) Voice Memo from Matty Matheson… and pasta beauty shot! (28:50) Prox Recs… and plating the pasta! (30:13) Cheers!

You know that iconic SINNERS juke joint music montage? Todd Harris is the artist who helped bring that sequence to life. A veteran storyboard artist, Todd went from designing action sequences for blockbusters like BLACK PANTHER, AVENGERS, and JOHN WICK to creating, directing, and showrunning his own Marvel series and directorial debut, EYES OF WAKANDA. On this episode of IN PROXIMITY, host Paola Mardo sits down with Todd to discuss his journey from storyboard artist to director. He reveals how he designed the music montage sequence in Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS, shares advice for aspiring filmmakers, and explains the art behind storyboarding action sequences. He also opens up about pitching EYES OF WAKANDA to Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler, building new characters like Noni and The Lion, and weaving real history into Wakandan lore. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) SINNERS juke joint montage oner (02:13) Voice Memo from Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel TV and Marvel Animation (03:40) Advice for emerging directors, working with Taika Waititi on THOR: RAGNAROK (06:00) Tips for presenting ideas to directors (07:14) Storyboard artistry (08:45) How Todd became a storyboard artist (10:59) Process for breaking down script in storyboarding (13:55) Pitching ideas, John Wick (15:48) Storyboarding that iconic SINNERS juke joint montage oner (18:00) The illusion of language, knowing your director’s taste (20:30) Working with Ryan Coogler on BLACK PANTHER and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (with a pitstop at AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR) (22:45) Creating EYES OF WAKANDA and pitching Kevin Feige (24:40) Real history meets Wakandans (25:05) Memnon, fan reactions, Sea Peoples, Conan the Barbarian, James Earl Jones as inspiration for The Lion (26:50) Working with Marvel, transitioning from storyboarding to directing (29:15) EYES OF WAKANDA behind-the-scenes, creating original characters, Noni (33:22) Iron Fist (34:42) Todd’s Storyboarding Process (40:30) Prox Recs

What can a $100K riot-inducing sneaker teach us about storytelling, design, and creativity? Jeff Staple’s 2005 Nike Pigeon Dunk didn’t just drop. It ignited a riot in the streets of New York City and helped rewrite the rules of streetwear, brand marketing, and storytelling through design. On IN PROXIMITY, Jeff joins host Paola Mardo to unpack how he built Staple into a global brand one shoe and collab at a time, what filmmakers and creatives can learn from design and brand building, “the power of the t-shirt” and marketing before social media and the internet, the wild story of his elevator pitch to Yasiin Bey (then Mos Def), and how to navigate hustle culture and find creative inspiration anywhere. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) The sneaker riot story (02:40) Jeff Staple did for the pigeon what Walt Disney did for the “rat” (03:15) Not Just Sneakers book and Jeff’s interest in brand design and sneakers at a young age (06:30) Growing up in an immigrant Chinese family in New Jersey in the 1970s and 1980s (09:20) The Staple Origin Story and Connie Chung (13:14) Turning his art into a business (14:50) “The power of the t-shirt” and marketing before social media and internet (18:00) Seeing your art in the wild, streetwear as IYKYK (19:02) Is streetwear still cool? (21:15) Staple and hip-hop (23:36) The Pigeon and trademarking pigeon poop (26:40) Elevator pitching the collaborating with Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) (31:20) Collaborations today (34:00) How to stay connected to the creative, why he started a podcast (35:50) Hacking hustle culture (39:00) The Goods a.k.a. the shoes and the full sneaker riot story (44:50) Jeff’s checklist for designing sneakers (48:04) Jay-Z vs. Andre 3000 creative careers (51:20) Prox Recs

Azie Tesfai was on track to become a lawyer until a breakup led to an audition and a new career in acting, writing, and producing. She’s appeared on JANE THE VIRGIN, MATLOCK, and DC’s SUPERGIRL, where she starred as The Guardian and became the first Ethiopian and Eritrean person to portray a superhero on screen. She also wrote an episode of SUPERGIRL, working with mentor and executive producer Greg Berlanti. On IN PROXIMITY, she talks with host Paola Mardo about navigating rejection, reframing, and the "tiara syndrome", transitioning from acting to writing and producing, sliding into DM’s (for work!), and bringing her Eritrean-Ethiopian heritage into her storytelling. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) Brutal audition, tiara syndrome, another first (01:27) Voice Memo from 2 Chainz (03:15) Growing up first generation Eritrean and Ethiopian American (08:45) How a college break-up led to an acting audition (10:30) First acting job working on Wicked Wicked Games with Tatum O’Neal (12:17) Building a career in acting, telling immigrant parents (15:30) An awful audition story, remembering why we make art (17:58) Advice for actors today (19:16) Being the first Ethiopian and Eritrean person to play a superhero on screen as The Guardian on SUPERGIRL (23:30) Writing an episode of SUPERGIRL and navigating grief, the pandemic, and racism (27:20) Supportive community + trauma = art (28:42) Lessons in writing and asking for help, working with Greg Berlanti (29:39) Superhero power poses (30:42) The tiara syndrome and sliding into DMs for work (33:45) Process for being a multi-hyphenate (35:20) Writing a DC comic kids book (36:30) Why it’s important to infuse her culture into her work (39:08) Photos from the set of SUPERGIRL (42:11) Prox Recs

After a family tragedy landed her in foster care, Angelica “Angie” Nwandu turned to writing and poetry. Her first screenplay, NIGHT COMES ON, co-written with director Jordana Spiro, made her a 2014 Sundance Fellow where her mentors included Quentin Tarantino and Kasi Lemmons. The film starred Dominique Fishback and premiered at the festival in 2018 where it won the NEXT Innovator Award. But even as a Sundance darling, she faced setbacks including getting fired from two writing jobs. Today, Angie is the founder and CEO of The Shade Room, a leading media platform covering Black culture, entertainment, and news, with over 30 million followers and 43 billion annual impressions. Dubbed by The New York Times as “Instagram’s TMZ”, TSR is no stranger to controversy. On IN PROXIMITY, Angie joins host Paola Mardo to share her side of the story, opening up about the failures that shaped her, the role of faith and purpose in overcoming rejection, and her journey from aspiring screenwriter to media mogul. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) From shame to “Instagram’s new TMZ” (02:00) Voice Memo from Dominique Fishback and filming NIGHT COMES ON (07:56) From poetry slams to co-writing the screenplay for NIGHT COMES ON (10:45) 2014 Sundance Lab and advice from mentor Quentin Tarantino (12:25) The life-changing phone call before going onstage at Sundance (14:25) Getting the $5,000 writing grant and pursuing her passion (15:28) From Sundance grant to The Shade Room origin story (17:50) 3,000 followers in 3 days (20:30) “I’m about to be the biggest media company!” (21:21) Being the 23-year-old CEO of what The NYT called “Instagram’s new TMZ” (23:00) George Floyd, audience feedback, investigative journalists, politics, social justice (24:20) Pressure and what keeps her up at night (26:00) A humbling writing career: “I’m done in this town!” (32:00) Proximity and TSR, HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME (34:00) “It took me a long time to get to a place where I was proud.” (35:15) Celebrity reactions and crazy (scary) stories (38:50) Depression, vices, finding God (39:35) Relationship to “gossip” and pop culture news (41:00) The good and the bad of TSR (42:32) Prox Recs

When Ryan Coogler needed someone to track every detail on SINNERS – including Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack – he called Steve Gehrke, the veteran script supervisor and longtime collaborator of Christopher Nolan. With credits that span MEMENTO, INCEPTION, THE DARK NIGHT, OPPENHEIMER, and the upcoming THE ODYSSEY, Gehrke shares what a Nolan set is like, how he keeps time straight in “Chris Nolan world,” meeting Coogler and working on SINNERS, what a scripty actually does, and why he still takes notes with an old school pencil. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) Meeting Christopher Nolan in 1989 for MEMENTO (02:09) Voice Memo from producer Emma Thomas (04:06) Why Steve “doesn’t care” about the words in a script (05:10) Time and continuity in Chris Nolan world and MEMENTO (06:57) “Every movie that we do makes you think”: INCEPTION, DUNKIRK (07:55) Meeting Christopher Nolan (continued) and getting hired on the spot (08:20) Process for collaborating with Nolan as a script supervisor (09:42) THE ODYSSEY and the 25-year relationship (11:14) What a Nolan set is like (12:10) Preparing for a film, reading TENET (14:04) Breaking down a nonlinear script and making “paper dolls” (17:22) Story order vs. script order (18:44) Why the script supervisor is the on-set editor and keeping track of kisses (21:48) Continuity mental list, issues, eyelines (24:29) Meeting Ryan Coogler and working on SINNERS (28:11) Steve’s script supervisor toolkit and keeping it old school (30:46) The Script Supervising Process: Smoke & Stack Scene (35:03) The squiggles (35:33) How Steve learned the job (37:11) Prox Recs

What’s a crafty run? Why wear a chest vest? What would you do if you lost your boss’ ID? Ammar Mohamed – assistant to Ryan Coogler, SINNERS associate producer, and filmmaker – joins IN PROXIMITY host Paola Mardo to share what it’s really like supporting one of Hollywood’s busiest directors today. From locking in on set to hard lessons learned on the job, Ammar takes us behind the scenes of SINNERS and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, while sharing his career journey and offering his perspective and thoughtful advice for other assistants still finding their way. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) One of the things about Ryan (02:00) Voice Memo from Hannah Beachler (09:30) Working on BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (11:00) Becoming Ryan Coogler’s assistant (12:27) Everyday was like climbing Mt. Everest (15:12) Scary moment on the job... a.k.a. ID story part 1 (19:30) The bag… and ID story part 2 (21:25) Advice for assistants (24:17) Learning from Ryan and Hannah (25:56) Working on SINNERS (30:40) Understanding the moment, locking in, and being in step or a step ahead (32:46) Locked in SINNERS scenes (34:25) Craziest thing he saw on set (36:03) Prox Recs

Are you a Hollywood assistant a.k.a. a rockstar with thick skin able to work in a fast-paced environment?! This is the episode for you! Assistants vs. Agents creator Warner Bailey joins IN PROXIMITY podcast host Paola Mardo to share how he turned his viral meme page into a community empowering the next generation of entertainment power players, and a business with a newsletter, job board, podcast, events, merch, creative projects, and partnerships with brands like Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Apple TV+ and more. He also provides actionable tips for assistants and bosses alike, and reveals how he built a business that is helping redefine what success looks like in Hollywood today. (00:00) The email he caan’t believe was sent (01:58) Voice Memo from Kirk Sommer, WME Global Co-Head of Music (06:15) Warner’s assistant journey at WME Music (09:25) Building Assistants vs. Agents (14:10) The Assistants vs. Agents business model (15:30) Tools for young creatives and people breaking into the industry (16:30) Is the assistant path still the way? (19:00) Providing resources for a career roadmap in entertainment in today’s job market (20:20) Being the boss (24:08) Hard lessons learned about managing people (27:56) Responsibility to the AvA community (28:52) Crazy assistant stories and DMs (29:40) Laughter, group therapy, community, and feeling like we’re not alone (30:14) The Ari Emanuel story (a.k.a. the email he caan’t believe was sent) (32:12) The process a.k.a. the manila envelope that inspires AvA (35:14) Prox Recs

How did Ryan Coogler’s Chinese family ancestry and a documentary lead to a role consulting on the blockbuster film SINNERS? Journalist, documentary filmmaker, and SINNERS cultural consultant Dolly Li joins IN PROXIMITY podcast host Paola Mardo to talk about her work on SINNERS, her documentary THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICA’S SOUTHERN CHINESE, and why Remmick’s (Jack O’Connell) iconic lines about licking to Grace Chow (Li Jun Li) were so integral to the story. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) These lines about licking (01:30) How Dolly started working on SINNERS (06:15) The Delta Chinese community's reaction to the film (08:00) How the Delta Chinese felt about the grocery stores in the film (08:35) Working with production design (09:10) The role of Chinese-owned grocery stores in the segregated south (09:50) What it was like for Dolly to see the film (12:00) These lines about licking (the full story) (14:36) Grace Chow (Li Jun Li) and the internet discussion around her role (21:30) The Mississippi Delta Chinese and Dolly's documentary with AJ+ (29:42) Asian American representation in film today (31:08) Voice Memo from Jun Stinson Yamagishi (journalist, supervising producer) (35:06) The Process: "Are you ornamental? Are we always foreigners?" (40:14) The Process: Chinese in Mississippi in 1960 (41:55) The Process: Visual art, watercolor, and motion graphics (45:21) Shifting from producer to on-camera host (47:57) Prox Recs

How do you get a manager? What’s the difference between a manager and an agent? James Swoope, talent manager at M88, breaks it all down with IN PROXIMITY podcast host Paola Mardo. From Cleveland to Hollywood, Swoope has built a career managing talent like Dominique Thorne (IRONHEART), actor and singer Coco Jones, designer and entrepreneur Jeff Staple, and athlete and podcaster Matt Barnes. In this conversation, he shares his journey from casting intern to working on JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH with Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, his approach to talent management, what artists should really be working on, why it’s important to “have something to manage,” and why Swoope calls himself a unicorn. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) How does one get a manager? (01:34) Voice Memo from Charles D. King (Founder & CEO, MACRO) (05:25) Swoope’s unique sense of style and why he’s a unicorn (08:06) From casting intern to working on JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (12:55) How to get a manager (14:35) What artists should be working on (16:25) “I’m the 10%. You’re the 90%.” (19:18) What does a manager do? (21:31) What’s the difference between a manager and an agent? (23:45) Rapid-Fire Questions and Advice (25:20) Show & Tell: 3 NINJAS and FORREST GUMP (30:07) Prox Recs

Writer/Director Justin Tipping (KICKS, THE CHI) joins IN PROXIMITY podcast host Paola Mardo to break down the making of his new film HIM, produced by Jordan Peele and Monkeypaw Productions. He reveals how grief and greatness shaped his bold mix of sports and horror, how Hitchcock and Busta Rhymes inspired the film’s genre-bending score, and how growing up Filipino (Ilocano, Visayan) and Scandinavian (Danish, Swedish) in the Bay Area informed his perspective as a filmmaker. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (02:14) Being the G.O.A.T. (04:00) Working with Jordan Peele on HIM (08:38) How grief and greatness inspired HIM (14:48) Filming the training scene, football, and body horror (19:04) The invisible killer (22:17) HIM Score: Sampling CAT scans and MRIs with Bobby Krlic, Guapdad4000, Busta Rhymes, and Hitchcock (26:51) HIM Soundtrack: AIGHT? with Carl Angelo (28:27) Voice Memo from Tyriq Withers: How does being from the Bay set you apart? (31:12) Editing and setting the tone with a lookbook (34:17) Prox Recs

A voice memo from Ryan Coogler to Paola Mardo – writer, producer, Proximity Media’s head of audio, and the new host of IN PROXIMITY podcast! Starting Monday, September 22nd, catch weekly episodes with exciting guests pushing the boundaries of film, TV, music, art, and culture. Plus updates on Proximity’s latest projects like SINNERS, IRONHEART, EYES OF WAKANDA, and more. Available in video and audio on YouTube, all podcast platforms, and ProximityMedia.com.

From the Def Jam Poetry scene to the set of a major Marvel TV show, Oakland-raised writer, poet, rapper, actor, playwright, and screenwriter Chinaka Hodge knows how to tell an epic story. Her most recent project, the Marvel TV series IRONHEART, released to Disney+ in June. Starring Dominique Thorne, IRONHEART tells the story of “bad girl genius” Riri Williams on a mission to be the greatest inventor of her generation, which she says doesn't mean much without the resources to bring her ideas to life. Riri resorts to alternative means to get said resources, meeting a host of friends and foes, including an A.I. based on her best friend, N.A.T.A.L.I.E. (played by Lyric Ross), and Parker Robins, also known as “The Hood” (played by Anthony Ramos). To give us insights into pitching, writing, and running IRONHEART, Chinaka sits down with IN PROXIMITY host Paola Mardo and her longtime friend, Proximity Media founder and IRONHEART executive producer, Sev Ohanian. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (3:25) Get Reel (5:31) Chinaka and Ironheart’s Origin Story (21:14) Writing Ironheart Was Personal (33:58) SUITS (40:17) Unmatched Energy On Set and Beyond (45:54) Into Chinaka’s Office (48:09) Sev and Chinaka in Film School (57:05) Chinaka as a Playwright (1:00:10) The Ironheart Writer’s Room (1:08:14) Prox Recs

SINNERS is only in theaters April 18 and we made a special two-part miniseries about the making of the film! Composer and executive producer Ludwig Göransson spoke with director, writer, and producer Ryan Coogler at his studio to talk about how the Delta blues and their family history inspired the film’s story and sound. They also break down the song “I Lied To You,” written by Ludwig and Raphael Saadiq, and performed by Miles Caton as Sammie in the film. Stay until the end for a special musical demonstration by Ludwig himself. SINNERS marks Ludwig’s fifth feature collaboration with Ryan Coogler, following BLACK PANTHER, CREED, and FRUITVALE STATION. A globally recognized composer and producer, Ludwig has earned multiple awards, including two Academy Awards for BLACK PANTHER and OPPENHEIMER. His film and TV credits include VENOM, THE MANDALORIAN, and TURNING RED. As a record producer and songwriter, he has collaborated with artists like Chance the Rapper, Adele, HAIM, and Childish Gambino. He is also a co-founder of Proximity Media. SINNERS is produced by Proximity Media and Warner Brothers. To hear the songs that inspired the SINNERS score and soundtrack, including artists discussed in this episode, listen here. Listen to the first episode of this special SINNERS series with Ryan Coogler and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw here. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (02:19) Get Reel (07:44) Blues Music (22:22) Writing & Composing “I Lied To You” (32:17) The Hero Guitar (35:42) Prox Recs

SINNERS is only in theaters April 18 and we made a special two-part miniseries about the making of the film! Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw sat down with director, writer, and producer Ryan Coogler at IMAX headquarters to discuss their collaboration as director and DP, how they called Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema for advice, and how they brought this movie to life on the biggest screen possible. With SINNERS, Autumn made history as the first woman to shoot a theatrical feature film in 65mm and IMAX. She is a visionary cinematographer known for her work on THE LAST SHOWGIRL, PALO ALTO, and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. She was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the first season of Marvel’s television series LOKI. She has also shot music videos for artists like Janelle Monáe and Solange Knowles, as well as Rihanna for the Oscar-nominated song "Lift Me Up" from the WAKANDA FOREVER soundtrack. This episode is presented by IMAX. SINNERS is produced by Proximity Media and Warner Brothers. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (02:34) Get Reel (12:57) Advice for filming in IMAX (17:07) Testing IMAX shots in Palmdale (24:22) Scene breakdown: Opening scene (31:16) Scene breakdown: Farmhouse scene (44:27) Prox Recs

From FRUITVALE STATION to BLACK PANTHER, Rachel Morrison and Ryan Coogler are longtime friends and collaborators. Rachel is a groundbreaking director and cinematographer who made history as the first woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for MUDBOUND and the first to lens a Marvel film with BLACK PANTHER. Her feature directorial debut, THE FIRE INSIDE, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and hits theaters this Christmas. Written by Barry Jenkins, THE FIRE INSIDE tells the inspiring true story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, the first American woman to win Olympic gold in boxing. Rachel spoke with Ryan about her trailblazing journey from photography to cinematography and directing. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (2:31) Get Reel (12:29) Choosing the right film stock for Fruitvale Station (15:36) Memories from the Fruitvale Station set (21:31) From photography to cinematography (34:13) Stepping into directing with The Fire Inside (44:25) Prox Recs

Veteran studio executive Courtenay Valenti began her career as an assistant at Warner Bros. in the 1980s, eventually rising to President of Production and Development. During her tenure, she championed major hits including BARBIE, THE COLOR PURPLE, and Proximity’s JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH. Today, Courtenay is Head of Theatrical and Streaming Films at Amazon MGM Studios where she oversees the company’s film slate and strategic direction. Courtenay sat down with her former colleague, Proximity’s head of film Rebecca Cho, for an empowering conversation about the role of a studio executive, lessons in leadership and mentorship, and the secret to making a sustainable and impactful Hollywood career. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (2:09) Get Reel (9:31) Difference between a studio exec vs. producer (18:07) What makes a great leader (23:42) Navigating industry changes (33:42) Working with creatives (37:17) Prox Recs

We took a trip to Gardena Cinema, one of the last family-owned, independent movie theaters in Los Angeles, to try and answer a simple question: What’s it like to own and operate an indie movie theater today? Proximity’s Head of Audio Paola Mardo talks with owner Judy Kim about how her immigrant parents built their business after they bought the single-screen theater in 1976, why she had to pivot after the 2023 strikes, and the vital role her community plays in keeping the doors open. We also have a fun segment featuring our visit to a marathon of horror exploitation movies screened in 16mm film. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (03:57) Inside the Horror-Exploitation-Thon at Gardena Cinema (10:49) All in the family: Gardena Cinema’s origin story (15:41) How the 2023 strikes changed Gardena Cinema’s business model (23:56) What it’s like to operate an indie theater today

GMORNING, GNITE! everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too. BOJACK HORSEMAN. GOODBYE, AGAIN. Jonny Sun is a film and TV writer, producer, author, and illustrator who has worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Damon Lindelof. His background is in architecture and engineering as a doctoral candidate at MIT and a creative researcher at the Harvard metaLAB. His writing career took off after he created the beloved alien Twitter persona Jomny Sun which earned him over half a million followers and a place on TIME Magazine’s 25 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2017. On this episode, Jonny sits with Proximity’s head of film Rebecca Cho to share what they’ve learned about collaborating as writer and producer while developing a feature screenplay together. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (02:21) Get Reel (10:24) Jomny Sun the Twitter alien (14:31) The “Asian six-pack” and finding creativity in math and science (21:20) What makes a great collaborator (30:16) Developing their project from idea to screenplay (34:23) Prox Recs