That traumatic experience went on to forge Alex’s interest in helping other filmmakers avoid similar heartaches. He provides a detailed account of what happened and the lessons he learned along the way in his new book, Shooting for the Mob.

Alex came on the show to discuss some of the life lessons he learned from that experience and his years in the industry. Some of the things we discuss include

• How his schedule helps him stay prolific
• What to avoid when making a feature film
• The important role that meditation plays in his life
• How to follow our dreams while being true to ourselves
• How to build meaningful relationships in an industry filled with shallow ones

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Related Episode

If you want to hear more about Alex, check out the first interview I did with him where we discuss his work as a post-production supervisor and his insights about building an engaged community.

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The post When a Film (or Life) Goes Awry: Alex Ferrari appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Here are my prior interviews from #LIFF2018. On the recap below, I share some of the highlights from each interview, what it was like getting to screen my short at the festival, and some of the new discoveries and filmmaking observations, and life lessons I learned while attending.

Films from LIFF2018 that I discuss on this episode include

• 1000 Year Flood
• And Then I Go 
• Blaze 
• Brimstone & Glory 
• Cut Off 
• Do U Want It 
• Gabriel & the Mountain 
• Hearts Beat Loud
• Larger Than Life: The Kevin Aucoin Story
• Mixed Signals (short)
• Mr. United States (short)
• Stay Woke (short)
• Stuck
• Tinker
• Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

Want to learn more about one of the bands that played at the festival? Then check out this interview I did with Peter Simon, the lead singer of Minos the Saint, which was one of the bands that played at LIFF’s Filmmaker Lounge this year.

Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!

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My short film Mixed Signals premiered at LIFF 2018 on April 21.

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Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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Related Things

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Other Films & Shows Mentioned

• Breaking Bad
• Gunslinger
• Godfather
• Home Remedy (web series)
• Lost

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Bands & Musicians Mentioned

• Minos the Saint
• Pappa Grows Funk
• Ryan Harris

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Spotify

The post Louisiana International Film Festival Recap #LIFF2018 appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

This episode includes interviews with

• Steve Herold, the director of Death of an Umbrella Salesman, a character-driven comedy that pays homage to the comedies of an earlier era
• Jency Griffin Hogan, the director of the film Seed of the Free, which tells the story of a critical moment in the life of Sojourner Truth, an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist from the 1800s.
• Paul Catalanotto, director of the short doc Mr. United States, which profiles Avery D. Wilson who was selected to be Mr. Louisiana and then Mr. United States in 2016
• Shanna Forrestall, the actress, producer, writer of Breath, a dialogue-free short film about someone trying to overcome a sense of loss while creating art amidst a stirring mountain vista.
• Alexander Jeffery, the filmmaker behind An Aria for Albrights, a short film about a young girl who tries to rediscover her musical voice after the death of her grandfather

My short film Mixed Signals is also in the film block, so I also discuss some the lessons I learned in making it.

Once again, the Louisiana Live-Action Shorts block will be playing at #LIFF2018 on Saturday, April 20 at 9:30 AM. Tickets are available through LIFF’s website.

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Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!

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My short film Mixed Signals premieres at LIFF 2018 on April 21.

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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Related Things

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Spotify

The post Louisiana Live-Action Shorts #LIFF2018 appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

After landed a recurring role on the Starz series Magic City, Garrett was able to turn acting into a full-time career.

Some of his other notable projects include Bonnie & Clyde, which was the third most-watched basic cable miniseries of all time, and Deepwater Horizon, where he played Karl Kleppinger Jr., one of the 11 workers who died when the rig erupted.

Some of the things we discuss include

• What goes into researching a historical figure
• Techniques for finessing a performance that isn’t working
• How getting connected to an acting community helped Garrett find success
• Building rapport with colleagues when you have just a few hours to make a connection
• The lore around Bonnie & Clyde and the fascination that continues to this day
• What it’s like playing a real-life character who has died and meeting his family
• Learning how to be comfortable in your skin, onscreen and in reality
• Exploring a life of crime on screen

If you’d like to hear another interview with an actor and acting coach, you can listen to my interview with Laura Cayouette, who you might recognize as the sister of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Django Unchained. We discuss her approach to acting and instructing other actors, her collaborations with Tarantino, and more.

Show notes for that episode are here:

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Films & Shows Mentioned

• 48 Hrs.
• Bonnie & Clyde (2013)
• Burn Notice 
• Common Law
• Deepwater Horizon 
• Devil’s Acid
• Free State of Jones
• The Iceman 
• Magic City
• Mr. Right 
• Shakespeare on the Range 
• St. Jude’s Crossing
• Underground
• Ya Albi 

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Book Mentioned

• The Organic Actor: Insider’s Secrets to Auditioning for Film and Television

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The post Acting in Deepwater Horizon & Bonnie & Clyde: Garrett Kruithof appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Kris Neel is one of five friends who compose The Assemblie, an indie gospel rock band from New Iberia. “Stray,” one of their songs, has gotten over 1 million plays on Spotify, which brought them to the attention of a few labels. The band heard a few offers but ultimately decided to remain independent.

As the band regroups to take into account shifting priorities of the musicians involved, Kris has branched out as a solo singer-songwriter and recently released a self-titled EP.

If we do not define what success is worth personally, we’re just going to be chasing after what others have defined success to be.” – Kris Neel  

• The importance of honesty and vulnerability in art
• Why staying indie makes sense for some musicians
• How a community connection can supercharge an album release
• What kind of misconceptions sometimes arise about gospel music
• Whether there’s a difference between being a Christian artist and being an artist who explores Christian themes
• Finding a balance between music aspirations and family connections

The post Getting 1 Million Plays on Spotify & Keeping the Faith – Kris Neel appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Some of the better known acts at BUKU 2016 include Pretty Lights, Kid Cudi CHVRCHΞS, Miike Snow, Griz, and Above & Beyond. The festival has only been around for five years, but the event sold out, and there were over 30,000 people in attendance according to the festival’s estimates.

Based on other festival coverage I’ve done (like the New Orleans Film Festival and the Twisted Oak Music Festival) I was given the opportunity to do media coverage for BUKU. At first I was apprehensive since I don’t know a lot about EDM, but then I noticed that some bands I recognized were playing there.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nick Savides (@nsavides)

I decided that doing media coverage for the festival could be a good opportunity to learn more about EDM and some of the related genres that have grown popular in recent years. To prepare for the festival, I talked to some music enthusiasts who were well versed in the electronic music scene and listened to some BUKU-related playlists.

I attended both days of BUKU and saw as many performances as my schedule would allow. At the festival, I interviewed

• CRWNS
• Donovan Wolfington
• Fro-Yo Ma
• DJ Soul Sister
• Taylor Guarisco from the Givers

DJ Soul Sister during her set at BUKU

Some of the topics that came up include: mixing musical genres, audience interactions, drug use, and how to have better collaborations with other artists. After the interviews, I share my festival impressions and some of my experiences while attending.

Prior to BUKU, I had some things on my mind, and they stayed with me throughout the festival. In short, I was wondering if it was possible to find answers to some of the bigger questions while surrounded by all the noise and flashing lights.

I address some of those questions in the episode, which turned it into one of the more personal episodes I’ve recorded.

Listen to the Episode

In addition to musicians and venues, I also photographed some of the outfits that caught my eye.

Here’s an example:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nick Savides (@nsavides)

If you’re curious, you can see more of my BUKU photos on Instagram.

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The post BUKU Music Festival 2016 – Band Interviews & Personal Reflections appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

From Longleaf’s Instagram account

Below are the people I interviewed at the festival.

• Jackson Pierce, a performer with CYT Baton Rouge
• Alex V. Cook, a writer, music critic, and a singer/guitarist for The Rakers
• David Fuller, Laura Smith, & Carrie Stephens, the musicians who make up the newgrassical band Longleaf, one of the bands that played at Twisted Oak

After the interviews, I share my take on the festival. I also expand on my ongoing efforts to navigate through the faith vs. reason dilemma, which continues the discussion from Joel’s episode.

Listen to the Episode

The post Twisted Oak Music Festival 2015 Recap appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Below are the interviews included in this part.

Part II

My leisurely lunch at St. James Cheese Company

• Kevin Hughes, director on Louisiana short Tough Love, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Mourning Hills, a film which won the Apex Post Award for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Kenny Lass and Alex Wiltz co-directors of Louisiana short Hut
• Ian Midgley, director of documentary Reversing the Mississippi, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Pedro Lucero, transportation coordinator for festival, filmmaker
• Greg Tilton, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Love Me True, InDepth Media partner
• Kirby Voss, director of Louisiana feature Love Me True, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Elise Berggreen, festival volunteer and actress
• Allen Frederic, director; Brian Friedman, writer; Laurent Dupepe, editor of The King of New Orleans, Special Jury Award for Louisiana Feature
• This part also features my reflections on my festival experience.

In case you missed it, below are the interviews in Part I.

Part I

This is me with Jane by her art installation.

• Jennifer Medvin, director of Little Hero, Special Jury Award for Documentary Short
• Jordan Shiele, director of Turtle, Jury Winner for Narrative Short
• Kevin Prockup, film composer of Lousiana short, Does God Hear Robots Pray
• Erica Anderson, head of crowdfunding & education at Seed & Spark, festival panelist
• Conway Solomon, actor from Louisiana short Us Against the World, which won the Apex Post Special Mention for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Russell Blanchard, director; Benjamin Gouldthorpe, writer of Louisiana short The Lot, featured in the festival’s Cinema Classroom program
• Victoria Greene, festival volunteer, filmmaker for upcoming documentary Forgotten Bayou 
• Morgan Roberts, director of Louisiana short, Rite, Jury Winner for Louisiana Short
• Brian Richard, director; Hunter Burke, co-writer and actor; Natalie Kingston, director of photography; Chris Haney, producer of Louisiana short Atchafalaya
• Jane Cassidy, artist with a featured installation at the festival, experimental shorts juror
• Justin Ditch, from Professional Sound Services, sponsor and audio work

A photo I took of Quvenzhane Wallis, the actress from Beasts of the Southern Wild, on the opening night of the festival. You can see more of my festival photos here.

A special thank you to Jolene Pinder and Emily Reimsnyder for giving me media access to cover the event.

Listen to the Interviews

This is Part II:

The post New Orleans Film Festival 2015 Recap Part II appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

The interview came in at over 2 hours, so I broke up into two parts. Below is the breakdown of who I interviewed in each part.

The festival bus that took us to the Reflektor Party where Win Butler from Arcade Fire was the DJ

Part I

• Jennifer Medvin, director of Little Hero, Special Jury Award for Documentary Short
• Jordan Shiele, director of Turtle, Jury Winner for Narrative Short
• Kevin Prockup, film composer of Lousiana short, Does God Hear Robots Pray
• Erica Anderson, head of crowdfunding & education at Seed & Spark, festival panelist
• Conway Solomon, actor from Louisiana short Us Against the World, which won the Apex Post Special Mention for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Russell Blanchard, director; Benjamin Gouldthorpe, writer of Louisiana short The Lot, featured in the festival’s Cinema Classroom program
• Victoria Greene, festival volunteer, filmmaker for upcoming documentary Forgotten Bayou 
• Morgan Roberts, director of Louisiana short, Rite, Jury Winner for Louisiana Short
• Brian Richard, director; Hunter Burke, co-writer and actor; Natalie Kingston, director of photography; Chris Haney, producer of Louisiana short Atchafalaya 
• Jane Cassidy, artist with a featured installation at the festival, experimental shorts juror
• Justin Ditch, from Professional Sound Services, sponsor and audio work

This is me with Jane by her art installation.

space

Part II

• Kevin Hughes, director on Louisiana short Tough Love, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Mourning Hills, a film which won the Apex Post Award for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Kenny Lass and Alex Wiltz co-directors of Louisiana short Hut
• Ian Midgley, director of documentary Reversing the Mississippi, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Pedro Lucero, transportation coordinator for festival, filmmaker
• Greg Tilton, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Love Me True, InDepth Media partner
• Kirby Voss, director of Louisiana feature Love Me True, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Elise Berggreen, festival volunteer and actress
• Allen Frederic, director; Brian Friedman, writer; Laurent Dupepe, editor of The King of New Orleans, Special Jury Award for Louisiana Feature
• This part also features my reflections on my festival experience.

A photo I took of Quvenzhane Wallis, the actress from Beasts of the Southern Wild, on the opening night of the festival. You can see more of my festival photos here.

A special thank you to Jolene Pinder and Emily Reimsnyder for giving me media access to cover the event.

Listen to the Interviews:

This is Part I:

The post New Orleans Film Festival 2015 Recap Part I appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Born to Be Blue, the film opening the New Orleans Film Festival

Now an Oscar-qualifying festival, NOFF opens with Born to Be Blue, the biopic of jazz legend Chet Baker, starring Ethan Hawke. That’s a fitting start to the largest film festival in Louisiana: not only does the film pay tribute to a genre of music born in New Orleans, but it is produced by Louisiana-based Plantation Village Studios, and it will be screening in the Orpheum Theater, the city’s newly renovated landmark.

Other film highlights include Brooklyn, the historical period drama starring Saoirse Ronan that was well received at its Sundance premiere, and I Saw the Light, the Hank Williams biopic starring Tom Hiddleston that was shot in Shreveport, Louisiana. This is also the first year that the festival will include the #CreateLouisiana grant, a $50,000 grant provided to an eligible filmmaker team for shooting a short film in Louisiana.

Jolene goes over the festival highlights in more detail and offers some fundraising and submission tips to filmmakers. As a bonus, Jolene also shares a special Matthew McConaughey memory, and I reflect on some of my past film-festival experiences.

Listen to the Podcast

The post New Orleans Film Festival 2015: Advance Look with Jolene Pinder appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.