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First Act Break

Insights on finding success in the film industry — by young filmmakers, for young filmmakers. Hosted by USC film directors Jiayang Liu and Richard Li.

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Episodes

14 episodes

Makayla Lysiak on how to build a Successful YouTube Channel and Film Career

Welcome to episode 13 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Makayla Lysiak ...

April 25, 2025 • Episode 13 • 1:27:47

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Producing Features and Vertical Short Dramas | Adam Bloodgood

Welcome to episode 12 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Adam Bloodgood‬...

April 18, 2025 • Episode 12 • 1:13:03

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Producing and Working at Disney and Jubilee | Cece Mou

Welcome to episode 11 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Cece Mou a USC ...

April 11, 2025 • Episode 11 • 42:21

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How’s Life after USC Film School | Justin Roh

Welcome to episode 10 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Justin Roh a US...

April 04, 2025 • Episode 10 • 1:38:02

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How to Run a Successful Film Production Company while in College | Harlow Schuman

Welcome to episode 9 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we bring on Harlow Schuman a USC film director who runs his own successful fi...

March 28, 2025 • Episode 9 • 1:19:11

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How to Get in the CAA Mailroom and other Studio Internships | Lillian Lin

Welcome to episode 8 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we bring on Lillian Lin, a recent USC film school graduate who is now working...

March 22, 2025 • Episode 8 • 1:17:32

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Zach King’s Artist on Production Design, Filmmaking, and AI Art | Daisy Liao

Welcome to episode 7 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we bring on Daisy Liao (aka JJUTO), a production designer who's worked with Z...

March 13, 2025 • Episode 7 • 1:16:03

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These Super Bowl Doritos Commercial Directors are Changing the Future of Hollywood | Zach and Ryan

Welcome to episode 6 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we bring on Zach Shenouda and Ryan Robinson, the director duo who recently had their comme...

March 06, 2025 • Episode 6 • 1:37:42

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Honest Opinion of Film School and Creativity from USC Film Director | Ethan Go

Welcome to episode 5 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we bring on Ethan Go, a USC film director and editor who has a passion for genre filmmakin...

February 26, 2025 • Episode 5 • 1:13:25

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How to Manage Finances in Filmmaking and College | Bien Bagui

Welcome to episode 4 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we bring on Bien Bagui, a USC film director who has a passion for financial literacy. We c...

February 20, 2025 • Episode 4 • 47:01

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Directing Movies at Age 8, Acting in The Flash, USC film school | Octavian Kaul

Welcome to episode 3 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we bring on Octavian Kaul, a USC film director who began his career at the age of 8 years ...

February 11, 2025 • Episode 3 • 1:31:48

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How we got into USC Film School and Our 4 Year Experience

Welcome to episode 2 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today, we share how we got into USC film school and our experience studying here the last 4 years...

February 03, 2025 • Episode 2 • 1:26:20

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How to Find Your Filmmaking Path: Insights from Two USC Film Directors

Welcome to episode 1 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. Today we talk about how we got into filmmaking, USC film school, and stories from film sets. ...

January 28, 2025 • Episode 1 • 1:02:08

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Welcome to the First Act Break

Welcome to the First Act Break Podcast, the show where Jiayang Liu and Richard Li dive deep into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry. We are here to help you find success doing what you love, by building a sustainab...

January 20, 2025 • 1:18

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