In Proximity

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 Proximit...

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. Learn more and read the transcript of this convers...

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...

How did a documentary and Ryan Coogler’s Chinese family ancestry 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...

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 wo...

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) Wo...

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.
 

IN PROXIMITY
Now playing in video on YouTube and in audio on all podcast platforms.
For transcripts and more informa...

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...

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 fea...

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...

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...

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 th...

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 expl...

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 Pr...

Jon Else is an award-winning documentarian, cinematographer, and MacArthur Genius grant recipient. Over 40 years before Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER, Jon directed THE DAY AFTER TRINITY, a documentary film about J. Robert Oppenheimer. For almost two decades, Jon led the documentary program at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism where he met then journalism student, now collaborator and friend, Pete Nicks. On this episode, Jon and Pete deep dive into their careers in documentary film. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.

(01:59) Get Reel
(09:04) Meeting at Cal and getting into documentary Duration: 00:42:55

GET OUT. US. NOPE. Jordan Peele is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of these groundbreaking films, and founder of Monkeypaw Productions. On this episode, Jordan walks Ryan Coogler through his early career, trading filmmaker dreams for comedy then finding his way to directing, genre filmmaking, how he wrote GET OUT but almost didn’t direct it, and the Batman actor who told him to use his fear. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.

Watch the trailer for SINNERS directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan on our Instagram @Pr...

When Sev Ohanian first read a script by Tony Rettenmaier, he was blown away. Tony was then fresh out of film school and working as a PA for an indie film Sev was producing. Just a few years later, Tony and his writing partner Juel Taylor would go on to write the screenplays for CREED II and SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY. On this episode, Juel and Tony share their path from student filmmakers and gym buddies to one of the most in-demand screenwriting duos in Hollywood, their pitch process for Juel’s directorial debut THEY CLONED TYRONE, and th...

Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut AMERICAN FICTION premiered at Toronto International Film Festival last year where it won the People’s Choice Award. The film grossed $23 million and won several accolades including the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In his Oscar speech, Cord implored the industry to take more creative risks. Just weeks later, Cord and Ryan met over a video call to talk about their first films, Cord’s unique path to filmmaking, insights from the set of AMERICAN FICTION, and what Cord and Ryan are working on next – including tidbits from Ryan’s next movie which he was pre...

Don’t miss Jordan Peele, Cord Jefferson, Courtenay Valenti, Jonny Sun, and others in conversation with Ryan Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and the rest of our Proximity crew. Follow IN PROXIMITY on your favorite podcast app to stay up-to-date on new episodes. Follow @ProximityMedia on all social media platforms for video exclusives including a new video trailer out now.

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Text PROX to 510-998-3176 or head to subtext.to/prox for upda...

Please vote by April 18 at 11:59pm PT. On this bonus episode, Proximity Media head of audio and our podcast EP/Producer Paola Mardo shares an update about In Proximity and how to vote for Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast at the Webbys. Please vote and spread the word to your friends, family, and network if you can.

To vote, head to this link: tinyurl.com/VoteWakandaForever

To learn more, head to @ProximityMedia on Instagram and watch the video post where Paola gives a sneak peek of the Proximity Media office and how and...

On our season finale, we’re going all in on Stephen Curry: Underrated, an inspiring coming-of-age story documenting the rise of NBA superstar, Golden State Warrior, and Davidson legend Stephen Curry from Proximity Media and our partners at Unanimous, A24, and Apple TV+. The film’s creative minds team up for an intimate and epic conversation about movies, basketball, and more: Stephen Curry himself, director Pete Nicks, and producers Erick Peyton and Ryan Coogler. They talk about how the film came together (2:05) and how they each tackle some of the biggest themes in Stephen's basketball career as illustrated in the...

We’d love to hear from you to help make our show even better. Please take our listener survey at proximitymedia.com/podcasts. We’re also looking for sponsors or partners who believe in our show and want to help us build and grow. If that’s you, email us at audio@proximitymedia.com. Thank you for your support and for listening to In Proximity!

Fruitvale Station was released 10 years ago this month. This was Ryan Coogler’s first feature film and it’s how he met fellow Bay Area director Pete Nicks. On this episode, they discuss meeting on Fruitvale Station (1:35); directing fiction and nonfiction films, the idea of “naive audacity,” and Pete’s Oakland trilogy (16:35); and collaborating on Proximity’s latest releases directed by Pete and produced by Ryan and our partners: Anthem, a musical journey across the U.S. experimenting to reimagine the National Anthem, and Stephen Curry: Underrated, a remarkable coming-of-age story about one of the most influential and unexpected players in b...

Have a seat at the executive table with Kalia King, Proximity’s head of TV, and Tara Duncan, president of Onyx Collective, a premium content brand under Disney Entertainment. At Onyx, Tara’s slate includes Reasonable Doubt, The 1619 Project Docuseries, the Academy Award-winning documentary feature Summer of Soul, and Anthem, produced by Proximity Media and directed by Pete Nicks. Previously, Tara served as president of Disney’s young adult TV network Freeform where she launched Cruel Summer and Single Drunk Female. She had a producing deal at Hulu where she developed projects like The Other Black Girl. She held execut...

Anthem is an upcoming documentary streaming on Hulu on June 28th, produced by Proximity Media and our partners, and directed by our head of nonfiction Pete Nicks (Stephen Curry: Underrated, The Waiting Room, The Force, Homeroom). The film features acclaimed composer Kris Bowers (Bridgerton, When They See Us, King Richard), and Grammy-winning music producer Dahi (Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Drake) as they take a musical journey traveling across America to make a new sound, inspired by what our country’s national anthem might be if written in today’s time. On this episode, Pete sits down with Kris to refl...

The second of a two-part conversation between Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ryan Coogler. Ta-Nehisi is a writer, journalist, and, most recently, host and writer of Proximity Media’s Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast. Ta-Nehisi and Ryan sat down for our show to discuss Ta-Nehisi’s writing career and process. In this second part, Ta-Nehisi shares his writing career and process (1:31) and Ryan breaks down a scene from Creed (22:52). They also discuss Ta-Nehisi's transition from journalism to fiction plus their shared experiences telling Black Panther stories (11:35) and their Prox Recs (26:22).

Learn more and read the transcript of this...

The first of a two-part conversation between Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ryan Coogler. Ta-Nehisi is an author, journalist, and, most recently, host and writer of Proximity Media’s Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast. Ta-Nehisi and Ryan sat down for our show to discuss Ta-Nehisi’s writing journey and influences. In this first part, Ta-Nehisi shares a little bit about his production company Maceo-Lyn (2:30), his early dreams of becoming a rapper, and the impact of hip-hop, and artists like Nas and Tupac, on his and Ryan’s work (6:05), plus the power and criticism of impactful works of art like Illmat...

Blitz Bazawule is a filmmaker, musician, visual artist, and author. Born in Ghana and based in New York, his directorial credits include The Burial Of Kojo, Beyoncé's Black Is King, and the upcoming The Color Purple Musical produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, and Scott Sanders. Blitz speaks with Proximity founder Ryan Coogler about meeting at a TED conference (2:10), Blitz’ transition from musician to filmmaker (7:10), creative rotation (15:50), telling stories across the Black diaspora (19:30), and their Prox Recs (32:11).

Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.

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Step inside Proximity Media as our team members discuss topics and answer listener questions about working in film and television at our company. D’Angelo “D’Lo” Louis and Dezi Gallegos sit with Paola Mardo at our office to discuss breaking into the industry (1:40), working at a production company (12:19), and their day-to-day jobs as executives and producers (15:10). They also answer listener questions (19:28) and share their Prox Recs (31:40). Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. Welcome to Proximity!

Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.

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Before becoming a screenwriter and TV writer on HBO’s Succession, Jamie Carragher was a high school teacher turned graduate arts journalism student at USC Annenberg where he met Paola Mardo, then an aspiring film critic and podcast producer, now head of audio at Proximity Media, producer/executive producer of In Proximity, and host/creator of Long Distance, a narrative podcast and short documentary series about stories in the Filipino diaspora. On this episode, Jamie and Paola discuss navigating unorthodox creative careers including attending journalism school (2:59), how Jamie’s sole Hollywood connection led to a writer’s assistant job (8:14), how an...

Charles D. King is the founder and CEO of MACRO, a multi-platform media company representing the voice and perspectives of Black people, indigenous people, and people of color. Some of their projects include Dear Mama, Mudbound, Fences, and Judas and the Black Messiah, produced with Proximity Media and Warner Brothers. Formerly a partner/senior agent at William Morris Endeavor, Charles was the first Black partner in the company’s 100+ year history and the first ever Black partner at any major talent agency. In 2021, when Judas and the Black Messiah was nominated for Best Picture, Charles became part of the fi...

Natalie Qasabian is an award-winning film producer who has worked on independent and studio films including Searching, Run, and Missing. She is a frequent collaborator of writing partners Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian. (Aneesh and Sev are previous guests on this podcast – be sure to check out their episode if you haven’t already.) Natalie and Sev are married and they are partners in work and life. They share their meet cute (2:20), how they started working together (6:00), their producing process (17:14), the power of a great email (23:17), and the secret to working successfully with your life partner (30:42).

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When Proximity’s co-founder and head of nonfiction Pete Nicks and creative executive D’Angelo “D’Lo” Louis met through their friend Ryan Coogler, they connected as Bay Area creatives and through their shared experience of incarceration. Pete is a director and producer whose award-winning films The Waiting Room, The Force, and Homeroom serve as a trilogy of urgent and immersive documentaries that explore health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, California. His upcoming documentaries, produced with Proximity Media, include Stephen Curry: Underrated and Anthem. D’Lo is a filmmaker and music manager who got his start as an assistant...

Proximity founder Ryan Coogler talks all about podcasts with Roman Mars, host and creator of 99% Invisible, a sound-rich narrative podcast about architecture and design. They discuss holding pandemic meetings about the business of podcasting (3:47), Roman’s journey from science to public radio to 99% Invisible (5:10), finding the balance between being an artist and business owner plus why Roman believes a producer is the highest form of worker (9:56), collaborating on the Judas and the Black Messiah Podcast (14:29), the read-to-tape system (18:42), and Prox Recs that include a good coffee table book that will impress your friends and how to make great radio (25:19).

From assistant desks at Interscope Records to the Def Jam C-suite, Tunji Balogun and Archie Davis share their journey as music industry executives. Tunji is CEO and Chairman of Def Jam Recordings while Archie is Def Jam’s Chief Creative Officer and Proximity Media’s Co-Founder and Co-Head of Music alongside Ludwig Göransson. Tunji was a rapper before transitioning into music marketing and A&R, signing artists like Childish Gambino, SZA, and H.E.R. Archie was a leading architect on the Black Panther and Wakanda Forever soundtracks, the award-winning Wendy’s We Beefin? EP, and the Judas and the...

Grab your Moleskine and spreadsheets! It’s time for a screenwriting masterclass with writer, director, and producer Aneesh Chaganty and writer, producer, and Proximity founder Sev Ohanian. Aneesh and Sev first broke out with the independent thriller Searching which premiered in 2018 at Sundance where it won several awards and was acquired by Sony Pictures. The film grossed $75 million worldwide and Sev and Aneesh went on to collaborate on the screenplay for Run (2020), the story for the Searching sequel Missing (2023), and an upcoming movie they talk a little bit about on the show. They break down their writing partnership (2:12) and pr...

Tessa Thompson has starred in television shows, independent films, and blockbuster Hollywood movies like Selma, Dear White People, Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, and the Creed trilogy. She is also a producer and entrepreneur as the founder of the production company Viva Maude. She speaks with Proximity Media’s head of television Kalia King about navigating the ins and outs of the entertainment industry including attending general meetings (1:18), the importance of finding your people (7:50), career transitions from acting to producing (10:37), reality TV (13:47), authentic storytelling (19:10), and their Prox Recs (26:55).

Learn more and read the transcript of th...

From Fruitvale Station to Black Panther to Creed III, Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler’s cinematic partnership has shaped culture and broken box-office records. They reflect on their first meeting for Fruitvale Station (2:41), going to their first boxing match to prep for Creed I (12:39), what they’ve learned from building and running their own production companies (16:14), and their Prox Recs (27:57).

Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.

CREED III is directed by Michael B. Jordan and is now playing only in theaters.

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In Proximity is a podcast about craft, career, and creativity from Proximity Media, the production company whose credits include Creed III, Judas and the Black Messiah, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever podcast and soundtrack, and more. New episodes drop every Sunday starting March 12th.

Learn more  and read transcripts at ProximityMedia.com.

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