The Creative Jungle

Our hosts, Arty and Justin, get into the holiday spirit with a review of the Netflix Christmas movies that made the greatest impression on them this year. Is Kurt Russell the best Santa Claus ever? Who considers catfishing a romantic holiday plotline? Are the Christmas classics of the past still resonating with the kids of today? We look for answers to these hard-hitting questions and more as we wish everyone out there a happy holidays and joyful start to the new year.

Chris Grabenstein's prolific writing career has captured the imaginations of countless children around the world with his award winning books such as The Haunted Mystery series, The Smartest Kid In The Universe, The Lemoncello series and more. How does he do it? In this interview, Chris shares the lessons he learned from his roots in improv comedy, working for advertising agencies, and collaborating with the likes of Jim Henson and James Patterson that continue to influence his creative process today.

CC Ice is a stunt performer and actress whose credits include doubling as Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch in some of the most iconic action sequences in recent cinematic history. But as CC reveals, there's a lot more to capturing a stunt performance in order to blend an actor with their stunt double to achieve the suspension of disbelief. Hear CC detail her creative process for working through the action sequences that have dazzled audiences in Avengers Infinity War, End Game and WandaVision.

Team Coco's Head of Post Production, Robert James Ashe, hops on the podcast to talk through the editing process of Conan O'Brien's long running late night talk show. How does their editing team take an idea and shape it into an on air sketch? What's the collaboration like between the writers, producers and post production team? What did Team Coco have to do to continue producing a daily show during COVID? Robert shares his tips, tricks and editing philosophy that's led him to 4 Primetime Emmy nominations.

Byron White is a serial entrepreneur who's launched half a dozen successful start-ups including writeraccess.com, which has made the INC. 5000 list for five years in a row. Byron's not short on ideas, but it's his process for executing those ideas that keep delivering growth to his ventures. Hear the stories behind his most successful start-ups, how he finds uplift, when it's time to pivot, and when it's time to give back as he's done with his Lost Ball Golf Tournament to raise funds for cancer research.

LeBron James or Michael Jordan? People have strong opinions on the GOAT of basketball debate. But after watching Space Jam 2: The Legacy, we definitely have an answer to who the GOAT of basketball films costarring Looney Tunes characters is. Justin and Arty air their grievances about the latest LeBron James effort, rethink their childhood impressions of Bugs Bunny, and chalk up another championship for original films vs. reboots.

Joel Relampagos is an acclaimed Los Angeles based Executive Producer and Showrunner whose most important work may be founding the Los Angeles based mental wellness community, Change Your Algorithm. Joel candidly shares his own mental health journey, how the transformation he went through has influenced the creative executive he is today, breaking down entertainment industry stereotypes about mental health awareness, and what a clearer, healthier mind can do for the creative process. www.changealgorithm.com

Tess Tregellas is a comedian, actor and filmmaker you admire because she's not afraid to try something new. Whether it's making award winning short films, trying out a new bit on social media or performing in comedy clubs all over New York City, Tess is putting her creative courage on display everyday. "It's like going to the gym, it's the reps," she says. Hear all about Tess's creative workout routine, writing content for specific platforms and why your corporate marketing team's tweets could be funnier.

Tamsen Webster is the kind of marketing strategist you call when you have a big idea that needs a megaphone. Part storyteller, part strategist, part 'idea whisperer', Tamsen has helped build messaging approaches for some of the biggest tech, pharma and life sciences brands in the world to drive action with their ideas. How does she do it? Let her tell you in this podcast as well as her new book, 'Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible'. What's a red thread? She explains that too!

Andrew Tarvin was like many of us who found office life to be a little dull until he started applying his improv comedy background into the workplace. Fast forward to today and Andrew is a bestselling author, has a Tedx talk with over 10 million views and founded his own company, Humor That Works, where he helps organizations get better results while having fun at work. Hear how this humor engineer crafts a comedy routine for the workplace that won't get you fired and how it can stimulate creativity.

Annabelle Mauger is a renown creative director from France who grew up surrounded by a world of art and cinema. So it's no surprise that her creative mind is dazzling audiences around the world with her immersive art exhibitions. Hear how Annabelle takes the works of masters like Vincent Van Gogh or Pablo Picasso and designs an immersive audiovisual showcase that frees audiences from the restrictions of frames and screens to become active explorers in the works of art surrounding them.

JP Bolles is the Vice President of Creative for Sandwich, an LA based video agency that's changing the way brands are creatively thinking about their video marketing content. With the success of their videos, it's no surprise that JP and the Sandwich team field a constant barrage of calls from clients asking for cookie-cutter versions of their previous work. But Sandwich isn't an assembly line, and today, JP explains how his team keeps their creative process fresh for themselves and their clients.

Jennifer Bonine was the first female Artificial Intelligence platform tech CEO and is here to tell us how she applies her creative process to the design, implementation and marketing behind her tech start ups. As the CEO of AI Appstore and recently launched virtual building platform, RedRex, Jenn's no stranger to imagining how AI can enhance the human experience. But you may be surprised at how important storytelling is to spreading  this tech guru's message of making AI easier to understand for all ages.

Writer/Director Murphy McCann tells us all about the development and production of her first scripted short, Burning My Tongue, about the complications and comedy that comes with trying to flirt or date when you're LGBTQ. As a member of our internal team, Murphy is an essential part of our creative meetings. But it wasn't always that way. Find out how Murphy developed her creative process and how that helped her bring Burning My Tongue to life.

Josh Kirk is an independent writer, director, and editor whose dark comedy inspired work, Know Nothins, garnered award-winning praise on the film festival circuit. Hear Josh break down his creative writing process, how he developed his latest short, Hip Cat, and how he collaborates with a crew to bring his words to life on the silver screen.

Adam Weiner has seen his share of success as an indie rock act. His band, Low Cut Connie, has garnered praise from music legends like Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and even earned a spot on President Obama's summer Spotify music list. Hear how Adam went through his creative metamorphosis to become what he considers to be the entertainer he is today and how he sees his latest project during COVID, Tough Cookies, to be his most pure creative endeavor yet.

Creative courage is a theme we've stressed over the years with our Video Jungle Podcast. So we decided to follow our own advice, and revamp the show to focus on the creative process of people we think have creative courage in their field of work. All industry sectors apply here as we attempt to get to the root of creativity. What does it mean to be creative? How can someone else's creative process impact your own? Hear Arty and Justin's initial thoughts and what you can expect from our season 3 series. 

A quick message from all of us at The Video Jungle Podcast. We hope you all enjoy your holiday season and here's to a better 2021 for us all!

The holiday season is a time family, friends, giving, and rewatching your favorite holiday themed movies. Whether you jump back into the 'Die Hard is a Christmas movie' debate, consider 'Nightmare Before Christmas' a Halloween movie, or desire a stop motion adventure with Yukon Cornelius and Rudolph, these are the films that we hold dear to our hearts. But what makes these films so special? And where do Hallmark films fall on the spectrum of classic holiday films? We search for answers in our last 2020 pod.

In a different world, Elf, the 2003 Will Ferrell holiday classic may never have been made. It's true! Thanks to Netflix's 'The Movies That Made Us' series, we got all the behind the stories on the making of Elf that had us thanking our lucky candy canes the filmmakers persevered. Hear are takeaways on what stood out to us from the production side and the business side, as well as the lessons marketers and young filmmakers can learn from the making of this holiday classic.

Thanks to COVID, in-person video production has been an anomaly in 2020. Whether we like it or not, it's forced us to get used to a different level of quality control and develop new recipes for creating video marketing content. In this episode, we're sharing insights about our virtual production protocol that helped our clients continue their 2020 video marketing strategies, with tips on producing around the inconsistencies of webcam and digital audio recording platforms.

What kind of leader does it take to manage a team during a pandemic? How can you empower your people with nothing but virtual meetings? We dug into our podcast archives to find the answers from 3 spirited leaders, author Mike Michalowicz, professor Michael Roberto, and executive producer Walter Biscardi Jr., whose advice seems more profound today than ever. Tune in for this special compilation episode designed to help you let go of micromanagement and motivate your teams to find their creative courage.

UK based Director, Writer, and Podcaster Giles Alderson tells us all about the 7 year journey of making his film 'The Dare', a perfect streaming delight for this weekend's Halloween festivities or year-round horror enthusiasts. Giles' extraordinary passion for filmmaking, the quality of projects he's producing including his own reimagining of the King Arthur Legend, and his storytelling prowess all comes through in this special hour long convo. Hear more from Giles and cinema pros on The Filmmakers Podcast. 

Matt Berkowitz, CCO of Atomic Cartoons, shares a behind the scenes look at the making of their hit Netflix series, The Last Kids On Earth. Fresh off an Emmy Award win, Matt explains the creative process Atomic goes through for their popular slate of kids animated programming, and how they've kept production going during COVID. Plus, we bring back our bonus features segment for 90's cartoon talk, snowy memories of Syracuse University, and a painful laser tag story about The Video Jungle's producer, Mark.

Is the recent launch of Peacock, NBC's new streaming service too little too late? We think so. Netflix has become their own broadcast network right before our eyes. And TV networks only have themselves to blame. We discuss the impact of the rebel streaming service revolution against the Hollywood empire's traditional distribution system, and how this cosmic disruption affects where you place your next ad buy, as well as the kind of content you should be considering for your next campaign.

B2B and B2C marketing may seem like adversarial ideologies, but we would argue that a B2C creative approach can influence more effective B2B marketing messages. It may also be why insurance companies go for humor with their ads. We dive into ABC's of both philosophies, what's the difference between marketing to consumers and consumers who run businesses? The lines may be more blurred upon a little reflection on how we see approaches from marketers in our daily lives as consumers or entrepreneurs.

Hulu's recent NFL ads got us thinking a lot about the practical uses of deep fake technology. Are there any, really? Is sticking NFL football stars heads on different bodies really that creative? Arty and Justin breakdown Hulu's Hail Mary which leads to further discussion on the implications of deep fake tech being readily available to anyone. The spread of misinformation, fooling the masses, Tom Hanks making movies until 2200; it can all happen with deep fake tech. The question is, should it?

Not necessarily. Don't you really just need a 15sec. ad that blasts your audience with a CTA? What story do you think you're telling in a 6sec. YouTube bumper? The truth is all those marketing gurus stressing the value of storytelling in your video marketing content aren't painting you the whole picture. It's a little more complicated. We dissect different levels of ads you may need to support a campaign as well as the ways you can adapt storytelling conventions to fit your brand's content needs.

Corporate buzzwords spoken in video content is a serious buzzkill.  Just stop it. You're wasting precious camera time. Everybody thinks their company is innovative, customer driven, and has the best culture in the world. Whether or not that's true, it's the same messaging everybody says in their content. Don't say it, show it! We're making videos after all.  Arty and Justin discuss what stories and content opportunities will help your brand show the manifestation of these terms, while making your next batch of videos more personalized and unique to you. 

Damien Chazelle is a phenomenal director. So it's no surprise the latest short he made for Apple, using the iPhone 11 Pro, is a beautiful example of vertical video content. But it's not the kind of exercise that should get your internal marketing team thinking they have magical filmmaking powers right in their pocket. We discuss just how practical iPhones are for video production and what it really takes to modify your phone footage from glorified selfie to cinematic elegance fit for La La Land.

It certainly got our attention just for the shear volume of clips the editors of the video went through. But beyond some serious post-production fortitude, Arty and Justin share their reactions to the concept, execution, and overall messaging involved in Nike's latest viral hit. What appears to be a very complicated edit, may have started off as a very simple concept. 

Writing a script that translates to video requires a lot more than a list of product features. There are intangibles like pace, tone, and creativity that DIY writers don't always think about. If your script is clunky or flat out boring, your video content is off to a rough start before you record a single frame. Arty and Justin share their tips for writing better scripts that avoid information overload, present a clear objective to the video content you're producing, and spark interest for your brand.

Arty and Justin discuss what video production will look like as states begin reopening amidst COVID-19 regulations. Besides higher sanitation standards with the amount of human contact involved in filmmaking, businesses have adjusted to using video as an everyday tool. What are the new expectations for video marketing producers and directors? Is production 101 knowledge now a requirement for everybody? We weigh the benefits of these new trends including how comfortable you should get with zoom meetings.

Media training has always been an essential part of video marketing. Since the COVID-19 lockdown, presenting yourself on camera has become an even more necessary skill set for daily video chats while working from home. Arty and Justin are here to tell you that you're right, reading off a teleprompter is the hardest thing ever. One take wonders are rare. A studio set up can be intimidating to walk into. And surprise! We encourage our clients to invest in their internal video teams. Push play to hear why.

Is there such a thing as trying too hard to be funny in a 30-second commercial spot? We think so. Arty, Justin, and Director Jordan Brady describe what "funny" really means for commercial directing whether it's designed for broadcast or social media. How do directors get the best out of their comedic talent through scripted and improv takes? Is LiMu Emu funny? Plus Jordan reveals his tip for filmmaking gold you can find at your local 7-11 and just how interested our families are in our production work.

Jordan will provide days of riveting behind the scenes stories and lessons from his extensive commercial directing resume if you ask him. Or you could take his brand new online masterclass, available now. Together we break down some of Jordan's most infamous commercial campaigns and the significance of directors managing on-set relationships. Plus Jordan shares the secret reasons why he gives so much of himself to the filmmaking community with his podcast, Respect The Process. commercialdirectingmasterclass.com

The Animus Super Shorts Club was founded to expand the skill sets of the creatives at Animus Studios while practicing what we preach, finding the fascinating stories we want to tell through our passion for filmmaking. It's not just a tagline. It's what we believe in. (The acronym is also not lost on us!) Hear why Arty and Justin invest in giving their crew the opportunity to explore their filmmaking passion projects, the type of stories that are in our hearts, and the value it brings to our clients.

EJ McLeavey-Fisher is a film festival vet whose documentary work has garnered selections to AFI, Nantucket, Montclair, and Big Sky's prestigious exhibitions. His latest success, The Guy, is a brilliant docu short about Hollywood stuntman Brian Donahue. But EJ believes his passion projects are what give him a marketing edge on obtaining and delivering captivating work for others. Hear our discussion on bringing out the best in your everyday work by keeping the fire lit on your own creative courage. animusstudios.com

Jess Bachman, the Digital Strategy Director at Nail, an award-winning advertising agency in Southern New England, talks about their widely successful digital marketing campaign for Woodchuck Cider. While initial strategies were somewhat typical, a surprising fan response from an unorthodox platform forced a marketing pivot that became a hit with audiences. Which one was it? Press play to find out and hear how Jess combines metrics with his team of content creators to get their clients more attention.

Repurposing footage and interview sound bites into new content can deliver added value to clients. With a little more pre-production planning and forecasting of video content opportunities, a film crew can accomplish a lot more than just sticking to the storyboards of one video. Arty and Justin share their advice for keeping clients informed of the content gems collecting digital dust on their hard drive and better practices for cataloging the content of a film shoot in post-production.

Filmmakers Tim O'Donnell and Jon Mercer take us behind the scenes of their latest documentary, Life Without Basketball. The film chronicles barrier-breaking basketball player, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, who was the first Division 1 basketball player to play wearing hijab, until a controversial ruling put her professional sports career on hold. Hear Tim and Jon discuss documenting a socially conscious story and ways for indie filmmakers to distribute their work organically. www.lifewithoutbasketball.com

Arty and Justin consider the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on all of us while offering thoughts on how businesses and video production pros can communicate through these trying times. Despite this uncharted territory, we are eternal optimists who believe in the kindness, strength, and hope of our communities, both local and international. Sharing your story with courage, passion, and soul has never been more critical. Stay safe. Stay healthy, and we'll get through this together. animusstudios.com

The subject of your documentary film will be the ultimate voice that carries home a poignant message to an audience. Animus Studios Lead Editor, Roy Power, chronicles how his documentary short, Memory Video, started as a concept that was later enhanced by finding Miguel Gomez, the owner of Viva Video, as a lead character to study. Memory Video premiered at North America's largest documentary film festival, Hot Docs, with additional screenings at the Montclair and Nantucket Film Festivals. memoryvideo.film

Arty and Justin share their experiences and tips from interviewing hundreds of CEOs, pro athletes, and people with fascinating stories over the years. Whether you're making a feature film or video marketing content, great documentary filmmaking is reliant on your ability to interview people. Capturing great soundbites from those in front of the bright lights goes beyond reading questions off a sheet of paper. How can you get better material to work with? Push play. www.animusstudios.com

The worlds of TV, film, comics and cosplay are converging once again in downtown Providence as we host press relations manager Susan Soares from Altered Reality Entertainment; the people responsible for delivering a world of pop culture bliss for all. Hear what's in store this weekend from iconic franchises and nostalgic 80's hits to the comics and anime favorites dominating the convention circuit. www.ricomiccon.com

"Lion's Gotta Eat" and for the past 6 months we've been feasting on productions, which put our season 2 plans on hold. But we're officially in the pre production phase of bringing our listeners an insightful, inspirational and often times comical new season of The Video Jungle. Here's an update from Arty Gold on what you can expect as well as teasing episodes we recently released that were recorded this spring. Stay tuned! www.animusstudios.com

Condé Nast is a global media company that some of the world's most influential properties call home including Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, The New Yorker, and Wired. Joining us is their Executive Director of Branded Content, Justin Montanino, to discuss how he and his team are growing the company's video unit from strategy and development to production and distribution. www.animusstudios.com

Doug Palmieri and Rob Anthony of iHeartMedia are here to put our radio voices to shame and discuss how digital media has influenced the radio broadcast industry. Besides their co-hosting duties on 94 HJY and Coast 93.3, Doug and Rob manage the programming and marketing duties at their family of channels. Hear how they turned them into some of the most listened to radio stations in the Southern New England market and the productions we put together for their latest online video series. www.animusstudios.com

Boords is a powerful storyboarding tool we love to use and highly recommend. But don't take our word for it. Hear from one of the developers, James Chambers, who saw the need to make storyboarding easier for production companies just like yours. A designer and entrepreneur himself, James along with his partner Tom Judd developed the app at their company Animade, an award winning animation studio based in London. See what they have to offer at www.boords.com

Arty introduces Animus Studios' Director of Motion Graphics, Kris Castro, to talk about his process for developing cutting edge animation for digital media while getting out from behind the computer to unite fellow artists in Southern New England for Rhode Island Motion Meet Ups. www.animusstudios.com