In this episode, Mishu sits down with Erica Duffy—founder of Camera Ambassador and longtime champion of Chicago’s film community—to talk about taking leaps before you’re ready, why “fail fast” has become her north star, and the power of designing spaces that spark collaboration. 

They get into Erica’s intuitive decision-making process (including the literal dream that sparked her company’s new CineCity Studios HQ), her five years steering the Midwest Film Festival, and how she’s using workshops and mentorship to lift up the next generation of storytellers.

Erica founded Camera Ambassador in 2014, growing it into one of only three women-owned rental houses in the country. Under her leadership, it’s become Chicago’s most vibrant hub for gear, guidance, and community—anchored by hands-on workshops, inclusive networking events, and a culture of genuine support. From CineCity to film festivals, her work has consistently pushed Midwest film forward.

We talk about:
→ Why Erica trusts intuition over analysis paralysis
→ Designing Camera Ambassador’s new 11,000 sq ft CineCity space
→ Lessons from five years running the Midwest Film Festival
→ The “fail fast” motto and why experimentation matters
→ Mentorship, workshops, and building community infrastructure
→ The balance of business expansion and creative passion

More from Erica:
🔗 cameraambassador.com

Instagram:
@cameraambassador
@hello.erica.duffy

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod.
Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.

In this episode, Mishu sits down with colorist, editor, and producer C. Ryan Stemple, CSI to talk about why finishing is its own art form—and why post-production might be the most adaptable corner of the industry right now. They dig into pivoting through strikes and slowdowns, how machine learning is quietly reshaping drudgery work, and why Ryan is committed to building a Midwest hub for finishing, teaching, and producing under one roof.

Ryan Stemple has graded over 50 features and countless shorts, docs, and branded projects. He’s the founder of Quicksilver Color, co-owner of Journeywork Entertainment, and adjunct faculty at Northwestern, where he teaches (what else?) color grading. In 2022 he and his wife, Ana Christian (founder of Anachrony Post), merged their companies under Journeywork Entertainment, which now spans color, online, dailies, and production. As of 2025, they’re producing the indie feature Line Cooks in partnership with Who’s To Say Productions.

We talk about:
→ Why post-production pivots faster than other roles in the industry
→ How “the AI we actually use” frees up editors for creative work
→ Going from colorist to producer on Good Guy With a Gun
→ Building a full-service post house with his wife, Ana Christian
→ Navigating union paperwork on their first in-house feature
→ What it takes to finish a film so it truly feels done

Stream the trailer & support Line Cooks: seedandspark.com/fund/line-cooks

More about Ryan and his companies:
🔗 quicksilvercolor.com
🔗 journeyworkent.com
🔗 anachronypost.com

Instagram:
@crstemple
@journeyworkent
@quicksilvercolor

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod.
Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.

Mishu sits down with award-winning Director of Photography Isaac Izzy White to talk about the momentum crash after a high-output year, learning to scale creative ambition, and the quiet clarity that comes from building things with friends. They unpack how Izzy pivoted from monthly to quarterly filmmaking, why directing and shooting your own project might not always be the best idea, and what happened when a student film idea got a second life and a 20-person set.

Isaac has shot music videos with millions of views, commercials for Fortune 500 companies, and a relentless stream of personal projects. Their approach to cinematography is tactile, obsessive, and rooted in a hunger for collaboration—and it shows. In this episode, they open up about burnout, post-strike slowdowns, and the joy of finally letting someone else touch the VFX.

We talk about:
→ Going from overbooked to underbooked in a single season
→ Shooting at night with a crew of 20 for a short called Meteors
→ Post-house partnerships and handing off VFX
→ Directing while also D.P.-ing (and the cost of doing both)
→ Navigating ADHD, hyperfixation, and learning pipelines
→ Why this year is about deeper collaboration, not just output

More from Izzy:
Visit: isaacwhite.tv
Instagram: @isaacwhite_dp

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod.
Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.

Mishu sits down with writer, director, actor, and artist Emily Lape to talk about what happens when a project breaks your heart—and how to find your creative footing again. They unpack how Emily's songwriting, painting, and acting re-lit the pilot light after her feature Abiquiú stalled in pre-production due to the SAG strike, and what it takes to hold onto a story that still wants to be told.

Emily Lape is an award-winning filmmaker and performer whose debut feature Mercy’s Girl is currently streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, and Netflix. She recently starred in Lucy is a Loser, directed by Wendy Jo Carlton, and is Executive Producing Michael Glover Smith’s next feature Heckla.

We talk about:
 → Making peace with pause
 → Returning to songwriting after 15 years
 → Shame, location grief, and post-SAG strike recovery
 → How character-driven stories come back to life
 → Moving projects closer to home (literally and emotionally)

Follow Emily:
Instagram: @emlape
YouTube: @emilylape
Watch Mercy’s Girl on Amazon Prime

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod.
Produced by @ohhmaybemedia

In this episode, Mishu sits down with director, writer, and educator Rob Spera, whose decades-long career spans feature films, cult classics, network television, and theater. They talk about staying connected to your purpose, cultivating a habit of experimentation, and the self-directed discipline that lets you keep growing—no matter where you are in your career.

🎬 Rob Spera’s feature films include The Sweet Life, Fathers and Sons, and the cult classic Leprechaun in the Hood. He’s directed episodes of Criminal Minds, Supernatural, and Army Wives, and helmed over 75 theatrical productions during his tenure as Resident Director at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Rob is also the author of The Film/TV Director’s Field Manual and currently serves as Head of Directing at Rideback Rise, a fellowship for POC filmmakers.

We talk about:
 → Making filmmaking your daily sketch practice
 → Working without waiting for permission
 → Building a sustainable long-term creative life
 → Why directing is “the art of the subtext”
 → Rob’s advice to early-career directors (and late-career ones too)

Visit robspera.com or follow him on Instagram at @robsperaofficial

Buy The Film/TV Director’s Field Manual here: Amazon link

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod.
Produced by @ohhmaybemedia

In this episode, Mishu talks with actor, writer, and comedy performer Tuxford Turner (they/them/tux) about starting over in L.A., learning to trust their brain again, and the deep relief of not grinding yourself to dust. They dig into internalized urgency, “insecure ambition,” and what happens when your capacity for output isn’t tied to your self-worth. Tux shares how quiet—literal and figurative—has become their compass, and what it means to resist the cultural pressure to always be making, posting, or optimizing for visibility.

Tuxford Turner is an actor, comedy performer, and writer from all over, currently based in Los Angeles but forever Midwest at heart. They’ve worked across film, television, and comedy specials, and recently starred in the award-winning indie feature BAM!, now streaming on Tubi, Amazon, and Apple TV. Before L.A., Tux was a Resident Company member at the iO Theatre in Chicago, performing and directing across stages including The Annoyance and Second City.

We talk about:
→ Building your own rhythm instead of mirroring someone else’s
→ Burnout disguised as ambition
→ Relearning presence as a creative act
→ What to do when you’re always chasing “the life you want”
→ And why trusting yourself isn’t about never stopping—it’s about knowing you’ll start again

Learn more about Tux at TuxfordTurner.com Instagram @TuxfordTurner

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod. Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.

How do you make the work when the world feels like it’s on fire—and still believe it matters?

In this episode, Mishu and filmmaker Jim Vendiola talk about ambivalence, integrity, and making art that haunts you. They dig into taste, tempo, and attention spans, the value of saying no, and what it means to trust your ideas enough to wait. They also get into the quiet thrill of writing voice memos at 2AM, how neurodivergence impacts the creative process, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for your collaborators is to not make the thing—yet.

Jim Vendiola is an award-winning Filipino-American filmmaker whose work explores longing, eros, and emotional liminality. A Newcity Film 50 hall-of-famer (2016–2024), he’s the co-creator of the upcoming neo-noir limited series Argus (in development with WarnerMedia OneFifty), and his recent short Pretty Pickle made thirty-five festival stops and was called “sexy, subversive, and truly stunning.” Jim also won the inaugural NewNarratives Program from NewFilmmakers LA and WarnerMedia OneFifty, and is currently adapting Samantha Kolesnik’s queer body horror novella WAIF for the screen.

We talk about:
 → Navigating ambition and burnout in 2025
 → The myth of consistent productivity
 → Knowing when not to make something
 → AI, advertising, and artistic compromise
 → What makes an idea worth haunting

Follow Jim on Instagram at @jimvendiola, check out his work at jimvendiola.com, or watch his films on Vimeo and Bluesky.

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod. Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.

In this episode, Mishu and actor/ASMR creator Katie Bellantone get into the rollercoaster of working in indie film, the panic spiral between auditions, and how she stays grounded when her brain tries to sabotage her face. They talk about the difference between trying to look perfect and trying to tell the truth, navigating self-image in a visual medium, and why improv drop-ins might be the most humbling (and hilarious) way to stay loose.

Katie Bellantone is an actor based in Chicago and the creator of KatieASMR, with over 400,000 YouTube subscribers and 1.5 million TikTok followers. She’s booked dozens of indie shorts and the feature films like Canoe Dig It? and is a rising presence in both narrative film and online performance.

We talk about:
 → The comedy of failing hard at improv
 → Short film momentum and the chaos buffer
 → Reframing visual insecurity while auditioning
 → The secret self-doubt that comes with a callback
 → How to build your point of view across platforms

Follow Katie:
Instagram: @katherinebellantone
YouTube: KatieASMR
TikTok: @katieasmr00
IMDb: Katie Bellantone

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod. Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.

In this episode, comedian and filmmaker Mary Tilden joins Mishu to talk about the weird in-between of writing when you can’t tell if your ideas are good—or garbage. They get into how theater and improv keep her connected, how she navigates the chaos of multiple drafts, and why trusting actors might be the key to better screenwriting. It’s a playful, honest, and surprisingly precise look at process, procrastination, and the way dialogue starts to hum when you stop trying to make it perfect.

Mary Tilden is a comedian and filmmaker originally from South Carolina. She co-produced and starred in Cool for Five Seconds (Midwest Film Festival Grand Prize, 2021) and directed the award-winning Rough River Lake. Her comedy work includes the short films Yes, Andrea, The Unfinished Film, Fern, and the web series Collaborate & Listen, with screenings at Cinequest, SeriesFest, and more.

We talk about:
→ Writing when your drafts are all over the place
→ Using improv to unstick your creativity
→ The trap of comparing your script to someone else’s finished film
→ Why dialogue is a playground—not a performance review
→ Working on self-kindness when the draft feels like a mess

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod. Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.

Filmmaker and producer Jamie Kreppein joins Mishu for a warm, honest conversation about the invisible labor that makes independent filmmaking possible—and meaningful. They talk about the structures behind the stories, the gentle power of showing up, and how leadership can look like care, especially on underfunded sets.

From feature films like Roller Babiez and Year One to the community-run event Film Girlz Brunch, Jamie’s work lives at the intersection of art and relationship. She shares how production roles like AD, coordinator, or casting director offer their own kind of creative fulfillment—and why she’s just as energized by a school film set as she is by a packed festival screening. They dig into scheduling as storytelling, designing rest into your process, and how to avoid burnout while keeping your standards high.

Jamie Kreppein is a Chicago-based director, producer, live events coordinator, and one of the co-founders of Rm. 19 Productions—a company that champions femme filmmakers and intentionally crafted stories. She has worked on numerous indie features and short films across directing, ADing, and producing roles, and is also a dedicated arts educator at Warren Township High School.

We talk about:
→ Crew culture and care as a leadership practice
→ The power of soft-spoken persistence
→ Why everyone should try ADing at least once
→ Finding creative fuel in teaching
→ Working on Roller Babiez, Year One, and Primos
→ Scheduling as emotional architecture

Find more from Jamie:
Website: rm19productions.com
Instagram: @j_krepps & @rm.19productions

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod. Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.