The Render and Repeat Podcast

This week the boys announce we're taking a little break from the pod. It's not going to be forever, we'll be back in 3 weeks. We chat about why we needed a break and some of the challenges of putting out a podcast every week. Work has been picking up and we have some really exciting projects we can't wait to talk about. But for now, we have to take the foot off the gas for the podcast. We wrap the episode by talking about our favourite experiences from the past year, and what we have coming in the next few weeks.

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This week we're lucky to be joined by Alex Te. Alex shares some humbling stories from how he started out shooting video, including a $50 budget he charged and what he learned from that. We talk about how Will and Alex met at Ryerson, and who slid into who's LinkedIn DM's, and much more. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with a friend.

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This episode the boy's catch up on the past week. We talk about a new project coming for September and why we're weighing the pro's and con's of teaming up and forming a production company. We try to imagine what it's like from the client's perspective when talking about a 4-5 figure budget for a project. Would you have more confidence in a team or a solopreneur? We also touch on content houses, and whether we would ever live in a place with 8 other people, and wrap the show by talking about Will's travelling.

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This week the boy's catch up on Will's work-trip to Arizona, and share the tragic airport mistake it ended with. L's in the chat. Then we dive into how to make work suck less. Lock-downs have really taken away some of the most fun places to enjoy time off with friends and unwind for the day. But, that doesn't mean that you can't find other creative outlets to unplug. When we don't create the space to really turn-off for the day, we end up enjoying work less. So this episode we share some strategies for hacking your short-term reward system to keep work exciting and fresh. We hope you enjoy! If you do, remember to share this with a friend, because it really helps us grow. Cheers!

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This week the boys bounce all over the place. We talk about Mose grinding on the job-hunt, and what he's learned from it. We laugh about how poor his LinkedIn profile is. Seriously, it could not be much worse. We dive into an ELITE grindset post. It's amazing many layers these value-judgements can go when you really unpack them. Then we do a complete 180 and talk about creator burn-out. More and more people need to chill-out before they burn-out, but what if you feel like that's not an option? What happens when productivity is the measuring stick of your worth, and your center-of-gravity as a person? We talk about personal struggles and battle-scars from being burned out, and how you can minimize the pain and emptiness of working yourself to exhaustion. This episode was really all over the place. As always, if you enjoy listening, share this with a friend; it really helps the pod.

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This week the boy's dive into hustle culture; the good, the bad, the ugly. From watching your first Gary-Vee video, to not texting your friends back because a Twitter guru told you that if your circle isn't discussing fitness, stocks, and self-improvement, we try to define what living the GRINDSET really means. More importantly, we talk about balance. Can you have a personal life, if you're living the GRINDSET? Can you form meaningful relationships, and enjoy your time away from your laptop? Where does it end, and what does it cost you if you're only a hustler? All of this and much more this week. A reminder, if you enjoyed listening to this, please share it with a friend.

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This week the boys discuss Barstool getting into live sports television. Is it good news for traditional networks? Is Barstool trying to become ESPN? And, is this really a smart play for Barstool? Mose thinks so, and he'll explain why in this episode. We also catch up on recent projects, and what do to when you're feeling like you're grinding away your workdays without any time to experiment or learn new skills. It's not always a good place to be, mentally or physically, and we talk about how better habits always start with giving the body a voice. If you enjoy listening to these, make sure to share with a friend. It really helps us grow.

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You get to a production set, and you're missing a cable. Or maybe you forget your camera batteries. You feel a pit in your stomach. That unformatted SD card isn't going to write itself. Time to hit the panic button? No; you can handle this. This week the boys talk about the ability to roll with the punches. Everyone has a plan until the get hit in the mouth. Whether it's on the set, or in the edit, there are going to plenty of time where you'll need to improvise to get over an obstacle in a project. So how do you deal with overwhelm? How do you fix mistakes, and get the project done? All that and more on this episode. If enjoy this, make sure to share this with a friend, it helps a ton.

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This week the boys recap a crazy weekend in sports, starting with the UFC fights. We dive into some marketing partnerships from the event, from all of the celebrities and influencers providing between-the-scenes-access, to partnering with select AMC movie theatres to stream the fight-card; could you imagine getting waffled and seeing the fight on the big screen? We then jump into our 50th episode. We share some of the lessons we've learned, what we would change, and advice we would give to other people trying to do the same thing. As always, if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, thanks!

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This week the boys dive into:

(1) Josh Richards being hired as an ambassador to the NHL; why the NHL needs help on social media in the first place, and how effective will this partnership really be.

(2) Helping-The-Kids; a crypto-currency coin that didn't really help any kids, except the influencers that promoted the coin, made money off their impressionable followers, and then dumped their position.

(3) Web-design: why Mose thinks it's a better path for designers than doing branding, or marketing, some recent projects he's been working on, and tips on working with and finding developers to build sites.

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This week the boys talk about creators who got the bag, and creators who didn't. Lot's of drama with the Social Gloves, Youtubers vs. TikTokers fighters not getting half of the money they were promised on their contracts. Would you pissed be if you were Bryce Hall and you got beat up for free? We also touch on the PGA Tour's new Player Impact Program, where they dished out $40M in bonus money to players who drive eyeballs on social media. Then we wrap talking about in-game video purchases. Last year, gamers bought $54B in skins, emotes and virtual-goods, more money than the movie industry did in 2019.

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This week the boys catch up on all the news in the creator space. Call Her Daddy was acquired by Spotify on a 3-year deal for $60m; we talk winners, losers, and the drawbacks of going "platform-exclusive." We touch on the NelkBoys newest product; a hard-seltzer. We're seeing more and more creators monetize their followings with consumable products, instead of just subscriptions or merchandise. Certainly a trend we're keeping a close-eye on in the future. And we wrap by talking about affinity vs. follower counts. What's the difference between passion, and vanity metrics, and how does it impact the profitability of a creator? If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with a friend.

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This week we dive into the inner-game of creativity. We talk about the Big-5 personality traits and what a typical profile looks like for creative people. Even if you're not interested in psychology, being informed about your own personality traits can help you live a healthier, more integrated life. We're always looking for a healthier work-to-life balance, right? We also talk through the role of social media in a creative career, and how it can positively and negatively impact mental health and creativity. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share with a friend, thanks!

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This week the boys give their reaction to the Floyd vs. Paul fight from last weekend. We jump into the event itself, how influencers are branching away from just making Youtube videos by moving to new spaces/industries, and where that trend could go in the future. Zooming into boxing, we cover how the sport is evolving — for better or for worse — into a blend between skill, theatrics and entertainment. In many ways, this fight was a watershed moment for the sport, opening the door for more influencers and non-traditional boxers to participate in the sport.

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This week the boys buzz in person. We talk about imposter syndrome, and how social media feeds into that belief. We dive into better ways of framing the question — "Am I only as good as my last project?" and also share some useful follow-up questions to ask when you feel stuck on a project. We wrap by diving into the benchmarks you should pay attention to when making video advertisements. With video eating more and more of the feed, there are some key ideas to consider in the first 3 to 7 seconds you should be hitting on, that we bring up. If you enjoy this episode, make sure to share it with a friend, thanks!

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This week the boys dive into free work; when to do it, when to think about it, and when to run away from a project. We jump into specifics about the productive mindsets you should bring into these projects, setting healthy expectations and clear boundaries. Will shares a personal example of when he created a "spec-advertisement" for Marsblade, and how that led to a project after almost 6 months of not hearing a response from them. The conversation then turns to the portfolio; what should you include in your portfolio? How often should you update it? And, with social media, do you even need to have a portfolio website anymore? If you enjoy listening to these, remember to share this episode with a friend. Thanks!

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This week we're joined by @patgreenall, to talk about the videography scene in Toronto, and all of the interesting people Pat collaborates with, what it's like to travel and work with tourism boards and countries to make videos, and much more. If you enjoy interviews like this, and want us to make more of them, please share this with a friend, thanks!

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This week we're joined by the talented Evan Hammerman. Evan is a concert photographer, video editor, and some might even say child prodigy. While most kids were playing video games, or shotgunning beers in their senior year of high school, Evan was busy sneaking into concerts and music festivals to take photos. He was able to cross off one of his life-goals of working with EDM-producer, Marshmello, before he turned 19, and has one of the most impressive photography portfolio's we've ever come across. We dive deep into his story, and much, much more. We hope you enjoy!

This week the boy's jump into the latest collaboration between Call of Duty Warzone and Gibson Hazard. We talk about how gaming culture has evolved from the fringes of society into the mainstream, and what comes next. We ask — what's the bigger deal: being a star musician today, or being an A-list gamer. And, more to the point, can you point to any real differences between the two anymore? As always we're trying to improve the quality of the show, and that's why we're going to start recommending content if you're interesting in anything we touch on in the show. This week we have two podcast reco's and a twitter account — Matt "Nadeshot" Haag and Jack "Courage" Dunlop's episode on Impaulsive, as well as Blake Robbins on Twitter. 

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This week we're joined by the talented, and powerful Max Mao. In 2020, Max graduated from Western University's MIT program, and has since worked as a freelance video producer, and in the crypto-art-world. He's minted 9 pieces of work, which are called NFTs, and has an upcoming collaboration with 6ixBuzz. We dive into how he got started with concept art, how we balances client-work with personal projects, and much more. We hope you enjoy!

Follow Max on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxmmh/

Check out his NFT art work: https://linktr.ee/maxmmh2.0/

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This week the guy's dive into the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight that went down on Triller over the weekend. We dive into the absurdity of influencer culture, and how it's intersecting with boxing. We also talk about the project's we're working on, and go deep on website Landing Pages. We cover, what they are, why they are used, and what separates a great landing page from an average one. If you enjoy these, please share this with a friend, thanks!

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This week we dive into the 4-5 day music video shoot that Will was brought onto last week as a director of photography. We discuss the differences between working on a traditional "set" and working solo for digital or social projects, and how that might change what type of projects Will takes on in the future. We also talk about organic content, vs. paid content, what the future holds for companies who are too reliant on either side of the spectrum, and much more. We hope you enjoy.

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This week Will had some things he wanted to talk to Mose about. It was a mini therapy session where Will talked through some issues he's been facing lately, due to the sudden increase of work he has taken over the last month. The boys talked about how to manage the feeling of being overwhelmed, the importance of daily rituals to stay consistent and how to manage several different projects at the same time as a freelancer.

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This week we're joined by Coach David Peragine. David is a mobility specialist, and a primal health and wellness coach. In this conversation we dive into his approach to teaching and coaching, his career transition from engineering to personal coaching, and much more. While David primarily works with athletes, we teased out some actionable tips for "normal" civilians (like us) to feel better, breath better, move better, and sleep better. 

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This week we're joined by Dom Modeste. Dom is former collegiate athlete, and semi-professional soccer player turned entrepreneur. Today, he's applying what the learned from decades of competition to build GLADI8R Recovery. GLADI8R develops cutting edge sports massage equipment, geared for athletes, athletic-trainers, and physical therapists. In this episode we dive into what it takes to build a product-business in 2021, what's he's learned about marketing and content, and Dom's personal principles for measuring his growth, optimizing his recovery, and building a business. We hope you enjoy.

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Boom, this week we're back to discuss inspiring creative work that came out of the Grammy's, what the future of animation and CG video looks like and how 3D experiences will evolve over the next decade, and most importantly of all— the teams behind these projects. We dive into the complexity of creative-projects and all of the unexpected ways they can fall-off-track. The importance of effective people, and relationship management on a creative team, and what leadership looks like. Then we wrap with the work we saw from Gibson Hazard, Jak Bannon and their team that developed the broadcast video and graphics package for the Grammy's. We dive into 3D development, and how they integrated computer-generated footage, with traditional video, and the importance of anchoring the work in strong narrative and editing fundamentals. If you enjoy the content we share, we would love for you to share it with your friends. It's the best way for us to keep providing value, and having these conversations. We hope you enjoy!

This week we're joined by Kyle Moore. We wanted to bring Kyle back on to dive into how his mental-health brand has blown up since the last time we talked, how this is caused him to shift his own expectations from short-term rewards to a longer-term focus, and how he measures success. Since we last talked, his podcast has cleared over 5000 views, he's launched his own merchandise line, and had a viral moment on Twitter. We dive into all these things and more. It's always good to catch up with friends, especially in this global-pandemic, and we hope you enjoy. If you find these conversations valuable, be sure to share our content on social, and leave a review.

What a week. Crypto, and NFT's have exploded in popularity. The NBA launched their own NFT store, with some highlights selling for more than a million dollars. Bleacher Report will also reportedly make more than $500,000 selling NFT's on their 2v2 celebrity basketball event with 2Chainz, Jack Harlow, Quavo and Lil Baby. So what does this mean for creators? We dive into how it might impact the relationship between brands, creators and their audiences. We also talk about pitching; what it really means, what kind of work goes into a successful pitch, and where creatives might need to apply these skills in their own work. Finally, we wrap by discussing creator-market-fit. We ask what does it mean to create content that is authentic to your audience and yourself. We talk about the experiences and challenges we've wrestled with in the video and creative space and how we applied those insights to running this podcast. We hope you enjoy!

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This week we're joined by Jakob Burkhardt, @JBxCreative. Jakob is a videographer and content creator who played a big role in the travel videography scene, working with pioneers like Sam Kolder among many others. We dive into what it was like working with major brands and travelling the world, how he landed on travel videography and the choices and compromises he was forced to make to get there, and what the most useful insights and lessons he drew away from the experience. This episode will be especially valuable for editors and creators who are just starting out and getting paid for their creative skills. Jakob shares his thoughts on the divide between specializing and being a generalist and how it's often more of a question between short-term rewards and long-term focus. We wrap by diving into strategies for staying creative during the pandemic, editing at night vs. editing during the day, and some practical advice for avoiding burn-out. We hope you enjoy.

This week we're dropping another in-house episode. For us, these are a fun way to catch up and talk shop about what projects we're working on and also share what's on our minds. We kick off show outlining the pro's and con's brands should consider when they decide to work with a videographers. More specifically, we talk about the differences between using video as an advertisement to drive purchases, using videos to entertain, and educate. In an age where all brands are expected to participate and have a voice on social media, we try and answer what approach is more valuable, and what challenges brands will be forced to wrestle with when they choose one over the other.

We end the conversation by answering some listener questions about our future business, creatives ambitions and how we got to where we are today.  If you want your creative or business questions answered on the podcast, send us a direct message on Instagram or LinkedIn.

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This week we had Peter Sarellas on the show. He is a full-time videographer for the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He creates all of their social media content while balancing a freelance career, his education at Ryerson University and his YouTube channel. We had a great conversation about balancing all of his endeavours, stories on the job and his process when creating his videos.

This week we're joined by product videographer, Grant Tucker or @schnows on Instagram. We first stumbled on Grant's work in the summer of 2019, when an animation he did for Finish Line came up on our feed. 

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This week we're dropping another in-house episode. We wanted to get super tactical on what goes into the transition from working in-house for a company to building an independent creative business. We turn back time to when we were just starting out and ask: if we had to do it all over again, what are the most important aspects of the business to focus on. We made, and continue to make mistakes with our freelance business. We're not out here pretending like we're perfect. But, we do believe there is value in our experience and, by avoiding the mistakes we cover in this podcast, we hope that you can run a more sustainable, and fulfilling independent creative business.

Specifically, we dive into good practices on project kick-off meetings like creating a paper-trail that covers the project essentials like: the scope of the project, the cost of the project, visual/creative direction, and define what success looks like for both parties. We talk about when, and when not to charge tax on projects. And conclude by talking about business fundamentals like revenue, expenses and burn-rate. Together, these concepts help you understand the ebb and flow of a creative business and let you plan your work around them. We hope you enjoy this conversation and as always would love to hear from you. Do you have topic suggestions? Would you like us to dive deeper into a subject? We're all ears. Until next week, all the best.

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This week we're joined by Ryan Ward. We met Ryan at Ryerson a few years back, and couldn't wait to bring him on the podcast. In this episode we talk about our experience going to film/media school, and whether or not we recommend someone follow the same path if they were graduating high school this year. We dive into the importance of growing your network as a freelance business, and some of the strategies Ryan used, like tailoring school projects to fit your portfolio. And finally, we dive into the internal struggle to create good work. What it's like facing creative burn-out and some of the strategies we lean on when we feel stuck on a project. We really enjoyed this conversation with Ryan, and hope you do as well.

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This week we're joined by an idea-machine. Theo Zgraggen is a Toronto-based videographer, and multimedia artist. We kick off this episode by talking about the power of Instagram, and how Theo has used the platform to build his freelance business, connect with like minded creatives and find his community. We dive into the 30-day detox he took from the platform, and the struggles we all face wrestling with our attachment to technology. This episode is an open and honest look into the internal battle every creator faces to make work that feels authentic to them, while supporting their lifestyle and making a career from their creativity. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

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Another week, another podcast. This week we recorded an in-house episode, where Mose puts Will on the hot-seat. We spend an hour diving into the mechanics of how to effectively manage client relationships. We run through a number of scenarios from raising your rate with an existing client, to writing an effective in-voice, and why it is your responsibility, as a service-provider to paint the picture for what future projects will look like. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways, we hope you enjoy.

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This week we're joined by David Vahey. David is a creative force who hasn't even graduated high school yet. He's shot with professional NBA players, top brands, and teams with a focus on sports. His work blends traditional videography, with animation, CG, and design. In this episode we dive into David's self-education, who he follows, how he approaches learning new software, and how he balances his passion for video with school work.

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And we're back! After taking the holidays off, the boys met up in person to record for the first time ever. This episode, Will and Mose reflect on their podcast journey over the last 4 months. They talk about what they love about the pod and what they hate, reflect on memorable episodes and how the podcast has enriched their life. 

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This week we're joined by Mo Ismail. We were first introduced to Mo through a channel we highly recommend, TheFutur. We started this conversation by diving into Mo's back story of how he started his career in the world of academia, and then making the switch into the creative-field of video marketing. Mo has one of the most entertaining, and educational Instagram pages you'll find on video marketing, covering everything from tactical details on the best way to build up the crucial first three-seconds of your video, to becoming a more confident presenter in front of the camera — his page really delivers. This interview was no different. As someone who didn't study at production-school, or take any formal training, Mo really embodies the spirit of the scrappy, modern content creator. In this wide-ranging discussion we cover a lot of ground, we hope you enjoy.

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This Friday we're joined by Julian Deguzman. Julian is a basketball photographer/videographer who grew up in the Bay Area with a love for the sport. He is one of the many talented creators driving the culture of the sport forward with his work. Basketball sits at the nexus of music, culture, and fashion, and we were thrilled to bring on a creator with first hand experience creating and helping shape the culture surrounding the sport. Julian has shot for major brands like Bleacher Report, Overtime and Ball Is Life, as well as photographed some of the biggest stars in the sport including LeBron James, Bronny James, Mikey Williams, and rapper YG. To stay up to date with his work, you can follow his Instagram page @raw.jules

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This episode we're joined by Leo The Creator, a Digital Content Coordinator at the University of Minnesota.

Unsure of what to do after he graduated college, Leo took up videography and quickly fell in love with the craft. The only problem? He was making no money. Even today, Leo still remembers when he only had 10 cents in his bank account, and when he was forced to move back home with his parents. And, the struggle didn't stop there. Before his first real video job, Leo applied to over 80 college programs, without a response. His story exemplifies grit, perseverance, and unwavering dedication to his craft, and we were so grateful that he was willing to share it with us.

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Patrick Scebba is the founder of the "Hockey Collective" Instagram page, which he launched 8 years ago at the age of 18, sharing hockey memes for fun. In just a few years of posting, he saw his audience grow by the thousands, opening his eyes to the possibilities of making this hobby into a full-time job. Now his page is at 300,000+ followers, where he does brand deals and now is selling merch, making this endeavour his main source of income. We had a great conversation chopping it up about his origin story, the experiences social media has provided him, his strategies and where he sees himself taking his brand in the future.

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This week we are joined by Camryn Kern who is a video editor at CBC and  freelance filmmaker based out of Toronto, Ontario. We discuss the process of producing a documentary from start to finish, knowing your worth as a creative, and whether going to school for creative media is a good decision in 2020.

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This week we're joined by Ailish Forfar. While she might describe herself as a washed-up pro hockey player in her Instagram bio, Ailish is an ivy-league graduate, has worked for every major Canadian sports media company, and most recently hosted a digital talk-show with none other than Steve Dangle. Not a big deal.

We spend the bulk of this conversation talking about the present day challenges facing women's sports, and the role that media coverage plays in growing the game. Women's sports have historically been hampered by a lack of interest from broadcast networks. So, what will it take for women's sport to go mainstream today? If the traditional networks won't take a more active role in spotlighting women's sports, we asked: how can the players use new digital channels to build attention and momentum for their sport?

One of the most exciting insights that came out of this conversation was the opportunity being created by platforms like TikTok, or Youtube, for the players themselves to elevate the attention given to their game. You no longer need a camera crew, or production team to put good content out into the world. So, in the spirit of empowering creators, we challenged Ailish — as someone who is both an ex-pro player, and someone who works in media — to share some of the reasons that hold her back from creating and sharing content to grow the game.

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This week, we're joined by digital strategist, and agency owner Victoria Morton. Victoria helps small-businesses, and public-speakers share their story on digital platforms through her company, Decker Creative Strategy. In this episode, we talk through our strategies for building brands on digital, why going viral isn't a strategy, and how businesses can attract more customers with the counter-intuitive approach of giving their best content away for free. 

Content marketing has become top-of-mind for every business, regardless if you work in finance or eCommerce. Finding and engaging with your customers online has become the table-stakes in our new digital world. So what works? And more importantly, what doesn't? Victoria turns the conversation to us, and we chat through some of the strategies, tactics, and philosophies we use for clients and in growing our own podcast.

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This week, we're joined by Moose Bendago. Moose works at a bunch of interesting places including the Athlete Tech Group, Bardown, the Toronto Raptors, and his own project Moose Media. From content creator, to editor, and podcast host, Moose wears many hats, and had lots to share about how hockey culture can evolve and attract new fans, how athletes are turning into brands, and how they can create content to engage with their audience, and finally the struggles of creating content for your own brand, and the challenges that solo-creators must overcome to build something meaningful. From working with the Raptors when they won an NBA Championship, to interviewing Canadian Olympians, this conversation doesn't disappoint.

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On this week's episode, we bring on friend of the podcast, Max Lewis. Max is a writer, producer, and content guy who's worked for the GTHL, and with the Don Mills Flyers organization. In the episode we chat about funny stories from university, what it was like interviewing NHL stars like Connor McDavid, and Jack Hughes, and what the future of content and athletes looks like.

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This week we're joined by Sarah Jenkins, a digital content creator and the project lead for CBC's newest online video portal. In this episode, we talk about the evolving digital content space, what's changed since Sarah graduated in 2018, and walk through the projects and experiences at Yahoo Sports, and Sportsnet that have shaped her broad-reaching outlook on the content space today.   

This episode is packed with value for people of all different levels of experience. Whether you're graduating in a few months, and are looking for tips on how to land your first internship, or you're working for a network today, and you want to go out on your own and launch your own brand, this episode really delivers.

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This week we're joined by Blaize Fobbe. He is a videographer who got his start shooting content for the University of Minnesota Duluth football team. Earlier this year, he decided to pack his bags and move to L.A to transition from shooting sports to music videos, and commercial work. We talk about the career move, what inspires his style today, and what advice he would give to his younger self.

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