Meet Monica Dinsmore! I had the opportunity and pleasure of speaking with Monica at this year’s DreamHack gaming festival in Atlanta, GA. With the state of Georgia seeing a surge in the gaming industry, particularly in game development and esports, I jumped at the chance to ask the Head of Esports for EA Sports about their plans for expanding opportunities and fandom engagement in the state and worldwide.

Let me re-introduce John Bonoccorse. When I met John at his lovely home, not only was he well into his career as an assistant director, we also chatted about his co-ownership of the toy store Rhen’s Nest. It’s flagship store is currently at Ponce City Market in Midtown Atlanta. Here’s John.

Let’s re-introduce Greg Waddle. At the time of this interview, I met Greg at his storage unit were he kept his equipment. He was working as a set dresser then. Now, he’s president of Local 479 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts(IATSE for short). He’s a political strategist and a tireless advocate for economic development and workers rights here in Georgia.

Let me re-introduce Linda Burns. When I moved back to Atlanta in 2005, the very first place I volunteered my time was at the Atlanta Film Festival. This festival is put on every Spring by the Atlanta Film Society, where Linda has been diligently instructing the next generation of filmmakers for over a decade. When I sat with her in 2017, she gave me insight on her producing career. Have a listen...

Let’s re-introduce Matthew Jackson. At the start of my own career here in Georgia, Matthew was one of the first people I met. We connected because of our respect for one another’s discipline and hard work. Matthew is a seasoned camera technician in the IATSE Local 600, with many years of credits as an Assistant Camera crew member. Listen to his interview he gave me back in 2018.

Meet Courtney Ward-Thompkins! Another colleague of mine who got her start as a production assistant, Courtney’s career blossomed here in Georgia. Today, she works in production management for some of Hollywood’s biggest production companies. She is also the creator of Avala Productions as a documentary producer. She joined me remotely from her home in Texas to talk to me about her career.