Slate Careers Slate Podcasts

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Sam Green, a documentary filmmaker who has pioneered a new kind of performance called “live documentary,” which involves presenting ideas and images on-stage, accompanied by live music. In the interview, Sam explains why he started designing his films this way and why the temporary nature of these performances makes them so special. He also talks about researching and structuring his performances, learning to script and memorize his lines, and the joys of feeding off the audience’s energy.  

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss whether more people should try to remix artistic mediums. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Sam talks about how much he loves traveling around the country and the world presenting his work. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.
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Mark Duplass’s first big dream came true when he was 28: a movie he wrote and directed with his brother, Jay, got into The Sundance Film Festival. It was a major accomplishment, but Mark was miserable. “The week after Sundance was probably one of the worst weeks of my life because I realized I hit the top of the mountain. The top of the mountain didn't make me happy. So now what am I going to do?”
In this episode, filmmaker Mark Duplass talks about managing depression, what it’s like to have a creative partnership with his brother, and how they talk about making and spending money. “If I didn't have Jay as a partner, I would make a hundred mediocre movies a year, and if he didn't have me, he would die with two thirds of the greatest film ever made, not finished.”
Read: With Hollywood shedding jobs, here is help for coping with the slowdown
Podcast production by Andrew Dunn
Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.
And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.
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This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Stephen Seals, an actor and historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. In the interview, Stephen breaks down his process for researching and portraying Revolutionary War double-agent James Lafayette, a notable Black American whose story is seldom told. Stephen explains what it’s like to write for his character on the fly, to answer audience questions, and to add meaning and texture to an important historical figure. 

After the interview, Kristen and co-host Isaac Butler talk about how to handle harsh audience feedback. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Stephen describes a philosophy of “social history” which centers individual experiences instead of dry data alone. He also shares which historical figures he would like to play in the future. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since it showed up on the Body Mass Index, the label “obese” has been used to judge and often shame people with larger bodies.
Medical providers, family and friends, even strangers make assumptions about fat people’s health solely based on their size.
At the same time, excess quantities of fat can lead to poor health outcomes such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
Over the decades, medical associations have evolved their understanding of obesity. The American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Obesity Society all classify obesity as a disease requiring medical treatment. 
How does that change the way medical providers care for their obese and overweight patients? And does that mean people with fatter bodies can now face less discrimination?
As a part of a series of ongoing conversations on Well, Now on weight and health, we discuss the current medical definition of obesity and how to treat it with Dr. Angela Fitch, former Associate Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center.
If you liked this episode, check out: The Isolation of a Life-Threatening Diagnosis
Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.
Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with oversight from Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com
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It’s hard to imagine music fans mourning a break-up of Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation, as a Department of Justice lawsuit requests. But even with this monopolistic middleman out of the way, touring musicians still seem destined to struggle financially.

Guest: Laura Jane Grace, musician

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.
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After waiting for two strikes to resolve, film and television crews across Hollywood were hungry to return to work. But the work has been slow to come back. As a number of crew union contracts expire at the end of July, how strong is their negotiating position?

Guests: 
Diane Haithman, Senior Entertainment Business Reporter, TheWrap
Diego Mariscal, IATSE local 80 dolly grip

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.
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