WRAP DRINKS – Details, episodes & analysis

Anni Abbruzzese is a union loader and 2nd AC who has worked on projects such as Hocus Pocus 2, Castle Rock, and The Instigators. Anni's journey into the camera department began when they were scooped up from their role as a PA by a camera team person who saw their potential. Anni quickly learned the camera department can be a challenging experience that tests your limits, but this taught them how and when to say no. Join us as we talk to Anni about how to navigate the politics of working on set and some of the nerdy solutions to their technical hurdles on set.

Stratton Bailey is an underwater key grip and cinematographer whose credits include Nanny, Rosemead, and Thalassophobia. Growing up, diving and being in the water became second nature to Stratton. Little did he know he was developing an integral skill for his future career. As the guard for set safety, being a key grip is already a complex line of work and when you add water it can easily become a recipe for disaster. Join us as we talk through Stratton's early days dipping his toes into this niche area of production and how he joined this small community of sea grips.

Visiting all the way from the UK, Director of Photography Spike Morris stopped by the Wrap Drinks set to chat with us about all things cinematography related. Spike's love for photography and working with analogy technology morphed into a passion for filmmaking. Spike's desire for experimentation has led him to work on some exciting projects like Moses Boyd's "Stranger than Fiction" music to video, to Lewis Capaldi's "Forget Me" music video - a shot for shot recreation of Wham's "Club Tropicana" music video. He's also had the honor of working as the 2nd unit DP for "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared," a show he describes as Sesame Street on acid. Tune in as we chat with Spike and Christelle de Castro who is back on the show as a lovely co-host.

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Ad agencies, lighting design, non-profit work, special effects, protests, and psychedelic art shows; these two have seemingly done it all. Natalie Cleveland currently finds herself as a Producer & Industry Advocate, while Simon Cleveland is working under the title of Lighting & Effects Wizard.

In this episode of Wrap Drinks we sit down with the industry power couple to talk about understanding the obstacles of a working relationship and how sometimes a change of departments can better suit your lifestyle.

In May of 2024, FREE THE WORK, closed this chapter of the nonprofit. Natalie has since started "Working Insights" with a few of the FTW visionaries, they're working on the same values and crossing over some of the programs.

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Blake's eventual role as a cinematographer didn't happen through the most traditional route. In fact, Blake's stint in the film industry began as a Production Assistant - infamously on the huge sets like "The Dark Knight Rises". Blake's ambitions however took him beyond this when he transitioned to AC work. In recent years, his accomplishments include being the Tech Producer for the NFL featurettes during the pandemic. Today, he is a Trinity Steadicam operator but he hasn't forgotten his roots or the experiences that made him the DP he is today. Join us as we chat with Blake about these experiences and more.

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Heidi Koleto is a Prop Master with experience working on TV Shows such as Barry, Julia, and Kevin Can Fuck Himself. On today's episode, she gives us insight on what it's like to work on these large productions and how she handles the day to day tasks and responsibilities to keep a show running. Throughout this conversation we also learn about some of her amazing quirks that contribute to her success as a Prop Master as well as some helpful organizations that can contribute to your success.

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Demian Neufeld is a Drone Pilot and the co-owner of Ryders Alley. Before DJI was breaking ground with their cinematic drones, Demian was attempting to fly cameras using RC helicopters. At the age of 12, he started his passion for photography before changing his focus to something more financially secure, pre-med. However, it wasn't long after he graduated that he decided to leave this career and go back into photography. Today his work can be found in TV series, commercials, and feature films.

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In the era before digital movie theaters, film projectionists were integral part of the movie theater experience. Adrianne Jorge began her journey as a projectionist in college doing film screening in classrooms before moving to local theaters. Adrianne landed her spot in the union through a film festival after proving her value, and would later work for Woody Allen in his private screening room. After the era of digitization shattered the movie screening industry, Adrianne was fortunate enough to continue her craft working at the Somerville theater in Boston. While being a film projectionist today is considered a niche job, thanks to a few big names in the industry we can still enjoy the human element being connected to the film viewing experience.

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Before Valerie Armstrong was able to sell her show "Kevin Can F**k Himself" (spoilers ahead of you haven't watched yet) to AMC, she worked a number of different jobs to pay the rent. Whether it was being an assistant to the owner of a Pistachio farm, working as an NBC Page, or being a writing assistant on "Masters of Sex", these jobs prepared Valerie for the daunting task of creating her own original series. We talked with her about the highs and lows of making it as a writer, what the inside of a writer's room looks like, and how surrounding yourself with the right people makes everything that much better.

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Jeff Brink might currently be known as the CEO of Blackout Lighting Console, but his exploits as a disruptor in the film industry goes back to his days at NYU. In the days when attaching a cinema camera to a drone was unheard of, Jeff and his team were determined to innovate and find a path, paving the way for drone photography as we know it today. Ultimately, this pursuit reached its end and Jeff found himself back in the lighting department. Seeing the change in LED technology while he was away inspired him to make a mobile console app that would improve the role of a board operator in the field. All of his successes and failures in the film and industry have led to this moment, our couch.

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