Until You Make It

In this high-energy episode of the Until You Make It Podcast, Chris and Mike sit down with Vinnie Arizzo and Jesse Shea , the creative powerhouses behind New Jersey’s own Syndicate Film School . Fresh off a major production, the crew dives into the messy reality of producing high-stakes projects on impossible timelines—most notably their recent "against-all-odds" music video shoot for th...

In this special holiday episode of Until You Make It , Chris and Mike gather with longtime friend and visual effects artist Ryan Laux for a look back at a transformative year and a look forward into the creative landscape of 2026. From Ryan’s move to full-time freelance in Los Angeles to his strategic "rise" on social media, the crew explores the delicate balance between professional pol...

What happens when creative grit meets a shifting digital world? In this episode of _Until You Make It, Chris and Mike sit down with illustrator and character designer Keith Glidewell to explore the real-life evolution of an artist—pivoting majors in college, discovering a voice through compulsive sketching, becoming a stay-at-home dad, and finding the fire that pushed him into professional illustr...

Episode Notes What happens when branding chaos meets creative grind? In this episode of Until You Make It, Chris and Mike sit down with designer Chris Rumeau to dig into the messy middle of making things—from sketching hundreds of logos on graph paper to rebranding a local coffee shop, chasing clients through Instagram reels, and figuring out how merch design can carry a career. Along the way, The...

Episode Notes This week, we dive deep into the world of anamorphic lenses—why they look so cinematic, whether they’re worth the hype, and how they’ve completely changed how we shoot our own projects. From film history to hands-on test shoots (with a side of burritos), we unpack what makes these lenses so alluring and complicated. After years of window shopping, we finally picked up our first set o...

In this episode, Chris, Mike, and special guest/producer Steve catch up post-film festival to unpack the last few chaotic weeks of filmmaking, festivals, and film nerdery. The guys recount an award-nominated short they worked on, the highs and lows of networking at Golden Door Film Festival and the NJ Film Expo, and some sharp critique on another 9/11-themed short that left everyone confused. They...

Episode Notes What’s it like working at Netflix Animation for years… and never having anything released? In this episode, we catch up with Joshua Lewkowicz, a longtime friend of the show and an assistant/associate editor at Netflix, to unpack the unseen side of the animation industry — the long hours, the creative burnout, and the projects that disappear into studio limbo. Josh talks candidly abou...

Episode Notes What’s it really like to tour with a band while shooting their music videos, managing merch, and directing creative strategy—sometimes all at once? On this episode of Until You Make It, we sit down with photographer, videographer, and all-around creative multitasker Connor Meany. From building DIY sets for $10K music video albums to shooting concerts while also acting as tour manager...

Episode Notes What’s it like to land your dream job in TV? Tyler Law shares his journey from student filmmaker to producing award-winning content for Syfy, Oxygen, and more. From goofy college shorts to high-stakes network promos, we dive into the creative grind, staying grounded, and what it really means to “make it.” In this episode: – How Tyler produced the Chucky Season 3 teaser – The workflow...

On this episode of Until You Make It, Frank takes us behind the scenes of working as an assistant camera in New York City, sharing his unique experiences on a range of productions, including the hit show "Severance". We also explore Frank's passion for shooting on film, diving into the unique differences from shooting digital. Whether you're a film enthusiast, aspiring AC, or curious abo...

Episode Notes Natalie speaks on a one week photography workshop she attended overseas while Chris and Mike warn her of the many goobers that are to be found in creative fields (scary). In this show: 0:00 - Intro 2:00 - Natalie goes to London for photography workshops 17:37 - The process of creativity 24:00 - Fake Ad Break (Clams) 25:50 - Natalie's new mindset for photography 33:13 - How do you go...

Episode Notes Anthony Marinelli is a writer, director, editor, filmmaker, and film buff! Name any classic movie and Anthony can probably not only tell you the year but also who the director was! We learn about Anthony's career path in the creative advertising industry leading up to his most recent creative endeavors including writing plays and his very own book. And what a nice fellow he is :) In...

Episode Notes Topics covered: Catching up with Andy Shooting spec ads Stories about cops on film sets Nikon/RED Acquisition Photographing an eclipse Pasta Our pitch to G FUEL Investing in yourself GAME SEGMENT: Karaoke!

Episode Notes 0:00 - Intro 2:35 - Behind the scenes of Mycelium 25:38 - San Diego Zoo & Abraham Lincoln 30:40 - Why board games are great 42:50 - Tennis balls 44:50 - Nikon buys RED! 50:55 - Shrek jr. - a masterpiece 56:50 - GAME: Lightning Round

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Episode Notes In This Episode: Talking digital art with Abi How Abi grew her fan base Pokemon Mushling board game? Writing music We make Abi cry Chris talks about the Maldives trip GAME TIME More of the good stuff - heliumturtle.com

Episode Notes In This Episode: Mike sees Book Of Mormon Bootleg DVD's "Bigness" Boba Fett sucks James moves out at 24 LOTR Show discussion Chris starts dating again Mike leaves and james becomes a stripper Sigma reached out to me More of the good stuff - heliumturtle.com

Episode Notes In This Episode: Living in LA Sigma fp review so far Living with other creators Ryan's dating his cousin Cowboy Bebop, Boba Fett, Dune Discussing our films Chris and plane crash documentaries More of the good stuff - heliumturtle.com

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Episode Notes In This Episode: Chris buys the Sigma Fp Anamorphic Lens Documentary..WATCH IT M1 macbook Filmmaking subreddit Q&A How to meet other filmmakers Talking about Joel Haver CineEye = best investment to date! More of the good stuff @heliumturtle

Episode Notes In This Episode: How Evan got started working in the industry Becoming the animatic editor on Baby Driver! Working on John Wick 2 & 3 Star Trek: Into Darkness Editing action...when it sucks Ultrawide monitors? Life stuff More of the good stuff @heliumturtle