A podcast
‍for those in the industry—from film, to TV, to production finance.

We sit down with television producer and NPACT General Manager Michelle Van Kempen, whose career has helped shape the unscripted landscape for nearly three decades. As an executive at FilmGarden Entertainment, Michelle oversaw more than 2,000 episodes of television, developing and producing series for major networks while learning firsthand how to run unscripted shows at scale.

Now, through her work at NPACT and as founder of Women in Nonfiction, Michelle supports the production companies and professionals behind much of the U.S.'s unscripted content. In this conversation, she shares what it takes to keep shows on time and on budget, how to lead production teams with flexibility and foresight, and why the producer’s role is often about planning for spontaneity. She also reflects on the evolution of the unscripted business model—from a commission-heavy era to today’s shifting mix of buyouts, co-productions, brand partnerships, and short-form experimentation.

Whether you’re running shows, pitching buyers, or trying to build a long-term career in nonfiction, this episode offers a look at the challenges and opportunities of producing in a fast-moving, post-streaming world.

We sit down with Viridiana Lieberman, an award-winning editor and director behind some of the most acclaimed nonfiction films and series of the past decade. Her work includes The Sentence, Call Center Blues, and most recently The Perfect Neighbor—Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature Film, as well as winner of the US Documentary Directing Award at Sundance 2025 and the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Editing. With a style marked by precision, restraint, and emotional clarity, Lieberman’s projects consistently push the boundaries of what a documentary can be.

In this conversation, Viridiana shares how she approaches the craft of editing not just as a technician, but as a storyteller and partner in the filmmaking process. She reflects on her years-long creative collaboration with director Geeta Gandbhir, the unique editorial challenges behind The Perfect Neighbor, and why she believes documentaries can feel as cinematic as narrative film. We also talk about the editorial mindset she brings to directing her own work, including her debut feature Born to Play, and how that perspective shapes how she receives footage from other teams.

Throughout the episode, Lieberman opens up about how nonfiction editors help define structure, tone, and trust—on both sides of the screen. For anyone working in documentary or nonfiction production, this is a conversation rich with insight on the power of restraint, the value of long-term collaboration, and what it takes to build stories that last.

We are joined by legendary literary agent, producer, and manager Bob Bookman, whose career has spanned over five decades at the intersection of publishing and film. From discovering the source material for Jurassic Park and The Silence of the Lambs to helping bring A Beautiful Mind to screen, Bob has been instrumental in shaping how great writing finds its way into cinema.

In this conversation, Bob reflects on how he identifies truly cinematic material, what makes an adaptation viable, and how the process of getting a film made has evolved—from pre-streaming theatrical logic to today's algorithm-driven systems. He shares stories behind major projects, including the 25-year journey to produce The Burial and how A Complete Unknown came together with Timothée Chalamet and Searchlight. He also breaks down the complexity of rights deals, why strong material isn’t always easy to adapt.

Whether you’re a producer, manager, agent, or simply someone navigating the shifting ecosystem of development and IP, this episode offers a candid, detailed look at what it really means to bring a story from the page to the screen.