Don't Encourage Us

Actors face a frustrating catch-22: you need a reel to get work, but you need work to get a reel. Steve Custer's solution starts with a small production studio. Then the hosts ask a question that changes the business: What if actors aren’t the customers?The startup moves from producing demo reels to building a marketplace, from creative services to scalable infrastructure, and from a real problem to the harder question of whether solving it can support a viable business. The opportunity may be bigger than Steve imagines. So may the obstacles.In this episode:

• The catch-22: Why actors struggle to get the footage they need to land their next role.
• The Dune audition: Steve learns Kali stick fighting and cold-contacts casting director Jina Jay.
• Filmmaking by opportunity: How a building headed for demolition became the setting for a guerrilla action short.
• The pivotal question: If actors have the problem but limited money, who has the budget to solve it?
• A different business model: Why serving casting directors might be more promising than selling directly to actors.
• From service to platform: Could a searchable marketplace connect casting professionals with actors and their reels?
• The AI angle: What if casting directors could search actor reels using metadata rather than sift through footage manually?
• The scaling problem: Why labor-intensive creative services can struggle to grow, even when customers want the product.
• The financial test: What separates a clever startup idea from a sustainable business?

Also: the West Chester International Short Film Festival and, at the time of recording, a movie being pitched in Frederick, Maryland, with Steve Custer’s name on it.This is a Story Break episode: original business-concept development, with the hosts pressure-testing an idea in real time.More with Steve Custer: Episode 51 (Deadpool & Wolverine) and Episode 47 (Captain America: Brave New World). Reach the show at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

We gave an AI every transcript we had and asked it to figure out what the show actually is.

It found moments worth discussing:

- Why MCU box office is determined by sequencing, not quality — and what that means beyond Marvel
- The structural difference between a high concept and a gimmick, and why Apple TV keeps getting it wrong
- A prompt engineering framework that is the most professionally useful thing we have put in the feed
- A live IP development session that turned into a methodology for building original concepts from psychological premises
- A short film concept built on a precise clinical framework for character construction
- Two IP revival pitches built around seasonal arc strategy and long-form mythology design

At the end, the AI says what the show is and who it is for.

It is not wrong. Reach the show at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

Is The Adam Project a kid's movie wearing a Ryan Reynolds costume? We dig in.  In this episode: 

• How Ryan Reynolds' casting rewrote the original script and broke the story 
• Why the kid (Walker Scobell) starts as the hero and gets sidelined by his own movie 
• The DNA-locked spaceship that can't tell the difference between a 10-year-old and an adult 
• Time travel logic: why this movie waves its hand and hopes you're distracted by lasers 
• Mark Ruffalo as "the dad who should be a villain but isn't" and why that casting backfired 
• What a better sequel could look like (and why it would have to kill Ryan Reynolds first) 
• Detour: Is It Cake, Too Hot To Handle, and the death of the prestige Netflix algorithm 

Timestamps:  • 0:00 — The Adam Project's vanilla plot  • 5:53 — Why the film is an emotional flatline  • 19:37 — Time travel logic flaws  • 25:49 — The spaceship DNA problem  • 31:18 — Rewriting the ending: why erasing the plot never works  • 34:42 — Detour: Is It Cake and the Netflix algorithm trap  • 39:15 — Too Hot To Handle and the death of prestige Netflix  Reach the show at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

In this episode, the hosts don their vibranium wingsuits and dive headfirst into the ever-evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe. With special guests Matt Baughman and Steve Custer, they tackle the big questions: Can "Captain America 4" bring back the glory days of the MCU? Is Sam Wilson ready to fill Steve Rogers' boots?Expect deep (but not too deep) analysis, wild speculation, and more than a few heroic one-liners as the team debates Marvel’s future. If you're a Marvel fan, a casual viewer, or just someone who enjoys hearing grown adults argue about capes, this one's for you.Jump straight to the 30-minute mark for Captain America 4. Spoilers! Reach the pod at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

And they're back! What happens when our world heritage is in danger? There's only one man who can save it! Enter the UN's secret weapon: a bitter hero who loves humanity so much he'd kill us all to save it. But first, why does Russian sci-fi embrace dirt and suffering and what's the problem with the 3 Body Problem? Other than the astrophysics problem in the title, obviously. I'm realizing that's an awkward way to phrase it. I mean the show has a fundamental problem but I don't mean fundamental like the building blocks of the Universe, so less fundamental than that but pretty basic to the idea of the show. Actually, that kind of puts it all in perspective. Who cares about eight episodes of a streaming show when you hold it up against the sheer scale and complexity of the Universe? And, oh god, if the show doesn't matter, what about a podcast episode about the show?! What are we even doing with our lives?Anyway, enjoy!  Reach the pod at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

In this episode of *Don’t Encourage Us Plus*, our fearless hosts briefly touch on Deadpool vs. Wolverine and then dive into the philosophical depths of Russian sci-fi classic *Roadside Picnic* and its haunting adaptation, *Stalker*. The duo explores the novel’s themes of alien artifacts, human resilience, and ambiguous redemption, while reflecting on its cinematic influence. Shifting gears, they brainstorm a fictional “UNESCO Hero,” a globe-trotting protector of World Heritage Sites, blending action, preservation, and intrigue. Thought-provoking and imaginative, this episode has it all!Reach the pod at [email protected] Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threads https://linktr.ee/dontencourageus Listen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

In an uncharacteristically focused episode, our host dives headfirst into Deadpool & Wolverine and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Joined by frequent guest and friend of the show, Matt Baughman, and new guest, Variant Steve, the gang dissects Deadpool 3, starring the ever-sarcastic Ryan Reynolds, and what it all means for the future of Marvel's cinematic landscape. Don't panic – the first 30 minutes are SPOILER FREE. And then we ruin everything.What happened?! What does it all mean?! Did Deadpool un-f*ck the MCU?! Why should Matt stop eating Swedish fish?! Buckle up for a chaotic ride through Deadpool 3 and the MCU with the madness that is Don't Encourage Us. Check out Steve Custer's work at Starwipe Films and Matthew Baughman's here. Then stalk your celebrity prey online at  @spidey_steve and @mattybaughs on Instagram. Reach the pod at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

They're back and in an unprecedented episode, our hosts go full ramble, bouncing from topic to topic, free of the hefty bonds of logic or theme. They kick off with a critical drive-by of "The Tourist," exploring its use of flashback and dream sequence to hold an audience. Next, they delve into the emerging skill of crafting effective prompts for AI, offering valuable insights for lazy tech enthusiasts and creatives alike. The discussion then shifts to the speechless horror of "No One Can Save You" and the soundstage exorcism of "Late Night with the Devil." Film and dystopia intersect as the hosts revisit the timeless classic "1984," exploring the very real horror of existential deconstruction. Finally, they wrap up with an examination of superpowers and gender in fan-favorite "X-Men '97." Should all this delicious content be cut into 25 YouTube shorts? Absolutely! Is the crew of Don't Encourage Us putting in that kind of time and dedication? Ha ha ha.  Reach the pod at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

You can stream "Godzilla Minus One" on several platforms. Here are the options available:NetflixAmazon Prime VideoOther Platforms: Additionally, you can buy or rent it on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, and Spectrum On Demand  Reach the pod at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.

In this in-depth episode, the hosts dive into a trio of intriguing series and films. First up is the critically acclaimed Danish series The Killing (2011), where they delve into its gripping storytelling, political intrigue, and the rules of remakes in Hollywood. Next, they turn their attention to Netflix's Rebel Moon (2023), Zack Snyder's epic space opera. They dissect the film's ambitious scope, writing, and Snyder's career dilemma.The conversation then shifts to the phenomenon of #Too2ndScreen, discussing how dual-screening is changing the way we consume and interact with media. They explore the pros and cons of this modern viewing habit and its impact on advertising.Finally, they explore Amazon's highly anticipated Fallout (2024), examining how the post-apocalyptic video game world is brought to life on screen. They dive into the series' take on the classic hero's journey, its complex characters, and which character is the scarecrow.Stream "The Killing" (2011), "Rebel Moon" (2024) on Netflix, and "Fallout" (2024) on Amazon. Reach the pod at [email protected]
Stop by and discourage us on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Threadshttps://linktr.ee/dontencourageusListen to all the music we've discussed in every episode so far on our Encouraged Grooves playlist on YouTube and Spotify and find your next favorite song.