NOLA Film Scene with Tj & Plaideau
Grace LaRocca: Take Bigger Audition Risks
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You can feel it the moment you hit record on a self-tape: your scene is strong, but the slate makes you stiff, your hands look weird, and suddenly you’re worried casting will click away in five seconds. We sit down with Grace LaRacca to talk through that exact spiral, and then we pull it apart piece by piece. From simple slate mindset tricks to cleaner self-tape presentation ideas, Grace shares what actually helps actors book work without turning the audition into a tech nightmare.
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Con Life: Artemis the Impala Part 2
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A full-size 1967 Chevy Impala rolling into a convention hall is already a statement. When it’s built around Supernatural fandom and backed by a crew that loves talking to strangers, it turns into something bigger: a moving meetup spot where car nerds, cosplayers, and longtime fans all end up in the same conversation. We’re joined again by Artemis the Impala, Emily, and Chris to unpack what “con life” really looks like behind the photos and why their first event losing money still became the best investme...
Emily & Chris: Artemis The Impala
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A black 1967 Chevrolet Impala pulls up, the trunk pops, and suddenly strangers are smiling like they just got drafted into a hunt. We’re joined by Emily and Chris from Fandom Natural, the duo behind Artemis the Impala, a lovingly built Supernatural “Baby” replica from Supernatural that has become a full-blown convention attraction across the South.
@artemisimpala on TikTok
Artemis the Impala on Facebook
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been p...
Christian Stokes: From Stunts To Acting Grit
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What does it take to build a durable career in film when the wins come slow and the stakes feel sky high? We sit down with actor and stunt performer Christian Stokes to map a path from Monster with Charlize Theron to a whirlwind turn in Five Nights at Freddy’s—plus 13,000 high falls, a phone-breaking blast of fandom, and the quiet discipline that keeps you ready when luck finally knocks. Christian pulls back the curtain on auditions as a percentages game, why “fire and forget” saves yo...
Nick Marchan: Casting a Smile
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What if the thing you’ve been hiding is the thing that books you? We sit down with actor and singer Nick Marchan, who turned a smile he once avoided into thirty-plus commercial credits, a speaking role on Peacock’s Twisted Metal, and a blueprint for building a career in the Southeast film scene. The thread that runs through his story is simple and hard to practice: lead with the strength that gets you hired, then use it to earn the range you want.
Voic...
Brian Plaideau: RetroCon Spotlight
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The mics heat up with a New Orleans cadence and a grin, and we waste no time jumping from name quirks and Yat roots into the gritty, funny truth of Mardi Gras season. Bathroom strategy, king cake experiments, and parade math set the scene before we pivot into the bigger story: how a small show and two local creatives grew from early credits and live invites to landing a guest table at RetroCon. It’s part hometown diary, part creative playbook, and all heart.
Vo...
Davey Lusco: RetroCon Origins
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A rainy four-hour trade day, a handful of CRTs, and a line out the door—Louisiana RetroCon started small but struck a nerve. We sit down with founder Davey Lusco to unpack how a community-first retro gaming convention grew from neighborhood roots into a two-city schedule with Morgan City this winter and a flagship weekend in Gonzales on August 1–2. If you’ve ever wished big cons offered more play and less noise, this story will hit home.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you be...
Terin Gary: From Travel Blogger to Actor
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A travel itch turned into a life shift. We sit down with Terin from Traveling with Terin to trace how a family plan to tent-camp through lockdown became a mission to spotlight Louisiana’s culture, hidden eats, and small-town stories—then veered into indie filmmaking.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana...
Ash Reese: Cajun Cartoon Worlds
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Filmmaker Ashe Reese walks us through creating his own cartoon series from scratch. Ash’s Cajun roots fuel the voice of his shows, from food and festivals to the rhythms of Gulf Coast talk. He’s intentional about balancing local flavor with wider appeal, sanding just enough to travel while keeping the soul intact. And yes, we talk AI. Ash rejects the shortcut culture that treats prompts as authorship. For him, AI is a power tool: great for fake toy ads and parody promos that break the...
Warren Mitchell: Chasing A Dream On Film
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A guitar class, a choir stand, and a daydream: that’s where our conversation with filmmaker Warren Mitchell begins—and it quickly unfolds into the raw, unvarnished story behind his debut feature, Aspire. Warren opens up about discovering his autism diagnosis, choosing transparency as a creative tool, and shaping a story about independence, work, and love in New Orleans that reflects reality without reducing it to a label.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has...
Danielle Lanoux: Crafting Special Effects
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Blood doesn’t just happen on camera; it’s engineered, tested, and coaxed into place under brutal lighting and tighter timelines. We bring SFX artist Danielle Lanoux into the studio to explore how a New Orleans special effects and makeup artist turns scripts into convincing wounds, old-age transformations, and head-turning practical effects without breaking budgets or skin barriers. Her journey from respiratory therapy to film gives her a calm, clinical edge—safety first with illusion a close second.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have y...
David Rabalais: Gumbo, Ghosts, And The Fois
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A haunted gumbo, a bayou curse, and an indie crew determined to pull off the wildest horror-comedy to come out of South Louisiana—this conversation goes deep into how “The Fois” became a full-on feature. We sit down with writer-director David Rabalais to unpack the origin of the cursed recipe, the family story at its center, and the gleefully gross folklore that turns a quiet town upside down. It’s equal parts heart and chaos: a pilot returns to inherit his papa’s camp, wakes the ghost of h...
Bob Zany: Finding The Punchline
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A nun with a net, a waffle iron payday, and a catchphrase that almost got cut—our time with Bob Zany is a masterclass in how comedy actually works. We trace his arc from a 15-year-old on The Gong Show to a weekly radio presence and a Las Vegas residency, pulling apart the craft choices that keep a room laughing even when everything around the show goes sideways.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
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Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @...
John Dylan Atkins: Two Super Bowl Spots And A Torn Achilles
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What if your best shot at booking arrives the moment you stop trying to impress? We sit down with actor John Dylan Atkins to unpack how he booked two Super Bowl commercials in the same year, the surprising freedom of low‑pressure auditions, and why grounded reactions often beat big choices. From super bowl commercial spots to a director who rewrote on the fly after John tore his Achilles, this conversation blends craft insight with real‑world resilience.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have...
Matthew Carroll: Wet Paint And Open Wounds
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Some stories are heavy because they’re true. Wet Paint, Matt Carroll’s new film, follows three 17-year-old girls whose friend dies by suicide—and their decision to push back when the adults and institutions around them default to silence. We invited Matt on to talk about the project, and the conversation went deep fast: real loss, real stigma, and a real plan to make student mental health less of a whisper and more of a policy priority.
If you or som...
CajunCon Bound With Jim Gleason
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A con can be more than a weekend hang—it can be the spark for a local film movement. We sit down with actor Jim Gleason to gear up for CajunCon, swap Wonka and mall-theater memories, and dig into how fandom, policy, and smart planning can power Louisiana’s next chapter. Jim’s prepping his first con table the intentional way, building a collage of roles across Star Trek Continues, Mayfair Witches, Disney’s Secrets of Sulphur Springs, and a long-running audio drama, then pairing it with a s...
Gregg Berger: Finding the Voice Behind Grimlock
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If you think voice acting starts with funny sounds, Gregg Berger will change your mind in five minutes. We dive into how he builds unforgettable performances by starting with character—motives, history, and choices—then lets the voice emerge as the natural consequence. From Grimlock and Mysterio to Spirit in G.I. Joe and a stellar run on Men in Black: The Series, Greg opens the door to the creative process that made those roles stick in your head and your heart.
Voiced by Bria...
Scott Innes: Inside Cajun Con
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The voice of Scooby Doo is putting on the biggest pop culture fan convention of the year! He joins the guys to break down what it took to set up, what celebrities are attending, and how to get free tickets.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free c...
Billy Slaughter: Finding Community At Cajun Con
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The best fandom moments aren’t about the merch—they’re about the spark between people. We sat down with actor Billy Slaughter to trade stories that bounce from a PBS deep dive as William Faulkner to the wild energy of Scary Movie 6, with a healthy dose of Cajun flavor and con-floor surprises. Billy talks preparation and play in the same breath: walking Faulkner’s halls to find the cadence of a literary giant, then flying to Atlanta to help reboot a definitive horror comedy with original...
Traditions, Movies, And A Thanksgiving Hello
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Holiday weeks can feel chaotic, so we kept it simple: a warm check-in, real traditions, and a stack of movies that make the season sing. We open up about why Thanksgiving sets our cinematic tempo—kicking off with Home Alone after dinner, then winding down with Christmas Vacation—before branching into new favorites like Red One for a lighter, PG action-Santa hit and Moana 2 for big-screen joy we’re not ashamed to chase. If you’re steering clear of Black Friday madness, consider this your cozy queue an...
Season Five, New Milestones, Big Plans
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Season five kicks off with momentum and a bold plan: we’re celebrating roughly eighty episodes and taking the show to Cajun Con with a stacked slate of guests and a fan-first mission. We start by reflecting on the early grind—passing that fragile ten-episode mark, tightening our audio and lighting, and learning when to push and when to breathe—then pivot into a high-energy preview of the con that’s aiming to reset expectations.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured...
Season Four Farewell, Season Five Ahead
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Season four ends, and the runway lights up. We’re turning the page with a full-force push into CajunCon at the Lamar Dixon Center in Gonzales—over 80 celebrities, a packed show floor, and a weekend where nostalgia and fandom collide. We share our plan to set up a booth, stream live when we can, and bring you face-to-face with icons from Transformers, Scooby-Doo, classic wrestling, Power Rangers, and more. Expect guest sessions with Gregg Berger and Billy Slaughter, plus a conversation with CajunCon founder Scott Innes, as w...
Ashley Landrieau: Part 2 From Stage To Stunts
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The curtain rises on craft and courage as Ashley Landrew joins us to chart a life that moves from grade‑school plays to LSU’s performance program and straight into the calculated chaos of stunt training. We get honest about what changes when the audience is a lens instead of a live room, why stage work demands continuous presence, and how a solid dialect becomes a lifeline between takes.
https://www.ashleylandrieu.com/
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
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Ashley Landrieau: Part 1 The Role Of An Intimacy Coordinator
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The most unforgettable moments on screen often ask the most from performers. Ashley Landrieu—actor, writer, director, stunt-trained performer, and intimacy coordinator—pulls back the curtain on how intimate and emotionally heavy scenes are designed with consent, clarity, and safety from day one. We walk through what the role actually covers, from simulated sex and nudity to panic attacks and high-stakes emotion, and why “film isn’t real but looks it” is the guiding principle that protects people while elevating the story.
https://www.ashleyland...
Dean West: Part 2 Truthful Acting
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Dean unpacks the turning point that changed his work: an acting class with Aaron Speiser that replaced “how should this look?” with “what does this human believe right now?” We dig into the “moment before,” the trap of starting scenes in a pre-selected emotion, and why memorizing like a song locks rhythm and kills spontaneity. Dean’s mantra is ruthless and liberating: lines matter for understanding, presence matters for meaning.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery...
Dean West: Part 1 Acting Without Acting
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Ever notice how the best performances feel unforced, like the camera just wandered into a real moment? That’s the core of our time with actor and coach Dean West, who makes a compelling case that presence beats performance every time. We dig into the gritty, practical habits that keep you human on set—then pair them with simple mindset drills that turn nerves into fuel.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been prac...
Ann Mahoney: Rumors and Reality
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A meme tried to tell our story for us—so we brought in the person at the center of it. Ann Mahoney sits down with us to unpack a viral rumor about a Walking Dead scene, why it’s completely false, and what gets lost when the internet mistakes convincing acting for personal pain. From there, we zoom out to the bigger picture: how audiences conflate character with human, how body-shaming takes root in comment sections, and what it actually takes for an actor to cry at t...
Scott Nielsen: From 48-Hour Chaos to Cinematic Control
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A 48-hour film sprint on a horse rescue ranch. Cowboy kung fu. Seven hours of beautiful footage left on the floor. That’s where our talk with New Orleans filmmaker Scott Nielsen kicks off—and it only gets wilder from there. Scott breaks down the kind of pre-production you can and should do before you even have a script: scheduling people, page targets, asset wrangling, and designing coverage that respects the clock. He walks us through how tight lenses, aggressive blocking, and “shoot-for-the-timeline” thinking can turn chaos in...
Eileen Grubba: Part 2
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What if your greatest challenges became your greatest strengths? Actress, writer, and producer Eileen Gruba transforms this question from philosophical musing to lived reality in this powerful conversation about disability, resilience, and the fight for inclusion in Hollywood.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free consultation AND a...
Eileen Grubba: Part 1
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Resilience takes center stage as actress, writer, and producer Eileen Gruba shares her extraordinary 30-year journey through the entertainment industry. From childhood tragedy to industry trailblazer and advocate for disabled actors, Eileen's story captivates with raw honesty and unwavering determination.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free c...
Hick Cheramie: The Resilient Journey of a Cajun Actor
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What does it mean to find success in the entertainment industry during slow times? Hick Cheramie returns to our show after two years to share the profound wisdom he's gained navigating the unpredictable waters of an acting career while maintaining his day job in the oil fields.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have b...
Zac Cino: The Actor-Director's Lens
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From childhood VHS movie-making to crafting indie films with a distinctive voice, actor-director Zac Cino takes us behind the scenes of his creative journey on this episode of NOLA Film Scene.
Zac shares the story of how a prop gun pressed against an actor's face created an unexpectedly authentic moment - which leads to a fascinating discussion about unconventional directing techniques, including how asking an actor about Spider-Man right before a take can elicit the perfect confused expression.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau<...
NOLA Film Scene: Two Years in the Books
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When we hit record on our very first NOLA Film Scene episode two years ago, we never imagined the incredible journey ahead. From upgrading our recording setup (goodbye, dark sound booth!) to forming meaningful connections with talented creators across Louisiana, this anniversary livestream captures the heart of what we've built together.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very...
Acting with Heart: Bill Harris's Journey
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Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free consultation AND a reduced fee for fellow members of the Lousiana film industry, and she will handle your case from start to finish. She can be reached at janamccaffery@gmail.com or 504-837-1234. Tell Her NOLA Film Scene sent you
Kevin Cheatham: From Veteran to Filmmaker
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What happens when a 21-year Coast Guard veteran trades military service for movie magic? Kevin Cheatham takes us behind the scenes of his remarkable journey from aviation mechanic to Hollywood stunt performer, actor and filmmaker in this fascinating conversation.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free consultation A...
Cowboys, Creeps, & Close Shaves: Our 48-Hour Film Adventures
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What would make you cut a beard you've grown for years? For TJ, it wasn't money—it was the right creative project. In this candid conversation, TJ and Plaideau break down their separate journeys through this year's 48-Hour Film Competition in New Orleans, revealing the surprising personal sacrifices and creative decisions that shaped their experiences.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Support the show
Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @kodaksbykojack, and @tjsebastianofficial. Check out our 48 Hour Film Project short film Waiting fo...
Tatiana Piper: From Russia to the DC Universe
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Tatiana Piper's path to the DC Universe began not on a Hollywood soundstage but in a Russian classroom where creative aspirations were met with skepticism. "When is this phase going to fade out and you're going to go be a doctor or lawyer or build spaceships?" her family would ask. Despite her natural theatrical talents, Tatiana initially compromised by pursuing architecture and interior design, bringing her to America for college. In the episode we explore how her creative outlet evolved from design to acting.
<...
Jim Vess: Folding Kindness
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Dollar bills transform into works of art and vehicles of human connection in the hands of Jim Vess, the beloved "origami guy" of the New Orleans film scene. Recorded at the inaugural Galaxy Con New Orleans, this conversation reveals how Jim's creative habit has touched lives across the entertainment industry and beyond.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Support the show
Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @kodaksbykojack, and @tjsebastianofficial. Check out our 48 Hour Film Project short film Waiting for Gateaux: https...
Jana McCaffery: Acting, Law, and Finding Your Moment
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What happens when a childhood passion refuses to be silenced? In this captivating conversation, Jana McCaffrey reveals her remarkable journey through multiple careers while never letting go of her dream to perform.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free consultation AND a reduced fee for fellow members o...
Birthday Adventures, Comic-Cons, and 48-Hour Film Projects
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Birthday celebrations, upcoming film competitions, and the realization that we're approaching our podcast's two-year anniversary – this casual check-in episode captures the ongoing journey of NOLA Film Scene.
Voiced by Brian Plaideau
Support the show
Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @kodaksbykojack, and @tjsebastianofficial. Check out our 48 Hour Film Project short film Waiting for Gateaux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pFvn4cd1U . & check out our website: nolafilmscene.com
