Catalyst: A Creative Industries Podcast Chapman University

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 11 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
This week Rockie Rosenberg kicks off the episode with an interview of Nocona Burgess, a Native American indigenous artist and member of the Comanche Nation who now resides in Santa Fe. As the son of a former tribal chief and the great-great-grandson of one of the most revered Native American leaders, Chief Quanah Parker, his work presents strikingly modern depictions of Indigenous men and women from various tribal Nations of North America. Through the interview the pair discuss how Nocona has a great overview of the business side of art due to his extensive experience in navigating the art world at a young age. They also touch on Burgess’ podcast experience and the classes he teaches at the Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) which deal with the business side of art.
In our second interview, Jared Serios sits down with Lyn Sazon to talk about Serios’ career as an artist who works in the mediums of digital and traditional art. Serios divulges how he started down the path of his artistic journey, including his early years and accomplishments, and talks about how the art he creates reflects his strong roots and cultural background. Sazon questions Serios about his creative process, and how he developed his unique style of artmaking. The two conclude the interview with a look at some of the artists that Serios admires, and what plans he has for the near future of his career.

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 11 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
Samantha Combs begins our episode this week with her interview of Jorgie Kubursi a social media and content creator who has grown up all over the globe. Jorgie shares her insights on personal brand development and how she successfully markets her defining traits to distinguish her from other creators. Samantha discusses with Jorgie how, from a content evolution standpoint, she places emphasis and importance upon personal introspection and how it gave her insight into who she is and what her intentions are within the industry. Listen along to hear about defining moments in Jorgie’s career thus far, and discover what are the key defining factors of her content, as well as her goals and aspirations.
In our second segment this week, we feature Sophia Movsisian’s interview of Cora Synnes about Cora’s time as a intern with Warner Brothers and HBO Max, doing social media/influencer marketing. The pair touch on how Cora started in the position, and the importance of mentors and mentoring in this industry. They also discuss how and why her time dedicated to this position has served her positively going forward. In addition Sophia and Cora talk about the types of films she would love to work on in the future, and how they perceive AI may affect the industry as both progress.

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 11 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
We begin this week with a look at the work of Maria McHugo, an up-and-coming stand-up comic from Washington DC, who has also worked with Los Angeles Comic Manager, Barry Katz of Barry Katz Entertainment. Maria speaks with Francesca Zorlas about her comedic character arc, from humble beginnings at the University of Virginia as a media studies major with plans to be a lawyer, to her choice to pursue her dreams of storytelling through entertainment. Listen as she unravels her comedic ventures and talks about the trials and tribulations of working in this male dominated industry. Maria also imparts some advice to prospective females looking to break the ice and enter the entertainment industry.
To conclude Catalyst this week, we feature an interview by Clare Thompson who talks to professional musician Matthew Wilson. Wilson, who has a degree in Global Jazz Studies from UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, discusses with Clare what shape his budding musical career is taking, starting with his run as a bassist for several bands, including Flamango Bay and Serialist, the latter of which has garnered attention for its song “Sometimes” on such streaming platforms as Spotify. Thompson and Wilson discuss Matthew’s background in music, going all the way back to marching band. They move on to discuss what Wilson feels were important lessons to be garnered from being a music major, before talking about his current bands. Wilson explains his writing process, and how that changes and adapts depending on which band he is working with at the time.

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 11 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
This week’s Catalyst episode comes in like a gale force wind when Alia Hagi speaks with Hawaiian weatherman and television personality, Guy Hagi. Alia discusses with Guy how his career has spanned both traditional broadcasting and the digital landscape focusing on how Instagram and meme culture combined with Guy ability to convey his charming personality when broadcasting came together to make him a standout in his field. Guy touches on the importance of an authentic connection with the audience and they conclude by talking about how Guy's experiences highlight the changing landscape of media consumption, and the role authenticity plays in keeping viewers engaged nowadays.
The second interview this week focuses on Amy Ambatielos who sat down to talk with Sofie Kassaras about her current career as the Director of Educational Partnerships for a startup called BrainTrust Tutors, but also about the lead up to this position when she worked for over ten years as a producer for various journalism and television studios, including HGTV, CNN, and Dr. Phil. They discuss Amy’s journey through grad school and follow her career trajectory from HGTV and Dr. Phil, to her 7-year run at CNN Money [Currently CNN Business]. They discuss some of the challenges that she faced in that time, and how she used skills from each experience and/or job to propel her to the next step. They also talk about how social media came to be a factor in the way companies like CNN looked at and presented content. They wrap up the interview with Amy’s transition to working in education, and how the skills in relationships and communication she acquired as a journalist aided her in her journey to where she is now.

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 11 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
Catalyst begins this week with an interview of Skye Bleu and Savannah Rae the co-founders of Skye Film Studios in Glendale CA. The sisters sat down with Rose Steele to discuss the dynamics of running a film studio as well as the larger processes of funding projects, producing content, and building the business side of a company in the creative and cultural industries. Savannah and Skye provide insights into how they have been able to use art events as a method of fundraising for their film projects as well as delving deeper into what it's like building a catalog of intellectual property for their studio. They conclude the interview with a discussion of some upcoming projects for the studio at the time of recording.
To round out this week’s episode, Jackie Rahimzadeh presents her interview with Kylie Billings, a Production Coordinator for A24, an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. In addition to learning about how Billings started in the film industry and made her way up to her current position, she also gives the audience a breakdown of all things A24 and touches on the significance of new and different voices being represented in film. The pair also discuss what Billings finds to be the most fulfilling aspect of her production coordinator job and whether the challenges of the job has diminished her love of movie making. They share their perspectives on why A24 has become such an adored player in film culture and look at what lies ahead for Kylie in the industry.

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 11 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
Paige Brooks starts this week’s episode of Catalyst with an interview of veteran performer and choreographer Brittany Barney.  The pair discuss the array of opportunities one can find within a singular creative industry, Barney’s process when it comes to choreography and how culture and history impact artistry. They also reflect on what success looks like in a performance-based industry, where professional rejection is part of the game and how at times it is necessary to adjust a career plan to accommodate reality. Still Barney is hopeful that the information she imparts in the interview will inspire creatives, and that the career-development timeline she shares will be a particularly useful tool.
The second interview of the week stars Azuki Umeda and her career journey as a choreographer, dancer, and teacher as she talks with Elle Holland. Umeda is known for her unique and intricate movement style within her choreography which has gotten her global recognition. She shares insight into her inspirations and the process that goes into developing this movement vocabulary. Umeda explains how she got started in choreography and how at a young age she developed an ability to see music in new ways. The pair discuss how her Japanese cultural background shapes her creative voice and her approach as a teacher. Umeda also elaborates on her current work “How I Became Kinder and Kinder” and on her company Authenticity Dance Co, and they conclude with the topic of the future by sharing Umeda’s dance company's upcoming opportunities and performances.