Filmmaking Confidential – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this special episode of Filmmaking Confidential, Steve Balderson sits down with actress Greta Nilsen, who stars as Sheba in his new feature film BRAINSTARE.  What begins as a conversation about Scandinavian roots, acting technique, and the challenges of performing Joseph Suglia’s dense, cerebral script slowly unravels into something stranger — and far more revealing.

Greta discusses artistic intuition, emotional architecture, digital memory, and the surprising limitations she had to overcome to bring Sheba to life.

This is not your typical actor interview… and Greta is not your typical actress.

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Today's special guest is Connirae Andreas, PhD.  Learning (and experiencing) her "Core Transformation" and "Wholeness Work" have helped me navigate every aspect of my filmmaking journey from script to production to the big screen and beyond.  

On November 4, 2025, Connirae will be hosting a LIVE online training of The Wholeness Work.  To register, and I passionately recommend it to anyone and everyone, visit:
https://www.andreasnlp.com/trainings/the-wholeness-work/live-online/level-i/

Connirae has been an innovative leader, teacher, and author in the field of personal development and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) for over 4 decades. Connirae and her late husband Steve Andreas were early developers of NLP and wrote and edited many of the first NLP books and training materials, helping to bring NLP into the mainstream.

She is best known for creating Core Transformation, a groundbreaking method that turns our limitations into a doorway to experiences many describe as "love", "peace", "presence", or "oneness". Her most recent work, The Wholeness Work, offers a gentle yet precise way to dissolve stress and ego-based patterns, resolving life challenges and opening the door to deep emotional healing. Connirae’s discoveries were shaped both by a life-changing encounter with Dr. Milton Erickson in 1979 and by her own multi-year health crisis, which led her to explore the teachings of Indian sage Ramana Maharshi and uncover a profound path to healing and awakening.

For more information, visit:
https://www.thewholenesswork.org/
https://www.andreasnlp.com/trainings/the-wholeness-work/

I hope you enjoy this Special Bonus episode.

Cheers!

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Clara Ritger grew up in the small town of Huntington Beach, California, where she learned what real Mexican food tastes like and how to cut the line at Disneyland. At the ripe old age of two she ran as far ahead of her parents as her child leash would take her on the Yosemite trails to ask random strangers questions about why they were hiking and if they would be her friend. Since then, she has continued to ask why but usually refrains from asking subjects during interviews if they want to be her friend.

She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Film, Television and Theatre in May 2013. She also has a minor in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, because why do college if you can’t do it all?

Clara is a freelance video director and producer based in New York, NY. She works across mediums in digital, TV and film, and has recently worked with NBC News, the Wall Street Journal and PBS. Her curiosity about the world has led her to tell stories across industries, including finance, health, food, travel, fashion, and the environment. She partners with media companies, brands, and nonprofits to create emotional, shareable stories.

Prior to moving to NYC, Clara was based in the Washington, D.C. area as a Producer at Green Buzz Agency, where she created documentary style videos for major brands and nonprofits, including Upworthy and Make-A-Wish. She has also written and/or done multimedia work for National Journal, The Indianapolis Star, USA Today, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Patriot-News, Morning Call, Capitolwire, Northern Virginia Magazine, 88.1 WVPE NPR, the Reno Gazette-Journal, NDtv News and the oldest collegiate publication in the United States, Scholastic magazine.

Clara really likes coffee, and once bought everything on the menu at Starbucks because she had extra monopoly money at school and wanted to find out what her favorite drink actually was. It cost her $134.80. She also enjoys cooking and a good book. She is not one of those freak people who enjoys running, but she does it anyway, because it is good for you, or something like that. Her middle name is Lucille, which invariably comes up in conversation, so now you know.

Clara does not feel that autobiographies – especially at her age – should be taken seriously.

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John Gaspard is author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as four other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles," "A Christmas Carl," "The Sword & Mr. Stone" and "The Ripperologists." He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond.  In real life, John’s not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that’s no small trick. He’s also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they’ve made more than the films. Those books ("Fast, Cheap and Under Control" and "Fast, Cheap and Written That Way") are available in eBook, Paperback and audiobook formats.

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Austin Young is from Reno, Nevada and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. The foundation of his career is from studying at Parsons in Paris. Early in his career, Austin transferred his interests from traditional portrait painting towards a long celebrated career in portrait photography. In many ways, Austin is more accurately described as an image-maker: his projects illustrate the sublime qualities of character that make celebrated people unique. Based on a nuanced visual language of pop-culture iconography, his trademark style and techniques have captured a broad palette of musicians, artists and celebrities including Debbie Harry, Leigh Bowery and Margaret Cho, among others. In multiple bodies of work, Austin confuses personality and identity issues in confrontational and unapologetic image making about people who often split gender roles, stereotypical constraints and socially-constructed identities.

Austin is co-founder and artist of Fallen Fruit, artist duo Austin Young and David Allen Burns, a contemporary art collective that uses fruit as a material for projects that investigate the hyper- qualities of collaboration. 

“Austin Young reconstructs tropes of pop art and pop culture into alarmingly brilliant new icons” - Shana Nys Drambot

"Working with Austin Young is like being alone in a room with a spirit who wants to meet you. He is not interested in your mortality: he is interested in your immortality. [...] He reminds me of the great Hollywood portrait photographers from another era, of George Hurrell, in particular, who was interested in the painting, not the snapshot. There is always a place for the secular in journalism. Thankfully that place will not be in Mr. Young's studio." - Diamanda Galás

"Austin Young is the best artist working in photography today. His work captures beauty at its most vital, carnal, visceral, alive! His exuberant intensity is matched by his innate sense of balance and upmost respect for glamour, in all of its many decent and indecent forms. His work will be seen as important historical reference for our times, and his name will be legend." - Margaret Cho

"Austin's images are, like me, the best of both worlds. Flawless and perfect, they are dreamily artificial -- while somehow simultaneously remaining organic, genuine and very real." - Jackie Beat

“I was beyond thrilled when Austin Young expressed interest in photographing Peaches Christ, not only because I knew Austin would create a gorgeously iconic Peaches image (which he did) but because it meant I’d be included in a brilliant body of work I’ve admired for years. Austin Young’s subjects are my idols and his portraits pay glamorous tribute to the often over-looked world of dark divas, drag superstars, and underground film icons." - Peaches Christ

“I’m pretty unabashed in my enthusiasm for Austin Young’s work. I think he’s the most original photographer to emerge in America since David LaChapelle.” -Richard Metzger 

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Felix Jones is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and a Magician Member of the Academy of Magical Arts and a regular performer in the Magic Castle showrooms in Hollywood, California, where he performs his acclaimed comedy magic and mind-reading show.  Felix has been a featured performer at Jeff McBride's Wonderground and MINDvention.  His many corporate clients include Amazon, Pratham USA, Talego Country Club, 21st Century Experience, John Hancock Investment, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.  Felix unlocks everyone's inner magical self in his fast-paced, funny, and mystifying show that will leave you wondering "how did he do that?"

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Kristian Hoffman ran away from his boyhood home in Santa Barbara, California, to New York City where he and his high school friend, Lance Loud, formed a band called The Mumps. This was quite soon after both had made dramatic appearances in what is now known as the first reality TV series: PBS' award winning "An American Family".

Flourishing in the New York club scene in the late '70s, Lance and Kristian became obsessed with the New York Dolls and lead to Kristian drawing the infamous "Bendover Girl" which was included as an insert in the Doll's first LP.

While still performing as Mumps, Lance and Kristian subsequently appeared in a show called "New Wave Vaudeville" , produced by Ann Magnuson, who was to prove a life-long collaborator with Kristian. Thus they met met the headliner Klaus Nomi, the eccentric legendary German counter-tenor mutant glam virtuoso visionary.  Kristian approached Klaus Nomi about forming a band. Kristian's collaboration with Klaus included writing several songs for him, including "Total Eclipse."

Kristian made his mark on rock and roll history as the first musical director for chamber pop singer Rufus Wainwright's touring band, has played keyboards and written songs for the atmospheric torch band Congo Norvell, has produced, toured with, and written songs for punk/cabaret singer Abby Travis, toured and recorded as keyboardist for El Vez, the Mexican Elvis all over the U.S., and toured for five years with and played on several albums with Kinks founder and lead guitarist Dave Davies. 

Kristian's third solo album, called & because it consists mainly of duets with other musicians (including Russell Mael of Sparks, Rufus Wainwright, Maria McKee, El Vez, Paul Reubens, Anna Waronker, Lydia Lunch, Stew, and Ann Magnuson), was released to great critical acclaim. "Uncut" Magazine called it a "spectacular, operatic art rock power-pop album." Aquarian Weekly called it a "flawlessly crafted, ornately embellished pop opera," and the L.A. Weekly said "& is the record that every fan of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Kinks and great songcraft in general has been pining for. Frighteningly Excellent!"

As for where this multifaceted singer/songwriter, musician, poet and artist will be headed next, it's a safe prediction that he has a surprise or two in store.

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Iris Berry is the co-founder of Punk Hostage Press.  She is the author and editor of several books and has a vast fan base for her unique voice and formidable writing style. She’s an L.A. Pop culture historian, actress, and musician. She’s appeared in numerous films, TV commercials, documentaries, and iconic rock videos.

In the 1980s & 90s, she sang, performed, wrote songs and recorded with the Lame Flames, the Ringling Sisters, the Dickies, the Flesh Eaters, and Pink Sabbath. She served four years on the Board of Directors for Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center. In 2009 she received her 2nd Certificate of Merit Award from the city of Los Angeles for her contribution as a Los Angeles writer, and for her extensive charity work. Iris continues to champion and advocate for original voices.

Books by Iris Berry: All That Shines Under The Hollywood Sign and The Daughters of Bastards and The Trouble with Palm Trees

“There are far too few writers today who write from the heart about the damned. Far too few who let lost souls scream from the page once more. Iris Berry is one of these writers. Her words are haunting and her imagery cinematic. Iris Berry is a straight Razor wrapped in a garter belt. She leaves nothing but her blood on the page." - Edaurdo Jones

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JAMES OSELAND travels extensively in search of the world’s best restaurants, street food stalls, markets, and home cooks. Long before he was a judge on Top Chef Masters, he was a teenage rebel growing up in the pre–Silicon Valley, California, suburbs, yearning for a taste of something wild. His remarkable memoir Jimmy Neurosis captures the quest that led him from the mosh pits of San Francisco to the pop world of Andy Warhol’s Manhattan.

He is most recently the author and editor of World Food: Mexico City and World Food: Paris, part of World Food, a new book series from Ten Speed Press. He was the editor-in-chief for nine years of Saveur, America’s most acclaimed food magazine, where his work garnered many accolades, including seven James Beard Awards and three awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors. His cookbook Cradle of Flavor was named one of the best books of 2006 by the New York Times and Good Morning America. Additionally, James’s writing has appeared in Gourmet, Vogue, Food and Wine, and the Wall Street Journal, where he writes the “Cook’s Playbook” column. He has appeared on Celebrity Apprentice, the Today Show, Iron Chef America, and was a permanent judge on all five seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters. James is a popular cooking teacher and has taught at the Institute for Culinary Education, the New School, and New York City’s Natural Gourmet. He has lectured at culinary institutes and food societies around the world; in 2011, he delivered the keynote speech for the International Food Bloggers Conference. In 2013, he starred as himself in a series of Wendy’s commercials. He has lived in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and India, and now calls Mexico City home.

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Peaches Christ (aka Joshua Grannell) is a filmmaker and cult leader living in San Francisco. Her infamous movie events at the Castro Theatre regularly draw over 1,000 attendees to each new production before they tour. Events have featured special guest stars John Waters, Cloris Leachman, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Linda Blair, Bruce Campbell, Apollonia, Barry Bostwick, Pam Grier, and more. Peaches is the alter- ego of Joshua Grannell, the writer and director of the feature film All About Evil. The award-winning dark comedy gore film stars Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Dekker, Cassandra Peterson, Mink Stole, and Peaches Christ herself. Peaches Christ has been featured in the films Milk, I Am Divine, Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Mansfield 66/67, Tura!, Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street, You Don’t Nomi, and more.

All About Evil is a wild ride that’s as horrific as it is hilarious. It’s been called “a riotous experience” (Horror News), “clearly ahead of its time” (Geekscape) and “made for lovers of horror by someone who loves the genre” (Daily Dead). Now the “demented, outrageous and hysterical” (PopOptiq) debut feature from writer/director Joshua Grannell can finally be experienced by audiences everywhere: When a mousy librarian (Natasha Lyonne of RUSSIAN DOLL) takes over her late father’s struggling movie theater, a series of grisly murders caught on camera will transform her into the new queen of indie splatter cinema. Thomas Dekker (TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES), Cassandra Peterson (ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK), Noah Segan (DEADGIRL), Mink Stole (FEMALE TROUBLE) and drag legend Peaches Christ co-star in this “huge fun nod to forgotten horror and exploitation via loads of blood and black humor” (Yell! Magazine) produced by Darren Stein (JAWBREAKER).

You can see All About Evil now streaming on Shudder.

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