Talking Podcasts and Culture with Stelios Panagiotou

The world of YouTube podcasting offers an array of different opinions and personalities, we have been very lucky to be able to talk to Stelios Panagiotou about his tenure with The Podcast Of The Lotus Eaters and gain more insight into his background and passion for communication.

We are always interested in talking to people from all fields in the media. Can you introduce yourself and give us a little background on who you are and what you do?

My name is Stelios Panagiotou, I come from Greece, and I have a passion for communicating my ideas about politics and culture. My background is mainly academic. I have a degree in Business Administration and have successfully completed a PhD in Philosophy. After teaching Philosophy in academia for about 6 years, I decided it was time to enter public discussion without  the reservations that I would otherwise have. In December 2022, I made the final decision to make a career change and started working for the Lotus Eaters media company. 

Most people will recognize you from either X (Twitter) or your tenure with The Podcast of The Lotus Eaters as a social and political commentator. Can you give us a little more background on how you came to be part of that world and what you do as part of the podcast?

I found out about the Lotus Eaters from a friend who was working there. When I saw a job opportunity for a presenter being advertised on the website, I decided to apply for it. Soon after, I was hired. I am one of the regular hosts for our live podcast where we discuss all sorts of current affairs from a standpoint that is not adequately represented in mainstream media.

“We discuss -sometimes in a quasi-comedic manner- political events as well as events in the broader sphere of what is loosely described as ‘culture wars’. Furthermore, I ran Symposium, a weekly philosophy series which dealt mainly with subjects pertaining to ancient, ethical, and political philosophy.”

You have become something of a social and political commentator on social media as well as the podcast scene offering your own unique insights into the world and offering up comments about the UK and the wider social scene. How do you feel social media has shaped your view of the world and how would you describe yourself on that front?

Social media is a very broad category. Generally speaking, they exert an increasingly stronger influence on us and our way of thinking about the world. Such an influence is also augmented by the delegitimization of mainstream media in the eyes of the general public. More and more people find mainstream outlets to be untrustworthy and seek alternative sources of information. The more sources of information we get exposed to, the more informed our opinions will be. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, we should remember that whatever the media, we are still talking about the circulation of information. We need to remember that whatever the media we are using, we are still vulnerable to the danger of being led into an echo chamber where confirmation bias reigns supreme. As a commentator, I try to offer a classically liberal perspective on current affairs and unmask propaganda while avoiding sensationalism. I also use social media to connect directly with people from all over the world.

Is there any advice you would offer to someone entering into the field of podcasting as a presenter or as someone setting up their own channel that you wish you had known when you started?

Good advice depends on the specifics of one’s situation. I can only offer my view about some general points that can be interpreted and tailored to each person’s case, Find your main purpose; knowing why you do something makes the difference between those who persist through hard times and those who quit. 

1. Do your research; everyone can speak but if you know what you are saying, you increase the chances of making a positive contribution and improve the prospects for continuous engagement with your content.

2. Diversify your sources of information. Whatever the medium, the circulation of information does tend to create echo chambers. Despite this being somewhat natural, getting drawn into an echo chamber is harmful for your audience and yourself. Assert your independence.

3. Cultivate mental fortitude. We cannot please everyone and trying to do so is a blow to our independence of character. Be prepared for many negative comments and learn to not care about them. Care about criticism only to the extent in which you can take constructive feedback from it. Ignore all the rest. The internet has no shortage of angry people who are unwilling to give any of us the benefit of the doubt. 

4. Practice makes perfect. Do not think that you either have it or you don't. It is a habit that one must constantly cultivate. 

5. Finally, just do it. Do not delay. Begin as soon as possible knowing full well that if you persist, the quality of your content will keep improving. 

6. Be patient and persistent. 

What does the future hold for you in terms of your place in the podcast world? Will you continue or step more into politics and stand for election?

I am scheduled for more appearances on our live podcast. There are also some long-term plans that I am involved in that are not for me to announce yet. I am not planning on entering politics at the moment. I am planning on doing this for a long time. I am not impatient because I know full well that the kind of relationship I want to establish with my audience is one of trust which requires time.

To learn more about Stelios Panagiotou or follow his work see:

Stelios Panagiotou X (Twitter).

Stelios Panagiotou Symposium Podcast with The Lotus Eaters.

Indie Film Thoughts

There is a lot of concern at the moment with the BBC daytime drama Doctors being cancelled, it was a mainstream way for people to gain a foothold in the industry and seen as a staple of daytime TV for many. People are naturally, wondering what this means for those entering the media market from the cast side to crew.

Changes to the market are always difficult to navigate and people are now looking for alternative avenues within the mainstream but overlooking the potential of commercializing ideas in the indie sector and utilizing avenues that are already in place such as HOD TV and the fantastic New Village Video whose platform is focused on the indies and the classic old school “straight to video” movies or the more familiar “streaming service original.”

Talks are underway for collective motion to pull new and emerging talent into pools and building something fresh. What this means is the indie scene has an opportunity to build a new network, a new platform and create.

With this in mind The Lost Creatives is willing to support and to start we want to share the books and sites we feel will be a major benefit to this:

Distribution and sales avenues.

HOD TV submissions a specialist in horror and thriller, the terms are fair and commercialization is possible, a full breakdown of the requirements is available, just drop us an email and we can share the details.

New Village Video, a friendly, open minded team who accept all genres of film and advocate for the indie scene while supporting and selling projects with success.

Books

Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie by Ivan Peric, a fantastic and personal insight into creating a feature film with a low budget, Ivan talks about the perils and offers up his own tried and tested path to creating a film and getting it sold by planning strategically. A real must read and a part of the lost library of books.

Opening Doors For Working Class Actors by Patricia Jones, a wonderful and open insight into the world of an actor giving you a clear and honest way to start out as an actor. Patricia Jones is a wonderful lady who talks honestly about her journey and gives pointers to those who would otherwise feel they cannot make the leap into the arts.

Cast and Crew

vShowcards, an alternative to the main networking and actors/crew sites, vshowcards is actor run and supported by various casting agents, production houses across the world, and offers a cohesive platform for you to market yourself to the media landscape.

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring avenues of marketing and other elements of the creative industry with a view to showcasing the potential for the indie scene.

The Behind The Scenes Podcast is Now Live

If you are a mover, shaker or media maker, then the Behind The Scenes Podcast is the place to be seen and a must for keeping up with what’s happening. Started as a way to bring the behind the camera people to the forefront, it is already offering up insights into the background work of the creative realm that would otherwise be unseen and showing how much deeper the work goes than just the stage or a screen.

We are privy to some of the upcoming interviews (one of which will be our own JamesC) and know how much time and effort is going into this from a purely creative stance, it is already on our watch list. Lost Creatives being a behind the scenes blog, we are fully behind Stephen the founder of the Behind The Scenes Podcast and cannot wait to see more and highly recommend watching and subscribing to the channel and other social accounts.

A special nod goes out to the cast and crew at City Theatre who are amongst the early interviewees and offered up some interesting insights into the world of theatre casting and acting.

To learn more or to subscribe see:

Behind The Scenes YouTube.

Behind The Scenes Twitter.

Behind The Scenes Instagram.

Behind The Scenes TikTok.

Building Your Team Featuring Vshowcards

Something I have seen quite a lot of when on social media is the individualist aspect of marketing, by that I mean promotion of just one aspect of what you do as a creative, forgetting that when it comes to a shoot be it film, TV, or photographic it is a team affair.

One of the biggest reasons we say this is because our own creative director JamesC has reached out to the team behind vshowcards and will be working with them to assess a proposal for upcoming projects.

Networking, promotion and just old fashioned relationship building over time can be a difference maker in the world of film and TV, we rely on each other to make a shoot run smoothly and efficiently so having good relationships with the team make a huge difference.

With Vshowcards you have access to the a huge number of professionals within industry that will support your moves and if you reach out are willing to help and support, you just need to ask.

From an industry standpoint there is so much more than just your skillset to consider, you are a part of a team, the machine works because we do and supporting each other is the way to move forward and building your team is a lot easier when you have all your information at your fingertips and know you can reach out to others with questions.

To learn more about the Vshowcards set up or to join see:

Vshowcards Website.

Vshowcards Facebook.

Vshowcards Twitter.

Vshowcards Instagram.

Vshowcards YouTube.

Project Notes

A habit our creative director JamesC picked up when living in India that we are actively pushing again, is keeping a notebook and pen to hand, ideal for writing down phone numbers or emails, sketching ideas for photos or as we know he did frequently, outlining plots for TV or film projects.

JamesC has in the last few weeks come up with ideas that will work as short films for festival entry or expanded into a much longer concept that need to be padded to suit the plans for 2023.

Festivals are going to be a very heavy focus of the work ahead, we have spent a lot of time checking options of annual, quarterly and by far our most favoured, monthly film festivals that take film and photo projects.

Of course our favourite book for filmmakers “Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Film” by Ivan Peric, plays a heavy part in our thinking because this insightful first hand account of low budget creation is designed to shape your work into a commercial project and works well with our own thinking and add to this the very savvy and again, first hand account of Patricia Jones book “Opening Doors for Working Class Actors” which when combined with Ivan’s book has the scope to create a great combination and open up the projects we have to fresh talent and with the right focus and marketing (kept within a budget) see a series of smaller films and Web TV projects built with a commercially viable slant that will benefit all involved.

We will be using the Vshowcards site for casting and actively encourage people to check them out not just because we think it is a fantastic network site, but for the various casting calls that are available.

Expanding notes on our plan will be slow released through the blog and we will be working hard to get this push running with the Lost Agency supporting it and of course led by our own JamesC who will be front and centre with upcoming interviews including the Behind The Scenes Podcast, amongst the other elements at play.

Stay tuned for more updates and sneak images of our notes.

Talking Books and Films With Ivan Peric

Over at The Lost Creatives, we are big fans of Ivan Peric and his book on filmmaking, taken from his own experiences and offering a solid plan for making and selling your work that resonates with our team. We are extremely thankful that he took some time out of his schedule to talk to us and open up about what he has been doing since the launch of “Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie!”

You are returning from a break after the release of your successful and lauded book “Don’t F*ck Up Your No-Budget Movie!” What have you been doing in that time that you can share with us?

Thanks for this question as it touches upon something that we don't often hear about, and that's taking ''breaks". Taking the time to not do anything and just relax. You scroll down your social media feed and all you see are people pushing the ''hustle'' and "grind'' lifestyle, it's rare you see someone talking about taking it easy and pacing yourself.

“The reality is that everyone needs to take breaks every once in a while in order not to burn out. This is especially true for us artists and digital creators.”

Most of us have full-time jobs and families, so all the extra work we put into our projects ends up taking a toll on our bodies. Just like any car, it doesn't matter if you use it for work or leisure, the mileage always accumulates. So that's what I did, I just took a break from it all, acting, writing, producing...My agent was sending me auditions and I just couldn't get myself to do them. I was physically and mentally drained.

I had written DFYNBM during the pandemic, the editing process was a lot of work and a lot of back and forth with the editors, then the publisher released it pretty quickly so I had to be on my toes and start promoting it right away.

With the uncertainties of the pandemic, everyday life at work, and writing this book, I never got to take a step back and refocus. After a few months ''off'', I now feel great and motivated to continue working on my plans for this book and other projects!

You have spoken quite openly about how your workflow has changed thanks to your experiences in filmmaking, taking you from actor to director/producer to give you control over your projects, how has this affected your style as an actor overall, and is it a method you would recommend?

Yes, I would definitely recommend any actor to pick up a camera and produce something themselves! It's the best experience and you get to see through the eyes of a producer and director. For me, understanding the process gave me much more confidence as an actor.

Once you get to understand how things work, you put much less pressure on yourself. Most young actors are very self-conscious, always wondering what everyone on set thinks of their performance. I was like that, always looking for that validation. By becoming a director yourself, you get to understand that performing is not that complicated and it often doesn't take that much of a ''performance'' as some actors might think.

It definitely grounded my acting style. Every subtle moment is blown up by 1000% on the screen, so it made me understand that less is more because the camera catches everything. You also get to understand the point of view of the director much more.

I remember being a young actor and being devastated by any notes a director would give me after a take. I would take it personally and couldn't understand why the director didn't like my performance. But the truth was that the director never disliked my performance, he just wanted to see something different and push me as an artist. Producing also makes you appreciate every single person on set. You see and understand that everyone has an important role in a production. You just respect everyone more, and out of that respect comes better performances because you want to contribute as best as you can to the project.

What is next for you in the creative arena? Do you have any new projects planned? Will
you be taking your method on the road and teaching the Ivan Peric method of filmmaking?

Every time I come back from a break I want to do it all! I feel inspired to act, write and produce! But I know I will have to focus on one thing at a time. I wasn't 100% satisfied with my book launch as it was rushed by the publisher and I didn't have much time to market it before I had to take a break. So the first thing on my list is to continue to push my book and get it out there to as many people as possible. Yes, one of the ways I will be doing this is by starting workshops for aspiring filmmakers. I would love to have seminars all around the world and inspire others to start making their own movies.

My main goal with DFYNBM was to inspire people who might not have a big budget, or any budget at all, to produce their own feature films. I believe these seminars can complement the book very well by being not only inspiring but also informative and entertaining.

I have so many stories and anecdotes I would love to share that didn't end up in the book! I will start locally here in Montreal, then hopefully expand to the rest of Canada and the US. The next goal after that would be to go overseas! I will also slowly get back into acting. I already have a few auditions lined up that seem like fun. There are also some unfinished scripts I'd like to work on and hopefully produce.

What advice would you offer anyone entering the film or TV arena as an actor, producer, or director?

Make sure you are getting into it because you absolutely love it. Don't do it for some kind of fame or fortune because there is a 99.9% chance you won't get it. Do it from your heart and not your ego. Take classes/workshops, and learn as much about your craft as you can. Watch a lot of movies and shows!

There is a lot of great content out there and so many outlets where you can expose your work. There is no excuse these days, the technology is affordable and platforms are always looking for fresh ideas. Finally, just do it! Pick up your digital camera or iPhone and just go out there and shoot. If you're an actor, record yourself doing scenes or shoot skits to keep yourself sharp, and never give up!

To learn more about Ivan Peric and his work or to purchase his excellent book see:

Ivan Peric Website.

Ivan Peric Instagram.

Ivan Peric Facebook.

Ivan Peric Twitter.

Ivan Peric Youtube.

Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! Amazon UK.

Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! Amazon USA.

Working The Makeup Dept Budget With Desired FX

In the world of film and TV, budgets can be the biggest constraint alongside time, to the creative process. For the makeup department often this means we have to search out cost-efficient options to create a particular look or downgrade the process to fit the money available, thankfully, there are services like Desired FX that can help with this and give you a budget-friendly, professional add-on to your kit that will push the department ahead.

From silicone wounds to scars, tattoos including bruising and standard designs, Desired FX offers up a range of products that will work for most scenarios and even offers a studio custom service to allow further scope for creativity on a budget.

With increasing options in the digital market from Amazon to HOD TV (Horror on Demand), the indie film sector has never been so popular with the on-demand film/TV sector becoming bigger year on year, but budgets being tight in the circuit, having the option of a team like Desired FX who can provide cost-efficient options for the FX department, there is scope to bring a different dimension as a department head working smart with the available funds.

To learn more about Desired FX or to purchase see:

Desired FX shop ( 10% off on all products with the promo code "JamesClark10")

Desired FX Instagram.

Desired FX Facebook.

Talking Film and Starting Out With Alex Chalatsis

As part of the upcoming new team and production house Dead Origami Films, we have been lucky enough to talk to Alex Chalatsis about his entry into the industry and what his plans are for the future.

Can you give us some background on yourself and your career to date?

I’m from Greece and currently studying Drama & Theatre at Royal Holloway University because I think England is the best country on this side of the Atlantic to pursue this dream and eventually work in the entertainment industry. I am currently working on productions laid by Dead Origami Films and really enjoy my time there, working with equally passionate people to create something we are truly proud of. My resume is still relatively small mostly due to my age, but I am working on enriching it with quality projects as the years come.

Indie film commonly requires that crew multi-task, have you found yourself working more than one role on a project and what do you feel you have learned from that?  

 Yep, crew multi-tasking is a thing alright… I have done my fair share already. It really showed me how much useful it is for a filmmaker to be informed about everything because they are all connected, and I am interested in walking that path, learning about everything as much as I can. Filmmaking feels like cooking in some ways to me. You have a lot of separate ingredients that you try to figure out the correct amount to put in and make a tasty dish. You better know what each ingredient is and does!

You are part of a newly formed film production team, what is your role, and what is the plan for the company?  

 I’m fortunate enough to have found like-minded people with a similar vision of what they want to do in the future. The plan as of now contains 5 short films. Our current one is “Brutus” which is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (Act I, Scene II). Next, we’ll be doing “Garmr”, which is going to be the surrealistic exploration of a deranged WWII sniper. After which we’ll be doing two more modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “Romeo & Juliet”, and finally “Iscariot: House of the Red Door”, all of them challenging and exciting in their own ways, building us up to our first feature film planned for 2024.

“My role in all of these will vary since I’m interested in various roles in filmmaking and still trying out and willing to learn new stuff, so I will be a little bit everywhere, I guess… I like to be involved in films and keep myself busy, I really enjoy it.”

What advice would you offer to people looking to enter the arena of film and TV in the digital market?  

I think I still haven’t broken into that “arena” myself to advise others in the first place, but I would say be nice to others. It’s advice that would be helpful in life in general and regarding filmmaking, connections are really important since you end up spending a lot of time with each other on set, it would be better if you get along! I hope in a few years I will have a more insightful answer.

To learn more about Alex and his upcoming work with Dead Origami Films see:

Dead Origami Films Twitter.

Dead Origami Films Facebook.

Dead Origami Films Instagram.

Dead Origami Films Youtube.

Introducing Dead Origami Films

We are really pleased to be able to introduce the team behind the up-and-coming Dead Origami Films who have been making waves in the circuit. With a new project on the cards, it seemed to be the perfect time to talk about filmmaking and their collaboration with vshowcards.

You have been working on some smaller projects as a starting point for your new production company Dead Origami Films, can you tell us more about how you came to do this and your background as a team?

I had written the script for our first short film 'Ellipsis' and I was trying to find a crew to make it with through my university but I really wasn't getting anywhere until I met fellow students, Alex Chalatsis and Nikko Turner (who had the same roles). We found that we not only worked exceptionally well together but that it was a team dynamic and with a group of skills that stood out on set as well, to very positive notes from others. We'd already begun talking about doing other films together by that point, but after we finished shooting Ellipsis we set about bringing that dream to life through the foundation of our production house, with Tequila Carter who was a producer and SFX makeup artist from Ellipsis, who we found to be incredibly resourceful and passionate.

Whilst Alex and I have known each other for about a year now, it's amusing to think that Nikko only joined us six months ago and Tequila a month after that, when I feel like I've known and worked with them all for much, much longer - we've got an unusual kind of symmetry that makes working together fun and effective. We all have weaknesses and strengths that complement each other and more than that we're incredibly passionate about what we're trying to build as a team.

You are working on a new short film at the moment, what can you tell us about the project and your plans for this film?

Absolutely, it's called 'Brutus' and it is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2) which we're shooting in Southend-On-Sea in late September. It portrays the titular Brutus and his fellow senators as a group of gangsters plotting to kill their boss in a pub. Narratively, the film follows Brutus' journey through a single night as he wrestles with the decision to murder his close friend for the sake of his people and the consequences of that emotional turmoil on his marriage.
I'd tentatively call it a proof-of-concept piece as I do have interest in the possibility of adapting the entire play into a feature eventually, but by the same token, I'm adamant in my desire to make this film feel capable of standing on its own two feet as well.

One thing that has been noted is that you're working alongside vshowcards: what was the motivation behind this and how has it affected the dynamic of your projects?

I became aware of vshowcards at the Southend Film Festival, where I'd just watched the feature 'Fixed', which had cast Darren Tassell, one of their founders. I'd already been thinking about doing some modern adaptations of Shakespeare for a long time, but it wasn't something I took seriously until I met Darren and thought to myself, "That's my Brutus!". From there things snowballed, and it became Dead Origami Film's next project.

I had a meeting with Darren shortly after the festival and he told me more about vshowcards and what they were trying to do with it and I decided to try casting the film through their network, which I found to be a brilliant asset. It was more the case that I just found the people I felt were perfect for the roles there, rather than the idea that I set my sights on casting through vshowcards exclusively, a fact evidenced by my casting Kim Gjersøe who I'd worked with on Ellipsis. But how vshowcards is set up, just lent itself naturally to helping me make clear-cut casting choices.

With Dead Origami Films now moving forward, what is the goal of the company in film terms? Do you have a genre or particular theme you want to continue with?

Well, we've got four more short films slated for production after the Brutus. Next, we'll be doing 'Garmr', which is going to be the surrealistic exploration of a deranged WWII sniper. After which we'll be doing two more modern adaptations of Shakespeare (Macbeth + Romeo & Juliet), which brings us to 'Iscariot: House of the Red Door', which I'm extremely excited about in terms of our set design and visual effects.

Through 2023/2024 we've been talking about doing our first feature film, which will be named after and inspired by Victor Hugo's 1829 seminal novella “The Last Day of a Condemned Man”, which will philosophically and morally explore the mindset of a prisoner sentenced to death.

Nikko and I are blessed in that we have incredibly specifically similar tastes in film, heavily leaning towards the surreal and dark themes in general which pairs well with Tequila's love of horror films. Alex loves anything starring Tommy Wiseau, but we forgive him for his sins. I think those themes ring true in a lot of what we're planning on doing over the next few years, but on a personal level I wouldn't want to see us pigeonholed into doing just one genre of filmmaking, I've certainly got aspirations towards making other kinds of films.

What advice would you offer to people looking to enter the film/TV industry based on your own experiences?

That's a challenging question to answer as I imagine most people's situations would be quite different from my own. I'm lucky in that I found a group of people who believe in me and in each other and want to see where we can go with that belief. For us, that extends into developing a youtube and Patreon community with a large amount of content we'll be developing from next month - this allows us the opportunity to not only get in practice as filmmakers between short films but also ultimately, develop a financial stream that will allow us to function self-sustainably in the future if need be.

“I think I only have one piece of advice worth sharing that is as true to life as it is to filmmaking. Find yourself good people to enjoy life and create art with, people who will embrace you for who you are and you them. It might take a lifetime to find them, but they are out there.”

To learn more about Dead Oragami Films or their project work see:

Dead Origami Films Twitter.

Dead Origami Films Facebook.

Dead Origami Films Instagram.

Dead Origami Films Youtube.

Revamping The Lost Sites

We are going to be working on the Lost sites over the next two weeks allowing us to decide what is and isn’t working, change out images, and update affiliate links and partnerships, we are incredibly lucky to have some amazing brands supporting us already and we have projects that have been completed (but shelved due to other aspects of work underway) that will be used to update the sites.

From a professional stance, in particular to the makeup side, our creative director and head of makeup JamesC’s website has already been reworked to make it cleaner and simpler to navigate, he has chosen several brands to work with including Mykitco (check out the pro discount program for eligibility), Illamasqua Pro will become a featured brand soon, and of course Sons of Adonis (JamesC personally consulted with the owner of the range and the brush).

Two small projects for the festival circuit are being written and developed with a view to expanding into a full-scale TV series, an idea we have wanted to really push forward with for a long time, with the festival path we can tailor our choices to suit garnering awards for the team including the makeup, actors, and director to help with promotion.

*This means we will add to the roster very soon to help with the creation of projects, and a new TV production site will be a part of this planning.

We are really pleased that our main site, The Lost Project, is gathering attention (organically) and continues to be a source of information on the consumer side, the book reviews and makeup stories are proving to be popular which is something we are incredibly proud of.

More changes are coming and it is truly exciting to be working on the lost group expansion. Stay tuned for more updates and news.