Episodes

  • What China’s Movie Industry is really like | Alex Li
    Jun 11 2025

    Welcome to episode 18 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Alex Li, a USC film director, who shares his insights on the Chinese movie industry. We discuss the differences between with it and Hollywood, stories from Chinese sets, and experiences at USC film school.

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    53 mins
  • How to Kickstart Your Editing Career in 2025 | Tammy Premchan
    Jun 7 2025

    Welcome to episode 17 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Tammy Premchan, a freelance editor working in LA, who shares her insights on how to build an editing career in 2025. We discuss the art of editing, experiences at USC film school, and how to make the most of our time between projects.

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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • How to Build a Cinematography Career in 2025 | Chase Shurtz
    May 27 2025

    Welcome to episode 16 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Chase Shurtz, a professional camera assistant and cinematographer in LA, who shares insight on how to build a cinematography career in 2025. We discuss the state of the industry, how to build connections, and how to make the most of our time on set to maximize our career.

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • 4 USC Film Students on their College Experience and Career Advice | Emanuel Ortiz
    May 17 2025

    Welcome to episode 15 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love.

    Today, we bring on Emanuel Ortiz and Ethan Go, both USC film directors. The four of us share our experiences at USC film school, our philosophies in life, and advice for young filmmakers trying to build a career in Hollywood.

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Before Sunrise Screenwriter on how to Write in Hollywood in 2025 | Kim Krizan
    May 2 2025

    Welcome to episode 14 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love.

    Today, we bring on Kim Krizan the screenwriter of Before Sunrise and a writing mentor. We talk about how to build a career as a screenwriter in 2025, her approach to crafting personal stories, and her philosophies about writing.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Makayla Lysiak on how to build a Successful YouTube Channel and Film Career
    Apr 25 2025

    Welcome to episode 13 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love.

    Today, we bring on Makayla Lysiak an entrepreneur and TV writer/producer who has a large platform on social media to mentor aspiring actors and filmmakers. We talk about how to build a career in the TV industry, her approach to creating a successful Youtube channel, and her philosophies about content creation.


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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Producing Vertical Short Dramas | Adam Bloodgood
    Apr 18 2025

    Welcome to episode 12 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love.
    Today, we bring on Adam Bloodgood‬ a USC film producer who transitioned into filmmaking after 12 years of professional ballet and have worked on multiple features and vertical short dramas. We talk about how to build a career in the industry, his experience at film school, and philosophies about producing and filmmaking.

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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • What it’s like Working at Disney and Jubilee | Cece Mou
    Apr 11 2025

    Welcome to episode 11 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Cece Mou a USC film producer who worked at Disney and camera operates for Jubilee. We talk about the how to step foot into the industry, her experience working on set and for Zach King, and philosophies about producing and filmmaking.

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    42 mins
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