Talent Freaks Podcast

Former WBO World Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt joins Talent Freaks for a deeply personal conversation about identity, pressure, loss, reinvention, and the long road from boxing to the arts. Michael opens up about being pushed into boxing, surviving the brutal realities of the sport, and eventually finding a second life in acting, writing, and directing. We also get into the moments that shape...

Photographer, creator, and professional chaos merchant Chad Sanders joins Talent Freaks for a wildly funny conversation about calling out bad photography in movies and TV, why Hollywood keeps getting the details wrong, and how a Canon shooter with comedian energy turned frustration into a viral creative voice. Chad breaks down fake cameras, impossible lens choices, lens caps on set, and all the li...

TV executive and creative innovator Elizabeth Kealoha joins Talent Freaks to discuss leading the Altura Festival — a generative AI film festival and summit in Atlanta — and how she's building an ecosystem where filmmakers, technologists, and entrepreneurs can tell stories using emerging tools. Elizabeth shares how two decades in television, from set PA to Executive VP of Original Programming,...

British documentary filmmaker and award-winning cinematographer Daniel Everitt-Lock joins Talent Freaks to discuss directing the 2026 feature Our Planet, The People, My Blood, centered on nuclear veterans advocate Alan Owen’s fight against the UK Ministry of Defence for justice and compensation while connecting impacted communities across four continents. Daniel shares how a short film about nucle...

Troy Booker (Intsagram @troybflying_photography) has charted a rare path: childhood dreams of flight realized as a Navy aviator and Dreamliner captain, intertwined with a mastery of portraiture that has earned him acclaim on Instagram and among models worldwide. In the rugged expanse of California's Eastern Sierras, amid @davidherring 's photo meetup, he opens up on Talent Freaks about orchestrati...

Podcast guest and FilmPro.ai creator Alex Lugo (@alexdlugo) joins Talent Freaks to share his journey from growing up on sets with his SAG-actor father to building an AI-powered pre-production platform used by 500+ filmmakers worldwide. He walks through FilmPro.ai, a browser-based tool that reads your script and auto-generates posters, character sheets with AI portraits, location references, script...

Podcast veteran and Vindexr creator Mark Richardson joins Talent Freaks to discuss his 20-year career in video production, from agency work and corporate gigs at Idaho National Lab to developing AI tools that revolutionize editing workflows. He demos Vindexr, his desktop app that auto-transcribes footage, tags visuals like doctors in scrubs or danger signs, and uses Claude AI to assemble rough cut...

Moroccan-born filmmaker and producer Soukaina Alaoui El Hassani joins Talent Freaks to talk about her journey from Casablanca to New Yor k City, and how she turned bootleg sci‑fi nights and Zena Warrior Princess reenactments with her grandfather into a career as a commercial and indie storyteller. We dive into her early love of narrative, learning English through TV and film, and how Fordham and N...

Join us on Talent Freaks for an exclusive conversation with Director Iryna Pravylo and Producer Yulia Zi about their powerful documentary Flowers Beyond the Dark. This deeply moving film portrays Ukraine's resilience amid war, revealing intimate stories of survival, hope, and strength from frontline soldiers, families, and spiritual leaders. Watch the documentary journey unfold through stunnin...

Today’s episode is extra special as we welcome back filmmaker Jose Montesinos for a true round trip. We first spoke with Jose back in 2008, when his unique indie shorts like Deadly Finger and Winds of Time were captivating audiences at film festivals. Since then, Jose’s journey has taken so many turns from cult indie hits to directing professional features for Asylum Studios and Lifetime, to perso...

Welcome to another fun episode of Talent Freaks , where host Andy Coon sits down with storm chaser, professional photographer, and time-lapse master  Mike Olbinski. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Mike is renowned for his stunning storm photography, viral time-lapse films, and breathtaking footage of supercells, lightning, monsoons, and epic dust storms . His work has been licensed by National Geograph...

Welcome to an insightful episode of Talent Freaks featuring D.C. Douglas  the iconic voice actor behind Albert Wesker in Resident Evil and many other games, anime, commercials, and TV shows. Host Andy Coon reconnects with D.C .for a remarkable reunion podcast revisiting their first conversation from 2007. In this episode, D.C. shares candid stories from his decades-long career navigating the shift...

Welcome to another inspiring episode of Talent Freaks , hosted by filmmaker and photographer Andy Coon. Today’s guest is Luke Hale , the brilliant Head of Media at ‪@CrunchLabs‬ and a pivotal creative force behind ‪@MarkRober‬ YouTube empire, boasting over 70 million subscribers and more than 14 billion views . Luke shares his extraordinary journey from broadcast engineering at BYU and Apple to le...

Welcome to Episode 2 of Talent Freaks featuring documentary filmmaker Jonathan Berman. In this episode, Jonathan shares the inside story of creating the acclaimed documentary Commune, exploring the legendary Black Bear Ranch, its archival footage, and the enduring impact of 1960s counterculture on communal living and activism. Jonathan discusses his journey from discovering the stories of Black Be...

Welcome to the official launch of Talent Freaks with Andy Coon, the reimagined podcast dedicated to celebrating exceptionally talented individuals who are masters of their craft. In our premiere episode, award-winning filmmaker and host Andy B. Coon sits down with renowned photographer and YouTuber Dave Herring. We dive deep into Dave's creative journey, exploring the hard work, unique perspective...

In this captivating episode from 2012, host Andy Coon reconnects with Gabriel Bissett Smith, a BAFTA-nominated writer, director, and actor celebrated for his genre-blending storytelling and innovative projects. Gabriel’s work spans film, theater, television, and digital media, often exploring themes of identity, relationships, and societal change with a fresh and unexpected perspective. Gabriel fi...

In this engaging follow-up episode, recorded in 2007, host Andy Coon continues his conversation with Michael Bentt, former heavyweight boxing champion turned actor. This is Part 2 of a two-part series where Michael delves deeper into his transition from the boxing ring to the world of acting and writing. Michael shares his experiences working on notable films such as "Ali," where he portrayed Sonn...

In this captivating episode, recorded in 2007, host Andy Coon engages in a compelling conversation with Michael Bentt, a former heavyweight boxing champion turned actor. This is Part 1 of a two-part series where Michael shares his journey from the boxing ring to the world of acting, offering insights into his diverse career and the challenges he faced along the way. Michael discusses his early lif...

In this powerful episode from 2012, host Andy Coon engages in a thought-provoking conversation with filmmaker and activist Nick Gaglia. Known for his deeply personal films, "Over the GW" and "Aaron Bacon," Nick has been a vocal advocate against abuse in the troubled teen industry. His films, based on true stories, have raised awareness and sparked critical conversations about institutional maltrea...

In this engaging episode from 2012, host Andy Coon sits down with the talented Ted Tremper, a filmmaker, improviser, and writer whose award-winning work has made waves in the comedy and filmmaking world. At the time of this interview, Ted had just presented the Vimeo Award for Best Web Series—a category that Andy's web series, Often Awesome, proudly won. Ted shares his journey from Seattle to Chic...

In this captivating episode recorded in 2012, host Andy Coon engages in a lively conversation with Nick Beery, a multifaceted filmmaker based in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. Nick's journey from being a Ringling Brothers circus clown to an acclaimed filmmaker is as unique as it is inspiring. With films showcased in over 100 festivals, including Cannes and New York City, Nick has garne...

In this engaging episode from 2012, host Andy Coon sits down with Jurjen Versteeg, a Dutch designer and motion graphics artist who gained international acclaim with his award-winning project, A History of the Title Sequence. Jurjen's work brilliantly pays homage to the pioneers of title design while showcasing his unique creative vision. Since winning the Vimeo Award for Best Motion Graphics in 20...

In this continuation of our 2012 conversation, host Andy Coon delves deeper into the creative mind of Harvey Robinson, a Greensboro-based filmmaker and co-founder of Monkeywhale Productions. In Part 1, we explored Harvey's early projects, including the acclaimed Harvey's Kitchen series. Now, we turn our focus to his evolving role in the film and television industry. Harvey shares insights into his...

In this engaging episode from 2008, host Andy Coon sits down with Harvey Robinson, a dynamic filmmaker and creative force in Greensboro, North Carolina. At the time, Harvey was making waves with his project, Harvey's Kitchen, where he conducted video interviews with local artists, capturing the essence of Greensboro's vibrant arts scene. Since then, Harvey has co-founded Monkeywhale Productions, a...

In this episode of Talent Freaks, host Andy Coon sits down with Seth Mendelson and Joseph Baron, the creative minds behind the acclaimed web series "Take Me Back." Recorded in 2008 when their series was making waves on Vimeo, this conversation explores how two film school graduates transformed limited resources into a visually stunning and narratively compelling web series. Seth and Joseph candidl...