No Set Path explores the ups and downs of life as a creative through unscripted conversations with guests who have forged their own paths and show that no two roads are the same for anybody.

NO SET PATH PODCAST


Drew English Drew English

EP23 - From Bands to Brands | Jeremy Perez-Cruz - Creative Director

Jeremy Perez-Cruz is a brand, marketing, strategy and creative leader based in Brooklyn, New York.

Jeremy has spent 20 years building and growing brands that have brought together the physical and digital in ways that have transformed how we define “the real world.”

In his work for some of the world’s largest and most beloved brands, he’s led creative at The New York Times, served as VP of Creative at Skillshare, VP of Brand at Buzzfeed, Head of Brand Marketing at Uber, Senior Design Manager of Global Beverage at Pepsico and Founder of Etsy’s Global Brand Studio.

Today, Jeremy leads Parts Per Million, a brand-focused creative and strategic studio specializing in five-day innovation sprints and anchored in a philosophy of curiosity, collaboration, empathy and play.

Obsessed with light, color, and the sincerity of candid moments, Jeremy’s photography is deeply observational and emotive. His @sleepingplanes instagram account captures spontaneous, honest moments of meaning in everyday life in New York City. Jeremy’s images represent a human instant, glimpsing the world at a singular time, and reflect a collaborative connection between an artist, their subject, and the audience.

EPISODE LINKS:
Parts Per Million: ppm.nyc
Brand Portfolio: jpc.nyc
Photography: sleepingplanes.com
Instagram: @sleepingplanes
Everything else: Linktr.ee

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Drew English Drew English

EP22 - Building Worlds, Capturing Moments | Oren Soffer - Cinematographer

Oren grew up between the United States and Israel nurturing hobbies in painting and photography, building LEGOs, and voraciously watching movies. These activities laid the groundwork for what would eventually become a love of cinematography and a passion for crafting bold, cinematic imagery.

Last year, Oren wrapped filming on the feature film ‘The Creator,’ directed by Gareth Edwards, along with cinematographer Greig Fraser ASC ACS, slated for release on September 29 2023. Two of his other recent features premiered at the TIFF and TriBeCa film festivals in 2022. He has also shot multiple award-winning short films, including 'Opera of Cruelty,' which won a Student Academy Award, and ‘See You Soon,’ which won the audience award at the Palm Springs International Shortsfest before subsequently premiering on Short of the Week and receiving a Vimeo Staff Pick.

During his studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Oren was nominated for the ASC Gordon Willis Student Heritage Award, and was a finalist for the Arri Volker Bahnemann Award for Cinematography. Oren has also shot hundreds of commercials and music videos for a variety of clients including Nike, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, HBO, Foot Locker, Grey Goose Vodka, Doritos, Kohler, Wilson Tennis, Marriott Hotels, ACE Hardware, Crest, Viacom, and Universal Studios.

EPISODE LINKS:
Oren’s Website: orensoffer.com
Oren’s Instagram: @orensofferdp

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Drew English Drew English

EP21 - Longevity As Legacy | Matheus Bastos - Cinematographer

Matheus Bastos is director of photography based in New York and Los Angeles. Growing up as the first generation child of immigrants, he found an avenue into the arts and a passion for storytelling at a young age, entertaining himself with films and music.

His work has played at multiple film festivals around the world such as SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival, Cinequest, Cannes Court Metrage, as well as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Revolver, and more.

EPISODE LINKS:
Matt’s Website: matheusbastos.com
Matt’s Instagram: @matt_bastos
Matt’s VERY old Tumblr: mattpbastos.tumblr.com

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Drew English Drew English

EP20 - Trust Yourself & Love The Process | Mike Pecci - Director & Podcast Host

Classically trained as a filmmaker and cinematographer, Pecci then spent over 20 years forming and running a production company that has produced award-winning content for brands like Bose and Sam Adam's, and music videos and treatments for artists like the Wu Tang Clan, Lucius, Killswitch Engage, and Meshuggah.

His two recent acclaimed short films, the Russian sci-fi epic "12 Kilometers" and the Argento-inspired thriller "Who's There" are both currently in development to be features.

EPISODE LINKS:
Mike’s Website: mikepecci.com

Mike’s Instagram: @mikepecci

Mike’s Podcast: inlovewiththeprocess.com

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Drew English Drew English

EP19 - Always Follow Your Gut | Brian Stansfield - EP of Stansfield Studios

Brian Stansfield is a seasoned professional in the visual storytelling landscape. Brian's journey kicked off with global adventures, documenting the work of the U.S. Army across different corners of the world. After honing his craft and business acumen in New York City, he launched Apollo Lighting & Grip, which caters to small and medium-sized productions, offering tailored film and photography lighting and grip solutions. Now, based out of Atlanta, Georgia and as the executive producer of Stansfield Studios, he specializes in crafting compelling narratives and impactful imagery that enhances his clients' brand identity and goals.

EPISODE LINKS:
http://www.apollogrip.com/
https://www.instagram.com/apollo_atl/
https://www.instagram.com/brian_stansfield/

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Drew English Drew English

EP18 - Leaning Into The Creative Core | David Kruta - Cinematographer

David Kruta is an acclaimed Director of Photography, celebrated for his compelling visual storytelling in features such as "Concussion," "The Sounding," and recent projects like "Black Friday" with Bruce Campbell, "Agent Game" featuring Mel Gibson and Jason Isaacs, and "The Last Thing Mary Saw" starring Stefanie Scott and Isabelle Fuhrman. His work on "The Sounding" earned him the prestigious Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography. Beyond films, Kruta's diverse portfolio includes commercials for high-profile clients such as Porsche and Canon, music videos, and documentaries. His unique, realistic style, inspired by his New York base, has led to recognition from the International Cinematographers Guild and **admiration across the industry (lol)**. Always exploring new creative avenues, Kruta is also involved in exciting upcoming projects like "The Last Job" and "Creep Box”

EPISODE LINKS:
David’s Website: davidkruta.com
David’s Instagram: @dkruta

Cinematography Salon FB Group
Cinematography Salon Instagram: @cinematographysalon

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Drew English Drew English

EP17 - Leveraging Knowledge & Opportunity | Travis Wears - Founder of Cine Kit List

Travis Wears has been working as a freelance director, DP, and editor since 2009. He's traveled the US and abroad creating content for Netflix, ESPN, Audi, CAT, Walmart, MTV, CMT, HGTV, Travel Channel, NBC, Fox Studios, Brisk, John Deere, Animal Planet, Showtime, KFC, Pepsi, Frito Lay, Kleenex, Toyota, Yoplait, The MLB, NFL, MLS and many more.

Highly experienced in docu-series, corporate and sports, Travis also loves commercial work, helping to create brand campaigns and broadcast spots for numerous blue-chip clients such as American Express, Kemps Dairy Products, KC Streetcar and Pepsi's boutique brand Stubborn Soda

EPISODE LINKS:
Travis’ Website: traviswears.com
Travis’ Instagram: @traviswears

Cine Kit List FB Page

Production Vans & Grip Trucks FB Page

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Drew English Drew English

EP16 - From Acting to Advocacy | Sarah Elmaleh - Voice Actor & Director

Sarah Elmaleh is an actor, voice director, consultant and industry advocate best known for her roles in videogames, from blockbuster AAA titles (*Hi-Fi Rush, Fortnite, Halo Infinite, Gears 5*) to critically acclaimed indie games (*Afterparty, Pyre, Gone Home*). She has likewise directed a talented and diverse set of casts in both indies (*The Red Lantern, The Wreck*) and AAA (*Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2*) alike. Her consultancy is designed to comprehensively educate and connect developers with novel and industry-standard performance processes, from navigating the union (SAG-AFTRA), to casting, to recording.

Led by her desire to foster stronger collaboration within games and across creative communities, she has been an organizing and educating force in games spaces (such as IndieCade) and institutions (USC, NYU) for many years, while nurturing meaningful exchange between game developers and the actor’s union, SAG-AFTRA. She teaches the core Queer Vox voiceover workshop Interactive module, has served as director and co-host of the IndieCade awards since 2016, and is one of six dev hosts of the game developer interview podcast *Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games.*

EPISODE LINKS:
Sarah’s Website: sarahelmaleh.com

Sarah’s Twitter: twitter.com/selmaleh

Sarah’s IG: @selmaleh

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Drew English Drew English

EP15 - Shedding Labels and Ego | Noam Kroll - Filmmaker & Creative Entrepreneur

Noam Kroll is a Los Angeles-based narrative filmmaker, known for his incredibly DIY approach to the craft.

Over the past decade, Noam has written, directed, shot, and edited several acclaimed short and feature projects that have screened at international film festivals, including his micro-budget features "Shadows on the Road" and "Psychosynthesis."

In addition to his narrative work, Noam is a creative entrepreneur and the founder of the production company Creative Rebellion, which has produced content for renowned brands like Google, NBC / Universal, and more.

Committed to sharing his expertise, Noam reaches millions of filmmakers through his popular podcast, "Show, Don't Tell," newsletter, "Micro-Budget Weekly," and his personal filmmaking blog, www.noamkroll.com

Currently, Noam is gearing up to release his third feature film “Disappearing Boy”. He is also in development for his fourth feature film "Teacher's Pet", which is funded and slated to shoot this summer.

EPISODE LINKS:
Noam’s Website: noamkroll.com
Noam’s Instagram: instagram.com/noamkroll

Cinecolor: cinecolor.io

The Backlot Community

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Drew English Drew English

EP14 - The Power of Curiosity | Jason & Adam Koontz of Born Rival

Jason and Adam Koontz are brothers who turned their love for action sports filmmaking during their childhood into a career. The duo works together on a majority of their projects, with Jason as Director of Photography and Adam as a Movi operator and heavy lift drone pilot.  Over the last 10 plus years their aesthetic has been refined by travel, collaboration and deeper connection to the lifestyle that being a creative affords them.

It has led them to co-found Born Rival, which is an apparel brand celebrating film culture and the use of the visual medium to form expression.  The brand puts an emphasis on photography and film production, but it will definitely inspire you no matter your creative pursuit. In addition to the apparel, which is manufactured right here in NYC, they also produce original films and editorial spotlights that feature image-makers & storytellers from across the industry, shedding light and perspective on the creative process.

EPISODE LINKS:
Born Rival Website: bornrival.com
Born Rival Instagram: @born.rival

Jason’s Website: jasonkoontz.com
Jason’s Instagram: @jason_koontz

Adam’s Website: adamkoontz.tv
Adam’s Instagram: @adamkoontz

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Drew English Drew English

EP13 - Take Your Audience on a Journey | with Eli Walker - Founder of Drunk Yoga®

Eli Walker curates interactive wellness and storytelling experiences that build community and help individuals and organizations who struggle with disconnection create belonging. As the founder/CEO of the internationally-acclaimed Drunk Yoga® equipped with a BFA in Theater from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Eli Walker is a community engagement expert with a knack for leveraging the power of "play" to make mindfulness practices fun.

EPISODE LINKS:

Eli’s Website: eliwalkerstories.com
Eli’s Instagram: @eliwalkerstories
Eli’s LinkedIn: in/eliwalker

Drunk Yoga: dodrunkyoga.com + @drunkyoga

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Drew English Drew English

EP12 - Mult-Faceted & Multi-Fascinated w/ Julie Hotz | Artist

Julie "Jules" Hotz is an LA based Filmmaker, Photographer, Artist, and long distance hiker. Working in both the commercial and documentary worlds they specialize in outdoor, environmental, and human interest work, they have helped create work for REI, The North Face, Outdoor Research, Red Bull, Outdoor Magazine, Guayaki, etc., as a Photographer, Director of Photography, and/or Director. Julie is also in IATSE Local 600 as a Camera Operator and has operated on TV shows, commercials, feature films, and documentaries, for HBO, PBS, Fortune 500 companies, and indie productions.

EPISODE LINKS:

Julie's Website: www.juliehotz.com
Julie's Instagram: @julieahotz
UN/ROOTED Podcast

MORE ABOUT “NO SET PATH”:

Podcast Website: nosetpath.com
Instagram: @nosetpathpodcast
YouTube: youtube.com/@nosetpath

FOLLOW DREW ENGLISH:

Drew's Website: drewenglish.com

Drew's Instagram: @drewenglishh

Drew’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drewenglish

Drew’s Twitter: @thedrewenglish

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Drew English Drew English

EP11 - Find Your Own Unique Voice w/ Atom Moore | Watch Photographer

Atom Moore is a New York City based photographer working in and around the watch industry locally and internationally. A love of watches brought this photographic veteran almost entirely into the sphere of watches. Creating unique art works from watches since 2015 he has had 3 critically acclaimed watch photography exhibitions. Atom works directly with top watch brands and industry publications. His recent clients include Grand Seiko, Vacheron Constantin, J.N. Shapiro Watches, Autodromo, and HODINKEE.

In this episode we discuss…

- Finding your tribe
- The importance of mental health as a creative
- Becoming an unintentional watch designer

…And more!

EPISODE LINKS:

Atom's Website: atommoore.com

Atom's Instagram: @atommoore

MORE ABOUT “NO SET PATH”:

Podcast Website: nosetpath.com

Instagram: @nosetpathpodcast

YouTube: youtube.com/@nosetpath

FOLLOW DREW ENGLISH:

Drew's Website: drewenglish.com

Drew's Instagram: @drewenglishh

Drew’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drewenglish

Drew’s Twitter: @thedrewenglish

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Drew English Drew English

EP10 - Keep The Work Fun w/ Zach Kuperstein | Cinematographer

Zach Kuperstein, a New York-based cinematographer listed among Variety’s Artisan Elites, has a passion for visual storytelling. He burst onto the field with the southern gothic film, “The Eyes of My Mother,” premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. His work earned him nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards and the Camerimage International Film Festival. His most recent release, “Barbarian,” topped the American box office on its opening weekend and left an indelible mark on the horror genre.

In this episode we discuss…
- Positivity & making life on set fun
- Balancing a personal life with a busy career
- Filming “Barbarian”
…And more!

EPISODE LINKS:
Zach’s Website: zachkuperstein.com
Zach’s Instagram: @zachkuperstein

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Drew English Drew English

EP09 - Filmmaking Abroad & Connecting w/ Josh Herum | Cinematographer

Josh is a St. Louis, Missouri-based Cinematographer who has shot two feature films in Nepal. He has also directed numerous music videos, narrative and documentary short films, branded content, and has been the cinematographer on projects with companies; **Netflix, BBC, Meta, Sony Music, Wall Street Journal, Procter & Gamble, JAMF, Metabolic Meals, 4-H, Mission Taco Joint, Elanco, Missouri Botanical Gardens, and Barnes Jewish Hospital** working with a variety of production companies and agencies.

In this episode Drew & Josh talk about…

- Living abroad and the influence of other cultures

- Feature filmmaking in Nepal

- How old connections can come back around

….and much more!

EPISODE LINKS:
Josh’s Website: joshherum.work
Josh's Instagram: @joshherumdp

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Drew English Drew English

EP08 - Unexpected Stories & Community w/ Anna Andersen | Director

Anna is an award-winning documentary and commercial filmmaker, whose work focuses on the dynamism of the female identity and worlds unknown. Using documentary-style storytelling techniques, Anna’s unique approach bridges the gap between commercial and intimate storytelling. Her documentary work has been screened at DOC NYC, Florida Film Festival, and Sidewalk Film Festival and has been awarded multiple Grand Jury and Audience Awards. She has worked dozens of brands and streaming platforms and you can see her work in Global Citizen, NowThis, COMPLEX, Vox Media, New Lab, Amogy, Modern Meadow, and most recently, Fujifilm.

Topics discussed in this episode:
- Finding unexpected stories
- Partnering with Fujifilm
- Creating personal work
- Placing value on experience
- Learning empathy through personal experience
...and much more

EPISODE LINKS:
Anna's Website: annalouiseimagery.com
Anna's Instagram: @annalouiseimagery
Nina Films: ninafilms.com
Nina Films Instagram: @heyninafilms

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Drew English Drew English

EP07 - The Power of Asking a Question w/ David Goldman | Portrait & Documentary Photographer

David Goldman is an award winning documentary and portrait photographer/filmmaker. Originally from Toronto he has lived in both Los Angeles and New York. His documentary work has taken him to India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia and the Northern Territory of Australia working on projects about human trafficking, maternal health and marginalized people. David is also known for the album packaging artwork for Blink 182’s Enema Of The State that has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

His current project, The Motorcycle Portraits series, began after considering how ubiquitous motorcycles are in developing countries yet a luxury item in more developed countries. Focusing on the people that ride and how the shared use of this machine connects individuals no matter where in the world they live.

In this episode, David and Drew discuss:

- His journey from photo assistant to photographic one of the largest albums of the 90’s
- The pivot into documentary work
- The power in simply asking a question
- His current project, The Motorcycle Projects
- …and more

David’s Website: https://davidgoldmanphoto.com/
David’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedavidgoldmanphoto
The Motorcycle Portraits: https://themotorcyleportraits.com
David’s Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thedavidgoldmanphoto?r=3av49&utm_medium=ios

More about No Set Path
- Website: https://www.nosetpath.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nosetpath
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmZn43jSqqCm74ne9vSTZNA

Follow Drew English
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewenglishh
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewenglish
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedrewenglish
- Website: https://www.drewenglish.com

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Drew English Drew English

EP06 - Mentorship & Thinking Outside The Box w/ Peter Szabo | Head of Commercial Partnerships at Spotify

Always at the intersection of technology, Music & Brands, Peter is Head of Commercial Partnerships at Spotify. Previously, he was SVP, Head of Global Music & US Ad Sales at Shazam. And before that, he held various roles at Pandora, iHeartRadio & Entercom. Originally from Boston, he graduated from Syracuse University and recently relocated with his wife & 2 boys from Santa Monica to Lake Oconee, GA.

In this episode we discuss Peter’s beginnings in Radio and the importance of mentorship and thinking outside the box. We also turn the tables slightly on our host, Drew, where he gives more insight to his backstory and the importance of personal maturity.

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Drew English Drew English

EP05 - Vulnerability & The Business of Art w/ Michael Sargeant | Creative Producer - Magnum Photos

Since 2018, Michael Sargeant has spearheaded Magnum Photos’ video-on-demand education program, Magnum Learn, and works to produce a variety of video content for the agency. Projects include courses led by Alec Soth, Gregory Halpern, Bieke Depoorter, Matt Black and Jonas Bendiksen, as well as a group course focused on street photography with contributions from Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden, Susan Meiselas, Mark Power, amongst others.

In this episode, we discuss Michael’s near-foray into life in the military, vulnerability, artistic value and navigating the business side of the art world.

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