The Meta Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ishan Parikh
A conversational podcast focused on art, creativity, and movies featuring interviews with local Kansas City artists. Hosted and produced by Kansas City filmmaker Ishan Parikh.
Another episode, another actor! Ishan's friend (and roommate) Denniel Correa graces us with his presence to talk about his early aspirations to become an actor coming from a Puerto Rican background, while also giving us an insight into the theater side of things. Denniel and Ishan also discuss coming from minority backgrounds and the American film landscape calling for more diversity. This week's movie pick is Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. Denniel is in his final semester at The University of Kansas as a theater major. Recently, he has been a part of HyVee, Wendy's, and Ford commercials shot in Kansas City.
First episode of the new season brings on Jake McKay, a local KC artist who's worked in a lot of different mediums (The intro forgets to mention music as one of them but Jake is a talented musical artist as well). We talk Jake's creative journey so far, his college years, a hint at what he's got coming up, as well as his outlook on how to go about creating. We also get into the current political landscape and how it's going to filter into his upcoming work. This episode's movie pick is Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Link to Jake's sketch comedy work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxtLSu2ucNg&list=PL4hiIYoJm4KuT_2mH16LFhvzO1YQgEebS&ab_channel=Rosewood
Link to Jake's twitter: https://twitter.com/sohappyimsad
Happy TENTH episode! Ishan’s close friend and collaborator Rodney Alexander joins the show to talk about the anxieties of being an artist, their experiences growing together creatively, being comfortable with yourself, and much more. This episode’s movie pick is Avengers: Infinity War. Rodney is a senior at The University of Kansas in his final semester as a theater major and film minor.
Big episode with a BIG guest. Ishan's close friend and often-collaborator Ryan Njenga stops by. We cover a lot: Ryan's work and its various influences, his experiences starting out making short films in high school, what he's got coming up, as well as his time coming to Lawrence to work on his recent short film collection (FOUR SHORT FILMS (2019)). This episode's movie pick is Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood. Ryan is a local Kansas City filmmaker who writes and directs his own work under his production bannner NJENGA FILMS. He also directs and produces music videos within the KC metro area.
Link to Ryan's work: https://vimeo.com/ryannjenga
This episode changes the format slightly. We pick an artist and dissect their career and work. This episode we sit down with Chase Hofer to discuss Noah Baumbach's filmography and career. Baumbach has been a huge influence on both Chase and Ishan and their work. We do a deep dive into films like The Squid and the Whale, Marriage Story, and Frances Ha. This week's movie pick is not a movie, but we do have a very passionate and lovely de-brief on Better Call Saul. Chase is a filmmaker, and a Film and Media Studies major at The University of Kansas.
This episode shifts the conversation to a more cultural atmosphere. Ishan's friend and colleague from KU Ryan Reeves joins the show to talk all things black art, black film, and some of the best creatives of color working today in the industry. We also touch on the history and evolution of black culture and its representation in film as well as the state of the industry currently regarding diversity and representation. Ryan is currently finishing his undergrad at the Savannah College of Art and Design (better known as SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. This episode's review is Marvel's latest and first outing in TV -- WandaVision.
This episode brings two great friends of the META family. We welcome actors Josh McQuade and Kara Stobie — two of Ishan’s closest collaborators. We talk their respective careers thus far, different aspects of acting, its importance in filmmaking, as well as look back on our time making short films together and becoming close as both people and artists. This week’s movie pick is Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash. Josh is an alum from the theater program at the University of Kansas. Kara is in her final semester at KU, also in the theater program. Link to Josh’s web series “The Adventures of Compass Man: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP6_fmknAAG7y_YFbD72Bk7PJSKnbFN5T
On this installment of the META podcast we change things up a bit and speak about a big massive subject in the DC fan community -- Zack Snyder's Justice League, or better known as The Snyder Cut. Film critic Sean O'Connell talks to us about his new book Release The Synder Cut which takes you through the behind the scenes turmoil of the 2017 Justice League film and the subsequent rise of the Snyder Cut movement which has spanned three years and emerged victoriously with Zack Snyder's cut of the film finally getting an exclusive March 18th release on HBO Max. Sean O'Connell is a film critic and the managing director at CinemaBlend, as well as the author of the book Release The Snyder Cut.
The RTSC book is available now at Amazon and your local bookstore: https://www.amazon.com/Release-Snyder-Cut-Snyders-Justice/dp/1493059033/ref=sr_1_1crid=6IB6U6CQPJ4E&dchild=1&keywords=release+the+snyder+cut&qid=1615959556&sprefix=release+%2Caps%2C199&sr=8-1
This episode we shift gears to writing -- screenwriting to be specific. Ishan's former colleague from KU and friend Riley Fullerton joins this episode to talk all things screenwriting, the ambitions of making it in the entertainment industry as well as his journey as a screenwriter. This week's movie pick is Sound of Metal available to stream on Amazon Prime. Riley is a Writer and Freelance Development Professional (specializing in comedy and dramedy screenplays). He enjoys screenwriting, acting, and writing and performing standup. Link to view Riley's sketch comedy work: https://youtu.be/z024UbnEY7M
This episode brings on Erik Harken and Gary Lange -- two young filmmakers in the thick of the hustle of trying to make a living in the local Kansas City film industry. We talk about the anxieties and the struggle -- basically just life as an artist when you're not famous or living in Hollywood. Erik and Gary both collaborated on a short film Tell My Family I Love Them during college at KU and are good friends and roomates. This episode's movie pick is Call Me By Your Name.
Link to Erik and Gary's film Tell My Family I Love Them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZRBFTe5aoY&ab_channel=ErikHarken
The second episode of the META podcast brings Brett Gaffney, a theater acting major at University of Lincoln, Nebraska. Brett and Ishan began as collaborators in high school (circa 2015), and successfully produced two feature films -- Deranged (2016) and Aimless (2017) -- on their own during their high school years. Recently, they reunited for project called Entropic, an upcoming short film from META. They take a look back on their high school years, starting out together as young filmmakers, their growth. Brett also gives us an insight into his process, and provides a unique perspective of his own on the craft of his acting. This week's movie pick is Damien Chazelle's La La Land.
In the first episode of the META podcast, Niralee Parikh helps us kick things off by talking all things about the creative process and the different ways it can apply, as well as what role art plays in our lives. Niralee is Ishan's sister, a former aestetician, and a data analytics major at the DePaul University.
Link to Ishan's production channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0uhM7juC2xsxEPhGi4jFQ