Ourselves Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Ourselves Podcast

Ourselves

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/15d. Total Eps: 44

OURSELVES is the world’s first open-source podcast that dives deep into the worlds of creativity, culture, & personal growth. Hosted by film & music video director Arrad, each episode brings you unfiltered conversations with visionary artists, trailblazing entrepreneurs, and thought leaders shaping the future. From behind-the-scenes stories of groundbreaking projects to candid discussions about mental health, reinvention, and navigating the creative industry, OURSELVES is your space to feel inspired, challenged, and connected.

Made by ourselves, for ourselves.

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The Secret Weapon Behind the Choreo of Cardi B, BLACKPINK's LISA, and Lil Nas X.

Episode 44

Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 01:34:37

Sean Bankhead got cut from Usher's tour at 19. Almost 15 years later, he came out of retirement and danced next to Usher at the Super Bowl.

Sean is the choreographer behind Cardi B, Normani, Tate McRae, Lil Nas X, Missy Elliott, Victoria Monét and Lisa. He started out as a shy kid from Atlanta who couldn't book a dance job, so he made his own videos, put them on YouTube, and the world knew his name before the industry did.

In this conversation I break down with Sean how his "Run The World" dance video dropped before Beyoncé's own video and got his whole channel taken down, how he ended up performing "Single Ladies" with Beyoncé, why Normani was the first star he saw coming, and how he gave Tate McRae real pop dance. We also get into the parts nobody posts about. Why choreographers and directors sell the music but never see the royalties, the one thing he looks for when he hires dancers, why technique doesn't beat taste, the BET moment with Lil Nas X nobody planned, and what his therapist told him about needing to be needed.

If you're a dancer, choreographer or creative trying to get paid what you're worth, this one is for you.

0:00 Cold Open

1:37 The Kid Who Couldn't Book A Job

2:12 Living Out Of A Suitcase Since 19

3:19 His First YouTube Channel

4:39 The World Knew Him Before The Industry Did

9:52 Beyoncé's "Run The World" Call

14:51 The Dance Video People Thought Was Real

15:48 Copyright Strikes Killed His Channel

17:37 Frozen In The Room With Beyoncé

20:15 How To Build Aura

22:55 Fatima Robinson Took Him Under Her Wing

23:42 Prince Showed Up To His Birthday Party

26:11 Atlanta Became Black Hollywood

27:30 Normani Was The First Star He Saw Coming

31:04 Giving Tate McRae Real Pop Dance

32:31 From Choreographer To Creative Partner

33:37 Underpaid For The Vision

34:44 1.5 Billion Views, Not A Penny

35:48 "We Sell The Music"

40:18 Creatives Are 100% A Business

41:52 How Dancers Actually Make Money

42:56 Taylor Swift's Dancer Bonuses

44:39 Why He Books The Same Dancers Every Time

45:04 The #1 Thing He Looks For In A Dancer

47:03 Technique Doesn't Beat Taste

48:57 How He Really Started With Beyoncé

49:33 His First Big Break, "Promise Ring"

50:53 Performing "Single Ladies" With Beyoncé

53:42 Stomp The Yard 2 And Hannah Montana

54:06 Cut From Usher's Tour At 19

57:04 Out Of Retirement For The Super Bowl

59:34 Next To Usher On The Biggest Stage

1:01:18 Why Cardi B Outperforms Everyone

1:05:45 Chris Brown's Edit Room Lesson

1:06:34 The Secret To Viral Choreography

1:08:16 Lisa And The K-Pop Process

1:11:13 K-Pop Stans And Twitter

1:12:07 How Lil Nas X Found Him

1:14:34 The BET Kiss Nobody Planned

1:15:57 Everything Checked Off Except Janet

1:17:48 You Can't Delegate Taste

1:18:23 Therapy And The Need To Be Needed

1:22:10 Will Stepping Back End His Career?

1:23:08 Why He Hasn't Done His Own TV Show

1:24:03 Jumping To The Next Ladder

1:25:17 Filling Your Cup Back Up

1:26:15 Rapid Fire: Doja Cat Is Underrated

1:27:45 The Artist Who Learns Fastest

1:28:45 How They Shot Normani's "Wild Side" Slide

1:29:50 TikTok Dancers And The Frosted Flakes Check

1:31:59 Card Pull: What He's Always Wanted To Try

1:33:44 Where To Find Sean

Follow Sean here

Follow Arrad (podcast host) here

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Hollywood Is DYING And It’s Not For The Reason You Think

Episode 43

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 • Duration 28:55

The collapse is worse than you think. Over 50,000 California production jobs disappeared in two years, soundstage occupancy fell from 95% to 62%, and not a single Best Picture nominee at this year's Oscars was shot on a Hollywood lot.

I've been directing for 14 years. In 2012, 99% of my shoots were in LA. Starting in 2019, my work moved to Atlanta, Miami, Jamaica and Paris. The industry didn't die. It left.

In this episode I break down why American culture is losing its grip on the world and how Hollywood is dying. From your favorite NBA player being French to your favorite pop star being Korean to your favorite movie being shot overseas. I get into the FilmLA and Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, why Netflix being a tech company changes everything, how inflation priced LA out of its own industry, and why a $20 million American production can be shot overseas for $4 million. Then I make the case that this isn't a collapse. It's a reset, and it's the biggest opening outsiders have ever had.

If you're a filmmaker, artist or creative still waiting for Hollywood to call, this one is for you.

0:00 Cold Open

0:56 America Is Never Going Back

1:41 No More Michael Jacksons

2:08 Your Favorite Stars Aren't American Anymore

4:04 When 99% Of My Shoots Were In LA

5:20 How LA Priced Itself Out

6:32 Why My Jobs Left LA In 2019

7:14 The 2023 Strikes Changed Everything

7:41 Soundstages Fell From 95% To 62%

9:23 50,000 Jobs Gone In Two Years

10:29 The Oscars Say Hollywood Is In A Death Spiral

Drake Was P-Lo's Dream Artist. He made it happen.

Episode 42

Friday, August 21, 2026 • Duration 01:11:52

P-Lo produced the Drake record that put Mac Dre back in front of the world, and the Bay had a lot to say about it.

P-Lo is a producer, rapper and Bay Area architect who helped build the sound that came out of Pinole, Richmond and Vallejo. In this episode he breaks down how "Too Hard For The Radio" actually came together, why honoring Mac Dre mattered more to him than the placement itself, and why he thinks people misread the whole thing as a shot at the West Coast. He also gets into the two records that built Empire, why being independent is more fruitful now than it has ever been, and the day he told his job he was gone with $400 to his name and half of it already spent on a flight to LA.

He talks about what G-Eazy taught him, why the Warriors started a record label, what AI is really taking from artists, and the sacrifice nobody warns you about. Then he makes the case that his best work is still ahead of him, because Quincy Jones made Thriller at 50.

0:00 Cold Open

1:37 The Drake Record Nobody Knew He Produced

2:09 Drake Was The Dream He Spoke Into Existence

2:30 Drake Wanted To Honor Mac Dre

3:06 Was It A Shot At The West Coast

4:04 The Bay Had Mixed Feelings About It

4:40 Mac Dre, Forefather Of Bay Area Rap

6:23 Growing Up In Pinole

7:25 The Records That Raised Him

8:44 Cataracts, The Pack And The Team

10:01 When Your Song Becomes Their Love Story

11:33 Producers Are Already Using Suno

14:54 The Real Problem With AI Is Your IP

16:40 Notebooks Full Of Raps Over Kanye Beats

Ariana Grande's Director Is Her Creative Soulmate

Episode 41

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 • Duration 02:00:58

Christian Breslauer directed the music videos you have already watched a hundred times. Ariana Grande. SZA's Kill Bill. Lil Nas X's Industry Baby. Doja Cat. Lisa. Roddy Ricch's The Box. If you have loved a music video in the last five years, there is a good chance he made it.

He also never went to film school. His parents couldn't afford to send him, so he worked in restaurants and taught himself the craft one video at a time. Then he heard a song called The Box, wrote a treatment nobody asked him for, said "this is the hit," and it changed his life.

In this conversation I break down with Christian how he shot SZA's Kill Bill in a single 18 hour day with wirework and stunts, the one scene he pitched over lunch that took Lil Nas X from 50 million views to 500 million, the pitch that made Ariana Grande cry and led to Video of the Year at the VMAs, and what it was like shooting Ariana on real film with Steven Spielberg's two time Oscar winning DP. We also get into the parts nobody posts about. Why you have to be your own agent, why he walks onto every set a little scared, why he'd rather have a hundred shots that look thirty percent cool than one perfect one, and why he thinks you have to be a little psychotic to be a creative.

If you're trying to build a career in film or music video without permission or connections, this is the blueprint.

0:00 Cold Open

2:23 Becoming A Dad Changed Everything

6:54 Shooting Ariana Grande On Film

14:03 YUNGBLUD, Ozzy And Sharon On Set

15:44 His Dad Built The Karol G Museum

18:55 Self Taught, No Film School

23:26 Trippie Redd's First 100K Video

24:32 Roddy Ricch's The Box, Nobody Asked

How Obsession and Backrooms Took Over Hollywood

Episode 40

Thursday, July 9, 2026 • Duration 27:51

A $750,000 horror movie just beat Hollywood at its own game. In this episode, I break down how two creator-made films, Obsession and Backrooms, each crossed $200 million on micro budgets, and why that quietly rewrote the rules of the entire film industry. Curry Barker built an audience on YouTube first, then made Obsession for the fans he already had, and Kane Parsons turned an internet horror phenomenon into a real theatrical event before he was old enough to rent a car.

I use both to make the case that the old gatekept Hollywood pipeline is dying. You can prove the concept first, build the audience first, and let the audience tell the industry what to pay attention to. I get into why craft and taste beat budget, why horror is the great equalizer for new filmmakers, the honest reality that these breakout stories are rare, and the one move every creator still has to make. You don't need permission, a studio, or millions of dollars anymore. You need a good idea, taste, and the guts to go make your damn film.

00:00 Introduction

02:37 Two $200M Movies on Micro Budgets

03:23 Reintroducing Myself

04:04 Why Hollywood Might Be Better Now

05:35 Curry Barker and the YouTube Model

08:48 Stop Putting Pressure on One Idea

09:32 The Excuses We Make as Creators

12:03 The Insane Numbers Behind Obsession

13:34 We Spend Too Much Time Waiting

14:25 The Audience Doesn't Care How You Got There

16:11 Make Movies That Feel Alive

18:22 Kane Parsons and the Anti-AI Argument

20:11 The Hard Truth and the New Path

22:40 The Internet Is the New Film Festival

He Started With $0 and Cold Emails. Now Nike, Oakley & Wingstop Hire His Agency.

Episode 39

Friday, June 19, 2026 • Duration 01:42:03

Sebastien built SLAPS, a creative agency for some of the biggest brands in the world, with no design degree, no advertising background, and no industry connections. He started by cold emailing strangers, Googling what a branding agency even does, and selling a $5K identity to a local Indian restaurant.

Now SLAPS works with brands like Nike, Oakley, Wingstop, and Under Armour. In this conversation, Sebastien breaks down the real agency game: why sales is an art form, why you should never sell services, and why brands pay more for vision. This is the story of building taste, selling ideas, and turning zero connections into a world-class creative agency.

This is Ourselves with Sebastien Vandecasteele.

00:00 Introduction

02:29 What SLAPS Does as a Creative Agency

03:54 The Wingstop Mango Habanero Campaign

06:35 How Social Media Rewrote the Agency Game

07:48 SLAPS vs Traditional Agencies (Wieden+Kennedy, 72andSunny)

12:36 Production: In-House vs Outsourcing

13:56 Starting With Zero Creative Background

16:00 Why Sales Is the Real Art Form

17:42 Lessons From a Year in a Call Center

18:10 Discovering Creative Direction by Accident

20:04 Cold Emailing Strangers to Land Brands

21:11 The First $5K Client (an Indian Restaurant)

23:28 Why You Sell Vision, Not Services

26:42 The Sales Exercise & Why Listeners Win

29:42 How to Actually Get a Brand's Attention

30:22 LinkedIn as a Creative Goldmine

Followers Are Worthless. Watch Time Is The New Currency. (w/ Sooraj Saxena)

Episode 38

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 • Duration 01:45:07

Most of what you've been told about being a content creator is a lie. Sooraj Saxena spent years learning that the hard way.

In this conversation he reveals the testing pool TikTok uses before any video goes viral, why Mr. Beast openly admits his mental health is awful, why chasing another creator's blueprint guarantees you'll resent your own life, and the moment that made him walk away from a 5,000 person paying waitlist. If you're building anything online in 2026, this is required listening.

00:00 Content Is Science 01:51 Sooraj's biggest audience 03:21 His Original Chai videos 05:22 Brown Creator Representation 06:13 Childhood Performer Roots 10:47 Startup Videos Breakthrough 16:41 Sneaking Into Concerts 19:23 His Company Shakti And the TikTok Market Gap 32:58 Back to Brand Deals 33:22 Betting on a Portfolio 35:14 Being Ghosted From a Big Partnership 37:09 Gods Wake Up Call 40:24 His First Big 6 Figure Merch Year 48:20 How the Algorithm Can Penalize You 51:41 Why Brands Dont Reach Out 01:10:05 Creator Chaos Tradeoffs 01:14:01 Create for Joy Not Fame 01:16:12 Deinfluence Your Dreams 01:16:43 Having Four Million Followers But Broke 01:19:50 Stop Chasing Blueprints Like Mr Beast 01:23:48 No One Is Saving You 01:27:03 What To Do When Content Flops 01:30:49 AI and Human Resilience 01:35:49 Final Advice

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One TikTok and a Frank Ocean song accidentally launched his career

Episode 37

Friday, March 13, 2026 • Duration 01:25:10

Matt Hansen did not wait for a record label to believe in him. He built his career himself. After posting a single TikTok covering Frank Ocean, Matt suddenly found millions of people listening. What started as a simple video turned into a full time music career built entirely outside the traditional music industry.

In this episode of Ourselves, Matt shares the real story behind that moment and what it actually takes to survive as an independent artist today. We talk about the reality of building an audience online, the pressure artists feel to chase algorithms, and why Matt refuses to let AI touch his music.

00:00 Beating the Scroll

02:19 Staying Independent

03:18 DistroKid and Fast Releases

05:11 Timing the Social Media Window

07:44 Do Artists Need Labels?

09:38 TikTok Mini Music Videos

16:28 The Frank Ocean video that changed his life

20:03 Handling Label Attention

30:40 Finding the Right Hooks For Your Videos

42:55 AI Emotion Theft

43:42 Beauty of Imperfection

49:20 Synesthesia and Billie Eilish

01:04:30 Touring Loneliness

01:07:10 How to Win Over a Festival Crowd

01:13:37 Relevance and TikTok Tips

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IRAN Wants America Dead…But Will This War Bring Peace?

Episode 36

Thursday, March 5, 2026 • Duration 01:06:57

I sat down with Iranian rapper and activist Erfan Paydar to unpack what’s really happening in Iran right now and why the world isn’t paying enough attention. From the 1979 revolution to today’s protests, we break down the political history that led to the current regime and the massive nationwide uprising demanding change.

Erfan shares a deeply personal perspective shaped by growing up between Iran and the United States. We discuss the brutal crackdowns on protesters, the economic collapse inside the country, and why millions of Iranians believe the Islamic Republic has reached its breaking point. He explains the role of the IRGC, the influence of foreign powers, and why many Iranians are rallying behind Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as a potential transitional leader.

Beyond politics, Erfan also reflects on his childhood in Iran, the beauty of Iranian culture, and how his experiences living in both worlds shaped his music and activism. From stories of growing up in Isfahan and Tehran to building a rap career that speaks for the Iranian diaspora, this conversation dives into identity, freedom, and the responsibility of using your voice.

This episode is an honest, emotional look at a nation at a crossroads and a reminder that behind every headline are real people fighting for their future.

01:59 Diaspora Connection to Iran

02:20 Growing Up Between Iran and USA

03:53 Iran’s 1979 Revolution to Today

05:16 Uprising and Brutal Crackdown

08:09 Corruption and the IRGC

12:13 1953 Coup and the Shah Era

18:17 Why the 1979 Revolution Happened

35:45 Free Iran vs Free Palestine Debate

36:40 Media Silence and Minimizing Deaths

38:40 False Comparisons to US Protests

39:45 Being Called a Zionist for Speaking Out

Oscar-Nominated Director Reveals the Pitch That Sold to Netflix

Episode 35

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 • Duration 01:39:57

Want to sell a movie to Netflix? This episode breaks down the reality behind a Netflix documentary pitch deck, funding, film financing, and what streamers actually buy. Oscar-nominated director Matt Ogens, known for Netflix’s Audible and Disney+’s Madu, explains how pitch decks, sizzle reels, packaging, and access determine whether a project gets made, how documentary financing really works, and what filmmakers need to understand about distribution deals in 2026. If you’re researching Netflix documentary pitches, film funding, or how to build a filmmaking career, this is the real behind-the-scenes conversation.

02:39 Origin Story: Growing Up Without an “Artist” Blueprint

08:23 The importance of being a PA and DIY Film school

09:34 How networking got his first big break with ESPN

15:11 Deep Dive: Making his film ‘Audible’—12 Years to Finance, Pitch Decks, Netflix, and Sound as Character

37:37 Why So Many Docs Are Under 40 Minutes (Festivals, Oscars Rules)

38:26 Netflix + Festivals: Qualifying Runs, Theatrical Weeks, and Strategy

41:33 The Oscars Aren’t the Job: Filmmaking as Hard Work + Startup Life

44:55 From Viral Clip to Disney+: The Origin Story of ‘Madu’

50:41 Pitching Docs Today: Treatments, Sizzle Reels, and Selling the Arc

54:08 Capturing Intimacy on Camera: Trust, Crew Size, Lenses, and Natural Light

01:08:12 Co-Directing Across Cultures: Why Collaboration Made the Film Stronger

01:10:11 Best Ways to Edit Documentaries

01:15:42 The Best Way To Interview for Documentaries

01:18:27 Where Should the Subject Look? On-Lens vs Off-Lens

01:22:52 What Makes a Doc Stand Out? The One Thing That Gets Audiences to Care

Ourselves Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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