WILDsound: The Film Podcast

Matthew Toffolo interviews Aleca King about her documentary film "Love Revolution," which explores the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movements through her personal journey as a flight attendant who turned her COVID-related work disruptions into an opportunity to document the social unrest. Aleca explained how the film concept came to her in a dream during the protests, and she used her travel opportunities as a private flight attendant to interview people in different cities, including New York and Minneapolis, where she met George Floyd's roommate. She discussed her background working for NBA teams, including the Lakers; her experience...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Daniel Han-Shiang Young, a USC dance student and choreographer, about his short film "My Skin." Daniel discussed how he started dancing at age 12 and developed into a multi-style dancer before transitioning to film through a USC class assignment. He explained how the film, which he directed, danced in, and created, was made in just one night with friends helping with camera and lighting, and how it represents his personal experience with grief and internal emotions. The film was submitted to festivals and received positive feedback from his professor Sarah Sokin, who encouraged him to submit it. Daniel...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Tamara Cook, a writer-director from Australia, about her short film "Savannah's Curse." The film, set in a future where resources are limited for the elite, features retro 70s art direction and explores themes of power, abuse, and social cycles that repeat throughout history. Tamara discussed her transition from theater to filmmaking in 2021, sharing insights about her learning process across three films and the challenges of working with small crews in Western Australia. She revealed that her father, who had never acted before, played the central character based on Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, and Hugh Hefner, while the...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed legendary artist Harry Roseman for the third time to discuss his film "5 Hotels" (now expanding to 6 or 7 hotels), which explores the routine of leaving hotel rooms through abstract visual elements and subtle narrative observations. Harry explained how the film exists on two levels - abstract (focusing on color, pattern, texture, and rhythm) and narrative (following someone leaving a hotel room, walking through hallways, taking elevators, and exiting to the street) - with the underlying theme of the seen and unseen. They discussed how hotel routines are universal across different cities while being influenced by local culture and...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Mark Mori, about his documentary film, "Baristas vs. Billionaires," which explores the Starbucks union movement that began in Buffalo. Matthew shared a personal connection to the film's themes, discussing the decline of unions and the impact on communities like Buffalo. Mark explained his motivation for making the film, drawing from his own background in union activism and his belief in the importance of the story. He detailed the filmmaking process, which involved filming interviews with baristas and using found footage, all done with a small, volunteer crew. The film highlights the challenges faced by Starbucks workers, the...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Noel Thompson, about directing her first short film, "Snowdrift," and her subsequent work on a second short, "Psychomantium." Noel discussed her transition from screenwriting to directing, motivated by a desire to learn how scripts are interpreted during production. She detailed the collaborative process with her DP, Mike Fitzer, and the challenges of shooting on a tight schedule and budget. The discussion covered the film's location, the importance of the black and white checkered floor, and the mystery tone of the narrative. Noel shared insights into working with actors, ensuring each had an arc, and the editing process...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Travis P. Molloy about his feature film "Driver Ed," which played at the Sci-Fi Fantasy Film Festival. Travis discussed the film's inspiration, which came from wanting to shoot an entire movie inside a moving vehicle, and the challenges of doing so with a micro-budget and a crew of just himself and his wife, Laura. He explained the casting of Anthony Casabianca, who brought a comedic element to the lead character, and how the film evolved from a darker script into more of a dark comedy. Travis shared his excitement about the current state of filmmaking, emphasizing the...

Matthew Toffolo interviews John Franklin Stevens about his short film "Obituary," a 14-minute dark comedy about a funeral service that descends into chaos, which he directed and wrote. John, who is also the founder of Act With Purpose International and works with the Act on Ability Foundation, collaborated with acting students from his school to create the film, which was well-received at the Comedy Festival. The film features an ensemble cast including child actors, was shot in a church during Orthodox Easter, and focuses on how different people have varying perspectives of the same person, highlighting the human ego and...

The conversation centered on Ty Brulee's experimental art film "Seventh Circle," which is part of the Shucks cinematic world and heavily influenced by Dante's Inferno. Ty discussed the film's themes, including addiction and the death of innocence, symbolized by the burning toy baby, and the challenges of presenting such themes in his conservative hometown of Asheboro, North Carolina. He explained his hands-on approach to filmmaking, handling everything from shooting and editing to scoring and costume design, often using his own footage. Ty shared his background, including living in China and how that experience influenced his silent filmmaking style. He also...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Madison Wade about her short film "Candid Goodness," which explores women's relationships to their inner goddess. Madison discussed the film's concept, her background in dance and choreography, and the process of selecting participants through an online survey. She explained her interest in themes of sacredness, cycles, and shared female experiences, and how the film served as a personal and therapeutic project. WILDsound praised the film's visuals, diversity of participants, and the way it combined interviews, dance, and experimental elements. They also talked about Madison's upcoming documentary about love and birds, and WILDsound shared thoughts on human impact...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Rich Figel about his screenplay "I Gotta Be Me," a political musical feature film. Rich described the story as a David versus Goliath tale, with a punk rocker protagonist battling a corporate giant reminiscent of Donald Trump. He discussed the script's origins, its themes of repackaging and corporate influence, and its connection to the punk rock movement of the 70s and 80s. Rich shared his background, growing up in New Jersey and living in New York before moving to Hawaii, and how his experiences informed the script. He recounted the screenplay's history, including its option by Michael...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Anne Catharine Blake about her poem “The Last Voyager” and its adaptation into a poetry film, with Anne sharing the personal story behind it about her father, Canadian actor Bud Browning, and his difficult end-of-life experience with cancer. Anne explained how her background as an illustrator, visual storytelling professor, and writer informed her approach to the poem and how caregiving for her father and other family members inspired her to write about these universal but often unspoken experiences. She and Matthew Toffolo discussed the emotional and practical challenges of caregiving, the impact on families, and cultural differences in h...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Barney Walsh about his short film "Love Bug," which he directed and starred in alongside Laurel, who also wrote the film. Barney explained that the film was created collaboratively with Laurel, inspired by their own relationship dynamics, and was written quickly while he was at LAX. They discussed the film's focus on the nuanced conflicts and evolution of a relationship, with a realistic and emotionally mature portrayal of the characters. Barney shared details about the minimalist production, with just the two of them handling all aspects on set, and how practical constraints led to the film's one-take...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed the “Jumping at Shadows” team discussing their latest animated film, Forsaken Father Part 2 Part 1, which is part of a larger series and trilogy. The creative forces Locky and Loki explained the film's hand-drawn animation style, the process of creating and editing the imagery, and the challenges of maintaining audience engagement over 40 minutes. They detailed the collaborative efforts in writing, illustrating, and voice acting, with contributions from Mansour, Isabelle, Tom, and Jett. The team shared insights into character development, thematic elements, and the balance between creative ambitions and practical constraints like budget and time. They also talked about thei...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Martin Ryan, an Australian filmmaker and musician, about his 4-minute music video short film "Truth is Dead" under the umbrella of his music project Nemesis Legion. Martin explained that he created original trap and heavy metal music with political themes warning about authoritarianism and the need for critical thinking, then used AI to generate visual content when his network of traditional filmmakers disappeared during COVID. He spent approximately 400 Australian dollars (about £200) on AI video generation through Magic (formerly FreePick) using Stable Diffusion 2.0, which allowed him to control timing to tenths of a second and create solidified characters, t...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Avi Setton on the experience making his first feature film, "The Big Break." Avi discussed the challenges and rewards of writing, directing, and producing the film, which was shot in just six days with a small crew and cast, including several non-actors. He shared insights into the film's conception, inspired by his background in tech and film, and the decision to create a contained story with limited resources. Avi explained the post-production process, the importance of finding the right editor, and the use of experimental music by composer Joseph Bertolazzi. The conversation also covered the film's dark...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Elvis Maleko about his first short film "The Aloha Within," which he wrote, directed, and acted in. Elvis explained how he was born on August 20th, 1977 - the same day Elvis Presley died - and was named after the iconic singer by his Hawaiian parents, who were big fans. He discussed his background in entertainment, including performing fire knife dancing for 25 years and being part of a traveling luau show family that performed across the mainland. The film explores the behind-the-scenes struggles of a Polynesian performer named Mark dealing with personal tragedy while preparing for a luau...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Jeff and Ben, the creative team behind the short film "Burnouts." They discussed the autobiographical nature of the film, which is about two friends in their twenties experiencing an existential crisis. Jeff shared details about the production process, including the challenges of balancing day jobs, shooting in extreme heat, and the importance of their core team. They explained their inspiration from early 2000s comedies and aimed to create a "smart stupid" comedy with a specific target audience. The post-production process was lengthy, with Jeff re-editing the film from scratch after an initial screening. They also revealed that...

Matthew Toffolo chats with Daryl Granger about his feature documentary “The Showmen”, which explores the world of traveling carnivals through the lens of World’s Finest Shows. Daryl explained his filmmaking approach, emphasizing authenticity, minimal pre-planning, and learning from subjects, and described how he immersed himself in the carnival for a year to capture real experiences. He discussed the history and terminology of carnivals, the distinction between “carnies” and “showmen,” and the challenges and realities of the lifestyle, including long hours, weather impacts, and the importance of trust and community. The conversation covered the logistics, costs, safety regulations, and economic factors affect...

Matthew Toffolo chats with Sucheta Sunku Gupta about her experimental short film "Tiger," which was played at the Experimental Dance Music Festival. Sucheta described the film as exploring the experience of growing up with "tiger parents," a strict and high-achievement parenting style common in immigrant communities. She discussed the film's themes of balancing discipline with love and the personal connection many viewers from the Indian community felt with the story. Sucheta explained the film's creation as her Capstone Thesis Project at Virginia Commonwealth University, detailing the process of writing the poetic script, using her sister as the actor, and filming...

Matthew Toffolo chatted with the very talented artist JOYA, an independent singer-songwriter and actress from Hong Kong. Joya discussed her music video "Good Stuff," which was shown at the LGBTQ+ Film Festival and serves as her most explicit coming-out project, depicting the normalcy of a queer relationship. She explained the collaborative process with director Edwin Lai and the intention behind the video to showcase queer joy and intimacy. Joya also shared her upcoming EP release, her work on a short film titled "As It Should Be," and her preference for live performances and analog formats like vinyl. The discussion touched...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Sabine Meyer, a psychiatrist and writer, about her wrtings and WILDsound converting her short stories into films. Sabine explained how her interest in using dreams for writing inspiration began after listening to a lecture by Robert Butler about accessing the subconscious through dreams, which led her to start recording and developing her vivid dreams into stories. She discussed her collection "Dream Seeds," which consists of vignettes exploring mother-daughter relationships and symbolic bird imagery, as well as her political commentary story "King Harold and the Hairless" which was inspired by current political situations and draws parallels to "A...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Maël Caradec about his short film "boysick," a 26-minute French film exploring virtual stalking on Grindr following a breakup. Maël explained the film was inspired by his own personal experience with problematic stalking behavior after being ghosted by an ex-boyfriend, and he worked with two different composers for the music—using Marvet's existing songs for the character's singing and a separate composer for the original soundtrack. The film was shot handheld with a Zucanescope DV2009 camera to create a grainy, authentic look and featured challenging scenes with many extras in a club setting. This was Maël...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Hamish Sturgeon about his short film "Gossamer," which premiered at the LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Hamish described the film as a drama exploring identity, with thriller and experimental elements, and explained its origins from his own reflections on private identity and the act of making costumes. He discussed the decision to direct and act in the film, the collaborative process with his team, and the importance of the single Hollywood location. Hamish shared insights into working with cinematographer Jesse Aragon to achieve a cinematic look, the challenges of directing himself, and the post-production process. He also spoke about...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Deborah Colton, executive producer of the film "Munkács Miracle," about the extraordinary reunion of Holocaust survivors Magda Bader and Ruth Cohen. Deborah explained how she discovered their shared history and arranged their emotional meeting in Boston at age 95, capturing it on film for educational purposes. She discussed the film's focus on their personal stories, the declining knowledge of the Holocaust among younger generations, and the universal message of resilience and the dangers of hate. The conversation also touched on the importance of kindness, the impact of the survivors' testimonies on students, and the broader need f...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed filmmaker Joe James Clarke about his fan fiction film "Gotham's Royal," which was accepted into the WILDsound Festival. Joe discussed his directorial debut, explaining that he wanted to create something stylized and different from his usual acting work. He described how the film takes Batman back to his 1940s noir roots with a black and white aesthetic, featuring a poker game between Bruce Wayne and various DC villains, including Lex Luthor, the Penguin, and Harvey Dent. Joe detailed the casting process, noting that he held auditions for the main roles rather than casting friends, and highlighted the...

An intimate short documentary about artist Rita Winkler, whose watercolor world reveals a creative process shaped by instinct, rhythm, repetition, and color. Directed by Mark Winkler
https://www.instagram.com/ritawinklerart
Matthew Toffolo interviewed Helen Winkler and her daughter Rita Winkler, where they discussed their short film "More Colorful World" about Rita's artistic journey. Rita began painting watercolor artwork during COVID-19, starting with virtual art classes and eventually producing hundreds of paintings daily, with themes often inspired by birthdays, holidays, news events, and everyday life at her day program called Danny. Helen explained how she collaborates with Rita...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Jessica Elizabeth Davenport about her multimedia project “Terminal 9," which encompasses a feature-length film, a comic book, and a soundtrack. Jessica explained that Terminal 9 originated from an unrealized architectural project for a new terminal at LAX and evolved into a creative world housing her mythical band Strictly Elizabeth. She detailed how she wrote the comic book and music, using AI technology to finish the soundtrack due to practical constraints. Jessica discussed her background in architecture and how it influences her multidisciplinary approach to storytelling. She also shared her vision for bringing Terminal 9 to the stage as a multimedia, co...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Z Vergun about Z's horror screenplay "One More Time With Feeling," which explores themes of gender dysphoria and identity through a horror lens. Z explained their choice of the horror genre, describing how the visceral and tense nature of the experience lent itself well to the story. They shared the personal origins of the screenplay, tracing the idea back to their own experiences and struggles with gender identity. The conversation also touched on the broader social context, including the evolving language and acceptance around gender identity, as well as the current challenges faced by the trans community...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Edward Miskie about his documentary short film "Back to Normal," which explores the often overlooked experiences of cancer survivors after being declared cancer-free. Edward, a 14-year cancer survivor himself, explained that the film was inspired by the lack of narratives addressing the challenging transition period survivors face. He shared his personal journey of feeling displaced and the importance of connecting with others who shared similar feelings. Edward discussed the process of finding interview subjects through online communities and highlighted the candidness of the participants, including himself and two other main subjects, Megan and Victor. The conversation also...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Brett Langolf about his documentary film "Generation: Cure." Brett explained how the film began as a planned short documentary about a man running 65 miles in 65 hours to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis but evolved into a deeper story about the family's journey after their niece Gabby passed away from the disease. The film was shot on very short notice with minimal funding, and Brett shared how they captured spontaneous moments like Chad's emotional story on Gabby's Bridge, which became a key scene in the film. Brett discussed the film's impact, including how it raised $15,000 in pledges before...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Bruce and Robert, the filmmaking team behind "They Came in Peace." They discussed their collaboration on their fourth animated film together. The directors explained how they reunited after a 40-year separation in junior high school and began working together on animation projects, with Bruce handling music composition and Robert managing the visual animation using Photoshop. They discussed the evolution of their latest film from a 3-minute black-and-white short to a 12-minute color animation with full orchestra music, taking three years to complete. The film serves as an allegory about human narcissism and environmental responsibility, telling the story...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed filmmaker Winston James about his crime thriller short film that was accepted into the Thriller/Suspense Festival. Winston shared his journey into filmmaking, starting as a schoolteacher who got his first film experience by helping a first-time director on set, which inspired him to pursue filmmaking professionally. He explained that the film took two years to complete due to budget constraints, requiring him to shoot the standoff scene separately from the original footage to achieve the desired suspenseful effect. The film was shot in a burnt-out apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, with professional actors and crew, and...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed the creative team behind "The City's Green Room," a 3-minute environmental film that played at the Environmental Film Festival that features world-renowned opera singer Rolando Villazón. Stacy, the writer & director, explained how they created a series called "Stories of Trees" to educate audiences about the importance of urban plant life through compelling storytelling combined with music. Felipe, the executive producer, described how they've produced 12 films so far, with the latest being a project in Salzburg, Austria, comparing Mozart to tree care. The team discussed their approach of making short, social media-friendly films that showcase real tree c...

Watch the best scene reading:
https://youtu.be/LeLjDjPZmLY
Matthew Toffolo interviewed Maria Lena Skillings about her feature screenplay "Echoes of Erdington," which was selected from the Horror Underground Festival. Maria explained that the screenplay was inspired by true events involving two identical murders that occurred 157 years apart in Irdington, England - one in the 1800s and another in the 1970s. She described how she developed the story by researching these real cases and incorporating elements of a potential curse or reincarnation theme. Maria discussed her decision to set the story in the 1990s, noting that she preferred...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Michael Hayes about his winning teleplay screenplay "In the Shadows," which tells the story of a retired teacher coming to terms with his bisexuality while being in an interracial marriage. Michael explained that the five-episode mini-series explores how his character's wife handles his developing intergenerational relationship with a younger man, addressing themes of bisexuality, marriage, and emotional connection. When asked about his writing background, Michael revealed this was his first screenplay despite having written three books over 15-20 years, stating that reading Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way" unblocked his creative writing in screenplay format. The conversation also...

Watch the POETRY movie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glnV1DMyRW8
The conversation centered on Alexander Lizardo Peterson's poem "Body for Who," which was adapted into a poetry film by WILDsound. Alexander shared that the poem's inspiration came from his lifelong struggles with body image, influenced by cultural expectations and social media standards, but that perspective shifted positively after the birth of his son. He discussed his journey with writing, including his initial dislike of poetry, his evolution through different college majors, and how his wife's encouragement led him to pursue English and writing. Alexander reflected on...

Matthew Toffolo interviewed Ivars Kovalevskis about his short film "Quelled," a psychological crime thriller from Ireland that won at the Thriller/Suspense festival. Ivars discussed his background in film, starting in his 40s after learning graphic design and animation, and his collaboration with the Dublin Filmmakers group, where he met crew members and actors. He explained his multi-role approach as director, cinematographer, and editor to reduce costs while maintaining creative control and described the film's production process, including location scouting in Dublin city center and County Wicklow, as well as the collaboration with sound designer Rinsler on the atmospheric sound...

Matthew Toffolo chatted with Johnny Mischief-Cancer, about his animated music video "Roll Call Home" for Jenny Wu's song, which was showcased at Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film Festival. Johnny, based in Portland, Oregon, directed and animated the entire project himself, including rotoscoping and mouth movement work, though he had to take a six-month hiatus due to the sudden death of an old bandmate. The video depicts a space journey metaphor for touring as a musician, featuring alien species (crabs) and locations like Paris and Edmonton, with Johnny working remotely with Jenny who is based in Ottawa, Canada. Despite personal challenges, Johnny completed...

Matthew Toffolo chatted with Lily Lejeune about their short story "The Memory Thief," which was adapted into a film. Lily explained the story’s dystopian premise, where pronouns are outlawed, and discussed its inspirations from novels like 1984, Anthem, and Gallia's Daughters. She shared her background, including growing up on a farm in Iowa, learning to read late, and her journey into writing and competitive speaking. Lily also talked about her time in the Navy as a nuclear mechanic, her current studies in pre-law, and her passion for writing and D&D. The conversation covered her writing process, her aspirations as a...