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by Ourselves
OURSELVES is the world’s first open-source podcast that dives deep into the worlds of creativity, culture, & personal growth. Hosted by film & music video director Arrad, each episode brings you unfiltered conversations with visionary artists, trailblazing entrepreneurs, and thought leaders shaping the future. From behind-the-scenes stories of groundbreaking projects to candid discussions about mental health, reinvention, and navigating the creative industry, OURSELVES is your space to feel inspired, challenged, and connected.Made by ourselves, for ourselves.
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- 1 weeks ago1h 23m
Why the Music Industry Is Broken (It’s Not the Artists' Fault) | Jesse Boykins III
Labels used to have a marketing plan for their artists. Now the marketing plan is the artist: post about the album five times a day for six months, then post the presale link again. Jesse Boykins III writes the songs, then directs the worlds they live in. Five albums of his own, a Grammy nomination for co-writing Steve Lacy's "Playground", an executive producer credit on Jessie J's album, and he's been working with Steve Lacy since Steve was 15. In this conversation I break down with Jesse why big artists can't sell tickets anymore and why it's not their fault, what artist development actually means and the five album test that proves it, why Steve Lacy hasn't dropped in three years, why Frank Ocean probably has a hundred albums we'll never hear, and why so many brilliant creatives never finish anything. We also get into the director side. Why the performance beats the perfect shot, why he'll throw out the shot list on set, what he does when a client says no, and the movie that made him want to make movies. If you're an artist, director or creative trying to build something that lasts, this one is for you. 0:00 Cold Open 2:28 What He Taught Leon Thomas About World Building 4:50 Treat Your Artistry Like A Brand 6:23 Niche Fan Bases vs Viral Hits 7:15 The Difference Is Vision 8:07 Why Chasing A Hit Is Fleeting 9:11 Real Vision vs Pinterest References 10:35 No Story, Just References 11:22 "I'm Too Boring" Is Your Best Material 12:38 A Photographer Since 14 Who Never Said So 13:41 Directing 13 Years Before Calling Himself A Director 14:27 One Project Doesn't Make You A Director 15:24 What Made Anthony Mandler Different 16:52 I Don't Care If A Song Sounds Good 18:15 Nobody Told You This Wasn't Good Enough 19:05 The Perfect Shot vs The Real Performance 21:31 DPs Are All The Same Archetype 22:39 Directing Is A Grocery List 23:16 Forget The Shot List 24:51 "Everything Today Is Meant To Be This Way" 26:02 Why He Runs A Feel Good Set 30:36 What Great Artists Have In Common 31:12 Jessie J's Hidden Talent 31:50 Steve Lacy Was Making Beats On His Phone At 15 33:48 Is Artist Development Dead? 34:34 The 5 Album Test 35:27 Labels Don't Ask Questions 36:31 Sales Is Asking The Right Questions 37:27 Ask An Artist Questions Like A First Date 40:32 Why Big Artists Can't Sell Tickets 42:50 Bring Back Street Teams 44:07 You Can't Blame The Artist 44:58 College Tours And Cruise Ships 46:11 Spend Half The Budget On Marketing 47:59 Who He Makes Films For 49:10 Why His Treatments Take So Long 52:11 When To Trust Your Gut 54:27 Taste vs Vi
- 4 weeks ago1h 34m
The Secret Weapon Behind the Choreo of Cardi B, BLACKPINK's LISA, and Lil Nas X.
Sean Bankhead got cut from Usher's tour at 19. Almost 15 years later, he came out of retirement and danced next to Usher at the Super Bowl. Sean is the choreographer behind Cardi B, Normani, Tate McRae, Lil Nas X, Missy Elliott, Victoria Monét and Lisa. He started out as a shy kid from Atlanta who couldn't book a dance job, so he made his own videos, put them on YouTube, and the world knew his name before the industry did. In this conversation I break down with Sean how his "Run The World" dance video dropped before Beyoncé's own video and got his whole channel taken down, how he ended up performing "Single Ladies" with Beyoncé, why Normani was the first star he saw coming, and how he gave Tate McRae real pop dance. We also get into the parts nobody posts about. Why choreographers and directors sell the music but never see the royalties, the one thing he looks for when he hires dancers, why technique doesn't beat taste, the BET moment with Lil Nas X nobody planned, and what his therapist told him about needing to be needed. If you're a dancer, choreographer or creative trying to get paid what you're worth, this one is for you. 0:00 Cold Open 1:37 The Kid Who Couldn't Book A Job 2:12 Living Out Of A Suitcase Since 19 3:19 His First YouTube Channel 4:39 The World Knew Him Before The Industry Did 9:52 Beyoncé's "Run The World" Call 14:51 The Dance Video People Thought Was Real 15:48 Copyright Strikes Killed His Channel 17:37 Frozen In The Room With Beyoncé 20:15 How To Build Aura 22:55 Fatima Robinson Took Him Under Her Wing 23:42 Prince Showed Up To His Birthday Party 26:11 Atlanta Became Black Hollywood 27:30 Normani Was The First Star He Saw Coming 31:04 Giving Tate McRae Real Pop Dance 32:31 From Choreographer To Creative Partner 33:37 Underpaid For The Vision 34:44 1.5 Billion Views, Not A Penny 35:48 "We Sell The Music" 40:18 Creatives Are 100% A Business 41:52 How Dancers Actually Make Money 42:56 Taylor Swift's Dancer Bonuses 44:39 Why He Books The Same Dancers Every Time 45:04 The #1 Thing He Looks For In A Dancer 47:03 Technique Doesn't Beat Taste 48:57 How He Really Started With Beyoncé 49:33 His First Big Break, "Promise Ring" 50:53 Performing "Single Ladies" With Beyoncé 53:42 Stomp The Yard 2 And Hannah Montana 54:06 Cut From Usher's Tour At 19 57:04 Out Of Retirement For The Super Bowl 59:34 Next To Usher On The Biggest Stage 1:01:18 Why Cardi B Outperforms Everyone 1:05:45 Chris Brown's Edit Room Lesson 1:06:34 The Secret To Viral Choreography 1:08:16 Lisa And The K-Pop Process 1:11:13 K-Pop Stans And Twitter 1:12:07 How Lil Nas X Found Him 1:14:34 The BET Kiss Nobody Planned 1:15:57 Everything Checked Off Except Janet 1:17:48 You Can't Delegate Taste 1:18:23 Therapy And The Need To Be Needed 1:22:10 Will Stepping Back End His Career? 1:23:08 Why He Hasn't Done His Own TV Show 1:24:03 Jumping To The Next Ladder 1:25:17 Filling Your Cup Back Up 1:26:15 Rapid Fire: Doja Cat Is Underrated 1:27:45 The Artist Who Learns Fastest 1:28:45 How They Shot Normani's "Wild Side" Slide 1:29:50 TikTok Dancers And The Frosted Flakes Check 1:31:59 Card Pull: What He's Always Wanted To Try 1:33:44 Where To Find Sean Follow Sean here Follow Arrad (podcast host) here LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH US: ✩ Ourselves (production team) ✩ Instagram ✩ Twitter ✩ TikTok ✩ Facebook
- Sep 30, 202628 min
Hollywood Is DYING And It’s Not For The Reason You Think
The collapse is worse than you think. Over 50,000 California production jobs disappeared in two years, soundstage occupancy fell from 95% to 62%, and not a single Best Picture nominee at this year's Oscars was shot on a Hollywood lot. I've been directing for 14 years. In 2012, 99% of my shoots were in LA. Starting in 2019, my work moved to Atlanta, Miami, Jamaica and Paris. The industry didn't die. It left. In this episode I break down why American culture is losing its grip on the world and how Hollywood is dying. From your favorite NBA player being French to your favorite pop star being Korean to your favorite movie being shot overseas. I get into the FilmLA and Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, why Netflix being a tech company changes everything, how inflation priced LA out of its own industry, and why a $20 million American production can be shot overseas for $4 million. Then I make the case that this isn't a collapse. It's a reset, and it's the biggest opening outsiders have ever had. If you're a filmmaker, artist or creative still waiting for Hollywood to call, this one is for you. 0:00 Cold Open 0:56 America Is Never Going Back 1:41 No More Michael Jacksons 2:08 Your Favorite Stars Aren't American Anymore 4:04 When 99% Of My Shoots Were In LA 5:20 How LA Priced Itself Out 6:32 Why My Jobs Left LA In 2019 7:14 The 2023 Strikes Changed Everything 7:41 Soundstages Fell From 95% To 62% 9:23 50,000 Jobs Gone In Two Years 10:29 The Oscars Say Hollywood Is In A Death Spiral 11:54 Shoot Days Cut Almost In Half 12:47 Netflix Is A Tech Company 13:44 Capitalism Swallowing Itself Whole 14:48 Shooting For A Fifth Of The Price Overseas 15:22 Inflation Is Through The Roof 16:52 If You Live Overseas, This Is Your Time 18:08 Three Hard Decisions For American Creatives 18:33 The Gatekept Industry Is Dying 20:20 America Isn't The Center Anymore 20:59 Curry Barker, Kane Parsons And YouTube 21:40 The End Of One Country Controlling Culture 22:02 Think Globally As A Filmmaker 22:26 Bad Bunny, Blackpink And Burna Boy 23:26 The Immigrant Hunger America Lost 23:52 Do We Blame AI? No. We Adapt. 24:49 America Still Has The Infrastructure 25:32 Build Something Undeniable 26:10 This Era Belongs To The Outsiders 27:03 It's Not A Collapse. It's A Reset. Follow Arrad (podcast host) here LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH US: ✩ Ourselves (production team) ✩ Instagram ✩ Twitter ✩ TikTok ✩ Facebook
- Aug 21, 20261h 11m
Drake Was P-Lo's Dream Artist. He made it happen.
P-Lo produced the Drake record that put Mac Dre back in front of the world, and the Bay had a lot to say about it. P-Lo is a producer, rapper and Bay Area architect who helped build the sound that came out of Pinole, Richmond and Vallejo. In this episode he breaks down how "Too Hard For The Radio" actually came together, why honoring Mac Dre mattered more to him than the placement itself, and why he thinks people misread the whole thing as a shot at the West Coast. He also gets into the two records that built Empire, why being independent is more fruitful now than it has ever been, and the day he told his job he was gone with $400 to his name and half of it already spent on a flight to LA. He talks about what G-Eazy taught him, why the Warriors started a record label, what AI is really taking from artists, and the sacrifice nobody warns you about. Then he makes the case that his best work is still ahead of him, because Quincy Jones made Thriller at 50. 0:00 Cold Open 1:37 The Drake Record Nobody Knew He Produced 2:09 Drake Was The Dream He Spoke Into Existence 2:30 Drake Wanted To Honor Mac Dre 3:06 Was It A Shot At The West Coast 4:04 The Bay Had Mixed Feelings About It 4:40 Mac Dre, Forefather Of Bay Area Rap 6:23 Growing Up In Pinole 7:25 The Records That Raised Him 8:44 Cataracts, The Pack And The Team 10:01 When Your Song Becomes Their Love Story 11:33 Producers Are Already Using Suno 14:54 The Real Problem With AI Is Your IP 16:40 Notebooks Full Of Raps Over Kanye Beats 17:45 Meeting iamSU And Building HBK 19:00 Empire Was Built Off Two Records 20:21 Why Artists Still Sign To Majors 21:52 Why Give Away That Percentage 24:33 Honor The Music And It Honors You 25:25 Being A Good Person Is The Strategy 29:11 Build Horizontally, Not Just Up 31:03 If He Lost Everything Tomorrow 32:38 Passing Out CDs At Rasputin And Hilltop Mall 37:08 The Sibling Rivalry That Built His Confidence 39:03 His Parents Didn't Want Him Making Music 39:54 What His Immigrant Parents Risked 42:19 Why Filipinos Can Sing And Dance 44:56 The CMC Channel After School 46:20 Chad Hugo Made It Feel Possible 48:08 The Crossroad: Wiz, Berner And Juicy J 49:26 He Told His Job "I'm Gone" 49:55 Down To His Last $400 51:27 What G-Eazy Taught Him 53:57 The Warriors Own A Record Label 58:55 Music As A Vehicle Into Everything Else 1:00:49 Quincy Made Thriller At 50 1:03:38 The Sacrifice Nobody Talks About 1:05:58 You Need That Delusion 1:07:27 The New Album, Out The Box 1:09:39 Card Pull: Proudest Moment 1:11:07 Where To Find P-Lo Follow P-Lo here Follow Arrad (podcast host) here LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH US: ✩ Ourselves (production team): ✩ Instagram ✩ Twitter ✩ TikTok ✩ Facebook
- Aug 5, 20262h 0m
Ariana Grande's Director Is Her Creative Soulmate
Christian Breslauer directed the music videos you have already watched a hundred times. Ariana Grande. SZA's Kill Bill. Lil Nas X's Industry Baby. Doja Cat. Lisa. Roddy Ricch's The Box. If you have loved a music video in the last five years, there is a good chance he made it. He also never went to film school. His parents couldn't afford to send him, so he worked in restaurants and taught himself the craft one video at a time. Then he heard a song called The Box, wrote a treatment nobody asked him for, said "this is the hit," and it changed his life. In this conversation I break down with Christian how he shot SZA's Kill Bill in a single 18 hour day with wirework and stunts, the one scene he pitched over lunch that took Lil Nas X from 50 million views to 500 million, the pitch that made Ariana Grande cry and led to Video of the Year at the VMAs, and what it was like shooting Ariana on real film with Steven Spielberg's two time Oscar winning DP. We also get into the parts nobody posts about. Why you have to be your own agent, why he walks onto every set a little scared, why he'd rather have a hundred shots that look thirty percent cool than one perfect one, and why he thinks you have to be a little psychotic to be a creative. If you're trying to build a career in film or music video without permission or connections, this is the blueprint. 0:00 Cold Open 2:23 Becoming A Dad Changed Everything 6:54 Shooting Ariana Grande On Film 14:03 YUNGBLUD, Ozzy And Sharon On Set 15:44 His Dad Built The Karol G Museum 18:55 Self Taught, No Film School 23:26 Trippie Redd's First 100K Video 24:32 Roddy Ricch's The Box, Nobody Asked 28:04 You Have To Be Your Own Agent 29:53 The Box Dropped, Then Lockdown 37:16 Lil Nas X's Industry Baby Shower Scene 41:36 SZA's Kill Bill Was An Accident 43:35 Doja Cat's Streets And Blacking Out 45:44 Why His Treatments Got Simpler 50:22 SZA And Lisa Shot In One Day 57:54 Spielberg, Fincher And Precision 1:02:49 Inside Ariana Grande's World 1:05:48 We Can't Be Friends And Eternal Sunshine 1:11:54 Creative Directing Ariana's Tour 1:16:36 20,000 People Lose It 1:20:06 Winning Video Of The Year At The VMAs 1:25:06 Advice For Up And Coming Directors 1:32:42 Old Spice, Marshmello And Commercials 1:37:18 Chasing The First Feature 1:45:25 Stop Forcing The Timeline 1:50:10 McConaughey's Oscar Speech Lesson 1:57:40 Dinner With His Grandparents Follow Christian here Follow Arrad (podcast host) here LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH US: ✩ Ourselves (production team): ✩ Instagram ✩ Twitter ✩ TikTok ✩ Facebook
- Jul 9, 202627 min
How Obsession and Backrooms Took Over Hollywood
A $750,000 horror movie just beat Hollywood at its own game. In this episode, I break down how two creator-made films, Obsession and Backrooms, each crossed $200 million on micro budgets, and why that quietly rewrote the rules of the entire film industry. Curry Barker built an audience on YouTube first, then made Obsession for the fans he already had, and Kane Parsons turned an internet horror phenomenon into a real theatrical event before he was old enough to rent a car. I use both to make the case that the old gatekept Hollywood pipeline is dying. You can prove the concept first, build the audience first, and let the audience tell the industry what to pay attention to. I get into why craft and taste beat budget, why horror is the great equalizer for new filmmakers, the honest reality that these breakout stories are rare, and the one move every creator still has to make. You don't need permission, a studio, or millions of dollars anymore. You need a good idea, taste, and the guts to go make your damn film. 00:00 Introduction 02:37 Two $200M Movies on Micro Budgets 03:23 Reintroducing Myself 04:04 Why Hollywood Might Be Better Now 05:35 Curry Barker and the YouTube Model 08:48 Stop Putting Pressure on One Idea 09:32 The Excuses We Make as Creators 12:03 The Insane Numbers Behind Obsession 13:34 We Spend Too Much Time Waiting 14:25 The Audience Doesn't Care How You Got There 16:11 Make Movies That Feel Alive 18:22 Kane Parsons and the Anti-AI Argument 20:11 The Hard Truth and the New Path 22:40 The Internet Is the New Film Festival 24:41 A New Pipeline and Horror as the Equalizer 26:26 Go Make Your Damn Film Follow me here LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH US: ✩ Ourselves (production team): ✩ Instagram ✩ Twitter ✩ TikTok ✩ Facebook
- Jun 19, 20261h 42m
He Started With $0 and Cold Emails. Now Nike, Oakley & Wingstop Hire His Agency.
Sebastien built SLAPS, a creative agency for some of the biggest brands in the world, with no design degree, no advertising background, and no industry connections. He started by cold emailing strangers, Googling what a branding agency even does, and selling a $5K identity to a local Indian restaurant. Now SLAPS works with brands like Nike, Oakley, Wingstop, and Under Armour. In this conversation, Sebastien breaks down the real agency game: why sales is an art form, why you should never sell services, and why brands pay more for vision. This is the story of building taste, selling ideas, and turning zero connections into a world-class creative agency. This is Ourselves with Sebastien Vandecasteele. 00:00 Introduction 02:29 What SLAPS Does as a Creative Agency 03:54 The Wingstop Mango Habanero Campaign 06:35 How Social Media Rewrote the Agency Game 07:48 SLAPS vs Traditional Agencies (Wieden+Kennedy, 72andSunny) 12:36 Production: In-House vs Outsourcing 13:56 Starting With Zero Creative Background 16:00 Why Sales Is the Real Art Form 17:42 Lessons From a Year in a Call Center 18:10 Discovering Creative Direction by Accident 20:04 Cold Emailing Strangers to Land Brands 21:11 The First $5K Client (an Indian Restaurant) 23:28 Why You Sell Vision, Not Services 26:42 The Sales Exercise & Why Listeners Win 29:42 How to Actually Get a Brand's Attention 30:22 LinkedIn as a Creative Goldmine 32:07 Breaking Tension With GIFs in Cold Emails 37:33 The Brutal Reality of Unpaid Pitches 39:26 The 6-Month Music Video Pitch From Hell 42:08 Building a Voice So People Come to You 47:56 Inside the SLAPS Team 49:11 Working With His Wife at the Agency 50:46 How Creative Directors, Art Directors & Copywriters Work 53:15 Building a Global Agency Out of Barcelona 54:46 Running Ads for Brand Awareness 58:28 The Mistake of Trying to Do Everything 01:01:11 Handling High-Pressure Clients & Celebrities 01:04:31 What Big Budgets Actually Pay For 01:07:13 AI, Creative Jobs & the Renaissance of Craft 01:14:18 Pivoting SLAPS Into a Strategy-First Agency 01:16:08 Project 2027 & the AI Endgame 01:18:55 Favorite SLAPS Projects (HelloFresh, Wingstop, Oakley) 01:21:46 Living Between Amsterdam, New York & LA 01:24:18 Surfing Through Burnout 01:25:30 Building a Business With Your Wife 01:27:31 The Hustle Years vs The Balance Years 01:28:35 The DISC Sales Framework Every Creative Needs 01:32:48 Why Creative Is the Hardest Industry to Sell In 01:38:34 The Card Question: Most Meaningful Feedback 01:41:24 Closing Tradition Follow SLAPS Follow Sebastien Vandecasteele Follow Arrad (podcast host) LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH US: ✩ Ourselves (production team): ✩ Instagram ✩ Twitter ✩ TikTok ✩ Facebook
- May 5, 20261h 45m
Followers Are Worthless. Watch Time Is The New Currency. (w/ Sooraj Saxena)
Most of what you've been told about being a content creator is a lie. Sooraj Saxena spent years learning that the hard way. In this conversation he reveals the testing pool TikTok uses before any video goes viral, why Mr. Beast openly admits his mental health is awful, why chasing another creator's blueprint guarantees you'll resent your own life, and the moment that made him walk away from a 5,000 person paying waitlist. If you're building anything online in 2026, this is required listening. 00:00 Content Is Science 01:51 Sooraj's biggest audience 03:21 His Original Chai videos 05:22 Brown Creator Representation 06:13 Childhood Performer Roots 10:47 Startup Videos Breakthrough 16:41 Sneaking Into Concerts 19:23 His Company Shakti And the TikTok Market Gap 32:58 Back to Brand Deals 33:22 Betting on a Portfolio 35:14 Being Ghosted From a Big Partnership 37:09 Gods Wake Up Call 40:24 His First Big 6 Figure Merch Year 48:20 How the Algorithm Can Penalize You 51:41 Why Brands Dont Reach Out 01:10:05 Creator Chaos Tradeoffs 01:14:01 Create for Joy Not Fame 01:16:12 Deinfluence Your Dreams 01:16:43 Having Four Million Followers But Broke 01:19:50 Stop Chasing Blueprints Like Mr Beast 01:23:48 No One Is Saving You 01:27:03 What To Do When Content Flops 01:30:49 AI and Human Resilience 01:35:49 Final Advice Follow Sooraj Follow Arrad (podcast host) LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH US: ✩ Ourselves (production team): ✩ Instagram ✩ Twitter ✩ TikTok ✩ Facebook
About Ourselves Podcast
OURSELVES is the world’s first open-source podcast that dives deep into the worlds of creativity, culture, & personal growth. Hosted by film & music video director Arrad, each episode brings you unfiltered conversations with visionary artists, trailblazing entrepreneurs, and thought leaders shaping the future. From behind-the-scenes stories of groundbreaking projects to candid discussions about mental health, reinvention, and navigating the creative industry, OURSELVES is your space to feel inspired, challenged, and connected.Made by ourselves, for ourselves.
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