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PODCAST

Mischief and Mastery

Creativity isn’t tidy—it’s risky, chaotic, and full of surprises. It’s full of breakthroughs and breakdowns, moments of flow and moments of doubt. Join Mishu Hilmy for unfiltered conversations with artists, filmmakers, musicians, and fearless makers who thrive in the unknown, embrace imperfection, and create at the edge of possibility. This is your front row seat to the self-doubt, unexpected wins, and messy emotional work of making something real. But craft isn’t just about feeling—it’s about

education film interviews

All Episodes

55:30

A Practice Beyond Permission | Brynley Halverson on...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/12/09

In this episode, Mishu sits down with actor and writer Brynley Halverson to talk about the strange, liberating year where acting work slowed down and the writing door swung wide open. They get into what it means to build a creative life that isn’t dependent on being chosen, why co-writing has become an unexpected artistic home, and how having a permissionless outlet can quiet the old scarcity mindset.Brynley is a Chicago-based nonbinary transfemme performer, writer and theatre maker whose

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48:34

Let the Music Lead | Yuxin Lu on Emotional Scores,...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/12/04

In this episode, Mishu sits down with Chicago-based composer and sound designer Yuxin Lu to talk about slowing down, trusting your musical instincts, and finding your voice between two sonic worlds. They get into what happens when the work goes quiet for a while, how spotting a feature film changes the way you see structure, and why Yuxin refuses to fake a genre they can’t stand behind.Yuxin blends intimate piano work, synth-forward energy, and a cross-cultural musical language shaped by

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8:23

Mischief and Mastery Minisode | When In Doubt, Read:...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/12/02

In this short post-holiday episode, Mishu quickly walks through thirteen books that have shaped their artistic life. These are the ones they reread, return to, steal from, and lean on when the world feels loud or the industry feels shaky.Creative Practice & Inner LifeNonviolent Communication — Marshall RosenbergThe War of Art — Steven PressfieldThe Artist’s Way — Julia CameronThe Art of Living — Epictetus (interpreted by Sharon Lebell)Tao Te Ching — translated by Stephen

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57:20

Leave Before You Break | Dashawna Wright on Burnout,...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/11/25

In this episode, Mishu sits down with filmmaker and producer Dashawna Wright, founder of Choppe Productions, to talk about the quiet heartbreaks and necessary resets that come with a creative life. From the burnout that pushed her to leave Chicago to the disorienting honesty of starting over in LA, Dashawna opens up about momentum crashes, the pressure to make film your everything, and the relief of finally giving herself permission to have a life outside the grind. Dashawna is an

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56:47

When the Room Comes Alive | Jordan Gleaves on Craft,...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/11/18

In this episode, Mishu sits down with actor and playwright Jordan Gleaves to talk about the jolt of performing in front of a live audience, the intimacy of forgetting a line onstage, and the focus behind keeping a theater career alive in a city that will happily eat your free time. They get into Jordan’s balancing act between stage work, new play development, and sharpening his on-camera instincts—while staying anchored in why he returns to the theater again and again.Jordan’s stage

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53:20

Being Yourself Is a Muscle | Ilse Zacharias Rivera on...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/11/11

In this episode, Mishu sits down with actor, writer, comedian, and filmmaker Ilse Zacharias Rivera to talk about what it means to create your own permission slip. They dig into how her new podcast Ilse Will Say became acts of self-definition—and how podcasting, performance, and filmmaking all feed the same muscle of showing up as yourself.They talk about learning to trust your collaborators, what happens when you stop overthinking and start doing, and how to find joy (and sanity) in a

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59:03

The Sight Unseen | Shawn Antoine II on Family, Faith,...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/11/04

In this episode, Mishu sits down with documentary and experimental filmmaker Shawn Antoine II to talk about honoring family memory through film, the ethics of reconstruction, and how to tell stories when the archive runs out. They unpack Shawn’s hybrid documentary The Sight Unseen—a film inspired by a miraculous 1971 event in the Bronx—and how his search through the Schomburg Center for a single lost article turned into a meditation on faith, legacy, and truth.Shawn shares how he blends

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60:38

Curiosity Over Control | Jack C. Newell on Chicago...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/10/28

In this episode, Mishu sits down with filmmaker and public artist Jack C. Newell to talk about creative longevity, balancing fiction and documentary work, and the myth of having a master plan. Jack shares how “scarcity in Chicago” taught him to say yes to opportunities outside a niche, why rest is as essential as work, and how curiosity—not certainty—has shaped his body of work across genres.🎬 Jack C. Newell is a writer, director, producer, actor, and public artist whose films include

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60:21

After the Burnout | Demma Strausbaugh on Creative...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/10/21

In this episode, Mishu sits down with Chicago-based writer/director and producer Demma Strausbaugh to talk about the tension between creative drive and creative fatigue. They unpack the push and pull of wearing too many hats, the hard truths about indie filmmaking as a “rich person’s game,” and why Demma’s determined to create her own intentionality anyway.🎬 Demma Strausbaugh has produced multiple short films, a music video, and a commercial, and directed two shorts of her own. She’s

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53:45

Joy Is the Point | Edwina Luokkala-Burckhardt on...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/10/14

In this episode, Mishu sits down with Chicago-based actor, singer, and dancer Edwina Luokkola Burckhardt to talk about finding creative freedom after the rigidity of musical theatre. From the pandemic pause to co-writing and starring in Roller Babiez, Edwina opens up about rediscovering her voice, learning to build art from the ground up, and the joy of collaboration that keeps her motivated.🎬 Edwina Burckhardt holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and has performed in productions including

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61:02

The Story That Wouldn’t Let Her Go | Sanicole Young...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/10/07

In this episode, Mishu sits down with writer and director Sanicole Young to talk about what it means when an idea won’t leave you alone. They chat the discomfort of filmmaking—the stress, the pivoting, the grind—and the joy that keeps you coming back anyway. From battling production hurdles to learning when to listen to the idea that wakes you up at 3 a.m., Sanicole shares how she stays anchored in purpose even when the work feels impossible.🎥 Sandrel “Sanicole” Young is an independent

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61:58

Three Jobs in One Body | Lillian Frances on Pop...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/09/30

In this episode, Mishu sits down with indie pop artist and producer Lillian Frances to talk about the pendulum swing between hyper-focus and creative burnout, what Burning Man taught her about play, and the practical ways she’s learning to sustain both her art and her business. From teaching music production to self-releasing textured, bilingual dream-pop, Lillian opens up about the challenge of being a “sonic collager” while also running three full-time jobs in one body.🎶 Lillian Frances

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52:52

Finish the Film (Even With a Hamster in Your Head) |...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/09/23

In this episode, Mishu sits down with Chicago filmmaker Jerry S. Gonzalez to talk about sticking with your strangest ideas, finding validation after quiet festival runs, and the discipline of just getting projects across the finish line. They unpack the lessons of shorts like Intergalactic PizzaBoy and The Spaghetti Man, the freedom (and limits) of DIY VFX, and how letting go in post-production can open the door to real collaboration.🎬 Jerry is the director of award-winning shorts

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62:13

At Depth, the Good Stuff Happens | Tony Scott-Green...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/09/16

In this episode, Mishu sits down with composer and educator Tony Scott-Green to talk about how music moves with people, the discipline of organizing your creative time, and what it means to truly listen in an era of constant background noise. From scoring films that have played Cannes to teaching “Music, Time, and Place” at Columbia College, Tony reflects on the interconnectedness of sound, the influence of migration (whether human or digital), and the tension between convenience and depth

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58:05

The Spite Project That Sparked a Feature | Daisy...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/09/09

In this episode, Mishu sits down with Daisy Allen—writer, performer, and co-screenwriter of the queer stoner comedy Roller Babiez—to talk about what happens when you let an idea spiral into a feature, why sometimes spite is the best creative fuel, and how collaboration inside a close-knit community shapes both process and play.Daisy is a Detroit-born, Chicago-based artist whose work blends comedy, visual experimentation, and original storytelling. She co-wrote and stars in Roller Babies

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59:57

Fail Fast, Dream Big | Erica Duffy on Reinvention,...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/09/02

In this episode, Mishu sits down with Erica Duffy—founder of Camera Ambassador and longtime champion of Chicago’s film community—to talk about taking leaps before you’re ready, why “fail fast” has become her north star, and the power of designing spaces that spark collaboration. They get into Erica’s intuitive decision-making process (including the literal dream that sparked her company’s new CineCity Studios HQ), her five years steering the Midwest Film Festival, and how she’s using

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60:27

Finishing Strong | C. Ryan Stemple on Post, Pivots,...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/08/26

In this episode, Mishu sits down with colorist, editor, and producer C. Ryan Stemple, CSI to talk about why finishing is its own art form—and why post-production might be the most adaptable corner of the industry right now. They dig into pivoting through strikes and slowdowns, how machine learning is quietly reshaping drudgery work, and why Ryan is committed to building a Midwest hub for finishing, teaching, and producing under one roof.Ryan Stemple has graded over 50 features and countless

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60:05

Let Go of the Frame | Isaac Izzy White on...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/08/19

Mishu sits down with award-winning Director of Photography Isaac Izzy White to talk about the momentum crash after a high-output year, learning to scale creative ambition, and the quiet clarity that comes from building things with friends. They unpack how Izzy pivoted from monthly to quarterly filmmaking, why directing and shooting your own project might not always be the best idea, and what happened when a student film idea got a second life and a 20-person set.Isaac has shot music videos

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60:34

The Project That Broke Her Heart | Emily Lape on...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/08/12

Mishu sits down with writer, director, actor, and artist Emily Lape to talk about what happens when a project breaks your heart—and how to find your creative footing again. They unpack how Emily's songwriting, painting, and acting re-lit the pilot light after her feature Abiquiú stalled in pre-production due to the SAG strike, and what it takes to hold onto a story that still wants to be told.Emily Lape is an award-winning filmmaker and performer whose debut feature Mercy’s Girl is

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61:30

Get Good on Your Own Terms | Rob Spera on Reps,...

Mischief and Mastery ·

2025/08/05

In this episode, Mishu sits down with director, writer, and educator Rob Spera, whose decades-long career spans feature films, cult classics, network television, and theater. They talk about staying connected to your purpose, cultivating a habit of experimentation, and the self-directed discipline that lets you keep growing—no matter where you are in your career.🎬 Rob Spera’s feature films include The Sweet Life, Fathers and Sons, and the cult classic Leprechaun in the Hood. He’s directed

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