What if the industry doors don’t open for you? You build your own.
Juan Faisal talks with Rachel Leventhal — creator, technologist, and co-founder of Backlot AI — about the mindset it takes to work ahead of the curve. From early CD-ROM experiments at Nickelodeon to AI-powered filmmaking, they get into tool adoption, creative control, and why artists shouldn’t wait for permission.
🤖 Why it matters
AI tools are everywhere. But tech alone doesn’t drive change.
Real progress comes when artists see creative possibility — and build systems that support it.
🤖 You’ll learn
- How AI is helping small teams build ambitious creative projects
- Why “meaningful art” still guides Rachel’s tech choices
- What it takes to build inclusive, collaborative creative tools
- Why women shouldn’t wait to be invited into AI work
🤖 Guest: Rachel Leventhal
Creator, technologist, and co-founder of Backlot AI
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-leventhal-bkltai/
- https://www.youtube.com/@backlot-ai
🤖 Host: Juan Faisal
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanfaisal
- Newsletter: https://juanfaisal.substack.com
- Website: https://www.creativityandrobots.com
🤖 Timestamps
00:00 Rachel’s path from CD-ROMs to AI filmmaking
06:52 When creative tools are actually worth using
13:58 Collaboration, confidence, and building outside the system
19:02 What’s still missing: better tools for creative teams
Additional Credits:
- Dheeraj M4JOR from Pixabay (sfx)
- Universfield from Pixabay (sfx)
- 'Subscribe' animation by Vecteezy