Hero photo credit: Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris, co-hosts of "Still Processing," and Neena Pathak, the show’s producer. / Courtesy of Calla Kessler, The New York Times
If you don’t have the opportunity to pull up a copy of Variety or Filmmaker on your commute—i.e. if public transpo in your city sucks—you need a safer way to stay up on the trends.
Thankfully, there are a ton of entertainment podcasts that can catch you up to speed on everything from craft to culture.
PODCASTS ON CRAFT
Creators/Hosts: Jennifer Zahlit and Larkin Bell
Recommended by: Free the Work Staff
Recommended for: Women creatives in all stages of their careers
Each episode of A Female Lens seeks to make the film industry and process of filmmaking more accessible for new filmmakers through interviews with women in film. From producers to film critics, women in all lines of work sit down and spill the tea on their opinions, journeys, and what they think the next generation of women in film should do.
Creators/Hosts: Ben Blacker
Recommended by: FTW Staff
Recommended for: TV-loving creators
There’s so much TV out there nowadays, and it’s all good. Feed your passions and sit down with writers, producers, and show runners behind the most legendary shows in TV history, like Vince Gilligan and Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.
Creators/Hosts: Alyssa Klein
Recommended by: Free the Work Staff
Recommended for: Activist creatives who look up to women and non-binary people in film and TV
With each episode of Filminist Pod, you can expect to learn about inspirational women and non-binary people, their personal journeys through the industry, and their thoughts on current news and releases. Words like “representation” and “diversity” can be thrown around these days as easily as the word “vegan,” but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done before people can understand the systemic barriers that make true representation a challenge. This podcast helps you become an agent of change in your own circles. Go forth, go download, and go be the light in your community!
Creators/Hosts: Ben Consoli
Recommended by: Ava Benjamin Schorr, DP
Recommended for: Fun creatives who love all things production-related
The Go Creative Show is dedicated to creative professionals in the video, film, TV, and music industries, making this one of the most eclectic podcasts for creators. There’s an episode for everything. From talking about tools, to revealing challenges and successes, there’s always something new to learn and to be enthusiastic about. Ben’s got you covered.
Creators/Hosts: Liz Craft and Sarah Fain
Recommended by: Geenah Krisht, Producer
Recommended for: Busy creatives who want to be healthy and well in this whirlwind of an industry
Liz Craft and Sarah Fain are TV writing veterans. Although we may be familiar with some of their on-screen stories, their behind-the-scenes, personal struggles are just as universal. Liz and Sarah touch on what it’s like to navigate a male-dominated industry while giving tips on how one can stay grounded and resilient while enduring the trials of a creative career.
Creators/Hosts: Timothy Plain and Alrik Bursell
Recommended by: Ava Benjamin Schorr, DP
Recommended for: Indie creatives who want to create more work
Timothy Plain and Alrik Bursell are independent filmmakers who discuss everything you’ll need to know and ever want to know when it comes to creating projects outside the corporate mainstream. This podcast is not necessarily about how to “make it.” It’s more about how to stay level-headed and resilient by using your tools, resources, and networks to forge a career you can be proud of as an indie filmmaker.
Creators/Hosts: Charles Haine and NFS Editor-in-Chief George Edelman
Recommended by: Ali Roberto, Creative Director, Director, and Photographer
Recommended for: Frugal creatives who want film school minus the film school costs
If you’re a filmmaker or videographer, you probably have already heard of the popular nofilmschool.com. While you can’t ingest the site and its hundreds of helpful articles intravenously just yet, listening to this podcast is the closest alternative. The podcast is what you need to be updated on the latest in entertainment news, trends, and industry players.
Creators/Hosts: Jordan Brady
Recommended by: Alice Gu, Director, DP, and Photographer
Recommended for: Ad-focused creatives who want to thrive in the commercial space
Jordan Brady, owner of the successful commercial production company, superlounge, sits down with commercial industry experts to talk about their lives and journeys towards a successful career. From concept to completion, Jordan can help walk you through what it takes to make commercials that people can actually enjoy.
Creators/Hosts: John August and Craig Mazin
Recommended by: Bola Ogun, Director and Carrie Stett, Writer-Director
Recommended for: Tenacious creatives who hope to put pen to paper and be paid for it
Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin dig into the nitty-gritty of topics related to screenwriting in film and television. Every week, the hosts sit down with some of the most reputable writers in the industry to discuss the fun stuff, like developing a story, and the corporate stuff, like copyright law.
Creators/Hosts: Rotating
Recommended by: Free the Work Staff
Recommended for: Intellectual creatives interested in the thoughts and opinions of their favorite creators
Imagine how interesting it would be if you could sit in a room with two of your favorite creative people in the world, and just observe what they talk about. This is the podcast equivalent to those actors-on-actors interviews, where you just get to see what unfolds between two faces that you typically don’t see together.
Creators/Hosts: A24
Recommended by: Free the Work Staff
Recommended for: Art-house creatives who love A24
A24 seems to be spinning gold with every release nowadays, and their podcast could not have arrived at a better time. The minds behind A24’s most recent films (like Lady Bird and The Farewell) sit down and discuss their respective creative processes, inspirations, and journeys.
PODCASTS ON CULTURE
Creators/Hosts: Dax Shepard
Recommended by: Geenah Krisht, Producer
Recommended for: Creatives who frequent IMDb, celebrity interviews, and Wikipedia
Armchair Expert is a more raw, unfiltered alternative to traditional talk-show formats. Dax Shepard discusses all kinds of topics with a mixed bag (albeit a very high-profile bag) of guests who range from A-list actors to accomplished authors and neurosurgeons. Learn something new through some wholesome stream-of-consciousness interviews that make you feel like you’re in the room with the most admired people in their respective fields.
Creators/Hosts: Humberto Guida
Recommended by: FTW Staff
Recommended for: Creatives who love the Latinx comedy community
Hosted by writer and comedian Humberto Guida, Checkitow is a hub for Latinos in comedy and entertainment. Nothing is off limits. Checkitow!
Creators/Hosts: Justin Simien
Recommended by: Free the Work Staff
Recommended for: Fiery creatives who are passionate about pop culture and social justice
You may recognize Justin Simien as the director of the feature film, Dear White People. Every week, Simien interviews stars, artists, and creatives about their work, their lives, and their thoughts about the industry as they break barriers and bend the idea of who can create what in entertainment.
Creators/Hosts: Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Recommended by: FTW Staff
Recommended for: Creatives who hate boring news updates
Go on an unforgettable magic carpet ride through culture with comedians Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.
Creators/Hosts: Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham
Recommended by: FTW Staff
Recommended for: Creatives who love pop culture analysis
Two culture writers for The New York Times devour TV, movies, art, music and generally all things that move them.
Creators/Hosts: Kid Fury and Crissle
Recommended by: FTW Staff
Recommended for: Creatives who just moved to a big city and need funny friends to process pop culture
Bloggers and co-hosts Kid Fury and Crissle keep things light and funny as they dig into all things hip-hop and pop culture.
Creators/Hosts: Elvis Mitchell
Recommended by: Phoebe Arnstein, Director and Photographer, and Meredith Danluck, Director
Recommended for: Creatives who love a good interview
Host Elvis Mitchell conducts in-depth interviews with the most innovative people working across all planes of pop culture. Pop in your earbuds for insightful, in-depth interviews that remind you why you love art and entertainment so much.
Creators/Hosts: Lily Percy
Recommended by: Free the Work Staff
Recommended for: Nostalgic creatives who need a pick-me-up from their daily hustle
Movie fanatic Lily Percy's sentimental interviews with industry players will take you on a nostalgia trip that will remind you why you're in this business in the first place—it's basically chicken soup for any filmmaker's soul.
Creators/Hosts: Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester
Recommended by: FTW Staff
Recommended for: Creatives who want better Asian American Representation
This podcast reviews movies with a special focus on Asian American representation in Hollywood.
Creators/Hosts: Marc Maron
Recommended by: Ali Roberto
Recommended for: Any creative that wants a break from taking themselves too seriously
Take five from the high-brow and sit down with comedian and actor Marc Maron as he welcomes creatives from all walks of life into his home for raw, relaxed, and revealing interviews that give you more peculiar info than you thought you ever needed.
P.S. If there's a series you're listening to that should definitely be on our radar, hit us up at [email protected]!
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