444 - Oscar Boyson on Directing Our Hero, Balthazar, Working with The Neistat Brothers, Empathy Machines vs. Validation Machines, and Failing in Public - The MAKE IT Podcast | Lyssna här

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Hello, Hello!

In this episode, Chris & Papa Bear sit down with filmmaker Oscar Boyson to discuss his directorial debut, Our Hero, Balthazar, a provocative and critically talked-about indie film that has been called the most controversial movie of the year. Oscar shares how his unconventional path — from competitive freestyle skier in Maine to Craigslist hire at the Neistat Brothers' studio — shaped him into the filmmaker he is today. The conversation spans filmmaking craft, the dangers of AI dependency, the power of perseverance over ideas, and what it truly means to get an independent film in front of audiences.

We also talk about:

The thematic parallels between Our Hero, Balthazar, and the 1995 indie classic Kids, including how both films straddle the line between being cautionary tales for parents and romanticized adventures for younger viewers
The growing role of AI tools like ChatGPT in everyday decision-making, and whether over-reliance on AI is creating a generation that can no longer think or fail independently — including the concept of "Gellman Amnesia" as a lens for understanding AI's credibility problem
The social media "validation machine" phenomenon, how algorithms reinforce existing beliefs and behaviors, and what that means for youth culture, mental health, and even real-world violence
The importance of perseverance over ideas in the creative process, drawing on Casey Neistat's famous motto — "Ideas are common, perseverance is rare" — and how Oscar applied that philosophy to his own career and filmmaking journey
The practical and ethical considerations of using firearms and blank-firing weapons on an indie film set in the post-Rust era, including the critical role of a professional armorer and the creative reasoning behind using blanks for actor authenticity

People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:

People

Stephen Phelps

Jordan Gallant (composer)

Big Mike (Oscar’s father)

Elise (Oscar’s sister)

Films

Our Hero, Balthazar

Straw Dogs (1971)

The Last Temptation of Christ

Irréversible

Ex Machina

A Most Violent Year

Lady Be Good (1941)

State Fair (1945)

TV Shows

The Neistat Brothers

Platforms, Websites & Tools

Digital Cinema Package (DCP)

Art House Convergence

Places

Williams Center

Nashville, Tennessee

Maryland

Lower Antioch / Woodbine — Nashville neighborhoods

Nashville Film Festival

Belcourt Theatre

Regal Opry Mills

Products & Brands

Concepts & References

Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect

Parasocial relationships

The Covenant School shooting

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Stoneman Douglas / Parkland

Four-walling

“Ideas are common, perseverance is rare” — Casey Neistat motto

“Movies are empathy machines” — Roger Ebert

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