I met Brian at SXSW 2019, during his book launch event for Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life. As Brian explains in our interview, the book developed out of a conversation he had after speaking at SXSW 2018: He was challenged to provide an answer to the questions he had raised about the dark side of social media.

Lifescale became his answer. Writing the book made him rethink his priorities and pursue deeper, more meaningful connections with the people in his life. The book had a similar effect on me and helped me prepare for new creative possibilities, so I brought Brian on the show to discuss it.

Some of the things Brian and I discuss in this episode include

• How social media can rewire people and societies
• When the personal approach can be right approach
• Using design principles to create a more reading experience
• The life-changing impact of Walt Disney a certain animated short
• How to develop deeper, more meaningful connections with others
• Practical things we can do to rekindle our creativity

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Related Episodes

Todd Henry, founder and CEO of Accidental Creative, came on the show to discuss how to get past writer’s block, live with purpose, and discover our life’s work.

The post How to Rekindle Creativity and Find Purpose in a Distracted Age: Brian Solis appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Kate was also one of the panelists at a SXSW 2019 producers roundtable. Some of the things we discuss in this episode include

• How to build relationships at film festivals and other industry events
• Smart things that Disney does to keep their IP relevant for generations
• How filmmakers can partner with Crypt TV to build long-term careers
• What a compelling monster movie involves

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More of my videos are here.

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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Related Episodes

CFX is a special effects and silicon mask-making company in Baton Rouge that has made masks and props for films like 2 Guns, Treme, and Twilight. I got to interview some of their team and put together this video of their mask-making process.

The post On Monsters & Disney Magic: Crypt TV’s Kate Krantz appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

The sequence was featured at SXSW 2019 in a compilation of compelling title sequences, and it made enough of an impression that it won SXSW’s jury-awarded Excellence in Title Design accolade. As part of my festival coverage of SXSW 2019, I sat down with title sequence co-director James Ramirez to learn more about what went into making the sequence.

Some of the things we discuss include

• The different styles of animation that went into the sequence and how they put it together in Cinema 4D
• How they worked with the filmmakers behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to supplement the ideas and characters of the film
• The way they implemented the half-tone look
• What filmmakers should keep in mind when planning for a title sequence

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to see some of the concept art for the sequence provided by Alma Mater.

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Related Episode

To hear more about how vintage animation styles have influenced computer animation, check out this interview with Limbert Fabian and Brandon Oldenburg, Oscar-winning directors from Moonbot Studios, in Shreveport, Louisiana.

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From concept 1

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The post Into the Spider-Verse Title Sequence Director: James Ramirez appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

SXSW isn’t just a prominent film and music festival. It’s also where presidential hopefuls and thought leaders gather to share their perspectives on the world, and so the festival can serve as a bellwether for where the culture is heading.

This episode is a little different than the typical coverage I do, but it does allow for a more in-depth discussion on some of the ideas and political outlooks behind the films and music at the festival. It also gave me an opportunity to share some things on my heart.

I hope some of you will find it helpful.

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Related Episode

The first episode I did on SXSW 2019 highlights some of the memorable films, music, and experiences that stuck out for me.

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The post Big Ideas & Politics at SXSW 2019 appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Forest Road Company’s CEO Zach Tarica and Director of West Coast Operations Eric Boshart came on the podcast to break down the film financing process and what filmmakers should know when preparing to secure financing.

Financing is a huge aspect of filmmaking, but for all kinds of reasons film financing companies are often hesitant to go on record about how they do business. Defying those tendencies, Zach and Eric spoke openly about their process and advocated for more transparency in the industry.

Here’s a photo of Zach:

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And here’s Eric:

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Some of the things we discuss include

• How to protect the equity behind a project
• Fees to watch for during the budgeting process
• What should a good term sheet and opinion letter include
• How to determine which states have the best tax incentives for film
• Highlights from SXSW 2019

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Related Episode

If you appreciate Zach and Eric’s transparency about the filmmaking process, you might also appreciate the transparency that 1091 (formerly The Orchard), a prominent film distributor, brings to their filmmaker collaborations. When I met Richard Matson during SXSW 2017, he was the vice president of theatrical distribution at The Orchard, and he shared some helpful insights about the distribution process.

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The post Film Financing Done Right: Forest Road Company appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Part I of my coverage includes some general observations about the festival, what captured my attention and why, and some of my favorite film and music experiences

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Related Episode

Producer Sam Claitor from Fable House helped me put together my coverage of SXSW 2019. Back in 2018, I did this live episode of the show as an official event of SXSW 2018:

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The post SXSW 2019: Notable Films, Music, & Experiences appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Frontman Ben Hardesty came on the show to discuss

• The story behind their evolving sound
• What went into making their latest music video
• How they create a unified experience for their fans across the country
• What getting signed by a label has meant to the band
• Staying true to one’s values while building an audience

Make fans that are friends.” – Ben Hardesty

After the interview, you can hear Last Bison’s song “Dark Am I.”

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Related Episode

Want to hear more music-interviews from SXSW? Check out this interview I did with the singer from Gothic Tropic from SXSW 2018.

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The post Last Bison: Southern Folk Rock Returns to SXSW appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

I had a chance to catch two sets that Gothic Tropic did at South by Southwest this year, one at the M&M house that had been set up on Rainey St. and one at the Whole Foods terrace. I liked the band’s sound and was impressed that they did a handful of shows at SXSW, so I sat down with Cecilia at the tail end of the festival to do an interview.

Some of the things we discuss include

• How growing up in a musical family shaped her artistic development
• What she’s learned from going on tour for other bands
• How she collaborated with producer Todd Dahlhoff to put out her first album, Fast or Feast
• What she looks for in a manager and how her manager has allowed her to stay focused on the music
• How she worked with her team to set up and get the word out for her multiple sets at SXSW

At the end of the interview, you can hear “Stronger,” one of the tracks off of Gothic Tropic’s Fast or Feast album. Without further ado, here is the interview I did with Cecilia Della Peruti from Gothic Tropic at SXSW 2018:

Want to hear another interview with a band that has a guitar-driven sound? Then check out this interview I did with Lane Mack, the bluesy rocker you might remember from the 2016 season of NBC’s The Voice.

Show notes for that episode are here.

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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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Mixed Signals, the short film I directed that is a kind-of throwback to the dramas of the 1940s, premieres at the Louisiana International Film Festival on April 21.

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Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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Related Things

Gothic Tropic plays a set at SXSW. Photo credit: Sean Wray

 

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Bands & Musicians Mentioned

• Beck
• Blondie
• BØRNS
• Carl Della Peruti – Cecilia’s dad, a jazz composer and trombone player
• Charli XCX
• Chelsea Wolfe
• Fleetwood Mac
• Haim
• Juliana Gondek, Cecilia’s mom, an opera singer
• Karen O
• Linkin Park
• Todd Dahlhoff, the producer of Gothic Tropic’s album, Fast or Feast

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Spotify

The post Gothic Tropic: Beck’s Guitarist Has Her Own Band & It Rocks appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

I got do my first-ever live show of The nsavides Podcast a couple of weeks ago, and I was honored to get to do that as an official event at SXSW 2018. Last episode, I posted the audio from my live podcast at SXSW. On this episode, I will discuss some of the installations, key notes and sessions, films, and music shows that stuck out for me.

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The Ready Player One Experience was the most notable SXSW installation I saw.

I’m combining those seemingly disparate areas because they’re all interconnected: Techniques musicians use to get attention can also relate to filmmakers, technologists at SXSW were taking cues from filmmakers and musicians, and so on. Plus, the festival itself declares that it is dedicated to “helping creative people achieve their goals,” and so we might learn a few things about collaboration by exploring all the different ways that SXSW does that.

A large part of this episode includes discussions about the various film, music, and interactive keynotes and sessions that I heard either at the festival, or after the fact through videos and audio files uploaded to the SXSW YouTube and Soundcloud pages.

SXSW 2018 Recap sections

Since this episode is over 2.5 hours long, so I’m including time stamps for the start types of some of the different categories. Note that sometimes the timestamp may vary somewhat on the web player.

• Installations: 9:31
• Film keynotes & sessions: 23:40
• Interactive keynotes & sessions: 55:24
• Music keynotes & sessions: 1:41:45
• Films: 1:48:47
• Music shows: 1:54:20
• My take: 2:02:38

Scroll down to RELATED THINGS to get my favorite discoveries from the festival.  Next episode, I’ll include an interview with another music discovery I made at the festival. Without further ado, here is my SXSW 2018 recap:

Want more coverage from SXSW? If so, you might be interested in the interactive and music coverage I did at SXSW 2017. That episode also includes my recap of my festival experience that year.

Show notes for that episode are here.

In the episode, I mentioned that I was impressed by the band description for Joshua Burnside. Some music industry professionals like Wade Sutton actually specialize in helping bands write bios. To learn more about how Wade works with musicians to make their shows more engaging, check this interview I did with him.

Show notes for that episode are here.

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She was friendly enough, so I took a photo with this Evernote rep. 

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SXSW 2018 Recap – Sessions Discussed

• Ari Herstand
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Barry Jenkins
• Bernie Sanders
• Chris O’Neill
• Daniel Glass
• DANIELS
• Darren Arronfosky
• Elon Musk
• Esther Perel
• Ethan Hawke
• Ezra Klein
• Keith Urban
• Ray Kurzweil
• Rian Johnson with Mark Hamill
• Tim Ferriss
• Tim Gray
• Sadiq Khan
• Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Whurley

Books Mentioned

• Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue
• Quantum Computing for Babies
• The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
• Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator

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Films & Shows Mentioned

• Agave: The Spirit of a Nation
• Black Panther
• Blaze
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
• Damsel 
• Dead Poets Society 
• The Director and The Jedi
• Everything is a Remix
• Jacob’s Ladder
• Jerry Maguire 
• Moonlight
• Mother!
• Oblivion
• Pitch Perfect
• Ready Player One
• Spheres (VR)
• Sriracha
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi 
• Swiss Army Man
• Together (VR)
• Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 
• Westworld 
• Wild Honey Pie!#

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Musicians Mentioned

• Ari Herstand
• Childish Gambino
• Chvrches
• The Givers
• Jade Bird
• Joshua Burnside
• Keith Urban
• Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
• Tank and the Bangas
• Todd Rundgren
• Vampire Weekend
• Wye Oak

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Spotify

The post (Strangely Elaborate) SXSW 2018 Recap appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

BOND/360 is a film distribution company that grew out of BOND Strategy & Influence, which specializes in film marketing. Some of the campaigns that the BOND team has worked on include the Oscar-nominated film Exit Through the Gift Shop, the BAFTA-winning Senna, and the Walter Murch-edited documentary Particle Fever about the Large Hadron Collider.

Elizabeth Sheldon has been the chief operating officer for BOND/360 since 2016. Before that she was the senior vice president for indie film distributor Kino Lorber, where she expanded her knowledge of the global independent film landscape.

On this episode of The nsavides Podcast, she discusses how she finds films to acquire, how she likes to work with filmmakers, and how BOND handled the campaign for three recent releases: God Knows Where I Am,  Karl Marx City, and Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back. Plus, she shares some breaking news about a new acquisition that came out of SXSW 2017.

God Knows Where I Am tells the story of a mentally ill woman who starved to death in an abandoned house. It won two Special Jury Prizes at Hot Docs 2016.  Karl Marx City explores Cold-War East Germany from the perspective of the filmmaker whose father committed suicide and had rumored ties to the Stasi secret police. Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back profiles the infamous artist-provocateur who has earned both esteem and contempt in art circles around the world. 

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Films Discussed

• God Knows Where I Am
• The Imposter
• Karl Marx City
• Man Down
• Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back
• Through the Repellent Fence

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The post Film Distribution with BOND/360’s Elizabeth Sheldon appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.