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#115 Experience-Based Hiring & AI Tools (ft. LivaLittle)
In this episode of Creatives Grab Coffee, we sit down with JD Gonzalez, founder of LivaLittle, a boutique production company based in Brooklyn, New York. JD is a cinematographer, producer, and director who's built his business around a unique philosophy: experience-based hiring — rotating crews and giving people the opportunities they need to grow their careers.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro: Meet JD Gonzalez of LivaLittle
01:50 – Experience-based hiring & a DEI-focused production company
03:58 – Building a network by rotating crews
10:23 – Getting remembered in a new market: consistency over time
12:17 – JD's backstory: film school & teaching high school film
17:00 – Crafting the Image: running free filmmaking workshops
23:46 – Virtual production & partnering with rental houses
25:09 – Why film education should be free
27:19 – No one can steal your perspective
30:10 – Could Creatives Grab Coffee go live & in person?
31:21 – Why JD moved from Denver to New York City
34:30 – Breaking into the NYC market
36:38 – Does owning a camera still win you work?
39:11 – Consigning gear with a rental house
40:41 – The logistics of filming in NYC: trucks, insurance & freight elevators
48:22 – Branding, SEO & landing direct-to-client work
51:23 – Running a lean, direct-to-client production model
53:05 – Building PrepViz: a scene design & previz app made with Claude Code
56:31 – Pre-Checklist: simplifying gear lists & prep
58:49 – Teaching yourself to build apps with AI
1:02:41 – Building a custom CRM
1:03:54 – Are you locked into one AI platform?
1:09:44 – The ups and downs of the AI train
1:11:41 – Standing out when everyone uses AI: you get out what you put in
1:16:04 – Wrap-up & where to find JD
Connect with JD Gonzalez:
Website: https://www.livalittle.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdgonzalesdp
🎧 Hosts:
Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto
https://www.lapseproductions.com
🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee:
Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution.
👇 Follow & Subscribe:
Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com
Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee
LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions
#VideoProduction #Filmmaking #Podcast #CreativesGrabCoffee #VideoBusiness #Cinematographer #ClaudeCode #AITools #NYCFilmmaking #ProductionCompany
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By Creatives Grab Coffee
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In this episode of Creatives Grab Coffee, we sit down with JD Gonzalez, founder of LivaLittle, a boutique production company based in Brooklyn, New York. JD is a cinematographer, producer, and director who's built his business around a unique philosophy: experience-based hiring — rotating crews and giving people the opportunities they need to grow their careers.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro: Meet JD Gonzalez of LivaLittle
01:50 – Experience-based hiring & a DEI-focused production company
03:58 – Building a network by rotating crews
10:23 – Getting remembered in a new market: consistency over time
12:17 – JD's backstory: film school & teaching high school film
17:00 – Crafting the Image: running free filmmaking workshops
23:46 – Virtual production & partnering with rental houses
25:09 – Why film education should be free
27:19 – No one can steal your perspective
30:10 – Could Creatives Grab Coffee go live & in person?
31:21 – Why JD moved from Denver to New York City
34:30 – Breaking into the NYC market
36:38 – Does owning a camera still win you work?
39:11 – Consigning gear with a rental house
40:41 – The logistics of filming in NYC: trucks, insurance & freight elevators
48:22 – Branding, SEO & landing direct-to-client work
51:23 – Running a lean, direct-to-client production model
53:05 – Building PrepViz: a scene design & previz app made with Claude Code
56:31 – Pre-Checklist: simplifying gear lists & prep
58:49 – Teaching yourself to build apps with AI
1:02:41 – Building a custom CRM
1:03:54 – Are you locked into one AI platform?
1:09:44 – The ups and downs of the AI train
1:11:41 – Standing out when everyone uses AI: you get out what you put in
1:16:04 – Wrap-up & where to find JD
Connect with JD Gonzalez:
Website: https://www.livalittle.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdgonzalesdp
🎧 Hosts:
Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto
https://www.lapseproductions.com
🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee:
Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution.
👇 Follow & Subscribe:
Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com
Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee
LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions
#VideoProduction #Filmmaking #Podcast #CreativesGrabCoffee #VideoBusiness #Cinematographer #ClaudeCode #AITools #NYCFilmmaking #ProductionCompany