Jon Chema, the cinematographer behind projects for Big Sean, Google, and Airbnb, shares the deeper journey of building a true visual language in an industry with high competition and evolving trends.

In this rare conversation, John talks about why motivated visuals matter, how over-preparation fuels creative freedom, and why developing your own voice is the only way to create timeless work.

From the emotional lessons of traveling the world to learning leadership through respectful collaboration, John reflects on what it really takes to survive as an artist without losing your soul.

This is more than a filmmaking conversation. It is a meditation on creativity, patience, emotional evolution, and the discipline required to build work that lasts.

Chapters:
00:00 – Early Cinematic Roots and Challenges on Set
06:00 – Overcoming the "Box" of Industry Expectations
12:00 – How Travel and Life Shape Visual Storytelling
18:00 – Fighting Imitation Culture and Building Originality
24:00 – The Emotional Architecture of Cinematography
30:00 – Why the Process Matters More Than Instant Results
36:00 – Managing Crew, Leadership, and Ego on Set
42:00 – Protecting Your Creative Voice in a Fast Culture

Subscribe for timeless conversations on filmmaking, storytelling, and creative resilience.

In this raw, enlightening conversation, singer-songwriter Hailey Knox opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of touring, the trap of appearing “cool” online, and how songwriting helps her survive her own mind.

From recording crickets in her car to unpacking subconscious emotions through voice memos, Hailey shares how she stays creatively honest in a world full of pressure and noise.

Whether it’s imposter syndrome, fear of judgment, or trying to love yourself in the age of social media — this episode hits home for anyone navigating creativity and identity.

Chapters:
02:00 – The Fear of the Unknown and Moving to LA
04:00 – Vulnerability in Sessions and Voice Memo Honesty
06:00 – Sampling the World and Writing on the Road
08:00 – Creating Without Overthinking (and Fighting Perfectionism)
10:00 – Where Songs Really Come From
12:00 – Social Media Pressure and Self-Perception
13:30 – Subconscious Imitation vs. Authentic Creation
15:00 – Dreams, Reality, and Artistic Atmosphere
16:30 – Billie Eilish, Sibling Creativity, and The Power of Collaboration
18:00 – The Emotional Thread Behind Her Mixtape
20:00 – What Hailey Keeps to Herself (and Why)
23:00 – Anger, Laundry, and Learning to Speak Up
25:00 – Relationships, Insecurity, and Learning to Let Go
27:00 – The Keys to Loving Yourself Without Comparison
28:00 – Acceptance, Overthinking, and Mental Peace

In this deeply intimate episode, singer-songwriter Mogli opens up about heartbreak, depression, and the courage it takes to start over emotionally and creatively.

She shares how the darkest year of her life gave birth to her most honest music, and how vulnerability, therapy, and chosen family helped her return to joy.

From writing “Patience” in the middle of a heartbreak spiral to rebuilding her relationship with creativity, Mogli reflects on the emotional mirror music can become — and why letting yourself be seen is the first step toward healing.

This is an unfiltered conversation about mental health, love, loss, and the power of expression when nothing else seems to work. If you’ve ever felt like you were starting from scratch, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Chapters:

00:00 – The Energy of Live Shows and Writing “Patience”
02:00 – Loving Someone You Can’t Have and Embracing Aloneness
05:00 – On Being Vulnerable with Strangers Through Music
07:00 – Why Mogli Still Believes in Love, Even After Heartbreak
09:00 – Her Mother’s Influence and Unconditional Love
11:00 – Anger, Understanding, and Choosing Compassion
13:00 – Mornings, Sensitivity, and Developing Emotional Skin
16:00 – Music as a Mirror for Mental Health
18:00 – The “Sponge” Process: Absorbing Life Before Writing
21:00 – Writing from the Unknown and Subconscious Emotional Release
23:00 – Touring, Intimacy, and Seeing Faces Again
26:00 – The Difference Between the Artist and the Private Self
28:00 – Creativity, Connection, and Building a Chosen Pack

In today's conversation, cinematographer Steve Annis (I Am Mother, The Crow, Foundation) shares why the chase for prestige, praise, and paychecks can quietly erode the soul of an artist. From career burnout to the burden of expectations, we dive deep into the anxiety that comes with “making it,” the cost of chasing legacy in an algorithmic world, and what it actually means to stand out in an era drowning in content.

With stories from massive commercial shoots to low-budget passion projects, this episode explores creative instinct, artistic ego, and how real collaboration often comes from unseen contributors. We also unpack how having a child, falling in love, and watching streaming culture explode has transformed his outlook on filmmaking.

03:00 – Why Some Projects Are Just “Goldmines” from the Start
06:00 – Thriving on Instinct and Chaos in Low-Budget Shoots
10:00 – The Real Heroes: Grips, Focus Pullers, and Scaffolding Hacks
14:30 – Why “Pretty” Doesn’t Always Mean Good Cinematography
18:00 – Frustration, Fatherhood, and Aging Out of Ego
22:00 – Legacy, Netflix Thumbnails, and the Death of Cultural Memory
28:00 – From DVD Culture to the “Content Apocalypse”
32:00 – Industry Cynicism and Standing Out in the Algorithm Era
36:00 – Honest Opinions, Film Snobbery, and Taking Criticism Without Meltdown
41:00 – Can Art Be Meaningful Without Pretension?

From renegade skateboard videos to award‑winning features, cinematographer Bryce Fortner (Ingrid Goes West, Portlandia, I’m Your Woman) has spent two decades proving that raw vision beats perfect circumstances. In this conversation, Bryce unpacks how early independence shaped his eye, why ego can be both tripwire and teacher, and how great images become great leadership. We explore the mentors who nudged him forward, the Lamborghini‑laced memories that still color his frames, and the quiet moments that separate merely good work from a meaningful legacy in today’s attention economy.

Chapters:
01:00 - When does craft become art?
03:00 - Preconceptions and pitfalls of ego in creativity
05:00 - Finding value in quiet moments
06:30 - Growing up on Lamborghinis and mansions
08:00 - How the past shapes your vision
11:00 - Confronting personal “ugliness”
13:00 - Gentle self‑acceptance and growth
15:00 - From setup‑by‑setup doubt to calm confidence
17:00 - Presence, museum anxiety, and finding the right people
19:00 - Letting insecurity fuel your art

If you already pore over every frame of Twenty One Pilots’ lore, you’ll love hearing from Andrew Donoho—the VMA-winning director behind “Heathens,” “HeavyDirtySoul,” and a trilogy of videos that helped define the Trench era. In this wide-ranging conversation, Donoho opens up about his creative rituals, including lucid dream training, dream journaling, and how his subconscious has shaped some of the most iconic music videos of the past decade. Whether you’re part of his core fanbase or just discovering his work, Andrew offers a deeply human look at the director’s chair—from the emotional toll of constant production to the moments of pure creative flow that only come when you risk honesty over perfection. We talk about color psychology, the mythic pull of teal and red, the neuroscience of why we remember green so vividly, and how those ideas show up in every frame he crafts.

Chapters:

01:00 – How lucid dreaming fuels his creativity
03:00 – Using dreams as visual storytelling tools
05:00 – The meaning behind colors like teal, red, and green
09:00 – Why humans are drawn to green—and how he uses it
11:00 – Giving memories a look: faded tones and dirty windows
14:00 – Making reality feel like a dream with anamorphic lenses
17:00 – Burnout and staying balanced in a fast-paced career
22:00 – Advice for new directors and staying true to your vision
25:00 – Creative rituals: late-night drives and piano playlists
28:00 – The trap of chasing views over originality
33:00 Behind-the-scenes chaos: fixing a broken Khalid shoot
36:00 How social media shapes what we call “original”
41:00 Radiohead, poetry, and what sparks visual ideas
48:00 Serving the music vs. serving the brand

Four our first episode, editor and director Dionna McMillion shares how she transforms raw footage into stories that land with emotional impact. She breaks down her editing process, from assembly cuts and gut instincts to Walter Murch’s rule of six and the essential principle of cutting for emotion. We explore story structure, pacing, and the blink-rate science behind great editing rhythm. Dionna explains how isolating scenes can unlock new ideas, why awkward pauses are gold in comedy, and the moments in her award-nominated short Love New York that still excite her. She also opens up about the grounding practices that keep her creative and steady, including church mornings, tennis, and connecting with nature. Whether you're an aspiring editor, a filmmaker wearing many hats, or simply fascinated by how intuition shapes story, this episode will change the way you watch and make films.

Chapters:

01:00 – Assembly cuts to surface gut reactions
02:00 – Walter Murch’s rule of six and cutting for emotion
03:30 – Science of story structure: acts, beats, and pacing
05:00 – Editing rhythm: matching cuts to the blink of an eye
06:45 – Top-and-tail edits and isolating tricky scenes
08:30 – Comedy editing: timing surprises and cringey cuts
10:15 – Favorite awkward moments in Love New York and The Next Right Thing
12:00 – Vulnerability on set: stress, tears, and multitasking
14:00 – Balancing the roles of director, editor, and producer
16:00 – Grounding rituals: spirituality, tennis, and staying present
18:00 – Shaping character identity with “givens,” soul, and astrology
20:00 – Plot versus character: writing bios to guide every scene