Obsessed
1 season, 58 episodesWhether it’s re-creating detailed Star Trek sets to create a fan-produced web series or piecing together D.I.Y. lasers from recycled gadgets, some people’s passions are more than just a hobby. Obsessed highlights what happens when people live out their obsessions to the fullest.
Season 1
Transportation
Over the last decade, designer Luca Iaconi-Stewart has been building an incredibly detailed model of a Boeing 777, right down to the tiny seats and moving landing gear, using only paper folders and glue.
Science
See how Dr. Cameron M. Smith build a spacesuit from parts purchased at the hardware store.
Transportation
The future of train transportation might be pneumatic tubes and magnets. Meet the 89-year old entrepreneur who wants to disrupt the railroad with a modern twist on a very old train idea.
Transportation
Ultra-endurance bicycle racer Lael Wilcox puts more miles on her bike every year than most people do on their cars. Here's how she trains for and rides some of the toughest races on earth.
Science
John Collins, better known as "The Paper Airplane Guy," has devoted himself to designing, folding, and flying the world's finest paper airplanes.
Culture
19-year-old Lily Hevesh is obsessed with dominos. She spends hours upon hours building insanely intricate designs and chain reactions before knocking them down. Sound like a strange way to spend your time? Tell that to the nearly 2 million people who've subscribed to her YouTube Channel, where she posts new domino videos every Saturday.
Culture
For the past six years Greg Dietrich, Jake Polatty, and a group of fellow Star Wars fans have been building a blinking, bleeping, insanely detailed full size version of the Millennium Falcon's cockpit.
Culture
Melody Yang and her family hold numerous world records for their bubbles. She shows us how she makes some of the fun creations from their stage performance, the Gazillion Bubble Show.
Culture
Joseph Herscher builds wildly fun Rube Goldberg-style machines to make his life easier. Sort of. Here's how he built a new contraption to feed him his lunch.
Gadgets
Richard Browning built the world's fastest personal jet suit. WIRED spoke with him to find out about the design process and engineering of a radical new form of transportation.
Culture
Chuck Hoberman's eponymous sphere is one of the best-loved toys of the last quarter century. But it's only one example of his incredible work in transformable design. From adaptive nanotech to flexible building materials, Hoberman has created surprising and inventive designs at every scale.
Transportation
Some people have backyard swimming pools. Some have basketball courts out back. Will Pemble built a roller coaster just steps from his back door.
Culture
In this episode of Obsessed, Gentry Stein shows off the wild tricks that helped him become a world yo-yo champion.
Sports
Logan Broadbent is one of the world's top boomerang throwers. To throw and catch with his level of precision requires a solid understanding of aeronautics, weather, physics, athletic endurance and the ability to build world class boomerangs from scratch.
Culture
Artist Jeremy Mayer has dedicated himself to transforming mechanical typewriter parts, and only typewriter parts, into detailed sculptures of birds, insects and human figures.
How-To
World boomerang champion Logan Broadbent demonstrates how to make an indoor boomerang, aka "roomerang," using just a few pieces of paper, glue and scissors.
Culture
In this episode of Obsessed we meet Michael Schiess, a pinball enthusiast who collects and repairs old machines in an effort to preserve them for future generations.
Science
Marine biologist Shanee Stopnitzky is on a mission to spend as much time under the ocean's surface as possible. To achieve her goal, she bought two used and broken submarines, and is fixing them up, making them functional again, learning as she goes.
Culture
Daniel Rozin, Artist and Professor, Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYU, makes mechanical "mirrors" out of uncommon objects that mimic the viewer's movements and form.
Science
PuckerButt Pepper Company founder Ed Currie is on a mission to create the world's hottest peppers. Ed is the evil genius who brought the world the Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest hot peppers in existence; but he's not stopping there.
Culture
International Grand Champion Sean Lomax loves whistling more than most. Watch him break down how he achieves his show-stopping performances. Sean Lomax Professional Whistler https://www.whistlinfool.com https://www.patreon.com/The_Virtuoso_Whistler BUSINESS CONTACT: whistleonrecords@gmail.com 702.541.4177
Culture
Jeremy Telford built the world's largest balloon sculpture. But that's only one of the impressive things he has done with balloons.
Culture
Sleight of Hand Pizza owner and chef Justin Wadstein is a 13-time world pizza champion. Here's how he takes the simple act of tossing dough to the next level with flips, spins, shoulder rolls, and other moves.
Technology
Artist Refik Anadol doesn't work with paintbrushes or clay. Instead, he uses large collections of data and machine learning algorithms to create mesmerizing and dynamic installations.
Culture
Artist Alexa Meade paints on people to make them look like paintings of people. She's developed a style that flattens 3 dimensional objects into what at first appears to be a 2D image. See more at https://alexameade.com
Culture
Len Solomon has been making instruments out of random objects for over 30 years. He's performed as a one-man-band all over the world, and The Majestic Bellowphone is perhaps his DIY novelty masterpiece. Check out Len Solomon's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/bellowphone.
Culture
A self-taught artist with a background in physics, David C. Roy has been creating mesmerizing wooden kinetic sculptures for nearly 40 years. Powered solely through mechanical wind-up mechanisms, pieces can run up to 48 hours on a single wind.
How-To
Michael Grab's mind-bending rock formations aren't held together by glue or steel rods. Shockingly, his rock piles are stacked using only the laws of gravity. His rock formations have taken the internet by storm, and brought an even greater attention to rock balancing.
Culture
Have you ever played a card game then decided to see how high you could stack the cards? Bryan Berg has made card stacking an art form. He holds numerous Guinness World Records (so many he's lost count), and keeps upping the ante on the difficulty. Stacking a house of cards on a running dryer? Why not!
Culture
Ferrofluid is a liquid with nano-sized iron particles that was developed by NASA in the 1960s. Artist Eric Mesplé has been experimenting with this magnetic liquid in his art for the past dozen years, and the results are mesmerizing.
Sports
Lots of people like kayaking, and some even enjoy white water, but Rafael Ortiz takes it to another level. Rafael is obsessed with kayaking over massively steep waterfalls.
Science
Artist Andres Amador takes "playing with sand" to a whole new level. His free-flowing and fractal-inspired works of art exist for only a short amount of time, eventually getting swallowed up by the ocean's tides. But, in that timeframe, Andres is able to create unique pieces that are indelible and impactful.
Culture
Sydney Kennett is one of the world's best indoor skydivers. The 14-year-old champion moves with the grace of a ballerina inside wind tunnels that propel air in excess of 100 miles per hour. Sydney holds numerous top prizes at competitions around the world, and she's even a Guinness World Record holder.
Design
Interactive Light Artist Jen Lewin creates interactive sound and LED art that can be the scale of an entire landscape. Humans across the planet understand light, so Jen can create pieces that everyone across the world can comprehend and interact with.
Design
Charlie Baker is an artist and builder who weaves materials found in nature to make astonishing and beautiful wooden structures. Charlie's creations are made so they look like they could've grown that way, and this ethos permeates the majority of his work. We follow Charlie as he scavenges for wood and looks to start work on another piece. Find out more about Charlie Baker and Baker Structures at: http://www.bakerstructures.com/ and on Instagram at @bakerstructures
Science
John Hatleberg creates replicas of famous diamonds. Watch as the conceptual gem artist takes us all the way through his process, from making molds of original famous diamonds to cutting his own versions.
Culture
Cardboard artist James Lake describes his work as "a cardboard sculpture in its purest sense." James takes recycled materials and turns them into significant pieces of art.
Design
PJ Catalano is a Master Model Builder at Legoland California Resort. He's been working at Legoland for 8 years and has built some truly incredible things. PJ talks about everything that goes into building Lego, from all the math he has to do to the various techniques he's learned that keep his models standing strong.
Design
Emily Garland loves building gingerbread houses. As a gingerbread house builder, she's made stunning replicas of some of the most famous buildings in the world. Emily takes WIRED through her entire process, and shows us how one of her houses goes from a plan to reality.
Sports
Did you play with fingerboards when you were younger? Welcome to the next-level of fingerboarding. Mike Schneider is a professional fingerboarder, the owner of FlatFace Fingerboards, and is really, really good at fingerboarding. Mike has been manufacturing his own fingerboards and scaled-down skateparks since he was 9 years-old. In Dracut, Massachusetts, you can find the FlatFace Fingerboards building. Here, Mike spends 40+ hours a week practicing, building, and socializing with other fingerboarders in what can only be described as "Fingerboard Heaven."
Culture
Jake Laser engineers DIY superhero gadgets from his garage. Jake has a massive following on YouTube, bringing to life things we only thought could be fiction. Captain America's shield, Spider-Man's wall-climbing, and Iron Man's lasers are just a few examples of some of his biggest projects. Check out Jake's channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JLaservideo
Sports
For most of us, jumping rope may seem like a simple childhood pastime, but for this woman, it's a way of life. Tori Boggs is a professional jump roper, and as you may expect, she's really good at jumping rope. Tori explains what her jump rope life is like, and breaks down how she's helping take the sport to the next level.
Gaming
Remember that game of Dungeons & Dragons you started when you were 11? What if it never stopped? Robert Wardhaugh has been the Dungeon Master for a D&D game that's been going on for over 40 years. In his game, once you start playing...you keep playing.
Culture
Leigh Webber doesn't just find treasure as a hobby, he does it for a living. Armed with an incredibly powerful magnet, Leigh discovers incredible hidden treasurers all around the globe. From the water's great depths, Leigh has pulled up everything from gold coins to an entire BMW motorcycle. Check out Leigh's channel 'Bondi Treasure Hunter' here: https://www.youtube.com/c/BondiTreasureHunter
Culture
This woman uses tiny brushes to create ultra realistic portraits on acrylic nails. Her name is Vivian Xue Rahey, and she's a nail art scientist and the CEO of Pamper Nail Gallery. Her unbelievable creations have become viral, leading to some wild collaborations with major brands. Director: Corey Eisenstein Director of Photography: Florian Pilsl Editor: Parker Dixon Talent: Vivian Xue Rahey Producer: Wendi Jonassen Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producer: Melissa Cho Production Manager: Eric Martinez Production Coordinator: Julie Suronen Camera Operator: Shreyans Zaveri Audio: Hugh Scott Production Assistant: Nathan Sandoval Post Production Supervisor: Nicholas Ascanio Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Assistant Editor: Andy Morell Archive Credits: Vivian Xu Rahey Special Thanks: Pamper Nail Gallery
Culture
Professional slackliner Faith Dickey attempts things that plenty of us wouldn't dare try. How about traversing a slackline barely 2 inches in width across a canyon, hundreds of feet in the air? A car accident at age 18 changed Faith's life, teaching her to live every moment to its fullest. This is the story of how Faith Dickey became one of the best slackliners in the world.
Culture
You think you like mushrooms? William Padilla-Brown might just have a step up on you. As the founder of MycoSymbiotics, William has cultivated hundreds of thousands of mushrooms from dozens of species; he's barcoded them, and turned them into various extracts and tinctures. William sits down with WIRED to break down his mushroom obsession.
Culture
Jordu Schell is a master of monster masks. He designs creatures for movies, television and video games, and has worked on countless projects that you've most certainly heard of. Jordu takes us around his studio as he explains his entire, legendary, mask making process. Director: Charlie Jordan Director of Photography: Ricardo Pomares Editor: Parker Dixon Talent: Jordu Schell Producer: Wendi Jonassen Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producer: Melissa Cho Production Managers: Peter Brunette, Andressa Pelachi Production Coordinator: Carol Wachockier Audio: Mike Faner Cam Op/Gaffer: Shay Eberle-Gunst Production Assistant: Phillip Arliss Post Production Supervisor(s): Nicholas Ascanio, Alexa Deutsch Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Junior Editor: Brittany Taylor Lewis Assistant Editor: Diego Rentsch
Culture
Imagine making a sculpture so tiny, your eyelash is the paintbrush. Dr. Willard Wigan MBE, does just that. He makes the world's smallest handmade sculptures and the results truly incredible. A tiny replica of the Mona Lisa, smaller than the top of a matchstick? Check. A realistic replica of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury standing on the head of a pin? Yes. What else? The rest has to be seen to be believed.Additional Photography by Paul Ward
Director: Charlie Jordan
Director of Photography: Jonathan Young
Editor: Parker Dixon
Talent: Willard Wigan, MBE
Producers: Anna O'Donohue, Wendi Jonassen
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Melissa Cho
Production Manager: Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Sound Recordist: Matt Jones
Cam Op/Gaffer: Christopher Chadderton
Production Assistants: Mihail Caracas, Daniel Stasiw
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Special Thanks: John Bowden, Shoot Factory
Culture
"Everything we think is real is, in some way, an illusion." Former NASA illustrator Kurt Wenner makes incredible, brain-busting chalk illusions. His works start with diligent planning, beginning with pencil and paper. Kurt even prototypes by using an iPhone's camera to mimic human sight. He then maps these prototypes onto large street canvases where his ephemeral art can be enjoyed by the public. Director: Charlie Jordan Director of Photography: Malcolm Cook Editor: Joshua Pullar Talent: Kurt Wenner Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producer: Melissa Cho Production Manager: Eric Martinez Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila Audio: Will Miller Cam Op/Gaffer: Dominik Czaczyk Production Assistant: Devin Beckwith Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Assistant Editor: Diego Rentsch Special Thanks: Additional festival footage by Alessio Cuomo and Sander de Nooij. Filmed at the Sarasota Chalk Festival, courtesy of Denise Kowal. Special audio thanks to Dylan Bergeson.
Culture
Did you play with slinkys when you were younger? Josh Jacobs has taken a childhood toy and turned it into a visually stunning art form. Slinky manipulation is a fairly new practice, starting around 2010. Josh got into "slinking" eight years ago when watching an incredible Chinese performer do things he never thought possible with a slinky. Now, Josh is one of the best slinky manipulators in the world. Check out Josh's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@SlinkyJosh Director: Charlie Jordan Director of Photography: Colin Witherill Editor: Richard Trammell Talent: Joshua "Slinky Josh" Jacobs Producer: Wendi Jonassen Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producer: Melissa Cho Production Manager: Eric Martinez Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila Audio: Ted Thacker Cam Op/Gaffer: Alex Witkowicz Production Assistant: Daniel Ellis Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Assistant Editor: Ben Harowitz
Culture
Puppeteer Barnaby Dixon takes inanimate objects and turns them into uncannily real characters. Barnaby's creations have brought joy to millions over the last decade. His unique take on puppetry is truly astounding, as he's mastered the ability to make his depictions of animals move like the real things. Check out Barnaby's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@barnabydixon Director: Charlie Jordan Director of Photography: Tim Attenburrow Editor: Shandor Garrison Talent: Barnaby Dixon Producers: Anna O'Donohue, Wendi Jonassen Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producers: Melissa Cho, Brandon White Production Manager: Eric Martinez Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila Audio: Tim Stephens Cam Op/Gaffer: Alice Berkeley Production Assistant: Lesley Dean Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds Junior Editor: Paul Tael
Gaming
Ever wondered how they make the sound effects we hear in video games? Meet Joanna Fang, foley artist for PlayStation Studios and master at creating sounds for movies and video games like God of War: Ragnarok. We step inside Sony's foley studio to see Joanna at work, turning plungers into running horses and manicotti into broken bones. Director: Charlie Jordan Director of Photography: Will Pupa Editor: Matt Colby Expert: Joanna Fang Creative Producer: Wendi Jonassen Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producer: Brandon White Production Manager: Eric Martinez Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila Casting Producer: Nick Sawyer Camera Operator: Darren Kawasaki Audio: Warren Wolfe Production Assistant: Jon Brun Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Assistant Editor: Andy Morell Special Thanks: John Bowen
Culture
Every one of Rick Stanley's clocks is an inventive journey. He makes clocks using everything from bottles to bicycles; each one of them completely unique and accurate. "Even when I'm on vacation I think of different clocks to make," says Rick, talking about how he always has clocks on the brain. Rick gets inspiration from nearly everything, fueling his whimsical timekeeping inventions. Director: Charlie Jordan Director of Photography: Chad Jenkins Editor: Richard Trammell Expert: Rick Stanley Senior Producer: Efrat Kashai Creative Producer: Wendi Jonassen Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producer: Brandon White Production Manager: Eric Martinez Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila Camera Operator: Pete Kuhn Audio: Michael Competielle Production Assistant: Bill Storms Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Assistant Editor: Andy Morell Special thanks to: Elizabeth Gorbey Willow Springs Photography http://willowspringsphotography.com
Culture
Kurt Steiner is record holding champion stone skipper—and a master of the physics that underpin the sport. A labor of love that's evolved into a world-class passion, see where Kurt harvests his preferred rocks, the qualities he seeks in them, and each factor he considers in order to throw like a pro.
Culture
Inventing a skateboard trick is difficult enough but Matt Tomasello takes things a step further, creating custom boards that are part of the tricks themselves. Get to know the professional skateboarder (and amateur engineer) who’s reinventing the sport with his own wholly unique approach. Special thanks: Fancy Lad Skateboards
Culture
Meet Florian Kohler, better known in the pool community as “Venom.” One of the best trick shot artists in the world, Florian has developed over 10,000 new shots and techniques to unleash on unsuspecting billiard balls. Watch as he demonstrates a level of skill and precision that borders on the supernatural as he makes the balls spin, swerve and ricochet on demand.
Culture
Author, educator and book restorer Sophia Bogle has nerves of steel: one slip of the hand and a century-old first edition book could be ruined. Come inside her workshop as she breaks down the amazing deconstruction, revitalization, and reassembly that goes into her history preserving speciality.Director: Charlie Jordan
Director of Photography: Paul Ramsey
Editor: Richard Trammell
Expert: Sophia Bogle
Creative Producer: Wendi Jonassen
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Brandon White
Production Manager: D. Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Camera Operator: John Gurney
Assistant Camera: Drew Cannulett
Sound Mixer: Chad Saddler
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell