In this high-energy episode of the Until You Make It Podcast, Chris and Mike sit down with Vinnie Arizzo and Jesse Shea, the creative powerhouses behind New Jersey’s own Syndicate Film School. Fresh off a major production, the crew dives into the messy reality of producing high-stakes projects on impossible timelines—most notably their recent "against-all-odds" music video shoot for the All-American Rejects.

The conversation moves from the logistical chaos of building seven sets in a single week to a deep philosophical debate on the creative process. Vinnie offers a controversial take on why burnout is a necessary form of self-discovery, while Jesse breaks down the delicate balance of maintaining a "creative brain" while managing the heavy logistics of a production house. Whether you are an aspiring filmmaker or an established pro, this episode is a masterclass in the "dojo" mentality of the modern film industry.

What You’ll Discover:

• The "Impossible" Rejects Shoot: How Vinnie and Jesse pulled off a massive All-American Rejects music video after multiple production houses turned it down as "impossible".
• The Philosophy of Burnout: Vinnie Rizzo explains why hitting your absolute limit is the best tool for professional self-discovery and growth.
• Scaling via the 80% Rule: Why delegating to someone who can do the job "80% as well as you" is the secret to moving from a solo freelancer to a production studio.
• The Industry "Slop" Problem: A deep-dive rant into why modern streaming shows are losing their "essence" through lazy lighting and over-reliance on shallow depth-of-field.
• Saving the Movie Theater: Michael pitches a new "Cinema Cut" strategy to incentivize audiences to leave their couches and return to the big screen.
• Syndicate’s "Dojo" Training: How Syndicate Film School uses a belt-ranking system to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world set experience.
• The AI Humanity Debate: Why using AI in final creative products can "taint" a project and how to protect the integrity of the creative team.

Episode Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:04:12 – Our Texpo "Dinky Booth"

00:30:15 – Training the next generation at Syndicate Film School

01:04:18 – Producing the All-American Rejects "Get This" video

01:21:40 – Why AI is ruining the "soul" of filmmaking

01:31:34 – Vinnie Rizzo on the necessity of Burnout

01:40:26 – How to delegate and the 80% Rule

01:53:15 – Rant: The "Hollywood Slop" epidemic

02:01:45 – Michael’s plan to fix movie theater

In this special holiday episode of Until You Make It, Chris and Mike gather with longtime friend and visual effects artist Ryan Laux for a look back at a transformative year and a look forward into the creative landscape of 2026. From Ryan’s move to full-time freelance in Los Angeles to his strategic "rise" on social media, the crew explores the delicate balance between professional polish and the "scrappy" authenticity that actually drives engagement in the creator economy.

The conversation shifts from the technical to the theatrical as Chris recounts his first true Broadway experience seeing Wicked in New York, sparking a deep dive into the differences between stage spectacle and cinematic storytelling. The guys also tackle the "dumbed down" state of modern streaming, questioning if shows are now being written specifically for distracted viewers on their phones, favoring repetitive dialogue and shallow focus over nuanced "show, don't tell" artistry.

Whether it’s debating if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, pitching a Brendan Fraser-led "Christmas Planet" sci-fi epic, or critiquing the AI-generated "munchkins" at the Las Vegas Sphere, this episode is a blend of high-level industry insight and casual holiday shop talk.

• The Power of "Scrappy" Content: Why Ryan shifted from perfectionism to TikTok-style tutorials—and how it led to a 50,000-view spike and new client leads.

• The 2026 Freelance Blueprint: Ryan shares the realities of his first full year of independent work and the transition from studio roles to the creator economy.

• Wicked on Stage vs. Screen: A breakdown of vocal performances, character framing, and why some creatives struggle with the "campy" nature of musical theater.

• The "Distraction" Epidemic in Media: How modern cinematography and writing are evolving to accommodate viewers who are multi-tasking on mobile devices.

• AI and the Las Vegas Sphere: Ryan’s firsthand account of watching the Wizard of Oz enhanced by AI and rebuilt CG sets—and where the technology fell short.

• Defining a "Christmas Movie": The crew sets strict (and not-so-strict) criteria for what qualifies as a holiday classic.

• 2026 Creative Goals: From finishing "the movie" by NAB to finding a better balance between business growth and personal health.

If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by perfectionism or wondered where the line is between "content" and "art," this episode offers a transparent look at making it in the modern visual industry.

What happens when creative grit meets a shifting digital world? In this episode of _Until You Make It, Chris and Mike sit down with illustrator and character designer Keith Glidewell to explore the real-life evolution of an artist—pivoting majors in college, discovering a voice through compulsive sketching, becoming a stay-at-home dad, and finding the fire that pushed him into professional illustration. From Instagram-driven work and band art to producing animated shorts for Cat-e-Corner, Keith shares how life, family, and discipline completely reshaped his career path.

As the conversation deepens, the crew unpacks the state of modern creativity: the rise of AI art, what it steals, what it enables, and what it risks. They dissect client expectations, the temptation of shortcuts, whether “prompt artists” count as artists, and how much of the future belongs to genuine human collaboration. It’s honest, funny, vulnerable, and full of the kind of creative shop talk most people never get to hear.

Whether you're figuring out your own artistic path, wrestling with AI fatigue, or just here to laugh at raccoon-infested punk demos and parenting revelations, this one goes deep.

What You’ll Discover:

• How a single life pivot pushed Keith to fully commit to art
• Why daily discipline matters more than “talent” in illustration and animation
• How Instagram became Keith’s main driver for paid creative work
• The inside story behind the Cat-e-Corner animated world and Keith’s role in shaping it
• Why AI art divides creatives—and where it actually fits as a tool
• The hidden emotional cost of giving up on your dreams for stability
• How family, identity, and creative purpose overlap in unexpected ways

If you care about making things—honestly, imperfectly, and with as much humanity as possible—this episode cuts right to the heart of the creative process

00:00 - Catching up 01:52 - We suck at sports 04:15 - Other life updates 14:41 - Who's our guest? 17:44 - Keith's life updates! 20:33 - Keith's incredible illustration work 34:30 - What is Ditz and Bug Rock? 39:23 - Cat-e-Corner (Animated Shorts) 45:47 - Is AI killing collaboration? 01:12:42 - Does having a family impact your art? 01:19:43 - Sleep schedule nightmares 01:23:21 - Indie film vs Indie animation 01:33:56 - Camera nerd talk 01:37:37 - Mike's new "Fig Rig" camera system 01:48:33 - Surviving as a creative 01:59:06 - Voice Acting 02:01:12 - GAME TIME