Frank Boyd joins us today to talk about how he is also revisiting his childhood dreams of acting just as I am doing in pursuing my filmmaking dreams. Frank has appeared in five I like Ike Films productions including his debut in the leading role of Oliver in Oliver Short. He then appeared in Tea Party, The Route, A Most Forgettable Man, and our feature film Run.

Frank talks about what surprised him and what he learned at his first audition and what surprised him the first time on set. We also discuss his first time on stage in a community theater production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Who is Frank's favorite actor? I think his answer will "make your day."

Frank is one of my best friends and someone who I’ve worked very closely with on our films so this was a treat to sit down and chat about our shared experiences as well as what he has experienced outside of our projects.

Today I talk about our first trip venturing back out to the film festivals after the strange year we call 2020. Last year, many if not all film festivals were virtual. While they did a great job with the tough situation that was dealt to them, I really missed the face to face interaction with other filmmakers. It was great meeting back up with everyone and seeing some great short films produced in the state of Iowa.

Nebraska native and current resident of Hollywood, CA, Alex Mortensen joins us on Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. He tells us how stage fright actually led to his career in acting and filmmaking and how he takes on a lot of different responsibilities in front of and behind the camera to move his career ahead and meet more people in the industry. His background was in athletics coming up through high school and college but he sees many parallels between athletics and the arts. Do you know what Scene Study Classes are? I didn’t so I was very interested to hear what they are and his experiences with them.

We also delve deep on acting, improv, and how important listening is while acting and in daily life.

From rapping to filmmaking, this show features the talented Marques Brooks from Iowa City, Iowa who talks about how he got into filmmaking by learning all aspects of the process. We discuss how he got involved with the film East of Middle West as well as his work on his own project The Foreigner.

What challenges do we run into in the Midwest when trying to create our content but also what advantages do we have over other parts of the country or the world. Our conversation covers a wide range of topics from how the University of Iowa benefits the film scene to how supportive and collaborative our Heartland community is for filmmakers to how do we get our work noticed.

So come on in, sit down, and enjoy this conversation with a gem of the Heartland filmmaking community.

Composer Kennoniah Dean Bellile joins the show today to help us understand the process behind scoring a film. He goes into depth on how he approaches it and what he is trying to accomplish with his musical choices.

Are you like me when it comes to film scores? You love them but you really don't know the process behind creating the music that goes so beautifully with the moving pictures we see on screen. I have a musical background but it still seems like a daunting task. Music adds so much but it can also destroy a film if it doesn’t evoke the right emotions.

Kennoniah is here to shed light on the mystery of putting music to film. He also offers great advice for all filmmakers such as letting go of the need to be perfect so you can be good.

Excuses... we all make them from time to time. We have to stop. Our projects are relying on us. If you don't bring your creation to life, no one else will and the world will be that much more poor because of it.

Not enough money... not enough time... not the right kind of camera. Instead of creating reasons why it's not getting done... start finding ways to get it done.

Michael Godfrey, who was the first guest on Cinematic Heartland, returns for the 1 year anniversary show. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE PODCAST.

We may not solve the world's problems in this episode but we have a lot of fun talking about movies, filmmaking, and the experiences we shared while working on our films. It was a lot of fun to kick back and just chat with one of my best friends and someone who I consider my brother.

On this episode, filmmaker Shelby Hagerdon joins the show to discuss what women face when they decide to enter the world of filmmaking. She explains the hurdles and obstacles that women must overcome as they are trying to find their place in the industry and build a career doing what they love. We cover what men, such as myself, can do to better educate ourselves and help to make positive movement with these issues.

This is a must-listen-to episode for both women and men as we delve into this very important topic that if we can solve, will make the entire industry stronger.

Lec Zorn, an actor / filmmaker based in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, joins us today on Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. He tells us how his voice acting abilities kept him busy during the pandemic, what the film scene is like in Indiana, and the projects that he has worked on and is currently working on.

And this is the first time on this show that we delve into the Bad News Bears movies which brought me right back to my childhood.

Catherine Gobeli joins us on Cinematic Heartland to talk about her experiences from Stebens Children’s Theater in Mason City, Iowa to her film work on Ambidextrous, Tea Party, and On Top of the World. We also touch on her love for photography and what’s in store for her artistic endeavors once the pandemic is over.

She also gives great advice to actors. Don’t quit… don’t give up. Failures will help you grow stronger.