Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa

When movie maestro and mixologist Paul Feig offers to teach you how to make a proper martini at 10a on a Wednesday, you say yes. It was thrilling to be tipsy before lunchtime. Almost as thrilling as it is to end 2025 with a conversation with the absolute icon that is director, producer, and comedy legend Paul Feig. Paul created the cult classic Freaks and Geeks, directed Bridesmaids, Spy, and A Simple Favor, and has helmed episodes of The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, and Arrested Development. He's a delight and the fun you feel watching is 100% the fun we had IRL. We dig into his journey from being the comedy outcast at USC Film School to becoming one of Hollywood's most successful directors. We talk about the brutal 'in-between' years that almost bankrupted him, why comedies get overlooked at awards shows, and his latest film "The Housemaid"—a dark thriller that marks the launch of his new production company, Pretty Dangerous Pictures. I quite liked the film and hope everyone will get their tushies out into a theater to experience it in the company of loved ones, friends, and strangers! Tune is as we discuss what makes a project "undeniable", the state of comedies in 2025, and why vanity projects ruin careers.   Join our Substack 📫 Musings, Mixers, Workshops, and Exclusive Content https://angleonproducers.substack.com/ 🎬 Follow Angle on Producers: Instagram: / https://instagram.com/carolinagroppa https://instagram.com/angleonproducers TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@carolina_groppa 🎥 Website: www.angleonproducers.com  

Barbara Muschietti is the phenomenal producer behind IT Chapter One & Two (combined $1.17B worldwide), The Flash, and the new Max series IT: Welcome to Derry. We actually met 5 years ago during my early podcast grind when I cold-emailed Barbara inviting her on the show. She said yes! She invited me to the Warner Brothers lot, to her office, and generously gave me almost 3 hours of her time. It was a real turning point for me and the show. The world, and certainly Hollywood, has changed tremendously since then. Full disclosure: we recorded this mere days before the audacious news that Netflix won the bid to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery. Five years later, we're back. Barbara opens up about "pushing a very, very heavy boulder" aka the reality of making movies even as an established producer with billions in box office success. She talks about The Flash making $300 million worldwide and still being considered a disappointment. She gets raw about what she learned producing nine hours of IT: Welcome to Derry with child actors during the strikes. We also dig into the LA production crisis, why she still takes a photo of the Warner lot water tower every single morning, and she's terrified we might lose it. Enjoy xx cg   AOP SUBSTACK 📫 Musings, Mixers, Workshops, and Exclusive Content https://angleonproducers.substack.com/ LISTEN TO THE SHOW Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6UBux9RgxeW1MiQDXSMrnr iTunes: https://apple.co/3FDyhmC JOIN THE AOP COMMUNITY 📸 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/carolinagroppa https://instagram.com/angleonproducers 📱 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@carolina_groppa ❔Answering your questions on Tuesdays in our newsletter! Submit here: [email protected]  

This week, I sit down with Alan Morales, co-founder of Civil Coffee, to explore the unexpected intersection of specialty coffee and film production in Los Angeles. Given LA's production crisis, I wanted to hear from someone on the ground—a small business owner in Highland Park who sees tons of filming and has thoughts on what producers and the city need to understand. Alan shares the espresso shot that changed his life, why he dropped out of electrical engineering one course away from graduating, and how Civil Coffee grew from mobile carts to three LA locations with their own roasting program focused exclusively on Mexican beans. We dig into the value chain from coffee farms to your cup, why productions understand craft services better than wedding clients, what it's like to visit Mexico for the first time as an adult after obtaining citizenship, and how LA's production crisis looks from street level. Alan's perspective on fair location fees, the human connection that makes or breaks production relationships, and what keeps him optimistic despite the current political climate offers valuable insights for anyone building something that requires invisible work to make magic happen.  Tune in! xx  🔗 CONNECT WITH ALAN & CIVIL COFFEE: Civil Coffee Instagram:   / civilcoffee   Civil Coffee Website: https://www.civilcoffee.com Locations: Highland Park, Studio City, DTLA 📱 CONNECT WITH ANGLE ON PRODUCERS: Subscribe to Angle on Producers: Substack: https://angleonproducers.substack.com/ Instagram:   / carolinagroppa     / angleonproducers   Website: https://www.angleonproducers.com 🎙️ ABOUT ANGLE ON PRODUCERS: Angle on Producers is a podcast hosted by Emmy-nominated producer Carolina Groppa pulls back the curtain on the producers and magic makers of Hollywood. With 150+ episodes, we explore what it really takes to be a producer, the invisible work behind finished films, and how to build a sustainable career in entertainment. 

Hannah Lux is a powerhouse music video and commercial director who's created iconic visuals for Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne. But her path to the director's chair wasn't traditional. Hannah shares her 20-plus-year journey in LA—from working as a makeup artist on set to directing Lil Wayne, Drake, and Future on "Love Me," which now has over 620 million views. We dive deep into the making of Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next," the video that broke YouTube records with 50 million views in 24 hours, and how she navigated legal clearances, celebrity cameos, and a three-day shoot while pregnant. We also talk about why communication and people management are often harder than the creative work, how to balance an artist's brand with your own vision, and what it takes to be a consistently working director.   xx CG AOP SUBSTACK 📫 Musings, Mixers, Workshops, and Exclusive Content https://angleonproducers.substack.com/   WATCH ON YOUTUBE   JOIN THE AOP COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/carolinagroppa | https://instagram.com/angleonproducers 📱 TikTok:   / https://www.tiktok.com/@carolina_groppa 👩🏻‍💻 LinkedIn:   / bit.ly/2BqHs8L   QUESTIONS ❔Answering your questions on Tuesdays in our newsletter! Submit here: [email protected]  

Happy Tuesday! Today is 11/11, a series of numbers that many see as a symbol of spiritual awakening, synchronicity, and alignment with the universe. I'm not too superstitious about these things, but when I catch it, it brings a smile to my face. Is it divine intervention or coincidence? And does it matter? In thinking about alignment, it feels very apropos to be sharing this particular conversation today with self-described nerdy fangirls Adamma and Adanne Ebo, the identical twin powerhouse behind the indie breakout film Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. We met making this film back in 2021—I remember we were in prep when the Ebos were about to turn 30. The incredible ascension they've experienced over these last five years is the epitome of alignment and synchronicity. Shortly after wrapping Honk, Adamma was tapped to direct her first television episode on Donald Glover's Atlanta—the kind of opportunity that only comes when talent meets the right moment. Timing really is everything, and while their success is absolutely the product of talent, hard work, and vision, there's also been a beautiful alignment of opportunities, relationships, and moments that propelled them forward. Call it luck, call it the universe conspiring—either way, their story is inspiring. From their days at Spelman College to making their feature debut with Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, they've blazed their own path in this industry. Honk premiered to critical acclaim at Sundance in 2022 and sold to Focus Features. The film stars Sterling K. Brown—who was also on the podcast this season with wonderful stories about working with the Ebos—and the incomparable Regina Hall, who delivers a masterclass performance as the first lady of a Southern megachurch. Since then, they've written and produced on some of the buzziest shows in recent TV: Peacock's Poker Face, Amazon's Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Swarm. They're now a sought-after creative duo with an overall deal at Sony Television. Today we're diving into how they protected their artistic vision as first-time filmmakers, why confidence matters more than experience, and how their twin relationship became their secret weapon in Hollywood. xx cg   AOP SUBSTACK 📫 Musings, Mixers, Workshops, and Exclusive Content https://angleonproducers.substack.com/   LISTEN TO THE SHOW Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6UBux9RgxeW1MiQDXSMrnr iTunes: https://apple.co/3FDyhmC   JOIN THE AOP COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/carolinagroppa | https://instagram.com/angleonproducers 📱 TikTok:   / https://www.tiktok.com/@carolina_groppa 👩🏻‍💻 LinkedIn:   / bit.ly/2BqHs8L   QUESTIONS ❔Answering your questions on Tuesdays in our newsletter! Submit here: [email protected]