The Staffa Corner
Greg Staffa created The Staffa Corner Podcast to provide listeners with a Staffatarian look at entertainment and life. Focusing on honest conversation, Staffa’s podcast is an appreciation of those he finds interesting in and out of television and film.The journey taken by Staffa in the industry started more than 8 years ago writing for Your Entertainment Corner. Motivated by the desire to become more knowledgeable in his field, he leveraged his learned and acquired knowledge and skills and earned himself the opportunity to interview celebrities such as Pierce Brosnan, Ethan Hawke, Martin Freeman and Seth Rogan among others. Setting up his own in home studio, Staffa is branching out into podcasting while continuing to write for YEC. An unsung hero recognized by The St. Cloud Times in 2013, and a Staffatarian to the core, Staffa spent several months in 2010 on a 48-state road trip transforming the perception of homelessness. During this time, he handed out over 1,000 pairs of socks and hundreds of cups of coffee to the homeless, before he finally settling down in St Cloud Minnesota. By July 2020 Staffa’s journey came full circle having bought a home. To his credit, he still finds time to help others. Staffa is able to build and maintain incredible working relationships, an attribute that has contributed greatly to his success. Consequently, actors, writers and directors among other TV/film stars are always open to guest. He has covered red carpet premieres for films like Stuber and Booksmart among other star studded TV premieres.
The Staffa Corner
Jason Headley on SXSW and His Journey at Pixar: Insights from a Creative Maestro
Jason Headley is a talented writer, director, and author. He recently co-wrote the Pixar film Onward featuring the voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, and is currently working on another yet to be announced Pixar film.
I met director Jason Headley in 2017 during South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. He was premiering his film A Bad Idea Gone Wrong starring Matt Jones, Will Rogers, and Eleanore Pienta. The comedy would go on to win a special jury award for best ensemble at the film festival. As I explain in this episode, It was a meeting that almost didn’t happen.
Despite all the pressures of attending SXSW and promoting a film, there was a peacefulness to Headley’s personality that I found captivating. His demeanor wasn’t what I expected from a Hollywood director. In a touching moment when posing for a photo, Pienta laid her head on Headley's shoulder. It was clear he created a comfortable environment for those around him. Perhaps it’s no surprise Headley wrote a self-help book titled F*ck That: An Honest Meditation.
Having loved the film and the corresponding interview, I continued to follow Headley’s career and was thrilled when it was announced he had co-written the Pixar film Onward. Unfortunately, the film’s release date of March 6, 2020 was the start of major events started shutting down due to Covid-19. The theatrical release was short-lived and by April 3 the film was available on Disney+. Thankfully, Headley is working on another project for Pixar and I can’t wait to learn more about this unannounced film.
Jason Headley is one of the nicest people I’ve had a chance to interview. And we’ve stayed in touch via social media in the years since. Early on I knew he was someone I wanted to have on The Staffa Corner. I am thrilled for his continued success and can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
You can check out his film A Bad Idea Gone Wrong here on Amazon Prime . His book F*ck That: An Honest Meditation is also available here on Amazon while Pixar’s Onward can be streamed on Disney+. You can check out my review of A Bad Idea Gone Wrong and interview here.
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