The Curious Refuge Podcast (Curious Refuge)

In this series of conversations, Fred explores the stories of creators re-inventing their careers through the opportunities of generative AI tools and technologies. The acclaimed actress/ screenwriter/ producer shares her journey as an early adopter, how the community spirit of like-minded filmmakers helped her overcome impostor syndrome, and how rocketboom her career into new opportunities repped by agency Secret Level, with soon to be announced releases at major festivals.

Show notes: https://www.secretlevel.co/portfolio/verena-puhm/ http://www.theverenapuhm.com/ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrPus3T4qa_rXzdA25xAgb3cO9sS3k1pB&si=T1v6D7CFj57JXDja

Welcome to Episode 14 of the Curious Refuge Podcast. In this episode, we have a very special guest, Fred Grinstein. Not only is Fred the instructor of our brand new AI Documentary Course, but he is also a media executive, producer, and filmmaker based in Playa Vista, CA.

Fred has an incredible resume when it comes to non-fiction production working with major distribution studios like HBO, A&E, and Vice. Fred is deeply passionate about emergent technology like AI, XR, and Web3 and is hoping to build bridges between traditional content and the modern creator economy.

Not only does Fred have an awesome resume, but we have been working with Fred to create an AI documentary course which will begin its first beta session on September 4th. We are incredibly excited about it.

We hope you enjoy this episode.

Learn to utilize AI in your documentary workflow in many ways Fred talks about in our AI Documentary course!

Welcome to episode 2 of The Curious Refuge Podcast! In this episode we talk with two phenomenal people from the team at Leia Inc, Marlon Fuentes and Nima Zeighami. Marlon is Leia Inc's Social Media and Community Manager, and Nima is their Director of Product. In the episode we talk about a handful of different topics from the history of Leia Inc, to 3D tools, and even how to make your short film into a 3D film in just 5 seconds. Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Course Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Check out Leia Inc: https://www.leiainc.com/ Leia Inc. is a leading provider of eyewear-free 3D display hardware and software solutions. Our breakthrough technology, born from pioneering research at HP Labs and Philips, leverages advanced optics and AI to transform ordinary displays into naturally immersive experiences. We envision a future where the three-dimensional reality of our physical world is seamlessly reflected in the digital space to transform the way we work, play, and connect — and strive to make 3D accessible to anyone, anywhere, on any device. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA. Link from the show: Future Shock by Alvin Toffler: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Shock-Alvin-Toffler/dp/0553277375 Lume Pad 2: https://www.leiainc.com/lume-pad-2

Welcome to Episode 5 of The Curious Refuge Podcast. In this episode, we chat with the extremely talented film director and writer, Dave Clark.

Dave Clark is a UTA-repped writer and director in the feature filmmaking space and is commercially repped at Secret Level for advertising work. He has recently amassed millions of views for his AI directing work, featured several times in Forbes, NBC, and No Film School.

Over his career, Dave has created commercials, immersive engagements, and brand spots for several companies, including Snapchat, Ciroc, Hewlett Packard, Pepsi, Lobos Tequila, Intel, and more.

Outside of filmmaking, Dave is a successful creative director, working alongside Diddy and other notable figures in the entertainment industry. He also has creatively partnered with actors/activists like Michael Ealy, George Clooney, the late Michael K. Williams, and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to help fight for justice and inclusion through narrative storytelling.

Check out the episode to get Dave's insight into the future of advertising and commercial production.

Helpful Links: AI Advertising Course: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-advertising AI Filmmaking Course: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Join our Newsletter: https://curiousrefuge.com/start-here

See More of Dave's Work: Twitter: https://x.com/Diesol?s=20 IG: https://www.instagram.com/afraid_2_sleep/ Adidas Spec Ad: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-film-gallery/an-adidas-spec-ad Nike Spec Ad: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1WureEL2dn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Tesla Spec Ad: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1gUxWsOvU-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== The Dismal Swamp: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-film-gallery/the-dismal-swamp Another: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-film-gallery/another Borrowing Time: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-film-gallery/borrowing-time-short-film

In this conversation we meet Filmmaker Benjamin Field who has been at the forefront of Generative AI’s use case with documentaries and unscripted content. He’s been more than an early adopter, but an early pioneer using his experience to help craft Ethics and Policy for creators and and broadcasters. Along the way he’s creating new experiences resurrecting beloved but deceased famous figures to appear in documentaries, and in the case of “Virtually Parkinson” to host their own podcasts. Show Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkJfv0XVykY

https://discord.com/channels/@me/1309295416772132874/1318330274852901006

https://discord.com/channels/@me/1309295416772132874/1318330274852901006

Welcome to episode 11 of The Curious Refuge Podcast.

We are very excited to have renowned AI Filmmaker, Creative Director, and product designer Nicolaus Neubert on the Podcast. Nicolaus is a deeply experienced creative director whose work has been featured on Forbes and CNN.

Nicolas has worked with some huge brands and collaborators including Red Bull, Volkswagen, and Jared Leto. He has done a spectacular job at paving the way for future AI filmmakers and storytellers through his X account where he regularly shares his Creative Direction Experiments. I would personally say that Nicolas has a spot in Cinematic history. He popularized the idea of a realistic AI trailer through his Genesis project He is now on the creative team at Runway, as well as, the founder of his own production company, iamneubert.

In the episode, we talk about everything from how to land your dream job to Nicolas' favorite runway tip that many people don't know about.

Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Course Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Check Out AI Advertising: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-advertising

Helpful Links: 30 Seconds to Mars Collab: https://x.com/iamneubert/status/1765130783935660053 KREAM SO-HI Collab: https://x.com/iamneubert/status/1771189155000676667 Nicolas' Demo Reel: https://x.com/iamneubert/status/1735328823955095829 Genesis: https://x.com/iamneubert/status/1740403196692955560 Nicolas' Twitter: https://x.com/iamneubert Nicolas' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamneubert Nicolas' Website: https://www.iamneubert.com/

In this podcast episode, we chat with Ian Sansavara at Runway to get some tips and tricks that you may not know inside Runway. 

Runway's Website: https://runwayml.com/ Runway Academy: https://academy.runwayml.com/ Ian's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/learnhowtoeditstuff Ian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notiansans/?hl=en Ian's  Runway Gen:48: https://gen48.runwayml.com/ Caleb's Rediculous Bluegrass Song: https://open.spotify.com/track/1I7JVzjG70FM9NrgSY5von?si=ebcb1b4fc6554839 Drum and Bass Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/11GLSWHNNCTFltXGO0dZWq?si=dc03698f4c1b437c Explore AI Filmmaking: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Explore AI Advertising: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-advertising

Welcome to Episode 09 of The Curious Refuge Podcast. In this episode, we chat with Pika Labs' creative director, Matan Cohen-Grumi.

Matan is a wicked talented AI artist who is serving as a Founding Creative Director at Pika Labs. Matan’s work has been seen around the world and he is pioneering a new era in storytelling.

We first connected with Matan when we started the AI Film News, where his work was regularly selected as one of our AI Films of the Week. Check out the episode, where we talk about everything from Matan's experience as a rockstar to techniques when using AI Video generators.

Give it a listen, as we are positive you will not regret it.

Helpful Links: Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Course Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Check Out AI Advertising: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-advertising Matan's Twitter: https://x.com/MatanCohenGrumi?s=20 Matan's IG: https://www.instagram.com/matancohengrumi?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Try Pika: https://pika.art/home Pika's Twitter: https://x.com/pika_labs?s=20 Pika 1.0 Promo: https://x.com/pika_labs/status/1729510078959497562?s=20 Hip-Hop Ferrits: https://x.com/MatanCohenGrumi/status/1755694643566739854?s=20 Matan's Singing Cat Short Film: https://x.com/MatanCohenGrumi/status/1694633176646185208?s=20 Matan's AI Music Video: https://x.com/betzefer/status/1693956835961672044?s=20 Matan's Band: https://x.com/betzefer?s=20 Matan's Vegan Burger Commercial: https://x.com/MatanCohenGrumi/status/1695139592607821912?s=20

Welcome to Episode 04 of The Curious Refuge Podcast, a show where curiosity meets creativity and innovation.

Today, we're excited to host a very special guest, Tim Simmons, the visionary owner and founder of @TheoreticallyMedia Renowned as one of the foremost curators in the AI News and tools domain, Tim's insights and analyses are second to none.

His ability to rapidly dissect and present content on the latest AI tools is unparalleled; typically, within just 24 hours of a new release, Tim's expert commentary is ready for consumption. In this thought-provoking episode, we delve deep into the evolving landscape of AI tools.

Join us as we explore and discuss the future trajectories of these technologies and how they're set to reshape the industry in 2024. This is an episode brimming with foresight and expert perspectives that you won't want to miss!

Show Notes: Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Plot Dot AI: https://staging.plotdot.ai/home

Theoretically Media: Youtube:  @TheoreticallyMedia  Twitter: https://x.com/TheoMediaAI?s=20 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheoreticallyMedia

In this conversation, we meet one of the sharpest media analysts and thinkers. With a deep resume at high levels of strategy in legacy media, Doug’s perspective on the current moment of disruption is prescient. What YouTube and social video did to mainstream media’s control of distribution, is now happening with Generative AI’s unlock of high quality production. From here we will stare at the data of the present and imagine a “neumorphic” future.

Welcome to this week's episode of the AI Film News podcast. As you probably know, it has been a crazy week in the world of AI News. We are superrrr excited to chat about some things that have been going on recently. If you haven't, feel free to check out the AI Film News Webshow over on YouTube to get even more insight into what is happening in the world of Artificial Intelligence. We hope you Enjoy. :) Check out the latest episode of AI Film News and the links mentioned here as well: 

https://youtu.be/EQeseFmFCc4

Welcome to Episode 10 of The Curious Refuge Podcast! Our guest for this episode has been an incredibly valuable resource for us on our own AI journey and a source of inspiration.

Alie Jules is an AI educator, speaker, experimenter, and news resource. One of the things that makes Alie’s work so helpful is that she not only shares AI news on her X account but also contextualizes the updates and changes for the community.

Alie tunes into Midjourney’s weekly office hours and shares the updates with the world and full disclosure is our go-to resource for seeing the office hours recaps. Alie also runs Saana, an Intelligent Marketing agency where she uses AI to serve clients.

Check out the episode and gain some spectacular guidance for contextualizing AI tools and enhancing your marketing workflows.

Helpful Links: Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Course Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Check Out AI Advertising: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-advertising

Alie's Webiste: https://aliejules.com/ Alie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliejules/ Alie's Youtube:  @aliejulesai  Alie's Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliejules Alie's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliejulesai Alie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliejulesai Alie's Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aliejulesai/

Helpful Acounts: Matt Wolfe: https://www.youtube.com/@UChpleBmo18P08aKCIgti38g The Rundown AI: https://www.therundown.ai/ AI Breakfast: https://aibreakfast.beehiiv.com/ AI Tools Report: https://aitoolreport.beehiiv.com/ Heather Cooper: https://x.com/HBCoop_ Rowan Cheung: https://x.com/rowancheung Rob Lennon: https://twitter.com/thatroblennon Salma Aboukar: https://x.com/Salmaaboukarr

Welcome to Episode 03 of The Curious Refuge Podcast. We're thrilled to welcome Chad Nelson our special guest for this episode! As a trailblazer in the creative industry, Chad currently excels as the Chief Creative Director at Top Golf. He's celebrated for creating 'Critterz,' the first-ever Dall E short film. You may recognize him from his captivating talk at Open AI's DevDay 2023. Tune in to gain valuable insights from Chad's nearly 25-year journey in the creative field. Don't forget to explore the show notes below for a glimpse of his impressive work. Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Show Notes: Watch Critterz: https://www.critterz.tv/ Critterz BTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6XeydrU6Ms&t=233s Chad Nelson's Presentation at Open AI Dev Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dzK1pOs1lU Link to Dall-E: https://openai.com/

A conversation with Andy Cochrane, Immersive Content Creator and VFX Veteran. Most recently Senior Vice President of Post Production Innovation at MSG Sphere Studios serving immersive entertainment venue “The Sphere” in Las Vegas, he has a long resume in VR, XR and beyond. In this chat, he shares his learnings from past media + tech hype cycles, what can be learned and applied to the current excitement surrounding Gen AI, and how he’s adapting his last Immersive content to these tools.

Here are the show notes:

Check out our AI courses at https://www.curiousrefuge.com https://www.loud-movies.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpuNR27qXwg More of Andy's work: https://andrew-cochrane.com

Fred speaks to TCL North America Chief Content Officer Chris Regina and Filmmaker Kurt Yaeger about “Best Day of My Life” a docu-fiction short, one of 5 films that premiered at Hollywood’s Chinese Theater, part of their first-ever AI/ TV Film accelerator program, content being developed for TCLtv+ the new dedicated ad-supported streaming service available on TCL and most other TV sets.

Links from the Episode: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ-ibY7OX2qr88zaj8mOsBZr-BR7spAyX

Welcome to Episode One of The Curious Refuge Podcast. In this Episode, Fred sits down with Reza Sixo Safai to chat about everything from their SORA Film to how AI can be used to help people tell powerful stories in restrictive governments.

We chat about so many phenomenal things in this episode. We hope you enjoy it.

Check out our AI Filmmaking Course: https://curiousrefuge.com/courses Subscribe here to receive AI Film news straight to your inbox: https://curiousrefuge.com/start-here

Here are some links mentioned in the episode:

Apple Commercial: https://en.as.com/meristation/news/apples-latest-ipad-commercial-has-not-gone-well-with-the-entire-artist-community-its-targeted-at-n/

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YGmTdo3vuY

Circumstance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEtIijhTKyA

Welcome to Episode 8 of the Curious Refuge Podcast! Our guest today is one of the most accomplished people we’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting with on the podcast. Renard T. Jenkins is a senior executive in Hollywood and the current president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (also known as SMPTE ) and on the board of the Hollywood Professional Association.

Renard has two Emmy’s and a Peabody among other awards. The Television Academy awarded him the innovator of the Year award for 2017.

Renard has worked in various leadership capacities around the industry ranging from Senior Vice president of Integration & Creative technology series at Warner Brothers all the way to VP of operations, engineering, and distribution at PBS. He also holds degrees and certifications in various executive and technological fields from schools like MIT, UC Berkley, Cornell, & Florida State.

Helpful Links: Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Course Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Check Out AI Advertising: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-advertising Renard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renardjenkins/ Loose Ends: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-film-gallery//loose-ends-an-ai-short-film

In this conversation the co-founders of Pickaxe share their musings and observations of the future of Generative AI, looking well beyond the applications in film and TV, spotting new trends of how wholly new experiences lay ahead. How meme culture, randomization, and and a new breed of creator-led internet community is growing in the wake of this new technology. Show Notes: https://www.pickaxeproject.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IerHRlRf0eQ https://intelligentjello.substack.com/ https://latearrivals.substack.com/ https://www.aionthelot.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q41-LUK9KJk

Welcome to the very first episode of The Curious Refuge Podcast. In this episode, we handle the tough questions surrounding AI Filmmaking. Not only that, but we also talk about some of the best techniques for AI Filmmaking and where to begin. Join Our Newsletter for the Latest AI Filmmaking News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ Our AI Filmmaking Course Starts Soon: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking

Find the show notes here: https://curiousrefuge.com/blog/the-curious-refuge-podcast-with-matt-wolfe

In this episode of the podcast, we chat with our good friend, Matt Wolfe. Matt is a renowned figure in the world of AI and digital innovation. He has been at the forefront of integrating AI into creative workflows. His content has helped artists and filmmakers, but also nearly every industry out there learn to harness the power of AI.

Check out the show notes here: https://curiousrefuge.com/blog/the-curious-refuge-podcast-with-matt-wolfe

Helpful Links: Matt’s Youtube:  @mreflow  Matt’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/mreflow Matt’s Website: https://www.futuretools.io/ Matt’s Podcast with Nathan Lands: https://twitter.com/mreflow/status/1778111696428736654 The Hustle and Flowchart Podcast: https://hustleandflowchart.com/category/the-podcast/

Welcome to the first episode of The AI Film News Podcast, by Curious Refuge. In this podcast, we are planning to chat about everything that we weren't able to cover in our most recent AI Film News episode.

This was a big week in the world of AI News, from Disney's big AI announcement to Runway's Camera Controls. Tune in for a deep dive into the latest news.

If you haven't watched yet, make sure you check out this week's episode of AI Film News: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-film-news

Here are links from this episode: https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/26/artists-appears-to-have-leaked-access-to-openais-sora/ https://theankler.com/p/tv-writers-scripts-ai-training-controversy-chatbot https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/luma-ai/ https://x.com/LumaLabsAI/status/1863688635780042795 https://runwayml.com/research/creativity-as-search-mapping-latent-space https://x.com/runwayml/status/1860074950167818617 https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/aws/amazon-nova-artificial-intelligence-bedrock-aws https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga-kMi9Tv3M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSUEFXQeTvM

In this podcast episode, we chat with Julie Wieland about her experience in the creative industry and how AI has impacted the world around her. We talk about everything from myspace template customization all the way to Julie's top tips for learning AI as a creative.

Julie is a very skilled graphic designer and has learned the best ways to utilize Artificial Intelligence to become more skilled and efficient at her craft. You will definitely want to check this episode out.

Helpful Links:

Explore AI Filmmaking: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-filmmaking Explore AI Advertising: https://curiousrefuge.com/ai-advertising Join Our Newsletter: https://curiousrefuge.com Julie's Website: https://juliewieland.com/ Letz.AI: https://www.letz.ai/ Creative Market: https://creativemarket.com/

Julie's Social Accounts: Twitter: https://x.com/juliewdesign_?s=20 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliewdesign Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliewdesign? Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYdLxODZWFqpNR8WXMJtLzA Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.de/juliew_design/

Welcome to Episode 13 of The Curious Refuge Podcast. Our guest today has had a major impact on the world of Animation and Storytelling helping to usher in the second golden age of animation while mentoring alongside legends from the first, Rob Minkoff directed films such as The Lion King, Stuart Little, The Haunted Mansion, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and most recently Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.

He worked as animator for films such as The Black Cauldron, the Great Mouse Detective, The Brave Little Toaster, and the Little Mermaid. He also learned first-hand under some of the greatest animators of all time including Chuck Jones and Eric Larson. R

ob is now innovating as a storyteller, exploring the possibilities of using AI as a creative tool to help streamline the storytelling process.

Find more of Rob's Work:

Rob's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robminkoff/ Rob's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robminkoff/ Rob's Twitter: https://x.com/robminkoff

Check out Michaels Work: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrubloff/ https://radiancefields.com/ Check out the show notes from this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EohIA7QPmmE https://radiancefields.com/radiance-fields-in-the-elizabeth-street-garden https://radiancefields.com/a-safe-place-to-land-a-nerf-documentary https://www.instagram.com/paultrillo/reel/DBRE4K2p_89/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwZkIEQDj10 https://virtual.basilicasanpietro.va/en/basilica-viewer/filarete-door https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NudQHBrkqhY https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nonny-de-la-pe%C3%B1a-phd-4363644_4dgaussiansplatting-3dgaussiansplatting-3d-activity-7258201795917721600-8Ml3 https://radiancefields.com/nerfs-win-two-more-emmys

In this episode we meet Will Hatcher aka King Willonious, comedian, writer, and internet breaker. His AI-generated track BBL Drizzy landed him in the center of the diss track wars between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, in all the best ways, eventually landing him in Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in AI. Learn how it came about but more importantly how Will built off this incredible moment, and his advice to other creators both young and established.

Show Notes:

https://curiousrefuge.com/courses

https://www.kingwillonius.com/about

https://www.kingwillonius.com/videos-1/v/daily-calm-yyhd4-k5ams?categoryId=6673bacf5162aa7fa73f89b4

https://www.kingwillonius.com/videos-1

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDH72VetAAk/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDAbphKSDoL/?img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDS5iGcS9kS/?img_index=1

Check out this weeks episode of the AI Film news podcast where we chat about everything from Flux Pro Ultra's new RAW mode, to the Pope's view of AI. We also recommend checking out the latest episode of AI Film News: https://youtu.be/zJcy5cl7sww?si=zXURmwXsb1JNe0Ok