Small Creatives Teams, Big Media Projects | Backlot AI Co-Founder Rachel Leventhal Speaks

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 teamsAdditional Credits: - Dheeraj M4JOR from Pixabay (sfx)- Universfield from Pixabay (sfx)- 'Subscribe' animation by Vecteezy