Melinda Dilger - Producer of "Arcane" and Global Head of Animation Production at Riot Games
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
Release Date: 05/31/2023
Special Episode: PROOF Festival Panel - Actors/Producers On Forging Your Own Path
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
I recently had the honor of moderating a panel during the annual PROOF film festival in LA. Powered by the American Cinematheque, PROOF is dedicated solely to the presentation of proof-of-concept short films, looking to be expanded into feature-length productions or series, and empowering the next generation of cinematic storytellers. I saw down with actor/producers Margaret Cho, Michael Oloyede, and Darrell Britt-Gibson to discuss the complexities of their multi-hyphenate career paths. Together we talked about everything from indie filmmaking to the importance of collaboration, and, of...
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Kamala Avila-Salmon - Head of Inclusive Content for Lionsgate Films
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
Very excited to share this electric convo with Kamala Avila-Salmon who is a very impressive lady. She is the first-ever Head of Inclusive Content for Lionsgate Films. It's fitting as innovation, uniqueness, and disruption have been hallmarks of every role she’s had. She leads a team responsible for developing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies to ensure the Lionsgate film slate reflects inclusive stories that represent a global, diverse audience. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, she has built her career across tech, music, film,...
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Minisode 07 - Can You Imagine Hollywood Without Producers?
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
We are facing a crisis in the producing community. Regular listeners of the show are well aware of this fact because I talk about it incessantly. The challenges that make the producing career path unsustainable are now undeniable...and they were only exacerbated by a global pandemic, two back to back strikes, a market contraction, and the technological advancements and disruption of AI. Producers Heather Rae, whose latest film, "Fancy Dance", starring Lily Gladstone, drops on Apple in June, and past podcast guest Joy Gorman Wettles, who is behind amazing shows like "13 Reasons Why" and...
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Minisode 06 - Cannes Strike, THE FALL GUY, and is pilot season officially over?
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
This week, host Carolina Groppa and Associate Producer Sarah Bockian wrap their minds around CBS' recent annoucement to no longer participate in the traditional pilot season of Jan-May, the blow that could be a strike at Cannes, and two movies that recently brought us tremendous joy. Tune in!
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Tara Miele - Writer/Director of WANDER DARKLY and Director of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
We often talk about how the path is not linear, and today’s guest reminds us to stop and smell the roses on the way to wherever we are headed! The lovely Tara Miele is a filmmaker originally from Long Island. Her widely acclaimed film, starring Sienna Miller and Diego Luna, premiered in competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by Lionsgate. Currently, Tara is writing and is attached to direct a Carol Burnett biopic that Tina Fey is producing. Most recently, Tara directed two episodes of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, one of my fav shows of last year, for which she was...
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Minisode 05 - Hot Tips on Short Film Funding, Budgeting and Producing
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
This week, host Carolina Groppa and Associate Producer Sarah Bockian dive into the fun world of short film financing, budgeting and producing. Hot tips! Do's and Don'ts! And why production insurance is #sexy. Tune in!
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Minisode 04 - Reese Witherspoon's controversial comments on AI and the Sora Generated Short "Airhead"
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
This week, host Carolina Groppa and Associate Producer Sarah Bockian debate Reese Witherspoon's controversial comments on AI, and "Airhead", a short made using Sora that still required many humans. Links Discussed:
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Dr. Rachel Raimist - Television Director on Process and Exceptional Producing Directors
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
Thrilled to share this inspiring and electric convo with Dr. Rachel Raimist. Rachel is an episodic television director and college professor who’s recently directed episodes of the family fantasy THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (Disney+), the musical UP HERE (Hulu) and the soapy drama SEX/LIFE (Netflix). She has also directed beloved episodes of THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS (HBO Max), WU-TANG: AN AMERICAN SAGA (Hulu), FANTASY ISLAND (Fox), and DIARY OF A FUTURE PRESIDENT (Disney+). We are opening up the aperture and hearing from other disciplines on what they think makes an exceptional producer,...
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Minisode 03 - Q&A Short Films with Directors, Networking Intentionally, and The Best Route to Producing
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
This week, host Carolina Groppa answers listener questions! Tune in as we breakdown: How to set up contracts with directors for short films and not get pushed out of projects How to networking intentionally and effectively Pros and cons of the indie vs assistant route to producing SAY HI instagram.com/carolinagroppa instagram.com/angleonproducers tiktok.com/@carolina_groppa SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER! bit.ly/aop_newsletter
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Minisode 02 - Melinda Gates, Women's History Month, and AI
Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa
We are trying something a little different for the next two months and will be bringing you weekly minisodes to compliment the monthy guest drops. This week, host Carolina Groppa and Associate Producer Sarah Bockian celebrate Women's History Month, Carolina takes us behind the scenes of her panel discussion with Melinda Gates and we explore how AI could empower women and people of color.
info_outlineElated to dive into the captivating world of animation through the incredible career of Melinda Dilger, Global Head of Animation Production @ Riot Games.
Animation has the power to transport us to new dimensions, ignite our emotions, and bring fantastical worlds to life. One series, in particular, has been capturing the hearts and minds of viewers worldwide…myself included.
Arcane is a visionary show born from the collaboration between Riot Games, Fortiche and Netflix. Set in the universe of the wildly popular game "League of Legends," Arcane follows the tragic story of two iconic champions, sisters Vi and Jinx and the power that will tear them apart.
It has managed to break through the boundaries of what we thought animation could achieve, captivating audiences of all ages. So, naturally, the show earned multiple Emmys, Annie Awards, and a Lumiere Award to name a few.
I rarely gravitate towards animation so I was shook when I realized I had binged the entire first season. It compelled me to find out who was behind it. So, I was thrilled when Melinda accepted my invite to come on the show.
An experienced leader in her field, she’s worked with top players in town, including Walt Disney Studios, Nickelodeon, Universal and others. She produced over 200 episodic titles and features and is now overseeing animation production for Riot Games’ television and film properties.
Some highlights include:
- The time and empathy required to nurture artist
- How she energized the deflated team behind Arcane when she joined
- Remembering that one job interview can lead an offer for another job