For this episode, Charles and Samm are joined by our friend Charles Smith III, a local producer, director, film teacher, and proud union member. We discuss the ongoing writers strike, why it’s so important, what the core demands are, and larger issues related to strikes and class war within the entertainment industry. We briefly talk about a few films centered on strikes, because of course I had to bring up Gian Maria Volonté, and Mao has something of a cameo as well.

You can find Charles Smith lecturing about film production at Rowan University, Drexel University, and Buck County Community College. He directed the Philly-shot superhero satire Zeroes, produced the gnarly horror film Neighbor, and is currently producing the nationally syndicated PBS kids’ show Albie’s Elevator. He’s also a member of the Producer’s Guild of America and loves setting off fireworks.