What if the best film school is a 15×22 basement? Former NationWriter-director Chris Maes breaks down how he turned a tiny room into a soundstage, shot two features with lean crews, and resourceful filmmaking. We dig into Hemisphere and AirS...

Grammy-nominated songwriter Sandy Knox, known for her work with artists such as Reba McEntire, Dionne Warwick, Neil Diamond, Patti LaBelle, Liza Minnelli, and Donna Summer opens up about how heartbreak, reinvention, and an unshakable love of wo...

Composer Josh Andrus joins us to share how he carved a real career path from EDM tours to scoring films and video games in today’s AI-driven industry. He reveals how a single DM opened doors, why a Juilliard certificate gave him an edge, and...

How is AI changing the future of filmmaking? Producer Marq Williams shares his perspective on the promises and risks of tools like Runway and Midjourney, exploring how artificial intelligence could empower indie creators while also threateni...

Nigerian filmmaker John Smith Jr. shares how he built international relationships through honesty, cultural pride, and digital collaboration. From voicing characters in American horror-comedies to championing his native language in global pr...

When the pandemic disrupted his college plans in 2020, Mikah Fikes rediscovered a childhood passion for filmmaking. With no connections, he dove in by taking local actor classes, eventually landing roles that connected him to the Midwest fil...

The craft of horror filmmaking reveals itself through the passionate voices behind the camera—where personal trauma transforms into powerful storytelling, and authenticity trumps high budgets every time. In this...

"Nobody makes your movies, you have to make them." His upcoming psychological thriller "The Part" follows a struggling actress who wakes up after a car crash to find strangers claiming to be her family. The film explores i...

Production designer Stephonika Kaye shares how she transforms empty spaces into story-driven environments, drawing on her 15-year journey from community theater actor to filmmaking. She reveals the often-invisible work behind film sets—like ...

After three failed feature attempts, a halted production due to the pandemic, and personal battles during Covid, indie filmmaker Richard Russel found himself at a crossroads. Eventually he channeled his frustrations into his latest productio...

Filmmaker Malakai Beisel takes us on an authentic journey from his childhood experiments with a borrowed VHS camera to his current work developing a feature film.Aspiring filmmakers will find particular value in Malakai's candi...

Chase from Soft Stone Hearts takes us on a journey through the winding paths of creativity, from recovering from a serious knee injury to finding his artistic voice.The discussion also tackles practical challenges facing indepe...

From psychology student to storyteller, Jason Johnston reveals how his background in psychological analysis became the foundation for his unique approach to visual composition. His recent work on the Western film "Killing Jimmy Kelly" become...

Eric's path to stand-up comedy began unexpectedly following a medical crisis that left him physically injured. Rather than hide from the attention his appearance would draw, he embraced the spotlight, transforming vulnerability into art. "I'm a...

Meet Samantha, a filmmaker who after graduating from Full Sail University in 2014 with a degree in filmmaking, Samantha took a nine-year break before rediscovering her creative voice.She shares stories from the set of "Grease M...

Short films are the proper place to experiment with the craft. Having done so Dylan is gearing up for his second feature film Rocky Wake, a story that integrates personal tragedy in the background of horror and suspense in a disturbing way.<...

A local to the Cincinnati film scene, Nick is frequently brought on to film behind the scenes and document the process. Not always having a department role to fill gives room to observing the set dynamics without the stress of the work. Come...

Different productions and set cultures yield a wide array of memories and experiences. From appearing on The Walking Dead: Dead City to the recent Peacock show Long Bright River, Hedley shares some helpful advice for newer actors and set mem...

Having two features under his belt Cam reveals the positives and negatives of trying to carve your way in the film industry, and shares his thoughts on local Cincinnati culture and his personal craft.

After starting off contributing to the role of art department on Rachel ended up switching to the much needed and in demand role of sound operators on set. Often understaffed for the problems the surface in the day Rachel recalls her experie...

After putting her dreams on pause to become a mother and raise a family, Heather has returned to her childhood dreams of becoming an actor. She shares how her life experience has influenced her craft and emotional capacity and her view on th...

No matter what role you are in the camera department, you’re always in a time crunch. Matthew speaks to his experience balancing schedules and creativity, what in the shot deserves high priority and the contrast of working with friends on pa...

The Comedy business is a very competitive one, Alan tells us not just about the craft of performing on stage but about the struggles of the entrepreneur behind the microphone. His personal story of balancing life between the ghetto and the s...

Joe Palmer having been gaffing for several DP’s, has recently been taking up the role himself. He shares his experiences and thoughts of his introduction to the film scene, dealing with the small budgets of the indie world and talks about ho...

Joseph Cox has been directing his own screenplays for over ten years. Gives a look behind the scenes of his sets, what makes an idea worth pursuing and why he decided to stay in Cincinnati and not move to LA, or NY.