Inside Pop

In honor of the premiere of the Netflix series Rhythm + Flow we bring you an encore of our interview with the producer who worked to find the amazing talent featured on this show. In this episode, we chat with Casting Director Evan Majors to find out his approach to finding talent worthy of TV screens and pop culture obsessions. He shares how he approaches meeting and interviewing talent, the need for more representation in film and TV and a little insider info on his latest project, Rhythm + Flow for Netflix featuring Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. as judges. He also reveals the one casting video he'd love to get his hands on. Links: Find and follow Evan Majors on Twitter, Instagram and check out his website here. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org

Fresh off of the multiple Emmy wins for Fleabag and Killing Eve, we discuss our love of one of the smartest writer/director/actors in TV - Phoebe Waller-Bridge. We discuss the second seasons of Killing Eve and Fleabag, two creations of this absurdly talented multi-hyphenate (ok – and maybe we go on a teeny tiny tangent and discuss how some series are better than others at concluding). Then, Amita interviews costume designer Marci Rodgers about her work on Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have it and BlacKkKlansman. Finally, Amita reviews Sean’s Big Sell from last week – the Netflix series, Special, and then sells him a new singer, Masego, who is headed to the Afropunk stage later this summer. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org

In this episode we speak to Warren Alan Young, the production designer of some of the most visually captivating television shows and films. From Fargo to Strange Angel to American Crime to the upcoming film Harriet, Warren has been responsible for creating, designing and executing a look that propels the plot, illuminates the characters and elevates the overall storytelling of all of his projects. He discusses his process to approach each unique project and shares his thoughts on being one of the only production designers of color in Hollywood. And in this week’s Big Sell, Sean rates an article on Hollywood’s Disability problem and recommends the Oscar nominated animated short, “Bao”, to Amita. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org

If you've ever admired the soundtrack to a film or TV show and wondered who was behind the music, we've got you covered! Sean sat down with Music Supervisor Matthew Hearon-Smith, who has selected songs for the award winning films Tangerine and The Florida Project and also has curated the soundtracks for various television shows including Viceland’s My House. We discuss his process for finding the right song for the right moment and how he collaborates with directors and showrunners to create the mood for specific scenes. Then, we share some of our top picks for popular songs that have been featured in films and TV programs and have indelibly changed the memory of that song for us. Plus, Amita gives her rating and review of Sean’s Big Sell- Fantastic Negrito’s latest album, Please Don’t Be Dead and big sells an honest and revealing interview from The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil about the standard of beauty that women have been held up to and how she’s trying to rise above to help women love themselves for who they are, as they are. Links: Matthew Hearon-Smith- IMDb | Website | Twitter Sense8‘s use of the song- “What’s Up?” Blue Velvet’s use of the song – “In Dreams” Blue Velvet’s use of the song – “Blue Velvet” Captain Fantastic‘s use of the song- “Sweet Child o’Mine” Little Miss Sunshine‘s use of the song- “Super Freak” Jameela Jamil Channel 4 Interview Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on Maximumfun.org

Why is it still rare to see a romantic relationship between a black man and a white woman on TV? Is Netflix more progressive depicting interracial relationships than other networks?  How did the casting of a Cheerios commercial ignite a racist backlash? In this week’s episode, we chat with Lori Tharps, a former Entertainment Weekly and Vibe Magazine writer, novelist and Associate Professor of Journalism at Temple University about how interracial relationships are portrayed on film and TV. Lori breaks down the positive and negative aspects about the depiction of some of the more memorable interracial relationships in pop culture including Tom and Helen Willis on The Jeffersons, Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard and Aziz Ansari’s love interests in Master of None. Then, Amita gives her rating and review of Jose James’ latest covers album Lean on Me and sells Sean on a new single from her multi-talented fantasy husband- Riz MC aka Riz Ahmed. Links: Follow Lori on Twitter & Instagram Lori’s blog- My American Melting Pot Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org Riz MC- “Mogambo” 

Summer movie blockbuster season is well underway and there's no better time to revisit our episode that focuses on what goes in to making movie trailers. Have you ever wondered how a movie trailer is created? Have you ever questioned why you see a shot in a trailer that doesn't exist in the film or fretted over the amount of plot detail a trailer reveals? Well wonder no more! This week, we speak to Nati Braunstein, Co-President and Creative Director at the Creative Advertising agency, Aspect, and get a look inside the process of making memorable movie trailers. Nati discusses the collaborative effort behind the production of trailers and reveals some inside info about the trailers and TV spots for Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns. Plus, in the Big Sell, Sean reviews the new Riz MC single, "Mogambo" and sells Amita on an article about Stan Lee after his passing. Aspect Website Aspect on Twitter Aspect Instagram If you enjoyed this episode check out: Our conversation with the Music Supervisor of The Florida Project and Tangerine Our conversation with the Cinematographer of 20 Feet From Stardom and Won't You Be My Neighbor? Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org

We continue our celebration of Pride Month with an interview with Adam Vazquez - the co-creator and co-producer of Other Boys NYC - a 50 part documentary series that explores and celebrates the lives of queer and transgender men of color living in the big apple. We discuss why Adam and his producing partner, Abdool Corlette, felt the need to create the series and we also talk about the current state of life for queer men of color on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. Plus, Amita reviews Sean's Big Sell from last episode - a playlist he created featuring the guest verses of Andre 3000. Then, Amita keeps 'reaching for the stars' and sells Sean a 'far out' Spotify playlist. Links: Listen to our recent episode featuring the producers of a new Stonewall Documentary. Other Boys NYC Other Boys NYC on Facebook Other Boys NYC on Twitter Other Boys NYC on Instagram Adam Vazquez on Instagram Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Visit our website www.insidepoppodcast.com Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org

June is bursting at the seams with pop culture and we are here for it! We're celebrating Pride month with a conversation with the producers behind the MSNBC documentary special- Rebellion! Stonewall. Katherine Linton & Joe Danisi share their journey to making this important and timely film, the queer history surrounding the Stonewall Riots and how it directly connects to present day politics and our future. The documentary premieres on MSNBC on Sunday, June 16th at 10pm, but can also be found on demand and will have multiple airings throughout the month- Tune In! Then, Amita shares some of her pop culture escapades over the last few weeks including the screenings she attended as part of the Split Screens Festival in NYC. She took in the Season 3 premiere of The Handmaid's Tale, the Season 4 premiere of Queen Sugar and the highly acclaimed mini-series from Ava DuVernay, When They See Us.  Amita also attended an early screening of the Mindy Kaling/Emma Thompson comedy- Late Night, had the privilege to meet the fabulous writer, producer and actor afterwards and lived to tell the tale! Plus, in the Big Sell, Sean gives his review of R&B artist Masego and shares a custom playlist that he curated featuring the best guest verses by the uber talented André 3000. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Visit our site at www.insidepoppodcast.com Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org  

If you're tired of hearing about the collective disappointment of a certain dragon-centric TV show - have no fear - in this episode we celebrate successful achievement of some of the most satisfying shows on television! First up, Sean and Amita discuss the second seasons of Killing Eve and Fleabag, two creations of the absurdly talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge (ok - and maybe we go on a teeny tiny tangent and discuss how some series are better than others at concluding). Then Amita interviews costume designer Marci Rodgers about her work on Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It and BlacKkKlansman. Finally Amita reviews Sean's Big Sell from last week - the new Netflix series, Special, and then sells him a new singer, Masego, who is headed to the Afropunk stage later this summer. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Visit our site www.insidepoppodcast.com Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org

 Fan anticipation is at a fever pitch as Game of Thrones races towards its final episode. This week we review the show's penultimate episode, "The Bells" which may go down as one of the series' most divisive episodes. We breakdown why so many fans of the show were disappointed and also highlight what worked well. Then we present a one-on-one interview with Takashi Doscher, the writer and director of the film Only which premiered this month at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film stars Freida Pinto and Leslie Odom Jr. as a couple fighting to survive in a world in which Pinto's character may be the only woman left alive. Takashi and Sean discuss the inspiration of this apocalyptic romance, the six year journey from screenplay to its premiere and the experience of showing one's film at one of the word's most prestigious film festivals. Plus Sean review's Amita's Big Sell about pop plagiarism and then sells her a very Special new show on Netflix. Links: Takashi Doscher's Official Site Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Visit our site at www.insidepoppodcast.com Like us on Facebook And you can also find us on MaximumFun.org