Strangers in Hollywood

It’s not often you get to meet people who have spent their entire lives intertwined with the entertainment industry. At least, that’s still my frame of mind as a native of the Midwest.

I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: I’ve met quite a few people simply by drinking coffee at my favorite cafe, Coffee Fix, day after day after day.

Coffee Fix in Studio City

The first person I met at Coffee Fix who changed my career’s trajectory was screenwriter Michael Kinberg. His friendliness, openness, and passion for discussing the principles of storytelling shaped and improved my own writing, as well as my editing on the animated series LEGO DreamZzz.

Michael also shared stories with me about his first years in Los Angeles: He initially he punched up screenplays for Gene Wilder’s production company. Soon after, he met and was mentored by veteran screenwriter David Assael (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Miami Vice, Northern Exposure). Very recently, Michael had a casual conversation with ‘Hollywood Ambassador’ John Voight, who happened to sit down next to him at Coffee Fix.

Another friend I made at Coffee Fix in Studio City is Christopher Nibley. He is a prolific DP (Director of Photography) who has worked in film and television for over five decades. Chris grew up right here in Studio City, CA. His mother, Linda Stirling, acted in serials (short films that played before feature films) and occasionally brought him on set when a babysitter was not available. His father, A. Sloan Nibley, wrote for the Roy Rogers Unit at Republic Pictures before overseeing the writers at Hanna-Barbera.

Chris’s life is normal to him, but I was amazed by his stories. It was at Coffee Fix, last autumn, listening to Chris, that the idea came to me to create a podcast to capture stories like these. Recapturing Hollywood: a podcast about Hollywood history from Hollywood people.

Of course, the marketing copy wasn’t quite that polished at first, but the goal was clear: to [re]capture the stories of people whose lives were lived intertwined with the film and television industry.

A Podcast in Los Angeles

I registered a domain, designed key art, put together a list of guests, found a co-host, built a website, assembled a mobile podcast-recording rig out of second-hand audio equipment, secured bumper music, and published an RSS feed. Plus a lot of other things I’m leaving out because they amounted to trial and error.

The first published episode of Recapturing Hollywood was recorded with editor Mitchell Danton, ACE, at Coffee Fix, with the fantastically knowledgeable Michael Kinberg as my co-host. Mitch’s mother, Julie Adams, was a prolific actress in the 1950s and 60s, starring in The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) among many other films. Mitch’s father, Ray Danton, was also a prolific actor who starred in films like The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, and then successfully transitioned to directing.

From Studio City to the World

As of writing this, I have just one episode in the can. But several more are already in the works!

So what are you waiting for?! Visit the Recapturing Hollywood website and sign up to receive emails when new episodes are published: https://recapturinghollywood.com/sign-up

Then subscribe to Recapturing Hollywood on the streaming platform of your choice: Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

There is more to come, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Gallery

Tim Collins and Michael Kinberg host editor Mitchell Danton ACE at Coffee Fix, Studio City, CA

Album artwork and Business card for “Recaturing Hollywood” – Designed by TIM Collins

Products available at the print-on-demand store for “recapturing Hollywood” – Product Designs by TIM Collins, products fulfilled by Printful (recapturinghollywood.com/shop)