A canceled keynote, a delayed flight, and a pilot with a rag might sound like chaos—until you see how it all snaps into focus. Photographer and pilot Jon Carmichael joins us to unpack the once-in-a-lifetime chain reaction that led to “108,” his breathtaking mosaic of the Great American Eclipse captured from a Southwest Airlines window at 39,000 feet. From childhood rocket launches and a seventh-grade eclipse demo to a last-minute scramble across flight paths, Jon shows how stubborn curiosity, bold asks, and help from total strangers can bend the odds.

We talk through the technical and the human: why photographing the moon’s shadow required telephoto mosaics and ATC-cleared S-turns, how the layered plastic of a window warps images, and what it took to catch the half-second “diamond ring.” Jon explains the thin blue line of our atmosphere and why the image feels like space despite its commercial altitude. Then the story pivots—Elon Musk cancels a surprise keynote, Jack Dorsey hears Jon’s tale, and in 45 minutes Jon steps on stage for the first time to speak to 5,000 people. The room erupts, and a new calling is born.

This episode is a masterclass in perspective and perseverance. You’ll hear practical lessons for leaders on building cultures of curiosity, for creators on asking boldly and iterating under pressure, and for anyone who needs a reminder that awe can heal division. If you’ve never stood in totality, Jon makes the case to travel the extra miles—because 99 percent isn’t the same as 100. If this story moved you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Check out more of Jon's Work:
JonCarmichael.com
Jon's Instagram
Jon's X (Twitter)

FIND US ON THE SOCIALS:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamonstudios.io
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamOnStudios574
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dreamon-studios/

A single conversation in an airport changed everything. Andrew Morgan—award-winning director of The True Cost, The Heretic, and Long Gone By—joins us to share how a documentary made in a season of grief set him on a path to tell human stories that cut through noise and shift culture. We get candid about why certain ideas won’t let go, how to find projects that scare you in all the right ways, and what it means to make work that’s truly worth someone’s time.

We dig into the craft: documentary as the art of listening, scripted storytelling as the art of speaking, and the power of blending both. Andrew talks attention spans without the doom, making short-form that leads to deeper experiences, and his steadfast love for theaters as spaces where phones go dark and imagination opens up. We also wrestle with tools and trends—from AI to shooting on film—and why adding intentional friction can make the work more honest, more beautiful, and more alive.

Then we go story by story. The True Cost, a decade on, still exposes fashion’s hidden human and environmental toll and proves that storytelling can be a catalyst for change. Long Gone By reframes immigration through a mother’s fierce love, challenging us to see people over policy. And Ultra, a short salvaged from a COVID-canceled feature, shows how failure can become a meditation on endurance, friendship, and meaning. Andrew hints at a new documentary love story he believes is his best work yet.

Check out Untold L.A.
www.untold.la
youtube.com/@UNTOLD_la
instagram.com/untold_la

FIND US ON THE SOCIALS:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamonstudios.io
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamOnStudios574
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dreamon-studios/

What if the most transformative theater in your life isn’t in Times Square, but under a 70-year-old roof in Indiana—where the stage is a circle, the audience is inches away, and young artists get their first lead before they ever see a Broadway dressing room? We sit down with artistic director Scott Michaels and managing director Jen Dow to explore how Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts built a national reputation from a local heartbeat.

Scott shares how an athlete’s mindset made him a choreographer obsessed with process and problem solving—especially in the round, where there are no wings, no fly system, and no hiding. Jen traces a path from gymnastics and choir to a portfolio career—performer, wig designer, producer, teacher—that grew wherever the theater had a need. Together, they’ve created a culture that functions like a team: no bench players, just collaborators who learn fast, lead early, and carry the work with pride.

We dig into the youth pipeline behind the theater’s national impact, from Wagon Wheel Jr. intensives to college performers earning first contracts that become springboards to tours and Broadway. Hear the story of Morgan, who led Sister Act in Warsaw and later starred as Eliza in Hamilton, returning to surprise a new Dolores and remind today’s cast what’s possible.

As a nonprofit, the theater is shifting from ticket-heavy revenue toward a healthier mix of contributions and community support. We talk year-end giving, a cabaret-style gala featuring Symphony, alumni spotlights, and kids onstage, plus the long game of sustainability, facilities, and keeping the round sacred. If you’ve never experienced theater where actors move around you and emotion hits from all sides, now’s the time.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves live performance, and leave a review to help more people find these stories. Ready to feel the difference a round stage makes? Grab tickets at www.wagonwheelcenter.org and tell us which show you’re seeing next.

FIND US ON THE SOCIALS:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamonstudios.io
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamOnStudios574
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dreamon-studios/