Tales From the Bandwagon

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the memes joking “I survived 2020 without starting a podcast” were abundant. I succumbed to the pressure and started one anyway. As 2021 comes to a close, I wanted to take some time and reflect on the first season.

Getting Started

Sometime during late-summer 2020, I was on the phone with someone I look up to; he lives the life that I aspire to live. He said something that sparked an idea I didn’t realize at the time. This won’t be an exact quote, but he said something along the lines of “always be the dumbest one in the room” in regard to absorbing lessons and skills.

A few months later, I decided I wanted to start a podcast called “Dumbest in the Room.” At the time, I didn’t make the connection that this idea had come from that conversation with him. I purchased the necessary equipment to get started such as the Rode RODECaster Pro along with necessary accessories. I knew that I also wanted there to be a video element because several of my favorite podcasts (Sal Vulcano & Chris Distefano Present: Hey Babe! and The Nine Club) are on YouTube. I had an old GoPro Hero 4 and then went and bought a new GoPro Hero 8+ Black. There are some distinct quality and color differences between the two cameras but I didn’t want to go broke if the show was going to be a flop. It was close enough that I knew I could manage for the first season. I knew that I was going to have professional sounding audio from the RODECaster so I didn’t need to worry about audio from a camera (or so I thought, more on that later). I recorded a trailer, designed a logo, and started spreading the word. The idea of the podcast got a lot more traction than I anticipated so I was very excited to get started. With the help of coworkers, family, and future family I was able to turn my spare bedroom/office into a podcast studio.

Takeaways From the Guests

Jason Hawkes

For the first interview, I wanted to have a guest that I was comfortable with and had an existing rapport. It was only natural that Jason Hawkes, owner of Cardinal Skate Shop, helped me launch the show. Jason told amazing stories about getting into skateboarding, his time in the military, buying the skate shop in 2009, and the trials and tribulations that came with moving Cardinal from Virginia Beach to Norfolk. Jason is a true testament of giving something your all and beating the odds. It was inspiring to hear of the times he faced adversity and was able to overcome. If you’re a small business owner or planning to start one, skate shop or not, Jason’s story is a great listen.

Joe Bullock

Episode 2 focused on Joe Bullock, a colorectal cancer survivor who does more grassroots work raising awareness than anyone I’ve ever heard of. Joe is the go-to guy in the Man Up to Cancer -The Howling Place Facebook group and it seems like he never sleeps. I was honored to have Joe on to tell his story while continuing to advocate for men’s health awareness. We will probably never know exactly how many men’s, women’s, and children’s lives Joe has touched, but hopefully when Joe does find time to sleep, he sleeps well knowing the difference he’s making.

Dr. Mark T. Fleming

My third guest kicked off the duo of my personal superheroes appearing on Dumbest in the Room. Dr. Mark T. Fleming is a Genitourinary Oncologist with Virginia Oncology Associates. He has many accolades and has held/holds several important roles in the oncological world. Dr. Fleming is currently the National Policy Board Chair of the US Oncology Network. It was my absolute honor to have the man who helped save my life after a testicular cancer diagnosis on the podcast. It was interesting hearing about his detoured trip through medical school, the different genitourinary cancers and his personal connection to one of them, and more.

Dr. Clint Cary

Guest number four was the second of my personal superheroes to make an appearance on the podcast. Dr. Clint Cary is a world-renowned urologist and surgeon practicing at Indiana University Health Hospital. Dr. Cary talked about the life of a surgeon and how he became one. He also talked briefly about the retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), the surgery he performed on me in November 2019 that ended my cancer journey. If you’re interested in learning more about the RPLND, be on the lookout for Dr. Cary on an episode of my other podcast, "It Takes Balls,” in 2022 where we’ll talk more about the surgery.

Laura Caso

I was fortunate to have my buddy Laura Caso on the podcast. Laura is one of the most genuinely kind people I’ve ever known. Laura is now an anchor with WKYC in Cleveland, OH but we met when she was an anchor at WAVY in Hampton Roads, VA. Laura was a coworker who was compassionate and kind to me during some of the lowest times in my life including breakups and cancer. I enjoyed hearing how she made her own destiny when it came to getting her first job in TV news. As they say at Moe’s, “[Caso] is extra, is that alright?” I can attest that Caso being extra is, in fact, “alright.”

Leah Martin Tribus

Having Leah Martin Tribus on the podcast was the first time I really went out of the wheelhouse of things that I had peripheral knowledge of. Leah is a Lactation Consultant who helps new mothers with breastfeeding. This is not something I had ever had a discussion about before but it was probably the episode from which I learned the most. There are many benefits of breastfeeding but it’s also OK if a mother cannot or chooses not to breastfeed. Leah explained both sides of the coin in this episode.

Phil “Smagical” Smage

Smagical is one of the most inspiring people currently walking the planet. Emphasis on walking. After a major accident while filming for a Nitro Circus movie, Phil became an incomplete quadriplegic. As an action sports athlete, this is something that is always a concern but is faced down anyway. Phil has an incredible story of perseverance as he talked about the highs and lows of his recovery. While still battling side effects of the crash, Smagical has been able to get back on all kinds of boards and motorized vehicles. He even gave a sneak peek at something he was able to accomplish that many people thought would never be possible.

Condos are Dumb

My audio in Smagical’s episode unfortunately had to come from the natural microphone on the GoPros. My condo was flooded by my upstairs neighbor’s dishwasher and I had to have industrial fans running to dry out my unit. There was a technical difficulty with the audio mixer and my audio sounded alien-like. This is the only episode that had this issue. I was able to record the next episode with Don Slater before going on a 3 month hiatus while being displaced from home for a total (insurance covered) renovation. This was devastating to me because I wanted to be consistent and follow through with doing a year of podcast episodes. My equipment was packed away during this time.

Don Slater

If you’re someone who has been in Hampton Roads, VA for any amount of time in the last 40 years, Don Slater is a name you’re familiar with. Don is the Chief Meteorologist for WAVY-TV 10/FOX43. Don told an interesting story about being the first on-air meteorologist to use the weather computers that are commonplace today. He also discussed the futures of weather, forecasting, and himself as he enters semi-retirement. Don Slater is a living legend and I can’t thank him enough for gracing me with an hour of his time from “Paris.”

James Strickland

James Strickland was my first guest back from the aforementioned hiatus. He was also my first guest who I didn’t already know in real life. He was recommended to me by my aunt who works with him and the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad. James is another real life superhero who inspired me with stories of helping people in their darkest hour and how rewarding it can be. It was interesting to learn about the ambulance, it’s equipment, and how the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad does not charge patients for services.

Korey Gandy

My highest performing episode of season 1 on audio platforms was with Korey Gandy. Korey was the winner of Love Island season 3 on CBS. Korey and I talked about growing up skateboarding together before he talked about his time on the reality show. It was interesting to hear the behind the scenes of the show and how he was able to win with Olivia Kaiser. Korey is an inspiring example of living for the moment and giving everything you do 110%.

Josh Plasse

I was very thankful to have Josh Plasse stop by and be a guest on the show. Josh and I talked about how we know each other and how neither of us ever saw him becoming an actor/writer/producer. Josh went from wanting to be in the military to a very successful career in Hollywood after experimenting with theater in Richmond, VA. Josh is another example of giving something 110% despite the ups and downs. Josh has appeared in many different projects including Grey’s Anatomy and the reboot of iCarly on Paramount+. Season 1 of iCarly ended on a cliffhanger so I’m looking forward to seeing if he will reappear in season 2!

Andrew Dotson

My highest performing episode on YouTube was with Andrew Dotson by a long shot. Andrew is the face of a very successful YouTube channel where he talks about physics and being a Theoretical Nuclear Physicist. This was another episode that was way out of my wheelhouse. I even caught some hate in the YouTube comments about how I should have done my research first (that guy must not have understood the point of the show). Andrew talked about things way over my head but I still was able to learn a lot from him including some history of physics, what a theoretical nuclear physicist is, and much more.

Eric Bodenstein

Eric Bodenstein, who I still feel weird calling by his first name, was one of my favorite guests this season. Mr. Bodenstein teaches English and Media Studies at Frank W. Cox High School. He was one of my favorite teachers from my time there when I had him as my Media Studies teacher. It was awesome to have the guy who kind of helped forge my way into the career field I’m currently in as a guest. It was funny hearing his stories of his time as a teacher at both public and private schools as well as how it was to teach during the COVID-19 pandemic. His job is most often a thankless one but has lasting impacts on the future of humanity, in a way.

Anthony Raspanti

Anthony Raspanti works harder in one day than most people do in a week. Hearing about how his job owning a landscaping business is extremely hard work makes me embarrassed about my job indoors. The amount of drive it takes to not only do the dangerous, hard work that he does day-to-day but also manage other employees doing the same work is incredible. There is so much more to landscaping than meets the eye. I never even considered that there was specialized schooling for this type of work and the different types of grass, but Anthony proves that not only was I wrong, but if you put in the work you can be very successful.

Shane Nickerson

My season finale episode focused on Shane Nickerson. Shane has had a hand in creating some of the shows that I watched as an adolescent and during my chemotherapy to help me get through. He is the President of Thrill One Media and the Executive Producer of shows such as Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory and Ridiculousness on MTV and Dude Perfect on Nickelodeon among countless others. This episode was one that I had been looking forward to since before my forced hiatus. Shane is someone I would love to work for one day because he makes the type of content I would love to be a part of creating.

Looking Ahead

I’m extremely excited for season 2 of Dumbest in the Room. I’m going to take some time off during the holidays and hopefully launch the next season in February 2022. For the next season I hope to have a more diverse set of guests. I recognize that season 1 was mostly men, so I look forward to having more women of varying professions on the show. I hope to upgrade my older GoPro to have better quality versions of the show on YouTube as well as make some studio upgrades to include more decor.

If you aren’t already, please subscribe on YouTube and/or leave a review and follow the show on Apple or Spotify. These are the main platforms I push, however the show is available in most places where podcasts are available. I also post episodes on this website at Dumbest in the Room under the blog tab. Please also follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Thank you all for a successful season 1 and I look forward to putting out more content in 2022!

Connectivity: Social Media’s Impact

It’s 2020, we’re in the middle (middle? middle-end, hopefully?) of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s an election year. We’re spending a LOT of time on the internet. Some might say the internet is the worst thing ever when it comes to what you see people sharing, some might say it’s the best. It depends on what content you’re consuming, I suppose. For me, historically, the internet has provided me opportunities and experiences that I never would have had without it.

I can go all the way back to 2010-2011 - a decade ago, wow - when I was at my peak of being a skateboarder. I still am a skateboarder at heart, I just don’t get to do it as often or as well anymore. I was shooting skateboard montages with my friends every chance I got. Some of the montages were good, some were not so good. I was hungry for feedback, though, so I reached out on Facebook to any and all skateboard filmmakers I could find. I’m sure most of them don’t remember ever direct messaging with me but I certainly do. People like Jr Venegas, Roger Bagley, Ty Evans, Chris Ray, and more. I was an annoying kid who pestered them for the most I could get out of them at the time, I’ll admit it. Most of them were very responsive and some weren’t at all which is totally fine. I asked them all kinds of questions about things ranging from “what camera do you use/should I get next?” to “will you watch my montage and give me feedback?”

I definitely didn’t and still feel like I don’t deserve the time they took out of their days to watch (or even pretend to watch) my little skate videos. I very much appreciated their kindness, though, and it’s because of them that I kept with the filmmaking dream and am doing the jobs I am today.

Meeting Kelly Hart for the first time in San Diego.

Around the same time I was a daily visitor on a skateboarding website for a skatepark called The Berrics. The name is a combination of co-owners’ names Steve “Berr”a and “Eric” Koston. They have all kinds of different series on the site, all with a military or worldly vibe. One of the series they do is called “United Nations,” a big video they put together with all of the skaters sponsored by whichever company they were highlighting. One of the first ones I watched featured a company called Expedition One. I watched it a thousand times and added every skater in it that I could find as a friend on Facebook. I messaged the living crap out of all of them but the one who I’m still friends with to this day is Kelly Hart. Kelly, according to his own Instagram bio, “like[s] to skateboard and laugh.” That sums him up better than I could ever describe him but I'll just add that he’s the #BestDude. Befriending Kelly has gotten my brother and I access to places like The Berrics that are typically invite-only. Just like with the skate filmers, I still don’t feel like I deserve(d) to be friends with a pro skateboarder turned popular podcast host but, not to put words in his mouth, he has told me that I reminded him of himself when he was my age (at the time) so he continued to sort of mentor me. We’d chatted online for about a year before we finally met at a skatepark in San Diego while I was on a vacation with my family. I valued our friendship tremendously so when he one day pointed out that everything I was posting online was negative and told me that if all I put out was negativity all I would attract was negativity I really took it to heart. I very often tell people, including Kelly, that that exact text from him changed my life. Ever since then I have tried my best to put positivity into the universe.

Years later in 2018, again on Facebook, social media and the internet proved their power to me once again. After being blindsided by a breakup of a relationship for which I had purchased an engagement ring, I decided to do something positive by giving the ring away online to a stranger who deserved the opportunity to give their future forever person the ring they deserved but couldn’t quite afford on their own. To spare you, and myself, the nitty-gritty details by beating a dead horse, I’ll link to the story here where you can watch the NBC Nightly News story about it if you desire to do so. In a nutshell, though, the internet afforded me the opportunity to read nearly 2,000 love stories that restored my faith in love. The viral nature of the story also had a ripple effect resulting in Travelzoo giving the recipient and his fiancée a $5,000 check to put toward their honeymoon.

Reading the results of the race with Travis.

In the summer of 2018 I saw my heroes, action sports legend Travis Pastrana and Phil Smage, posting on Instagram that they were in Virginia Beach to rehab “Smagical” after his accident. Knowing from their posts that they were going to be in town for a month and knowing that Travis can’t turn down a challenge, I messaged Phil on Instagram to challenge Travis to a go-kart race. The catch was there would be a $500 wager that the loser would have to donate to Road2Recovery Foundation, an organization dedicated to making sure injured action sports athletes don’t have to worry about anything except getting better. Travis won by a tenth of a second and I was happy to make a donation to R2R directed at helping Phil in his recovery. The news station where I work has a lifestyle show that did a story on the race which I’m sure resulted in some more donations to Road2Recovery. All of this wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the ability to connect via social media.

In 2019 social media allowed me to connect with others who were experiencing or had experienced testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is a little bit taboo and of course no one thinks it can happen to them so it doesn’t get talked about as much as it should. I, with encouragement from my doctors and nurses, started vlogging my experience with chemo and surgeries with the goal of helping others talk about this cancer and hopefully check themselves regularly so they can catch any abnormalities early. Through Facebook I was able to connect with the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation and the people involved with it and I have an idea that I’m in the process of floating with them to help even more people (if coronavirus levels out then maybe we can finally get to it). This leads me to my final and most recent positive experience with social media.

This year, in developing a project for testicular cancer awareness in conjunction with using my talents as a producer, I reached out to the producer of some of my favorite shows growing up. Shane Nickerson of Superjacket Productions has produced a myriad of projects with Rob Dyrdek such as Rob & Big, Fantasy Factory, and Ridiculousness. All of those shows have a small commonality with the project I’m developing to raise awareness for testicular cancer. I reached out to Shane on Instagram where he permitted me to email him my pitch. I wasn’t looking for anything more than a “yeah that’s a good idea” or a “no that’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” What I never in a million years expected was for him to take the serious amount of time to look over Lightship’s website and give me an exceedingly thorough response on not only my project but feedback on the company and advice on being a producer in general.

None of these experiences would have been possible if it weren’t for social media. The importance of social media in 2020 and beyond to be able to connect with anyone in the world at a moment’s notice is unparalleled. This connectivity is important also when owning a business. As a company Lightship Productions loves to help our clients create exceptional videos to reach their audience and create an environment in which their customers are excited to contact them.

-Steven Crocker

Spreading the Love

As a company of only 3 employees, sometimes it’s hard to handle the workload ourselves. Attempting to do so would be a disservice to our clients and that’s not something we want to take the chance on. During this time of pandemic I’ll introduce you, in no particular order, to some of the freelancing crew we bring on board with us for projects if the project budget allows. These are all amazingly talented people who we are thrilled to have on our side to help a client’s vision come to life.

Jeremy Bates

I’m going to start with Jeremy Bates. He’s a fellow ODU alum and a multi-faceted filmmaker. He’s a director, a cinematographer, and just an all-around roll-up-his-sleeves-and-do-whatever-he-can-to-help kind of guy. He owns his company, Jeremy Bates Film, and quite technically could be considered a major competitor to Lightship. Fortunately, we have a great relationship with Jeremy and whenever we can bring him on to one of our gigs, we’re extremely pleased to do so. Jeremy has the ability to create an incredible rapport with just about anyone, making him a huge asset to any production.

Nick Crawford

Next is Nick Crawford. Nick is also an ODU alum and one of the most genuinely through-and-through nice people you could ever meet. He’s also an amazing editor who has worked on a myriad of projects from short films to feature-length documentaries. The lay-person doesn’t quite appreciate the work of an editor when consuming TV or film but that doesn’t stop Nick from putting in hours upon hours upon hours… you get the point. Editing may seem easy, especially in the age where just about anyone can use iMovie on their phone, but the real-deal editing is exceptionally laborious and Nick absolutely loves it. Nick’s enthusiasm for filmmaking makes him the first person I think about when a project needs to be edited. He also co-hosts a podcast about movies called "Take Three: A Movie Podcast.”

Mike Fitzgerald

Sound is 50% of the TV and film experience and Mike Fitzgerald is what I like to call a legend. Mike and I met at ODU as well. I was so impressed by his sound design project in class that for our big class film the next semester, Carmelita, as producer I hired Mike as the sound recordist because I could tell he had an aptitude for sound. He had never done anything like it before but he nailed it and has taken it and run with it to become my go-to sound recordist. That is not only anything Lightship does for which we need a designated recordist but he’s the guy I recommend to other producers who are looking for a “sound guy.” Mike’s quick learning on Carmelita proves that as a person he can quickly adapt to any situation thrown his way to deliver the best product. Mike has gone on to work on short films, episodics, commercials and more. He also has experience in foley work and is quickly becoming one of Hampton Roads’ best sound designers.

Nate Villaire

Another one of our favorite people to work with is Nate Villaire. Nate has proven himself time and time again as an amazing camera assistant on projects we’ve hired him for. Life is a blur but I think I first met Nate working on “American Dreamer.” He was the designated camera department intern where he immediately, in my own opinion, became one of the production’s favorite interns. His work there led him to work on more feature films. Nate is another one of those really versatile humans as he shoots and directs music videos for Starcoast in addition to being very talented at photography and design. He also works for a TV news station in Norfolk, VA where he is expanding his production knowledge.

Caitlin Whitaker

Caitlin Whitaker is someone we’ve only recently begun working with but is already one of my favorites. She’s not afraid to help in any way she can. Caitlin has so many irons in the fire (successfully) that I’m not even sure when she sleeps, or if she does. We first worked with Caitlin on Continental Pools’ orientation video where she was a major asset in helping production run smoothly. She’s the president of the ODU Film Club and has also spent her time on sets of all sizes from short films to network TV productions. One of my favorite things about Caitlin is her empathy she can find with anyone on set should a problem arise.

Aaron Yarborough

Last, but certainly not least by a mile, is Aaron Yarborough. The first thing you might notice about Aaron is that his laugh is infectious but he’s also an amazing producer. Aaron owns Media Magic, LLC, which could also be considered a competitor to Lightship. Aaron’s knowledge spans many, many areas including feature-film production but his company focuses on government contracts and industrial videos. His kindness and ability to relate to anyone he speaks with makes him a phenomenal person to work with. As a company, Lightship and Aaron/Media Magic haven’t worked together just yet, but we have a few things in pre-production together and we couldn't be more excited.

I know I missed a lot of people but these are just a few for right now. I can’t wait for life to return to whatever the new normal will be with productions up and running. Maybe I’ll do another one of these later and shine light on some more people. In the meantime, stay safe and wear your mask!

-Steven

Cancer and Owning a Business

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Still frame from my last vlog about my testicular cancer journey.

All my life I’ve considered myself fairly lucky when it comes to health, so when I went to the doctor at the end of May 2019 to be seen about something that had been at the back of my mind for the previous two years I was confident it wouldn’t be diagnosed as testicular cancer. I was wrong.

Everything in my life, both personally and professionally, had been going so well. As a company we were about to take on our largest job so far with Continental Pools - our first job for which we would travel out-of-state to shoot. I’d been working with the company’s liaison to prepare for every hiccup I thought we may or may not encounter. The one I didn’t see coming was the one that would take me out of commission for the rest of 2019.

Four days after my 25th birthday and a couple weeks before the shoot, I had to have an orchiectomy - a surgery to remove my left testicle which contained the cancerous mass. I still planned on going to Maryland with the crew to help in the production in a supervisory position until my surgeon told me that 1) I shouldn’t stray far from home in case of post-op emergency and 2) I needed to have follow-up scans and appointments to determine whether or not the cancer had spread to my retroperitoneal lymph nodes. I was devastated that I couldn’t go, but I was confident that my partners and crew would deliver a fantastic product.

It was predetermined that Victor would DP this project and we’d contracted Jeremy Bates to direct the project. In my absence we called the audible to also include two film students from Old Dominion University to act in production assistant roles. Caitlin Whitaker and Katie Lange answered the call and exceeded expectations. We also brought on Nate Villaire as an AC. Everyone kept me updated on how the shoot was going and I was able to assist remotely when needed with administrative duties.

I’m extremely thankful to the ODU film department for facilitating the connections we’ve made with Jeremy, Caitlin, Katie, and Nate because they made it possible for us to continue our year-over-year growth even when I was out the rest of the year between chemotherapy and a Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND) - another surgery to remove a cancerous mass in the back of my abdomen.

For the remainder of the year I was handling administrative tasks while Victor and crew worked on projects such as the testimonial for Frog-Skin, where Caitlin and Katie also offered production assistant services.

During the time when I was out, I made vlogs documenting my journey in hopes of raising awareness about testicular cancer. I shot most of these on my iPhone but the last one Victor and I produced more professionally. You can view these vlogs and more about my story at the links below:

VB man and WAVY director shares battle with testicular cancer

Testicular Cancer Vlog #1 - 17 Days Post-Orchiectomy

Testicular Cancer Vlog #2 - Backstory

Testicular Cancer Vlog #3 - Travis Pastrana, Smagical and Friends Shave My Head

Testicular Cancer Vlog #4 - Cycle 1 Update

Testicular Cancer Vlog #5 - Cycle 2 Update

Testicular Cancer Vlog #6 - That’s a Wrap

I’ve been given the all-clear and will continue to have follow-ups to keep any instance of it potentially coming back at bay. I plan to continue to use my platform and resources together to create more awareness for testicular cancer so stay tuned for that. Please feel free to donate to my Facebook Fundraiser I’m running for the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation!

-Steven Crocker

The Beginning

In early 2017 Chris, Victor, and I all met in the Old Dominion University library in Norfolk, Virginia. We had all recently graduated from ODU’s film program after working together on a film titled “Carmelita” and knew that we wanted to start our own production company in Hampton Roads. This area is nothing like New York, Los Angeles, or Atlanta so we knew we had a long road ahead of us - but we were eager post-graduates wanting to make a name for ourselves.

We bounced around ideas for what to call our company and ultimately decided on Lightship Productions. We chose this name because we wanted something nautical but not something that may not have been taken seriously. Lightship is defined as “a ship anchored in a specific location and displaying or flashing a very bright light for the guidance of ships, as in avoiding dangerous areas.” I feel that this is a great representation of how we have continued to guide our clients through the tricky and sometimes unfamiliar waters of video production that they may have never experienced before.

Since our inception we’ve had tremendous year-over-year growth and have been able to work with clients of varying sizes. We enjoy working with large companies such as Continental Pools and aspiring musical artists such as KEW LEAKS. We’ve been able to contract out some of our fellow local ODU alumni from the program helping the Virginia economy as well.

We look forward to working with you and/or your company for continued mutual growth! Please Contact Us with any inquiries.

-Steven Crocker