Blissful Spinster Cris Graves

Meet Oren Soffer!  Oren lives in Los Angeles and is an up and coming cinematographer with a bold cinematic eye. Oren’s work includes two feature films; “Fixation” that premiered at TIFF and “Allswell” that premiered at TriBeCa in 2022 as well as Co-Dping the film “The Creator” with cinematographer Greig Fraser.

Meet Randall Park, the multi-talented artist who has captivated audiences with his comedic acting, writing, producing, and directing skills. Hailing from Los Angeles, Randall is not only known for his comedic prowess but has also ventured into the realms of producing and directing.

Meet, Nina Menkes! Nina lives in Los Angeles and is considered a cinematic feminist pioneer and one of America’s foremost independent filmmakers. Nina premiered her second documentary and fourth feature, BRAINWASHED: SEX-CAMERA-POWER at Sundance this year, and it’s how I discovered her and this amazing and impactful documentary which explores the sexual-politics of cinematic shot design.

Meet David Casey! David is a Showrunner, Director, and TV executive. He lives in Detroit and is an award-winning filmmaker who specializes in directing, writing, showrunning, show development, and leading logistics for large-scale teams in challenging environments around the world from preproduction through post.

Meet Sara Eckel! Sara is an Author and she lives in Kingston, New York. She’s been a full-time freelance writer since 1997, Sara’s essays, arts criticism, and reported pieces have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The BBC, and The Boston Globe to name a few. For five years, Sara was a nationally syndicated opinion columnist, with a weekly column that appeared in more than two hundred newspapers nationwide. Sara has had her short fiction published in Speakeasy and Sanskrit. Sara is also a published author, which is how she wound up on my radar. One of my former guests – Gina Fattore mentioned Sara’s book, It’s Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You’re Single. I found it on audible and gave it a listen and so much of what she writes about resonated with me. I’m so excited to bring you my conversation with Sara, we chatted about the importance of not getting caught up in trying to fit into the box society has made for women, about seeking our own happiness whether that means being single or being in a healthy relationship and about redefining success away from what previous generations have thought that means.

Connect with Sara on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/saraaeckel

Connect with Sara on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/saraeckel

Find out more about Sara and get her book on her website at: https://saraeckel.com

Learn more about the Blissful Spinster Podcast and connect with Cris on the website at: https://www.blissfulspinster.com

Meet James Ellis Deakins! James is a Digital Workflow Specialist, Filmmaker & Podcaster. James lives in Los Angeles and is both a creative and business partner of cinematographer Roger Deakins. James came up the ranks as a script supervisor for such films as Thunderheart, The Shawshank Redemption & Mercury Rising. She has transitioned into a Digital Workflow Specialist, working in a role James really enjoys as she gets to work with her best friend and creative partner, her husband Roger on such films as Sicario, No Country For Old Men, 1917, Blade Runner 2049, and their latest collaboration with director Sam Mendes – Empire of Light. During the pandemic, James created the TEAM DEAKINS Podcast which is a series of conversations between James and Roger and a guest, covering all aspects of movie making. This podcast is such a great resource for both beginning and seasoned filmmakers and everyone in between and I’m so excited that it’s coming back for season two! I discovered James through the Team Deakins Podcast, and I decided to be bold and send the podcast an email asking if James would like to be on Blissful Spinster. To my surprise, James, herself answered and she said yes! I’m so excited to bring you my conversation with James, we laughed a lot, learned a lot and was the kind of chat that leaves you smiling. We talked about the importance of collaboration on a film, what directors can learn from a script supervisor and how we both believe in sharing our knowledge.

Connect with James on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/team.deakins

Connect with James onTwitter at - https://twitter.com/teamdeakins

Check out the Team Deakins on its website at - https://teamdeakins.libsyn.com/#

Learn more about the Blissful Spinster Podcast and connect with Cris on the website at - https://www.blissfulspinster.com