In Proximity

• How to Build a Film Community with Armenian Film Society

  From bookstore events to hosting the SINNERS Los Angeles premiere, what’s it like to start a film community from scratch? Armen and Mary Karaoghlanian, founders of Armenian Film Society, share how they turned their passion for cinema and community into a cultural hub that hosts major film festivals, galas, and premieres. They discuss their recent 10-year anniversary gala featuring a conversation with Proximity founders Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian, where Sev was inducted into the Armenian Film Hall of Fame. They also reveal what it’s like to build your dream passion project while working full-time jobs and becoming new parents, the importance of consistency and authenticity in community building, and how they’ve spotlighted everyone from indie filmmakers to major Hollywood productions like SINNERS and ANORA. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com. (00:00) Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian in proximity at AFS(00:55) From a small bookshop event to a widely-attended gala…(02:25) Voice Memo from Sona Movsesian (Conan O’ Brien Needs a Friend)(04:02) Why Cher and Charles Aznavour are iconic(04:42) What is the Armenian Film Society?(05:00) First community event at Abril Books in in Glendale(07:41) Screening Sean Baker’s TANGERINE and Alexander Payne’s SIDEWAYS(09:23) Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian at the AFS 10th Anniversary Gala(10:27) Videos from the night of the AFS gala(12:35) Honoring ELIO director Madeline Sharafian & ANORA actor Karren Karagulian(14:58) Steven Zaillian, Rouben Mamoulian, and the importance of Armenians in film(16:17) How Armen and Mary built Armenian Film Society(17:45) Building community takes consistency(19:39) From university film professor to film society founder(21:46) Armen and Mary’s meet cute story… and their AOL Messenger screen name(23:16) Family inspiration: Armenian International Magazine and a vintage film camera(28:17) Prox RecsIN PROXIMITYNow playing in video on YouTube and in audio on all podcast platforms.For transcripts and more information: ProximityMedia.comPROXIMITY MEDIAFollow us @ProximityMedia on Instagram and TikTok.IN PROXIMITY IS A PRODUCTION OF PROXIMITY MEDIAHost, Director, Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev OhanianTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonCo-Director and Director of Photography: Patrick EpinoSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEditors: Patrick Epino, Brittani Brown, Ken NanaSound Recordist: Isabella MillerMotion Graphics Designer: Apollo BaldozProduction Assistant: Isabella MillerPost-Production Coordinator: Celine MendiolaSocial Media Coordinator: Alexandria SantanaProduction Intern: Ben Caloza

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• What Does a Culinary Producer Do on THE BEAR?

  Step into the kitchen set with Courtney Storer, culinary producer and co-executive producer of FX's Emmy-winning series THE BEAR. In this special holiday episode of IN PROXIMITY, host Paola Mardo learns how to make Italian red sauce pasta while digging into what it takes to bring THE BEAR’S iconic food moments to life. Courtney shares exclusive behind-the-scenes stories from filming the intense holiday “Fishes” episode with Jamie Lee Curtis, training actors like Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Lionel Boyce on professional cooking techniques, and working alongside her brother, series creator Christopher Storer. From 4:30 a.m. call times to creating detailed culinary reference guides for Michelin-level plating, discover how food becomes a character in one of television’s most acclaimed shows. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.(00:00) What does a culinary producer do? (clips)(00:55) Storytime!(03:13) Welcome to Courtney’s kitchen studio(04:13) Ingredients for THE BEAR red sauce(05:22) Start cooking(07:16) Cooking on a TV set(09:00) Culinary reference guide(10:30) All the details, Carmy’s chef journey (Jeremy Allen White), TOMORROW episode, peas, chef mentors, Chicago, Ever, Chef Terry, is this the vibe?(13:02) Is the sauce sticking??(14:00) Training actors(14:38) The FISHES episode and the Feast of the Seven Fishes(16:29) Inspiration binder, pre-production, photos, visuals, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis)(20:20) It was like “art therapy” with the cast, crew, and her brother Christopher Storer(22:00) What does a culinary producer do? (full segment)(23:50) Having real chefs on the set of TOMORROW(24:52) Voice Memo from Matty Matheson… and pasta beauty shot!(28:50) Prox Recs… and plating the pasta!(30:13) Cheers!IN PROXIMITYNow playing in video on YouTube and in audio on all podcast platforms.For transcripts and more information: ProximityMedia.comPROXIMITY MEDIAFollow us @ProximityMedia on Instagram and TikTok.IN PROXIMITY IS A PRODUCTION OF PROXIMITY MEDIAHost, Director, Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev OhanianTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonCo-Director and Director of Photography: Patrick EpinoSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEditors: Patrick Epino, Brittani Brown, Ken NanaProduction Sound Mixer: Mark PatinoMotion Graphics Designer: Apollo BaldozProduction Assistant: Isabella Miller, Joshua FloresPost-Production Coordinator: Celine MendiolaSocial Media Coordinator: Alexandria SantanaProduction Intern: Jun Sawada

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• From Storyboard Artist to Marvel Director: Todd Harris on EYES OF WAKANDA & SINNERS

  You know that iconic SINNERS juke joint music montage? Todd Harris is the artist who helped bring that sequence to life. A veteran storyboard artist, Todd went from designing action sequences for blockbusters like BLACK PANTHER, AVENGERS, and JOHN WICK to creating, directing, and showrunning his own Marvel series and directorial debut, EYES OF WAKANDA. On this episode of IN PROXIMITY, host Paola Mardo sits down with Todd to discuss his journey from storyboard artist to director. He reveals how he designed the music montage sequence in Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS, shares advice for aspiring filmmakers, and explains the art behind storyboarding action sequences. He also opens up about pitching EYES OF WAKANDA to Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler, building new characters like Noni and The Lion, and weaving real history into Wakandan lore. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.(00:00) SINNERS juke joint montage oner(02:13) Voice Memo from Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel TV and Marvel Animation(03:40) Advice for emerging directors, working with Taika Waititi on THOR: RAGNAROK(06:00) Tips for presenting ideas to directors(07:14) Storyboard artistry(08:45) How Todd became a storyboard artist(10:59) Process for breaking down script in storyboarding(13:55) Pitching ideas, John Wick(15:48) Storyboarding that iconic SINNERS juke joint montage oner(18:00) The illusion of language, knowing your director’s taste(20:30) Working with Ryan Coogler on BLACK PANTHER and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (with a pitstop at AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR)(22:45) Creating EYES OF WAKANDA and pitching Kevin Feige(24:40) Real history meets Wakandans(25:05) Memnon, fan reactions, Sea Peoples, Conan the Barbarian, James Earl Jones as inspiration for The Lion(26:50) Working with Marvel, transitioning from storyboarding to directing(29:15) EYES OF WAKANDA behind-the-scenes, creating original characters, Noni(33:22) Iron Fist(34:42) Todd’s Storyboarding Process(40:30) Prox RecsIN PROXIMITYNow playing in video on YouTube and in audio on all podcast platforms.For transcripts and more information: ProximityMedia.comPROXIMITY MEDIAFollow us @ProximityMedia on Instagram and TikTok.IN PROXIMITY IS A PRODUCTION OF PROXIMITY MEDIAHost, Director, Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev OhanianTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonCo-Director and Director of Photography: Patrick EpinoSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEditors: Patrick Epino, Brittani Brown, Ken Nana, Ben CalozaSound Recordist: Isabella MillerMotion Graphics Designer: Apollo BaldozProduction Assistant: Isabella MillerPost-Production Coordinator: Celine MendiolaSocial Media Coordinator: Alexandria SantanaProduction Intern: Ben Caloza

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• What Filmmakers Can Learn from the Sneaker That Changed Streetwear

  What can a $100K riot-inducing sneaker teach us about storytelling, design, and creativity?Jeff Staple’s 2005 Nike Pigeon Dunk didn’t just drop. It ignited a riot in the streets of New York City and helped rewrite the rules of streetwear, brand marketing, and storytelling through design. On IN PROXIMITY, Jeff joins host Paola Mardo to unpack how he built Staple into a global brand one shoe and collab at a time, what filmmakers and creatives can learn from design and brand building, “the power of the t-shirt” and marketing before social media and the internet, the wild story of his elevator pitch to Yasiin Bey (then Mos Def), and how to navigate hustle culture and find creative inspiration anywhere. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.(00:00) The sneaker riot story(02:40) Jeff Staple did for the pigeon what Walt Disney did for the “rat”(03:15) Not Just Sneakers book and Jeff’s interest in brand design and sneakers at a young age(06:30) Growing up in an immigrant Chinese family in New Jersey in the 1970s and 1980s(09:20) The Staple Origin Story and Connie Chung(13:14) Turning his art into a business(14:50) “The power of the t-shirt” and marketing before social media and internet(18:00) Seeing your art in the wild, streetwear as IYKYK(19:02) Is streetwear still cool?(21:15) Staple and hip-hop(23:36) The Pigeon and trademarking pigeon poop(26:40) Elevator pitching the collaborating with Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)(31:20) Collaborations today(34:00) How to stay connected to the creative, why he started a podcast(35:50) Hacking hustle culture(39:00) The Goods a.k.a. the shoes and the full sneaker riot story(44:50) Jeff’s checklist for designing sneakers(48:04) Jay-Z vs. Andre 3000 creative careers(51:20) Prox RecsIN PROXIMITYNow playing in video on YouTube and in audio on all podcast platforms.For transcripts and more information: ProximityMedia.comPROXIMITY MEDIAFollow us @ProximityMedia on Instagram and TikTok.IN PROXIMITY IS A PRODUCTION OF PROXIMITY MEDIAHost, Director, Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev OhanianTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonCo-Director and Director of Photography: Patrick EpinoSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEditors: Patrick Epino, Brittani Brown, Ken Nana, A.J. CalomaySound Recordist: Isabella MillerProduction Assistant: Isabella MillerPost-Production Coordinator: Celine MendiolaSocial Media Coordinator: Alexandria SantanaProduction Intern: Ben Caloza

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• SUPERGIRL's Azie Tesfai on Acting, Writing & Producing Your Own Stories

  Azie Tesfai was on track to become a lawyer until a breakup led to an audition and a new career in acting, writing, and producing. She’s appeared on JANE THE VIRGIN, MATLOCK, and DC’s SUPERGIRL, where she starred as The Guardian and became the first Ethiopian and Eritrean person to portray a superhero on screen. She also wrote an episode of SUPERGIRL, working with mentor and executive producer Greg Berlanti. On IN PROXIMITY, she talks with host Paola Mardo about navigating rejection, reframing, and the "tiara syndrome", transitioning from acting to writing and producing, sliding into DM’s (for work!), and bringing her Eritrean-Ethiopian heritage into her storytelling. Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.(00:00) Brutal audition, tiara syndrome, another first(01:27) Voice Memo from 2 Chainz(03:15) Growing up first generation Eritrean and Ethiopian American(08:45) How a college break-up led to an acting audition(10:30) First acting job working on Wicked Wicked Games with Tatum O’Neal(12:17) Building a career in acting, telling immigrant parents(15:30) An awful audition story, remembering why we make art(17:58) Advice for actors today(19:16) Being the first Ethiopian and Eritrean person to play a superhero on screen as The Guardian on SUPERGIRL(23:30) Writing an episode of SUPERGIRL and navigating grief, the pandemic, and racism(27:20) Supportive community + trauma = art(28:42) Lessons in writing and asking for help, working with Greg Berlanti(29:39) Superhero power poses(30:42) The tiara syndrome and sliding into DMs for work(33:45) Process for being a multi-hyphenate(35:20) Writing a DC comic kids book(36:30) Why it’s important to infuse her culture into her work(39:08) Photos from the set of SUPERGIRL(42:11) Prox RecsIN PROXIMITYNow playing in video on YouTube and in audio on all podcast platforms.For transcripts and more information: ProximityMedia.comPROXIMITY MEDIAFollow us @ProximityMedia on Instagram and TikTok.IN PROXIMITY IS A PRODUCTION OF PROXIMITY MEDIAHost, Director, Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev OhanianTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonCo-Director and Director of Photography: Patrick EpinoSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEditors: Patrick Epino, Brittani Brown, Ken Nana, A.J. CalomayProduction Assistants: Isabella Miller, Collin GajaSound Production Assistant: Isabella MillerPost-Production Coordinator: Celine MendiolaSocial Media Coordinator: Alexandria SantanaProduction Intern: Jun Sawada

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