B Smith's Second Sticks

The world of television production is at the mercy of constant winds of change, some good and some for ill, which carry its participants in every which direction. Sometimes we may go years without seeing people whith whom we have established relationships. If or (hopefully) when we get a chance to make those long-lost connections, there is a pure joy that is released into the world. Thus it is wit...

It has been said that being a Mom is one of the hardest jobs there is. Throw in working in a chaotic, male-dominant industry carrying 30 pound cameras around, and you are upping the ante, to say the least. This has been one of many challenges for Sharra Romany, Director of Photography and Cameraperson, and she has undoubtedly rose to the occasion. B Smith's Second Sticks sits down with Sharra for...

Having your camera stolen is indeed an unorthodox method to find your way into a budding second career as a photographer, but that's essentially what happened to Ruben Avendano, this week's guest on B Smith's Second Sticks. Ruben has been a cameraman in non-scripted for years; indeed we talk about meeting on the show Switched, an short-lived but memorable ABC Family show which depicted teenagers s...

In the midst of the collective uncertainty and re-invention of what is currently the non-scripted Industry, you could be forgiven if you are contemplating a future different from what you had envisioned. Some of you might even be thinking about whether you are closer to retirement than you imagined. I'll be honest, I've thought about retirement more the past year than I have collectively throughou...

There's a lot to overcome in our current moment in time, both as non-scripted workers, and as citizens of the United States. Many of us have issue with the daily challenges we face, and there's plenty to complain about. But what if we go beyond our complaints, and take action, and attempt to do something about it? Case Norton, a Georgia-based camera tech, did just that, when he tossed his proverbi...

Before there was a group affiliated with the International Cinematographers Guild known as the Unscripted Work Group, there were individuals who were having involved conversations with the union prior to its creation. One of those people was Dave Kanehann. On this episode, B Smith's Second Sticks dug into the origins of that group with Dave, as well as the now-infamous meeting in 2018 (check me on...

Chances are that if you served as a Director of Photography or Production Manager on a non-scripted show in the past 23 or so years, you have come into contact with Jason Farrell, either through ordering or negotiating gear, or, at the very least, seeing his name on your equipment rental list. Jason, currently the VP of TV/Cinema and Production Resource Group (PRG), has been at it since the 90's w...

B Smith's Second Sticks talks with Yetee Osunsanmi, Deputy Director from the California Film Commission. The CFC handles a multitude of tasks related to film and television production in the state of California, but their most prominent action is administering the tax incentives provided to productions through Program 4.0, the $750 million dollar state tax incentive. The government increased the a...

To say that Lance Bowling lived a hard scrabble life growing up in a trailer in the midwest might be underplaying it. From the time Lance's dad broke his alarm clock on his 18th birthday, and sent him out into the world with a loan of $50, it was on Lance to home his own destiny. B Smith's Second Sticks recounts his journey which led him to Los Angeles and finally his forays in to tv production. W...

Sports is a reality show; heroes, villains, drama, intrigue, and a (usually) clear sense of winners and losers. Sports is also entertainment, with millions and billions of dollars in play. And the people who do the production work to televise these events are subject to the same turbulent seas that may ultimately affect their lives in challenging ways. B Smith's Second Sticks talks with Shawn Kope...

Anthony and Sandra McLemore are the paragon of the concept of “betting on yourself.” They co-produced and fully financed their show “Authentic Escapes”, which can be seen now on Amazon Prime and Roku, but had no promised buyer prior to their finishing the project. Their creative and courageous plunge into content creation outside of the traditional approaches is something we non-scripted folks sho...

Pete Ozarowski, or Pete O, is a person who started life in motion and has never stopped. The non-scripted industry is filled with people who are steadfast and resilient, creative and inventive. All those words describe this man. Fun fact: Pete O actually created the "Second Sticks" moniker back in 2009, when he established a resale website for film and television production gear. I later joined hi...

The concept of "Verticals" has become a hot and polarizing topic in the creator space. Verticals, or Micro-Dramas, is content created and meant to be consumed in a vertical, rather than a horizontal, manner. Think Quibi, which was the most prominent attempt in the US at vertical content, and although failing, was perhaps ahead of it's time. Now, studios and streamers in the United Sates are climbi...

In part 2 of a 2 part podcast, B Smith's Second Sticks and Jon "Sarge" Schneider delve into the Ru Paul's Drag Race phenomena, the culture surrounding the show, and the unique energy that allowed Sarge to be comfortable enough to allow himself to transform into the character "Wintergreen" during a makeover challenge. We also talk about his short foray as a postal worker, as we encounter the realit...

B Smith's Second Stick's chops it up with friend of the pod Jon "Sarge" Schneider, in this two-part podcast! Sometimes it goes off the rails a little (like at the start) but it is a fun and in-depth ride as we dig into the origins of the name "Sarge", and his transition from Tank Commander in the military (for real!) to his short-lived radio career to ultimately his start in the non-scripted indus...

I'm always surprised as to how little that union members understand the inner workings of their unions. Therefore it is one of our goals at B Smith's Second Sticks to try and provide as much information from as many reliable sources as possible! We have a long talk with Selene Preston, Eastern Region Director of Photography/Camera Operator and National Assistant Secretary Treasurer of the Internat...

In the mid 2010's (you can debate the timeline), increased film and television production inspired more than a few workers in our industry to pick up and move to Georgia, seeking a cheaper cost of living and more industry work. By 2023, the production boom in Georgia started to dissipate for a number of reasons, not the least being an exodus of productions moving out of the United States. With thi...

Bitcoin in 2026 is a highly polarizing concept. For those who laud it with an almost religious fervor for its qualities of autonomy and decentralization, as well as for others who see it as akin to a global money-laundering scheme, Bitcoin is, nonetheless, volatile and fascinating. In this episode of B Smith's Second Sticks, we spend some time with Adrian Pruett, friend of the pod, long-time DP/Di...

It would not be unusual, and perhaps even expected, that JD Roth would settle into a relatively isolated and restful retirement after a long and successful career in non-scripted television as a on-camera talent, producer and businessman who launched one of the most renowned non-scripted production companies in the 2000's. But he still continues to pass along the lessons of his legacy while servin...

Despite the uncertain labor situation that we as non-scripted workers are facing, I think it's important to take a break, take a breath, and appreciate the historical importance of someone like David Nolte. B Smith's Second Sticks got to take a deep dive into Nolte's varied career as a musician and producer, as well as his time as an audio technician in Reality TV. Nolte is a friend, as decent and...

As members of a much maligned genre as non-scripted, it's imperative that we arm ourselves with as much information as possible so as to understand the moment we are in now. B Smith's Second Sticks recently sat down with Denise Gutches, the CEO/COO/CFO of FilmLA, and we covered a lot of ground. We talked about FilmLA's role in the current landscape of production in Los Angeles and California, and...

In the intro for today's podcast, I refer to Jesse Krim as a "YouTube Creative Director", which in retrospect I think might not be accurate. I think she's more a YouTube "architect", in that she plans, designs, and oversees the various platforms she creates for her clients. With knowledge that belies her still relatively young age, she is sharing her insights (along with other creators) through Th...

It's been discussed on this very podcast that Assistant Directors are the engine that powers productions. But we've only had a former-AD-turned-Director on the pod... until now! B Smith's Second Sticks welcomes Corky Cronin, as we explore his beginnings from wanna-be-actor to stage manager at House of Blues to literally starting over in TV and movie production, working his way up the ranks to 1st...

Georgia was the new production frontier in the late teens and early 20's; the state tax incentives and growing infrastructure made it too attractive for production companies to pass up. Then, strikes and growing costs rendered Georgia into just another expensive American location, and networks started taking their shows out of the state and country. Carrie Dufresne, (former) camera operator talks...

Everyone works hard on a non-scripted TV show, but probably no group of people work harder than the Art department. Constantly under the gun, dealing with near-impossible asks and pressing deadlines, the Art department coalesces to always deliver. B Smith's Second Sticks talks with prop master Scottie DeSantis (Scottie D to those in the know) about working together on classic reality cooking shows...