British documentary filmmaker and award-winning cinematographer Daniel Everitt-Lock joins Talent Freaks to discuss directing the 2026 feature Our Planet, The People, My Blood, centered on nuclear veterans advocate Alan Owen’s fight against the UK Ministry of Defence for justice and compensation while connecting impacted communities across four continents. Daniel shares how a short film about nuclear weapons tests sparked the project, why he expanded the story beyond test veterans to include downwinders, uranium miners, Marshallese communities, and Hiroshima/Nagasaki survivors, and how governments place the burden of proof on victims. He breaks down the realities of making a global, shoestring documentary—traveling 150,000 km, interviewing 50 people, self-editing after losing an editor, and managing 100+ TB of footage—plus the film’s May 14 UK theatrical release, social strategy, educational use, and plans to give footage to Lab Rats.

If you’re interested in documentary filmmaking, cinematography, activism, or powerful human stories, this conversation is for you.

Episode 12 of Talent Freaks.

Follow Daniel Everitt-Lock's work:

Website: https://everlockproductions.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everittlock/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everlockproductions/

Connect with Host Andy and Talent Freaks:

🌐 Website: https://www.talentfreaks.com/

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent.freaks

▶️ YouTube: / @talentfreaks

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talent.freaks

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talent-freaks-podcast/id1796292842

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ELhgo3t9d4J2jT1V3dV70?si=c89a8c13991041a4

00:00 Trailer | Our Planet, The People, My Blood

01:45 Meet The Filmmaker

03:18 Origin Of The Story

06:40 Shoestring Global Production

09:08 Research And Interview Style

13:39 From Veterans To Global Chain

16:25 Cut Threads And Credibility

19:51 Activism And Extra Footage

26:26 Distribution And Social Push

28:37 Government Side And Hanford

37:31 Editing The Feature Alone

39:49 Editing Marathon Lessons

40:29 Finding the Narrative Thread

42:17 Next Projects and Creative Balance

43:44 Parliament Screening Impact

44:30 Festival Rejections Reality

45:23 DIY Theatrical Release

49:10 Why Nuclear Stories Sell

50:49 Desert Screening Ideas

52:36 Origin Story as Filmmaker

57:15 Cinematography Joy and Craft

01:02:26 Hardest Parts and Setbacks

01:05:10 Release Plans and Call to Action

01:09:04 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

Troy Booker (Intsagram @troybflying_photography) has charted a rare path: childhood dreams of flight realized as a Navy aviator and Dreamliner captain, intertwined with a mastery of portraiture that has earned him acclaim on Instagram and among models worldwide. In the rugged expanse of California's Eastern Sierras, amid @davidherring 's photo meetup, he opens up on Talent Freaks about orchestrating his pilot schedule for expansive creative blocks, forging deep bonds with models who intuit light and mood, and capturing fellow aviators' stories—like the retiring Marine general coaxed into his captain's hat for a portrait of quiet command.

His work spans studios and streets to Burning Man's radical wilds, where caution yields to inspiration; aviation's unyielding structure fuels photography's deliberate deviations—black-and-white visions prioritizing negative space, shadow play, and the poetry of "distractions." Genuine, generous, and intellectually alive, Troy embodies the down-to-earth pursuit of intertwined passions, amassing skill through global travels and unfiltered human connection.

For admirers of disciplined artistry and lived dreams, this is an intimate portrait of a life in balance.

Connect with Troy:

Website: https://troybflying.com

Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/troybflying/

Instagram (Photography): https://www.instagram.com/troybflying_photography/

Connect with Host Andy and Talent Freaks:

🌐 Website: https://www.talentfreaks.com/

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent.freaks

▶️ YouTube: / @talentfreaks

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talent.freaks

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talent-freaks-podcast/id1796292842

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ELhgo3t9d4J2jT1V3dV70?si=c89a8c13991041a4

If you're a filmmaker or organization interested in donating gear or supporting this cause, reach out to me to coordinate.

Please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help these vital stories reach the world!

00:00 Creative Freedom Intro

00:44 Meetup Setup Pivot

02:03 Meet Troy Booker

02:46 Pilot Life Meets Art

05:10 From Top Gun to Portraits

06:39 First Model and Mentors

09:14 Beauty in Abandoned Places

12:15 Learning Vision and Style

14:27 Finding Style vs Experimenting

17:27 Why Black and White

20:23 Editing and Imperfections

27:22 Choosing the Right Models

31:02 Photographing Real People Stories

35:19 Trust Behind the Lens

36:12 Camper Van Meetup Setup

37:26 Burning Man Origins

41:11 Surviving the Dust Gear

42:04 Ethics of Burning Photos

43:19 Military Meets Creativity

45:37 Instagram Without Strategy

46:56 Printing and Photo Books

48:29 Why New York Works

49:11 Top Travel Photo Spots

51:09 Ukraine and Human Connection

53:15 Balancing Pilot and Artist

56:38 Gadgets and Favorite Moments

01:00:03 Where to Find Troy

01:01:46 Closing Thanks and Outro

Podcast guest and FilmPro.ai creator Alex Lugo (@alexdlugo) joins Talent Freaks to share his journey from growing up on sets with his SAG-actor father to building an AI-powered pre-production platform used by 500+ filmmakers worldwide.

He walks through FilmPro.ai, a browser-based tool that reads your script and auto-generates posters, character sheets with AI portraits, location references, script breakdowns, and even shot lists and schedules—turning what used to take days into minutes for indie directors and producers.

Alex also opens up about founding Vitruvian Films in Miami, producing shorts like “They Prefer Richards” and “Project Penelope,” and how wearing multiple hats as an actor, producer, and software engineer shaped his philosophy: get a PhD in your vision, then become a professor of that vision to your team.

​

From Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance and Puerto Rican cultural pride to Christopher Nolan, Interstellar, and why “the most interesting things happen at the intersection of disciplines,” Alex makes the case that AI doesn’t replace creatives—it amplifies them when used thoughtfully.

​

Ideal for filmmakers, DPs, ADs, and producers wrestling with pre-production chaos, script breakdown spreadsheets, or just trying to communicate vision more clearly, this episode delivers both a live FilmPro.ai demo and hard-earned wisdom on collaboration, organization, and staying human in an AI-driven workflow.

​

Connect with Alex:

• FilmPro.ai: https://filmpro.ai
• ​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexdlugo
• FilmPro.ai Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmpro_ai
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-d-lugo
• Vitruvian Films: https://vitruvianfilms.com (if different, replace with your correct URL)

Connect with Host Andy and Talent Freaks:

🌐 Website: https://www.talentfreaks.com/

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent.freaks/

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentfreaks

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talent.freaks

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talent-freaks-podcast/id1796292842

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ELhgo3t9d4J2jT1V3dV70?si=40f60e8e32d64524&nd=1&dlsi=d8cda59cee1c4793

If you're a filmmaker or organization interested in donating gear or supporting this cause, reach out to me to coordinate.

Please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help these vital stories reach the world!

Chapters

00:00 Teaser

00:09 Meet Alex Lugo

01:48 Bad Bunny Halftime Breakdown

05:43 Growing Up On Set

10:06 First Films And Lessons

12:59 Organization And Communication

17:29 Cinema Influences And Nolan

22:02 Choosing Tech And Flexibility

30:47 Why Build Film Pro

36:46 From Prototype To Launch

40:49 Film Pro Demo Begins

44:46 Poster References Explained

46:20 Script Based Poster Draft

47:43 Custom Poster Iterations

49:19 Edit Mode Consistency

51:37 Logline Feedback Loop

53:11 Character Breakdowns Looks

56:39 Location References Iteration

59:02 Script Breakdown Export

01:01:59 Scheduling Call Sheets

01:07:24 Who Film Pro Serves

01:13:03 Shot List Storyboards

01:16:07 AI Coproducer Memory

01:18:22 Script Coverage Notes

01:19:59 Startup Challenges Future

01:24:17 Where To Find Film Pro

01:27:28 Final Thanks Outro