Best Cinematic Roundtable Podcasts (2024)

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Dice Exploder: Secondary Missions (Band of Blades) with Thomas Manuel 35:13

7M ago35:13

35:13

Today we bring you another episode of DICE EXPLODER, the show where host Sam Dunnewold breaks down one ttrpg mechanic with a friend. On this episode, Sam talks with Thomas Manuel of the Yes Indie’d podcast and the Indie RPG Newsletter about Secondary Missions, a mechanic from Band of Blades by Off Guard Games. This mechanic has a deceptively big im…

1
Dice Exploder: A New Deep-Dive Show! 39:54

11M ago39:54

39:54

Today we've got sneak peak of the first episode of DICE EXPLODER, a new show on the fiction first network. Each week on Dice Exploder, Sam will have on a new cohost, and they'll bring one RPG mechanic that we'll break down as far as we can. It's gonna be a real nuts and bolts show about design and getting the most out of games. The first season pre…

1
Fine Blueprints: Road Trips with The Last Caravan 29:49

11M ago29:49

29:49

We're back with another episode before Sam takes over for a bit. Today, Ted joins us to talk about his upcoming game, The Last Caravan, kickstarting very soon! Ted and Ray discuss travel mechanics and converting the phase structure of Blades while running away from aliens. Bookmark the kickstarter here! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theodore…

1
Fine Blueprints: Comedy in TTRPGs 42:17

1y ago42:17

42:17

We're finally back with a hilarious episode! Long-time Fiction First Network contributor Sam hosts Healed and Skelpie to talk about their games, Most Trusted Advisors and That's Right, I Did It! We talk about how to allow the players to create humor in their games, what goes into a humorous setting, and what purpose mechanics serve in comedic games…

1
Ep 140: Cinematic Heartland Announcement from Mike and Kevin 36:00

1y ago36:00

36:00

Mike and Kevin make a big announcement today on Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast.By Kevin Isaacson

1
Ep 139: Elliott Bales - Find a Story that Nobody in LA is Going to Tell 1:36:13

1y ago1:36:13

1:36:13

Joining us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland is Elliott Bales who is currently based in Virginia but has appeared extensively on stage and screen in Iowa. He talks about pursuing his acting career full-time after a career in the military, working on the film Remote, producing audio books, getting an agent, and being a member of SAG-AFTRA. What…

1
Ep 138 - Michael Ridley - Jurassic World, Knee High, Remote, and More 1:13:46

1y ago1:13:46

1:13:46

Colorado based actor Michael Ridley sits down with Kevin on this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. Michael is known on the Iowa film scene by working in such projects as Remote and Knee High which we talk about in depth. He was fortunate enough to be able to work on the set of Jurassic World and he passes along that experience t…

1
Ep 137: Demian Alan Mancino - Be Present 1:07:09

1y ago1:07:09

1:07:09

Demian Alan Mancino joins Kevin and Michael on today’s episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking podcast for a fun filmmaking conversation. He was born and raised in New York, has lived in 43 states, and currently resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He tells us about his mixed martial arts background, how he got into acting, working on You Should Hav…

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Ep 136: Jude Rawlins - Little Johnny Jewel, Dream Time, Mania, and More 2:14:26

1y ago2:14:26

2:14:26

Jude Rawlins of Bella Luna Productions sits down with us to talk all things films and filmmaking. He tells us his story from how he came to settle in Marshalltown, Iowa to making the feature film Little Johnny Jewel to his film Dream Time to filming in New York for his film Mania. He has found that filming in Iowa is special in the fact that you ca…

1
Ep 135: Film Festival Roundtable 1:32:37

1y ago1:32:37

1:32:37

Today's show features our first roundtable discussion and the topic at hand is film festivals. We welcome Eric Dean Freese of The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival, Greg Gale of The Flatwater Film Festival, Bill Cooper of The Twin Cities Film Festival, and Tadd Good of The Snake Alley Festival of Film. They give us tips on what can improve you…

1
Ep 134: Michael James Minard - Imposter Syndrome Revisited 1:07:53

1y ago1:07:53

1:07:53

Michael James Minard returns to the Cinematic Heartland podcast to revisit the very important topic that so many filmmakers and non-filmmakers struggle with... imposter syndrome. We have talked about this on the show before but Michael brings another filmmaker's perspective. He tells us how it has affected him, his work, and what he has done to com…

1
Ep 133: Filmmakers Bernd Wittneben and Jörg Rochlitzer - Reveille 1:51:04

1y ago1:51:04

1:51:04

Joining us today are filmmakers Bernd Wittneben and Jörg Rochlitzer, who are both originally from Germany but now reside in Iowa. We go in depth about their feature film, Reveille, how they gathered some of the items used in the movie, and how they set out to differentiate it from other traditional war movies. Bernd explains to us why he prefers ma…

1
Ep 132: Iowa Based Filmmaker - JoJo Munkee - Don’t Hold Back and Don’t Compare 1:38:50

1y ago1:38:50

1:38:50

The multi-talented Iowa based filmmaker, JoJo Munkee, joins us on the show today. Most filmmakers in the Iowa film scene know or have heard of JoJo but you may learn something new about her as our topics range from belly dancing to sword balancing to Batman to wearing goat legs. How did she get involved with the Snake Alley Festival of Film and how…

1
Team Captain America Vs. Team Ironman - Roundtable 59:27

1+ y ago59:27

59:27

In this episode we tackle one of the hardest debates in the MCU - Are you Team Captain America or Team Ironman? I am joined by some amazing guests: Earth 894 Podcast, Team Unicorn Podcast, The Fan Club Podcast, and my better half Ashley. If you are enjoying the show - please leave us a rating on your preferred listening platform. Come follow us on …

1
Ep 131: Maverick Knox - Figure Out How to Do It 1:05:08

1+ y ago1:05:08

1:05:08

Nebraska based filmmaker, Maverick Knox, sits down with us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland. He tells us about attending film school in Arkansas, his film projects, his production studio, and what he does as an adjunct professor at Metropolitan Community College. Maverick is an experienced DIT. He tells us what that is and what the job entail…

1
Ep 130: Bits and Pieces with Bauston Van Sickle, Wayne D. Barrett, and Lonnie Appleby 2:25:59

1+ y ago2:25:59

2:25:59

The filmmaking team of Bauston Van Sickle, Wayne D. Barrett, and Lonnie Appleby who are behind the new feature film, Bits and Pieces, join us today on Cinematic Heartland. They walk us through their journeys from what got them interested in filmmaking to the production and animation programs at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to what they…

1
Ep 129: Iowa Filmmakers Matthew Tribble and Marc Bauer - Remote 1:04:27

1+ y ago1:04:27

1:04:27

Iowa filmmakers Matthew Tribble and Marc Bauer sit down with Kevin and Mike on this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. They pass along their experiences in film school and what they feel are the benefits and drawbacks of attending film school. They also tell us about their short film projects leading up to their soon-to-be-releas…

1
Fine Blueprints: Your'Duasha with the Desperate Attune Podcast 52:21

1+ y ago52:21

52:21

Today, we talk with members of the Desperate Attune actual play podcast about their adaptation of the U'Dudasha setting, an aspect of the Special Edition of Blades in the Dark. Tree and Prince talk about setting aspects they've added, excitement and critiques of the setting as written, and so on, as well as how they develop the limited setting into…

1
Ep 128: South Dakota Filmmaker Cassy Nixon - Don’t Quit on a Bad Day 1:35:37

1+ y ago1:35:37

1:35:37

Cassy Nixon returns to Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast to let us know how the Face of Horror competition went and she gives us updates on her projects, The Self Care Scaries and The Camping Trip, as well as her alter ego… Irene Dangles. She also offers her advice for any filmmakers looking to get into the horror genre and we talk about ma…

1
Ep 127: Filmmakers J Welin, George Buehler, Dashawn M. Kelly, and Jimmy Miller - Don’t Be Afraid to Suck Out Loud 1:47:19

1+ y ago1:47:19

1:47:19

We have a filmmaker full house on this edition of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. Mike was under the weather for the recording of this show, but I welcome J Welin, George Buehler, Dashawn M. Kelly, and Jimmy Miller who join the podcast from the state of Kentucky. This was a wild but fun conversation. They give us tips on working as a gro…

1
Ep 126: Michael Finney - How Can I Make Something Out of Nothing? 58:58

1+ y ago58:58

58:58

Michael Finney joins us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland. We talk about his music background, voiceover work, and his documentaries Exploring Our National Parks as well as Chicago 1893 which is available on Amazon. We discuss his upcoming projects and give a shoutout to the Indiana Filmmakers Network.…

1
Ep 125: Musician / Filmmaker Brett Droege - Rico's Pass 46:13

1+ y ago46:13

46:13

Nebraska based fellow musician / filmmaker Brett Droege joins us on this episode. We branch out a bit from filmmaking to talk music, music videos, writing horror books, as well as writing childrens books. He tells what his process is in preparing for and shooting a music video and he fills us in about his first full length heavy metal project Rico’…

1
Fine Blueprints: Cinematic Narration with Bump in the Dark 55:16

1+ y ago55:16

55:16

We're joined today by Jex to talk about their game, Bump in the Dark, and how using the cinematic techniques of film and TV can help add vibrancy to your game and bring players into the writer's room of story telling. We talk about some of the tools and terms of this style of story telling, including some of the downsides as well. You can find Bump…

1
Ep 124: Filmmaker Marissa Vonn - We Need More Movies from the Midwest 1:02:26

1+ y ago1:02:26

1:02:26

Filmmaker Marissa Vonn sits down with us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. Marissa is currently living in Los Angeles, but she is an Iowa native and quite frequently returns to the state to work on her films. Mike and I have heard so many great things about Marissa, but this is the first time that we have had the opportu…

1
Ep 123: Lea Donovan - Obtaining Rights, Clearing IP, Archive Footage, and Much More 1:57:01

1+ y ago1:57:01

1:57:01

Lea Donovan joins us today to discuss obtaining rights to material and clearing intellectual properties (IP) for creative projects, using archive footage, sponsorships, and using products in your films. She tells us about clearing 3rd party IP for the Apple TV series Bad Sisters and what that means exactly. How are the choices made in the use of ar…

1
Fine Blueprints: Playing with Fire with Mythopoeia 45:34

1+ y ago45:34

45:34

Today we're joined by Ray of Mythopoeia to talk about TTRPG publishing, including the risks brought about by the pandemic and economy. Ray also talks about how he teamed up with TTRPG author Fenix to publish The Wildsea, and where he's going next with Mythopoeia. You can find Mythopoeia's games and comics at https://www.mythopoeia.us/store/c1/myth-…

1
Ep 122: Dillon Jacobson- Iowa Based Filmmaker- It's Not the Brush, It’s the Painter 1:00:46

1+ y ago1:00:46

1:00:46

Dillon Jacobson, who is currently a student at the University of Iowa in their Cinematic Arts program, joins us this episode to talk about embarking upon his filmmaking journey. He tells us about his past projects starting with one film titled Psychics Class which was produced for the short film category of the Iowa High School Speech Association c…

1
Ep 121: Iowa Filmmaker Rob Merritt Talks Collaboration and Quotes Shia LaBeouf 2:14:03

1+ y ago2:14:03

2:14:03

Mike and I welcome Iowa filmmaker Rob Merritt to this episode of Cinematic Heartland. From stage to screen, in front of the camera and behind, Rob has brought his talent to a multitude of different projects. He tells us about his experiences while studying acting at the University of Iowa, his viral parody video, This Year is a Dumpster Fire, which…

1
Fine Blueprints: Keeping Blades Fresh Roundtable 48:16

1+ y ago48:16

48:16

Continuing off last episode's discussion of Blades modules, we invite some of our most experienced Blades in the Dark GMs for a roundtable discussion about GMing and creating community content. We're trying out a new way to do an intro, so let us know what you think!By Fine Blueprints

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Ep 120: Minnesota Filmmaker Zach Hammill - Don't Stew, Just Do 1:39:05

1+ y ago1:39:05

1:39:05

Minnesota native, Zach Hammill sits down with us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast to discuss his experience at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, his screenwriting process, how he got into film editing, and other services he offers. He tells us about embarking upon his first feature film project which…

1
Mr. Marvel's Minutes Is Back In Action 8:51

1+ y ago8:51

8:51

A quick announcement that I am back in full swing - along with my Wakanda Forever Prediction (probably a spoiler)! Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out on any episode! If you are enjoying the show - please leave us a rating on your preferred listening platform. Come follow us on social media so you can stay up to date with what we have goi…

1
Ep 119: Writer / Director Lauren Barker - Where You Are Isn’t as Important as What You Do 1:00:25

1+ y ago1:00:25

1:00:25

Writer / Director Lauren Barker joins us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. We talk about the Vancouver Film School Screenwriting Program, her feature film called Cohabitation, her distribution deal with Indie Rights, and how she works with the director of photography on her films as well as the editor. She also tells us …

1
Fine Blueprints: Time Together with Doskvol Breathes 50:19

1+ y ago50:19

50:19

Today, Sam joins us to talk about his Blades in the Dark supplement, Doskvol Breaths, a series of vignettes to replace downtime actions. We also talk about designing Downtime in your game, even if your game doesn't formalize it like Blades does, as well as how to incorporate Firebrands-style vignettes into your game (for downtime or otherwise). Sam…

1
Ep 118: Wisconsin Filmmaker Josh Hughes - Take a Chance 1:13:19

1+ y ago1:13:19

1:13:19

On this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast, Josh Hughes, a filmmaker from Waukesha, Wisconsin joins us to discuss his filmmaking journey which includes adapting a Stephen King short story while attending college at University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, working on the sidelines at the Super Bowl which led to working on the Tony Awards…

1
Ep 117: The Submerge Universe with Demetrius Witherspoon 1:23:36

1+ y ago1:23:36

1:23:36

We welcome Indiana filmmaker Demetrius Witherspoon to Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. We deep dive into the Submerge Universe which is the science fiction franchise that he built from the ground up. He explains what transmedia is and how he uses it to build his franchise which includes films, an animated series, trading cards, action fig…

1
Ep 116: Jesse Eastman and Chance Guida - Nervous Records: The Series 1:02:31

1+ y ago1:02:31

1:02:31

Nebraska filmmakers Jesse Eastman and Chance Guida join us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland. We discuss how they started working together, their filmmaking journeys, and their latest projects like Nervous Records: The Series. How do they handle continuity when shooting primarily on weekends and what advice do they have for other Heartland fil…

1
Fine Blueprints: Mars Attacks with As The Sun Forever Sets 40:36

1+ y ago40:36

40:36

We are joined today by none other than one of the Fiction First network's members, Riley, to talk about their game, As The Sun Forever Sets, a game of survival against Martian invaders in Victorian England, inspired by War of the Worlds. We also talk about the themes of Survival and how Riley's changes to the rules emphasize the tone. It's a game w…

1
Ep 115: Nebraska Filmmaker Brandon Fiscus - For the Love of Poe 1:12:36

1+ y ago1:12:36

1:12:36

His son Landon was a previous guest on the show, and now Nebraska filmmaker Brandon Fiscus sits down with us on Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. We discuss how watching special effects in films ignited his love of filmmaking, the influence Edgar Allen Poe has had on his family, and a little bit about his aptly named companies Nevermore Sp…

1
Ep 114: South Dakota Filmmaker Casey Kelderman - SiouxperCon 50:40

1+ y ago50:40

50:40

Casey Kelderman joins us from Sioux Falls, SD on this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast to discuss not only what he has been up to since Backlot 605 left the internet airwaves, but also SiouxperCon which sounds like an absolutely amazing event. Celebrities, cosplay, and great films. What more could you ask for? SiouxperCon starts…

1
Fine Blueprints: Adaptation with Idiot Teenagers With A Deathwish 37:21

1+ y ago37:21

37:21

Today, Justin and Nychelle are joined by Danielle to talk about their Animorphs game, Idiot Teenagers With A Deathwish. She talks about what inspired her to make a game based on the Animorphs series, and how she shapes the core themes and powers into the Forged in the Dark system. We also discuss adapting your favorite media property to RPGs with s…

1
Ep 113: Iowa Filmmaker Matty Weiland - From Bugsy Malone Jr to The Dead Man Walking 1:08:53

1+ y ago1:08:53

1:08:53

Matty Weiland, a filmmaker from Dubuque, Iowa, joins us on this episode of Cinematic Heartland: A Filmmaking Podcast. They talk about their acting journey from a role they reluctantly auditioned for and got in a stage production of Bugsy Malone Jr to their latest film role in Michael James Minard’s The Dead Man Walking. We also talk about Matty’s d…

1
Ep 112: Imposter Syndrome 43:08

1+ y ago43:08

43:08

On today's show, we talk about imposter syndrome. Is it a real thing? Have we experienced it? How do we combat it? We are not health care professionals by any means. We are just a couple of filmmakers who are going through the same struggles that many of you are and we talk about them here. As mentioned in this episode here is the link to the Until…

1
Fine Blueprints: Minutes to Midnight and Intergalactic Kammerjager 41:18

1+ y ago41:18

41:18

Today, Oliver joins us to discuss his games Minutes to Midnight and Intergalactic Kammerjager. We talk about the mechanics that make IGK a comedy TV-show game, and the spy-thriller side of Minutes to Midnight. We also talk about games of alternate history with some very helpful advice for designing them! You can find Oliver's games at https://soliv…

1
Ep 111: North Iowa Actor Mary Rohne - Follow Your Own Star 56:30

1+ y ago56:30

56:30

Mary Rohne from Mason City, Iowa joins us on Cinematic Heartland today. We talk about her journey as an actor from children’s theater to early films where she played a Dorito Ghost to her latest role as Virginia in the I Like Ike Films production Pre-Existing. We also touch upon her incredible performance in the two-hander play by Nick Payne called…

1
Ep 110: Filmmaker John Gaspard – Leave Your Car Keys in the Refrigerator 1:08:21

1+ y ago1:08:21

1:08:21

John Gaspard who is a Minneapolis, MN filmmaker joins us on the show today. Once we get past discussing Kubrick, Carpenter, and the movie Dark Star, we talk about his filmmaking journey, some of his feature films including Beyond Bob and Ghost Light, the Minneapolis film scene, and the book on filmmaking that he wrote called Fast, Cheap and Under C…

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Ep 109: Michael James Minard - The Dead Man Walking 1:21:59

1+ y ago1:21:59

1:21:59

Iowa filmmaker, Michael James Minard joins Cinematic Heartland to update us on his latest feature film project, The Dead Man Walking. We got to see some preview clips and all we can say is simply amazing. Michael is claiming his corner of the film world with his unique voice and extraordinary vision. Michael tells us about some of the cast and crew…

1
Fine Blueprints Introduction 4:19

1+ y ago4:19

4:19

We're back, with a new name and a new network! Welcome to Fine Blueprints, a part of the Fiction First network. We all wanted to re-introduce ourselves! Follow our new Twitter! https://twitter.com/FictionfirstNet Nychelle: https://mistletoe-kiss.itch.io/ | https://www.voidalspace.com/ Adam: https://boocherry.itch.io/ | https://twitter.com/AdamBucce…

1
Fine Blueprints: Undead Awakening and Glamour of our Youth 28:53

1+ y ago28:53

28:53

In the first episode of Fine Blueprints, we change things up already! Today, host Justin is joined by two designers: Cass of Undead Awakening and Yuri of Glamour of our Youth. Both are very different games about the similar themes of monstrous and chaotic protagonists: Zombies and Teens. We talk about how similar inspirations and goals can cause tw…

1
Ep 108: Jake Ryan Baker - The Love of Films and Filmmaking 1:48:37

1+ y ago1:48:37

1:48:37

Filmmaker Jake Ryan Baker from Fort Wayne, Indiana joins Cinematic Heartland today. Jake’s passion for films and filmmaking shines brightly throughout this entire episode. We talk about the film and theater scene in Fort Wayne, tax incentives or the lack thereof, the short films that he has worked on, the casting process, the writing process, the i…

1
Ep 107: Josh Scott Sibley - Not Bad for a Filmmaker 52:28

1+ y ago52:28

52:28

The Twin Cities are a hot spot in the Midwest for filmmaking and the home of many talented filmmakers. Our guest this week on Cinematic Heartland, Josh Scott Sibley, is another prime example of that. His journey started, as it does for many of us, with the original Star Wars. He tells us about his new short film to be released soon, The Wraith, whi…

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