There and Back Again

Forget the fancy spec sheets for a second; when you’re in the cave, the right rhythm is everything. Wrapping up a year like 2025 isn't just about checking items off a list. It’s about reflecting on the media and tools that actually made the work feel better. Whether it's the specific frequency of a Radiohead track helping a time-lapse shoot feel more visceral or a lockpick set that feels like the culmination of decades of engineering, these selections are about the soul of making. Let’s break down the year-end favorites that kept the creative fires stoked. The Sonic Backdrop of the Shop Music in a workshop isn't just background noise; it's a structural component of the build. I’ve found myself leaning heavily on what I call "art music"—tracks that occupy that rare space where high-concept creativity meets infectious pop sensibility. David Bowie and Talking Heads remain the gold standard here. There is something about Stop Making Sense that never gets old. It’s elevated, sure, but it’s also perfectly poppy. I’ve also had a massive renaissance with The Killers, largely spurred by the incredible storytelling of the Song Exploder podcast. If you want to understand how a piece of art is truly assembled, hearing Hrishikesh Hirway pull apart the separate tracks of a song provides a ground-level view of creation that mirrors the way we build physical objects. It prepares your mind for the final result and then satisfies it in a way few other formats can. High-Stakes Storytelling and Production Drama When I’m not listening to music, I’m obsessed with the messy, human side of how things get made. Tancy Gardam and her podcast Going Rogue have been a revelation. She treats film history with the same forensic intensity I bring to a prop build. Her deep dives into troubled productions, like her five-part series on Rogue One, offer a balanced look at the chaos of creativity. She has this fantastic catchphrase when dropping a particularly esoteric fact: "Because I am burdened with knowledge and now so are you." That hits home for me. Whether she's dissecting the narrative shifts in Don't Worry Darling or obsessing over the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, her moral frame and focus on the script’s evolution are spectacular for anyone who loves the "how" as much as the "what." Solving the Paint Pen Problem Every maker knows the struggle of the paint marker. You’re at a con, you’re signing autographs, and the pen either leaks, clogs, or runs dry after four hours. It’s a nightmare. However, I’ve finally found a solution that feels like it actually works: the Sharpie Paint Markers. The opaque color is immediate—no aggressive shaking required, no messy leakage in high altitudes or warm rooms. It’s a small hardware win, but for someone who spends days in the trenches of fan conventions, it’s a massive quality-of-life upgrade. Along those same lines of refined hardware, I’ve been putting the Covert Companion from Covert Instruments through its paces. It’s a spendy multi-tool for lockpicking, designed by the legendary Lockpicking Lawyer. It’s the spear point of deep development, and honestly, picking seven out of nine locks on my coffee table with the rake right out of the box was a pretty satisfying initiation. Science Communication That Hits You in the Gut The way we share knowledge is just as important as the knowledge itself. This year, Grant Sanderson of 3Blue1Brown really floored me. His series on calculus is a masterclass in science communication. He lays it out so simply that you feel like you could have invented calculus yourself if you just had enough time. I actually got choked up watching it. That’s the power of great teaching; it doesn't just give you facts; it gives you the confidence to own the concept. I’ve also been grooving on the work of Hank Green. He has a totally different on-screen energy than I do, but his ability to lay out complex science is among the best in the game right now. Whether it's Practical Engineering explaining the world’s large structures or Inheritance Machining showing the beauty of cinematography in metalwork, these creators are the ones pushing the boundaries of what a "tutorial" can be. The Gravity of Modern Television Television reached some incredible heights this year, but nothing touched the gravity of Andor. Tony Gilroy has created something that almost doesn't need to be in the Star Wars universe to be great, which is exactly why it’s such a strong addition. The bench of performances is just absurdly deep. Denise Goff as Dedra is a villain you can’t help but be fascinated by, and Genevieve O'Reilly brings a complexity to her role that is breathtaking. Special shoutout to Katherine Hunter as Syril’s mom. Her choices are strange, perfect, and terrifying. She has this marvelous gravity that reminds me of Linda Hunt—every time she's on screen, you're compelled and frightened all at once. Between Andor and the incredible set construction of Alien: Earth, it’s been a banner year for high-fidelity production design. Conclusion Building things is a solitary act, but it’s fueled by the culture we consume. From the hand-written calligraphy of Indy Magnoli's There and Back Again replica to the deep film analysis of CinemaStix, 2025 was a year of going deep. As we move into 2026, keep your eyes on the details, take care of your tools, and most importantly, take care of each other. Stay safe and keep making.