What does it take to run a show in real time, in front of 3,000 people, with no second takes?

In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with Jeff Atlas, Emmy-nominated producer and founder of Backhand Productions. Jeff has produced Olympic ceremonies, NBA All-Star events, inaugurations, music festivals, and award shows including the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors and After Party. He breaks down how live production actually works, from the first budget call to the moment the curtain goes up.

Jeff gets into:

→ The secret phone call that put him behind Stevie Wonder's surprise performance at the Met Gala

→ The night a gospel tribute to Pastor Jamal Bryant turned the Image Awards Creative Honors into a full church moment

→ Starting as a runner at Dick Clark Productions with zero connections and a paper Thomas Guide

→ Watching Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Kirk Franklin rehearse at the AMAs and getting hooked for life

→ How he picks projects, and the kinds of shows he'll never do

→ His Emmy nomination for three hours of live television on PBS

→ What really happens backstage when talent doesn't show up

→ Why staying calm in the eye of the storm is his superpower

→ What a producer actually does (think COO of the show)

→ Budgets, cost reports, and why money doesn't guarantee a good show

→ How to break in today, and why a handwritten thank-you note still works

→ The hardest lesson of owning a company: you never stop hustling

→ AI, short-form clips and the live events boom

→ Faith, integrity, and playing the long game

This episode is for anyone who's ever watched an awards show and wondered who's making it all happen.

️ Host: Ariana Drummond, NAACP Director of Talent & Media Relations

Guest: Jeff Atlas, Emmy-nominated Producer & Founder, Backhand Productions

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Watch more Inside the Industry:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaaTUaaxeh-IBd36D0P3FzFcu17Ij2S4T

Listen on Spotify:

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Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naacp-inside-the-industry/id1894940807

Learn more about NAACP+:

https://linktr.ee/NAACPPlus

#InsideTheIndustry #NAACPPlus #JeffAtlas #LiveProduction #EventProducer #ImageAwards #BackstagePass #ArianaDrummond #BlackCreatives #TVProduction #MetGala #ProducerLife

• (00:00:00) - Why Money Doesn't Guarantee a Good Show
• (00:00:31) - Welcome & Introduction
• (00:01:40) - The Secret Stevie Wonder Met Gala Call
• (00:03:01) - The Creative Honors Church Moment
• (00:06:36) - What's Next: The National Urban League Conference
• (00:08:11) - Mentors, Dick Clark & Getting Hooked at the AMAs
• (00:11:53) - How He Picks Projects (and What He'll Never Do)
• (00:14:29) - The Emmy Nomination: 3 Hours Live on PBS
• (00:15:27) - When Talent Doesn't Show Up & Staying Calm Under Pressure
• (00:19:23) - The Rush of a Live Show and When Things Go Wrong
• (00:22:31) - What a Live Producer Actually Does
• (00:27:59) - Live Production vs. TV and Film
• (00:31:00) - Client Vision, Budgets & Cost Reports
• (00:34:35) - Breaking In With Zero Connections & the Handwritten Note
• (00:40:09) - The Hardest Lesson: You Never Stop Hustling
• (00:45:21) - AI, Short Form & the Live Events Boom
• (00:52:09) - Legacy, Integrity & Faith
• (00:54:45) - Inside Your Industry Bag (Game)