Conversations with Strangers

This video is a conversation with Michael Thibault, the director of the microbudget independent film, Clocking the Tea, discussing his career, the challenges of making and distributing his movie, and advice for aspiring filmmakers.Here is a summary of the main points: * Michael Thibault's Background: Michael has 38 years of experience in the film industry [00:17]. His career started in documentaries and low-budget indies, eventually leading him to work for Roger Corman in the 1980s [00:34]. Later, he spent 10 to 15 years editing trailers and TV spots for major films, including Avatar and Oceans 11 [00:50]. * Directing His Film: After years of editing, he realized he had never directed a movie he set out to make, so he was inspired by do-it-yourself filmmakers to write and direct the rom-com dramedy, Clocking the Tea [01:11]. * The Distribution Nightmare: The film finished in 2017, but distribution was delayed for years because the original sound mix was not within legal loudness standards [04:44]. Due to the mixing house going under during COVID, Michael had to learn how to mix the sound himself, which was a challenging process that took about two or three years to resolve [06:00]. * Success of Physical Media: The movie is now streaming on platforms like Amazon and Tubi, but Michael notes that they are actually making more money selling boutique DVD and Blu-ray discs—which include unique special features like dailies for collectors—than they are from streaming revenue [03:01]. * Filmmaking Advice: Michael stresses the difficulty of making a movie, calling the process "brutal" [31:04]. However, he encourages others by saying, "if I can do it, you can do it" [03:49:18]. For those on a tight budget, he advises creating a "bottle episode" movie that takes place in a single location, such as a room or a cabin, as a way to significantly cut costs and production time [03:49:37].You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phg1HUDlJpc

This video is a conversation with Charlie Hooper-Williams, a composer, pianist, and software developer, who shares insights on his creative process, live performances, the classical music world, and the impact of AI on art.Key Discussion Points* Background and Work* Charlie Hooper-Williams is a composer, pianist, and software developer who was part of the team that created the music identification app, Shazam [00:02].* He defines his musical style as part of the "post-classical," "indie classical," or "neo-classical" movement, focusing on creating music that connects emotionally with the audience [02:48].* He studied piano performance as an undergraduate at Northwestern [03:11].* Live Performances and Technology* He currently performs solo on a portable acoustic piano and utilizes a unique live visual system that he coded himself [00:18].* The system listens to what he plays and creates real-time visuals ( [19:54] ) projected onto a screen and six light towers [19:06].* His shows vary, ranging from small, intimate village halls to large festivals like Glastonbury [25:50]. He also enjoys performing in movie theaters, utilizing the massive screen and quality sound [33:49].* The Creative Process* He discusses the idea that no art is wholly new; a composer is a "sum of everything you've ever heard and done and seen" [10:09]. The artist's job is to digest those influences so that the final product is truly their own [10:24].* He finds the process of writing music includes phases of feeling his work is "terrible" ( [06:07] ), a common experience for creatives, which is why he values creative peers and mentors [07:27].* The World of Classical Music* He believes that post-World War II academic music created a split by prioritizing music that was difficult and experimental over music that was entertaining and connected with a general audience [03:06:01].* He is excited by contemporary composers like Caroline Shaw, who are experimental but still "fun and exciting" [38:43].* AI in Music* He finds AI to be a helpful tool for things like summarizing and grant applications ( [43:25] ), but he maintains a strong critical judgment when using it [42:56].* He is not yet impressed by AI-generated music ( [45:40] ) and speculates that the future will see a split between easily-generated AI background music and human-made art that people actively listen to for the sake of human-to-human connection [46:32].RecommendationsCharlie Hooper-Williams recommends the following post-classical artists:* Nils Frahm [51:22]* Poppy Ackroyd* Olafur Arnalds* Max RichterYou can find his music and updates by searching his name or visiting his website, charliehooperwilliams.com [51:55].

In a "Conversations with Strangers" episode, Seth Adam Cohen discusses consciousness and AI [00:02]. Cohen, whose background includes media, social activism, and politics, shifted his focus to the "fourth industrial revolution" around 2018, encompassing automation and AI [01:50]. He notes that society was unprepared for this transformation, which is now well underway [02:01].Cohen's personal passion is the exploration of consciousness, which he believes is the fundamental substrate of the universe, extending beyond our own [02:41]. He identifies as a non-dualist, asserting that consciousness is the only reality, and everything else is an illusion [03:09]. This idealist view contrasts with the prevailing materialist perspective in the West, which posits that consciousness arises from the brain [03:36].Cohen argues that the inability to define or measure consciousness stems from its fundamental nature, as one cannot observe something of which they are a part [17:29]. He differentiates intelligence, emotion, and consciousness, highlighting that drives like horniness serve evolutionary purposes [22:05]. However, he finds it harder to explain concepts like awe or love through purely scientific or evolutionary reasoning, suggesting they might point to a deeper aspect of consciousness [24:52].For those interested in similar topics, Cohen recommends the YouTube channels Jesse Michaels and Third Eye Drops, as well as the work of Donald Hoffman and Bernardo Kastrup [03:04:19].You can watch the full conversation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGvPEOVqvq8

Jason Stein and I talk about horror movies. You can find his podcast here: https://dadsfromthecrypt.com/

Deepti and I talk about climate change. Here’s all of her links: CitationsThe graphs I mentioned for possible temperatures in year 2100:https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/36990/EGR21.pdf - pages 24-25 of 112Emissions Gap Report: https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2024 (What actions are needed?) IEA Net Zero Roadmap: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2022/an-updated-roadmap-to-net-zero-emissions-by-2050 AI power use and water use: https://andthewest.stanford.edu/2025/thirsty-for-power-and-water-ai-crunching-data-centers-sprout-across-the-west/ Source for the “over 80% of people want climate action” statistic I stated: https://89percent.org Tipping points and “about 3.5% of people need to take climate action” - https://medium.com/@dkannapan/about-social-tipping-points-and-climate-action-c5e6a2ab278?sk=34012d729ec88a4dd29d46ded2bd145c My TEDx talk with an annotated transcript: https://medium.com/@dkannapan/the-climate-movement-needs-your-creativity-not-your-guilt-e847adb8e91e?sk=8a00209482ab283eb504b51d6b016590About my book, Fire’s Allyhttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1250461128/fires-allyFire's Ally is a story about Eleg, a girl obsessed with the eerie, persistent, wildfire claiming parts of her home. No amount of rain seems to be able to put it out.She belongs to a gentle, bookish society and her people have been fighting the fire back for decades. But they are not ready for the turmoil it is about to unleash.Eleg understands the fire better than most. She has already once failed to protect the innocent in its path.Though she would rather be alone with her charts and graphs, Eleg must become the unlikely hero her people need, and bring the continent together in an ambitious technological endeavor to save their home.Me:https://www.deeptikannapan.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/dmkannapan.bsky.socialhttps://medium.com/@dkannapan

Thomas David Kehoe and I talk about How Lying (and Catching Lies) Drove Human Evolution, Sparked Language, and Kindled Civilization and 13 reasons why Trump is like Hitler. Here’s a link to his medium blog post: https://tdkehoe.medium.com/golden-lies-how-lying-and-catching-lies-drove-human-evolution-sparked-language-and-kindled-b0adca94950b

Gallo and I talk about• His background: Gallo is a recovering intercourse addict and a widowed Texan who now lives in Reno [00:24].• Life in Reno: We talk about the food and gambling scene in Reno. Gallo says he doesn't gamble because he gets angry if he loses money [01:38].• Upbringing and beliefs: He shares his experience growing up poor [07:20] and how he became disillusioned with the Catholic Church after studying to become a pastor [09:33].• Red pill philosophy: Gallo explains that his "machismo" philosophy predates the red pill movement. While he agrees with the focus on self-improvement, he disagrees with the movement's focus on getting as much sex as possible [12:20].• Women's fantasies: He shares his thoughts on women's fantasies, including double penetration and being led in relationships [20:26].• Future plans: Gallo mentions he is revamping his podcast, which will be called "The Eschewing show" [01:57:42], and will include a segment where he interviews podcasters on topics outside their usual niche [01:57:55].• Media recommendations: The guest recommends TV shows like Slow Horses, The Americans, and Snowpiercer, and books like The Expanse and A Song of Fire and Ice [01:59:35].

Matthew Adams and I talk about comedy and politics. He is running for state assembly in district 9 Central Valley, California. You can find his website here: https://sites.google.com/view/adams4assembly/home

David and I talk about AI and his company Groas AI. You can find his company website here: https://groas.ai

Jakeb and I talk about his theory on consciousness called the new consciousness. You can find his website here: https://www.ournewconsciousness.com/