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Technically Creative by KoobrikLabs

Orlando Wood

Technically Creative by KoobrikLabs is about the people translating between imagination and systems — the operators, creatives, and technologists turning ideas into industry.

This is a technology podcast for people who don’t think they’re technical — but increasingly need to understand the systems shaping creative work.

You can learn more about Koobrik Labs at KoobrikLabs - KoobrikLabs

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Tuesday · 1 hr 5 min
SAG-AFTRA on AI: Who Owns Your Face, Voice & Performance? with Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
SAG-AFTRA on AI: Who Owns Your Face, Voice & Performance? 🤝 Presented in Partnership with the Future of Life Institute This episode is part of a special series presented in partnership with the Future of Life Institute (FLI). Throughout Season 4 of Technically Creative, we're exploring some of the biggest questions surrounding artificial intelligence, creativity, copyright, performer rights, AI safety, and responsible innovation. Learn more about the Future of Life Institute: 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@futureoflifeinstitute/ 🌐 Website https://futureoflife.org/ 🎭 AI, Actors & Hollywood's Biggest Conversation In this episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, to explore one of the biggest questions facing the creative industries today: Who owns your face, your voice, and your performance in the age of AI? As artificial intelligence transforms filmmaking, television, advertising, gaming and digital media, performers are facing entirely new questions around AI actors, digital replicas, voice cloning, copyright, consent, likeness rights and ownership. Duncan has been at the center of those conversations, leading SAG-AFTRA's negotiations on AI protections and helping shape one of Hollywood's most important agreements for the future of creative work. But what makes this conversation so interesting is that it isn't about stopping AI. It's about making sure AI develops in a way that respects creators, protects human performance, and gives performers meaningful control over their identity. Throughout the discussion, Duncan shares a refreshingly pragmatic perspective. Technology isn't the enemy. The challenge is building the legal, ethical and commercial frameworks that allow innovation to flourish while ensuring the people whose creativity powers this industry remain in control of how they're represented. Highlights • How SAG-AFTRA negotiated landmark AI protections for performers • Who owns your face, voice and digital likeness in the age of AI? • Why consent is becoming the foundation of AI creativity • How voice cloning and digital replicas are changing Hollywood • What actors, filmmakers and studios need to understand about AI contracts • Why Duncan believes AI should augment human creativity, not replace it • The future of acting, entertainment and storytelling in an AI-powered world Whether you're an actor, filmmaker, producer, creative director, entertainment executive, lawyer, or anyone interested in AI, Hollywood, copyright, performer rights and creative technology, this conversation offers one of the clearest and most balanced discussions you'll hear anywhere on where the industry is heading. This conversation is part of our ongoing series with the Future of Life Institute exploring the ethical, legal, and creative questions shaping the future of artificial intelligence. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations about AI, creativity, entertainment, filmmaking and the future of creative work. Visit KoobrikLabs https://koobriklabs.com Connect with Orlando https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-wood/ Chapters [00:00] Who Owns Your Face? [04:10] Why SAG-AFTRA Didn't Try to Stop AI [11:20] Digital Replicas, Voice Cloning & Consent [21:15] Negotiating Hollywood's AI Agreement [33:40] Copyright, Contracts & Human Performance [46:30] The Future of Acting in an AI World [58:10] Why Human Creativity Still Matters #ArtificialIntelligence #SAGAFTRA #AIActors #Hollywood #VoiceCloning #DigitalReplica #Copyright #AIEthics #FutureOfLifeInstitute #TechnicallyCreative #KoobrikLabs
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Monday · 4 min
Why We're Partnering with the Future of Life Institute
🌍 Learn More About the Future of Life Institute The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit organization working to help ensure that transformative technologies, including artificial intelligence, benefit humanity while reducing catastrophic and existential risks. Through research, policy, public education, and collaboration, FLI brings together scientists, policymakers, technologists, and creators to help shape a safer future. 📺 Future of Life Institute on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@futureoflifeinstitute/ 🌐 Official Website https://futureoflife.org/ If these conversations resonate with you, I highly recommend subscribing to their channel and exploring the work they're doing. 🎙️ Why We're Partnering with the Future of Life Institute This isn't just a sponsorship announcement. It's an explanation of where I stand. I'm incredibly proud to announce that Season 4 of Technically Creative is partnering with the Future of Life Institute (FLI), a nonprofit dedicated to helping ensure that transformative technologies like artificial intelligence benefit humanity while thoughtfully addressing the risks they create. Over the last few years, I've been called a hypocrite more times than I can count. Why? Because I believe the wholesale training of AI models on copyrighted creative work represents the largest copyright theft in history... and yet I also spend my career building AI products and helping creative companies adopt these technologies. To some people, those positions seem impossible to reconcile. I don't think they are. I believe we can acknowledge that artists were treated unfairly and recognize that AI is now part of our creative future. We can celebrate innovation while demanding better conversations around copyright, consent, compensation, creator rights, AI ethics, safety, risk, and responsible adoption. That's what Technically Creative has always been about. Not choosing a side. Creating a place where the difficult conversations can happen. That's why partnering with the Future of Life Institute feels so natural. Throughout Season 4, you'll hear a series of special conversations exploring AI ethics, copyright, performer rights, creative ownership, AI safety, responsible innovation, and the future of creativity alongside conversations with the founders, engineers, artists, and companies building these technologies. We're not here to tell you AI will save the world. We're not here to tell you AI will destroy it. We're here to talk to the people who are actually wrestling with what happens next In this video • Why Technically Creative partnered with the Future of Life Institute • Why I reject the "fair use" argument for AI training • Why I've been called a hypocrite • Why I still build AI products • How creative companies should think about AI adoption • Why copyright, consent, compensation and creativity belong in the same conversation • What responsible AI innovation actually looks like Whether you're an artist, filmmaker, writer, musician, creative director, entrepreneur, policymaker, or AI builder, this conversation is about finding a path that protects creativity while embracing technological progress. 📺 Subscribe for more conversations about Artificial Intelligence, AI Ethics, Copyright, Creative Industries, Entertainment, Responsible Innovation, Creator Rights, and the Future of Creativity. Visit KoobrikLabs https://koobriklabs.com Connect with Orlando https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-wood/ #ArtificialIntelligence #AIEthics #FutureOfLifeInstitute #Copyright #ResponsibleAI #CreativeIndustries #TechnicallyCreative #KoobrikLabs
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August 18 · 1 hr 5 min
The Artist, Not The AI - Cannes Winning The Real Real "Am I Real" and Gaia "Hidden Heartbreak"
Can AI Create a Cannes-Winning Commercial? Watch these films before you answer. 🎥 The RealReal (Silver Cannes Lion) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MORj7Cn1Wo0 🎥 Gaia https://shots.net/news/view/gaia-exposes-dairys-hidden-heartbreak If you're a creative company looking to future-proof your business, book a free consultation call at 👉 https://koobriklabs.com/contact/ 🎬 AI Filmmaking, Cannes Lions & Creative Craft — Don't Miss This One In this episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with Sebastian Strasser, one of advertising's most celebrated commercial directors and founder of Lipstick, alongside Sascha Peuckert, Executive Producer at Team One, to explore one of the biggest questions facing the creative industries today: Can AI produce truly world-class creative work? For the last few years, much of the conversation around AI filmmaking and AI advertising has focused on what the technology supposedly can't do. Then came The RealReal. Winner of a Silver Cannes Lion, it's one of the first end-to-end AI commercials that genuinely feels like the work of a master filmmaker. It doesn't just demonstrate what AI can do. It demonstrates what happens when extraordinary creative talent embraces extraordinary new tools. Then came Gaia. A film that's emotional, cinematic and deeply human. It proves something many people still question: AI doesn't remove emotion from storytelling. In the hands of great artists, it can become another way to express it. This isn't a conversation about prompting. It's a conversation about craft. About directing. About taste. About authorship. And about why the future of AI filmmaking won't be defined by the people who learned AI first. It'll be defined by the people who've spent decades mastering storytelling. Highlights • How The RealReal became one of the first AI commercials to win a Cannes Lion • Why Gaia proves AI can create genuine emotional storytelling • The difference between prompting and directing • Why craft, taste and authorship matter more than ever • How AI is changing commercial production • What agencies, brands and filmmakers can learn from these groundbreaking films If you're a filmmaker, creative director, producer, agency leader, or simply fascinated by AI filmmaking, commercial directing, advertising production and creative technology, this episode is one of the clearest conversations yet about where creative work is heading. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations about AI, advertising, filmmaking and the future of creative work. Visit KoobrikLabs: https://koobriklabs.com Connect with Orlando: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-wood/ Chapters [00:00] Can AI Create a Cannes-Winning Commercial? [04:12] The RealReal: Inside an AI Cannes Lion Winner [12:40] Why Great Craft Still Wins [22:18] Directing vs Prompting [31:55] Building an AI Production Workflow [42:30] Gaia and the Power of Emotion [52:15] The Future of AI Filmmaking #AIFilmmaking #AIAdvertising #GenerativeAI #CannesLions #CommercialDirector #SebastianStrasser #CreativeTechnology #Advertising #Filmmaking #TechnicallyCreative #KoobrikLabs
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S4 · E1
August 11 · 51 min
How Disney Finds the Future: Inside Disney Corporate Innovation
How does Disney stay innovative? Inside the Disney’s Innovation Team and the future of entertainment with David Min For the latest news on the Disney Accelerator, please check it out at: https://sites.disney.com/accelerator/ Technically Creative is brought to you by KoobrikLabs, the data partner for creative companies. 🏰 How Disney Finds the Future In the Season 4 premiere of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with David Min, VP of Corporate Innovation at The Walt Disney Company, to explore how one of the world's most iconic entertainment companies discovers, evaluates, and deploys emerging technologies. As the executive responsible for Disney's external innovation strategy and the Disney Accelerator, David sits at the intersection of startups, venture capital, robotics, immersive media, and Disney's creative businesses. His team connects Silicon Valley with Disney, helping identify the technologies that could shape the next generation of storytelling, theme parks, streaming, filmmaking, sports, and entertainment experiences. This conversation goes far beyond just the technologies they employ. It's about how large creative organizations stay curious, how innovation teams operate inside enterprise businesses, and why the future belongs to companies that can combine creative excellence with emerging technology. We explore Disney's approach to founders, the Disney Accelerator, startup partnerships, Imagineering, robotics, augmented reality, Unreal Engine, StageCraft, vertical video, YouTube-native storytelling, and why creator-led innovation is becoming increasingly important across the entertainment industry. 🎧 Highlights include: • How the Disney Accelerator discovers breakthrough startups • Bob Iger's vision for corporate innovation at Disney • Why Disney partners with startups instead of building everything internally • How Walt Disney Imagineering works with emerging technologies • AR, Robotics, and the future of theme park experiences • The story behind Epic Games, Unreal Engine, and StageCraft • Why vertical video and mobile-first storytelling are reshaping entertainment • Creator-led, responsible AI, and Disney's approach to emerging technology • How venture capital helps Disney identify technology trends • Why innovation starts with excitement, not education • Lessons every creative company can learn from Disney's innovation strategy Whether you work in film, television, advertising, publishing, gaming, music, or creative technology, this episode offers a rare look inside how one of the world's most innovative entertainment companies thinks about the future. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations exploring AI, creativity, media, technology, and the business of creative work. Visit KoobrikLabs: https://koobriklabs.com Connect with Orlando: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-wood/ 📍 Chapters [00:00] Inside Disney Innovation [03:45] What the Disney Accelerator Actually Does [09:10] How Disney Works with Startups [17:30] Imagineering & Robotics [26:20] How Disney Evaluates New Technology [34:15] Epic Games, Unreal Engine & StageCraft [43:00] Vertical Video and the Future of Storytelling [51:10] Creator-Led AI and Responsible Innovation [58:00] Why Innovation Starts with Excitement #Disney #DisneyAccelerator #DavidMin #Innovation #Imagineering #Startups #Entertainment #Media #CreativeTechnology #TechnicallyCreative #KoobrikLabs #OrlandoWood
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August 7 · 48 min
Technically Creative: Digital Hollywood Panel - AI in the Creativity Pipeline
Don’t miss Digital Hollywood’s panels on the future of entertainment and media. Sign up for more information at - https://www.digitalhollywood.com Episode description Technically Creative is brought to you by KoobrikLabs, your AI transformation partner for creative companies. What happens when AI moves upstream into the creative process, before the camera ever rolls? Recorded live at Digital Hollywood: The AI & Entertainment Summit 2026, this episode of Technically Creative brings together filmmakers, producers, technologists and creative leaders to explore how generative AI is changing film development, screenwriting, ideation, visualization, storyboarding and plot structure. The conversation focuses on the part of filmmaking that can be the hardest to accelerate: turning the first spark of an idea into something structured enough to make. Orlando Wood, founder of KoobrikLabs, joins Russell Palmer, CEO & Co-Founder of CyberFilm AI and SAGA; Matt Pfeffer, Executive Producer and President of Ritual Labs; Albert Thompson, creative and digital innovation leader; Alex Gocke, VP of Sales at Largo; and moderator Annie Hanlon, Co-Founder of PLAYBOOK PLBK. Together, they examine how AI is becoming a new kind of creative collaborator. Not simply a tool for generating finished images or video, but a system for helping filmmakers explore possibilities, interrogate ideas, develop characters, visualize scenes, build storyboards and pressure-test narrative structure. The panel explores: How filmmakers and writers are actually using AI in the creative development process The emerging AI tools for screenwriting, story development and pre-production Using AI for concept visualization and storyboarding Where AI helps creativity and where human taste, judgment and experience still matter How creative companies can adopt AI without surrendering the creative process to technology Why the biggest opportunity may be using AI to make great creative people more ambitious, rather than simply making production cheaper For anyone working in film, television, advertising, production, screenwriting or entertainment technology, this is a practical look at what an AI-assisted creative pipeline is starting to look like in 2026. Technically Creative is the technology podcast for people who don’t think they’re technical, but increasingly need to understand the systems shaping creative work. Keywords: AI filmmaking, generative AI film, AI screenwriting, AI storyboarding, AI pre-production, AI for filmmakers, artificial intelligence entertainment, film technology, AI storytelling, creative AI, Digital Hollywood, AI Entertainment Summit, SAGA AI, KoobrikLabs, future of filmmaking.
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S3 · E13
June 15 · 27 min
The Hairdresser Who Ran Hollywood: Jon Peters, Part 3 "Dreaming Big is the Only Way to Dream"
In this third bonus episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood continues his conversation with legendary Hollywood producer Jon Peters, the producer behind Batman, A Star Is Born, Caddyshack, Flashdance, Superman, and many of the biggest blockbuster films of the 1980s and 1990s. In Part One, we explored Jon Peters' unlikely journey from hairdresser to Hollywood producer through his partnership with Barbra Streisand and the making of A Star Is Born. In Part Two, we followed the rise of the Guber-Peters Company and Jon's partnership with Peter Guber, one of the most successful producing collaborations in Hollywood history. In this episode, the story shifts from filmmaking to something bigger. By this point, Jon Peters has already produced some of the most influential films of his era. A Star Is Born helped redefine movie marketing and soundtrack albums. Batman became one of the highest-grossing films of all time. The Guber-Peters partnership was reshaping Hollywood. But success was never the destination. Every achievement simply became permission to dream bigger. This conversation explores how Jon Peters thought about blockbuster filmmaking, movie marketing, soundtrack albums, intellectual property, franchising, and the business of entertainment long before Hollywood became obsessed with cinematic universes and franchise ecosystems. We discuss how A Star Is Born created a blueprint for soundtrack-driven movie marketing, why film soundtracks became a critical revenue stream for studios, and how Jon viewed movies as much more than what audiences saw on screen. The conversation eventually leads to Sony Pictures Entertainment, where Jon Peters and Peter Guber found themselves running one of the most powerful movie studios in Hollywood. And even that wasn't enough. Because while most executives saw a studio, Jon saw a launching pad. We explore: • How A Star Is Born changed movie marketing and soundtrack strategy • The relationship between Hollywood films, soundtrack albums, and blockbuster profitability • Why Jon believed the movie wasn't the only product being sold • How Wild Wild West and its hit soundtrack became a case study in entertainment marketing • The road from Batman to running Sony Pictures Entertainment • Jon Peters' vision for "Sony Land" and expanding beyond the traditional movie studio model • Superman, intellectual property, and the future of franchise storytelling • The connection between Hollywood, the UFC, Dana White, entrepreneurship, and instinct • Why Jon Peters believes success should expand your ambitions rather than satisfy them Like the previous conversations, this episode is funny, reflective, controversial, and uniquely Jon. It's also a fascinating look at Hollywood history, blockbuster filmmaking, movie producing, studio leadership, entertainment marketing, soundtrack albums, intellectual property, and the mindset that helped shape some of the biggest films of the modern era. If you're interested in Jon Peters, Peter Guber, Batman, Sony Pictures, Superman, Hollywood producers, blockbuster movies, movie marketing, or the business of filmmaking, this chapter goes deeper still. More to come.
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S3 · E12
April 24 · 49 min
Technically Creative: Live at British Arrows — AI & the Future of Craft
A special live episode recorded at British Arrows. This panel explores how AI is reshaping creative work, from workflows and production systems to decision-making and craft. As more companies adopt AI tools, the real challenge is shifting from experimentation to implementation, redesigning how work actually gets done. We discuss the gap between AI adoption and real impact, why most organizations are still layering AI onto existing workflows, and what changes when you move toward AI-native systems. The conversation also looks at agents, automation, and the evolving role of creative professionals in an AI-driven environment. At the center of it all is craft. What remains human, what becomes automated, and why judgment, taste, and creative instinct are becoming more valuable, not less. Recorded live at British Arrows, this is a conversation about the future of AI in creative industries, including film, advertising, and media. Technically Creative is brought to you by KoobrikLabs, the AI transformation partner for creative companies.
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S3 · E11
April 15 · 1 hr 9 min
50 Years of the Best British Advertising; with Simon Cooper and Charlie Gatsky Sinclair
What actually makes creative work matter? In this final episode of Season 3 of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with Simon Cooper and Charlie Gatsky Sinclair — the outgoing and incoming Chairs of the British Arrows — as the awards reach their 50th year. The British Arrows is one of the most prestigious institutions in advertising, celebrating excellence in craft, storytelling, and creative execution across film, television, and digital media. But this conversation isn’t just about advertising. It’s about craft. Taste. And the value of effort in an age where AI is making creative work faster and easier than ever. As artificial intelligence, automation, and new production tools reshape the creative industries, a deeper question emerges: What do we actually value in creative work? Because while AI can generate content at scale, the work that resonates — the work that lasts — still carries the imprint of human effort, judgment, and taste. Drawing on 50 years of advertising history, this episode explores how creative industries evolve through technological change, why audiences still respond to human endeavour, and what the future of creativity might look like in the age of AI. In this episode: The evolution of the British Arrows over 50 years Craft vs automation in the age of AI Why effort and difficulty still matter in creative work The role of taste in advertising, film, and storytelling The Young Arrows and supporting emerging creative talent How AI is changing the creator economy and media industries What the best advertising work still gets right Technically Creative is a podcast about AI, creativity, and the business of making things. Brought to you by KoobrikLabs — helping creative companies implement AI in safe, practical, and transformative ways.
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S3 · E10
April 8 · 1 hr
ElevenLabs, the AI Voice Factory; with Dan Jasnow
In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with Dan Jasnow, the Head of IP at ElevenLabs. He sits at the intersection of IP, legal, and policy at ElevenLabs and we talk about what copyright, consent, and control look like in the age of AI. Before joining ElevenLabs, Dan spent over a decade advising companies across media, entertainment, and technology on how to navigate intellectual property in a rapidly changing landscape. Now, he’s on the inside — helping shape how one of the world’s leading AI companies approaches voice, licensing, and responsible deployment. As voice becomes a primary interface for interacting with technology, the stakes are changing. Questions around ownership, authorship, and rights are no longer theoretical — they’re operational. Dan shares what actually goes into building AI systems responsibly, how companies can work directly with rights holders rather than around them, and why many of the fears surrounding AI come from a misunderstanding of how these systems are designed and controlled. Orlando and Dan explore: Why voice may become the dominant interface for AI How ElevenLabs approaches consent, licensing, and control The difference between how AI is perceived and how it actually works What changes when you move from advising AI companies to building inside one The evolving role of copyright and fair use in AI development How regulation is struggling to keep pace with innovation Why trust is becoming a competitive advantage in AI It’s a thoughtful, grounded conversation about IP, responsibility, and the future of human and machine interaction — and what it takes to build powerful technology while maintaining trust with the people it affects.
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S3 · E9
March 31 · 58 min
Influence into Industry: The Rise of the Creator Economy With Kyle Hjelmeseth
He’s done $100M in creator deals. What does he know? In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with Kyle Hjelmeseth, CEO of GMB Digital Management, to explore how the creator economy has matured into a real industry — and what that means for entertainment, advertising, and anyone building an audience today. Because the model has flipped. Creators no longer wait to be discovered. They build audiences first — and the industry is catching up. Kyle has spent over a decade helping creators turn that attention into real businesses, facilitating over $100M in brand deals, and developing a model he calls: 👉 “monetizing the wake” The idea that creators don’t need to be steered into traditional formats — they keep creating, living their lives, and building value through everything they’ve already made. This conversation explores the evolution of the creator economy from early influencers to a structured, scalable industry — and why the most important shift isn’t technology… It’s ownership of audience. Orlando and Kyle explore: • How the creator economy evolved from “wild west” to mature industry • Why creators can now greenlight themselves • What “monetizing the wake” actually means in practice • How creators make money beyond brand deals (affiliate, licensing, content reuse) • Why traditional entertainment is adapting to audience-first thinking • The shift from gatekeepers to direct audience ownership • How creators build sustainable businesses across platforms • What brands and agencies are still learning about this space It’s a sharp, forward-looking conversation about audience, ownership, and the future of creative work — in a world where distribution is no longer the barrier, and the real advantage is knowing how to build and monetize attention.
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S3 · E8
March 24 · 1 hr 5 min
Celebrating Craft in A World of Infinite Content; Danny Edwards of Shots.net
How do you curate infinite content? GET YOUR TICKETS TO SHOTS OUT OF THE BOX LA 22nd APRIL - https://ootb.shots.net/la-2026/ In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with Danny Edwards, co-editor of shots, to explore a simple but increasingly important question: How do you curate infinite content? shots has spent decades spotlighting the best work in advertising, film, and music videos — long before everything was instantly available online. Today, in a world where anyone can publish and the volume of creative output is exploding, that role has only become more valuable. Danny shares how shots evolved from VHS tapes and DVDs into a global digital platform, how editorial taste actually works behind the scenes, and why celebrating great work still matters in an always-on content landscape. This conversation gets into the mechanics of creative curation, the reality of AI in advertising, and the challenge of maintaining standards of craft when everything is available all the time. Orlando and Danny explore: • How shots became a global authority on creative work • What makes something stand out in an oversaturated landscape • The shift from physical media to always-on digital platforms • How AI is influencing the type of work being made • Why taste and curation are becoming more important, not less • How to maintain creative standards in an age of abundance It’s a sharp, thoughtful conversation about attention, taste, and creative judgment — and why knowing what matters is now the most valuable skill in the industry.
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S3 · E7
March 17 · 1 hr 1 min
Who Decides What Great Advertising Is? Kevin Swanepoel from The One Club
In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with Kevin Swanepoel — CEO of The One Club for Creativity and steward of The One Show — to talk about how creative standards are defined in an industry that is constantly reinventing itself. Advertising produces an enormous amount of work every year. Campaigns, films, brand activations, social content, AI experiments. In a world where more creative work is being made than ever before, the question becomes: how do you decide what actually matters? For decades, The One Show has been one of the places where those decisions get made. Known for its emphasis on craft and creative excellence, it has helped define the standards of American advertising while supporting the global creative community through education, mentorship, and initiatives like Creative Week in New York. Kevin shares how The One Club balances celebrating great work with nurturing the next generation of creatives, why awards still play a crucial role in creative culture, and how the organization has expanded its global reach while staying rooted in craft. Orlando and Kevin explore: • How creative awards shape the culture of an industry • Why craft still matters in a world of infinite content • The role of education and mentorship in creative careers • How Creative Week brings the industry together • The challenge of curating great work in the age of AI • Why celebrating creativity is still essential for the future of advertising It’s a thoughtful and often funny conversation about taste, standards, and the responsibility of celebrating great work — at a moment when the creative industries are evolving faster than ever.
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S3 · E6
March 10 · 1 hr 10 min
Is AI Killing Art?; Marco Gentile on the Invisible Contract b/t Artist and Audience
In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with director Marco Gentile of Magna Studios to explore a powerful idea about creativity in the age of AI: what he calls “The Invisible Contract.” For nearly two decades, Marco has worked as a director in advertising, crafting visually meticulous films for brands around the world. But as generative AI rapidly transforms how images, stories, and media can be produced, Marco has begun asking a deeper question — not about technology, but about the relationship between creators and audiences. His thesis is simple: storytelling has always been relational. When an audience watches a film, a commercial, or any piece of communication, they assume a human being stands behind it — someone who made choices, faced constraints, and took responsibility for the meaning being created. The challenge posed by AI isn’t just about automation. It’s about what happens to imagination, authorship, and accountability when creation itself can be delegated to machines. Orlando and Marco explore: Why storytelling relies on an “invisible contract” between creator and audience How friction and constraint shape meaningful creativity The difference between speed and meaning in the creative process Why imagination is a human faculty that must be exercised How generative AI could change the way society produces symbolic meaning What guardrails creative industries might need as AI tools evolve It’s a philosophical and wide-ranging conversation about art, authorship, and the future of creativity — and why preserving human intention may be the most important challenge facing storytellers today.
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S3 · E5
March 3 · 54 min
Create Without Permission; Jagger Waters on The Creator Economy
In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with Jagger Waters — AI filmmaker, creator, and educator — to talk about what authorship looks like in the age of AI. While much of the conversation around AI filmmaking centers on hype or fear, Jagger is focused on something far more practical: craft. From producing nearly solo short films to blending AI with live action and traditional editing workflows, she represents a new kind of creative — one who understands cinematic language and uses AI as leverage, not replacement. As the lines blur between filmmaker and creator, Jagger is navigating both worlds. She’s building work independently, experimenting publicly, and actively helping higher education institutions understand the realities of the creator economy. Jagger shares lessons from producing AI-driven narrative work, the discipline required to move from “prompting” to directing, and why removing the pressure to monetize every idea might be the key to protecting creative voice. Orlando and Jagger explore: Why AI doesn’t replace craft — it exposes it The difference between generating and directing How filmmakers are being pushed into the creator economy What creators can learn from cinematic storytelling Why building publicly accelerates growth How to balance financial survival with creative independence It’s a grounded, forward-looking conversation about control, identity, and the future of storytelling — in a world where anyone can generate, but not everyone can direct.
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S3 · E4
February 24 · 1 hr 4 min
Why Comics Still Build Hollywood’s Best IP with Ross Richie from BOOM! Studios
In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with Ross Richie, founder of BOOM! Studios, to talk about why comics remain one of the most powerful IP engines in modern entertainment. Long before Hollywood fully embraced the franchise era, Ross was building story worlds from the ground up — proving that independent comics could become global film and television properties. Under his leadership, BOOM! Studios became a launchpad for creator-led storytelling and was ultimately acquired by Penguin Random House, marking a major moment for independent publishing. Ross shares lessons from building a creator-first company in a system obsessed with scale, the discipline required to nurture long-term intellectual property, and why comics function as one of the most efficient R&D labs in the entertainment industry. Orlando and Ross explore: Why comics are Hollywood’s most efficient IP incubator How creator ownership changes the quality of story worlds The economics behind adapting comics into film and television What studios look for in adaptable properties How technology is reshaping publishing and IP development Why story always comes before franchise It’s a sharp, strategic conversation about ownership, adaptation, and the future of storytelling in an era where IP is everything — and where the smartest companies know it starts on the page.
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S3 · E3
February 17 · 56 min
Where Ai And Artists Meet; Dani Van de Sande of Artist and the Machine
Get tickets to the next Artist and the Machine event in NYC on May 14th, you can access Early Bird applications on their site: https://artistandthemachine.com/ 2025 Grimes Keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4LZfOaPifQ In this episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with Dani Van De Sande, founder of Artist and the Machine — one of the most important gatherings anywhere in the world for artists, technologists, and creative leaders working with AI. Artist and the Machine is the leading Summit at the forefront of AI & Creativity. The bi-yearly gathering in LA & NY is known for its elevated, strong curation that fosters inspiration and partnerships across brand innovation leaders, creators, and founders pioneering the future of Human-Machine collaboration. The AI & Creativity Summit returns to NYC on May 14, 2026 to gather 400 handpicked leaders in the space, featuring a Main Stage, bespoke breakout sessions & workshops, and interactive demos. If you’re exploring how AI is transforming creative work - you’ll want to be in this room. Dani has built a rare kind of event: a place where engineers, filmmakers, researchers, and creative directors share a stage and show what they’re actually making right now. Not predictions. Not hype. Real tools, real experiments, and real creative breakthroughs. In this conversation, Dani and Orlando explore the rise of the creative technologist, why artists and engineers need to be in the same room, and how the most interesting work today often couldn’t have existed even a year ago. It’s a thoughtful, optimistic conversation about the people building the future of creativity — and the communities forming around them. 🔍 Highlights include: Why the creative technologist is the defining role of the AI era How Artist and the Machine brings artists and engineers together The difference between AI hype and real creative practice Why the most interesting work today is happening at the edges of disciplines
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S3 · E2
February 10 · 51 min
Super Bowl Advertising in the Multi-Screen Era with Mark Gross and Chris Bellinger
🎙️ Meet the People Designing the Biggest Moment in Advertising In this special post–Super Bowl episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with Mark Gross, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer of Highdive, and Chris Bellinger, Chief Creative Officer of PepsiCo Foods USA - two of the creative leaders behind some of the most talked-about Super Bowl advertising of the last decade. The Super Bowl has long been the most concentrated moment of attention in media. But what it means to advertise there has fundamentally changed. What was once a single 30-second TV event has become a multi-week, multi-screen cultural launch shaped as much by social feeds, memes, and war rooms as by what airs during the game itself. Mark and Chris unpack how Super Bowl advertising has evolved in the second-screen era, from the rise of 60-second storytelling to the limits of celebrity-driven ideas, and the strategic decisions brands now face around timing, secrecy, and amplification. They go deep on the creative risks of emotion on the loudest stage in advertising, and how Lay’s “Little Farmer” became an unexpected, last-minute pivot that reshaped the brand’s tone and expectations moving forward. The conversation also pulls back the curtain on game-day realities: war rooms, real-time decision-making, competitor overlap, and the uncomfortable truth that even the biggest ads can’t be fully controlled once culture takes over. What emerges is a rare, honest look at how modern Super Bowl advertising is actually made not as a single moment, but as a system of craft, strategy, intuition, and risk. 🎧 Highlights include: ● How Super Bowl advertising shifted from a one-night event to a multi-screen cultural launch ● Why 60-second spots now outperform 30s on the biggest stage ● The celebrity arms race and when “no celebrity” becomes the real surprise ● The creative risk of emotion in the middle of a football game ● How Lay’s “Little Farmer” came together through late pivots and leadership conviction ● Why sequels are harder than originals in advertising ● What really happens inside Super Bowl war rooms ● Measuring success beyond views: shares, comments, and cultural impact 🔗 Visit KoobrikLabs: https://www.koobriklabs.com 🔗 Connect with Orlando: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-wood 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Meet Mark Gross and Chris Bellinger [01:13] How Super Bowl advertising has changed over the last 20 years [02:56] Is the Super Bowl still the most valuable media buy? [04:48] Teasers, timing, and pre-game release strategy [06:40] Celebrity saturation and creative risk [10:07] Making emotion work on the biggest stage [12:07] Inside the making of “Little Farmer” [15:15] Media buying and late-stage creative decisions [19:09] Does Super Bowl pressure change the work? [22:26] When an idea only works on game day [24:01] TV winners vs internet winners [25:29] Designing for memes and long-tail culture [26:45] Where agency and brand priorities collide [30:45] Sequels, expectations, and creative pressure [33:37] Holding spots vs releasing early [35:32] Extending campaigns beyond the game [38:50] War rooms and real-time decision-making [42:49] Defining success after the final whistle [44:18] Competitor overlap and creative collisions [48:40] Final reflections and what comes next #TechnicallyCreative #SuperBowlAdvertising #MarkGross #ChrisBellinger #Highdive #PepsiCo #CreativeStrategy #BrandStorytelling #Advertising #CulturalMarketing #KoobrikLabs #OrlandoWood
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S3 · E1
February 3 · 55 min
Why Film Festivals Matter More than Ever with Cara Cusumano, Tribeca Film Festival
🎙️ Meet the Woman Helping Film Culture Make Sense of Itself In this episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with Cara Cusumano, Festival Director of the Tribeca Film Festival — one of the three major American film festivals alongside Sundance and SXSW, and still one of the most important gateways to legitimacy for filmmakers worldwide. Film festivals remain the first real hurdle for a film or filmmaker to be taken seriously. The place where work moves from being made to being seen, debated, championed, and absorbed into the cultural bloodstream. And in a moment when more creators than ever are making more content than ever — with near–studio-level tools available from their couch — that curatorial role has never mattered more. Cara oversees one of the most complex and influential selection processes in global filmmaking, sifting through more than 13,000 submissions a year to find what’s audacious rather than merely loud. As the filmmaking system is pressured on all sides — economically, culturally, and technologically — this conversation makes the case that festivals, and the humans who curate them, are more essential than ever. Under Cara’s leadership, Tribeca has also been notably forward-thinking about new tools, including AI. Rather than sidelining creators who experiment, the festival has created intentional frameworks that ask the same timeless questions: Is there a point of view? Is there a voice? Is there something human at the center of the work? What makes this episode especially resonant is Cara herself. When asked whether she actually watches everything, she laughs and admits she lives in fear of missing something great. That moves beyond love and into dedication — a reminder that taste-making isn’t algorithmic. It’s human. 🎧 Highlights include: ● Why film festivals remain the path to legitimacy for filmmakers ● How Tribeca filters signal from noise in an era of infinite content ● The evolving role of curation as the film industry fractures ● Tribeca’s approach to AI, tools, and creative experimentation ● Why taste, restraint, and vision still matter more than polish ● How festivals balance indie discovery with major cultural moments ● “I live in fear of missing something” — dedication as a curator 🔗 Learn more about the Tribeca Film Festival: https://tribecafilm.com 🔗 Visit KoobrikLabs: https://www.koobriklabs.com 🔗 Connect with Orlando: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-wood 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Introducing Cara Cusumano and Tribeca [04:00] Film festivals as the path to legitimacy [09:00] Signal vs noise in the age of infinite content [15:00] AI, tools, and Tribeca’s forward-thinking stance [23:00] Discovery, innovation, and community [31:00] Programming across film, TV, games, and podcasts [41:00] Shorts, new voices, and emerging formats [52:00] “I live in fear of missing something” [57:00] Why festivals — and curators — matter more than ever #TechnicallyCreative #CaraCusumano #TribecaFilmFestival #FilmFestivals #Curation #Filmmaking #AIinFilm #Storytelling #CreativeTechnology #IndependentFilm #KoobrikLabs #OrlandoWood
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S2 · E19
January 6 · 21 min
The Hairdresser Who Ran Hollywood: Jon Peters, Part 2 "Cutting His Teeth""
In this second bonus episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood continues his conversation with one of the most talked-about — and least understood — figures in modern Hollywood: Jon Peters. In Part One, we explored Jon’s unlikely path from beauty school to Barbra Streisand and A Star Is Born. In this episode, we move into the next chapter of his career — the years when Jon steps out as an independent producer, helps bring Caddyshack to life, and forms one of the most influential creative-business partnerships in film history with Peter Guber. This conversation is still loose, funny, messy, reflective — and very “Jon.” We get deeper into how instinct, relationships, gamble-taking, and timing shaped a run of films that defined an era. We explore: • How Caddyshack became Jon’s first big independent producing moment • Why Jon believes producing is really about spotting — and backing — raw creative talent • The origin story of the Guber-Peters partnership • How two unlikely partners built a string of hits together • The road from producing movies to running Sony Pictures • Loyalty, ambition, ego, conflict — and what happens when the stakes get massive • How Jon looks back on all of it now This is Part Two in a multi-episode series examining the real story behind the headlines — the ambition, the chaos, the successes, the fractures, and the emotional truth behind one of the most unusual careers in Hollywood. If you’re interested in how big films really get made — and the personalities it takes to make them — this chapter goes even deeper. More to come.
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S2 · E18
Nov 25, 2025 · 25 min
The Hairdresser Who Ran Hollywood: Jon Peters, Part 1 "Making the Cut"
In this special bonus episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with one of the most mythologized and misunderstood figures in modern Hollywood: Jon Peters. Jon’s life story reads like a Hollywood screenplay — from being pulled out of a troubled childhood and thrust into beauty school, to running a chain of iconic LA salons in the 1970s, to meeting Barbra Streisand and producing A Star Is Born, to orchestrating the Sony Pictures takeover, to holding the rights to Superman for nearly 25 years. His fingerprints are on Batman, Rain Man, Flashdance, The Color Purple, American Werewolf in London and more. This first conversation is wide-ranging, messy, intimate, and completely Jon. We explore: His unlikely path from hairdresser to Hollywood power player His time with Barbra Streisand and the origin of their creative partnership The chaos and brilliance of his producing years His relationships with Peter Guber and studio heads like Steve Ross His battles with addiction, his recovery, and the love that grounded him Why his confidence — and instinct — became his superpowers This is part one of a multi-episode series diving into the real story behind the legend, pulling apart what’s myth, what’s true, and what only Jon could possibly describe. If you’re fascinated by Hollywood history, improbable careers, or the personalities behind the films that shaped generations, this is the beginning of a remarkable ride. Stay tuned — the next chapters go even deeper.
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