The MAKE IT Podcast

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

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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

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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

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, we sit down with three legendary voice actors from the animated series X-Men '97 — Lenore Zann (Rogue), JP Karliak (Morph), and Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler) — to discuss Season 2 of the hit Disney+ show, the craft of voice acting, and the personal journeys that have shaped each of their careers. The trio shares candid reflections on preserving character continuity across decades, the challenges facing working voice actors in an AI-driven industry, and how their art intersects with social justice, environmental advocacy, and political engagement. From cheat day meals to what it truly means to "MAKE IT," this conversation is as heartfelt as it is illuminating.

We also talk about:
The origins of Rogue's iconic catchphrase "sugar" and how it became part of Lenore Zann's everyday speech, blurring the line between character and performer
The nostalgia for the 1990s circulating on social media, and why JP Karliak believes humans were never biologically designed to process the volume of information we consume today via the internet
The very real threat of AI voice cloning in the animation industry, including Adrian Hough's discovery of unauthorized voice copies of his characters Nightcrawler and Haytham Kenway, and what that means for workhorse voice actors
The role the COVID-19 pandemic played in reviving interest in X-Men: The Animated Series on Disney+, and how that surge in viewership likely led directly to the creation of X-Men '97
Each guest's deep personal commitment to causes beyond entertainment, including environmental advocacy for old-growth forests (Adrian), LGBTQIA+ voice actor support and nonpartisan voter engagement (JP), and social/political justice work rooted in Lenore's 12-year career as a Canadian politician

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:
X-Men '97 
X-Men: The Animated Series 
Disney+
Revival 
Peacock
Audible / Amazon 
Star Wars: Visions 
My Life with the Walter Boys 
Marvel Mash-Up 
Bob Trevino Likes It
Our Hero Balthazar
Holy Days
Breaker Morant 
Mephisto 
The Ruling Class
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith 
Picnic at Hanging Rock
My Brilliant Career
Storm Hawks 
The Boss Baby
CoComelon
Yo Gabba Gabba!
Bluey
The Joy Luck Club
The Aussie Six

People
Lenore Zann
JP Karliak
Adrian Hough
Tracie Laymon 
Ted Welch
Oscar Boyson 
Nat Boltt 
Miriam Margolyes 
Jacki Weaver 
Judy Davis
Sam Neill 
Edward Woodward
Jack Thompson
Bryan Brown
Peter O'Toole
Anthony Hopkins / Hannibal Lecter
Ian McKellen
Patrick Stewart
Tom Kenny / SpongeBob
Chris Rock
Ella Fitzgerald
Marilyn Monroe
Neil Gaiman / The Graveyard Book
David Letterman / Jennifer Aniston

Characters
X-Force
X-Factor
Polaris
Jubilee / Sunspot
Graydon Creed
Carol Danvers / Ms. Marvel
Mystique / Destiny
Bishop
Gambit / Remy LeBeau
Poison Ivy
Haytham Kenway

Organizations, Tools & Books
Queer Box
Nerds Vote
Nashville Film Festival
Postly
Canva
Riverside
A Rogue's Tale 
Lilith Fair
MTV Video Music Awards
Cocoanut Grove 

Places
Vancouver Island
Calgary
London, UK
Montreal
Paris
New York / Off-Broadway
Wisconsin
Hollywood

Social Media
Adrian Hough
JP Karliak
@queerboxacademy
nerdsvote.com / @nerdsvote
@LenoreZann (Instagram) / @ZannLenore (X)

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

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, Nick, and Producer Papa Bear sit down with Jesse Weglein — 15 years at Pixar, now founder of Illuminai Studios — joining live from the foot of Mount Fuji. Jesse worked on Up, Toy Story 3, and Toy Story 4 before a mass layoff ended that run and pushed him into building his own studio. He's using AI as a tool, not a replacement, to make original animated films for audiences the industry keeps overlooking — including his short film Roar, which Whoopi Goldberg picked for the Tribeca Film Festival.

We also talk about:
The creative culture at Pixar and what makes it impossible to replicate — including how directors would skip watching their own films in theaters to study the audience's reactions instead
The global divide on AI in animation, from China's breakneck adoption of the technology to Japan's philosophical hesitation around whether AI can carry the "soul" of an artist's vision
The economic fragility of the animation business model, including the trend of outsourcing animation overseas and how AI might offer a path to reclaiming domestic production jobs
The importance of traditional art training as the essential foundation before any aspiring animator or filmmaker touches AI tools — and why skipping that foundation produces hollow, soulless content
The passionate debate around AI's role in filmmaking, including the social policing happening on different platforms, copyright and trademark risks when using AI-generated imagery, and the distinction between using AI to accelerate creativity versus allowing it to replace it entirely

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:
People
Jesse Weglein 
John Lasseter
Steve Jobs
Ed Catmull
Pete Docter
Frank Oz
Andrew Stanton
Whoopi Goldberg
Phil Tippett
Tim McLaughlin 
John McCarthy
Akira Kurosawa
Hayao Miyazaki
Fritz Lang
Toshiro Mifune
Lionel Messi
Ray Kurzweil
Isaac Asimov
Dario Amodei 
Sam Altman 
Brian Adler
Barbara Lowenstein 

Films & Shows
Up
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 4
Toy Story 5
The Incredibles
ROAR 
Shine (Illuminai Studios)
The Color Purple 
Metropolis (1927)
Seven Samurai 
High and Low 
The Wind Rises 
Spirited Away 
Rashomon 
Red Beard 
Starship Troopers 
Jumpin' Jack Flash 
Sister Act 
A.I. Artificial Intelligence 
Disclosure Day 
The Boy and the Heron 
The Odyssey 

Companies & Organizations
Pixar Animation Studios
ILLUMINAI Studios
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
Google DeepMind
Tribeca Film Festival
Texas A&M Visualization
Anthropic
OpenAI / ChatGPT
Apple
Technicolor
Nashville Film Festival
WGA

Software & Technology
Maya
Presto (Pixar's proprietary tool)
Photoshop
Suno
Ray tracing / render farm

Websites & Social Media
illuminaistudios.com
nashvillefilmfestival.org

Books & Products
Mastering Film Marketing (ebook)
Make It Academy
Up Lego Set
Luxo Jr.

Places
Emeryville, California 
Lake Kawaguchi / Mount Fuji
Tokyo, Japan
San Francisco, California
Lucas Building/Steve Jobs Building
Dartmouth College / Dartmouth workshop, 1956

Other References
The Dan Patrick Show
The View
2026 FIFA World Cup
NBA Playoffs
WHALE 52 — Suite For Man, Boy, And Whale 
Dear Upstairs Neighbors 
Joseph McCarthy / McCarthyism

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