Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Strategist Kevin Goetz
Don’t Kill the Messenger dives deep into the careers of Hollywood’s most influential voices including executives and filmmakers alike. Hosted by entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, the interviews are more than story-sharing, they are intimate conversations between friends and a powerful filmmaking masterclass. Discover what it really takes to bring your favorite movies to life. Find Don’t Kill the Messenger on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. Learn how movies begin, and end—with the audience.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, Nick Nunez, & Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes
Produced at DG Entertainment, Los Angeles CA
Marketing Team: Kari Campano, Dax Ross, Daniel Gamino, & Ashton Brackett
Guest Booking: Kari Campano & Kathy Manabat
Episodes
89 episodes
Ann Sarnoff (First Female CEO of Warner Bros.) on Breaking Barriers, Knowing Your Audience, and Why the Best of Hollywood Is Still Ahead
Ann Sarnoff, the first woman to serve as Chair and CEO of a major Hollywood studio and named one of Forbes' World's Most Powerful Women, joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about her path from a working-class upbringing in Massachusetts t...
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Stuart Ford (Film & Television Producer and Entrepreneur) on Independent Film, Risk Management, and the Future of Hollywood
Stuart Ford, Chairman and CEO of AGC Studios and one of the most influential figures in independent cinema, joins host Kevin Goetz for a candid conversation about his journey from Oxford-educated lawyer to Miramax insider to founder of two majo...
Ric Roman Waugh (Director, Writer, Producer) on Growing Up in the Stunt World, Filmmaking with Purpose, and Listening to the Audience
Filmmaker Ric Roman Waugh joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about his unconventional path from stuntman's son to one of Hollywood's most distinctive action directors. Waugh discusses growing up inside the stunt world, his mentors, and h...
Robert Wagner (Legendary Actor) on Eight Decades in Hollywood, the Studio System, and a Life in Film & Television
Hollywood icon Robert Wagner (known as “RJ”) joins host Kevin Goetz for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation about his life and career. From caddying alongside Clark Gable and Cary Grant to starring opposite Spencer Tracy. From the golden age...
Bob Cooper (Veteran Studio Executive and Producer) on Finding Your "And", Transforming HBO, and Championing Bold True Stories
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes Bob Cooper, the influential executive who helped transform HBO from a movie channel into a creative powerhouse, producing landmark films like The Josephine Bake...
Chuck Roven (Legendary Producer) on Creative Financing, Oppenheimer, and Four Decades of Blockbuster Filmmaking
In this episode of Don’t Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Academy Award-winning producer Charles "Chuck" Roven, the co-founder of Atlas Entertainment, one of Hollywood’s most enduring and successful production compan...
Gail Berman (Producer & Entertainment Executive) on Creative Fearlessness Across Stage, Television, and Film
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes Gail Berman, one of Hollywood's most versatile executives. From producing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Broadway at 22 to becoming the fi...
Matthew Specktor (Novelist & Screenwriter) and Fred Specktor (Agent) on The Golden Hour, Hollywood Family, and a Changing Industry
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes acclaimed writer Matthew Specktor and his father, legendary CAA agent Fred Specktor. Matthew's latest book, The Golden Hour: A Story of Family and Power in Hollywood
Jon M. Chu (Director, Producer, & Screenwriter) on Wicked, Casting Elphaba and Glinda, and Defending Cinema
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes Jon M. Chu on the opening day of Wicked: For Good, a film that generated exciting audience reactions during test screenings. From his family's Chinese rest...
Suzanne de Passe (Producer, Executive) on Motown, The Jackson 5, and Building an Entertainment Empire
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with legendary producer and entertainment executive Suzanne de Passe. From championing the Jackson 5 early in their career to producing Emmy Award–winning miniseri...
Nia Vardalos (Writer, Actress, Director, & Producer) on My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Motherhood, and Authenticity
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Academy Award-nominated writer, actor, director, and producer Nia Vardalos. From her one-woman show in a tiny Los Angeles theater to creating one of the highest-grossi...
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Bob Levin (Veteran Marketing Executive) on Audience Insights, Campaign Strategy, and the Business of Movie Appeal
In this engaging episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews his business associate, Bob Levin, about his remarkable journey from Sears catalog copywriter to President of Worldwide Marketing at Disney, Sony Picture...
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Stephen Follows (Film Industry Data Analyst) on Getting the Greenlight and Film Profitability
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes film industry analyst Stephen Follows for a discussion about film profitability and its connection to data. Stephen's digital book Greenlight Signals analy...
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Troy and Mark Paul (Founders of SGG Media) on Rewriting Hollywood’s Marketing Playbook with Micro-Influencers and Studio Partnerships
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz explores the intersection of social media and film marketing with Troy and Mark Paul, the son and father duo behind SGG Media. Their innovative agency represents over 2,300 ...
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Stacey Sher (Acclaimed Producer) on Pulp Fiction, Jersey Films, and Movies That Changed the Culture
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with two-time Academy Award-nominated producer Stacey Sher, the creative force behind some of Hollywood's most unconventional and influential films. From executive...
Dick Cook (Powerhouse Hollywood Executive & Former Studio Chief) on His Journey from Disney Ride Operator to Running Walt Disney Studios
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Dick Cook, the former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios known as "the filmmaker's Chairman." From his humble start as a Disneyland train operator to running one...
Basil Iwanyk (Acclaimed Producer & Former Studio Exec) on Jersey Grit, Building Thunder Road Films, and Mastering Independent Producing at Scale
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Thunder Road Films founder Basil Iwanyk, the producer behind some of the most engaging films of the last two decades. From The Town and Sicario
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Donald Petrie (Veteran Movie and Television Director) on Comedy Directing, Family Legacy, & the Power of Audience Testing
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes director Donald Petrie, the American Film Institute Fellow whose romantic comedies have grossed hundreds of millions worldwide. From launching Julia Roberts in Mystic Pi...
Special Episode: The Art of Audience Test Screening Focus Groups in the Filmmaking Process
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz brings together three of his top focus group moderators from Screen Engine to reveal the secrets behind their craft during the filmmaking stage of movie testing. Terri Cavanaugh (VP ...
Michael Uslan (Originator & Executive Producer of the Batman movie franchise) on his role as Batman’s Batman and his journey
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Michael Uslan, the originator and executive producer of the Batman and Batman-related movie universe, who turned his childhood passion for comic books into Hollywood g...
Jerry Bruckheimer (Producer) on Making Blockbusters, Audience Testing, and 50+ Years in Hollywood
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the mastermind behind billion-dollar blockbusters, including Top Gun, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys, Beverly Hi...
Arnold Rifkin (Legendary Agent & Producer) on Hollywood Deal-Making and His Life-Changing Relationship with Bruce Willis
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Arnold Rifkin, the legendary talent agent who pioneered the concept of a total talent agency and helped build one of Hollywood's most recognizable action stars. From f...
Scott Ross (Visual Effects Pioneer, Producer, and Entrepreneur) on Creating Movie Magic and the Future of Hollywood Effects
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Scott Ross, a pioneering figure in the visual effects industry. As the former general manager of Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), Senior VP of LucasArts Entertainment, an...
Mike Marcus (Manager, Producer, & Former Studio Head) on Building Hollywood Networks and Creating Hit Films
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Mike Marcus, whose impressive 57-year career spans from agency mailroom to MGM Pictures president to management company founder. In his early career as an agent, ...
Tony Sella (Marketing Executive and Producer) on Creating Unforgettable Movie Campaigns
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Tony Sella, the legendary marketing executive behind some of Hollywood's most iconic movie campaigns. During his decades at 20th Century Fox, Sella was the creative force ...
