In this episode, Chris, Mike, and special guest/producer Steve catch up post-film festival to unpack the last few chaotic weeks of filmmaking, festivals, and film nerdery. The guys recount an award-nominated short they worked on, the highs and lows of networking at Golden Door Film Festival and the NJ Film Expo, and some sharp critique on another 9/11-themed short that left everyone confused.

They also break down key takeaways from the B&H Build Expo — including what makes video content actually connect with people — and try to make sense of a whirlwind talk from an eccentric AI influencer who may or may not have burned down her childhood home.

Plus: Full spoiler review of the new F1 racing film starring Brad Pitt, including what made it work, what fell flat, and how the hell they actually filmed it. (Hint: iPhones, GoPros, and possibly witchcraft.) It’s an episode that swerves from filmmaking strategy to movie criticism to martial arts choreography… with a few laughs and alcohol-related regrets along the way.

0:00 - Intro 05:13 - Networking for film 11:43 - Golden Gate Film Fest 16:00 - The 9/11 Movie We Saw 23:01 - Viral Content Pillars (what we learned) 35:41 - AI Scam or Actual Good Idea? 51:43 - Complete F1 Movie Review 53:46 - F1 General Impressions 58:15 - F1 Movie Fun Facts 01:05:43 - F1 Missed Opportunities? 01:15:37 - Cars Are Dangerous 01:19:26 - Almost Friday TV & Joel Haver

Find out more at https://until-you-make-it.pinecast.co

What’s it like working at Netflix Animation for years… and never having anything released? In this episode, we catch up with Joshua Lewkowicz, a longtime friend of the show and an assistant/associate editor at Netflix, to unpack the unseen side of the animation industry — the long hours, the creative burnout, and the projects that disappear into studio limbo. Josh talks candidly about the experience of working on unreleased shows, the highs and lows of bouncing between roles, and what it means to feel like your work isn’t seeing the light of day.

We also dig into why Andor might be the best Star Wars series ever made — and how it succeeds where so many others fall flat — before ending with a wild behind-the-scenes story involving stunt choreography, last-minute prep, and Kel Mitchell’s… anatomy.

It’s a funny and sobering look at the creative grind — from inside one of the biggest studios in the world.

00:00 - Intro 02:39 - Josh Works At Netflix Animation 05:07 - Making Art No One Will See 16:44 - The Artist Struggle 20:10 - Treat It Like A JOB 26:01 - Why go to Disney Land so often? 31:54 - Is Star Wars Land Cool or nah? 40:21 - Andor is GREAT 52:19 - Guillermo del Toro loves Josh 58:31 - The Kel Mitchell Story 01:15:41 - Test Screening our New Film 01:21:13 - GAME TIME: Writers Room

Find out more at https://until-you-make-it.pinecast.co

What’s it really like to tour with a band while shooting their music videos, managing merch, and directing creative strategy—sometimes all at once? On this episode of Until You Make It, we sit down with photographer, videographer, and all-around creative multitasker Connor Meany. From building DIY sets for $10K music video albums to shooting concerts while also acting as tour manager, Connor shares his journey of turning passion projects into a sustainable creative career in the music industry.

Connor opens up about the highs and lows of wearing eight different hats on the road, shifting back into music after a stint in e-commerce, and how creative autonomy fuels his best work. We dive deep into the changing expectations of music content creators, surviving the social media video grind, and why working with artists you truly connect with matters more than ever.

00:00:00 - In this ep
00:00:57 - Hosts Catch Up
00:03:20 - What we can learn from grandparents
00:10:50 - Connor intro
00:21:40 - Shooting with bands, how does it work?
00:25:13 - Music video budgets (Save Face)
00:33:00 - Getting creative with budgets
00:40:08 - The shift to "jack-of-all-trades"
00:48:23 - How do you grow shooting music?
00:53:48 - What should you focus on?
00:57:43 - Corporate gigs vs. Passion
01:08:04 - What's your dream music video project?
01:14:20 - Has AI affected this industry?
01:21:23 - Authenticity will prevail... kinda
01:30:18 - The shift to social first content
01:35:03 - What's touring with a band like?
01:46:40 - Never stop making
01:51:53 - The GREAT DEBATE (movie theater madness)
01:58:31 - CHICKEN JOCKEY
02:24:50 - GAME SEGMENT (Improv Music)

Find out more at https://until-you-make-it.pinecast.co

What’s it like to land your dream job in TV? Tyler Law shares his journey from student filmmaker to producing award-winning content for Syfy, Oxygen, and more. From goofy college shorts to high-stakes network promos, we dive into the creative grind, staying grounded, and what it really means to “make it.” In this episode:

– How Tyler produced the Chucky Season 3 teaser – The workflow behind TV marketing at NBCUniversal – Editing software and gear talk – Why climbing the ladder isn’t always the goal – How networking changed everything

0:00 - Intro 1:19 - Mike & Chris catch up 6:18 - Guest Intro 10:54 - TCNJ Video Stories 20:31 - Tyler stole Chris' Job! 32:42 - Tyler has his DREAM job 48:42 - Happy Right Where I Am 52:38 - Chucky 58:52 - Being a FAN of your own show 1:05:11 - Why the Tools You Use Matter (or Don’t) 1:19:55 - Camera Talk + A Wedding Shoot Disaster 1:23:20 - Man Cow & Milk Man (Our Milk Based Films) 1:31:04 - Our New Film Marketing Strategy 1:46:40 - Our Biggest Critics 1:52:26 - What does "making it" mean to us? 1:55:50 - GAME TIME

On this episode of Until You Make It, Frank takes us behind the scenes of working as an assistant camera in New York City, sharing his unique experiences on a range of productions, including the hit show "Severance". We also explore Frank's passion for shooting on film, diving into the unique differences from shooting digital. Whether you're a film enthusiast, aspiring AC, or curious about the industry, Frank’s insights offer a fascinating look into the art and technical skill of creating images.

0:00 - Intro 5:35 - How we met Frank 15:37 - Working with film cameras 38:22 - Frank is a Union Camera Assistant! 46:52 - Working on "Escape from Dannemora" 56:06 - Someone stole the Arri cameras 01:00:56 - Working on "Severance" 01:06:54 - How do you move up in production world? 01:09:45 - 1st AC requires insane knowledge! 01:15:20 - Everyone on a set is talented 01:22:51 - Director stories 01:24:52 - Beard talk 01:29:44 - Sushi talk 01:39:47 - Mike's audition 01:41:15 - Sopranos 01:46:04 - Frank's advice from his career path 01:59:12 - GAME SEGMENT: Debate Stage 02:09:51 - Quickfire Round 02:17:20 - Outro

Natalie speaks on a one week photography workshop she attended overseas while Chris and Mike warn her of the many goobers that are to be found in creative fields (scary).

In this show:

0:00 - Intro 2:00 - Natalie goes to London for photography workshops 17:37 - The process of creativity 24:00 - Fake Ad Break (Clams) 25:50 - Natalie's new mindset for photography 33:13 - How do you go from fan film to Amazon Prime? 39:06 - Consistency in creating/Struggles 52:55 - Chris worked for Call Her Daddy randomly 55:15 - Reliability is key 57:13 - Eric's new game: what do you think? 1:03:50 - The Thing: Even better than you remember 1:06:50 - Soccer player dies from lightning 1:08:35 - Natural disasters 1:11:10 - Chris' pitch for a PSA commercial 1:16:02 - The Goober Theory 1:22:21 - GAME SEGMENT: AI Story Making

Anthony Marinelli is a writer, director, editor, filmmaker, and film buff! Name any classic movie and Anthony can probably not only tell you the year but also who the director was! We learn about Anthony's career path in the creative advertising industry leading up to his most recent creative endeavors including writing plays and his very own book. And what a nice fellow he is :)

In this show:

0:00 - Intro 2:00 - Who is Anthony Marinelli 14:05 - TV is where the money is 17:15 - Communicating the vision 25:15 - Editing a superbowl commercial 27:59 - Getting the rights to use Led Zeppelin 32:28 - Kill em with kindness 34:15 - Intersection of Film and Theater 47:15 - Writing scripts 56:30 - Ryan chimes in 01:01:00 - Mike sets up a clip 01:03:05 - Do professionals watch short films? 01:08:05 - Ryan helps Damien Chazelle 01:10:48 - Why make short films 01:17:24 - What kind of camera starting out? 01:31:30 - GAME TIME

Topics covered:

• Catching up with Andy
• Shooting spec ads
• Stories about cops on film sets
• Nikon/RED Acquisition
• Photographing an eclipse
• Pasta
• Our pitch to G FUEL
• Investing in yourself
• GAME SEGMENT: Karaoke!