Roy Miles & Life as the ‘Ghetto Gepetto’

Not Real Art

Today on the show we have the one and only Roy Miles, a true Swiss Army Knife of an artist with a seemingly never-ending set of skills. For those in the back who have not heard of Roy, he is a puppeteer, musician, filmmaker, designer, and the list goes on. Roy, AKA the Ghetto Gepetto, is the creator of the Biddies toys as well as the YouTube channel Hoodfoot, a central hub where his multitude of talents come together in one place through the medium of film. Roy joins us on the show today to shoot the breeze with Sourdough, touching on work, family, the pandemic, cryptocurrency, and everything in between. We hear about the attitude of constant learning Roy applies to his work and how he is constantly trying to expand the items in his toolkit. He talks about his filmmaking process, sketching out his method for assembling ideas into multimedia sketches combining stop motion, cartoons, performance, music, and more. Roy shares his ideas about NFTs, the plight of the artist, and what it means to be a good father, husband, and all-around human. We also get into the different artists he has worked with and how he likes to involve a crew of trusted friends in the many projects he works on. Tune in and join in with us as Roy blesses us with his intelligence and creativity. Key Points From This Episode: Roy’s recent health scares and how he is changing his lifestyle as a result. What life as a dad is like for Roy and how he spent Father’s Day. Projects going down in Roy’s studio and his approach to building his YouTube channel. The constant learning Roy is always applying and how it has expanded his toolkit. Roy's approach to making content for social media shorts. The magic that happened in Ray Harryhausen’s garage and how he has influenced Roy. The nuts and bolts of making stop motions out of a garage and how much is possible. Roy’s thoughts on NFTs and the ethics around this apparent revolution. The double-edged sword of being an independent artist; jobs offering little pay. Lessons learned about the importance of family through the pandemic. How COVID thwarted Roy’s plans and the new creative process he developed as he pivoted. The collaborative approach Roy uses and how he likes to draw on his contemporaries’ skills. Roy’s love for and involvement in music and how it factors into the work he does. Discussing a possible Hoodfoot podcast and a few NRA shows hosted by Roy. The story of how Roy married his high school sweetheart and the contours of their relationship. A bunch of stories about Roy and Sourdough’s experiences in liquor stores. Roy’s method of jotting ideas down and how software aids the creative process. Being helpful and why Roy’s life philosophy revolves around being nice. For more information, visit: https://notrealart.com/roy-miles