Articulate with Steve McJones

"We do not watch artists to see what they do, but watch what persons do and discover the artistry in it." In this special book club episode, we're joined by a secret guest to talk about the book "Finite and Infinite Games" by James P. Carse. This book provides insight on a philosophical strategy to approaching life. "There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infi...

"It's not what a movie is about, it's how it is about it." This week, the creative force behind the new feature film Tino joins us to discuss all the trials and tribulations of making a feature film. Writer/Director/Producer Michael James Mina talks about his inspiration, while producers Kaitlyn Diehl and Jackie Diehl weigh in with their own experiences. We have fun, we get deep, we learn. Filmmak...

“Advertising is the ability to sense, interpret… to put the very heart throbs of a business into type, paper and ink.” Not gonna lie, this one was tough for me to get behind. But once you hear Caitlin's story, you may be persuaded on the craft of advertising as well. As an art director with a career in advertising and an amazing portfolio of passion projects, Caitlin shares her intimate experience...

“Truly creative things happen when one thinks differently, yet nobody wants to think differently.” Welcome Back! This is the first episode in the new apartment, apologies for any technical issues. Unfortunately this podcast has to take the back burner to my passion for film, but change is good sometimes. Who better to ring in the new era other than film buff Bruno Arnabar? Bruno has an extensive k...

"Truth is, generally I like film festivals; somewhere at some level there's an exchange of ideas." Are you thinking about submitting your first short to a film festival? Well hold your dang horses, you may need some guidance. In this episode we discuss how & why festivals can be useful, and how important it is to utilize the best strategy suited to your personal filmmaking goals. Music: Bass V...

"Even though a number of people have tried, no one has yet found a way to drink for a living." This week we're joined by comedian and business operations expert Betty Smithsonian. Is comedy teachable? Is self-awareness? Discussing sobriety and getting to the bottom of fear-based decision making, you'll somehow manage to find that you're still in a basement, and that's totally okay. Music: Faster D...

"Instagram comments are your local community. YouTube comments are like... the world." This week we're joined by Scott Bigos, creative director behind the sketch comedy YouTube channel, CheeseParade. In this interview, we discuss the insanity behind pumping out quality, one-minute sketches every week, and how in order to really process your childhood, you're gonna need a weapon. Subscribe to Chees...

"I used to think this podcast was a good time capsule for us. But now I'm like, this is just us devolving into madness." Tyler and Manny join us for their third round on Articulate, a checkpoint for reflection on their sanity. On this very real podcast, we discuss how you get worse with jokes as you progress in standup, comedic breakthroughs, and getting vulnerable. The boys struggle through old r...

"Standup is a war for confidence all the time." Jakey's back! We talk podcasts, standup, and sketches; a good balance while dissecting the classic nasty & silly work. Follow Jake, Friendly Comedy, and Friendly Television for the good stuff. Music: Cuts by Le Gang | https://soundcloud.com/thisislegang Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported...

"If we don't want to see it, we shouldn't see it." This week, we're joined by Maxwell Collins (D.P.) to discuss cinematography, the film school debate, and the best ways to create opportunities for your career. https://www.maxwellcollinsdp.com/ Merry Bay by Ghostrifter Official | https://soundcloud.com/ghostrifter-official Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attri...

"The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to the art." At the end of the day, we're here to collaborate, create, and have fun. But DON'T TALK ABOUT discipline. I can't know to hear any more about discipline. This week we're joined by Charlie Temple to discuss the best way to feed into multiple sides of creativity. Check out his work on Spo...

"When a child learns Torah, they bribe him with candy. When an adult learns Torah, they say it's okay if you do it for a selfish motive, because it becomes a pure motive." This week we're joined by The Blind Filmmaker, David Block and his documentarian and fellow filmmaker, Alex Kucy. We discuss David's motivations for deciding to take on the challenge of filmmaking, despite his visual impairment,...

"In a world of chaos, a mural can be a peaceful oasis, a visual retreat for the soul." This week we're joined by Sahiti Bonam of Mural Arts Philadelphia. We discuss the organization's mission, as well as some history of murals and the stress of the job. As a Philadelphian, this episode helped deepen my appreciation for the character these pieces bring to our city. sahitibonam.com @visualliterature...

"You know music and sound design can be very powerful with how you use it. But the absence of sound can say a lot as well." This week we're joined by sound mixer, designer, and post-production god, Tom Carman. We dive into his background in theater production and how it plays into his attention to sound detail, that path to building a production company, and his role in developing the sound design...

"The rules of improvisation apply beautifully to life. Never say no - you have to be interested to be interesting, and your job is to support your partners." It's Maeve Hennessey everybody!! In this conversation, we dive into her background of improv- which surprisingly requires skill, discipline, and talent... crazy, right?? Follow along as it lead her to get comfortable with performing, get into...

"A failure is like fertilizer; it stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future." Mbeta Sokolo rejoins the pod this week to discuss post-project depression, motivational babies, and how each project you do should strengthen your natural talents. Music: Song: Blue Boi License: Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 https://www.youtube.com/LakeyIn...

“Movies will make you famous; Television will make you rich; But theatre will make you good.” This week we're rejoined by Beaux Emerson, a local Philadelphia actor and singer/songwriter, to reconvene after two more years into his artistic journey. In it we discuss how his outlook on the entertainment industry has changed, and his goals within in. Music: The Process - LAKEY INSPIRED Hosted on Acast...

"Drag is full body creative expression; you're basically this big ball of clay that you can do whatever you want with." Do whatever (or whoever) you want this week with Pi, as she discusses her journey into the drag scene of Philadelphia. From arts & crafts, to dinky dark amusement rides, follow Pi into the world of Dragula, a show that explores a creepy mix of fashion and terror, in the newes...

"Men weren't really the enemy - they were fellow victims suffering from an outmoded masculine mystique that made them feel unnecessarily inadequate when there were no bears to kill." This week, Kevin shows us how many interests and hobbies can accumulate over time, and why, sometimes, dropping out of college can be the right move. Music: Song: Faithful Mission License: Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0)...

"Whenever you put a man on the Supreme Court, he ceases to be your friend." Current attorney and previous judiciary employee Lydia Ellsworth joins the pod again this week to discuss the Supreme Court: some history, the inner workings, and what it looks like now. This one might get a little spicy! Music: 🎵 Music "Cream" by ‘Psylone & oxinym’     • psylone & ox...

"When you look at something on a nano scale, you start to see how something on such a small level can affect such enormous properties on a macro scale." Tune in this week to get the dirt on the MXene community... mostly cool stuff about how they can help the future and all that, but ALSO how two standup comics fit into the community of scientists. Hint: they're pretty much both Oppenheimer. Track...

“Life without obstacles removes opportunity for growth.” This week we have Triston Burnham on to discuss a little heavier of a topic: Sickle Cell Anemia. We discuss what the diagnosis means, the obstacles faced growing up with it, and the community built around living with it. Although troubling, Triston’s found a way to use this disease as motivation, and a reason to be more aware and engaged. Fi...

"It's inspirational, how much Josh quits something." This week Josh Martier rejoins the pod to discuss his now 18 months of sobriety, 30 years of life, and his excessive years of friendship with Ben Staab. Music: JAZZ TYPE BEAT SAXOPHONE - 777 | LOFI BOOMBAP INSTRUMENTAL 2023 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The Congo was the most difficult shoot of my life but was also maybe the greatest adventure of my life." With a population of 17 million people, Kinshasa proves to be a growing force of nature in the modern world. This week, one of Kinshasa's own "exported brains," Jenn Barry, joins to show us what it's like to grow up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and how the spirit, culture, and educ...

"I don't judge no one, I'm just knowin' At night, when it get quiet, that sh** could f**k with 'em And if it don't right now, it's gon' catch up to 'em Guilt heavy as a cloud in a thunderstorm, huh" This week, listen over musings of two folks considering what matters and what don't; especially after hitting what feels like rock bottom. Music: Inevitable Suffering Ghetto Serpents (feat. DJ Killa C...