1:45 - How the hell are you, Erik?

2:40 - “Livin’ the dream, losin’ my mind like everybody else.”

2:50 - We met at the Foothill Theatre Conservatory.

3:00 - How bureaucracy destroyed the program

3:40 - How Tom broke it down

5:15 - How nervous I was to audition for Conservatory

6:00 - Acting as I write screenplays

7:20 - Erik has never not gotten nervous to perform

7:30 - Jeremy’s showcase scene

8:30 - Jeremy’s one man show

9:45 - Did Loyola Marymount have a New Works Festival?

11:04 - The closest thing to Stand-Up

11:40 - One-Man Show Inspirations

12:24 - Jeremy’s early self-perceived weaknesses as an actor

12:30 - “Oh, I don’t know what to do with my hands.”

13:13 - Erik’s Stretch Story

14:40 - He used to feel more comfortable thinking about character first. Trying to get back to thinking of the craft first.

15:20 - Jeremy explains Stretch

16:45 - The Actor and the Target

20:20 - Reading books you have vs. Buying new books

22:30 - Watching first act of movies

23:20 - ‘As Good As It Gets’ with Jack Nicholson

24:06 - Letterboxd?

25:23 - The layers to the process of really thinking.

25:45 - Film criticism?

27:20 - Filmmaking is the film critic’s dream

28:00 - So much easier to tear down than create

29:00 - ‘Bullet in the Brain’ by Tobias Wolff

30:20 - ‘Red’ by Rothko

30:50 - Our judgy inner voice.  You have to be continually reassured.

31:30 - Acting as a game of endurance

32:22 - The idea of “should”

33:00 - What’s the one thing you really WANT to exist?

34:30 - The action of being creative IN and OF itself.

35:00 - The invisible increments of growth

36:40 - A Bright Eyes lyric

37:14 - David Lynch quote

37:40 - Jordan B. Peterson —> Great stories are where the archetypal meets the personal

38:58 - Mark Twain on the value of traveling

39:30 - Trying to understand why a character reacts in a way we wouldn’t.

40:00 - Any choice CAN be reasonably motivated.

40:32 - Acting. The pure empathy machine.

40:45 - Me and Erik are fucking QUOTES GUYS

42:00 - What a good actor does in the face of shitty material

43:11 - What Erik expected from Hollywood. The lonesomeness of LA without community. Feeling lost regardless.

45:18 - Adam Scott, 15 years before he got anything.

45:25 - You need to cultivate an outside life.

46:16 - It’s up and down!

47:19 - The land of broken (entitled) dreams.

47:47 - Have some fucking agency!

49:20 - Sean Baker liked Strawberry’s look

50:00 - All the “You Shoulds”

50:31 - Who has the money?

51:00 - Only 3% of actors have this happen

51:50 - Jacob Elordi v. Angus Cloud

53:00 - Why I left L.A.

54:34 - A publicist (he thinks) told Erik this.

56:20 - What success looks like.

57:00 - “Just another movie that played at a big festival”

58:00 - The magic is in the DOING

58:20 - Seeking external validation always leads to unhappiness.

59:20- ‘The End of the Tour’, constantly re-defining our idea of success so we’re just outside of it.

1:00:00 - The CONSTANT effort and work necessary for gratitude.

1:00:54 - Erik is a HYPOCRITE

1:05:00 - You can read and learn all you want, but if you aren’t implementing, it’s pointless.

1:06:30 - How we try to BE LESS DUMB

1:07:27 - Erik prefers experiencing work with others, Jeremy does not.

1:08:20 - I used to think I wasn’t “advanced” enough for serious movies

1:10:00 - Of course, belief is the first step!

1:10:26 - An artist’s journey: bringing your skill level up to your taste.

1:20:00 - Religious upbringing talk

1:39:20

Website: jeremythsgriffith.wixsite.com/notfunnyfunnyguy

Youtube: notfunnyfunnyguy

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In this, the 19th of (hopefully) many episodes he offers up some thoughts on media representation, being a Westerner through and through, the nobility of being a writer, how much he hates insensitivity around mental illness (but is not surprised by it), and how much he loves Wes Anderson's 'The Darjeeling Limited.

Hopefully something in this podcast inspires you to act with a little more empathy today, or a bit more courage. Or, at the very least, makes you feel a little bit less alone in your confusion.

---------------

1:48 - We just MADE UP numbers!

4:23 - My playlist tonight is just thoughts.

4:44 - On “Blasian Representation”

6:50 - How I felt seeing half White half Filipinos in the media

9:00 - How I DON’T think

11:25 - Race problem solved

12:50 - Jordan Peterson on the dangers of the arrogance of the intellect.

14:06 - Glenn Loury on identifying as a Westerner

15:30 - The media and ideas I was raised on.

17:05 - Tobias Wolff and Raymond Carver

17:45 - My creative writing class at Chabot

19:00 - That time I met Tobias Wolff

19:40 - The nobility of writing

20:00 - My published story and having Betsy Franco read it

21:30 - I’ll always come back to fiction, I’ll always make screenplays

23:10 - The feedback Betsy Franco gave my story

25:13 - At least I got “Bullet in the Brain” signed, hahaha

27:23 - I hate insensitive comments about mental illness, especially from loved ones

29:20 - You’ll always have all kinds of people

31:10 - How good is ‘The Darjeeling Limited’?

33:28 - The “Hotel Chevalier” Short Film

34:30 - On Nietzsche’s ‘Beyond Good and Evil’

35:40 - People will live and die and never grapple with ideas as lofty as these

36:22 - Why my former classmate’s mother loved Jon Stewart

37:30 - The value of art

40:25 - A Connoisseur of nuance

41:40 - The more sides you see, the more you understand truth

42:15 - Do we need lies to survive?

43:20 - The fragility of the average mind

44:40 - God is essential, if you can’t find Him, you must create Him

45:30 - Most belief systems are prejudices, notions, or inspirations defended after the fact

47:35 - Master morality v. Slave morality

49:10 - Being hyper-critical of great figures out of insecurity

52:05 - Detaching yourself from your culture

53:22 - Where do our thoughts come from?

56:30 - I’m such a genius

56:50 - You’re my tribe!

Website: jeremythsgriffith.wixsite.com/notfunnyfunnyguy

Youtube: notfunnyfunnyguy

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Twitter: @ntfunnyfunnyguy

In this, the 18th of (hopefully) many episodes he parodies late night radio hosts, discusses the fantastic underpinnings of America, and gets into the practical benefit of the Crucifixion story.

Hopefully something in this podcast inspires you to act with a little more empathy today, or a bit more courage. Or, at the very least, makes you feel a little bit less alone in your confusion.

0:50 - This is a nighttime podcast

1:18 - 101KKSFPRURSO

1:56 - We got Jazz.

2:50 - Whooshkaa —>  Anchor, more LISTENERS, baby!

3:45 - God bless America

4:45 - Everything has its downside.

5:20 - My coworker who LOVED America.

6:10 - What George Washington said.

7:16 - The American ideal is AMAZING!

8:17 - The practical value of Jesus crucifixion story.

11:20 - “Get that cross outta my face!”

13:20 - Give your life to a purpose greater than yourself.

14:20 - Homie CAME BACK TO LIIIFE!

15:35 - We need to shed past qualities to transition into each life stage.

16:28 - I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of resurrection and rebirth.

17:13 - I’m not Slytherin anymore!

18:30 - The essence of being a good person.

19:20 - We have no idea where our thoughts come from.

20:25 - Good and evil exist.

21:10 - As human beings, something about us is exactly the same.

22:05 - Is it the Devil and DEMONS?!

23:20 - Here’s the process to being the best person.

24:40 - Do you have panic attacks? I’m with ya.

26:20 - Acupuncture is INCREDIBLE.

27:54 - My wave analogy.

28:55 - The Happiness Curve (?) on emotional development throughout the years.

30:35 - My Uber ride with the early 30s parents in San Francisco.

35:20 - We all have our stories to tell.

36:25 - ‘Haunted’ on Netflix

Website: jeremythsgriffith.wixsite.com/notfunnyfunnyguy

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In this bonus episode he interviews his former classmate Kat Walker Shea on the ins and outs of Calarts' Film Directing MFA program!

Hopefully something in this podcast inspires you to act with a little more empathy today, or a bit more courage. Or, at the very least, makes you feel a little bit less alone in your confusion.

Kat's Promo Links:

Georgie: https://twitter.com/RomeroIsDoneFor

https://anchor.fm/georgieromeroisdonefor

Soft-Boiled: https://twitter.com/SoftBoiledPod

2:03 - Context for interview!

3:06 - The Film/Video BFA vs. Film Directing MFA

4:54 - The Color of Pomegranates (example of non-narrative film)

5:42 - DO NOT MENTION TIM BURTON IN YOUR APPLICATION!

7:54 - Why Calarts?

8:52 - “You’re kind of weird, you should apply to Calarts.”

12:14 - The story that got Kat into Calarts.

13:39 - Where did you do your undergrad? How did it prepare you for the Master’s program?

17:04 - What was the transition into Calarts like?

20:04 - A Man’s Search for Meaning

22:34 - “I thought I was a more regular person.”

22:54 - More specifically, what was the transition into your program like?

23:34 - Un Chien Andalou - Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali

26:04 - Czech New Wave film ‘Daisies’ is really good.

28:10 - You learn to appreciate individual elements of the filmmaking process.

30:08 - “It changed how I look at ‘bad’ film”

31:09 - The Game of Thrones Coffee Cup

34:18 - What was an average day like? How did it change semester to semester and year to year?

37:52 - Calarts is very much a place you go in thinking you hate something and then end up like, “Well, I was wrong.”

38:29 - The second and third year.

39:19 - Hey, go do this, make some money.

40:32 - Did you feel pressured style-wise? Or well-supported?

42:32 - Don’t let them talk you out of stuff!

45:24 - Learning how to constructively USE constructive criticism.

48:49 - I wish I pushed more making my films.

51:19 - Dare to suck.

52:06 - Financial advice for prospective students?

54:14 - Really, really work on networking.

56:34 - If you follow your heart, you’ll be alright.

57:34 - If you can’t afford it, you’ll be FINE

58:04 - Networking Tip: Focus on others and how you can contribute.

1:00:39 - Say you ARE one.

1:03:03 - She’s had some big pitch opportunities!

1:04:54 - Your connections may not pay off for years.

1:05:34 - It took Phineas and Ferb 13 years to get picked up.

1:06:34 - Sometimes you completely disagree with the feedback others give.

1:07:09 - Did you feel ready for the “real world” upon graduation?

1:08:24 - Don’t wait until you’re ready, you’re never ready.

1:09:49 - Most useful thing you got out of the program?

1:14:34 - The best advice you received at Calarts.

1:15:52 - No art is beneath you.

1:17:59 - They’re maybe a little too focused on film festivals.

1:21:19 - Film festival tips.

Website: jeremythsgriffith.wixsite.com/notfunnyfunnyguy

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In this, the seventeenth of (hopefully) many episodes, he talks about how sad he is Taika Waititi left his family and is now with Rita Ora, his favorite thing about Marcel Proust, and some practical wisdom and morality. Hopefully something in this podcast inspires you to act with a little more empathy today, or a bit more courage. Or, at the very least, makes you feel a little bit less alone in your confusion.

1:26 - It’s easy to not do ANYTHING. And that’s not where we WANNA be!

2:06 - It really takes such a long time to do a project properly.

3:44 - How good is Minari?!

4:36 - “The day I started to remember is the day I really became a writer.”

5:36 - I need to finish ONE thing before I do the NEXT thing!

6:01 - Beyond Order by Jordan B. Peterson!

6:13 - The way I read books these days.

7:02 - How fucked up is the Taika Waititi stuff?!

8:59 - Can anybody reach the A-list without losing all integrity?!

9:36 - Anti-Asian Racism is not the same thing as criticizing the CCP.

10:48 - Dat’s in da Bible. 

11:21 - So many countries have massive tension with China!

11:54 - Hey…Trump called em out, tho

13:21 - Hey, call a spade a SPADE.

13:30 - Chuck Palahniuk exhausts his emotion through storytelling.

15:06 - The way you think about artistry is forever changed.

15:26 - MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA!!!

17:06 - How Proust can change your life!

18:21 - Benefit of reading: hey, my life’s not so bad, hey?

18:52 - My favorite thing about Marcel Proust.

21:36 - How the way I perceive the Bible has changed over the years.

23:06 - The things that are true in the invisible world!

24:51 - Is the Western world plagued by shitty values, or a failure to live up to the BEST values?

26:11 - What true religion means to me.

26:56 - I love what America is founded on.

28:16 - The extent of my religious trauma.

28:56 - Separating morality and inherent conscience from control-based indoctrination

31:35 - I really, really believe in being good.

32:36 - If people never disagreed with me…

33:22 - We all have value in different ways, hahaha.

33:36 - We are EQUAL as humans!!!

34:06 - Bring Redemption Back 2021!

34:30 - The importance of telling the truth.

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In this, the sixeenth of (hopefully) many episodes, he gets interviewed by Anton, a 17 year old trying to figure out whether or not to go to acting school. He goes a bit more in depth about his 4 years at the California Institute of the Arts in beautiful VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA, babyyyy! Hopefully something in this podcast inspires you to act with a little more empathy today, or a bit more courage. Or, at the very least, makes you feel a little bit less alone in your confusion.

1:41 - Anton’s Dilemma. 

2:36 - Transitioning into art school. 

8:25 - Transitioning into the world after school.  

15:06 - The unrealistic comparisons we make for ourselves. 

17:31 - Upon graduation, how ready were you to not be in school? 

21:50 - Commercialism/Branding v. Developing Yourself as an Artist  

27:21 - What’s an average day like in the acting program? 

33:06 - “Critical Studies” Classes. 

35:36 - In terms of feeling challenging, how different is it from high school?  

43:03 - To what extent can you pursue other artistic endeavors during the program? 

45:27 - Is it more Theatre acting or Film Acting? 

50:01 - How much freedom is there to work during the summers?   

53:36 - Wisdom from Dana Gourrier 

56:01 - What people tell you vs. What your heart tells you. 

56:16 - The Shia LaBeouf story.  

58:58 - The Seven Great Works Club. 

1:00:06 - What’s the musical theatre scene like there? 

1:02:54 - The finances?   

1:05:14 - Is Calarts much better than my local art school? 

1:08:36 - Financial Stability vs. The Growth-Inducing Experience of Art School 

1:09:14 - How different is it from high school?

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In this, the fifteenth of (hopefully) many episodes, he explains why he thinks art school is MORE than worthwhile, if you go into it with the right mindset. Then he takes you through a more detailed description of the activities, experiences, and social forces that characterize his 4 years at the California Institute of the Arts in beautiful VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA, babyyyy! Hopefully something in this podcast inspires you to act with a little more empathy today, or a bit more courage. Or, at the very least, makes you feel a little bit less alone in your confusion. 

4:55 - How do the four years change you? 

10:48 - Potential issues you may encounter at first! 

15:00 - A bit about the skills work of acting (voice, speech, movement, etc.) 

20:00 - How school evolved my artistic goals. 

25:13 - One of the most IMPORTANT aspects you hone. 

27:30 - Why you need to constantly RISK. 

35:00 - The PARTYING, hahahaha. 40:00 - The plethora of artistic opportunities outside your main focus. 

45:00 - Even a misanthrope can form meaningful bonds. 

50:00 - Thoughts on the financial cost and mountains of debt.