Founded in 2017 by Caleb Masters and the filmmakers of Planet Thunder Productions, The Cinematropolis is an independent film criticism and podcast website dedicated to thoughtful, in-depth conversations about cinema. We explore film as both an artistic and cultural dialogue by highlighting new releases, overlooked classics, and the emerging voices shaping the medium.

Through essays, movie reviews, podcasts, and filmmaker interviews, The Cinematropolis seeks to engage with the cinematic stories that define our moment. Our contributors approach criticism with curiosity, enthusiasm, and a commitment to analysis by looking beyond surface-level reactions to explore the ideas, craft, and cultural impact behind the images on screen.

The site is also home to The Cinematic Schematic, our flagship podcast where critics, filmmakers, and guests discuss new releases, revisit major works from the past, and explore the trends shaping cinematic storytelling.

From 2021–2024, The Cinematropolis served as the official media partner of the deadCenter Film Festival.

Caleb Masters – Co-Founder / Editor-in-Chief / The Cinematic Schematic Co-Host & Producer

Caleb Masters is a film critic, podcast host, and producer with more than fourteen years of experience in media and film criticism, fueled by a lifelong love of pop culture and a passion for media production. As editor-in-chief of The Cinematropolis, he oversees the site’s editorial direction while hosting and producing the podcast The Cinematic Schematic, where he reviews new releases, interviews filmmakers, and explores film scores alongside co-host Laron Chapman and other prominent voices in entertainment.

Masters’ writing has appeared in Screen Rant, The Oklahoma Gazette, Renegade Cinema, and GoodTrash Media.

He previously served as president of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC), helping expand the organization’s festival partnerships, membership, and annual awards during his leadership tenure from 2021-2025.

Masters currently lives in Seattle, Washington. His favorite films include Cloud Atlas, Memento, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Before Sunrise.

Laron Chapman – Co-Host on The Cinematic Schematic, Essay Contributor

Laron M. Chapman is an actor, screenwriter, director, and producer from Oklahoma with a BA in Film and Media Studies and a background in journalism and film production.

A passionate screenwriter/filmmaker, his work spans from reality TV featured on the Food Network, FOX, and Discovery Channel, to the Oklahoma-filmed Academy Award-nominated film August: Osage County starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and other stars in the Hollywood film scene.

As a queer, African-American filmmaker, his films explore issues relating to race, identity, and sexuality in a topical and entertaining fashion. Chapman made his directorial debut in 2017 with his now multi-award-nominated feature film, You People. Laron lives in Oklahoma City.

He is a member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle and currently serves as the co-host of The Cinematic Schematic and is the author of the Reel Insights column.

Daniel Bokemper – Essay Contributor

Daniel Bokemper is a film and literary critic. His work has appeared in the Currentland, Wicked Horror, and the Oklahoma Gazette. He was the film, television and culture editor of the late Oxford Karma. Daniel also dabbled in broadcasting on The Spy FM, producing interviews and film reviews. Currently, he is an active contributor to World Literature Today and the vice president of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle.

Daniel’s passion lies in writing, editing, and having meaningful conversations with other thinkers. Though he feels an individual can spur momentous changes with their work, he finds it takes a community working in tandem to spark meaningful systemic change.

Daniel lives in Oklahoma City. He enjoys moviegoing, basketball, Swedish Fish, and performing secular wedding ceremonies.

Zachary Burns – Co-Founder & Brand Creative Director

A photographer and designer, Zachary came to filmmaking through the side door. Having always given support to his brother Jacob on his many short films through still photography and designing film posters, Burns found great satisfaction in helping craft and create films of any size. Taking on more responsibilities with each successive film only came naturally as his love of film, photography, and design further collided and intertwined, culminating in his first feature film as a producer, The Fable of Shannon Cable, written and directed by college friend Vinnie Hogan.

Working alongside Jacob Leighton Burns and Vinnie Hogan, the trio solidified their commitment to creating imaginative and original films by founding Planet Thunder Productions. Their first feature under this new banner, Electric Nostalgia, written and directed by his brother Jacob, has garnered much attention along the festival circuit, picking up multiple awards as well as fans from across the US. 

Jacob Burns – Co-Founder

When Jacob was in third grade, he told his school counselor that he was going to be a director when he grew up, and ever since, he has been working towards that goal. After spending years convincing friends and family to appear in his charmingly offbeat no-budget home movies, Jacob enrolled as a film production major at Oklahoma City University, where his love of filmmaking and passion for storytelling expanded and flourished.

Applying the knowledge and experience he gained on set over the years, Jacob acted as producer and cinematographer on an independent horror/comedy feature film called The Fable of Shannon Cable, written and directed by his producing partner Vinnie Hogan. Building upon the success of their first feature film, Jacob, his brother Zachary, and Vinnie formed Planet Thunder Productions, with the intent to create unique and memorable films of any length or genre. Under the Planet Thunder banner, they produced a science fiction thriller, written and directed by Jacob, called Electric Nostalgia, which has won multiple awards and screened in cities all across the US.