Give Her a Microphone

Anne Marie Fox - Unit Photographer

Anne Marie Fox is a gifted unit photographer specializing in film and television unit stills and editorial. Her beautiful work has been featured in some of the biggest film campaigns in the world. A few of the films include The Butler, Wild, Dallas Buyers Club , Precious, The Zoo Keeper’s Wife and most recently Amazon’s reboot of A League of Her Own. She has worked with critically acclaimed directors Robert Altman; Kenneth Branaugh; Agnes Varda; Lee Daniels; Niki Caro; Catherine Hardwicke; A...

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Kirsten Schaffer - CEO Women In Film

Welcome to season two of Give Her A Microphone! We welcome Kirsten Schaffer, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Women In Film, one of the entertainment industry’s leading organizations that advocates for women in the screen industries. The goal for Kirsten and Women In Film is to achieve parity and transform culture. Something that we are consistantly addressing here on the show! We are so happy Kirsten is here! Kirsten has been instrumental in launching ReFrame, an industry-wide initia...

Karen Somers - Director/Producer/DP

Karen Somers is a documentary director, producer and DP.  Her Los Angeles based, namesake production company, "Karen Somers + Co" creates documentaries, branded content and commercials. Karen is also the co-host and co-producer of this podcast and sits down to chat with co-host, Shirley Jackson about her experiences coming up in the industry.  #karensomersco, #womendirectors, #producersguild, #documentary, #femaleDP, #Hollywood, #Filmmaking

Melissa Silverstein - Founder Women And Hollywood

Melissa Silverstein is an agitator - she believes in good trouble as she advocates for women as the founder and publisher of Women and Hollywood. This extraordinary organization educates, advocates, and agitates for gender diversity and inclusion in Hollywood, and the global film industry.  Melissa is also the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of The Athena Film Festival at Barnard College which showcases films about extraordinary female leaders. With no shortage of energy and recognizing her...

Phaedra Harris - Casting Director

Phaedra Harris has over twenty-five years experience in feature film and television casting in Hollywood. Over the years Phaedra has packaged talent for numerous HBO & SHOWTIME productions and over fifty feature films. Phaedra continues to evolve, adding writing, producing and directing to her portfolio of accomplishments. In this episode Phaedra shares the wisdom she's gained casting top tier talent and what helps actors create success in their careers. She also shared her strategy for pr...

Jennifer Hutchins - Television and Film Producer / Creative Entrepreneur

Jennifer Hutchins has been producing hit TV shows, produced successful feature films and high-profile branded content for over a decade. She has produced, directed and wrote over 200 episodes of docu-series, studio and variety television for CBS, Amazon, A&E, Paramount Network, TLC, SYFY, Discovery, Fox Sports, NatGeo, YouTube Originals, Travel Channel. Jennifer is currently producing an CBS All Access series with directors Richard Linklater & Bill Guttentag. She is also the founder of All E...

Martine Melloul - CEO/Executive Producer Kali Pictures

Martine Melloul is the founder of Kali Pictures, a production company specializing in independent features, documentaries and TV series. Martine is a non-writing Creative and Business Producer. In her previous professional life,  Martine served as the Executive Vice President of BCBG MAX AZRIA, a global fashion house with a portfolio of more than 20 brands. She worked there for 17 years before deciding to dive into the world of film. Her story of reinvention is a must. Join us for an amazing...

Nichelle Tramble Spellman - TV Showrunner

"Give Her A Microphone" is back from summer hiatus and we are joined by the amazing Nishelle Tramble Spellman. Nichelle is the showrunner and executive producer for Apple TV+’s Truth Be Told. Last year Nichelle received the NAACP Image Award for outstanding writing in a drama series prize for her work on the show. The series stars Octavia Spencer and Kate Hudson. Previously, Nishelle spent three seasons as producer on CBS’ Emmy-winning The Good Wife, and on FX’s Justified and Snowfall. Her a...

Rachel Davies - VP Brand Management - Susan G. Komen

Rachel Davies visits with us and shares her wisdom from the creative side of the non-profit world. She is the Vice President of Brand Management, responsible for the strategic development, creative direction, operations and execution of many unified, multi-media campaign initiatives to enhance and support the Susan G. Komen national brand. This means that her background as a busy creative director informs all of the story-telling around this world famous social impact organization. This incl...

Christine Lawton - Entertainment Attorney IP Expert

Christine Lawton, attorney and Sr. Partner at Nolan Heiman in Los Angeles, chats with us about her unique perspective working studio side in legal affairs early on in her career. She shares her enthusiasm for taking that experience into the creative entrepreneurial endeavors of her clients as an Intellectual Property expert. She has over 15 years executive experience launching and monetizing businesses at the convergence of entertainment, technology and retail, helping Fox, Universal, DreamW...

Jane Owen - Film and TV Publicist

Jane Owen is an award winning publicist and founder of the international public relations and live event firm JOPR. Her company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with satellite offices in New York and London. Jane and her staff represent a variety of clients including celebrities, TV personalities, influencers, musicians, venues, film companies, restaurants, fashion designers, brands, governments, new technology of all sorts and charities. Jane chats with Shirley and Karen about...

Shirley Jackson - Executive In Charge of Production/ Reality TV

By day, Shirley Jackson is an Executive In Charge of Production for a large television production company in Los Angeles, California. You all know her here as the co-host of this podcast! Shirley is in the hot seat this week, chatting with co-host, Karen Somers about her rise through the ranks in radio and television. Her persistence and passion to work her way up the Hollywood food chain, the 150 plus hours of content she has helped to create, has landed her a plum position in production le...

Nasreen Alkhateeb - Cinematographer

Nasreen Alkhateeb is an award-winning cinematographer whose work amplifies under-represented voices. By illuminating racial injustice, marginalized youth, melting ice, women peacekeepers, and the construction of the largest telescope NASA has ever attempted, Nasreen thrives as a leader on diverse storytelling projects. Nasreen has a plethora of lenses she sees the world through. Her ability to motivate audiences is a direct result of being multi-heritage, BiPOC, 1st generation American, and ...

Pam Williams - Film and TV Producer

Pam Williams is an extraordinary film and television producer with films like "The Butler", live telecasts like the Oscars and most recently, Golden Globe winning and Academy nominated (best actress) The US vs Billy Holiday. Pam partners with some of the best in the business including the late, great Laura Ziskin, Director- Lee Daniels and all star talent like George Clooney, Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey. Pam seems to have an uncanny ability to recognize and dive into stories that shift...

Adrienne Ford Wesley - Audio Engineer Live Shows

This show is a pre-Covid interview we did with the amazing Adrienne "Ay-Ay" Ford-Wesley who is much sought after for her live audio mixing skills. It's bitter sweet listening to her story with concerts and live shows of all sorts going dark for the past year. Adrienne is a wealth of audio insider intel and wisdom and once you listen you'll be hooked. She can be reached through her company : https://www.audio-ayay.com

Jill Bogdanowicz - Colorist

Jill Bogdanowicz is one of the most sought after colorists in Hollywood. Jill works with directors and DP's to define the look and feel of a film through carefully designed color palettes. Her credits go for pages on IMDb so here's a few: her work has been featured on iconic, award winning films like "Joker" , "John Wick" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel". Series work includes "The Umbrella Academy", "The Haunting Of Hill House" and "Bloodline". Jill's background as a painter, her focused creat...

J.J. Caruth - President Domestic Marketing and Distribution

J.J. Caruth is the President of Domestic Marketing and Distribution  at Highland Film Group in Los Angeles. Her expertise has been crafted  during her 15+ years in entertainment launching over 360 campaigns. Her specialties include: domestic and international brand management, digital marketing, P&L management, product and brand launches, acquisitions and integrated marketing - all of which have allowed her films to shine and dominate the market place. We are so please to have J.J. join us a...

Mishawn Nolan - Entertainment Attorney - Covid Follow Up

Mishawn Nolan - entertainment attorney, partner and owner of Los Angeles based practice, Nolan Heimann - has been putting her best entrepreneurial alchemist techniques into play not only for her own practice but primarily for her entertainment based clients that are having to do pivots during the pandemic. As the industry shuttered last March, Mishawn and her team kicked into high gear - what they learned along the way is testimony to the grit and creativity necessary to surviving and thrivi...

Mishawn Nolan - Entertainment Attorney

Mishawn Nolan is bringing her extensive knowledge and insight to Give Her A Microphone as the founding partner and senior attorney in Nolan Heimann. She is passionate about helping innovators and entrepreneurs strategically leverage their assets. Having been a dancer and choreographer before becoming an attorney, she has a particular affinity for creatives. Even then her leadership and problem solving skills were evident and she was called upon to produce live events. Her ability to understa...

Lisa O'Brien - Children's Television Programming Executive - Covid Follow Up

Lisa O'Brien, one of Hollywood leading Kid's TV Executive and Creative Consultant, joins us for a mid-Covid follow up to her original pre-Covid interview. She speaks with Shirley and Karen about the challenges she has faced in the Pandemic Pause, the adjustments she has experienced in her career and the insights she has gained with the first time out she's had in almost twenty years of back to back production schedules and deliveries. 

Lisa O'Brien - Children's Programming Executive

Lisa O'Brien is a self described Creative Alchemist. She thought she was going to be a school teacher but her vision of teaching transformed into educational entertainment programming for kids. She began her career as a children's TV series producer in Canada. She brought that experience to Hollywood and built an impressive resume of creative development and production with the Disney Channel, The Jim Henson Company, Sprout/PBS (now NBC Universal) then on to NBC Kids and most recently, Carto...

Lisa Shamata - Unit Publicist / Covid Follow Up

Lisa Shamata is one of the leading unit publicists in Canada. She is the liaison between the outside world and a productive, working set. This is a job that takes, diplomacy, finesse and a creative, nimble mind to navigate all the stakeholders interests. When Lisa originally interviewed with us she was on location in eastern Canada. In her follow up interview, Lisa shares her experience riding out Covid in Toronto. We all have made unique choices during our respective stay-at-home time. Plea...

Lisa Shamata - Unit Publicist

Lisa Shamata is one of the leading unit publicists in Canada. She is the liaison between the outside world and a productive, working set. She fields communication from press, location community organizations, film commissions etc. on behalf of the studio. She supervises set photography and EPK/BTS filmmaking for future marketing and publicity once the film or series goes into release. This is a job that takes, diplomacy, finesse and a creative, nimble mind to navigate all the stakeholders in...

Kimberly Scott - Line Producer Covid Follow Up

Line Producer, Kimberly Scott joins us with her own Covid update. She chats with Shirley and karen about her experience keeping things afloat while the pandemic throws much of Hollywood into a holding pattern. 

Kimberly Scott - Executive-In-Charge and Sr. Line Producer

Kimberly Scott revels in her role Line Producing on a variety of successful shows In Hollywood ranging from broadcast television and features through digital series and branded content. Kimberly's vast experience has given her a unique perspective as Hollywood continues to evolve from traditional to digital distribution models. Karen and Shirley chat with Kimberly about the highs and lows in her journey and what she's learned along the way.

Mary McCusker - Acting Coach - Part Two Covid Edition

Give Her A Microphone hosts, Karen Somers and Shirley Jackson follow up with one of Hollywood's leading acting coaches, Mary McCusker. Mary shares the ups and downs she experienced living in Los Angeles during Covid. She's put her time to good use, publishing a successful book about auditioning that has been in the works for a while. She has also adjusted her coaching techniques for a Zoom driven world. Her students are still auditioning digitally for shows and movies - what does that look l...

Mary McCusker - Acting Coach, Teacher, Author

Give Her A Microphone hosts, Karen Somers and Shirley Jackson visit with one of Hollywood's leading acting coaches, Mary McCusker. Mary has coached some of the biggest stars in the business and shares lessons learned along the way in her new book, "Auditioning - What They Say When You Leave The Room". 

Diane Quinn - Cirque du Soleil - Part Two - Covid Edition Follow Up -

We first interviewed Diane pre-Covid. This is the follow up interview we did recently to check in and see how Diane, her family and Cirque du Soleil's community are faring. The pandemic has taken a significant toll in the entertainment world - particularly live businesses. Cirque du Soleil's Chief Creative Officer, Diane Quinn, has witnessed the catastrophic results. We visit with the Diane has she shares the personal and professional costs Covid has extracted this year.

Diane Quinn - Chief Creative Officer / Cirque du Soleil

Diane Quinn is the Chief Creative Officer at Cirque du Soleil. Hosts, Karen Somers and Shirley Jackson, chat with Diane about her journey to the top job in one the world's most successful live entertainment giants. She shares her personal story, what a Chief Creative Officer actually does, the lessons she learned along the way and what she does now to rise and thrive in the cutthroat global world of live entertainment.