# Communicating Liberty Through Film and the Making Of "Freedom on Trial" **URL:** **By** John Papola, Aaron Ross Powell, Trevor Burrus **Published:** October 21, 2016 --- John Papola joins us to talk about the conception and production of Libertarianism.org's newest video series, Freedom on Trial. Why does the left seem better at making non-cringeworthy political videos? Does that necessarily have to be the case? John Papola joins us this week to share his background at MTV, Nickelodeon, and Spike TV; his thoughts on the filmmaking process; and why it's essential to tell character-driven stories. We also discuss Libertarianism.org's new series, _Freedom on Trial_, which was produced by Emergent Order and directed by Papola. **Show Notes and Further Reading ** Here's our [Freedom on Trial landing page](https://www.libertarianism.org/videos/freedom-trial). There, you can find the videos themselves, supplemental videos, and more info about the cast and crew for the production. [Emergent Order's website is here](http://emergentorder.com/). Here's Papola's [trailer for the _Rocket Power_ movie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBZfU9_u_AI) , his first opportunity to direct and edit a trailer. "[Fear the Boom and Bust](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nERTFo-Sk)" and "[Fight of the Century](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQnarzmTOc)" are the two rap battles between John Maynard Keynes and F. A. Hayek that Papola and Emergent Order are most well known for. Trevor mentions our [Free Thoughts episode with Russ Roberts](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/how-adam-smith-can-change-your-life) on his book _How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life_.