The MAKE IT Podcast

This episode is brought to you by MAKE IT Academy. Get access to 200+ courses today at https://themakeitpodcast.com/pages/academy and use code: ACADEMY50 for 50% off the Academy for a year! 

Hello, Hello! 

In this episode, we speak with Nashville filmmaker Nicole Marie Lim about building a career across makeup, writing, producing, and directing. Nicole explains how supportive relationships, practical set skills, and respectful leadership shape better creative work. The conversation also examines AI, vertical video, mid-budget filmmaking, actor chemistry, and what it means to make it without losing the joy of creating.

We also talk about:

• How makeup artists can prepare for their first professional set.
• Why continuity, schedules, and department-specific language matter.
• The limits of glamour, fame, and money in filmmaking.
• Why directors should trust department heads and communicate according to individual needs.
• How chemistry reads can reveal unexpected casting choices.

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:

People

Nichole Marie Lim (also IMDb) 

Joy Todd

David Lim

Michelle Lim

John August

Craig Mazin

Jim Henson

J.K. Simmons

Brad Pitt

David Ayer

Stephen Norrington

Tim Burton

Christopher Nolan

Zendaya

Robert Pattinson

Milla Jovovich

Viola Davis

Brands & Products

My Kit Co

RCMA Makeup

Senna Cosmetics

Listerine

Altoids

Her Projects

Checkmate, The Way Back Down, Mom Cult, American Quilt Contest

Films

Holland (2025)

Blade

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The Migrant

Marie Antoinette

Amélie

Romeo + Juliet 

The Sound of Music

The Expendables 2

Sinners

The 'Burbs

Poor Things

The Odyssey

Oppenheimer

Grizzly Man

Jaws

Alien

A Week Away

Places & Institutions

Nashville

Ohio

New York

Amsterdam

Mumbai

Nashville Film Festival

Frist Art Museum

MAKE IT

Make It Academy

Mastering Film Marketing (e-book)

The MAKE IT Podcast

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

Subscribe: https://themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Hello, Hello!

In this episode, AI Hosts Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness examine Keith McDaniel’s path from singer, designer, and scriptwriter to documentary filmmaker and community leader. They explore how he learned filmmaking without formal training, documented complex Tennessee history, and built a sustainable local film festival. The conversation also connects creative independence with health, discipline, and the possibility that starting late can mean starting prepared.

We also talk about:

• How a poor first documentary can still reveal the right creative medium.
• Why interviewing original Oakridgers preserved primary historical testimony.
• How James Earl Jones added credibility and distribution power to The Clinton 12.
• Why Keith treated 40 film festivals as research laboratories rather than applause tours.
• How the seven-day shootout created audience ownership through participation.

People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned:

Keith McDaniel (also IMDb)

James Earl Jones 

Ken Burns

Films & Projects

The Clinton 12 

Secret City: The Oak Ridge Story 

The Belmont Reasons

Companies & Organizations

Secret City Films

Secret City Film Festival 

Knoxville Film Festival

Dogwood Arts

Discovery

Jupiter Entertainment

eBay

Motel 6

Places

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Roane County, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Regal Downtown West Cinema 8

History & Concepts

Brown v. Board of Education

Manhattan Project

VHS

Slow-carb diet

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode is brought to you by Anthropic. Claude is the AI for minds that don’t stop at good enough—it's the collaborator that actually understands your entire workflow and thinks WITH you, not for you. Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude Pro when you use our link – www.claude.ai/makeit

This episode is brought to you by our e-book Mastering Film Marketing. Get your copy today at https://themakeitpodcast.com/products/mastering-film-marketing. Use the Discount code: NASHFILM20 for 20% off EVERYTHING at themakeitpodcast.com

Hello, Hello! 

In this episode, Isabel Hagen joins us to discuss her work as a comedian, filmmaker, and classically trained violist. She explains how her freelance music career inspired the feature film On a String, which premiered at Tribeca and won Best Screenplay in the U.S. Narrative Competition. The conversation also explores comedy in the age of clips, creative persistence, protecting real people in fiction, film criticism, artistic identity, and what it means to make it.

We also talk about:

• Turning experiences from weddings, funerals, and private music gigs into heightened comedic characters and situations.
• Why live comedy benefits from audiences putting their phones away while performers test unfinished material.
• Isabel’s process for becoming a stronger comedian through open mics, recordings, repeated performance, and daily review.
• The creative lessons she draws from Paul Thomas Anderson, including the scale of One Battle After Another and the score of Phantom Thread.
• How nostalgia, streaming overload, and the paradox of choice influence how audiences rewatch their favorite movies.

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:

People

Isabel Hagen (isabelhagen.com)

Brandon Tamburri 

William Primrose

Paul Thomas Anderson

Maria Bamford

Marina Abramović

Lana Del Rey

Films & TV

On a String

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

One Battle After Another

Phantom Thread

Happiness

The Omen

The Parent Trap 

Goodfellas

Challengers

Saltburn

It's a Wonderful Life

The Princess Bride

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

The NeverEnding Story

The Dukes of Hazzard

Companies & Organizations

Joke Zero

Tribeca Film Festival

The Juilliard School

NBC Symphony Orchestra

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Nashville Film Festival

Substack

Soho House

Music

Guns N' Roses

"Welcome to the Jungle"

Food & Places

LaGuardia Airport

Seattle

7th Street Burger

Shake Shack

Beecher's Handmade Cheese 

The Capital Grille

MAKE IT

Make It Academy

Mastering Film Marketing (e-book)

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

WHAT IS FILM BRIEF?

Blending journalism with artistry, Film Brief transforms film analysis into an engaging and informative listening experience. The goal is to reveal what makes each movie or series resonate—on screen and behind the scenes. For listeners, it’s not just a review; it’s an exploration of the art of filmmaking.

BRIEF:

In this episode, Nick reviews Who Is Stan Smith?, Danny Lee’s documentary about the tennis champion whose name became attached to one of the world’s most recognizable sneakers. The film moves from athletic achievement and fashion history to Stan Smith’s friendship with Arthur Ashe, humanitarian work, and commitment to players’ rights. The conversation ultimately asks what kind of signature each person leaves behind when fame and branding are stripped away.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Smith’s rise from Southern California and USC tennis to former world number one.
• His 1971 U.S. Open victory, 1972 Wimbledon victory, five U.S. Open titles across singles and doubles, and eight championship Davis Cup teams.
• The open era of professional tennis and the movement for greater player control.
• Smith’s 1973 Wimbledon boycott after Nikola Pilic was suspended.
• The sneaker’s adoption by musicians, artists, designers, and fashion communities.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Film

Who Is Stan Smith?

Danny Lee

Rebecca Halpern

People

Stan Smith

Arthur Ashe

John McEnroe

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels

Pharrell Williams

Niki Pilić 

Products & Brands

Adidas Stan Smith

Run-DMC

Institutions & Events

University of Southern California

US Open

Wimbledon

Davis Cup

Ebook: "Mastering Film Marketing"

The MAKE IT Podcast

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating us, or leaving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

Subscribe: https://themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Hello, Hello!

In this episode, AI Hosts Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the world of filmmaker and Scientist, Alexis Gambis. He explains how a background in molecular biology can serve as a foundation for filmmaking rather than be an abandoned career. The conversation explores the Science New Wave, a movement that combines rigorous science with emotional storytelling, culture, and personal identity. It also examines CRISPR, de-extinction, creative practice, and the infrastructure needed to bring hybrid science films to audiences.

We also talk about:

• The patience and observation skills Gambis developed while studying fruit flies.
• His father’s shift from engineering to painting and the role of family history in his films.
• The resistance Gambis encountered from both biology and film communities.
• Spike Lee’s mentorship and the fruit-fly drawing displayed beside a photo of Patrick Ewing.
• The Symbiosis initiative’s one-week collaborations between scientists and filmmakers.

People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned:

Alexis Gambis 

Spike Lee

James Franco

Jessica Chastain

Tenoch Huerta 

Kurt Andersen

Thomas Hunt Morgan

Films & Projects

The Fly Room (2014)

Son of Monarchs (2020/21)

The Next Jaguar 

Disposable 

The Color of Time 

Institutions & Platforms

The Rockefeller University

NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Columbia University

Labocine

Imagine Science Films

Science New Wave — Labocine

Sundance Film Festival

Alfred P. Sloan Prize

Science & Concepts

Symbiosis

CRISPR

Cas9

Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger)

Woolly mammoth

Asian elephant

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode is brought to you by our e-book Mastering Film Marketing. Get your copy today at https://themakeitpodcast.com/products/mastering-film-marketing. Use the Discount code: NASHFILM20 for 20% off EVERYTHING at themakeitpodcast.com

Hello, Hello! 

In this episode, we dive deep into the cultural and philosophical battle between physical ownership and the digital future, using Sony's elimination of physical game discs and Xbox's pro-physical media stance as a launching point for a wide-ranging conversation about what we lose when we lose the tangible things we love. We pay heartfelt tribute to recently lost icons — including Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Peter Cullen, Hayden Panettiere, and Michael Wright — reflecting on how physical artifacts, authentic storytelling, and genuine human connection define lasting legacies. We also cover upcoming film releases, fall film festival Oscar buzz, the Nashville Film Festival, and celebrate our milestone of 300K YouTube subscribers.

We also talk about:

• The generational nostalgia crisis — what happens when the next generation's cultural touchstones are memes instead of physical media, Saturday morning cartoons, or vinyl records, and why that loss of human connection to art matters
• The University of Michigan's decision to eliminate grades in response to students using AI to complete coursework for them, and what that means for the future of education and creativity
• The Tennessee Titans' underwhelming $10,000 charity gesture for former star Chris Johnson (CJ2K), who was diagnosed with ALS, contrasted with Dolly Parton's 330-million-book donation legacy and what "real" philanthropy looks like
• The upcoming Netflix reboot of A Different World, why Kadeem Hardison's involvement gives fans hope, and what the show must get right to honor the original's legacy of hope, pride, and HBCU culture
• The "infoist" philosophy described in Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century and how it explains why tech companies are relentlessly pushing toward a fully digital, ownership-free world

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:

Products / Software / Technology

PlayStation

Xbox

Spotify / Apple Music

iTunes

Netflix

HP

Funko

Atari 2600

Sega Genesis

ChatGPT

Flock Safety

Films / Shows / Music

Mastering Film Marketing (ebook)

On a String

Black Zombie

Anthony Bourdain

Digger (Tom Cruise)

A Different World

Bel-Air

Good Times

The Five Heartbeats

Blonde

"Jolene"

"Coat of Many Colors"

"9 to 5"

"I Will Always Love You"

Boys Don't Cry (Frank Ocean magazine) — Blonde page

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Annie

The Transformers

Smosh

"Chocolate Rain"

Charlie Bit My Finger

Iron Lung

Obsession

Backrooms

Peter Frampton

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Sapiens

People

Dolly Parton

Tim Curry

Peter Cullen

Hayden Panettiere

Michael Wright

Chris Johnson (CJ2K)

Frank Ocean

Whitney Houston

Elvis Presley

Porter Wagoner

Eminem

Steve Jobs

Yuval Noah Harari

Kadeem Hardison

Markiplier

Kane Parsons

Curry Barker

Isabel Hagen

Anthony Padilla & Ian Hecox

Tay Zonday

Paul Kuharsky

Bill Cosby

Places / Events / Organizations

Nashville Film Festival

Nashville, Tennessee

Dollywood

Telluride Film Festival

New York Film Festival

Venice Film Festival

TIFF

Sundance Film Festival

Tribeca Film Festival

HBCUs

University of Michigan

Make It Academy

themakeitpodcast.com

Target

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

Subscribe: https://themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Hello, Hello!

In this episode, AI Hosts Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the remarkable career of Jeffrey Pittle, a senior creative director, animator, and self-described "agent of transformation" who has spent over two decades working with industry giants like Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., and Nickelodeon. Drawing from the original MAKE IT interview, they unpack the audacious, humble, and often painful journey of a creative professional who built a unicorn skill set by refusing to stay in any single lane. From knocking on a comic legend's front door as a teenager to producing an Oscar-nominated Holocaust animated short, Jeff's story is a masterclass in surviving — and thriving — in the unpredictable business of creativity.

We also talk about:

• How Jeffrey's childhood obsession with '70s Disney films, Jim Henson's Muppets, and the original Star Wars at a drive-in theater planted the seeds of his creative identity and gave him the cognitive leap to realize that making art was an actual, payable profession
• The critical balance between audacity and humility in a creative career — why having the ego to knock on a legend's door means nothing without the willingness to sit in a freezing car all night just to hold a parking spot for a film crane
• The dangers of tying your creative work to a proprietary tech platform, illustrated by the heartbreaking story of a technically stunning Chaka Khan music video that was locked away forever when the startup behind it went bankrupt
• Jeffrey's sharp critique of modern art schools, which excel at teaching technical craft but consistently fail to equip young creatives with the business skills — invoicing, taxes, pricing their time — needed to survive as professionals
• The philosophical paradox that closes the episode: if a masterpiece is created but legally sealed away from the public forever, does it still have value — or does the true worth of creativity lie entirely in how the process of making it transforms the artist?

People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned:

Jeffrey Pittle

Will Eisner

Bill Murray

Caroll Spinney 

Chaka Khan

Jim Krupa (NY puppet company)

Daniel Alcheh 

Leonardo da Vinci 

Isaac Newton

Steven Spielberg

Films & Shows

Pete's Dragon 

Winnie the Pooh

Star Wars (1977)

Scrooged (1988)

Eureeka's Castle 

Deal or No Deal

Wipeout

The Tattooed Torah

Companies & Organizations

Nickelodeon

Universal Pictures

Nick Jr.

School of Visual Arts

QB (vertical video startup)

Quibi

Fish Eggs (Venice, CA)

USC Shoah Foundation

11 Dollar Bill 

Platforms & Tools

Adobe After Effects

Fitbit

Google Images

MTV

Places

South Florida

Boca Raton, Florida

New York City

Queens, New York

Venice, California

Los Angeles, California

Moscow, Russia

Concepts & Awards

Eisner Awards

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film 

Motion capture

Chroma key (green screen)

Steampunk

Jack of all trades, master of none

Star Trek vs. Star Wars

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode is brought to you by Anthropic. Claude is the AI for minds that don’t stop at good enough—it's the collaborator that actually understands your entire workflow and thinks WITH you, not for you. Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude Pro when you use our link – www.claude.ai/makeit

This episode is brought to you by our e-book Mastering Film Marketing. Get your copy today at https://themakeitpodcast.com/products/mastering-film-marketing. Use the Discount code: NASHFILM20 for 20% off EVERYTHING at themakeitpodcast.com

Hello, Hello! 

In this episode, Chris & Papa Bear sit down with filmmaker Oscar Boyson to discuss his directorial debut, Our Hero, Balthazar, a provocative and critically talked-about indie film that has been called the most controversial movie of the year. Oscar shares how his unconventional path — from competitive freestyle skier in Maine to Craigslist hire at the Neistat Brothers' studio — shaped him into the filmmaker he is today. The conversation spans filmmaking craft, the dangers of AI dependency, the power of perseverance over ideas, and what it truly means to get an independent film in front of audiences.

We also talk about:

• The thematic parallels between Our Hero, Balthazar, and the 1995 indie classic Kids, including how both films straddle the line between being cautionary tales for parents and romanticized adventures for younger viewers
• The growing role of AI tools like ChatGPT in everyday decision-making, and whether over-reliance on AI is creating a generation that can no longer think or fail independently — including the concept of "Gellman Amnesia" as a lens for understanding AI's credibility problem
• The social media "validation machine" phenomenon, how algorithms reinforce existing beliefs and behaviors, and what that means for youth culture, mental health, and even real-world violence
• The importance of perseverance over ideas in the creative process, drawing on Casey Neistat's famous motto — "Ideas are common, perseverance is rare" — and how Oscar applied that philosophy to his own career and filmmaking journey
• The practical and ethical considerations of using firearms and blank-firing weapons on an indie film set in the post-Rust era, including the critical role of a professional armorer and the creative reasoning behind using blanks for actor authenticity

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:

People

Oscar Boyson

Casey Neistat

Van Neistat

Ricky Camilleri

Nate DeYoung

Josh & Benny Safdie

Greta Gerwig

Noah Baumbach

Tom Sachs

Frank Gehry

Asa Butterfield

Jaeden Martell

Stephen Phelps

Christopher Messina

Lena Dunham

Sam Lisenco

Harmony Korine

Rosario Dawson

Chloë Sevigny

Roger Ebert

Gene Siskel

Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Micheaux

Oscar Isaac

Oscar Levant

Dick Gregory

MrBeast

Jordan Gallant (composer)

Spike Lee

Spike Jonze

David Fincher

Gaspar Noé

Andrew Tate

Big Mike (Oscar’s father)

Elise (Oscar’s sister)

Films

Our Hero, Balthazar

Kids (1995)

Frances Ha

Good Time

Heaven Knows What

Adolescence

The Odyssey

Boogie Nights

Trainspotting

Taxi Driver

Straw Dogs (1971)

Jour de fête

The Last Temptation of Christ

Irréversible

Ex Machina

A Most Violent Year

Lady Be Good (1941)

State Fair (1945)

TV Shows

The Neistat Brothers

Platforms, Websites & Tools

ChatGPT / OpenAI

Craigslist

Vimeo

The Wayback Machine

Digital Cinema Package (DCP)

Art House Convergence

Places

Williams Center

Nashville, Tennessee

Maryland

Lower Antioch / Woodbine — Nashville neighborhoods

Maine

New York City

North Texas

Hawaii

Tribeca Festival

Nashville Film Festival

Belcourt Theatre

Regal Opry Mills

Products & Brands

Tesla Supercharger

Tesla app

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Chick-fil-A

Concepts & References

Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect

Parasocial relationships

The Covenant School shooting

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Stoneman Douglas / Parkland

Four-walling

“Ideas are common, perseverance is rare” — Casey Neistat motto

“Movies are empathy machines” — Roger Ebert

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hello, Hello!

In this episode, Kevin Goetz, Hollywood's leading audience research expert and founder of Screen Engine, shares one of his most humbling professional mistakes — advising Mattel's entertainment team to walk away from the Barbie movie project before it became a global cultural phenomenon. Kevin reflects on how he misread early research data that showed limited audience interest in a Barbie film, and how a visionary filmmaker, a bold creative pivot, and a brilliant marketing strategy transformed a seemingly doomed IP into one of the highest-grossing films in history. This conversation is a masterclass in intellectual humility, the limits of data, and the power of creative conviction.

We also talk about:

• How Kevin's proprietary "capability testing technique" works — measuring awareness, interest, intensity, and format preference — and why even well-executed research has its limits when creative transformation hasn't yet occurred
• The behind-the-scenes story of how Greta Gerwig pitched her vision for Barbie in a New York brownstone, describing the film as existing "somewhere between a stiletto and a Birkenstock," and how that single creative framing changed everything
• Why two previous Barbie film attempts — one with Anne Hathaway and one with Amy Schumer — never made it to production, and what pattern Kevin saw that made him skeptical a third attempt would succeed
• How Barbie's marketing team turned the color pink into a full visual language and cultural movement, driving audiences to theaters dressed in Pepto-Bismol pink and making the film a genuine zeitgeist moment
• How this pivotal mistake reshaped Kevin's approach to advising clients, leading him to offer a new kind of hope to filmmakers and studios working with IP or projects that appear to have limited audience potential on paper

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:

People

Kevin Goetz

Robbie Brenner 

Margot Robbie

Tom Ackerley 

Greta Gerwig

Noah Baumbach

Ryan Gosling

America Ferrera

Issa Rae

Anne Hathaway

Amy Schumer

Companies & Organizations

Screen Engine/ASI

Mattel

Simon & Schuster 

Films & Franchises

Barbie (2023)

Dallas Buyers Club

Fast & Furious franchise

List of Barbie films 

Books

Audienceology

How to Score in Hollywood

Podcasts

Don't Kill the Messenger

Mattel IP Referenced

Barbie 

Hot Wheels

Websites & Social Media

KevinGoetz360.com

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: https://themakeitpodcast.store

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hello, Hello!

In this episode, AI Hosts Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the extraordinary life and career of Nathaniel Nuon, a Cambodian refugee-turned Emmy-winning filmmaker who transformed personal and financial limitations into groundbreaking creative work. They explore how a childhood spent watching a broken, silent television set trained Nathaniel's brain to become a master storyteller, and how that same constraint-driven mindset led him to make an Emmy-winning short film about one of history's most overlooked genocides. From designing a feature film specifically for visually impaired audiences to using a cheap VR gaming puck to replicate Hollywood-grade camera tracking, Nathaniel's story is a masterclass in turning obstacles into innovation.

We also talk about:

• How Nathaniel's Cambodian refugee background and his family's adoption of American names shaped his identity and creative drive
• The psychological science behind why cognitive constraints — like missing audio — can actually hardwire the brain to become a more powerful problem-solving storyteller
• The concept of inclusive design in filmmaking and how designing for marginalized audiences (such as the visually impaired) can unintentionally produce a richer, more atmospheric experience for all audiences
• The culture and output of Full Sail University as a 24/7 creative incubator, and how its high-pressure environment produced 140 graduates who worked on Oscar-nominated films in a single year
• A forward-looking philosophical question about the future of filmmaking: as AI, LED walls, and game engines make visual perfection cheap and ubiquitous, will audiences eventually crave the imperfection of practical, physical effects just to feel something authentically human?

People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned:

People

Nathaniel Nuon

Jordan Ladd 

Valerie Jane Parker 

Films & Projects

Residue 

The Voices 

Shows Referenced

Mister Ed

John Wick

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Organizations & Companies

Nuon Films

3rd Realm Creations

Full Sail University

Technology & Products

HTC Vive Tracker

LED walls / virtual production

RED

ARRI Alexa

DSLR cameras

Viagra (sildenafil)

Uber

Historical Events & Concepts

*Operation Menu

Khmer Rouge

Audio description

Parallax

*This was actually a US Air Force operation, not a CIA operation — Strategic Air Command B-52 strikes authorized by Nixon and Kissinger (1969–70), kept secret from Congress. The CIA did run separate covert programs in Cambodia, including training Cambodian irregulars, which is the premise Residue actually dramatizes.

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. 

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

Subscribe: https://themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy