You Gotta Hear This! A Podcast for Video Creators & Storytellers

Sometimes the best thing you can add to a story… is nothing. When we’re creating, it’s tempting to keep adding. Another shot. Another line. Another graphic. Another music cue. We want to make sure the audience gets it. But great storytelling isn’t just knowing what to put in. It’s knowing what to leave out. In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, I talk about one of the lessons I’ve learned after...

If you spend your life helping other people tell their stories, here’s an interesting question: What happens when you turn that same curiosity on yourself? Where did your story begin? Who gave you a break? What experiences changed your direction? What looked insignificant at the time—but turned out to be a pretty important dot on the map? In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul Steven Forres...

Great stories don’t begin when you press RECORD.  They begin earlier.  Before the cameras. Before the lighting. Before the edit.  They begin with curiosity . In this episode of You Gotta Hear This! , I share how I start looking for the heart of a story long before shoot day—by doing a little research, talking to the people involved, listening closely, and asking one more question. S...

Everybody’s trying to beat the algorithm. More views. More likes. More followers. More reach. But if you’re a working creative, there’s another algorithm that may matter a whole lot more. People. Because when a producer needs a great camera operator, editor, audio person, director, designer, or crew member, they usually don’t start by asking who has the most followers. They ask somebody they trust...

Sometimes opportunity gives you plenty of warning. And sometimes the phone rings and someone says: “Need you to sub-in tomorrow?” Suddenly you’re confirming the call time, showing up at a location you’ve never seen before, meeting a crew you may not know — and being expected to deliver. That’s the thing about your moment. You usually don’t get to decide when it arrives. In this episode of You Gott...

Great creative teams develop a rhythm. They learn how each other thinks. They anticipate what’s coming next. And eventually, they can communicate in shorthand. “Let’s do what we did on the Santa Monica shoot.” That may be all it takes. Because when you’ve worked together long enough, you don’t have to explain every detail. Everybody knows what that means. Everybody starts rowing in the same direct...

What if your greatest education never happened in a classroom? In this episode, I share why I'm actually grateful I never went to film school. As a music major in college, I found myself producing two full-scale musicals—experiences that unexpectedly became my bridge into television production. From there, every assignment, every edit session, every production meeting, and every conversation with...

Have you ever had one conversation change the way you looked at your work forever?   For me, it happened during a visit to Capitol Records in Hollywood. A record producer friend invited me to sit in on a recording session, and before the musicians arrived, I found myself talking with the recording engineer about the microphones he was setting up. I asked what I thought was a simple question,...

Your reputation isn't built by what you say about yourself. It's built by what other people say after you've left the room. In this episode, Paul explores why your secret sauce isn't just a skill — it's the consistent value you bring to every project, every client, and every relationship. From a behind-the-scenes television story to the quiet habits that make people want to hire you again, you'll...

Every successful creative seems to have something extra. Not a better camera, more expensive gear, or a more impressive title—but a unique value that keeps people coming back. I call it their secret sauce. Years ago, when editing technology was changing, I realized I needed to grow or risk getting left behind. Learning to edit wasn't just about mastering software. It was about becoming more valuab...

Every great creative project begins with a vision. Years ago, while working with a television director in Dallas, I learned a simple principle that has guided my work ever since. Before anyone picked up a camera or planned a shot, he'd gather the creative team together, talk through the assignment, kick around a few ideas... And then say, "Let's shoot for the moon... then work backwards." That was...

What if the biggest breakthrough in your creativity isn't learning a new skill...but looking at the same subject from a different angle? In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul explores one of the most powerful storytelling tools available—perspective. From shooting inside an aerobatic airplane to using a jib camera in the studio, he shares real-world examples of how changing your viewp...

Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing between an idea and reality isn't a lack of talent, resources, or opportunity. It's the decision to stop looking for a way forward. In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul explores a simple truth found in the stories of some of the world's most successful creatives: they didn't always have the perfect plan, the ideal circumstances, or all the answers....

Every project is an audition. Whether you realize it or not, the work you're doing today is shaping the opportunities you'll be offered tomorrow. Clients notice. Employers notice. Team members notice. And often, they're evaluating much more than your technical skills. In this episode, Paul explores a simple idea that's guided his entire creative career: the job you do today is an audition for the...

Every creative carries a toolkit. Some of the tools are obvious—cameras, microphones, editing software, lights, and lenses. But the most valuable tools often aren't found in a gear bag. They're the lessons learned from mentors, the experiences gained on difficult projects, the mistakes that taught us what not to do, and the skills we've collected along the way. In this episode of You Gotta Hear Th...

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't a lack of talent, experience, or opportunity—but a lack of permission? In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul explores the power of imagination and why so many creative people stop dreaming long before they run out of potential. Inspired by a simple plaque on his office wall and lessons learned from decades in television, storytelling, and cr...

What happens when you spend months creating content, building courses, recording podcasts, and trying to grow something meaningful… only to feel like nobody’s paying attention? In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, I share a very personal story about building, creating, writing, and pushing hard to make something meaningful connect with an audience — only to feel like the response never came. A...

Have you ever reached a point creatively where you simply felt exhausted? Not because you stopped caring. Not because you wanted to quit. But because the journey has been longer, harder, and heavier than you expected? In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, I share a story from my college years running hills behind campus with my roommate Andy — and how those difficult runs taught me something th...

Every creative journey eventually runs into a wall. Not the kind made of brick and concrete…but the kind that stops momentum. A rejected idea. A project that falls apart. A client who says no. A season where it feels like the opportunities have dried up and you’re standing there wondering what happened next. In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, Paul talks about the moments in life and creativi...

In Episode 59 of You Gotta Hear This!, we take a closer look at something every creative wants—but not everyone earns: trust. Not surface-level trust based on talent alone, but the kind of trust that gets you called back, brought into the room, and counted on when it matters most. Because at the end of the day, being “good” isn’t what separates you. Being trusted does. This episode unpacks what tr...

Some creatives get the call… and some don’t. Not because they lack talent—but because they’re missing something clients value even more. In this episode, we break down what actually gets you hired again. Because it’s not just about what you can do—it’s about how you show up when it counts. There’s a difference between being on the crew and being part of the team. The creatives who get called back...

In this episode of You Gotta Hear This!, we continue the Next Level Series—a set of conversations focused on what it really takes to grow as a creator. Not by doing more, but by thinking better. By developing the habits, awareness, and judgment that move your work forward. Every creative faces moments of decision. When to move. When to stop. And when to slow down and think. Using the familiar rhyt...

Every creative team has one. They’re not always the loudest voice in the room, and they’re not always the one leading the meeting. But they’re the one who sees what’s coming. They anticipate problems before they happen, think through the shoot before the first camera rolls, and solve things before anyone else even knows there’s an issue. They’re the gas in the engine. In this episode, we break dow...

Every creative hits a moment where things get hard. Energy drops. Confidence fades. Progress slows. The ideas don’t come as easily. The work feels heavier than it should. And in those moments, the real question is—what do you reach for? In this episode, we use the classic Popeye metaphor to explore how great creatives find strength when they need it most. Because success isn’t about always operati...

Let me ask you something: Are you in the room you want to be in or the room you’ve settled for? Because whether we realize it or not, the environments we place ourselves in—physically, creatively, and professionally—are shaping who we become. The conversations we hear, the standards we absorb, and the expectations we normalize all come from the rooms we choose or accept. Think about sound and spac...