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American Filmmaker

American Filmmaker

By Josh Hyde

A podcast about filmmaking, the creative journey, tai chi, humanity, and the obstacles to being a creative soul living on planet Earth.
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Ep 53 - The First 52 Episodes Represent 3.4. Million Hours of Storytelling, Living, And Creativity - Summer Break 2020

American FilmmakerAug 13, 2020

00:00
03:38
Ep 60 - Supplements To Help Maintain Your Creativity

Ep 60 - Supplements To Help Maintain Your Creativity

In this episode, Josh Hyde talks about the supplements he takes to maintain creativity and balance in 2022.  The supplements include: 2 forms of magnesium, turmeric, USP fish oil, vitamin A and D from cod liver oil, broccoli extract (sulforaphane), CBD, and a regular movement practice like tai chi or walking.

Feb 03, 202213:35
Ep 59 - Dick Gregory In His Own Words

Ep 59 - Dick Gregory In His Own Words

Dick Gregory, Richard Claxton Gregory, (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) was an American comedian, civil rights activist and spiritual leader. His writings were best sellers. Gregory became popular among the African-American communities in the southern United States with his "no-holds-barred" sets, poking fun at the bigotry and racism in the United States. In 1961 he became a staple in the comedy clubs, appeared on television, and released comedy record albums. Gregory was at the forefront of political activism in the 1960s, when he protested the Vietnam War and racial injustice. He was arrested multiple times and went on many hunger strikes. He later became a speaker and author, primarily promoting spirituality. Gregory died at age 84 in August 2017.

Links To Full Dick Gregory Interviews on YouTube.

Full American Comedy Archive Interview from Emerson College

Civil Rights from Dick Gregory Part 1

Civil Rights from Dick Gregory Part 2

Dick Gregory Interview on "The Rock Newman Show"

Dick Gregory Interview on "The Breakfast Club"

Jan 23, 202201:01:25
Ep 58 - A Journey Of Many, Many Lives - Through The Eyes Of Cidny Bullens

Ep 58 - A Journey Of Many, Many Lives - Through The Eyes Of Cidny Bullens

The Gender Line is about a transgender rock star, Cidny Bullens (formerly Cindy Bullens) who once sang in Elton John's band. Cidny is fortunate to have been both a wife and husband in the same lifetime. He reflects on having lived both sides of the gender line.

Cidny Bullens is an American singer-songwriter, who is best known for serving as backup vocalist on tours and albums with Elton John and Rod Stewart, as well as providing vocals on the soundtrack of the 1978 feature film Grease.

Cidny Bullens's Music on Spotify.

Jan 17, 202201:11:31
Ep 57 - Alec Baldwin Needs To Go To Jail

Ep 57 - Alec Baldwin Needs To Go To Jail

On this episode, the host/filmmaker, Josh Hyde discusses the failure of set etiquette on the film "Rust", improper Hollywood budgeting practices, and why Alec Baldwin needs to go to jail for murder or manslaughter.

ABC News Article On Alec Baldwin Shooting - Link To Article

Jeffrey Epstein And Alec Baldwin Connected - Link To Article

Court Evidence Linking Jeffrey and Alec - Link To Government Exhibit 52 - The Little Black Book

Another Article Connecting Epstein, Baldwin, and Many More - Link To Article

Sky News Video Showing Harvey Weinstein's Misconduct Before Raping Melissa Thompson - Link To Video



Dec 29, 202147:51
Ep 56 - A Public Policy Expert And A Filmmaker Tell "The Story Of Plastic" - Megan Ponder And Deia Schlosberg

Ep 56 - A Public Policy Expert And A Filmmaker Tell "The Story Of Plastic" - Megan Ponder And Deia Schlosberg

Megan Ponder is an accomplished public policy professional, researcher, and a producer of the Emmy Award-winning documentary The Story of Plastic. Megan’s work is focused on plastic pollution including global recycling systems and the impacts of petrochemical production on communities. She has consulted for global and national plastic pollution campaigns and initiatives and has worked with stakeholders representing government, industry, and community perspectives on plastic pollution and waste management. Megan is Co Director of Peak Plastic Foundation and lives in the Pacific Northwest where she is involved in local issues including forest practices, clean water, and wild fish conservation.

Deia Schlosberg is an American documentary filmmaker and producer. She is the recipient of one Emmy and two Student Emmys. Deia graduated from Washington University in Saint Louis with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts Degrees in 2003, majoring in Earth and Planetary Sciences and Visual Communications. She attended Montana State University, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Science & Natural History Filmmaking.

Schlosberg directed Backyard, a documentary film about hydraulic fracturing. She produced the 2016 documentary How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can't Change. Schlosberg won the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award in 2009, after spending two years trekking 7,800 miles along the spine of the Andes Mountains, together with Gregg Treinish. Five years later, in 2014, she won the Best Documentary Award and the Bricker Humanitarian Award from the Student Emmy Awards in 2014.

On October 11, 2016, Schlosberg was arrested while filming protesters of the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline in Walhalla, North Dakota. She was charged with conspiracy to theft of property, conspiracy to theft of services and conspiracy to tampering with or damaging a public service. Within two days, film director Josh Fox wrote an open letter to US President Barack Obama calling for her release; the letter was co-signed by thirty celebrities, including Neil Young, Mark Ruffalo, Daryl Hannah, Frances Fisher, and Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Josh Fox commented, “They have in my view violated the First Amendment. It’s fucking scary, it knocks the wind of your sails, it throws you for a loop. They threw the book at Deia for being a journalist.” Subsequently, she co-produced Lindsey Grayzel's 2018 film, The Reluctant Radical, about one of the protesters involved with the protest action. Deia also co-produced the documentary Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock in 2017.

In 2019, Schlosberg premiered the documentary The Story of Plastic, her feature directorial debut created in partnership with the Story of Stuff organization. The film, which addressed misleading corporate narratives surrounding the plastic pollution crisis as well as the damage done at every stage along the life cycle of the fossil fuel product, was picked up by The Discovery Channel to anchor their programming for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2020. The film was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Documentary in 2021.

Watch the The Story Of Plastic trailer. 

Dec 13, 202142:47
Ep 55 - How To Be An All Around Filmmaker and Creator - Hannah Dougherty, Writer/Director/Animator/Cinematographer/Creator

Ep 55 - How To Be An All Around Filmmaker and Creator - Hannah Dougherty, Writer/Director/Animator/Cinematographer/Creator

For the past 9 years, Hannah's mission has been to learn firsthand the many languages of filmmaking so she can communicate with her cast and crew and create engaging stories. This challenge has seen her working with a variety of storytelling mediums including live-action, hand-painted and computer animation, stop motion, and puppetry.

Hannah has directed, shot, edited, and animated music videos, fashion films, and award-winning short films. After gaining a Bachelor of Film Production she moved straight into editing and designing live-action and animated television commercials at PostBox Sydney. Since then she has collaborated with various production and post-production companies such as Film Boldly, The Gingerbread Man, and Medium Rare for an eclectic array of clients including Universal Music, 604 Records, Nike, Qantas, Vogue, Coles, Sydney Dance Company, and The Brandenburg Orchestra. Her dedication and reputation for storytelling catapulted her from Sydney to Melbourne, New York, Paris, and Barcelona, settling in Vancouver. Five of her shorts have been selected to screen in international film festivals such as VIFF, Flickerfest, and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. She has been awarded Best Editing at VWIF, People’s Choice at UK Indie Festival, a Vimeo Staff Pick, the MINT Spirit Award, and the chance to take part in TedX Sydney as well as the Berlinale Talent Development program in Germany. 

Hannah finds new ways to tell stories and form connections with the world around her through painting and short stories, traveling all over in search of adventure, knowledge, and conversations with as many fascinating people as she can find.


Watch Hannah's films, music videos, documentaries, and other creative projects.

Nov 29, 202101:38:33
Ep 54 - "We Burn Like This" - Life's Creative Journey To Make A Feature Film - Alana Waksman, Writer/Director/Producer

Ep 54 - "We Burn Like This" - Life's Creative Journey To Make A Feature Film - Alana Waksman, Writer/Director/Producer

Alana Waksman is an Ashkenazi writer, director, producer, and first generation descendant of Holocaust survivors from Poland. She is an alum of the USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA in Film & Television Production, and Connecticut College BA in Theater and English. As an actor, she trained at Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Theater Festival, St. Petersburg Dramatic Arts Academy in Russia, and The O'Neill National Theater Institute where she studied under Colman Domingo.

While at USC, Alana was chosen as one of ten top directors to co-direct USC’s first feature film, DON QUIXOTE: THE INGENIOUS GENTLEMAN OF LA MANCHA with the guidance of James Franco. The film premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and is now available for streaming on Netflix. Alana has written and directed a number of short films and music videos, most notably BLACKOUT, written by David Haskell, received the Audience Award at the LA Shorts Fest, and Best Actor and Best Cinematography at the Women’s Independent Film Festival.

Alana’s feature debut WE BURN LIKE THIS, which she wrote, directed, and produced, is executive produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer Neda Armian (RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, THE LOVING STORY, MURDER AT MIDDLE BEACH). She is currently in development for her debut feature documentary, also executive produced by Neda Armian, as well as her second narrative feature. Alana is a proud member of Film Fatales.

Watch the trailer for WE BURN LIKE THIS.

Nov 23, 202101:04:50
Ep 53 - The First 52 Episodes Represent 3.4. Million Hours of Storytelling, Living, And Creativity - Summer Break 2020

Ep 53 - The First 52 Episodes Represent 3.4. Million Hours of Storytelling, Living, And Creativity - Summer Break 2020

The host of the American Filmmaker Podcast, Josh Hyde, is taking a 3-week break to find work, start some new projects, and practice more tai chi.  The first 52 episodes represent 3.4 million hours of human creativity in storytelling, composing music and sound design, drawing comic books, acting, producing news, telling stories, and filmmaking in the world today.  This was calculated by adding up all of the guest's thousands and thousands of hours of creating.  The emerging filmmakers interviewed have around 10,000 hours of experience and the most experienced guests, the "story budhas,"  have around 150,000 hours of creating over 50 years.  Collectively, when you add all of the guests hours of creating together, it's around 3.4 million hours.

Go back and listen to all the episodes to learn directly from the filmmakers and discover new films to watch and filmmakers to follow.  Thank you for listening.  Please subscribe to the podcast and share it with a friend.

Aug 13, 202003:38
Ep 52 - Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker Gets Multiple Sclerosis & Creates A Documentary Trilogy - Producer/Director, Jason DaSilva

Ep 52 - Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker Gets Multiple Sclerosis & Creates A Documentary Trilogy - Producer/Director, Jason DaSilva

Jason DaSilva is a director and writer known for When We Walk (2019), When I Walk (2013), Olivia's Puzzle (2002) and From the Mouthpiece on Back (2008).

In 2006, 25-year-old Jason DaSilva was on vacation at the beach with family when, suddenly, he fell down. He couldn't get back up. His legs had stopped working; his disease could no longer be ignored. Just a few months earlier doctors had told him that he had multiple sclerosis, which could lead to loss of vision and muscle control, as well as a myriad of other complications. Jason tried exercise to help cope, but the problem only worsened. After his dispiriting fall on the beach, he turned to his Mom, who reminded him that, despite his disease, he was still a fortunate kid who had the opportunity to pursue the things he loved most: art and filmmaking. Jason picked up the camera, turned it on his declining body, and set out on a worldwide journey in search of healing, self-discovery, and love.

Jul 17, 202039:20
Ep 51 - Exploring The "Angry White Man" Typecast & Transforming It With The Short Documentary, "Character" - Mark Metcalf

Ep 51 - Exploring The "Angry White Man" Typecast & Transforming It With The Short Documentary, "Character" - Mark Metcalf

Actor Mark Metcalf made his reputation playing the "angry white man" as a tightly spun authority figure, most famously in National Lampoon's Animal House and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now in his 70s, Mark examines his creative journey through theatre, film, tv, dance, and becoming a father in the short documentary film Character by Vera Brunner-Sung.  The short documentary reveals Mark Metcalf's complexity beyond how the film and tv industry pigeon-holed him.

Here is a link to the Twisted Sister music video, I Wanna Rock, where Mark plays the character type he was hired to play in film and tv.

The hosts, Josh Hyde, talks about working with Bruce Lee's nephew for an Elephant Revival music video, his new published script - Los Espiritus, and reflects on the entertainment's industry habit to type cast all of the creative people, behind and in front of the camera.


Jul 10, 202001:50:36
Ep 50 - "Character" Reveals An Actor Typecast As The "Angry White Man" - Producer & Director, Vera Brunner-Sung

Ep 50 - "Character" Reveals An Actor Typecast As The "Angry White Man" - Producer & Director, Vera Brunner-Sung

Vera Brunner-Sung is a filmmaker who uses experimental, documentary, and narrative techniques to explore the relationship between place and identity. Vera's documentary short film, Character, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

The child of immigrants from Korea and Switzerland, Vera grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Early on, her intercultural, mixed-race experience created a fluid sense of belonging that informs her work. After undergraduate work in public policy and visual art at Brown University, she moved to California to study film with Thom Andersen, Rebecca Baron, James Benning, and Betzy Bromberg at CalArts.

Vera’s films, videos, and photographs have been presented at festivals, museums, and galleries in the U.S. and abroad, including Sundance, the Torino Film Festival, CPH:DOX, Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, MoMA PS1, San Francisco International Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, and Images Festival. Her first feature, Bella Vista, had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2014, and went on to win her the George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award at the 15th San Diego Asian Film Festival. She is a 2015 Fellow with the Center for Asian American Media and a 2020 Sundance FilmTwo Fellow.

In addition to making films, Vera is a writer and educator. Her essays, reviews, and reports have appeared in print and online publications including Sight & Sound, Cinema Scope, and Millennium Film Journal. Her chapter on the representation of site-specific art in contemporary documentary film appears in Documenting the Visual Arts (ed. Roger Hallas, Routledge, 2019). She has taught at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Montana, and is currently an assistant professor at The Ohio State University.

This episode was recorded in partnership with the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

Jul 03, 202039:27
Ep 49 - "Healing From Hate" - Meet The Producer/Director And Film's Subject - Peter Hutchison & Tony McAleer

Ep 49 - "Healing From Hate" - Meet The Producer/Director And Film's Subject - Peter Hutchison & Tony McAleer

Peter Hutchison is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, NY Times Bestselling author, educator and activist. Based in Brooklyn, his experience in film and TV production – as a documentary director, producer, writer and NYU Faculty member - spans nearly two decades. He produced & directed Requiem for the American Dream: Noam Chomsky and the Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power – an exploration of wealth inequity in American, grounded in an intimate, long- form interview with Noam Chomsky (Netflix). A NY Times Critics Pick and #1 top-selling doc on iTunes, the book version of the film debuted at #6 on the NY Times Bestseller list (Seven Stories Press). Peter is working on a triad of films exploring hate in America, including the feature Healing From Hate: Battle for the Soul of a Nation, which examines the root causes of hate group activity through the bold work of "Life After Hate" – an organization founded by former Skinheads and neo-Nazis now engaged in de- radicalizing violent extremists, and transforming attitudes of intolerance on the front lines. The companion pieces Angry White Men: American Masculinity in the Age of Trump, based upon the groundbreaking work of sociologist Michael Kimmel (Grasshopper Films); and Auschwitz: Journey into Reconciliation, which follows ex neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier Tony McAleer on a personal journey of atonement through the Polish death camps (currently in post), complete the trilogy. He is also currently producing/directing a film that examines the consequences of long-term, unfettered corporate activity in West Virginia.

Peter’s numerous documentaries include What Would Jesus Buy? (Sundance Channel) with producing partner Morgan Spurlock; the award-winning SPLIT: A Divided America (IFC Choice Indie) and follow-up SPLIT: A Deeper Divide (Documentary Channel); and Awake Zionthe Jerusalem IFF closing night event (Film Buff).  He holds an M.S. in Counseling Psychology.

Tony McAleer is an international speaker, change maker, and father of two. As co-founder of the nonprofit organization Life After Hate, he has made it his mission to help people leave hate groups. The Cure for Hate is his first book. He lives in Vancouver.

Jun 26, 202048:46
Ep 48 - Meet The Composers Of "Tuscaloosa" - Matt Hutchinson & Joshua Mosley

Ep 48 - Meet The Composers Of "Tuscaloosa" - Matt Hutchinson & Joshua Mosley

The original soundtrack for Tuscaloosa was created by the composers, Joshua Mosley and Matt Hutchinson.   The soundtrack was released by Lakeshore Records.

Joshua Mosley is an award-winning composer and producer for film, television, video games, and recording artists.  His work can be heard on projects for studios such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, Skydance, Marvel, Paramount Pictures, Tencent, Amazon, DreamWorks, Universal, Overbrook Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Mattel, Activision, FUNimation, National Geographic, and Microsoft. Recently, Mosley scored the sequel Bernie the Dolphin 2 for Lionsgate. 

Matt Hutchinson is an award-winning film and television composer based in Los Angeles. His TV and film credits include the documentary The Sagebrush Sea, NBC’s The Mysteries of Laura, and the Emmy-nominated main title sequence for The Grid. His music can be heard in the horror feature Ma starring Octavia Spencer, ABC’s The Fix, Best Worst Weekend, Shameless, and in trailers and promos for Ray Donovan. Matt writes and records music with his studio band, DORMARION, collaborating with vocalist Kevin Martin of Candlebox and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Dave Krusen of Pearl Jam.  He also co-wrote and produced the single You’ll Be King with American Idol favorite Pia Toscano, featured in the Netflix docu-series, Westside.

Lakeshore Records is a four-time Grammy-nominated independent record label, a division of the Cutting Edge Music Group. Lakeshore Records has released popular and classic soundtracks to such films and tv shows as Drive, Stranger Things, Moonlight, Lady Bird, The Walking Dead, Star Trek: Discovery, Little Miss Sunshine, The Hurt Locker, Napoleon Dynamite and many, many more.  

Lakeshore Records has released score albums from composers such as Jonny Greenwood, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Danny Elfman, Clint Mansell, Cliff Martinez, James Horner, Thomas Newman, John Powell, Mark Isham, Graeme Revell, Rolfe Kent, Gustavo Santaolalla, Philip Glass, Dario Marianelli, Mark Mothersbaugh, Christophe Beck, Christopher Young, Rachel Portman, and Marco Beltrami.

Jun 19, 202032:15
Ep 47 - Meet The Creators Of ReelCrafter, Sam Hulick & Sara Pocius

Ep 47 - Meet The Creators Of ReelCrafter, Sam Hulick & Sara Pocius

As a film and video game composer, Sam Hulick, saw a huge need for a better way to share demo reels. Frustrated with the process, Sam coded a little hack to notify him when people opened the demo reels he sent. Eventually composer buddies of his were asking for the same hack. A couple years (and many lines of code) later, ReelCrafter was born.

After a long career as an art director in the advertising agency world, Sara Pocius, now leads ReelCrafter's marketing, strategy and visual design.

Jun 12, 202028:29
Ep 46 - Sound Designers of Nat Geo's "Cosmos: Possible Worlds" Share Their Secrets, Greg King & Jonathan Greasley

Ep 46 - Sound Designers of Nat Geo's "Cosmos: Possible Worlds" Share Their Secrets, Greg King & Jonathan Greasley

Greg King started King Soundworks when he was 21. His hope was to create a place that would be home to the most creative sound people he could find, and feels lucky to say he’s reached that goal. Greg has been the sound designer and/or re-recording mixer on over 70 films including The Founder, Hancock, Friday Night Lights and The Insider, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound. His television credits include Cosmos: Possible Worlds, Jane the Virgin, The Long Road Home, Parenthood, among numerous others.

Jonathan Greasley Jon Greasley is an award-nominated, Los Angeles-based sound designer, re-recording mixer, and musician. His obsession with sound spans back to the early ‘90s, recording and manipulating audio on a Tascam four-track, and evolving soon after to DAWs on homemade PCs. His band, Apartment 26, toured and recorded across the United States and Europe, working with Grammy-winning producers and engineers, and garnering a platinum disc for the Mission Impossible II soundtrack. Expanding his passion for both music and post-production, Jon now works exclusively for King Soundworks as a sound designer and re-recording mixer for TV and film. His work includes HULU’s The Path, Fox’s The Orville, National Geographic’s Cosmos: Possible Worlds and The Long Road Home, SyFy’s Nightflyers (the previous two of which were nominated for an MPSE Golden Reel for Achievement in Sound Effects Editing), YouTube’s Impulse, a special musical episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and the forthcoming Netflix mission to Mars drama Away.

Jon maintains his passion for music by songwriting, playing guitar, bass, drums, keys, and programming.

Jun 05, 202044:42
Ep 45 - Being A Creative Producer, "You Gave Me A Song: The Life & Music of Alice Gerard" - Producer, Ashley Melzer
May 29, 202042:43
Ep 44 - How To Make A Documentary In Nepal, "Baato" - Lucas Millard, Filmmaker & Cinematographer

Ep 44 - How To Make A Documentary In Nepal, "Baato" - Lucas Millard, Filmmaker & Cinematographer

Filmmaker and cinematographer Lucas Millard has found his niche shooting narrative and documentary features, collecting myriad awards for his work along the way. With a master of fine arts in film production from the University of Texas, he has over a decade worth of experience in the industry working as director of photography, camera operator, & gaffer. His notable works include The Happy Poet (2010), Kiki (2016) and Well Groomed (2019).  His current work includes Baato (Mountain film 2020), an observational film about a roadless Himalayan valley and the challenges and opportunities provided by the construction of a transcontinental highway. Lucas teaches at Ramapo College and is a programmer for his local film society.  He lives in Beacon, NY with his wife, daughter and 2 chickens.

May 22, 202001:31:49
Ep 43 - "You Gave Me A Song: The Music And Life Of Alice Gerard" - Director & Producer, Kenny Dalsheimer

Ep 43 - "You Gave Me A Song: The Music And Life Of Alice Gerard" - Director & Producer, Kenny Dalsheimer

Kenny Dalsheimer is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and media educator based in Durham, North Carolina. He founded The Groove Productions in 1996 when he began producing documentaries and community video.  His films, Go Fast, Turn LeftVoices from Orange Country Speedway (1997) and Shine On: Richard Trice and the Bull City Blues (2000), screened across North Carolina as part of the NC Humanities Council’s Road Scholars program. He co-directed and shot Bending Space: Georges Rousse and the Durham Project (2007) which screened at festivals around the world and aired across the southeast on PBS.  His disability rights film, A New Kind of Listening (2009), received national recognition in 2010 from TASH as recipient of the Positive Images in Media Award.  A Weaverly Path: The Tapestry Life of Silvia Heyden (2011) and Bending Sticks: The Sculpture of Patrick Dougherty (2012), offer immersive portraits of internationally recognized NC artists. His most recent film, Peace in Our Pockets (2016) celebrates the peacebuilding work of Kenyan activists in the lead up to Kenya's 2013 elections. Kenny received his M.A. in Anthropology from Duke University in 1985 and taught at Carolina Friends School between 1986–1996.

You Gave Me A Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerard is airing on PBS stations.  Ashley Melzer is the producer of the film and Kelly Creedon is the film's editor.



May 19, 202043:54
Ep 42 - Meet Confidential Music, Creators Of The World's Finest Trailer Music - John Hanson & Kyle Biane

Ep 42 - Meet Confidential Music, Creators Of The World's Finest Trailer Music - John Hanson & Kyle Biane

John Samuel Hanson has been scoring for film campaigns since 2007. His work has been the sound of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, DC, Pirates of the Caribbean, Stranger Things, Jurassic World, Lord of the Rings, Mission Impossible, and Hunger Games.

Kyle Biane has been mixing music for movie trailers since 2009. With a career that started in the recording studios of Los Angeles, he has worked on numerous styles of projects including records, games & feature films. Kyle's specialties range from large scale recording to mixing/production & writing/sound design.

Recently, Kyle and John released an album of trailer music, "Light Cycle."  They released it under the band name, Confidential MX.   It's available on vinyl, Spotify, Apple Music, and everywhere music streams.

Apr 27, 202033:32
Ep 41 - Discover the Brown Girls Doc Mafia & The Documentary Journey of "Fruits of Labor" - Emily Cohen Ibañez and Ashley Solis

Ep 41 - Discover the Brown Girls Doc Mafia & The Documentary Journey of "Fruits of Labor" - Emily Cohen Ibañez and Ashley Solis

Emily Cohen Ibañez is a Colombian-American filmmaker who tells stories about the complex relationship between the United States and Latin America. The National Science Foundation, Fulbright Colombia, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation amongst others have supported her research, writing, and films.  Her documentary "Bodies at War/MINA" (2015) premiered at El Festival de Cine de Bogotá where it was nominated for a UNICEF award. She was a cinematographer for "Bronx Obama" (2014) directed by Ryan Murdock, which won Best of Fest at AFI Docs. Her short film "Iraq Veterans Against the War Perform Operation First Casualty" (2007) premiered at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival.  She earned her doctorate in Anthropology (2011) at New York University and was a Wenner-Gren Fellow in Ethnographic Film at UC Santa Cruz from 2016-2017, working on her film, "Virtual War," currently in post-production. She was a two-time finalist for the Sundance New Frontier Lab with "Virtual War." She is a Mentor for the Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project and a member of the Brown Girls Doc Mafia.

Ashley Solis is the main subject and a co-writer of "Fruits of Labor."  A short version of the feature film was featured in The Guardian. 

Apr 20, 202045:03
Ep 40 - Being A National Geographer Photographer & An Indigenous Artist - Kiliii YuYan

Ep 40 - Being A National Geographer Photographer & An Indigenous Artist - Kiliii YuYan

Kiliii Yuyan reveals the hidden stories of polar regions, wilderness and Indigenous communities. Informed by ancestry that is both Nanai (Siberian Native) and Chinese-American, he explores the the human relationship to the natural world from different cultural perspectives. Kiliii is an award-winning contributor to National Geographic Magazine and other major publications.

Both wilderness survival skills and empathy have been critical for Kiliii’s projects in extreme environments and cultures outside his own. On assignment, he has fled collapsing sea ice, weathered botulism from fermented whale blood, and found kinship at the edges of the world. In addition, Kiliii builds traditional kayaks and contributes to the revitalization of northern Indigenous culture.

Kiliii is a 2020 NiaTero Storytelling fellow, Pulitzer Center grantee, and one of PDN's 30 Emerging Photographers (2019). His work has been exhibited worldwide and received some of photography's top honors. Kiliii's public talks inspire others about photography, Indigenous perspectives and wilderness around the globe. Kiliii is based out of Seattle, but can be found across the circumpolar Arctic much of the year.

Apr 09, 202001:09:05
Ep 39 - How To Be A Composer, Sound Designer, And Sound Supervisor For Award-Winning Films - Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

Ep 39 - How To Be A Composer, Sound Designer, And Sound Supervisor For Award-Winning Films - Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach is a composer, sound designer, and sound supervisor. After getting his start in a music conservatory at the age of 10 he continued a path of musical study, completing a dual degree in Classical Clarinet and Jazz Guitar Performance at NYU. Jacob then integrated himself into the New York music scene by performing in dozens of ensembles and touring the East Coast.

Discovering a love of composition and sound design, Jacob formed the post production company IMRSV Sound. Expanding that company nationally and partnering with Berkeley Sound Artists, Jacob now oversees 100 projects per year for clients like Marvel, Google, Apple, and Facebook. He is also a busy composer and enjoys scoring films for ambitious filmmakers. He recently composed the score for the Slamdance Official Selection, "Majnuni," and handled sound for the 2020 Sundance Opening Night Film and Audience Choice Award Winner, "Crip Camp," which is on Netflix and was executive produced by the Obama's production company, Higher Ground.

Mar 27, 202037:51
Ep 38 - Meet Big Foot, An Award-Winning Taxidermist, and The Filmmaker Behind "Big Fur" - Dan Wayne

Ep 38 - Meet Big Foot, An Award-Winning Taxidermist, and The Filmmaker Behind "Big Fur" - Dan Wayne

Dan Wayne is the filmmaker and producer behind the new feature documentary, Big Fur, which premiered at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival.  Big Fur documents Ken’s obsessive research and his meticulous Bigfoot re-creation from start to the moment he unveils her at the World Taxidermy Championship. While Ken would love to win ‘Best in Show’, his real hope is that putting ‘Patty’ on display will prompt some hunter to open his freezer and pull out the proof that Bigfoot is real. Instead, it’s Ken’s love life that gets thawed out.

Big Fur is a wry portrait of an artist with an unshakeable belief that eventually he’ll find true love—or the hairy, 600-pound validation of his life’s quest. Either one would be good. It’s also a sympathetic insider’s view of taxidermy as an under-appreciated art form. Last but not least, it’s a call to preserve the last wilderness. Because when there is no mystery left in the deep, dark forest, we’ll have lost more than Bigfoot.

Dan Wayne and the host of the American Filmmaker podcast, Josh Hyde, talk about the distribution reality for filmmakers today, how to navigate the American film festival circuit in 2020, the best ways to build an audience for your film, and how BigFoot is real.  Please follow Big Fur on Facebook and Instagram to see when and where to watch the film.  

Mar 20, 202059:22
Ep 37 - Legal Thoughts From The Director of The Indie Film Clinic at The Cardozo School of Law - Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin

Ep 37 - Legal Thoughts From The Director of The Indie Film Clinic at The Cardozo School of Law - Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin

Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin is the director of The Indie Film Clinic at Cardozo School of Law, which is supported by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. Professor Greenberg-Kobrin served as the dean of students at Columbia Law School from 2005 to 2016, where she also taught courses in deals, negotiation and leadership. Prior to her work at Columbia Law, she was an associate at the New York office of Arnold & Porter, where her practice focused on international corporate and securities matters, mergers and acquisitions, sovereign debt issuances and financial institutions. Professor Greenberg-Kobrin also serves as senior fellow and director of the Leadership Program at the Heyman Center on Corporate Governance.

The Indie Film Clinic was established in 2011 to provide free legal services to filmmakers in New York City. To date, Cardozo students in the clinic have represented over 90 independent, documentary and student films, many of which have gone on to appear in leading U.S. and international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival, Hot Docs and DOC NYC. The clinic is part of Cardozo’s Intellectual Property and Information Law Program, one of the highest-ranked IP programs in the country.

Professor Greenberg-Kobrin talks about basic legal advice for filmmakers, what is ethical filmmakers, and the best way for filmmakers to apply for the Indie Film Clinic.

Mar 13, 202021:06
Ep 36 - Gina Leibrecht Talks About How to Co-Direct and Edit Documentary Films That Matter

Ep 36 - Gina Leibrecht Talks About How to Co-Direct and Edit Documentary Films That Matter

Gina Leibrecht has been working in film since she received her B.A. in Telecommunications and Film from the University of Oregon in 1990. She currently works and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, working on documentary, commercial, and corporate projects for domestic and international audiences.  Gina's most recent films are Art of Courage, Wilder Than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future, and Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly.

In 1998 she began collaborating with Les Blank on All In This Tea, which she co-produced, co-directed, and edited, and which had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007, screened in over 40 festivals world wide, and was broadcast on the Sundance Channel. She most recently completed a collaboration with Les Blank called How to Smell a Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock in Normandy, which had its North American debut at the 2014 Telluride Film Festival and has gone on to screen in film festivals around the world. Gina is currently collaborating with Harrod Blank on a documentary film about his father, the late Les Blank.

Most recently, Gina finished editing on the feature documentary Serenade for Haiti with director Owsley Brown, which had its World Premiere at DOC NYC in 2016. Past documentary highlights include On Wayang: My Life with Shadows, which she Co-produced, Co-directed and edited with ShadowLight Productions; and Homegrown Bounty, which she produced and directed for the KQED series SPARK. Gina also edited Frank Green’s Counting Sheep, which aired on KQED’s Truly California series and won a Northern California Emmy Award for Best Documentary in 2006; Karina Epperlein’s Phoenix Dance, which won San Francisco International Film Festival’s Golden Gate Award for Best Documentary Short in 2006, and made the short list of Academy Award Nominations for Best Short Subject Documentary in 2006; Of Wind and Waves: The Life of Woody Brown, which was nominated for a Northern California Emmy for Best Documentary in 2006; and Kevin White’s A Land Between Rivers for PBS, which won a CINE Golden Eagle Award for Excellence in Film and Television in 2007.

Gina has worked with several Bay Area production companies, editing for corporate and non-profit clients including Intel, Symantec, Sybase, Ebay, Guthy-Renker, Stanford University, the California Water Board, ChildFund International, and many others.

Mar 09, 202033:26
Ep 35 - Writer & Director of "Obselidia", "Bleeding Heart", and "Of Dust and Bones" - Diane Bell, Writer & Director

Ep 35 - Writer & Director of "Obselidia", "Bleeding Heart", and "Of Dust and Bones" - Diane Bell, Writer & Director

Diane Bell is an award-winning screenwriter and director.    Diane's first feature, "Obselidia," premiered in Dramatic Competition at Sundance, where it won 2 awards, and went on to play at festivals around the world and be nominated for 2 Independent Spirit Awards. Diane's second film, "Bleeding Heart," a drama starring Jessica Biel and Zosia Mamet, premiered at Tribeca, and is widely available on Amazon Prime and Hulu. Diane's latest feature is "Of Dust and Bones."

Diane started in film as a screenwriter (before that Diane was a philosophy student and a yoga teacher) and has written numerous commissioned and optioned scripts, including 2 with renowned director John McTiernan (dir: "Die Hard" and "The Hunt For Red October").

Diane Bell has been a participant in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, as well as the Women in Film/Sundance mentorship program.  Diane was recently a finalist in the NBC Female Forward Directing initiative.

In addition to writing and directing films, Diane Bell is passionate about sharing knowledge to empower and inspire other filmmakers.  Since 2014 Diane has taught workshops on how to make a successful indie film and has written a book about how to create an indie film, "Shoot From the Heart." 

"I love helping others break through their obstacles and achieve their dreams. If making movies is your dream, don’t let anything stop you!," Diane Bell.


Jan 24, 202001:05:31
Ep 34 - Can Comedy and Performance Art Shift Consciousness? - Mathew Silver, Performance Artist & Filmmaker

Ep 34 - Can Comedy and Performance Art Shift Consciousness? - Mathew Silver, Performance Artist & Filmmaker

Mathew Silver has been doing performance art and filmmaking for over 2 decades. He creates conscious content every week that inspires love consciousness in a fun and weird way. He currently posts new work on Wednesday 12pm EST and Saturday 12pm EST on his social channels. 

Mathew Silver’s YouTube Channel is about shifting the entire planet to love consciousness with sacred clowning. Matthew Silver is a weird psychedelic sacred clown. He is known for his street performing art in New York City at Union Square, Washington Square Park, Astor Cube and Time Square. His two biggest videos are "Words of Wisdom by an Unexpected Citizen" and "Accept Yourself Love Yourself Vine". He has been on Adult Swim, MTV, and Netflix.

Mathew Silver describes the character and the goal of his performance art, “My role as a clown, trickster and village idiot is to parody excessive seriousness by playing with taboos, rules, and social norms. My inspiration comes from my heart.

I perform for smiles and laughter, loosening people’s armor, and opening up a portal for imagination, creativity and love.”

Jan 14, 202058:09
Ep 33 - The Dao of Being An Internal Martial Artist Living in China - Founder of Jing Wu Pai (京武派), Raphael Smith

Ep 33 - The Dao of Being An Internal Martial Artist Living in China - Founder of Jing Wu Pai (京武派), Raphael Smith

Raphael Smith is a 6th Generation Lineage Holder of Song Family Hsing-I Chuan under master Li Yujie.  Raphael is also a student Jeong Won-il and Grandmaster Fan Dechen in Chen Style Practical Method. Raphael has published articles for Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine, won national and international championships in China, and currently is teaching Chinese martial arts in Beijing.

The host of the podcast, Josh Hyde, started following Raphel's teachings at Jing Wu Pai on Instagram for fun and quickly realized the founder is living a movie that hasn’t been made.  Raphel Smith talks about his journey to find the right teachers, living abroad in China as an American, increasing power through alignment of the body, and the practicality of tai chi in every day life.

Jan 08, 202001:34:53
Ep 32 - Oglala Lakota Hemp Farmer & Oldest Hemp Farmer in America - Alex White Plume

Ep 32 - Oglala Lakota Hemp Farmer & Oldest Hemp Farmer in America - Alex White Plume

Alex White Plume was born on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He grew up strongly connected to traditional Lakota culture. He joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Berlin until his enlistment ended in 1978. After returning to Pine Ridge, he lived in the Manderson. At that time, he joined the Tribal Police as an officer. White Plume's interest in socio-political issues developed later in life.

Alex served as the former vice president and president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, located on South Dakota of the United States. He served as president from June 30, 2006 to November 2006 after Cecilia Fire Thunder was impeached.

From 2000 to 2002, he earned unwanted publicity when United States federal drug agents raided his farm and destroyed his crop of industrial hemp before he could harvest it for seed as intended. They got a court order prohibiting him to grow the crop. Although the Oglala Sioux have sovereignty on their land and hemp does not have psychoactive properties, the agents operated under a 1968 federal anti-drug law prohibiting the cultivation of Cannabis-related crops.

In 2019, Alex White Plume created the first Native American hemp product in the world and was the only hemp farmer in South Dakota.  Alex White Plume is a legend, a myth, and a well respected elder of the Oglala Lakota.



Nov 19, 201958:06
Ep 31 - "American Hemp" Producer Gets Interviewed By Elevate Nevada - Josh Hyde

Ep 31 - "American Hemp" Producer Gets Interviewed By Elevate Nevada - Josh Hyde

Josh Hyde, producer of the "American Hemp" documentary and host of the American Filmmaker podcast, gets interviewed by Elevate Nevada's Josh Bell about "American Hemp." Hyde talks about shooting and editing the film over 2 years, finding the right characters for the film, and the lessons the film taught him along the journey.  "American Hemp" is available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, and Google Play.  Here is a link to the the Elevate NV article that was written from this interview.

Elevate Nevada is a cannabis lifestyle and culture magazine based in Nevada. Josh Bell is the journalist conducting the interview.

Nov 02, 201929:43
Ep 30 - "The Way Cities Feel To Us Now" A Book of Short Stories by Nathaniel Kennon Perkins

Ep 30 - "The Way Cities Feel To Us Now" A Book of Short Stories by Nathaniel Kennon Perkins

Nathaniel Kennon Perkins lives in Boulder, CO, where he works as a bookseller and runs Trident Press. He is the author of "Cactus," a novella. His creative work has appeared in Triquarterly, Noncanon Press, Keep This Bag Away From Children, decomP magazinE, Pithead Chapel, Timber Journal, and others. Pest House published his chapbook, Acknowledgement (2014), and he is the recipient of the High Country News’s 2014 Bell Prize.

Nate reads some of the stories from "The Way Cities Feel To Us Now" published by Maudlin House and talks about his work at Trident Press, traveling to Mexico to write for a month, and some of the inspirations for his collection of short stories.

Oct 14, 201901:00:39
Ep 29 - Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Documentary Film, "When They Were Here" - Ivy and Ivan MacDonald

Ep 29 - Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Documentary Film, "When They Were Here" - Ivy and Ivan MacDonald

Ivy & Ivan MacDonald are a brother and sister filmmaking duo from the Blackfeet tribe of Northern Montana.  Currently, they're working on "When They Were Here," a feature documentary about the serial disappearances and murders of indigenous woman across Montana.  Ivy and Ivan are based out of Missoula, Montana.  Ivy and Ivan talk about the process of filming a story that's extremely close to their personal lives and going after financing for the film.  "When They Were Here" was chosen by the Big Sky Film Institute's Native Filmmaker Initiative and their fellowship program to help find and develop Native films and filmmakers.

Ivy and Ivan are finishing up a demo reel to find the final financing for the film. 


Oct 06, 201951:38
Ep 28 - How to Become an Award-winning Documentary Film Editor - Leslie Simmer of Kartemquin Films

Ep 28 - How to Become an Award-winning Documentary Film Editor - Leslie Simmer of Kartemquin Films

Leslie Simmer of Kartemquin Films talks about the journey to edit social justice motivated documentary films and docu-series.  Leslie Simmer is Kartemquin's Director of Editing as well as Senior Editor on staff.

For over 19 years Leslie has worked at Kartemquin in various capacities. She is currently working on the multi-part series America to Me. Her most recent project before that was Raising Bertie, which she edited and co-wrote, and which premiered at Full Frame in 2016. Leslie edited and co-wrote the Emmy Award-winning film, The Homestretch, which world premiered at Hot Docs 2014 and screened on PBS’s Independent Lens in 2015. She edited and co-wrote the Emmy-nominated feature documentary As Goes Janesville, a co-production between Kartemquin and 371 Productions which screened on PBS Independent Lens in October, 2012. She also edited with Steve James on the ESPN film No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson. She edited the Emmy-nominated In the Family (Best Editing, "Best of the Midwest Awards”). In 2005, Leslie was co-editor with Steve James on The War Tapes. From 2001-2004 she wore dual hats on the seven-part PBS series The New Americans as both Series Story Editor and Post Production Supervisor. Prior to putting on her editing hat full-time, Leslie worked in various different production and post-production roles on a number of Kartemquin Films, including StevieRefrigerator Mothers5 Girls, and Vietnam: Long Time Coming. Leslie got her BA in Communication/Theater Arts (Phi Beta Kappa) from Kalamazoo College in Michigan. She did graduate work in film at Columbia College, Chicago, where she began her long and passionate relationship with the Avid. When not in the edit room, she enjoys travel, music, good food and liquor, snorkeling (and beaches in general), and helping animals.

Sep 18, 201901:23:02
Ep 27 - A Brazilian Filmmaker Completes His First Feature Film While the Brazilian President Tries To Close The Film Council - Meet Deo Cardoso and His Film "Cabeça de Nego"

Ep 27 - A Brazilian Filmmaker Completes His First Feature Film While the Brazilian President Tries To Close The Film Council - Meet Deo Cardoso and His Film "Cabeça de Nego"

Deo Cardoso is a Brazilian-American filmmaker completing his first feature film, "Cabeça de Nego", and starting the international film festival circuit.  He talks about the reality of living in Brazil as a filmmaker, getting his film financed by the Brazilian Film Council's first affirmative action grant to support minority filmmakers, the obstacles of telling a story about the educational reality of a corrupt and under-funded educational system, finishing his film under a new political regime that's trying to eliminate the Brazilian Film Council, and finding a World Premiere for his film to help it find a global audience.

Deo's film, "Cabeça de Nego" (English translation "A Brother's Mind"), tells the story of a young student, inspired by the example of the Black Panthers, decides to protests the racist and under funded school he attends.  The story was inspired by one of the schools in Deo's neighborhood and the kids he meet that were protesting the school's corruption.

This episode is special because Deo Cardoso is the first international filmmaker whose been on the podcasts.  Deo's film will start the film festival circuit in late 2019/early 2020 and we'll be doing more episodes with Deo as he brings this extremely special film to audiences around.

Aug 25, 201901:24:50
Ep 26 - Can You Make Films For 50 years to Create a Better World and Get Nominated For Oscars and Emmys? Gordon Quinn of Kartemquin Films Reflects on Cinemas Evolution

Ep 26 - Can You Make Films For 50 years to Create a Better World and Get Nominated For Oscars and Emmys? Gordon Quinn of Kartemquin Films Reflects on Cinemas Evolution

Gordon Quinn and Josh Hyde talk about the history of “cinéma vérité,” Kartemquin starting as a filmmaking collective, being the muse for Bob Dylan's song "Quinn the Eskimo" (“The Mighty Quinn”), helping create Hoop Dreams and Minding The Gap, the mission to empower filmmakers, and maneuvering today's distribution reality (streaming, theatrical, and TV) with powerful documentaries that leave distributors "in awe at the power of cinema."

Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films, Gordon Quinn has been making documentaries for over 50 years. Roger Ebert called his first film Home for Life (1966), "an extraordinarily moving documentary." With this film, Gordon established the direction he would take for making “vérité” films investigating and critiquing society by documenting the lives of real people. Gordon created a legacy of inspiration for filmmakers and a home where they can make high-quality, social-issue documentaries. Gordon was the executive producer for Hoop Dreams (1994), about 2 inner-city high school basketball players for 5 years as they pursue their NBA dreams. (Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, Chicago Film Critics Award – Best Picture, Los Angeles Film Critics Association – Best Documentary, & Academy Award Nomination) 

Other Gordon Quinn films include: Vietnam, Long Time ComingGolub5 GirlsRefrigerator Mothers and Stevie.  He executive produced Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita and The New Americans. He produced, In The Family, about the human consequences of genetic medicine and executive produced Milking the Rhino, about community-based conservation in Africa, and At The Death House Door on a wrongful execution.  As a director, he completed Prisoner of Her Past, a Holocaust survivor suffering from late-onset PTSD, and co-directed the 2011 release A Good Man, about the dancer Bill T. Jones. '63 Boycott, directed by Gordon about the 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott. (2017 Chicago Int’l Film Festival, MOMA’s 2018 Doc Fortnight, 2018 Pan African Arts + Film Festival – Audience Award for Best Documentary Short, Short-listed for a 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short)

Gordon’s recent films as executive producer include Minding the Gap (2019 Academy Award nominee, Best Documentary), the America to Me series, Edith+Eddie (2018 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Short), Keep Talking and Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2018 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary). Gordon has won many awards, including 3 Emmy awards, the 2015 Int’l Documentary Association (IDA) Career Achievement Award, the Hot Springs Documentary Festival's 2014 Career Achievement Award; the 2015 Houston Cinema Arts Festival Special Tribute Award, the CIMMfest’s 2016 BAADASSSSS Award for career achievement in movies and music and the 2016 St. Louis Int’l Film Festival's Maysles Brothers Lifetime Achievement Award.

Aug 02, 201901:16:36
Ep 25 - How to Make a Film About Winona LaDuke Fighting a Multi-National Oil Company - Keri Pickett is the Cinematographer/Producer/Director of "First Daughter and the Black Snake"

Ep 25 - How to Make a Film About Winona LaDuke Fighting a Multi-National Oil Company - Keri Pickett is the Cinematographer/Producer/Director of "First Daughter and the Black Snake"

Keri Pickett is an award-winning artist and producer/director/cinematographer of the documentary First Daughter and the Black Snake, a feature film following environmental activist Winona LaDuke and her family and communities efforts to keep big oil out of her tribe’s sacred wild rice territory. 

The film has been nominated for many documentary feature film awards and it won "Best MN Made Documentary Feature" at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival and "Best Feature Film" from the Portland EcoFilm Fest. 

Keri also created the feature documentary film, The Fabulous Ice Age, the winner of an audience award at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival and best non-feature film and best non-feature director awards from both the Women’s Indie Film Festival and the Gwinnett International Film Festival. The film spans a century of dancing on ice and the skating pioneers who changed the world with one show skaters’ quest to ensure their history is not forgotten. The film is streaming on Netflix in 10 languages.  

Keri Picket is most well known as a photographer, her career started in 1983 when legendary NYC Village Voice Director of Photography Fred McDarrah gave Pickett an internship at the newspaper where she worked until the late 80’s when she left NYC. Photos of the intimate moments of her grandparents daily life while in their mid 90’s is put together in her book Love in the 90s, BB and Jo, The Story of a Lifelong Love, a Granddaughter’s Portrait by Keri Pickett (Warner Books, 1995). The book pairs photos of BB and Jo’s daily life with excerpted letters from their year-long postal courtship from the late 1920s and was published with a miraculous printing of 150,000 copies. Gender play unites a community in the book Faeries (Aperture, 2000) which won the Lambda Literary Award for best art book of 2000. Faeries pairs photos and interviews exploring values of the ‘radical faeries’ at their retreat place in the Northwoods. Keri also documented the life work of Mary Jo Copeland as she provides food and shelter at her faith-based organization in the book Saving Body & Soul, The Mission of Mary Jo Copeland. Pickett’s photographs are in International and National Museums. She has been awarded fellowships from the Bush Foundation, McKnight, Jerome and Target Foundations as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. Her pictures have appeared in LifeTime and People magazines as well as Stern and Geo. Pickett is a 2017 McKnight Foundation Fellow in Media Arts. 

Keri Picket and Josh Hyde talk about being a young photographer in 1980’s New York, her lifelong friendship with Winona LaDuke which evolved into the film First Daughter and the Black Snake, how to defend sacred land from the construction of an oil pipeline, connecting two Native American activists (Alex White Plume and Winona LaDuke), her journey to sit in ceremony with the Lakota, and her newest project made in partnership with the group Film Fatales founded by Leah Meyerhoff.

Jul 28, 201958:22
Ep 24 - How to Become a Writer for Nickelodeon & DreamWorks Animated TV Shows - Marie W. Cheng

Ep 24 - How to Become a Writer for Nickelodeon & DreamWorks Animated TV Shows - Marie W. Cheng

Marie Cheng talks about choosing to be a story teller over going to business school, the long journey through film school, playing the intern and production assistant game, working hard as a core value, how to find the right creative community in Hollywood, how to teach yourself to write scripts, learning improv at Upright Citizens Brigade and how to write animated TV scripts for DreamWorks and Nickelodeon. Some of Marie's past credits include working on shows like The Adventures of Puss and Boots and Harvey Girls Forever! on Netflix.  

Marie Cheng is a comedy writer-performer based in Los Angeles. As the first in her family born in the U.S., she gravitates toward fish-out-of-water stories and good boba. She grew up in Huntington Beach, CA, and graduated from Chapman's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts with a BFA in Animation. She also studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and won't stop talking about it. 

She loves curly fries and animals that look like bread. Here is a link to Marie's award-wining senior thesis film, Volcano!, just for fun. For more fun and storytelling, please follow Marie Cheng's Instagram.

Jul 02, 201954:34
Ep 23 - Film Distribution Strategist, Producer and Branded Content Distribution Specialist - Brian Newman

Ep 23 - Film Distribution Strategist, Producer and Branded Content Distribution Specialist - Brian Newman

Brian Newman talks about producing independent films, transitioning to working with brands on distribution strategy for branded content films, how to be diversified as a producer and how basic analytics can help a film release.  

Brian Newman is the founder of Sub-Genre.  He consults on content development, financing, distribution and marketing to help connect brands and filmmakers with audiences. Clients include: Patagonia, REI, Keen, Yeti Coolers, New York Times, Sonos, Sundance, Vulcan Productions and Zero Point Zero.  Brian is also the producer of the upcoming The Ground Between UsThe Outside Story, and Love & Taxes.  He also served as executive producer of Shored Up, The Invisible World and Remittance.

Brian has served as CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute, president of Renew Media (known for the Rockefeller Fellowships) and executive director of IMAGE Film & Video (producers of the Atlanta Film Festival). Brian serves on the advisory board of the Camden International Film Festival. He was born in North Carolina and has an MA in Film Studies from Emory University.

Brian is a frequent keynote speaker on branded content and the future of film and new media. He is known as a serial entrepreneur and leader in the film industry, having led: the merger of Renew Media and the Tribeca Film Institute, combining two nonprofits into a leading media center, the launch of the Reframe Project to digitize and make accessible thousands of “stuck on the shelf” films, the start-up, Flicklist, an app to help people find the best films to watch, and development of the Sundance Institute’s Transparency Project, an effort to aggregate and make available the financial data on hundreds of indie films.

He has served on the boards of Grantmakers in Film & Electronic Media (GFEM, now Media Impact Funders, as Vice Chair and Treasurer); Muse Film & Television, Rooftop Films (Chair) and IndieCollect (Co-Founding Board Member).

Jun 24, 201946:01
Ep 22 - The Struggle to Create Feature Documentaries for Theatrical Release, HBO, and Netflix - Colby Gottert, All Rise Films

Ep 22 - The Struggle to Create Feature Documentaries for Theatrical Release, HBO, and Netflix - Colby Gottert, All Rise Films

Colby Gottert is an Emmy Award-winning producer and cinematographer whose films have been broadcast on HBO, CBS, ESPN, AT&T Audience, Fox Television and PBS, including limited theatrical releases.

A prolific, creative producer known for his ability to manage multiple crews and projects simultaneously worldwide, his wide range of credits include the critically acclaimed feature documentaries and series: Voyage of the Vezo (PBS); Life Out of Balance (World Bank); Youngstown Boys (ESPN 30 for 30). Nossa Chape (SXSW Film Festival, Fox Sports Films); Momentum Generation (Audience Award Tribeca Film Festival, HBO); Give Us This Day (AT&T Audience); and the episodic series Phenoms (Fox Sports 1) and Home for the Holidays (CBS Television).

Co-founder of Digital Development Communications (DDC), the development industry’s leading documentary production company for the past 15 years, with offices in North Carolina, Washington DC and Colombia, DDC has established production capabilities in over 75 countries worldwide.

On this episode, Colby talks about learning filmmaking through instinct, how to find the right opportunities as you evolve as a filmmaker, building an international and multi-lingual team and the constant struggle to create original content like the Remastered Docu-Series on Netflix.

Jun 19, 201940:28
Ep 21 - How to Create an Award-Winning Comic by Chopping Wood and Carrying Water - Chris Hunt

Ep 21 - How to Create an Award-Winning Comic by Chopping Wood and Carrying Water - Chris Hunt

Chris Hunt is a comic book creator, writer and artist. Currently residing in his hometown of Westerville, Ohio, he arrived back there after 19 years in Boise, Idaho and 3 years in New York City. Inspired as a 9-year old boy to pursue comics as a full time career, it took him almost 20 years to finally fulfill the dream. His first full length graphic novel, CARVER: A Paris Story debuted from Z2 Comics as a limited series to great acclaim in late 2015, eventually garnering "2016 Graphic Novel of The Year" from IGN.com.

Chris has worked for AMC, IDW Comics, Universal Music Group, Fat Possum Records as an artist, and has additionally lent his writing talent to Vertigo Comics alongside his friend and mentor, Paul Pope whom, Hunt studied under at The Atlantic Center for The Arts.

Chris’s freelance work ranges from special creative services for brands like Filson to the graphic novel, Eden: A Skillet Graphic Novel, for the band Skillet.

The music used in this episode comes from the feature documentary film, American Hemp.

Jun 17, 201901:46:38
Ep 20 - How Do You Make a Feature Documentary Film, Premiere at SXSW and Release the Film on PBS?

Ep 20 - How Do You Make a Feature Documentary Film, Premiere at SXSW and Release the Film on PBS?

Chelsea Hernandez talks about growing up in Austin, going to college in NYC, finishing film school at University of Texas, working at KLRU-TV - Austin’s PBS station, applying for grants, documentary filmmaking strategy and making her first documentary feature, Building the American Dream. 

Chelsea Hernandez is a Mexican-American filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. Her work focuses on the unique perspectives of various issues and topics through the lens of ordinary people who challenge the status quo and injustices across the globe. She is an 8-time Emmy winning director, producer and editor in the Texas region for her work on PBS documentary series, Arts In Context. Chelsea's short documentary work includes See the Dirt, (2012 Austin Film Festival Best Short Documentary, Edinburgh) and An Uncertain Future (2018 SXSW Texas Short Jury Winner, Aspen Shorts Youth Jury Winner, Dallas International Film Festival Best Texas Short Special Mention). Chelsea’s first feature documentary, Building the American Dream, premiered at the 2019 SXSW film festival and will air nationally on PBS. Building the American Dream was the Seed & Spark and Project Greenlight #UntoldStory Contest winner. She is a fellow of Firelight Media Doc Lab, Tribeca Edit Storylab, Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) National Mediamaker Program and NALIP Latino Media Market. She is also a grant recipient of JustFilms and Tribeca All Access. 

Jun 10, 201901:04:45
Ep 19 - Can Tai Chi Help With Creativity?

Ep 19 - Can Tai Chi Help With Creativity?

Bryan Rodriguez is an acupuncturist and tai chi practitioner living in Boulder, Colorado. Through his life Bryan found the healing arts.   A fun side note is the host of the podcast, Josh Hyde, and Bryan do tai chi together. 

Bryan talks about discovering the benefits of acupuncture, how it balances your body and the three basic energy centers of the body according to tai chi philosophy.

The music used in this episode comes from the film Return of the Kung Fu Dragon. It was in the public domain on Archive.org, so we decided to include it for fun.

May 09, 201946:25
Ep 18 - Writer, Anthropologist, Research Specialist into Magical Realms and Founder of Incredibowls - Mitch Shenassa

Ep 18 - Writer, Anthropologist, Research Specialist into Magical Realms and Founder of Incredibowls - Mitch Shenassa

Mitch Shenassa, writer, anthropologist, and co-founder of Incredibowls smoking devices, stops in to drink tea and help me with some research for a new script involving an artifact that's a spiritual weapon. Mitch was the script editor for the script I just published, How to Kill a Bad Man.

Mitch talks about magic, basic hoodoo practices, how to navigate the physical world and the magical world, and he helps me understand my cinematography and editing work on Sweet Micky for President, a feature documentary I helped shoot in Haiti where I realized Voodoo is real.

Mitch Shenassa is a reoccurring guest, specializing in ritual magic from an anthropological perspective.

Apr 27, 201952:51
Ep 17 - Winona LaDuke Talks About the 7th Fire and Economic Earth Justice

Ep 17 - Winona LaDuke Talks About the 7th Fire and Economic Earth Justice

As a filmmaker, sometimes you find yourself in strange situations with profound meaning.  I was filming extra shots for a feature documentary on the hemp industry in Colorado and I filmed a talk by Winona LaDuke at the 2019 NoCo Hemp Expo to get some sound bites to add to the film.  Instead, I came to tears multiple times, while holding the camera, and realized I have to make Winona's talk into a podcast episode from the the front lines of storytelling.  This episode is Winona LaDuke's talk in it's entirety and it covers: being a water protector, activism and environmentalism for life, fighting dumb ideas,  choosing the right future, creating a better future by working together, regenerative economies, the Sitting Bull Plan (the Green Deal) and an indigenous hemp industry.

Winona's been part of many documentary films.  Most recently, The First Daughter and the Black Snake is a feature documentary following Winona LaDuke as she fights to block an Enbridge pipeline threatening sacred wild rice watersheds and her tribe's land.  The film is directed by Keri Pickett.



Apr 10, 201933:03
Ep 16 - Dr. Hari Ailinani - Pain Management Doctor and CBD Specialist

Ep 16 - Dr. Hari Ailinani - Pain Management Doctor and CBD Specialist

Dr. Hari Ailinani stops by to help research my new documentary film, American Hemp.  We talk about healthcare in Indiana, a CBD study he did on his patients, and the results.  Hari was also an an actor in one of my feature films, My Friend's Rubber Ducky.  He plays Guru Harinana, a motivational speaker who helps calm down a kidnapping with his words.

Apr 09, 201927:30
Ep 15 - Jeff Zimbalist - Award-Winning Feature Filmmaker, TV Producer, and Intelligent Collaborator with His Brother Michael Zimbalist

Ep 15 - Jeff Zimbalist - Award-Winning Feature Filmmaker, TV Producer, and Intelligent Collaborator with His Brother Michael Zimbalist

Jeff Zimbalist was born on August 15, 1978 in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. He is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer, writer and director, known primarily for Favela Rising (2005), The Two Escobars (2010), Youngstown Boys (2013), Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016), Momentum Generation (2018), and his Netflix Remastered Series: Who Shot the Sheriff?, Massacre at the Stadium, Devil at the Crossroads, The Lion's Share, The Two Killings of Sam Cooke, Tricky Dicky and the Man in Black, He works with his brother Michael Zimbalist.

On this episode, Jeff talks about making his first feature film, Favela Rising, and how it was a springboard into making documentaries for HBO, ESPN, and many others.  Along the way Jeff teams up with his brother to elevate their storytelling and this leads to their first narrative feature film, Pele: Birth of a Legend.


Mar 19, 201928:12
Ep 14 - Chris Rejano - Cinematographer, Father, Skateboarder and Filipino Brethren

Ep 14 - Chris Rejano - Cinematographer, Father, Skateboarder and Filipino Brethren

Chris Rejano was born and raised in the shadows of Detroit.  Chris has forged a career in feature film, commercials and music videos.  His creativity is steeped in early MTV, skateboard videos, and American independent cinema.  His cinematography has been featured at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, Berlinale, and the Tribeca.  Rejano is a member of International Cinematographers Guild Local 600. 

Chris talks about his long time collaboration with all of his Chicago filmmaking friends from gaffers and grips to writers, cinematographers and directors.  His long time collaborator, writer and director - Jennifer Reeder, is now on the festival circuit with her new feature film, Knives and Skins. Along the way, Chris has worked with some of his long time heroes, Spike Lee and Matthew Libatique.

Mar 18, 201901:06:13
Ep 13 - Russell Costanzo - Editor of "All These Small Moments", Writer, Director, and One of The Coolest Dads in The Film Industry

Ep 13 - Russell Costanzo - Editor of "All These Small Moments", Writer, Director, and One of The Coolest Dads in The Film Industry

Russell Costanzo is the editor of All These Small Moments, a feature film written and directed by Melissa Miller Costanzo.  Russell also makes film.  His first feature as a writer/director/editor was The Tested.  Available on Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, and VuDu.  On this episode, we talk about making your first feature film, the future of the Oscars, motivational films for independent filmmakers, trying to create a dynamic distribution system for filmmakers, and what happens when Netflix and Amazon buy theatre chains to release their films and increase their offerings to their members.

Mar 17, 201935:00
Ep 12 - Melissa B. Miller - Writer and Director of "All These Small Moments"

Ep 12 - Melissa B. Miller - Writer and Director of "All These Small Moments"

Melissa B. Miller Costanzo (a.k.a. Melissa B. Miller) talks about making her first feature film as a writer/director, All These Small Moments.  The film got a theatrical release by Orion Classics and has a wonderful cast that includes Molly Ringwald, Jemima Kirke, Harley Quinn Smith, Brian d, Arcy James.  The film is available on Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, VuDu.  Melissa has worked over a decade in all aspects of film production from starting at 3 Arts Entertainment and New Line Cinema to working in the art department, producing, writing and directing.  She understands the core needs of bringing a film to audiences from all aspects. From time to time, Melissa gets to work with her husband, Russell Costanzo, also a filmmaker. Melissa is based in New York City.  She grew up dancing and this form of creative expression evolved into her love of the filmmaking process.  

Mar 17, 201931:21
Ep 11 - Comedian, Filmmaker, Journalist and Sometimes Politician - Travis Irvine

Ep 11 - Comedian, Filmmaker, Journalist and Sometimes Politician - Travis Irvine

Travis Irvine is a comedian, filmmaker, journalist, and some times politician. Travis’s films focus on documenting the political reality facing everyday Americans and absurdist political comedies that use extreme metaphor and physical humor to deliver messages of humanity winning over all threats, including killer raccoons. As a journalist, Travis’s man on the street interviews have been used by Vice, The Guardian, and many others major media outlets. Travis’s stand up comedy focus’s on his own campaigns for mayor of his hometown and governor of Ohio.  

Travis talks about making his first feature film as an undergraduate student at Ohio University (Racoons! Bandits of the Night), navigating New York City as a working young filmmaker, journalist, stand-up comedian, graduate student in the master’s program at Columbia’s School of Journalism, and then making Killer Raccoons 2: Dark Christmas in the Dark, set to be released Christmas 2019.

The music used in this episode comes from the soundtrack of Postales. Available on Vinyl from Colemine Records, Spotify, and iTunes

Feb 18, 201901:00:40