Creative Moonlighting

Welcome back to Episode 45. No guests today, just Denise and Matthew chatting about the meaning of their mantra - Keep it Simple; Tell Your Story. For those who haven't heard, Griffyn.Co Productions is now a full-scale, full-time production company. Denise serves as the head of business development (aka - she handles the money) as well as the executive producer for all their projects, while Matthew maintains the role of creative director.  

And now that they are approaching their work as "professionals" within the industry, today they take the time to discuss exactly what it means to be a PROFESSIONAL.

How can you tell the difference between an amateur and a professional?  Why is it important to practice minimalism / essentialism and allow the story shoulder the weight of any given project?  They address all of these questions and more as they attempt to define the real meaning of being a professional in the world of filmmaking. 

Enjoy and as always, send questions and comments to [email protected] 

#artist #becominganartist #filmmaker #productioncompany #professionalvsamateur #keepitsimple #filmgear #storytelling #tellyourstory 

#creativemoonlighting #griffynco #griffyncoproductions

Please welcome Stephanie Macias, a senior at Round Rock High School, and an up and coming artist / musician (who also happens to be a former student to Matthew at Chisholm Trail Middle School :-)  

Stephanie joins Denise and Matthew to discuss all the exciting and challenging elements of being a young, but experienced musician - and especially, her process and experience in what it means to become an artist.  Stephanie is currently recording her first album of original songs, so please follow her journey and lend your support! You can follow and reach her on IG @fanymaciass to see / listen to her music and @fany_art22 to see her drawings and paintings.

We so enjoyed our sit down with this young woman and we will certainly be following her journey as she continues to make her dreams come true! 

Enjoy and as always, send questions and comments to [email protected] 

#artist #becominganartist #musician #atxmusic #localartist

#creativemoonlighting #griffynco #griffyncoproductions

Please welcome Suzanne Heintz - photographer, filmmaker, and all around artist. Her work is described as equal parts photography and theater. And although it is taboo to most in the art world, humor is her third and most important medium. At the risk of being perceived as a form of “Artertainment,” Heintz employs satire because she feels that it is crucial to the digestion of what might be perceived as a bitter pill – social criticism.  Please don't forget to scroll down and view the links below to access her work online! 

Denise and I stumbled on Suzanne's work through the documentary film, IMITATING LIFE: THE AUDACITY OF SUZANNE HEINTZ (which premiered at Doc NYC Film Festival and can be accessed on Amazon; see below).  Needless to say, we were immediately drawn to the world she has created through her art. Ultimately, there isn’t enough space here to describe the joy we received in meeting and having had the chance to talk with Suzanne about her work, her influences, her recent Dutch exhibit in the Netherlands, and most importantly, her BOTTOM LINE as an individual who is fully committed - for better or worse - to living life as an artist.  

HER FILMS:

Imitating Life: The Audacity of Suzanne Heintz

View the Film Trailer here

Suzanne's Vimeo Channel

Do the Math Promo (mocking the Artist's Life)

Netherlands Expo Artist Talk (filmed during her Dutch Exhibit in June 2022)

PHP Chapter 1 - Postcards from Paris (a documentary by Suzanne Heintz)

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PHP Chapter 2 - The Vows (a documentary by Suzanne)

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CONNECT w/ SUZANNE online:

Artist Website:  suzanneheintz.com

Social Media - FB * IG * LI

Creative Moonlighting is brought to you by Griffyn.Co Productions.  As always, we hope you enjoy the show!  Feel free to connect via email with questions or comments at: [email protected]

And don't forget to follow us on IG @creativemoonlightingpodcast

#suzanneheintz #imitatinglifefilm #satireart #playinghouseproject #mannequinproject #artistforlife #dutchartexhibit #postcardsfromparis #thevows #theaudacityofsuzanneheintz

Please welcome Chris Norkus - bartender, storyteller, and the owner of Cocktails from Home.  Chris moved to Austin 10 years ago to explore bigger opportunities in the bar and restaurant industry.  When the pandemic hit, he found himself an unemployed bartender.  But it wasn't long before a friend hit him up to use his skills to entertain a virtual happy hour for a group of friends and co-workers.  This simple concept spawned Chris's new business, which is now known as COCKTAILS FROM HOME. 

If you have ever had the impulse to invest in yourself and build a business around your skills, then this is the episode for you.   

Check Cocktails from Home Online:

Cocktails from Home

Chris Norkus - Linkedin

Enjoy and as always, send questions and comments to [email protected] 

#cocktailsfromhome #investinyourself #bartender #virtualhappyhour #mixology #craftcocktails #buildingyourbusiness #workfromhome #beyourownboss #startingabusiness

#creativemoonlighting #griffynco #griffyncoproductions

Please welcome Austin, Texas band, Yes Sir, No Sir.  Tonight, Denise and Matthew had the pleasure of sitting down with all six band members, Kevin Brinkkoeter, 

Free form conversation, a few beers, a bottle of vino and lots of laughter allowed us to discuss some of Creative Moonlighting's favorite topics: connections, creative tension, the nuance of musical collaboration, and the balance between family and artistic endeavors. Join us as we sit down with longtime friends sharing "a common desire to create music, art and entertainment they love and a family keepsake worthy of legacy."

Check out more of Yes Sir, No Sir:

Official Yes Sir, No Sir Website

KUTX Song of the Day - Bright White Light

Bright White Light Music Video

Enjoy and as always, send questions and comments to [email protected] 

#ysnsband #atxmusic #atxmusician #austintexasmusic #atx #atxband #workhorsemarketing #kutx #atxartists #bandingtogether #indierock #indierockband #austintx #austinmusicscene #austinmusician #creativemoonlighting #griffynco #griffyncoproductions

Welcome back, Brian Cobos and Chris Thompson!  We cover a lot of ground today, so choosing a title was difficult.  However, don't be confused by the title we eventually landed on.  One of the most important questions every filmmaker must face surrounds the idea of taking a "paint by  numbers" approach to creativity:  Is there a formula for filmmaking?

Chris and Brian re-edited one of their old films and landed it in the Austin Revolution Film Fest.  Amidst discussions about that experience, we also delve into the ongoing screenplay and pre-production process of West of Leona, a feature project they are adapting from another short they created in recent years. 

There is no better way to discuss the ups, downs, and sideways alleys of making a movie than to talk with the folks who are in the thick of the process.  So, shout out to all filmmakers and creators out there:  This one is definitely for you!

Enjoy and as always, send questions and comments to [email protected] 

#buildingtheamericandream #atxfilm #lonestaremmywinner #texasemmys #austinfilmsociety #documentaryfilm #socialimpact #atxartist #impactplan #createart #griffyncoproductions #filmmaker

Please welcome 8-time Lone Star Emmy award winning director, producer, editor, and our dear friend - Chelsea Hernandez.  Chelsea is a Texas native Latina filmmaker who was born in San Antonio and raised in Austin. She studied film at Adelphi University and Brooklyn College, and then returned to Texas to complete her RTF degree at UT Austin.  She began her career at PBS as an assistant editor and associate producer, a job that set her on a path to making a series of short films, and eventually, her first feature length documentary - Building the American Dream.  She joins us today to talk about the nuts and bolts of the journey she took in making this award winning film.  Building the American Dream world premiered at SXSW in 2019 and was most recently nominated for a Texas Lone Star Emmy. 

Enjoy and as always, send questions and comments to [email protected] 

#buildingtheamericandream #atxfilm #lonestaremmywinner #texasemmys #austinfilmsociety #documentaryfilm #socialimpact #atxartist #impactplan #createart #griffyncoproductions #filmmaker

Saying "YES" to one thing in life often indirectly means to saying "NO" to something else.  Denise and Matthew chat in Episode 39 about what they have learned through the experience of NOT being parents.  Having children was at one time a part of their grand plan, but plans don't always work out.  Today, they delve into the idea of what it means to fit in, to be "normal", and to live up to the images that are often carved out for us by society.   

As always, we hope you hear something that provokes thoughts of your own.  And please send questions and comments to [email protected] . 

Today Denise and Matthew talk about the importance of managing your mental state.  Creative endeavors are difficult to pursue with the type of intensity that it takes to see the entire process through.  We all know the feeling that washes over us when our mental state seems to want to zap our energy and kill our drive.  Mental toughness is of key importance, but how do we maintain such a thing?  Among the many scenarios they discuss, Denise discusses her experience in having to become mentally tough and resilient as a child and as a student athlete up through college.  

As always, we hope you hear something that provokes thoughts of your own.  And please send questions and comments to [email protected] . 

#managingstress #mentaltoughness #mentalstates #griffyncoproductions #creative moonlighting #alwaysbecreative #creativity

Today Denise and Matthew talk about the value of the creative process - the ups, the downs, and the feedback you seek along the way.  They discuss the trap of caring so much about the outcome of a project that the process of creating grows dull.  And they question the proper ways to seek feedback without wearing out your sources (who are likely family, friends, and other artists you respect). 

As always, we hope you hear something that provokes thoughts of your own.  And please send questions and comments to [email protected] . 

#valuetheprocess #enjoytheprocess #trusttheprocess #feedback #griffyncoproductions #creative moonlighting #alwaysbecreative #creativity