What does it look like to enter the creative industry right now, when storytelling, technology, audience habits, and career paths are all changing at once?

In this episode of The Hollywood Makers, Claudia Cano-Asbjornsen welcomes Natalia Green and Stephany Blanco, the newest Associate Producers joining The Hollywood Makers Media Lab.

Coming from opposite coasts and different creative disciplines...

Together, they talk about what drew them to media, the careers they hope to build, why genuine collaboration always matters, and what it means to begin making your mark in an industry that’s changing and at a really fast pace.

The conversation also turns to one of the biggest questions facing emerging creatives today: where does AI belong in the creative process, and where shouldn’t it? Hear what they have to say...

It’s a conversation across cultures and generations about creativity, opportunity, human talent, and the future of storytelling, and also a chance to see the collaborative work happening inside The Hollywood Makers Media Lab, an initiative of Rx Media Productions. Here we support intergenerational creative entrepreneurs who are the new Hollywood Makers building a new world and rules in the media and entertainment industry.

🎙️ Hosted by Producer, Writer & Director: Claudia Cano-Asbjornsen

🎬 Featuring Natalia Green from California and Stephany Blanco from Miami, FL

🎥 The Hollywood Makers Media Lab | Rx Media Productions

Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: EWRTA5VQOTAJCA0P

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In this episode of The Hollywood Makers, host Valeria sits down with veteran stage and screen actor Andy Umperger. His career began in the regional theaters of Richmond and Washington, DC, took him through Broadway in City of Angels, Passion, and the 25th anniversary revival of Company, and landed him in Los Angeles in 1997. Since then he has become a familiar face on screen, from the demon D’Hoffryn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (five hours of prosthetics in the makeup chair) to Angel, Waco, and The Accountant.

Andy talks about why live theater is still his first love, how he makes quick character choices for guest roles, and why he thinks theater training gives young actors an edge. He also gets into what makes a great villain, what it’s like to be typecast as the FBI agent, the DA, or the judge, and how his definition of success has changed over four decades.

They also discuss where the industry is headed: shrinking production in LA, streaming blurring the line between film and TV, and what AI could mean for actors. The episode closes with Andy’s recommendations and his advice for anyone starting out: get used to frustration, keep honing your craft, and persevere.

The Hollywood Makers is a space for honest conversations about the evolution of media, technology, and the entertainment industry, spotlighting multicultural creatives, both emerging and experienced, who are shaping what comes next.

Thanks for listening, and welcome to the community. Subscribe to The Hollywood Makers on Substack, podcast apps and on YouTube so you never miss an episode, and share this one with a creative in your life. We’ll see you in the next one!🎬

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Episode by Anna Poghosyan

Enrique Pedraza-Botero went to film school for narrative fiction. Then a documentary class got his attention, and he’s been following real stories ever since.

A short about young men and the transactional side of online culture. A film about immigration in Miami that now plays like a time capsule. And a new project that’s moving as fast as the headlines.

How do you make a film when the story changes faster than you can shoot it? And what does an immigrant filmmaker from Colombia do with a camera when the news is unfolding on the streets around him?

As Hispanic Heritage Month closes, we’re honoring this year’s theme, Unidos, Somos Más (Together, We Are More), with a conversation about community, storytelling, and amplifying marginalized voices.

Hosted by THM Associate Producer Anna Poghosyan. Press play.

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