Chris Barkley
Christopher Barkley, a Producer (p.g.a.), entrepreneur, and Podcaster born in Nashville, Tennessee, discovered his passion for storytelling at a young age. His love for storytelling was ignited after watching The Princess Bride, a film that has captivated him over fifty times.
The need to emote through the power of story drove Chris to build the MAKE IT platform with his best friend, Nicholas Buggs.
Their goal is to help independent film creatives tell stories in a meaningful (and profitable) way through the power and reach of podcasting and independent media.
In addition, Chris has worked as a Producer on the feature films Another Version of You (CJ Perry, Kristopher Wente), Adult Interference (Ted Welch, Mike Vogel, Christine Woods, Kate Upton), and All Light Will End (Andy Buckley, Sara Butler).
Chris is the celebrated creator and co-host of the 5-star Make It Podcast. Chris's highly engaging and thoughtful interviewing style has enabled him to turn conversations into lasting relationships with creatives across the film industry. Most recently, he has co-founded the film development company FictionKit.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science from the Middle Tennessee State University, majoring in Journalism.
Nick Buggs
Nicholas Buggs is an Executive Producer, Producer, and Podcast Host specializing in the independent film community. He is credited on several award-winning feature films as well as a handful of short films that he is grateful to have helped bring to life. These days he is the proud co-host of the 5-star MAKE IT podcast that has been rated as high as 11th in the US, Canada, and Germany on Apple Podcasts.
Nick has successfully leveraged a background in Management Consulting, Project Management, and Enterprise Strategy to develop novel approaches to maximizing the potential in independent film projects. He is well-versed in developing branding and marketing strategies for indie films and has worked to develop a team of creatives to execute those strategies.
Nick works alongside his co-founder and best friend Christopher Barkley to effect meaningful and lasting change across the film industry. Together, they provide thought leadership in the indie film space as speakers and panelists at virtual and in-person events across the country. They are always open to serve as jurors at film festivals and they host regular filmmaker dinners to bring the community together.
Nick continues to build strong, lasting relationships with members of the film industry and is always on the lookout for more. He firmly believes that filmmaking is a family affair and is happy to watch his family grow one day at a time.