Are We Rolling? is a behind-the-scenes podcast where producers Jason Waggenspack, Todd Lewis, and Frank Monteleone break down how films actually get made. From development to financing to swapping set stories, the trio shares real behind-the-scenes anecdotes, hard-earned lessons, and what it takes to keep projects — and Louisiana’s film industry — rolling.
Episode 2: Are We Saying Yes?
Jason, Todd, and Frank on how producers decide what to say yes to, why rejection is built into the process, and how passion, business, timing, and people all factor into whether a project actually gets made. Along the way, they explore why Louisiana continues to matter as a filmmaking home — from incentives and infrastructure to the creative energy that keeps stories, crews, and long-term partnerships rooted here.
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00:00–02:00 — Appreciating nos, and why a yes isn’t always really a yes
02:00–07:00 — How producers choose projects: business vs passion
07:00–12:30 — Learning to appreciate rejection and staying on the right path
12:30–18:00 — Passion projects vs commercial projects
18:00–23:30 — What makes a project legitimate: funding, attachments, momentum
23:30–29:00 — Creative partners, long-term relationships, and red flags
29:00–34:30 — Reading scripts, taking chances, and finding the diamond in the rough
34:30–40:00 — When a project is an opportunity vs a distraction
40:00–47:00 — Knowing when you’re part of something special on set
47:00–55:00 — Louisiana as a filmmaking home: incentives, infrastructure, and culture
55:00–01:02:00 — What’s happening in Louisiana right now + looking ahead to 2026
Further reading on people + projects mentioned
Artists Equity
https://artistsequity.com/about
The Notebook
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332280/
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103281/
The Elephant Man
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elephant_Man_(1980_film)
AFI Catalog source:
https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/56402
Tom FontanaPresident, WGA East
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Fontana
Sam Zemurrayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Zemurray
Belizaire the Cajun
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belizaire_the_Cajun
Kelly Marcel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Marcel
The Statement
Coming to The Ranch, directed by Tom McCarthy
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/tom-mccarthy-sony-pictures-classics-1236633431/
Episode 1: Well, Are We?
Jason, Todd, and Frank introduce themselves and dig into what are we rolling means, the many kinds of producers, how long a project can take to be finished, and why so many bad movies get made.
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02:00–05:30 — What does are we rolling mean?
05:30–06:45 — Let’s talk about Louisiana’s independent film ecosystem
06:45–12:05 — What the hell is a producer?
12:05–17:50 — How long does it take to make a film? That’s a biiiiig question.
17:50–23:15 — Why do bad movies get made?
23:15–31:20 — When a script is “ready?” (spoiler: it’s not)
31:20–36:30 — Let your grandma read your script, aka, why non-industry feedback matters
36:30–41:50 — What are Todd, Frank and Jason watching?
41:50–45:40 — What’s next for Louisiana in 2026?
Further reading on people + projects mentioned
Walter Hill — director, writer, producerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Hill
Irving Ravetch — screenwriterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Ravetch
Harriet Frank Jr. — screenwriterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Frank_Jr.
Alvin Sargent — screenwriterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Sargent
Martin Ritt — directorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Ritt
Danny DeVito — actor, producerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_DeVito
Brad Pitt — actor, producerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Pitt
Clint Bentley — writer/directorhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm3286079/
Jodie Foster — actor, directorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodie_Foster
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson — producer, actorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent
Con Air (1997)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118880/
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(film)
United 93 (2006)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475276/
Stranger Things (2016–2025)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/
House of Dynamite https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32376165/
A Private Life (Vie privée)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33852162/
Train Dreamshttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt29768334/
Trespass (1992)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105636/
Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107004/
Wild Bill (1995)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114938/
Hud, Norma Rae, and the Long Hot Summer (1963) https://www.ebay.com/itm/253991915235