The Indie Panic Cinematic Universe

New Era, Same Mic

This week on Smiling Faces: The Podcast, Mike and Victoria catch up on team changes, friendship in business lessons, and the art of keeping it real when things shift behind the scenes. Mike shares a health update, Victoria unpacks her surprise viral TikTok moment, and together they talk fame, perception, and what’s next for their creative projects. Honest, funny, and forward looking it’s all about new chapters and better boundaries.

Doorstep Massages & Dumpster Fire Men

This week on Smiling Faces: The Podcast, Jess and Victoria welcome actor, director, Air Force reservist Micah Coate to help unpack one of the greatest plot twists in modern dating history: the moment Micah and Victoria realized they were both dating the same man formerly known as “Hoops,” now universally upgraded to “Poops.” From Olympic level love bombing to surprise baby mama cameos to FaceTimes from suspiciously undecorated apartments, the trio turns red flags into roaring laughter. They also dive into filmmaking chaos and why Mandy Patinkin is apparently 1000% more relaxed than every frantic production email implied. Toss in Jess’s luxury doorstep massages and Victoria’s Whole Foods Guy apology world tour, and you’ve got an episode that is messy, hilarious, and absolutely irresistible. ==== Where You Can Find Micah! [https://www.instagram.com/micahcoate?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==]

Lights, Camera, Seizure!

This week on Smiling Faces; The Podcast, Victoria and Jess take “the show must go on” to a whole new level. Their indie shoot turns into a full blown adventure last minute crew swaps, a director with a bad back, and Producer Mike literally collapsing for the cause (don’t worry, he’s fine just dehydrated, overworked, and now award winning). Between near disasters and emergency flirtation with hot paramedics, the crew somehow pulls off a killer shoot proving good vibes and better friends can fix almost anything. Meanwhile, Jess’s “no man summer” evolves into “one very good man fall,” and Victoria’s “Whole Foods guy” blurs the line between acting coach and chaos agent (note to all: biting isn’t method). It’s laughter, drama, and a masterclass in grinning through the madness because on this set, not even a seizure can stop the smiles.

The Indie Panic Cinematic Universe

This week on Smiling Faces: The Podcast, Jess, Victoria, and Producer Mike prove that show business is just circus business minus the elephants but with twice the emotional juggling. From flaky DPs to foot-pic side hustles, the crew dives into the wild world of indie production and what it really takes to keep a set (and your sanity) intact. Victoria vents about career chaos and Whole Foods somehow turned a one-line audition into a full-blown drama. Jess admits her “no man summer” ended early cue the mysterious situationship. And Mike? He’s just trying to avoid pre-chewed food discourse and keep the podcast alive. It’s equal parts chaos, caffeine, and career therapy with a reminder that in Hollywood, kindness (and snacks) are the real power moves.

Hot Mess Express: Executive Producer Edition

This week on Smiling Faces: The Podcast, Jess and Victoria are back hair unbrushed, caffeine low, and chaos high. From 5:30 a.m. flights to 11 p.m. “dates,” the girls unpack what it means to say yes to everything (and regret it immediately). Victoria’s juggling auditions, producing multiple shows, dog-sitting, and Whole Foods who apparently cleans, cooks, and feeds her cat gourmet tilapia. Jess, meanwhile, is fighting sleep deprivation, planning shoots, and wondering if six hours of rest is luxury or delusion. Between rewrites, film festival mixers, and debates about Quentin Tarantino’s weird BET interview, Producer Mike somehow keeps the train on the tracks barely. It’s unfiltered, hilarious, and painfully relatable for anyone just trying to balance ambition, dating, and the occasional nervous breakdown. Because sometimes “grinning and bearing it” looks a lot like laughing so you don’t cry with wine, cats, and a composting boyfriend. ==== SmilingFaces.com [https://www.smilingfacesseries.com] Make sure you connect with us @SmilingFaces_Series [https://www.instagram.com/smilingfaces_series?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] over on instagram or @SmilingFaces_Series [https://www.tiktok.com/@smilingfaces_series?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] on TikTok! Facebook: @SmilingFacesSeries [https://www.facebook.com/smilingfacesseries] ====== Produced by: @thetrubigmike [https://www.instagram.com/thetrubigmike/profilecard/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] & @defiantlymeprod [https://www.instagram.com/defiantlymeprod/profilecard/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==]