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The moment a gallery visit turns into a dinner and a documentary deal, you realise some careers are built on curiosity meeting readiness. We sit down with producer Mark Sternberg, who left a two-decade marketing run to build films that carry real weight—projects that start with a strong why, gather great teams, and earn their audience through clarity and craft. He shares how COVID pushed a reset, how Oxford sharpened his storytelling chops, and why producing became the perfect home for a builder who loves people, logistics, and narrative momentum.

Mark unpacks the long arc of making a film: shaping a story, securing attachments, and solving the classic catch‑22 of talent versus financing. He explains how a producer thinks like a market—who the film is for, where it belongs, and how to fund it without losing the point. We dig into his slate: a neighbourhood slice-of-life called Why We Mow, Central California winemakers challenging Napa’s shadow, a data-informed look at addiction recovery in Alabama, and a two-year journey across museums and studios for Cowgirls, focused on women in Western art. Then comes the spark: a chance meeting with Thomas Blackshear that became Outside the Frame, an eight-part docuseries featuring Blackshear, Ezra Tucker, and Dean Mitchell—three African American artists reshaping the Western canon.

Throughout, Mark returns to the habits that make creative work sustainable: embracing failure as feedback, building generous networks, and keeping the door open to serendipity. He’s honest about the money—grants, donors, equity investors—and specific about his next milestone, a £300k raise for the docuseries pilot. If you care about documentary filmmaking, arts equity, creative careers, or how to turn purpose into a plan, this conversation brings you into the room where decisions get made and films get finished.

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Music, lyrics, guitar and singing by Dr Ariel Rosita King

Teach me to live one day at a time
with courage love and a sense of pride.
Giving me the ability to love and accept myself
so I can go and give it to someone else.
Teach me to live one day at a time.....

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The Business of Life
Dr Ariella (Ariel) Rosita King
Original Song, "Teach Me to Live one Day At A Time"
written, guitar and vocals by Dr. Ariel Rosita King

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