Chaos and Creativity

In 1977 I was third in line for the first showing of Star Wars on its opening day at the Coronet theater in San Francisco. It was the first time I had ever seen people line up for a movie.The atmosphere was incredible. A movie the studios anticipated would do little business was on its way to becoming a cultural phenomenon.At twelve years old, Star Wars had radically changed my life by introducing me to filmmaking. Little did I know its author, George Lucas, along with filmmakers Francis Ford Coppolla and Steven Spielberg, were in the middle of radically changing Hollywood. They were saving it from collapse by paradoxically fighting against it. It all started on the Warner Brothers lot. Lucas, a USC film school graduate, started working for an up-and-coming director named Francis Ford Coppola. Across town at Universal Studios, Steven Spielberg was desperately trying to break out of his studio apprenticeship so he could start directing his own films. The three would become friends and rivals, each outdoing each other for highest grossing movie of the year during the seventies and early eighties.The story is told by Paul Fischer in his book The Last Kings of Hollywood. On this episode of the Chaos and Creativity podcast, I talk to Paul about how the book came about and how his filmmaking aspirations turned into writing about the filmmakers who reinvented American cinema.Mentioned in This Episode Books by Paul Fischer:The Last Kings of HollywoodThe Man Who Invented Motion PicturesA Kim Jong-Il ProductionQuotes about Writing and Art:“Writing is not like painting where you add. It is not what you put on the canvas that the reader sees. Writing is more like a sculpture where you remove, you eliminate in order to make the work visible.” – Elie Wiesel“Writing nonfiction is more like sculpture, a matter of shaping the research into the finished thing. Novels are like paintings, specifically watercolors. Every stroke you put down you have to go with.” – Joan DidionOther:The Coronet Theater, San FranciscoThe Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, by Erik LarsonEasy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter BiskindA Moveable Feast, Ernest HemingwayThe Outsiders, S.E. HintonMan on Wire, directed by James MarshSearching for Sugar Man, directed by Malik BandjellouFlicker, by Theodore Roszak Megadoc, directed by Mike FiggisIndustry, directed by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay Want More Chaos & Creativity? Subscribe!Be cool, be classy, subscribe to email updates. You'll be the first to know when a new episode drops. Subscribe now.Connect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyMusic: Kieran KerwinInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

It’s a classic Kimi and Lou episode of best laid plans. They start by talking about how professional creatives are now digital janitors to AI slop, then quickly get lost in the woods talking about Universal Basic Income, Phoebe Waller Bridge’s Flea Bag and myriad other topics loosely tied to the main topic. “Loosely” is doing a lot of work in that previous sentence.Mentioned in This Episode Flea Bag by Phoebe Waller BridgeNo Time to Die featuring Daniel CraigThe Guardian: Freelancers are getting buried with ‘soulless’ AI slop cleanupHurt by Nine Inch NailsBrandy Hellville and The Cult of Fast FashionWant More Chaos & Creativity? Subscribe!Be cool, be classy, subscribe to email updates. You'll be the first to know when a new episode drops. Subscribe now.Connect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyMusic: Kieran KerwinInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

I’ll admit to having a ridiculously pedestrian perception of classical music artists. Pianists specifically. Call it lack of direct exposure, or maybe too much Bugs Bunny when I was a kid. Or maybe, maybe, maybe it’s the awe I feel when I watch a pianist play with a supernova-like intensity that I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced. Is this envy? Insecurity? Probably a blend.My next guest, classical pianist Dorothy Robbins, was kind enough to set me straight when she visited the Chaos & Creativity headquarters in Marin county.Dorothy Robbins is the epitome of talent and grace. A confident young woman with a warm and friendly disposition that mildly contradicts what one might expect when looking at her long list of accomplishments. Which—so far—have culminated in her recently received Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance. It turns out the political dynamics of the classical music space are not that dissimilar from the ones found in Hollywood. Unexpected, but understandable when you look at the competitive nature of the landscape.What became abundantly obvious after my conversation with Dorothy is the pursuit of a career in classical music is meant for the talented and the hyper-driven. It starts with a choice that’s made at a young age, Dorothy was ten when she started. What follows is a relentless pursuit of perfection. Classical music is a lifestyle choice that requires superhuman dedication for a very long run.Mentioned in This EpisodeLeopoldWhiplash, written and directed by Damien Chazelle Dorothy Robbins on InstagramWant More Chaos & Creativity? Subscribe!Be cool, be classy, subscribe to email updates. You'll be the first to know when a new episode drops and you'll also receive our quarterly newsletter Memos to the Chaotic & Creative.Subscribe now.Connect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyMusic: Kieran KerwinInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

We’ve all been there. Stuck in traffic, running late, woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Caught a mood from somebody else. Barista didn’t quite get your morning coffee right. And what started as a crap moment begins to seem like a crap day, a crap week, a crap life. You. Are. Spiraling. You know you might pull other people in with you. What happens next? In this minisode, Kimi and Lou share their secret inner sages’ insights into pulling out of emotional tailspins before minor mood changes become major meltdowns. But most importantly — if you take nothing else away from listening — remember never, ever to get in the way of Lou and his morning latte. And also, don’t give Kimi too much espresso. Mentioned in This EpisodeRed Whale Coffee, San Rafael CAWant More Chaos & Creativity? Subscribe!Be cool, be classy, subscribe to email updates. You'll be the first to know when a new episode drops and you'll also receive our quarterly newsletter Memos to the Chaotic & Creative.Subscribe now.Connect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyMusic: Kieran KerwinInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

If you look at map of Los Angeles, you’ll see where I used to live on Kittyhawk Avenue is in close proximity the airport. There was a hide-a-key near the back door. If you knew me, or knew someone who knew me, you were welcome to stay— on the couch if I was in town, or in the bedroom if I was out of town.If you stayed more than two nights, compensation was a bottle of wine or bourbon. That included epic breakfasts if I didn’t have an early call time on any given morning.Another quality of my place was the lack of street cleaning restrictions. Many of my friends would plan their departure and arrival times around my schedule so they could park their car in front of my place (free) and have a short visit before traveling. I was always happy to do an airport run which took no more than fifteen minutes round trip.With all people in and out, Kittyhawk, or Lou’s LAX Lounge as it was often affectionately called, morphed into a spontaneous gathering hub. I’d throw together last-minute dinner parties at long tables thrown up in a backyard that abutted La Tijera boulevard.In this episode of Chaos & Creativity Kimi and I remember the Kittyhawk days and how those spontaneous gatherings would lead to creative conversations and ideas that would inspire music, videos, and photos. We also go deep on why AI will never replicate or replace the simple act of getting together.*Note: Kimi sounds a little funny in this episode. We had an audio glitch, but we still wanted to share the content. Thanks for listening.  Mentioned in This Episode:The piece by Thomas Flight about how AI can't make creative decisions.The Art of Gathering by Priya ParkerMiranda Lee RichardsSee the image of Miranda on our episode blog post.Want More Chaos & Creativity? Subscribe!Be cool, be classy, subscribe to email updates. You'll be the first to know when a new episode drops and you'll also receive our quarterly newsletter Memos to the Chaotic & Creative. Subscribe now.Connect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyMusic: Kieran KerwinInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

It’s three o’clock in the afternoon. I’ve just arrived home from another sophomore day at a new high school I started attending only a few weeks earlier. Melding into this new society as an outsider isn’t going poorly, but it has its challenges. On the turntable of my father’s hi-fi is the just released album Moving Pictures from Rush.The opening song Tom Sawyer, a song about individualism, personal autonomy, and refusing to conform to society's expectations becomes my guide and my light during this awkward time of transition. It encourages me to hold onto my integrity and keep things on my terms as I integrate into the new school. I could’ve never guessed this experience would ultimately become a template for my life.I’ve often wondered if Tom Sawyer would have had the same emotional resonance if I listened to it on sonically inferior ear buds. Given my recent experience into the audiophile space, I don’t think so.The word audiophile conjures a sense of elitism. A rarefied club for obsessive people with healthy bank accounts who have arcane knowledge of specialized audio gear.Our next guest thinks that’s the wrong way to look at things. He believes anyone loves music and cares how it sounds is an audiophile. Through his YouTube channel, A British Audiophile, Tarun offers expert advice in a remarkably approachable way. He conveys guidance to people like me who are just starting their audiophile journey but have a limited budget. That said he also appeals to the fanatics who do invest in top end components. The stuff that will make you drool with envy, but also admiration owing to the exquisite engineering driven by a fervor for sonic purity.In a phrase: Tarun’s passion is for maximizing the listener’s experience through a combination of practical advice and knowledgeable guidance about gear. He believes that sometimes listening to music is a spiritual experience, as it was, however unknowingly, to me back in high school. An experience that shaped my life as I’m sure music in someway does for everyone reading this.Mentioned in This EpisodeA Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and BeyondCheck out Tarun's suggestions for the beginning audiophile.Want More Chaos & Creativity? Subscribe!Be cool, be classy, subscribe to email updates. You'll be the first to know when a new episode drops and you'll also receive our quarterly newsletter Memos to the Chaotic & Creative.Subscribe now.Connect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyMusic: Kieran KerwinInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

In this week’s minisode: Lou offers to write a treatment for a screenplay with a spectacular premise and a really good story. Kimi randomly gets cast in a short film and is relieved when it gets canceled. Drawing on decades of experience as creative professionals, Kimi and Lou share how to ask the right questions when given the “opportunity” to work for free, when trade feels like a valuable exchange, when saying yes is stupid, and how to say no when it needs to be said. Connect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

Until I met three time academy award nominee Tom Myers, it never crossed my mind that a blank page to a writer is total silence to a sound designer. That something as subtle as a dog barking in the distance in a movie is as intentional a choice as the more conspicuous murmuring of a populated cafe underneath the dialog of actors in a scene. The deeper Myers and I dug into what he does for a living at Skywalker Sound, the more I realized that sound design and sound mixing are forms of aural magic performed by wizards. Subtlety is art, ethos and praxis in this enchanting world. A world where the latitude between not enough and too much is shockingly narrow and requires good ears, a rich imagination and clever, clever instinct.Links:The Wilhelm ScreamThe Last Kings of HollywoodConnect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

Close your eyes. Listen. Which sounds are soothing? Which ones drive you up a tree? Currently, outside my house there’s a mocking bird that’s making me a little crazy. But in the distance the sound of a freight train whistle is eliciting feelings of happiness. No doubt because of an experience I had around trains when I was 12. Bring that train sound two miles closer, it would probably annoy me to no end. Close, far, types of birds, types of trains, all of nature—this is Dr. Stéphane Pigeon’s world. And he’s built a way to bring it to the public on his site MyNoise.net.From his days as an eighteen-year-old sound engineer for Roland synthesizers to recording the subtle voices of the natural world, Dr. Pigeon reflects on the art of crafting complex soundscapes, the beauty of silence, and how his work can invite you into the deeply personal search for the perfect sound.Links:https://mynoise.net/https://perthirtysix.com/how-the-heck-do-synthesizers-workConnect with the ShowHosts: Kimi Recor and Lou LeskoProducer: Cheramie JohnsonEditor: Alexandra CoveyInstagram: @chaosandcreativitypodcastVisit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries

Big changes are afoot at Chaos & Creativity, as our long time producer and good friend Claire Duncan moseys down the road of life to her next big thing. We wish her nothing but the best.Lest Kimi and Lou be left alone too long without supervision, we’re excited to announce the arrival of our new producer Cheramie “CJ” Johnson. We’re also thrilled to welcome Alexandra Covey to the podcast editing bay. She’ll be cutting together Chaos & Creativity as well as our sister podcast Mothers of Creativity.In this episode: Everything Feels Legit—everything ends up on the nose as Kimi and Lou utilize an outline to attempt episode cohesion. What results is an extra dose of chaos, with Kimi and Lou covering everything from fellating a lightsaber to Y2K fashion and Facebook regrets to the reflecting pool and beyond. Come for the disastrous segues, stay for the synergy, and listen closely for hints of a 2-part series on the art of sound, coming soon.Mentioned in the episode:The Chaos and Creativity blogThe Chaos and Creativity InstagramThe reflecting pool debacleThe Last Kings of Hollywood by Paul FischerSilo on Apple TVThe Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Documentary, Part 2Visit Our SponsorBlinkBid, Bidding & Producing Software for the Creative Industries