Hollywood Gold

Producer Fred Berger guides us through the making of 2016's wildly popular musical LA LA LAND starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The film was the brainchild and passion project of director Damien Chazelle, but as a young and new filmmaker, no studio was willing to take a chance on his vision for a big movie musical that he wanted to be both nostalgic and incredibly modern. In order to prove himself, he made 2014's Oscar-winning WHIPLASH, and soon it was off to the races with producers Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz, whose faith in him never wavered.

This episode is sponsored by Film Parliament, an online course that teaches filmmakers how to schedule and budget a feature film. Built by a working producer, the course is practical, hands-on, and designed to help you move your project forward with confidence.

Get 10 percent off with code GOLD10 at filmparliament.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Hollywood Gold, Daniela and producer Riva Marker return for their annual Oscar predictions, breaking down the biggest categories from Best Picture to acting, directing, writing, and the newly added casting category. They debate the race between Sinners and One Battle After Another, share insider knowledge into what drives Academy voters, and make their final calls ahead of Hollywood’s biggest night.

This episode is sponsored by Film Parliament, an online course that teaches filmmakers how to schedule and budget a feature film. Built by a working producer, the course is practical, hands-on, and designed to help you move your project forward with confidence.

Get 10 percent off with code GOLD10 at filmparliament.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Editor Olivier Bugge Coutté joins us to reveal how he and Director Joachim Trier used nonlinear storytelling, formally playful filmmaking, and layered emotional arcs to craft the character-driven tapestry of Sentimental Value. Reflecting on their friendship, which began in film school, Coutté shares the kinds of films that shaped their sensibilities and explores why their intimate, international collaborations, including The Worst Person in the World, resonate so deeply with American audiences. He also discusses his approach to editing ensemble films, what the ending means to him as an artist, and offers insight into Gustav’s motivations, as portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård, throughout the film. Be sure to catch this nominated film before the 2026 Academy Awards! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Producer Rachael Horowitz joins Hollywood Gold to talk about the making of Moneyball, the underdog baseball story that became one of the defining sports films of the era. Horowitz traces her unconventional path into producing and walks listeners through the film’s long, high-stakes development, from surviving a bidding war to optioning Michael Lewis’s book, an abrupt director change that ultimately brought Bennett Miller on board, and major shifts in post-production that helped define the final film. In this episode, she reveals how Moneyball evolved into something more than a sports movie: a deeply personal story about devotion, identity, and the love affair between a man and his work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Line Producer Kenneth Yu joins Hollywood Gold discuss the record breaking, Oscar-nominated film, Sinners. From the challenges of shooting in Louisiana to working with acclaimed director Ryan Coogler, Yu shares the highs and lows of the adventure that was creating this groundbreaking film. Diving into behind-the-scenes stories about building entire sets in the middle of nowhere, the technical magic behind filming Michael B. Jordan as twins, and the unpredictable chaos of shooting on location, this episode will be sure to leave you surprised. Be sure to watch before the 2026 Academy Awards! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.