Submissions
In addition to producing original projects, Cole Powell has reviewed works of other creators for over a decade.
As writer and editor for Southern Senses, Powell highlighted the best in the country, rock, blues, and folk music range, while his music, film, and TV commentary videos have garnered 1.4m views to date. Whether in writing or on camera, Powell employs his 15 years of professional art and entertainment industry experience to deliver fair assessments of works across media.
Label/artist/studio representatives or independent artists and filmmakers are welcome to submit material for review on one of Powell’s video podcasts, Medium page, and/or colepowell.net.
Important: Please read submission guidelines, submission license agreement, and Powell’s preferences below before submitting via the contact form at the bottom of the page.
What Cole is looking for:
Music*
Albums, EPs, Singles, and Music Videos in the Rock, Country, Blues, Folk, Americana, Roots, and Gospel range.
“My favorite artist of all time is John Fogerty, so anything that’s in the Creedence ballpark is likely a lock for a feature.
I like oldies, classic rock, 2000s pop/rock and post-grunge, and some '90s alternative. So anything new that sounds like those older genres is right up my alley. Couple of recent tracks that hit the mark for me were Benson Boone’s ‘Beautiful Things’ and ‘Freakin’ Out’ by Dexter and The Moonrocks.
I am also a Christian who grew up on classic hymns, so I’m open to songs with explicitly Christian lyrics. But I’m looking for something elevated, not clichéd, repetitive, or that doubles as a sappy love song.” - Cole
*Music submissions are eligible for coverage on Random Reactions, Words Like That, colepowell.net, and Medium.
Sample Review/Reaction:
Medicine (2015) — Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors | Album Review
I Showed My Gen Z Producer Roy Clark - “Folsom Prison Blues” [Video]
Film/TV/Web**
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Western, Action, Thriller, Drama, Mystery, Historical Drama, Biography, Comedy, Musical, Religious.
“My favorite genre is speculative—sci-fi and fantasy. My favorite film is The Prestige. Also, Star Wars original trilogy, Lord of the Rings trilogy, most superhero films before 2019, and smart originals like Inception and Unbreakable. Horror, not so much, unless we’re talking classic Universal monster style.
I love a good old-fashioned western like The Searchers and neo-westerns like No Country for Old Men. Historical dramas, particularly those set in the ancient world and heavy on action (Gladiator), and biopics, especially of the musical variety (Walk the Line), are high on my watchlist.
Action/spy thrillers like Mission Impossible, the Bourne films, and the good Daniel Craig James Bond movies. A good Godfather-esque gangster picture is always nice. Some mystery and courtroom dramas, but they’ve got to be smart and/or twisty.
I like to laugh, but I prefer my comedies clean. I’m also always looking for a thoughtful film that deals with faith and theological themes, but it needs to be art with a message and not a sermon trying to be art.
Not interested in explicit sex or graphic language and vulgarity. Graphic violence is fine as long as it isn’t gratuitous. If the movie or show is really good, and more graphic content is present but sparse, I’ll give it a go. (Think Shogun.) But if the film or series is comparable to Deadpool, I’m not the right reviewer. I'm also not interested in stories that flip or subvert the traditional hero/villain dynamic (e.g., Robin Hood was actually the bad guy or Dracula was just misunderstood.” - Cole
**Film, TV, web series, and trailer submissions are eligible for coverage on Film Nerd by Night, Words Like That, colepowell.net, and Medium.
Sample Reviews/Reactions:
Timothée Chalamet IS Bob Dylan | Singer/Songwriter Reviews A Complete Unknown [Video]
NEVER AGAIN!! | NON-Horror Fan Watches THE EXORCIST (1973) *Reaction*
Mission Impossible Wasn’t Built for This | The Final Reckoning Review
Submission Guidelines:
Fill out your name and email in the contact form below.
In the subject line, list the type of work, followed by “Submission,” title of work, artist name or production/distribution company, and genre.
Examples:
Music Album Submission - Blue Moon Swamp - John Fogerty (Rock)
Film Submission - The Prestige - Buena Vista/Warner Bros. (Sci-Fi/Thriller)
For the body of the submission, describe the project and provide any relevant info, including release date and bio of the project’s creator(s) or most notable personnel. Provide a streaming link to the work at its highest available resolution. Submit no more material than would fit on a 1-page Word document in Times New Roman 12, block paragraph form (i.e., a “one sheet”).
“I check my inbox regularly and try to respond to every legitimate submission quickly and personally because I’ve been on the other side of those emails. Please note, my time is limited and my tastes specific. So, if I pass on covering a submitted project, it's absolutely a reflection on me but not necessarily on the project.” - Cole
Submission License Agreement
By submitting the below form, you grant Cole Powell and Randomine Records a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, and worldwide license to use, reproduce, display, modify (for thumbnail and promotional purposes only), and distribute the submitted material solely for the purposes of review, reaction, commentary, thumbnail generation, and promotion of endeavors undertaken by Cole Powell and/or Randomine Records. This includes, but is not limited to, colepowell.net, Film Nerd by Night, Words Like That, and Random Reactions.
For single-song reaction submissions, you grant Cole Powell and Randomine Records the non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, and worldwide right to use the entirety of the song’s audio, artwork, and (if applicable) video components in review and commentary content across audio and video platforms, including but not limited to YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and similar services.
By submitting this form, you represent and warrant that you are the copyright holder of the submitted work or a duly authorized representative with full authority to grant the above license.
This license does not transfer copyright.