AI for people who actually make things (with Rachel Leventhal)

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
  / rachel-leventhal-bkltai  
-    / @backlot-ai  

🤖 Host: Juan Faisal
LinkedIn:   / 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

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