Judeslist

Jude Brandford-Sackey

This podcast examines how individuals discover meaning when life changes suddenly and how their work aids them in navigating uncertainty. Stories about love, work, and finding meaning when life changes.

  1. JAN 21

    Jan-Willem Blom: Storytelling, WorldBuilding, Villains and AI

    In this episode, I speak with Jan-Willem Blom an AI filmmaker and creative director whose work sits at the intersection of classic storytelling, world-building and emerging AI tools. Jan traces his creative origin story back to a video store in the Netherlands hours spent studying VHS covers. That early obsession with imagery, myth and struggle later became the foundation for how he approaches AI filmmaking today. Jan argues that AI makes images faster, but stories still take time. We explore why struggle is the core of storytelling, how world-building is a way of seeing rather than a scale problem and why creators must intentionally preserve friction in their process. Jan also breaks down his practical frameworks for: Developing stories through “what if” questionsTesting ideas through teasers instead of full productionsBuilding visual identity through posters, symbols, and toneKey Themes We Explore Why “storytelling” is really struggle-tellingCharacters, world-building, and struggle as inseparable pillarsHow classic films taught us systems thinking through storyUsing AI to refine judgment, not replace itWhy speed without intention creates noiseThe importance of creative anchors and long-term obsessionsKey Takeaways World-building happens at every scale, from a bus to a galaxyGreat stories require time, friction, and reflectionTools should serve story not the other way around🔗 Find Jan’s work: https://videostate.nl/

    58 min
5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

This podcast examines how individuals discover meaning when life changes suddenly and how their work aids them in navigating uncertainty. Stories about love, work, and finding meaning when life changes.