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Published by SCAN Media, LLC
Trailer Geeks and Teaser Gods... the podcast that honors the art of making movie trailers, teasers, key art, and all the strategic content that launched the movies, TV shows, and games you love.
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Opening Weekend: Selling Hollywood with Jim Fredrick continues on the TG&TG feed. This week Jim rides solo, revisiting the campaign he calls "the assignment of a lifetime": Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone . As senior vice president of creative advertising at Warner Brothers, he traces the campaign from an illustrated owl poster with no actors in sight to a $90 million opening weekend that turned one film into a franchise. Takeaways: The call upstairs. A 1999 meeting with his boss turns into the assignment of a lifetime. Freezing in Leavesden. A week cutting a promo reel on location, scored to the Home Alone soundtrack, and the door that opened onto a world of pure movie magic. The slow reveal. Why the campaign opened with an owl and a letter, then opened the envelope a little further with each poster. Sitting on the fence. Balancing filmmakers on one side and studio bosses on the other, and why that tension is the whole job. One agency, one shot. Why Jim hired only The Ant Farm, and what Drew Struzan's final poster meant for the campaign. Just remember: "There is no franchise unless the first film is a hit." — Jim Fredrick Our sponsor : The Golden Trailer Awards ( goldentrailer.com ) Opening Weekend now has its own feed. Follow the series on Apple Podcasts and Spotify : Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-weekend-selling-hollywood-with-jim-fredrick/id6806323200 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/39EWkVdYbK7P4kNDWLzH0E
Opening Weekend: Selling Hollywood with Jim Fredrick continues on the TG&TG feed. Barbara Glazer was one of our very first guests on this podcast, back in 2019. She's also one of the industry's true glass-ceiling breakers: co-founder of The Ant Farm, and the creative leader behind campaigns for Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Kill Bill among hundreds of others. She sits down with Jim Fredrick to trace a career that started by accident on a Moviola upright and ended up reshaping who gets to run a trailer house. Takeaways: A trailer she never meant to cut. Barbara started in documentaries. A client short on cash brought in a trailer for The Dead Zone as payment in 1982, and she ended up cutting it herself. She broke the glass ceiling without setting out to. She built a partnership at Silver/Glazer, then left after fifteen years to co-found The Ant Farm in 1997, one of the only women running a shop like it at the time. Culture was the whole strategy. She wanted to train and nurture people in a business that didn't always do that, and it's a big part of why Ant Farm grew as fast as it did. Just remember: "Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke." — Barbara Glazer Our sponsor: The Golden Trailer Awards ( goldentrailer.com ) Opening Weekend now has its own feed. Follow the series on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-weekend-selling-hollywood-with-jim-fredrick/id6806323200 open.spotify.com/show/39EWkVdYbK7P4kNDWLzH0E
Trailer Park's doors are closed, but the tribute rolls on. Chapter 2 picks up as the shop outgrows Cahuenga, settles into the Santa Monica Boulevard building and then Ivar, and finally lands the industry rock star it had been courting for two years. Tim Nett, Benedict Coulter, Brett Winn, Ellie Speare, Charlotte Honess, and Charlie Austin trace how a scrappy comedy house grew into a full-service powerhouse without losing what made it fun. Part reunion, part masterclass in the culture that kept people around for decades. In this episode: The rock star joins the band. After seventeen years at Kaleidoscope and a stint at Aspect, Benny Coulter passed on a bigger offer to become an owner at the scrappy shop instead. His action and drama work alongside Tim's comedy turned Trailer Park into a true full-service house. Do three, send six. The signature move was over-delivering on purpose. Clients asked for three cuts and got six at no charge, and most of the shop's awards came from the spots nobody requested. No brilliant jerks. Talent alone never got you hired. Anyone who wouldn't fit the family stayed out, no matter how good, and that rule is a big reason Ellie Speare stayed twenty years. A few lines that landed: "It didn't matter how brilliant they were. If they weren't gonna fit in, they weren't welcome." (Tim Nett) "I was thinking about the money. Then I said, no, no, no. I'm going to Trailer Park." (Benedict Coulter, on turning down a bigger offer to become an owner) "Everyone said, 'You're a girl, you can't cut action.' Benny said, 'Absolutely you can.'" (Charlotte Honess) Brought to you by the Golden Trailer Awards and Audiomachine. goldentrailer.com audiomachine.com
Opening Weekend: Selling Hollywood with Jim Fredrick continues on the TG&TG feed. A soap marketer who'd never set foot in Los Angeles became the most successful studio head in movie history. Alan Horn ran Warner Brothers and then Disney, greenlighting Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, and the modern Marvel and Star Wars era. He sits down with Jim Fredrick to trace a 60-year career built on serendipity, and to talk honestly about what selling a movie takes now. Takeaways: Hired because he was perfect. A Procter & Gamble marketer working on Ivory soap, Alan got recruited by Jerry Perenchio precisely because he'd never watched much TV and never been to LA. "You're perfect. You're hired." Norman Lear backed him against a mutiny. Writers walked out of his first All in the Family table read. A month later Lear stood up in front of 40 people and told them to accept it or get out. The Blackwing 602 pencil made it official: "You are now qualified to give notes." Green light or nothing. Alan took the Warner Brothers presidency only with final say on what got made, then built the run that led Bob Iger to call him for Disney. You can't buy an opening weekend anymore. Social media broke the old playbook. Audiences text each other 20 minutes into a Friday screening, and marketing keeps getting treated as low-hanging fruit when studios need to cut. Pull quotes (social-ready): "Every problem that I've ever had in business is a people problem." — Alan Horn "Throw a hundred lines in the water, because all you need to do is catch one fish." — Alan Horn "It's not so easy to buy an opening weekend, because people start texting each other 20 minutes into a movie on a Friday." — Alan Horn "It isn't really pre-COVID anymore to me. It's pre-streaming dominance." — Alan Horn Sponsors: Golden Trailer Awards ( goldentrailer.com ) West One Music and Q Factory by Robert Etoll ( westonemusic.com )
We're proud to introduce Opening Weekend: Selling Hollywood with Jim Fredrick , starting with episode one right here on TG&TG! The most beloved movie on IMDb was, on opening weekend, a flop. Jim Fredrick, who cut the original trailer at Castle Rock, reunites with producer Liz Glotzer to unpack how The Shawshank Redemption got left at the box office and found its audience anyway. Takeaways: The title took the blame. Trimming Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption down to The Shawshank Redemption was meant to play commercial. The press pinned the soft open on a title nobody could decode. No stars, an R rating, a prison. Jim walks through the marketing wall he faced, with Darabont sitting beside him guarding the cut so the trailer gave nothing away. Three million to walk away. Darabont turned down a big payday to not direct, and chose to helm his debut instead, one of several near-misses behind the finished film. Oscars, then Turner, then legacy. Seven nominations nudged theatrical, but the film truly found its audience through relentless TNT airings and a chart-topping home video run. Pull quotes (social-ready): "For 18 years, The Shawshank Redemption has been the number one movie on IMDb. So why wasn't I able to open the film?" — Jim Fredrick "We thought we were being commercial by changing it from Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption to The Shawshank Redemption. Probably that was our first mistake." — Liz Glotzer "The marketing perspective is always give as much away as possible." — Liz Glotzer "You pretty much couldn't turn on the channel and Shawshank wasn't playing." — Liz Glotzer Sponsors: Golden Trailer Awards ( goldentrailer.com ) West One Music and Q Factory by Robert Etoll ( westonemusic.com )
It was so cool to get to hang out with Chris Daniel, the Senior Vice President of Global Creative Marketing at LionsGate. Prior to LionsGate, Chris led 360 marketing campaigns on some of Netflix's biggest films such as Red Notice, Glass Onion, Dayshift, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, Dolemite Is My Name, and Over The Moon. Previously, he edited and produced trailers, digital-social, and brand campaigns at AV Squad where he was a part of a ton of award-winning work. Chris came up through the ranks at highly creative shops Mocean, Ignition and Seismic. Over his years on the agency side, he's been recognized with Clio Entertainment and Golden Trailer Awards (and even a CUTTER AWARD - y'all remember that?) for his campaigns for Red Notice, Dayshift, Bright, The 13th, Spy, Top 5, The Drop and many more. Be sure to check out our wonderful sponsors: Audiomachine - audiomachine.com The Golden Trailer Awards - goldentrailer.com Please leave us a rating and review: apple.co/3QYy80e You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.linkedin.com/in/coreysnathan .
Trailer Park's theatrical division has closed its doors, so we gathered five of the people who were there at the very beginning. Tim Nett, Jim Hale, Ann Mugglebee, Mike Southerly, and Tommy Gargotta trace the company from a single rented edit bay on Cahuenga to a sign you could spot from miles away. Part origin story, part reunion, and a fitting tribute to where it all started. In this episode: One rented room, one Avid. The whole thing began when Tim rented a single bay from commercial editor Jacques Dury, back when an Avid ran around $150K. The crew grew room by room until they took over the building. Culture was the product. Before pleasing clients, the team's first job was making each other laugh. A building so small you could hear every bay (and shout notes through the wall) built a bond that outlasted the company. Scrappy beat safe. A handful of clients took a leap of faith on a brand-new shop run by people barely into their thirties, and that trust launched something that ran for decades. A few lines that landed: "We were all, like, kids. We had no business starting a company." (Tim Nett) "We were laying down train track that we didn't even realize we were laying down." (Ann Mugglebee) "Can you believe we were part of that?" (Tommy Gargotta, on spotting the Trailer Park sign from the freeway) Brought to you by the Golden Trailer Awards and APM Music. goldentrailer.com www.apmmusic.com
Logan Gruidl is Senior Producer at Picture Head and the founder of The Trailer Brief, a bi-weekly newsletter covering trailer craft, industry news, and the campaigns shaping entertainment advertising. After coming up as an AE at Outpost and Grandson, Logan built his finishing expertise at Picturehead while quietly becoming one of the industry's most thoughtful new voices. Key Takeaways: The finishing side of the industry is poorly understood even by people in it. Logan breaks down how color, mix, versioning, and delivery work at a post house like Picture Head. The Trailer Brief was born from a need to stay engaged with the creative side of the industry while doing finishing work full-time. The journalism background helped. AI as editorial tool, not ghostwriter. Logan uses ChatGPT to round up trades and Claude to pressure-test his drafts, not write them. The Uncut Gems trailer was the piece that made him want to work in this industry. Grandson had it on their homepage when he was interviewing. Building community matters. Between Behind the Trailer, TWMT, Jules Levy's Tuesday roundups, and now The Trailer Brief, a real ecosystem of industry education and documentation is taking shape. Standout Quotes: "We're in a cool place right now where the people who founded the industry are still working, but there's also a whole new slate of editors who came up wanting to be trailer editors — and now they're working next to the people who cut the things that inspired them." "I felt like the way to keep accountable was to write about them." "If I can distill it down to four bullet points for someone who just got off a 12-hour shift, and they feel better about their knowledge of the industry — that's a win." "I don't think anyone my age really wants to be a finisher, aside from me." "I was like, okay, time to go to Picturehead — be a smaller fish in a bigger pond." Links: The Trailer Brief: the-trailer-brief.beehiiv.com Logan on LinkedIn: @Logan-Gruidl Thanks to our sponsor: The Golden Trailer Awards: goldentrailer.com Join the Community Leave a rating and review Share the episode with a friend in the industry Subscribe for new episodes every week Enjoying the show? Rate and review wherever you listen. It helps more people find us. Now go do some inspired work.
Monica Brady has spent 26 years doing something that didn't exist when she started: honoring the people who make movie trailers. Co-founded with her sister Evelyn on a boat to Fort Sumter in 1999, the Golden Trailer Awards grew from a scrappy DGA screening room show (running on two Avids, fingers crossed) into the industry's premier celebration of trailer craft. In this episode, Monica traces the full arc of the GTAs, from a pre-broadband era when trailer editors were essentially invisible, to a show that now spans dozens of categories and serves as a genuine career launchpad for aspiring creatives. 5 Key Takeaways The GTAs were born out of necessity, not ambition. Monica and Evelyn weren't trying to build an institution. They were trying to find a trailer editor for their student film and couldn't. No directory, no resource, no awards show existed. So they created one. What was meant to "run on autopilot" is now 26 years in. The show evolves as the industry evolves. From 23 categories in 1999 (including one they couldn't even explain) to dedicated tracks for streaming series, video games, and social trailer bites, the GTAs have always followed the craft. Categories don't get added by committee — they get added when the industry shows up and says "we cut these like theatrical trailers." Music is the most powerful recall tool in the trailer editor's kit. Monica keeps coming back to music as the thread connecting memory, emotion, and ticket sales. Editors who also play instruments aren't a coincidence — music is math, and the pattern recognition required for both is the same muscle. The trailer industry is uniquely positioned for the AI era. Most industries are bracing for an onslaught of AI-generated content. Monica's case: who better to make sense of a flood of footage than people who have spent decades being handed raw material with no script, no direction, and a tight deadline? The trailer editor's core skill is exactly what the moment will demand. Standout Quotes "We sent out some applications, and the rest will run on autopilot. And 26 years later, you're looking at the autopilots." "Who but the trailer industry have had a decades-long start at taking nonsensical footage about a topic they know nothing about — no script, no direction — and crafting a story together?" "These trailer editors are artists. And that is one of the things that sets the human being apart from whatever's coming at us right now." "Everybody help each other. We're here a very short amount of time on this planet. Let's just make the most of it." Links & Resources Golden Trailer Awards: goldentrailer.com GTA 26 — May 28, 2026 | Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills Join the Community Leave a rating and review Share the episode with a friend in the industry Subscribe for new episodes every week Enjoying the show? Rate and review wherever you listen. It helps more people find us. Now go do some inspired work.
Kris McDonald is a Creative Director and Senior Editor at XAV, and the founder of Behind the Trailer — a free educational platform dedicated to helping aspiring trailer editors break into the business and level up their craft. He came up through Open Road and Trailer Park before landing at XAV (which was Project X at the time), where he's built a career cutting campaigns for major studio and streaming titles including The Chosen , The Big Cigar , and Deepwater Horizon . In this episode, Kris traces his path from runner to creative director, reflects on the mentors and moments that shaped him, and pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to cut a trailer that makes an audience stop breathing. Key Takeaways Say yes to everything — even the soccer video. Early in his career, Kris was asked to cut a highlight reel for a client's daughter's graduation party. He treated it like a studio campaign, stayed late, and poured everything into it. The client loved it, sat him down in the bay, and introduced him to the work of Nick Temple. The lesson: every cut is an audition. Set a goal, then chase it down. After learning that his mentor Adrian finished his first trailer at 25, Kris made it a personal mission to hit that same milestone. He cut constantly, studied obsessively, and hit the mark — finishing his first trailer on The Blind Side right around his 25th birthday. Emotion, story, rhythm — in that order. Kris breaks down the three pillars he builds every cut around, drawn from Walter Murch's In the Blink of an Eye . A trailer can be slick and fast and technically impressive, but without emotion, it doesn't land. Trial and error is the process. When asked about a gut-punch moment of silence in the Deepwater Horizon trailer, Kris was refreshingly honest: he knew what he wanted the audience to feel, but finding the right technique was pure experimentation. Knowing the destination and figuring out the route are two different skills. Behind the Trailer exists to pay it forward. Everything Kris knows, he learned because someone in a bay was willing to show him their sequences and give him notes. Behind the Trailer is his way of making that kind of mentorship available to anyone who wants it — for free. Standout Quotes "I want you to feel like you can't breathe. I know that this is the moment of the trailer where your breath is taken away. Now, how do I do that?" "I cut a lot of bad trailers. I got good at creating an open, but then it would just drag." "Any sort of information I can give back to people wanting to get into this industry — that's the number one goal." "This is my dream job. I'll never stop cutting." Find Kris & Behind the Trailer behindthetrailer.com Instagram: @behindthetrailer YouTube: @behindthetrailer Behind the Trailer Community Discord (free) — discord.gg/wRdGTFwhh2 For aspiring editors looking to break in, industry pros who want to give back, and anyone who just loves trailers Connect Corey Nathan – @coreysnathan Brought to you by... The Golden Trailer Awards – goldentrailer.com Join the Community Leave a rating and review Share the episode with a friend in the industry Subscribe for new episodes every week Enjoying the show? Rate and review wherever you listen. It helps more people find us. Now go do some inspired work.
Before founding Rubber Sole Creative, Stav Ozdoba came to the U.S. with one goal: become a filmmaker. Within months, he was in meetings to direct a feature. Not long after, he learned just how brutal that path could be. What followed wasn't a straight line. It was a pivot. From indie films to editing weddings. From teaching himself Final Cut to landing at Sony. From cutting sizzles and promos to leading teams and eventually building his own creative shop from the ground up. In this episode, Corey and Stav trace that journey and get into what actually sustains a career in this business. Not just passion, but craft. Not just ambition, but clarity around what you're truly good at. They also dig into how storytelling changes across platforms, why "added value" creative matters more than ever, and what it really takes to carve out space as an independent in a crowded, evolving industry. Calls to Action Follow Stav Ozdoba and Rubber Sole Creative on LinkedIn Visit: rubbersoleav.com Like what you hear? Leave a rating and review Follow Corey: @coreysnathan across platforms Subscribe for weekly conversations with the people behind the work Key Takeaways The path isn't linear, and that's the point Stav arrived in LA aiming to direct films, but the reality of the industry forced a pivot. Editing became the lane where his instincts and abilities aligned and ultimately opened more doors than chasing directing ever did. Follow what you're good at, not just what you love Passion alone isn't enough. Stav makes a clear distinction between what you enjoy and what you can consistently execute at a high level. The sweet spot is where skill and interest meet. The edit bay is the real classroom Early on, Stav learned by proximity. Watching other editors. Asking questions. Absorbing instincts. Not formal training, but immersion in the craft. Story is the constant, format is the variable Whether it's a trailer, a sizzle, or a social cut, the job is still storytelling. The platforms change. The audience behavior changes. The need to connect emotionally does not. Underserved work is often the biggest opportunity Rubber Sole was built around doing the work others overlook. Behind the scenes, sizzles, added value pieces. Done right, those pieces don't just support campaigns, they drive audience interest. Relationships still matter more than tools Even in an era of AI and rapid change, the business still runs on trust. When stakes are high, people call collaborators they know can deliver. Creative ownership requires risk tolerance Leaving Sony to start Rubber Sole wasn't a calculated leap with guarantees. It was a bet on craft, relationships, and the belief that great work would create opportunity. Standout Quotes "I stopped following my passion and started following what I'm good at." "You're always telling a story, no matter the platform." "If the work is undeniable, the room will open." "We're not competing on price. We're competing against average." "Sometimes if you don't get your dream job, you have to create it." Connect Stav Ozdoba – rubbersoleav.com Corey Nathan – @coreysnathan Sponsors The Golden Trailer Awards – goldentrailer.com Mesa Wealth Management – mezawealth.com Join the Community Leave a rating and review Share the episode with a friend in the industry Subscribe for new episodes every week Enjoying the show? Rate and review wherever you listen. It helps more people find us. Now go do some inspired work.
Before Benj Thall was cutting trailers at some of the most influential shops in the business, he was a working child actor starring in Disney's Homeward Bound films alongside legends like Leslie Nielsen and Ned Beatty. That early life on film sets didn't just give him screen credits — it gave him a love for every corner of the craft that eventually led him behind the camera, through film school at USC, and into the edit bay. In this episode, Corey and Benj trace a career that spans Global Doghouse, Harley's House/Ignition, Mojo, and Monster, and dig into what it means to carry a trailer editor's sensibility into feature film cutting. Benj also shares the story behind Monument , the political thriller starring Jon Voight and Joe Mazzello that he edited — a deeply personal project that connects his love of storytelling, his actor's instincts, and his late father's memory. Key Takeaways The edit bay as classroom. Benj's early days at Global Doghouse meant literally knocking on Kevin Childress or Doug Brandt's door to make dubs — and using every excuse to watch them cut. Proximity to great editors, not formal training, was the real education. Emotional truth is the through line. Whether cutting a two-minute trailer or a two-hour feature, Benj is always hunting the same thing: the moment an audience doesn't know what comes next. That instinct, sharpened over decades of trailer work, is exactly what he argues trailer editors bring to features that classically trained film editors often don't. Shops shape artists. Global Doghouse and Harley's House weren't just workplaces — they were creative environments that challenged editors to push against convention. Benj credits the culture at both shops, as much as any individual mentor, for forming his aesthetic. Knowing when you're too close. On Monument , Benj cut his own trailer for the film he edited — then pressed the producers to bring in a second editor because he recognized he was too close to the material. That kind of self-awareness is rare, and he makes the case for why it matters. Trailer skills are transferable — and increasingly valued. From working with stems and sculpting music in the rough cut to getting creative out of under-covered scenes, Benj sees a real and growing appetite for trailer editors in feature post. The hustle is different, but the toolkit is more relevant than ever. Standout Quotes "It's gotta be those quick moments of emotional impact for me." "Different parts of a movie are gonna speak differently to everyone. You're looking for those universal moments that speak to all of our humanity." "I've fallen in love with cutting features. If you've got a two-actor scene, the third actor is the editor." "I pressed the production — we need to get another look. I am too close to the material." "To probably my financial detriment, I've never been locked down. But for a creative, it's about staying open to opportunities that might come." Connect Benj Thall — www.benjthalldirector.com MONUMENT, the movie — www.monument.film Corey Nathan — @coreysnathan on all platforms Sponsors Meza Wealth Management — mezawealth.com The Golden Trailer Awards — goldentrailer.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives! Enjoying the show? Rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It really does help people find us. Now go do some inspired work.
Jordan Hayman has sat in almost every seat in this industry. Jumbotron editor for the Lakers during their championship run. Creative executive at Alkemi, working indie theatrical. Client-side at Lifetime under the legendary Bob and Lew. Broadcast division builder at AV Squad. And now, founder of The Shop, the boutique he always knew he'd build from the moment he was running packages around town for Tony Seiniger as a high schooler. This one goes deep on the career, the grind, and the decisions that don't have clean answers. Jordan talks about what it took to start a broadcast division from scratch, why building relationships from day one at Fox Sports in 1996 was the most important business strategy he never consciously planned, and how working both sides of the table made him a better vendor. We also get into The Last Dance and what it was like to cut over a hundred trailers for the most anticipated sports documentary in years, the Tyson-Paul Countdown for Netflix, and the theatrical sensibility that separates The Shop from most broadcast-focused competitors. Key Takeaways The Relationship Is the Portfolio From his first internship to founding The Shop, Jordan's career has run on relationships built with patience and maintained with consistent delivery. Creativity matters, but so does customer service, speed, and knowing what it feels like to be on the other side of the table. Working Both Sides Changes Everything Spending time as a network executive at Lifetime gave Jordan something most agency-side people don't have: a first-hand understanding of what clients actually need. When he went back to the agency side, he knew exactly what a room like Bob and Lew's expected to see. Build a Division Like You're Proving It's Possible Starting AV Squad's broadcast arm from nothing was terrifying. Jordan spent months with almost no work and nearly convinced himself he'd be fired. Scott Edwards told him to enjoy the calm before the storm. He was right. Theatrical Sensibility Is Non-Negotiable Now The line between broadcast, streaming, and theatrical has effectively collapsed. Jordan and his partner Nick Shakarian brought theatrical DNA into every network campaign they touched, and that cross-pollination is now the price of admission for anyone doing serious streaming work. Surround Yourself with All-Stars The hardest part of starting a company isn't the creative. It's everything else. Jordan's solution was simple: find the best people for every role and get out of their way. Notable Quotes "From day one, from Fox Sports, from 1996 — everybody I came in contact with, I tried to be good to them." "When I was done working for Bob and Lew, I thought to myself, I can do anything. Not everybody made it out of there alive." "That was definitely my master's degree." "I am not a business person. I'm a creative person." "My dad told me not to do it. But I wouldn't want to do anything else, man." Connect The Shop — theshoptrailers.com Corey Nathan — @coreysnathan on all platforms Sponsors Meza Wealth Management — mezawealth.com The Golden Trailer Awards — goldentrailer.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives! Enjoying the show? Rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It really does help people find us. Now go do some inspired work.
What does it sound like when a trailer editor thinks in rhythm, builds in silence, and treats every scene break like a musical beat? Lead editor Lauren Zoller of X/AV traces her path from a Chapman BFA to a Lionsgate internship, through Ignition (where she shadowed some of the greats) and nearly nine years at Mocean before landing at X/AV in 2021. She's become one of the most versatile editors in streaming, cutting The Punisher and Tulsa King alongside Peaky Blinders , DTF: St. Louis , and Poker Face — sometimes in the same week. The conversation digs into the sound design on the Peaky Blinders: The Mortal Man teaser, how a Crystal Method track set the structural DNA of the DTF trailer, and why a prominent commercial song changes how she shapes a piece. Lauren also talks about the industry's culture shift, mentorship in a remote-work world, and her role on the Soapbox advisory board. Key Takeaways Editing Is Solving a Puzzle Without the Picture Assembling pieces into a story without a finished image to guide you — it's what drew Lauren to the craft over directing or writing, and it still drives how she approaches every project. Rhythm Is Felt Before It's Measured Growing up playing drums gave Lauren a timing instinct that lives in her body as much as on the timeline. On the Peaky teaser, quiet and loud sections landed within four to six frames of each other in length — not because she mathd it out, but because she could feel it. Sound Design Is Storytelling Reverb, silence, a spinning coin — every sound element in the Peaky teaser was a narrative choice. On-camera dialogue got less reverb because that's the character's present-tense reality. Off-screen thoughts got more, because we're inside his head. Range Is Developed, Not Given Lauren's versatility is something she built at X/AV out of necessity. At larger shops, editors sometimes get typecast. At a smaller shop, you have to be able to do it all — and she's found she loves it. Soft Skills Are the Core of the Job The most durable skill in this industry is adaptive problem-solving: understanding what someone's asking for when the words don't quite match, being easy to work with under pressure, and knowing when to kill your darlings. Notable Quotes "It's like solving a puzzle without the picture." "We contain multitudes." "You can still do really good work and not get yelled at." "I just wanna keep making cool shit." Connect Lauren Zoller — www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-mckeithan-zoller-3b020016/ Corey Nathan — @coreysnathan on all platforms Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management — mezawealth.com The Golden Trailer Awards — goldentrailer.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives!
What happens when a technology-minded New Yorker stumbles into Hollywood and ends up reshaping how the industry makes trailers, title sequences, and motion graphics for the next three decades? This week, Eric Ladd joins the show to talk about his winding path from floppy disk drives and Bank of America to running Novocom, building Pittard Sullivan into a global powerhouse, and founding Picture Mill, one of the most influential design and motion graphics companies in entertainment marketing history. Now he's doing it again with Ignite XR, creating AR and social content tools contracted by TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. Along the way, the conversation covers how Picture Mill got its name (in a single impulsive moment at a lunch meeting), the deal that fell apart and sent half of Pittard's leadership out the door to start their own companies, and how Eric pioneered digital before the industry even had a name for it. He also shares what it was like to shoot the Mandalay tiger in Hawaii, fly to Edwards Air Force Base with a first-time solo pilot to blow up a quarter-scale hotel, and pitch George Lucas on a Star Wars re-release trailer using a clip of Apocalypse Now on VHS. Key Takeaways Confidence Is a Skill Before leaving Pittard, Eric had already grown Novocom from two people to sixty. That track record gave him the credibility to walk into Aspect Ratio's Citrus lunch meeting with an $8.5M business plan he'd written in two hours — and walk out with a credit line and the name Picture Mill. The People You Work With Are the Real Portfolio When asked about favorite campaigns, Eric sidestepped the question entirely: "I have favorite people." The relationships formed in those early years, including editors, designers, producers, directors, are what he actually carries forward. Know When to Leave, and Who Should Replace You At Pittard, Eric not only knew when his time was up, he named Anne Epstein as the person who should take the job. Succession thinking and generosity with credit have been constants throughout his career. Bleeding Edge Requires a Tolerance for Uncertainty Whether it was scanning and comping an entire Spike Lee trailer in the early days of digital, pioneering AR filters on Snapchat before the platforms knew what to do with them, or landing a contract with ByteDance by simply delivering a working product without being asked, Eric's approach has always been to figure it out first and explain it later. AI Is a Tool, Not a Threat... If You Have Ideas The conversation about AI cuts to the heart of what this show is about. Eric's view: "It all comes down to ideas." AI can execute, but someone still has to direct it. The people who will struggle are those who were already functioning as tools themselves. Notable Quotes "I went over there at five o'clock and Ed and I were there till ten. We just clicked." "I said, 'You can't afford me.' He said, 'How much do you want?' Six months later my paycheck just went WHOOSH." "When we came back from lunch, we'd hired every one of those people in the waiting room." "It all comes down to ideas. AI can give you ideas, but it lacks what humans can do with them." "A lot of being successful has to do with wherewithal. If you can hang in there long enough, you can be successful doing anything." "When we're gone, those stories are gonna be gone with us." "Not anymore. They're on the record!" Connect Eric Ladd — ignitexr.com Corey Nathan — @coreysnathan on all platforms Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management – mezawealth.com The Golden Trailer Awards – goldentrailer.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives!
What does it take to break into the trailer business, survive the agency grind, and help shape campaigns for some of the biggest films of the last two decades? This week on Trailer Geeks and Teaser Gods , we sit down with Creative Director, Producer and Creative Executive Kazadi Katambwa to discuss craft, career, and creative instinct. Kazadi walks through his journey from film-loving college student in the Midwest to runner at Wiser Post, to assistant editor at Intralink, and eventually to cutting and producing major theatrical campaigns for films like The Dark Knight , Inception , Dunkirk , Mad Max: Fury Road , and many more. Along the way, the conversation explores the realities of Hollywood career paths, the importance of mentorship, and the delicate art of marketing great movies without getting in their way. Kazadi shares behind-the-scenes stories about working with Christopher Nolan, the challenge of distilling high-concept films into thirty seconds, and the creative leap from editor to producer to studio executive. From humble beginnings with a Thomas Guide in the passenger seat to shaping global campaigns at Amazon Studios, this episode is packed with insight, humor, and hard-earned wisdom for anyone who loves trailers or dreams of making them. Key Takeaways From Runner to Creative Voice Kazadi reflects on starting at the very bottom of post-production and learning the craft by watching great editors work. Patience, curiosity, and a willingness to say yes opened doors that formal plans never could. Reverse Engineering Great Trailers Early on, Kazadi studied timelines and cuts to understand how trailers were built. That hands-on education became the foundation of his editorial instincts. Working on The Dark Knight and Inception Marketing films of that caliber brought unique pressures. Great movies can be harder to market because the campaign must rise to the same level of excellence. Quiet Can Be Louder Than Loud On campaigns like Dunkirk , restraint and confidence became creative tools. Sometimes a simple heartbeat and the right image communicate more than any barrage of sound. The Power of Relationships Career moves from Intralink to Seismic to Buddha Jones happened through trust and collaboration. In trailer marketing, reputation and relationships remain everything. Evolving From Editor to Executive Moving from the editing chair to creative leadership required a new mindset. Protecting the creative while guiding teams became the next chapter of the journey. Understanding Filmmakers Working with directors like Christopher Nolan reinforced a crucial lesson. Great campaigns respect the filmmaker's vision and find ways to amplify it rather than replace it. Notable Quotes "Sometimes marketing a bad movie is hard. But marketing a great movie can be even harder." "Loud is not always the best thing. Quiet can be just as powerful." "Study the timeline. That's where the education really happens." "The best trailers feel confident. You can sense when a campaign is trying too hard." "Relationships are what move careers forward in this town." Connect Kazadi Katambwa – linkedin.com/in/kazadi-katambwa-819921123 Corey Nathan – @coreysnathan on all platforms Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management – mezawealth.com The Golden Trailer Awards – goldentrailer.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives!
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:92a876fe-57e9-49d8-8917-802bb88aa3ae-16" data-testid= "conversation-turn-16" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> What do trailers, legendary movie posters, streaming era strategy, and a deep love for theatrical storytelling have in common? This week on Trailer Geeks & Teaser Gods , Corey is joined by Debi Struzan and Dana Flowers-Mitchell for a deeply personal conversation about careers shaped by creativity, collaboration, and conviction. From Debi's early days at Seiniger Advertising and her connection to the iconic Drew Struzan legacy, to Dana's journey from agency producer to studio and streaming executive, the conversation traces how great entertainment marketing is built at the intersection of story, trust, and human connection. Together, Debi and Dana reflect on mentorship, studio versus agency life, the evolution of theatrical and streaming windows, and what still matters most when crafting campaigns that resonate. Along the way, the discussion touches on everything from horror trailers and prestige dramas to boxing workouts, late night calls, and why picking up the phone still matters. Key Takeaways From Agency to Studio and Back Again Both guests share how starting on the agency side shaped the way they later partnered with creative teams once they moved into studio and streaming roles, fostering deeper empathy and stronger collaboration. The Legacy of Drew Struzan Debi reflects on the influence of her father-in-law, legendary illustrator Drew Struzan, and the enduring impact of handcrafted movie poster art in a rapidly changing industry. Why Relationships Still Win Dana and Debi emphasize that despite new tools, platforms, and pressures, strong relationships and direct communication remain essential to solving creative problems and building trust. Theatrical Is Not Dead The conversation challenges the idea that movie theaters are fading, pointing instead to evolving audience behaviors and the continued power of shared cinematic experiences. Creativity in an Era of Change From AI anxiety to shrinking budgets, the discussion explores how agencies and creatives can adapt while protecting the core value of original ideas and emotional storytelling. Notable Quotes "People still want to be moved together in a room. Theatrical is not dying. It's evolving." "You can solve a lot of problems just by picking up the phone." "The big idea still matters. Tools can change, but concept is everything." Connect Debi Struzan - www.linkedin.com/in/debistruzan Dana Flowers-Mitchell: www.linkedin.com/in/dana-flowers Corey Nathan – @coreysnathan on all platforms Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management – mezawealth.com The Golden Trailer Awards – goldentrailer.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives!
What does it mean to truly feel a trailer—and how do you translate that feeling into something that moves an audience? In this Best Of Trailer Geeks & Teaser Gods episode, Corey Nathan revisits his wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation with Robert Walker , one of the most influential and respected trailer editors working today. From his early experiments with cassette-tape collages and experimental music to shaping iconic campaigns at Intralink and Buddha Jones , Robert shares how a lifelong obsession with sound, rhythm, and emotion led him to a career defined not by formulas—but by feeling. This conversation spans decades of trailer history, touching on legendary campaigns for Batman Begins , Cinderella Man , A.I. Artificial Intelligence , The Social Network , The Book of Eli , Out of the Furnace , The Harder They Fall , and more. Along the way, Robert reflects on mentorship, artistic risk, industry shifts, and why unresolved emotion is the most powerful tool a trailer editor has. Whether you're a trailer editor, filmmaker, marketer, or creative of any kind, this episode is a masterclass in why craft matters—and why the best work starts with intuition, not templates. Key Takeaways Emotion Is the Job Robert explains that the ultimate goal of a trailer isn't explanation—it's feeling . A successful piece creates emotional tension that compels audiences to lean in and want more. Childhood Roots Shape Creative Voice From discovering Walkabout and Stockhausen records at the library to cutting cassette-tape collages, Robert traces how early experimentation laid the foundation for his editorial instincts. Short Form, Maximum Freedom Why trailers—rather than features—offered Robert the creative latitude he craved: non-linear storytelling, music-driven structure, and constant reinvention. Learning Through Repetition Cutting dozens of trailers at Roger Corman-adjacent companies gave Robert invaluable reps, sharpening both craft and judgment at speed. Mentorship & Creative Friction Stories from Intralink—including spirited debates with Anthony Goldschmidt—reveal how conflict, trust, and passion often lead to the strongest work. Teasers Aren't Ads—They're Invitations Robert reframes teasers as emotional groundwork, not sales pitches—particularly in franchise resets like Batman Begins . Adapting Without Betraying the Film From melancholy character studies ( Out of the Furnace ) to stylized genre pieces ( The Harder They Fall ), Robert discusses how to elevate a film while staying emotionally honest. Timing Can't Be Taught Comedy, horror, action—it all comes down to rhythm, anticipation, and release. And sometimes, knowing when to stop tweaking. Don't Cut the Same Way Twice Robert's advice to emerging editors: vary your approach. Start with music, dialogue, story, or even the ending—just don't get stuck in one process. Notable Quotes "The single most important thing we do is create a feeling—and leave it unresolved." "If you're thinking too much about how the audience will feel, you stop being emotionally open yourself." "You can't really teach timing. You know it when you feel it." "Teasers aren't always about selling the movie. Sometimes they're about demolishing expectations." "If you always approach a piece the same way, you're going to miss something." About Our Guest Robert Walker Trailer Editor — Buddha Jones Formerly Intralink Film Known for work on Batman Begins , Cinderella Man , A.I. Artificial Intelligence , The Book of Eli , The Social Network (TV), The Harder They Fall , and more. Robert is widely regarded as one of the most emotionally intuitive editors in the industry, blending experimental instincts with mainstream storytelling at the highest level. About the Host Corey Nathan Host & Executive Producer — Trailer Geeks & Teaser Gods @coreysnathan on all platforms About This Episode This episode is part of our Best Of Trailer Geeks & Teaser Gods series—encore conversations from across the show's history that remain timeless, insightful, and essential listening for anyone passionate about entertainment marketing and creative craft. Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management mezawealth.com The Golden Trailer Awards goldentrailer.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen Follow Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes and conversations with the people shaping entertainment marketing
What does it take to market movies that shape culture—and to lead with integrity when the stakes are highest? In this Best Of Trailer Geeks & Teaser Gods episode, Corey Nathan revisits his powerful conversation with Dwight Caines , President of Domestic Marketing at Universal Pictures and one of the most respected voices in modern film marketing. One of our "best of's" since we brought this program back, this episode remains as relevant—and resonant—as ever. Dwight reflects on a career spanning Sony Pictures and Universal, working on iconic franchises including Spider-Man , James Bond , Oppenheimer , and The Super Mario Bros. Movie . But this conversation goes far beyond campaigns and box office numbers. Dwight opens up about leadership, mentorship, diversity and inclusion, the responsibility of storytellers, and what it means to be a steady presence in moments of industry—and societal—turbulence. It's a masterclass in how great marketing starts with understanding people. Whether you're a trailer creative, studio exec, marketer, or emerging storyteller, this episode is a reminder that how you lead matters just as much as what you ship. Key Takeaways Story Starts With Audience Dwight explains why every campaign begins with a deep understanding of who the movie is for—and what emotional response it needs to evoke to get audiences off the couch and into theaters. From Data to Instinct With roots in market research, Dwight shares how the best campaigns balance data with gut, and why "research be damned" can sometimes be the bravest—and smartest—call. Digital Before It Was Cool As an early digital pioneer at Sony, Dwight recounts building online communities around films like Spider-Man long before digital marketing was standard practice. Leadership in Crisis Dwight reflects on moments when the industry—and the country—felt unsteady, and why authenticity, calm, and moral clarity are essential leadership traits. Mentorship & Representation From teaching at Syracuse and UCLA to shaping DEI initiatives at Universal and the Academy, Dwight makes the case that representation isn't performative—it's foundational to better work and better culture. Notable Quotes "If you see me running for the emergency exit, then trouble's coming. Otherwise, take it as a good sign." "Marketing is about evoking emotion. If you don't know what you want people to feel, the campaign won't land." "If you see it, you can be it. I didn't see myself in front of the classroom—so I decided to become that person." "Diversity isn't invitation. It's allowing people to show up authentically and be heard." Connect Dwight Caines President, Domestic Marketing – Universal Pictures Mentor, Educator, Industry Leader Corey Nathan Host – Trailer Geeks & Teaser Gods @coreysnathan on all platforms About This Episode This episode is part of our Best Of Trailer Geeks & Teaser Gods series—encore conversations from across the show's history that remain timeless, insightful, and essential listening for anyone passionate about entertainment marketing. Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management – mezawealth.com 24/96 Sound & Music Design – 2496soundandmusic.com The Golden Trailer Awards – goldentrailer.com Soundstripe – app.soundstripe.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives!
What do VHS edits, a childhood trumpet, and a passion for story-driven design have in common? This week on Trailer Geeks and Teaser Gods , Corey Nathan sits down with Greg Krupka , Vice President and Creative Director at AV Squad , to unpack a path paved with relentless creativity, smart collaboration, and iconic trailer moments. From his early days at Emerson College to cutting theatrical campaigns that reverberate through pop culture, Greg shares a behind-the-scenes look at his philosophy, process, and passion for the craft. Whether guiding new creatives or breaking down a "popcorn moment" trailer cut, Greg brings sharp insight into what makes entertainment marketing truly memorable. Community Updates Support Skip's Heart Recovery Journey - gofund.me/9ef1ccfef Key Takeaways Early Roots in Storytelling From VHS-to-VHS edits at a public access station to film school at Emerson, Greg's storytelling instincts were honed through pure hustle and passion. The Art of the Tease Greg breaks down how theatrical trailers have evolved—from "What is the concept?" to "What's the vibe?"—and why feel is now as important as form . Creative Mentorship Shoutouts to key mentors who helped shape Greg's transition from editor to creative director. Intuition Over Ego Greg discusses the value of checking ego at the door, knowing when to pivot, and letting emotional resonance lead the creative. Notable Quotes "You get that little pit in your stomach when you see a trailer come together and realize—'We got something.' That's the juice." "The idea of 'popcorn moments'—those sticky, rewatchable bits—that's what we aim for. It's not just cuts and beats, it's memory fuel." "I don't ever want to be the smartest guy in the room. I want to be in the room that makes the smartest trailer." Connect AV Squad – @av_squad on Instagram Corey Nathan – @coreysnathan on all platforms Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management – mezawealth.com 24/96 Sound & Music Design – 2496soundandmusic.com The Golden Trailer Awards – goldentrailer.com Soundstripe – app.soundstripe.com Join the Community Like what you hear? Leave us a rating and review! Connect with Corey on all platforms @coreysnathan Subscribe for new episodes every week and keep up with the world's best trailer creatives!
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