Into The Spotlight

Sarah Giffin is the artist, designer, and jewelry maker behind ViV Jewelry. In 2019, Sarah started making jewelry as a way to escape the stress of university. Before long, she was enamoured with making colourful, unique pieces out of polymer clay, and two years later, she has built ViV into a successful, full-time business.In our twentieth episode, we discuss Sarah's journey to starting ViV Jewelry, her creative process, how she uses content creation to promote her art, and how we all continue to find inspiration for our own projects.

Mentions:

• Vincent Ferrari
• Arts Market
• OCAD University
• Polymer clay
• Procreate
• Artscape
• 80/20 Principle
• It is estimated that Charles Dickens walked 12 miles per day

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Sarah

• Her brother Cole
• The space you live and work in

Morley:

• Tanner Gooding @UrbanGentlemanPhotography

Ryan

• Recognizing and supporting local artists
  

Where you can find us:

Sarah Giffin:

• Instagram: @viv.jewelry
• YouTube: ViV Jewelry
• TikTok: @vivjewelry
• https://vivjewelry.ca/
  

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08
  

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert
  

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
  
• Twitter: @into_spotlight
  
• Youtube: Into The Spotlight
  

Chris Parnell is a personal chef and entrepreneur based in Golden, British Columbia. From a young age, Chris knew that his passion was cooking. He has over 12 years of professional cooking experience, which includes The Fat Duck in London (a three Michelin starred restaurant) as well as backcountry lodges across the Canadian Rockies. In addition to his personal chef work, Chris is the co-founder of Dogtooth Chocolate, which will be launching later this year. We hope you enjoy this great conversation about Chris's story, passion and adaptation, the professional cooking world, entrepreneurship and the two-sided coin of social media.

Mentions

• Lake O'Hara Lodge
• Red Seal Program
• The Fat Duck
• Heston Blumenthal
• Ratatouille (film)
  

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Chris:

• The Tim Ferriss Show
• Protect Our Winters
  

Morley:

• It's No Picnic - New Yorker article by Nick Paumgarten
  

Ryan

• Anthony Bourdain
  

Where you can find us:

Chris Parnell:

• Instagram:
  • @chefchrisparnell
• @dogtooth.chocolate
• https://www.chrisparnell.ca/
  

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight
• Youtube: Into The Spotlight
  

Kevin Raposo isa photographer, video producer, entrepreneur and educator with over a decade of experience shooting concerts, corporate events, sports, real estate and more. After earning his Masters in Media Production from Ryerson University, he went on to start Speedy Photographer - an online photography school. In this episode, we dive into Kevin's story, his experience working as a freelance photographer, his philosophy as an educator, the future of photography and the sometimes controversial culture surrounding the craft. We had a blast recording this episode and we hope you enjoy!

Mentions

• Assem Kroma
• Timebolt
• The Tim Ferriss Show
• The Pareto Principle
• Bill Cunningham
• Leigh Whannell
• Super 8
• Brad Mangin
• Unsane
• Peter Hurley
• Joel Grimes
• Riot Games on How I Built This

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Kevin:

• 6 Problems with Our School System

Morley:

• Increasingly Personal Questions
• Josh Waitzkin and Tim Ferriss on The Cave Process, Advice from Future Selves, and Training for an Uncertain Future (#498)

Ryan

• Assem Kroma - "T for Tango" and "Buried Love"

Where you can find us:

Kevin Raposo:

• Instagram: @kevinraposo, @speedyphotographer
• Youtube: Kevin Raposo
• speedyphotographer.com

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight
• Youtube: Into The Spotlight
  

You might know him from the Maker Knife, the Kinetic Driver, or the Polycalendar. Maybe you've been watching his cinematic maker videos for years. No matter how you came across Giaco, one thing is clear - his passion, creativity and innovation shine through in everything that he does.

In this episode, we dive into Giaco's story, how years spent working in the Internet space created a need to make something he could touch, how he transitioned from creating viral videos to creating whatever he likes, his philosophies on content creation and product development, lessons learned from making YouTube videos, and the work that goes on behind the scenes.

Mentions:

• Jimmy Diresta
• EDM (Electrical discharge machining)
• Freddiew
• Corridor Digital
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt: How Craving Attention Makes You Less Creative
• Fake Famous (HBO)
• David Waelder
• Vlogging in the Past by Dan Mace
• Blinding Lights played with Bricks by Dan Mace
• Wintergatan
• Bike Lanes by Casey Neistat

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Giaco:

• Daniel de Bruin

Ryan:

• Dan Mace

Morley:

• Jacob Collier

Where you can find us:

Giaco:

• https://giaco.com/
• https://placedatoms.com/
• Youtube: Giaco Whatever
• Instagram: @giacowhatever
• Twitter: @giacowhatever
  

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08
  

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight
• Youtube: Into The Spotlight
  

Since 2018, Roxanne Brathwaite has been reimagining vintage furniture into one-off bespoke pieces through Hollis Newton, her furniture company. When the pandemic made it impossible to work in the upholstery shop, she looked into her past and revived a childhood passion - making miniatures. By combining this with her love of everything vintage, Roxanne has created a tasteful, cohesive and whimsical aesthetic that she shares through her Instagram page @SuiteCityWoman. Her work is now being featured in DesignTO, an art festival in Toronto, Canada.

Mentions:

• Andy Pugh
• Eames Lounge Chair
• Virginia Museum of Transportation
• Kamidana (miniature Shinto alters)
• Kent Monkman
• Jane Jacobs
• 30 DIY Upholstery Tools for the Beginner to Intermediate (blog post by Roxanne)

What we're putting in the spotlight:

Roxanne:

• Christine Tatilon @caartstudio

Ryan:

• Design Canada (Documentary, 2018)

Morley:

• A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace (affiliate link)

Where you can find us:

Roxanne Brathwaite:

• suitecitywoman.com
• hollisnewton.com

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08
  

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight
• Youtube: Into The Spotlight
  

Kristen-Innes Stambolic is a video artist, animator and dancer.Trained in contemporary dance, Kristen's intimate knowledge of anatomy and movement shine through in her videos. This connection can truly be seen when she combines dance, rotoscoping and video effects to create videos that are nothing short of hypnotic, and with her organic animations that evoke movement and interaction.Kristen, Morley and Ryan create videos in three distinct styles, but a common love for the craft and shared creative struggles made this a fascinating conversation chock full of cross-pollination!

Mentions:

• Rotoscoping
• Riverdance (Theatrical show)
• John Kuiphoff
• manual transfers by Kristen-Innes Stambolic
• Isadora Troikatronix
• How I Built This with Guy Raz
• Bill Burr
• Doja Cat
• Canon (dance term)
• King's Dead music video
• Making of "King's Dead" music video
• Angels' Atlas (excerpt)
• Quibi
• Cat Stambolic
• CLAMP (Morley's other podcast)

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Morley:

• Loving Vincent (2017 film)

Ryan:

• Sunny and The Black Pack

Kristen:

• Susanna Haight

Where you can find us:

Kristen Stambolic:

• Instagram: @kristenstambolic
• Vimeo: Kristen-Innes Stambolic

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight
  

Charlie Kert is an arts educator, musician, skateboarder, and the founder of Little Fingers Music - a Toronto-based music school.He has released multiple children's CDs, a progressive folk rock album, developed and performed in an interactive rock operetta for children, and was a sponsored, competitive skateboarder in the 1970s (and continues to tear it up on the halfpipe to this day!). While they might seem like totally separate pursuits, skateboarding is a central source of inspiration for Charlie's songwriting, teaching and creative philosophy.

Intro: Shake yer Shakers by Charlie Kert

Outro: Breathe by Charlie Kert

Mentions:

• Z-Boys
• Come From Away
• The Road
• Midnight in Paris
• Before trilogy
• Dogtown and Z-Boys
• Tom Sims
• Wee Willi Winkels
• Lonnie Toft
• Jeff Grosso
• Jay Adams
• Alan Gelfand
• Sébastien Foucan
• David Belle
• George Miller
• Russell Broom
• 4'33" by John Cage

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Charlie:

• Creative solutions

Morley:

• JJ Leathersmith

Ryan:

• Harry Hudson
  

Where you can find us:

Charlie Kert:

• littlefingersmusic.com
• Instagram: @LittleFingersMusicTO
• Facebook: Little Fingers Music

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08
  

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert
• Website: morleykert.com

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight
  

This week, Morley and Ryan compare their approaches to creating YouTube videos versus creating films. This wide-ranging conversation covers editing techniques, cinematography, camerawork that has its roots in cinema but has been adopted by YouTubers, project scale, narrative structure,"hooking" in the viewer, creating and relieving tension with builds and payoffs, judging one's work, creative development and how each medium can learn from the other.

Mentions:

• Seven Up! (Documentary series)
• Icarus (2017 film)
• Serial (podcast)
• The Social Dilemma (2020 docudrama)
• ElleOfTheMills
• TikTok mansions during pandemic: whY *i made a map*
• Whip pan
• Nintendo Switch on an Airplane (Casey Neistat whip pan video)
• Jump cut
• Match cut
• The Big Short (2015 film)
• The Boys (2019 TV Series)
• Rotoscoping
• Waking Life (2001 film)

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Morley:

• Kristen Stambolic

Ryan:

• Side by Side (2012 documentary)

Where you can find us:

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert
• Website: morleykert.com

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight

Assem Kroma isa storyteller, filmmaker, actor, teacher and researcher in the fields of new media, interactive and transmedia storytelling as well as virtual and augmented reality. He is using experimental filmmaking to explore new ways of creating connections with audiences, with techniques such as 360 degree video, robotics and extended reality (XR). We had a wonderful, wide ranging discussion with Assem about his story, the importance of being flexible and open to opportunities, accepting imperfections, creative development and much more.

Mentions:

• Extended Reality (XR)
• Nokia OZO (360-degree camera)
• Imagineering
• Jean Baudrillard on Disneyland
• Before trilogy Richard Linklater
• Ethan Hawke on Off Camera
• Donnie Darko

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Assem: The creative outlook of children

Morley: It's Such a Beautiful Day (film)

Ryan: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Where you can find us:

Assem Kroma:

• Website: https://www.assemkroma.com/
• Instagram: @AssemKroma
• Twitter: @AssemKroma
• YouTube: Assem Kroma
• Facebook: facebook.com/awesomekroma

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight

Andy Pugh is a lifelong maker, creative and teacher. He is a one of the most supportive voices in the maker community, and seems to connect just about every maker across the globe.
We had a great conversation with Andy about his story, how he found the maker community, the maker movement, creativity, art, why we make and so much more. Enjoy!

Mentions:

• Lovespoons
• Jimmy Diresta
• The Repair Shop
• Al's hack shack
• Bob Clagett
• David Picciuto
• Make It Soph
• Andy Birkey
• Jenni Swiss
• Laura Kampf
• April Wilkerson
• Jamie Reader
• Duncan Band
• Joe Garnett
• Brett McAfee @skullandspade13
• Steve House
• The Forge
• Alex Pole
• Justin White @GarageAvenger
• Yuval Noah Harari
• Because We Make
• Welcome to Nightvale

What we're putting in the spotlight this week:

Andy:

• Stephanie @UncommonOutpost
• Billie Ruben
• Zack Freedman

Morley:

• Ashley Minney

Ryan:

• Chilling Tales for Dark Nights

Where you can find us:

Andy Pugh:

• Instagram: @andycpugh, @awelshmanskitchen, @thoughtsfromthetinkerage
• Podcast: Thoughts From the Tinkerage
• YouTube: Tales from the Tinkerage
  

Ryan O'Connor:

• Instagram: @ry.oconnor
• Twitter: @ryanoconnor08
  

Morley Kert:

• Instagram: @morleykert
• YouTube: Morley Kert
• Website: morleykert.com

Collectively:

• Instagram: @intothespotlightpodcast
• Twitter: @into_spotlight