Feb. 13, 2025

021: Film Football With Friends

021: Film Football With Friends

Rocco Nisivoccia Jr. is a Director, Producer, and Production Manager who, after film school, landed his first Production Assistant gig on Spider-Man 2 (2004) with one of the most creative pitches we have ever heard. Working his way up in the industry working through Locations (Emergence, The Sopranos, Daredevil, Jessica Jones) and Production Management (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), he directed and produced his first feature, Aliens vs. Zombies, in 2017. A rabid football fan, Rocco landed a dream job as the Football Production Manager on FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez (2024). Paul and Steve sit with Rocco and break down the intricacies of coordinating accurate football for the screen, how football itself was a critical character in American Sports Story, his passion for collaborative storytelling, and the importance of relationships in an ever-changing industry.

Rocco’s IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2012988/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

MENTIONS

American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez trailer: https://youtu.be/nYd-BgM6tdQ?si=17naEpZfGKe3UMph

Game Changing Films: https://www.gamechangingfilms.com/

Aliens vs. Zombies: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3626214/reference/

Hard Out Productions: http://www.hardoutproductions.com/

What American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez Gets Right: https://slate.com/culture/2024/10/american-sports-story-aaron-hernandez-fx-patriots-football-nfl.html


FILM FIGHTS WITH FRIENDS

Do you listen to our show as an audio podcast? Give video a try. Subscribe to our Youtube for the video version with awesome behind the scenes pics and video! https://www.youtube.com/@FilmFightsFriendsPod?sub_confirmation=1


Dig the show? Consider supporting our Patreon. There are some cool perks! Patreon: http://patreon.com/FilmFightsFriendsPod


Join our e-mail list! Hit us up here: fightingwithfriends@gmail.com


Instagram: http://instagram.com/FilmFightsFriendsPod

Facebook: http://facebook.com/FilmFightsFriendsPod

Steve’s Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sambosteve

Steve’s IMDB: http://imdb.me/stephenkoepfer

Paul’s on Instagram: http://Instagram.com/KravMagaChef

Paul’s IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8062990/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Breakfall Studios’ Instagram: http://Instagram.com/breakfallstunts


OUR SPONSORS

Stunt Access

http://stuntaccess.com

https://www.facebook.com/StuntAccess

https://www.instagram.com/stuntaccess/


Stunt Contact

http://stuntcontact.com

http://instagram.com/stuntcontact

http://facebook.com/stuntcontact


Fight or Flight Entertainment

http://fightorflightent.com

http://facebook.com/fightorflightentertainment

http://instagram.com/fightorflightent


PRODUCERS

Executive Producers:

Stephen Koepfer

Paul Varacchi

Thiago Benedetti