Jury Selection

Nathan Corpus, Producer & Editor, Dupa Midnight Films

After graduating college with a Degree in Film/Cinema/Video studies during the peak of the economic crash of the late 2000s, Nathan thought he’d just have to give up finding a job in the video/film industry. And then the 2020 pandemic hit, which made him realize he had dreams to pursue and goals to accomplish. In 2020, Nathan picked up a camera and began to seriously work with video again, which began with volunteer work for Non Profits and ultimately led him to officially start his own production company in 2022. Dupa Midnight Films has earned 10 major industry awards and happy clients, including Costco Wholesale and Sundance Circle Hippotherapy.

We asked Nathan to share his personal favorites across podcasts, books, TV Shows and Music. This season, we’re celebrating two decades at The Davey Awards, so don’t miss his take on early 2000s Norah Jones and The Weakest Link.

Nathan's Picks

Podcasts
Pack Your Knives
Hosted by Kevin Arnovitz and Tom Haberstroh, Pack Your Knives brings a Sports analysis and “Fantasy Team Drafts” mindset to the Culinary Competition Series, Top Chef. Not only are their recaps entertaining, but because of their sports background, you can’t help but analyze each feature of the series from production value to what the food looks like and what the chefs must be going through. There isn’t a single episode where I haven’t caught myself talking back to the podcast as if I were in the conversation with Kevin and Tom.

Duolingo French Podcast
I love the French language and really, languages in general. There is this fire inside of me that can’t help but want to learn each language that catches my fascination. What I really enjoy about the Duolingo French Podcast is that it is peak Edu-tainment at its finest. Real life stories told in French by the people who lived them, and interpreted in English, not only helps you understand and grasp the language better, but you find yourself experiencing their stories as if you are right there with them. Recently, they’ve gone into fun retellings of French history that are reminiscent of when the “stories” were on radio before they moved to television. J’adore ce podcast!”

JUMPSTART Sessions | Helping YOU Get Clarity, Get Unstuck, & Take Action
Every once in a while, you come across someone who is genuine. Someone who loves being around people and who enjoys trying to give a helping hand if they can. THAT is Michael Gebben. The host of Jumpstart Sessions gives you daily mind tuneups that help you bring clarity to your day as well as excitement for pursuing goals that you want in life. It is not a “feel good” podcast. It is a “Get up and DO IT” podcast. And that’s what I feel makes Michael stand out amongst other “self help” style experts. This isn’t a sentimental podcast for the sake of sentimentality, it is an analytical podcast that helps you see where your brain is and what you need to do to work with it. I can’t say enough good things about Jumpstart Sessions.

Books
Flight 93: The Story, the Aftermath, and the Legacy of American Courage on 9/11 by Tom McMillan
When you ask me my favorite movies or books, it usually deals with contemporary history. Most of us who were around on September 11th, 2001 remember exactly where we were on that day and what we felt. But as time goes on, our memories may become mixed with incorrect headlines that we forgot were later clarified or simply misremember. Tom McMillan does a beautiful job retelling the history based on family accounts and recordings or transcripts available to the general public of what we now know about Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania on 9/11. But what McMillan also does is shed light on who these passengers and crew members were as human beings, as well as the uncomfortable but necessary details as to the planning of the tragedies. Yet, it is completely necessary to appreciate the bravery that was displayed on Flight 93. This is a heavy read, but boy, are you swelled up in appreciation for life after you read of the courage those beautiful people displayed on that awful day.

Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of “The View” by Ramin Setoodeh
I am a huge fan of talk shows, especially those based in New York. And while I have drifted to and away from “The View”, Ramin Setoodeh did his research well and conducted interviews with past panelists and production members that worked on “The View” that tells the history in a fascinating and entertaining style. There isn’t time to relax as you turn the pages of this book as each period of time that the book retells has you glued to see what happens next. A fantastic example of research and entertainment.

Sunday Best by Adrienne Cheatham. You might see it as just a cookbook with recipes, but what makes this book standout is you get to read the author’s connection to each recipe and style of cooking. It’s not just a “Here’s the recipe” but also “Here’s the history and my personal connection”. You can’t help but read this book with delight as the author regales you with history and pushes against stereotypes of “Southern” or “African American” cooking.

Music from the Early 2000s
“Come Away with Me” by Norah Jones
This album changed a young 13 year old Boy’s perspective on what music could be. At that time, I was heavy into Pop music that was filled with what could be equated to consuming seven spoonfuls of sugar, and trust me, I’m not complaining! But when I saw that this album had swept the Grammys, I had to take a listen. It blew me away! From the instruments to the music composition and the lyrics that made you think about life, it hit so many chords with me that it is easily my favorite album of the 2000s period! The soft energy it brings just brought this calming and soothing effect on me that I still to this day will listen to that album to wind down and reflect.

“Home” by The Chicks
“Home” was my very first Country music album and introduced me to the beauty that Country music is. From a fun introduction of a song to slower, more poignant music, this album has it all. Witty lyrics, music that touches the heart and above all, STORYTELLING. This was the album that made me realize I love a good story told through melody.

“Restless” by Sara Evans
To this day, I have never had a reaction to a first track of an album like when I listened to Restless for the first time. I was hesitant about my Mother’s choice of picking this album over something else I had wanted to listen to, but the minute Sara hit her first notes and sang “The rocking horse came…”, I immediately sat up and let out a giant “Whoo!” because her clear and smooth vocal delivery of that line hit me right in the musical gut. It made me pay attention and then she just delivered song after song that made me appreciate not only her voice, but the genre as a whole. No joke, this album changed my life!

TV Shows of the Early 2000’s
Reba
This sitcom was my Friday night staple. The writing was top notch comedy and performed really well by the company of actors. It was guaranteed that I would be holding my belly in laughter when I watched Reba.

The Weakest Link
Everything about this show captivated me. From the dramatic music to the intricate sets and lighting and who can forget that host? The concept of working as a team and yet competing for yourself was an interesting take on a game show and what a ride it was when you get to know the contestants in such a short amount of time. I still get a rush of adrenaline when I think back on “The Weakest Link”.

Everyday Italian
Really, I was a fan of a LOT of the early Food Network cooking shows, but this one held my interest arguably the most. When I break it down, I appreciated the editing of the show from wide shots to closeups and the overall comfortable lifestyle this show exuded made me want to get in the kitchen and start cooking. I can’t help but shout out Giana DeLaurentiis for her well crafted presentation of Italian food.

Follow Nathan:

Want our Newsletter?

Sign up for our emails to get the latest updates!