Latest news with #Let'sTalk
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Turning Cameras Into Conversations: How YouNeek Productions Tackles Men's Mental Health
In a digital landscape where content often prioritizes clicks over connection, YouNeek Productions is carving out a different path, one built on purpose-driven storytelling, emotional resonance, and creative precision. Nowhere is that clearer than in their groundbreaking original series Let's Talk , which uses film to spark honest conversations around men's mental health, a topic that remains underserved and often misunderstood in mainstream media. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Warwickshire, YouNeek Productions began as a one-man passion project and has since evolved into a full-service creative agency working with global clients across sectors. While the company's growth has been steady and strategic, its creative philosophy has remained consistent: use film to tell real stories that move people and sometimes, change them. "Our ambition has always been high," says founder and managing director Luke Evans. "But we've built slowly and intentionally. We want to make work that matters." YouNeek's capabilities span the full creative production pipeline from concept development and scripting to filming, editing, motion graphics, and animation. Their in-house team brings over 30 years of combined experience across television, branded content, and digital storytelling. But while their commercial work is impressive, it's their original content that speaks most clearly to the company's soul. One standout example is Let's Talk , a self-funded video series tackling the often-avoided topic of men's mental health. The show features six men, strangers to each other, brought together to share unfiltered conversations about grief, trauma, fatherhood, addiction, and identity. Guided by a clinical psychologist, the dialogue is raw and real, touching on subjects like suicide, miscarriage, alcoholism, and racial discrimination, topics rarely explored this openly from a male perspective. "The idea came from personal experience," Evans explains. "After a traumatic birth experience with my daughter, I noticed that when I shared what had happened, other men, friends, started opening up with stories I'd never heard. That's when I realized: vulnerability breeds vulnerability. So we created something to show what that actually looks like." The goal of Let's Talk wasn't just to add another voice to the growing mental health conversation. It was to reshape how that conversation unfolds. Instead of urging men to talk, the series shows them how, using real examples, natural dialogue, and supportive moderation. And audiences are responding. Short clips from the series on TikTok and Instagram have garnered thousands of views, sparking emotional comment threads where strangers share their own stories or reach out for support. "Some people have told us they were in a really dark place before seeing our videos," says Evans. "That's not something we take lightly. We're not therapists, but we do engage. Even a simple comment back can mean something." This blend of technical skill and emotional sensitivity is what defines YouNeek's approach to storytelling. Whether producing a polished brand film or a documentary-style social impact series, the team brings the same thoughtfulness and creative integrity to every project. As conversations around mental health continue to evolve and as more organizations seek meaningful ways to connect with real people, YouNeek stands at the intersection of craft and compassion, using creativity as a bridge to deeper understanding. "We want people to see us as storytelling experts," Evans says. "Not just because we know how to hold a camera or cut a reel, but because we understand what it takes to move someone, visually, emotionally, and meaningfully."
India Today
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Actor Jeremy Renner on 'exhilarating' near-death moment: Didn't want to come back
Actor Jeremy Renner recently recalled his experience following a near-fatal accident at his Nevada home in 2023. While speaking about being revived from the near-death encounter, he said that he "didn't want to come back." Renner described the experience as peaceful, calling it "the highest adrenaline rush."The actor, in a recent episode of Kelly Ripa's Let's Talk podcast, said, "It's a great relief is all I can say. It's a wonderful, wonderful relief to be removed from your body. It is the most exhilarating peace you could ever feel. You don't see anything but what's in your mind's eye. Like, you're the atom of who you are, the DNA, your spirit. It's the highest adrenaline rush, but the peace that comes with it, it's magnificent. It's so magical."advertisementHe further said, "It was so all-encompassing that it was hard to part ways with it when he was resuscitated. And I didn't want to come back. I remember, and I was brought back, and I was so pissed off. I came back, I'm like, 'Aww!'" Renner concluded, "I saw the eyeball again. I'm like, 'Oh, s---, I'm back.' Saw my legs. I'm like, 'Yeah, that's gonna hurt later.' I'm like, 'All right, let me continue to breathe.'"The Hawkeye actor was run over by a snowplough at his Reno, Nevada home during a holiday. He was trying to prevent the vehicle from hitting his nephew on New Year's Day 2023. Renner was airlifted to the hospital and suffered severe injuries which included over 30-plus broken bones, a lacerated liver, and a collapsed actor is known for his roles in films such as The Hurt Locker (2008), Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011), The Bource Legacy (2012), The Avengers franchise and its spin-off show Hawkeye (2021).Renner's new film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is currently under production.
Perth Now
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Jeremy Renner felt 'magical' sense of peace after snowplough accident
Jeremy Renner was "so p***** off" when he was brought back to life after his snowplough accident. The 54-year-old actor broke 38 bones in his body and sustained a collapsed lung and lacerated liver after being crushed by his snowcat in January 2023 and he recalled the frustration he felt when he was resuscitated and pulled away from the "magical" sense of peace he'd felt after coming close to losing his life. Speaking to Kelly Ripa on her 'Let's Talk' podcast, he said: 'It's a great relief is all I can say. It's a wonderful, wonderful relief to be removed from your body. It is the most exhilarating peace you could ever feel. "You don't see anything but what's in your mind's eye. Like, you're the atoms of who you are, the DNA, your spirit. It's the highest adrenaline rush, but the peace that comes with it, it's magnificent. It's so magical. 'And I didn't want to come back. I remember, and I was brought back and I was so p***** off. I came back, I'm like, 'Aww!'' The 'Mayor of Kingstown' star was only in the afterlife for a few minutes but was quickly made aware of his injuries. He said: 'I saw the eyeball again, I'm like, 'Oh, s***, I'm back.' Saw my legs. I'm like, 'Yeah, that's gonna hurt later.' I'm like, 'All right, let me continue to breathe.' " Jeremy claimed time became "useless" during the period he was close to death. Asked if he spoke to anyone while he was gone, he said: 'You don't need to. That's a human experience. Time is a human construct. It's useless. It's not linear. It's not how it exists. It's just like the most remedial version of your spirit's existence is being on Earth. "This is so remedial, language, all these things and blah, blah, blah… It's all knowing, all experiencing, all at the same time, all at once.' These days, the 'Hawkeye' star views the accident as a "great confirmation" of what is important in life. He said: 'It makes me — a man that didn't want to come back — really be able to be back here and live it on my terms as the captain of my own ship. And get on it or off it, I don't give a f***. "I'm going to live life on my own terms and for nobody else. [It's] very clear. The white noise is ripped away. 'I gave so much value to things that have zero value. So I invest into no stocks or bonds. I invest not into crypto or Bitcoin. I invest into love and my shared relationships that I experience love with. 'cause that is the only thing that you take with you.'
New Paper
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
May 10 Australia form analysis of last four races (Perth)
RACE 14 (1) MASAMUNE had not raced since May 2024 when he resumed down the straight at Pinjarra and with 60kg, produced one of the softest and most dominant wins of the season. He has always shown huge ability, so hopefully they can keep him in one piece and let him work his way through the grades. (2) SHOOTING SPIRIT is a get-back sprinter. That is William Pike's bread-and-butter; he will sit three back the fence and then burst through late. (9) SUPERNATURAL is a quality filly resuming with no weight on her back. Must respect. (4) KRAKEN TIME could have won five to six races but for bad luck in his short career. Nice horse. RACE 16 (4) AHYEAHRIGHTO has been excellent at each run this campaign without winning. He has drawn to get a lovely stalking run into the home straight and is ready to win. Camera Action got the better of him last start under 59kg but now, dropping to 56kg and tracking up behind a hot tempo (Resonator, Jaz Session, Let's Talk), he looks to get another great chance. One more time for him. (6) CHOLLIMA is the ultimate fresh horse. She has won all three of her races first-up and trainer Darren McAuliffe produces her first-up, with no trial. (2) JAZ SESSION went within a head of making it four straight wins this campaign and, if she can overcome a tricky draw, she will be hard to hold out. (8) LET'S TALK will need to elevate again. RACE 18 (5) SNITZALATTE went into the Karrakatta Plate undefeated but, after drawing barrier 11, was destined to do it tough three deep. She attacked the line brilliantly to run third, and now drawn barrier 2, with Pike back on, she can be ridden to use the electric short, sharp sprint that she possesses. Maps well to take the Sires Produce. (1) JUST TOO FLY worked through the field alongside Talkanco when Castle Road took a few of them wide on straightening and was able to run second in the Karrakatta Plate. He is still a maiden but he is now Perth Stakes-Karrakatta Stakes placed and looks like he will relish 1,400m. The logical danger. (3) DELTASON is the only proven 1,400m horse and won with his eyes closed at his last start. (2) STATEWIDE draws a good gate and has been targeted at this race the whole way through. RACE 20 (6) SIBERIAN SIREN won from the leader's back last start. She would ideally love some cover. She can still lead and score, but a natural leader like Great Fortune would have helped her cause. (8) FIRST ENCOUNTER got punters really excited with his 1,000m straight trial and then the edge came off in his second trial and he was not as sharp. Still great to have him back in WA. (4) UPPER LIMITS did not beat a horse home last week but watch the replay: he was bolting. (10) WESTERN POWER has gone to a new level this campaign. Include in calculations. Comments courtesy of Racing WA Comments courtesy of Racing WA
Irish Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Richie Sadlier claims Adolescence on Netflix can help adults understand kids
Blockbuster Netflix show Adolescence is an opportunity for adults to reset their misunderstanding of how teenage boys become troubled, according to TV pundit and therapist Richie Sadlier. Worldwide smash hit Adolescence was initially misrepresented by some as a controversial glamorisation of noxious masculinity and misogyny. But a message in the drama, starring UK actor Stephen Graham, tells a story of what disasters can happen when adults do not know what teenagers do online. While parents mistakenly believe their children are safe, a deadly catastrophe unfolds in the show when a 13-year-old boy is accused of murdering a classmate. The four-part drama sparked a worldwide debate about the dangers of technology in the hands of vulnerable people – and Richie claimed it is about time. Some therapists have claimed that adults are responsible for putting a weapon – a handheld computer that is marketed as a mobile phone – in the classroom. Richie, 45, told the Irish Mirror: 'I love that one of the impacts of that programme is that so many people are now talking about what it is actually like to be a young teenage lad today." Richie added: "People now seem to have empathy, sympathy, concern and a willingness to know more and to do more and to help more. That hasn't always been the case before. Previously, it has seemed routine to be very critical of young lads and to make sweeping statements about them. 'One of the things about this programme is that it has shown how adults decided to give unfiltered, unsupervised, access to the whole world by giving them a phone. There are so many interesting aspects of Adolescence, but one of these that I am glad about is how people are starting to realise that there is a consequence of giving young lads access to whatever they want on the internet.' Richie is a specialist teen therapist whose guidebook for young men, called Let's Talk, became a handbook for adolescent boys. He spoke of how Netflix hit show Adolescence is an eye-opener, discussing how the phones that were given to previous generations of young people did not have the same capabilities as today's modern superfast handsets, with porn and peer pressure and cyberbullying phone apps overtaking the basic chat and message functions of earlier technology. He said: 'Kids now have such freedom of choice at their fingertips. The only people who could influence me when I was their age, are those who I met in my real life. My teachers, my coaches, my uncles, my neighbours, my dad. That was it. You could not access my mind beyond that. 'But now that we have given kids a powerful phone, anyone in the world can access the mind of your child. That comes with consequences. We have given children access to everything they want on the internet. No previous generation has had that. Earlier 13, 14, 15, 16-year-olds did not have that.' He added: 'It's been too easy to make sweeping statements about young people. We have to take time and ask, 'Why are young people the way that they are? What influences have they been exposed to? What is shaping them?' We need to know what is guiding them or if there is an absence of guidance. If you understand adolescent development, you understand the need for the brain of teenage boys to have positive, male role models. I think that understanding is now spreading very widely and quickly as a result of Netflix's Adolescence.' Richie was speaking as part of the How's the Head? campaign that raises awareness of mental health amongst tradespeople. It is in conjunction with new research from builders' merchants Chadwicks that shows 44 per cent of tradespeople believe their mental health could be improved. As part of Chadwicks' campaign, Richie will be sharing more mental fitness tips on his Instagram, arming tradespeople with simple steps on how to prioritise mental fitness while leading busy lives. And €1 from every sale of PPE at Chadwick's branches nationwide will be donated towards mental health charity Aware. More information about the campaign is available on the website.
