March 19, 2024

Embracing Life Transitions: "And those choices can be tough and not always popular with other people because you're doing something different that's uncomfortable for other people, right, and can be uncomfortable for you. And I call those choices rather than sacrifices. But along the way, there are losses because there are people that you start the journey with that you won't be finishing the journey with. There are people that have been part of your life before that may not be part of your life in the future, or they may come back in some form, and you don't always see that while you're on this journey of transition."— Annika Hylmö 

Annika Hylmö is currently writing/directing two projects. One is a documentary, THE LAST WITCH, that follows the journey of a middle school teacher and her students to exonerate Elizabeth Johnson Jr, the last convicted accused from the Salem Witch Trials (1692) and the contemporary implications to women's rights, education, the legal system, and social justice. Her other film is EDDIE'S TURN, which follows a burned-out ICU nurse and an off-the-track thoroughbred horse on their journey to healing and a new partnership together and a career as equine therapists.

Follow Annika Hylmö on Facebook, Instragram, IMDB, and LinkedIn!

Music Composer: Dubb Poet Production

February 20, 2024

"It's not just one aspect or one medium. It's creativity in all areas, including filmmaking and storytelling and creating images that inspire, creating stories that will change things for the better." — Gary P. Bell 

The Northern California Filmmakers Coalition (NCFC) is a non-profit 501c3 film organization located in Sacramento, California and established in 2012. 

Follow NCFC on its Website, Facebook, and Instragram!

Music Composer: Dubb Poet Production 

January 23, 2024

"Well, for me as a filmmaker, story is everything. The whole experience hinges on a story, and if you don't have something strong, interesting and worth telling, then it's just gonna bore your audience. Also, if you don't have a strong story, it's gonna be really hard to make. Story is the foundation of everything, in my opinion." — Dawn Spinella

Dawn Spinella is an award-winning writer, director and producer. Her shorts Smashed, Becoming Santa, The Greys, Creme Brulee, and The Joymaker are active on the film festival circuit. She won the Alfred P. Sloane award for screenwriting and was nominated for the Humanitas award while a grad student in the Screenwriting MFA program at UCLA. Dawn has worked with filmmakers such as Dustin Lance Black (MILK), Bobby Moresco (CRASH), Paula Wagner (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE), and Wolfgang Petersen. She’s a filmmaking mentor for the Youth Cinema Project/Latino Film Institute. Dawn is currently in development as producer/director on a faith-based feature.

Follow Dawn Spinella on her Website, Facebook, Instragram, and YouTube! 

Music Composer: Dubb Poet Production 

January 9, 2024

"I try to make sure that I genuinely am giving credit for the episodes to these writers because they are the ones who are in the room every single day working really hard to develop these storylines and then working on the dialogue and the scripts, and I'm just there to help support them." — Dr. Erin Macdonald

Dr. Erin Macdonald works as a Science Advisor for the Star Trek franchise. While her background is in astrophysics and aerospace engineering, she has made the transition to the entertainment industry. Erin is Pre-WGA and looking to move into TV writing. She also produces independent short films. 

Follow Erin Macdonald on Instragram!

Music Composer: Dubb Poet Production 

May 2, 2023

"The Inspiration Behind a Podcast for Script Supervisors: 'How do these people not know what it is that I'm doing and what they're hiring me for?'"— Caryn Ruby

Caryn Ruby is an award-winning dark comedy writer/performer, podcaster and professional Script Supervisor, She has worked alongside Oscar and Emmy award-winning crew on award-winning and groundbreaking films including both Women In Media Camaraderie initiative Grand Prize Winning Films "Charlie and the Hunt" (Diversity in Cannes), and “Blood and Glory” (Tribeca) and Women In Film/Google’s short film, “Choices.” She had the privilege of script supervising the American Society of Cinematographers Standard Evaluation Manual (StEM2) film “The Mission,” and was selected as one of 17 fellows for Blackmagic Collective’s Filmmaker Advancement Initiative. Her new podcast, “Script Supervisors: Unsung Heroes of Film and TV” received 33 five star reviews its first week and has been called “a backstage pass to filmmaking” from the rarely acknowledged, but incredibly important department head’s perspective.

Follow Caryn Ruby on her Website, Instragram.

Follow her podcast on Instagram too!

Music Composer: Dubb Poet Production 

April 4, 2023

"Unblocking Creative Flow: "Even if you're blocked in one way, creatively, continuing on the creative path, even if it's stuff that's not that important, can help you get back into the flow."— Jack Buckley

Jack Buckley is an 18-year old filmmaker who has been making films since 2013. In 2019, he released his first feature-length movie, an animated action comedy called Remnants, which was the first movie ever made to use Minecraft animation in a feature film format. He is currently working on his second feature length film, an animated action mystery movie called A'Taka.

Visit Jack Buckley’s Kickstarter Campaign and Youtube channel to learn more about him and the film. 

Show Notes:

On this episode of The Creative Seat, host Samantha K. Henderson chats with young filmmaker Jack Buckley about his upcoming animated action mystery movie, A’Taka. Join them as they discuss the film's inspiration, artistic vision, and the challenges of developing a screenplay. They also dive into the importance of collaboration, creativity, and the potential role of AI in the film industry. Plus, learn more about Jack's background, his first feature film, and his experiences with seeking feedback from trusted collaborators. Sponsored by Filmcraft Studio Gear, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in film, animation, and the creative process. 

Follow Jack on Instagram!

Music Composer: Dubb Poet Production