Our Good Sides w/ Glambot's Cole Walliser

Summary

The Nightly – "Our Good Sides w/ Glambot's Cole Walliser"

Hatch Podcasts | March 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this cozy, bedtime pop-culture episode of The Nightly, hosts Kristen and KP welcome special guest Cole Walliser, renowned director and mastermind behind Glambot – the viral slow-motion red carpet videos that make award show fashion feel cinematic. As the Oscars approach, Cole shares behind-the-scenes stories from a decade of filming, discusses celebrity encounters, and dives into sleep routines and the science of good lighting. The trio play a game of “Would You Rather,” riffing on glamour, music, and personal style, all wrapped in the show’s signature chill, slumber-party vibe.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Magic of Glambot & Red Carpet Stories

[00:30–03:55]

• Glambot Defined: Kristen introduces Cole’s Glambot work—iconic slow-motion videos capturing celebrities (and sometimes even dogs!) on red carpets.
• Magic Moments Unpredictable:
  • Cole: “...you always try to find like a little bit of magic every time, right. And you never know when it's going to hit.” [02:19]
  • He shares that after hundreds, possibly thousands, of Glambots since 2016, he’s still surprised by what stands out each event.
• Frequent Glambot Faces:
  • Cole: “As of lately, Halle Bailey has been...number one Glambot supporter. So she's always there.” [03:16]
  • He explains the rarity of celebrities appearing at both music and film awards, noting Bailey’s unique cross-genre presence.
• Inclusivity: KP reminisces about seeing pugs and crew members in Glambot videos, to which Cole responds, “It is indeed [for everyone].” [02:09]

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2. Sleep Routines: Behind the Camera and the Sheets

[03:56–07:21]

• Cole’s Quest for Better Sleep:
  • He invests significant effort into maximizing his sleep routine due to struggles with staying asleep.
  • Cole: “I notoriously don't sleep very well...Not so much falling asleep, but staying asleep. I wake up a lot...” [04:16]
• Camping Revelation:
  • Through tracking his sleep with wearables, Cole discovered he slept best while camping—because of total darkness.
  • Cole: “It gets pitch black at like, you know, 7:38pm and there's just no light anywhere. And that just made such a huge difference.” [04:51]
• Light and Sleep Quality:
  • All agree that natural rhythms and dim night lighting drastically impact restfulness.
  • KP adds: “The camping sleep is...I think our primordial selves come out.” [05:17]
• Sleep as Priority:
  • Cole: “The more we pay attention to our overall health and well-being, the number one thing always is sleep.” [06:41]
  • He humorously notes, “I'm not having fun eight hours a day,” emphasizing sleep takes more of his time than almost anything else.

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3. Game Night: Would You Rather?

[07:27–16:17]

a) Bad Side Photos vs. The Perfect Shot

[07:51–10:25]

• Question: Would you rather be photographed from your bad side all night or have one perfect photo become your whole public identity?
• Cole (on not identifying a bad side): “I've tried to not identify a bad side, so I don't have to worry about it...” [08:05]
• Philosophy: “Ignorance is bliss” – KP and Cole feel better not dwelling on perceived flaws, while Kristen and her inner Barbara Walters would pick the one perfect photo.

b) Perfect Lighting vs. Personal Background Music

[10:35–13:13]

• Question: Would you rather have perfect lighting everywhere or your own personal background music?
• Cole: “Because of what I do, I know the value of good lighting...I'm gonna say, yeah, give me perfect lighting always and forever.” [10:51]
• Humorous takes on always hearing your favorite song:
  • Kristen: “I love some Dolly...but I don't want to get to the point where I'm like, oh, I'm sick of Dolly. I never want to get to that point.” [11:42]
• All agree good lighting is a win; background music could quickly become a curse.

c) Fashion Risks vs. Timeless Style

[13:15–16:04]

• Question: Would you rather be known for fashion risks or always looking polished and timeless?
• Cole: “I'd rather, like, swing and miss than, like, not swing, really, you know? So I'm going to say. I'm going to say take risks on that.” [13:36]
• Kristen imagines her “GlamBot life” in wild, Bob Mackie-level fashion, despite real-life tendencies toward mod uniformity.
• Cole (on Mackie): “I worked with Sharon Pink and he dressed both of them for many years…he's the best.” [15:54]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cole Walliser, on red carpet surprises:
  “...a couple always just stand out, and it’s always just, like a fun surprise to see how they stand out and, like, who it was and why.” [02:19]
• Cole, on light and sleep:
  “If we’re trying to maximize things…the thing that’s really going to be benefic is, like, sleep. Right. So in some sense, this should be...number one.” [06:41]
• KP, on beach etiquette:
  “The beach one really does. I sound like the oldest fogey, but I like the sound of the beach as it is. I don’t need loud music.” [12:54]
• Kristen, on embracing individuality:
  “You just had such great headshots taken...but unlike you two, I do have a bad side, so I’m gonna personally choose the one photo.” [09:46]
• Cole, on taking risks:
  “The idea of taking a risk, like, is exciting for me. Like, I’d rather, like, swing and miss than, like, not swing, really...” [13:36]

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Listener Shout-Out & Closing

[16:40–17:53]

• Cole, on whom he’d like to say goodnight to:
  “I want to say goodnight to all of, like, the PAs and security guards at the award shows...I just hope that they have a wonderful good night and they sleep well and they’re ready to tackle their day tomorrow.” [17:20]
• Kristen and KP express support for the hardworking (and often unsung) production assistants and security staff—“No live show, no videotape show, nothing would work without the production assistance.” [17:53]

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Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• Glambot magic & behind-the-scenes: 00:30–03:55
• Cole’s sleep science and camping revelations: 03:56–07:21
• Game Night: Would You Rather (visuals, music, and style): 07:27–16:17
• Cole’s shoutout to PAs and security: 17:20–17:53

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Final Tone & Takeaway

This episode wraps award season glitz in genuine, easygoing conversation. Listeners leave with insights into glamour, sleep, and self-image—from someone who helps create the pop-culture moments we all scroll by. Plus, a gentle reminder to embrace risks, cherish sleep, and never underestimate the magic of good lighting.

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Follow Cole Walliser on all social platforms @ColeWalliser and catch his Glambot magic year-round.

Transcript

[Cole Walliser]

Hello.

[Narrator]

You're about to drift into an episode of the Nightly, a podcast designed to help you unwind and relax. For the full phone free immersive light experience, visit Hatch Co. Enjoy.

[Kristen]

Hey out there, bed heads. I'm Kristen.

[KP]

And I'm kp. Welcome to the Nightly from Hatch. It's a slumber party for pop culture lovers and we have a one of a kind special. Some say perfect. It's maybe too soon to tell, but I think it's going to be perfect slumber party tonight because we are joined by the fabulous director Cole Walliser. And worth mentioning, we are quickly approaching the Oscars. Cole is the director of the infamous Glambot. Welcome, Cole.

[Cole Walliser]

What's up, guys?

[KP]

Hi.

[Cole Walliser]

Hey.

[Kristen]

We're so excited to have you here. Awards season, you must be so busy right now filming all the celebs, making everybody look exciting and slow mo and beautiful.

[Cole Walliser]

It is a little hectic at the moment. Yeah, yeah, this is. It takes up my time, but I'm happy to spend my time doing it.

[Kristen]

So now, Cole, you are a director. You've made music videos, commercials and more, but you have gone viral for your Glambot videos and red carpets, which are these incredible slow mo videos of celebs and their beautiful clothes, like throwing back a cape. And that's emotion. That in real life takes one second. But in your videos, it's like stretched out to a beautiful minute where you see every sequin and oh, they're just addictive. These videos are so wonderful.

[KP]

My connection point is I used to do the social media for E. So I would get the behind the scenes Dropbox folders of all of the Glambots. And I do think many people don't know. There's a lot of people that get in on that. I saw some dogs, there was pugs one year, saw some crew members, lovely crew members. So the Glambot is for all. It's not just the A lists I love.

[Cole Walliser]

It is indeed.

[KP]

I love getting all in there and seeing everybody that was on the carpet that day. It was lovely.

[Kristen]

Cool. What is one of your favorite parts of doing Glambot?

[Cole Walliser]

Ooh, one of my favorite parts of doing Glambot. I think that, like, you always try to find like a little bit of magic every time, right. And you never know when it's going to hit. So even though, you know, coming up on the Emmys this year, this will be my 10th Emmys, I started in 2016 and so 2026 will be like the 10 year anniversary of me at the Emmys. And so I've shot hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of glambots by now. But, yeah, my favorite part is, or the thing that just sort of excites me is like, you never know, like, when a little bit of magic is going to click. And it might be, like, a big crazy move, it might be a subtle move, but even in a night, you know, we're shooting 100 plus glambots, and a couple always just stand out, and it's always just, like a fun surprise to see how they stand out and, like, who it was and why. So, yeah, so that's a super exciting and one of my favorite parts about it.

[KP]

Fun. Who do you think has come to the glambot the most? I know there's been some repeat offenders, of course, over the years, but who do you think has had the most glambots done of them?

[Cole Walliser]

This is a good question. Probably, as of lately, Haley Bailey has been. Because she's at all the award shows making content for the past couple years, and she's like, number one glam bot supporter. So she's always there. So I've shot her at pretty much every award show for the past, like, two years, which is a lot because often you don't get that many crossovers, right? Because, like, Grammys is TV and then Oscars is movies. Grammys is, like, music. So, like, it's rare that you have a big celebrity go to all of them.

[KP]

Right. Social does that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Cole Walliser]

But social is across the board. So, yeah, as of late, I'm gonna say. Yeah, I'm gonna say her.

[KP]

She crashes it, too. She's had some very, very good ones. They were very. She knows. She knows her mark.

[Kristen]

Yes.

[KP]

Very cool. In things. More sleepy. We are a sleep podcast, of course. We have some tough questions, some invasive questions. The first one is, what is your sleep routine? Like, what does it feel like and look like when Cole goes to bed?

[Cole Walliser]

I spend a lot of effort trying to maximize my sleep routine. I watch many video clips on social media and otherwise about doing this. I. Because I notoriously don't sleep very well. I. Yeah, I have trouble sleeping a little bit. Not so much falling asleep, but staying asleep. I wake up a lot, and so I've been trying to incorporate a more consistent nighttime routine with dim light. Like, dim lights make a huge, huge difference for me. I actually realized this when I was camping. Like, I would go camping, and then I'd be, like, uncomfortable, like, in a sleeping bag on the ground, and then sometimes maybe, like, have some beers at night because we're Camping, but. But I track my sleep like a variety of wearables. And my sleep when I was camping was like just through the roof. Like I'd sleep forever. I'd sleep so long and I couldn't understand why. And then I realized like, oh yeah, like it gets pitch black at like, you know, 7:38pm and there's just no light anywhere. And that just made such a huge difference. So I tried to incorporate that at home.

[KP]

The camping sleep is. It really does hit. I mean, like, you are uncomfortable. Cause you're ultimately on the dirt usually. But I do agree that I feel like when I. Because I'm going to bed so early, because it gets dark so early. I mean, sometimes it gets dark at five. So you're like, okay, there's only so much we can talk about around the fire before it's time for bed. And then I do sleep like a log when I'm camping. There's something to it. I think our primordial selves come out.

[Cole Walliser]

Yeah, I mean, clearly, you know what I mean? It's like we lived by that light pattern for, you know, thousands and thousands of years. And so in some sense it's like surprising, like, oh, this makes a difference. But then if you think about it a little bit more in depth, you're like, oh yeah, this makes perfect sense. Like that I would be maximizing the way my body works when I operate in accordance to like how things always sort of have been in no artificial lighting. Right.

[KP]

Yes. I do have to figure out my perfect lighting because I like when it's blackout for sure at night. But then if I wake up in the morning and it's still dark, I do get disoriented for the first like 20 minutes because I'm like, am I still in a cave? Help. Help. So I do need to figure out something where it's like. And I think there's just a perfect example, which is a beautiful light wake up alarm from hatch. But I'm like, I gotta figure it all out because the light makes a huge difference. It is, It's a big equation. I also love that you're a sleep nerd, Cole. This is perfect. This is really. I say this with love and love in my heart.

[Cole Walliser]

Oh yeah, I. I definitely. It's definitely been a focus. Like the more we pay attention to just our overall health and well being. It's like the number one thing always is sleep. It's like, I know, it's like before nutrition, like obviously you need to eat right. But if we're trying to maximize things. The thing that's really going to be benefic is, like, sleep. Right. So in some sense, this should be. And also, like, I spend more time sleeping than I do almost anything else.

[KP]

You know what I mean?

[Cole Walliser]

Like, aside from, like, working, you know, sleep is kind of. I do that more than I go have fun, I think. Right. I'm not having fun eight hours a day. Yeah.

[KP]

So we should be having fun.

[Cole Walliser]

I know. We definitely should. I should try to, like, switch that around, but. But, yeah, you know, so I've been trying to pay more attention and just be mindful about it.

[KP]

Well, we're gonna have fun for the next bit of our day because we are moving into a game night. If everybody's down.

[Cole Walliser]

Y.

[Kristen]

Love game night.

[KP]

We're gonna play a lovely game of you know it. You love it. Would you rather. So, Cole, we have some. Would you rather questions that are geared to maybe some things that you can give us expert opinions on.

[Cole Walliser]

Great.

[Kristen]

All right, so the first one is, would you rather be photographed from your book Bad side all night or have one perfect photo that becomes your entire public identity?

[Cole Walliser]

Oh, that's interesting. I mean, like, I've tried to not identify a bad side, so I don't have to worry about it. You know what I mean?

[KP]

Yeah.

[Cole Walliser]

The only drawback of having, like, one perfect photo is I think it's problematic when you then meet someone in person and you're, like, not quite as good as your photos. You know what I mean? Like, so I don't want to be, like, perpetually in that state where people see this one photo that's, like, absolutely perfect, and then they meet me, and

[KP]

they're like, I see why that was the one you picked.

[Cole Walliser]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm gonna say I'll go with bad side. Cause I just think that I. I don't even know what side that is. So just pick a side. Film me all night, then. We're fine.

[Kristen]

Oh, so you're lucky that you don't even know that you have a bad side. You have one.

[KP]

Kristin, this is what I was gonna ask.

[Kristen]

Oh, yeah, I definitely have a bad side. Yeah. There's a side that photographers prefer to photograph me on. I've been told they're like, we're gonna set you at this angle.

[KP]

Wow.

[Kristen]

Yeah.

[KP]

Okay. I'm like, you, Cole. I haven't identified mine. I'm sure I have one. But I am, like, sometimes we all think too much about our visual appearances, and I can't do that one. That one. I go you're going to get the side I decide to sit on that day because I just can't. I can't take the time to analyze my face that much. I'll have a spiral.

[Cole Walliser]

Yes. Some things, like the idea that ignorance is bliss. Some things. This really is beneficial. If it's not blatantly staring you in the face, then try not to think about it, and you'll probably be better off.

[KP]

Yeah, I know. Because then it is like, I think of my mom, when she would ever take photos, she would be like, okay, you have to stand in front. You have to stand to this side. You have to. Okay, because you're going to cover up my arms. You're going to cover. And I was like, oh, my goodness. Now the photos become this whole, you know, camouflage act. And I'm like, it's good to just meet everybody where you're at. That said, I do hate about 90% of my photos.

[Kristen]

So you just had such great headshots taken recently, though. Everyone should go to Kiki's Instagram and see those. They're beautiful. Thank you. I just got to reiterate, unlike you two, I do have a bad side, so I'm gonna personally choose the one photo.

[KP]

Okay.

[Kristen]

Because, yeah, I'd rather just have one good photo than a million bad photos. I think it's my inner Barbara Walters. She would only be photographed from one side. All of her Barbara Walters interviews, she always sat on the same side. Her guests had to be on the other side, whether they liked it or not. Mariah Carey, I think, does the same thing.

[KP]

I believe that.

[Kristen]

And I'm like, I'll be like, Mariah. I'm gonna be like, Barbara, you're just going to get my good side. And that's it. That's it.

[KP]

There are worse people to be like than Barbara and Mariah. Those are some icons. Go ahead.

[Kristen]

They truly are.

[KP]

I'll take the bad side one, because ignorance is bliss. I like that. All right, we have another one. Cole, would you rather have perfect lighting follow you everywhere or have your own personal background music?

[Cole Walliser]

Oh, that's interesting. I mean, because of what I do, I know the value of good lighting, and I think that that's really tough to beat. It's hard to get good lighting anywhere, so I'm gonna say, yeah, give me perfect lighting always and forever. That. That'll do it. Though having like. Like entrance music everywhere would be also pretty awesome. But I'm gonna go with lighting.

[KP]

I think I have to go lighting also, because bad lighting can make you look like A completely different person. Like, it is why I think, like, there's fine lighting, there's good lighting, but bad lighting. I'm like, I don't. I can't recognize that as a human photo of me. There's just bad lighting can be really, really make you rethink everything. And I think it makes a big difference. And then background music, I go, you know, I like the sounds of just regular nature and stuff in this world, so I don't mind just skipping that one. But I do love music. Kristin, what do you got?

[Kristen]

I think for me, the biggest issue with having my own personal background music is I might get sick of it. So, you know, I love some Dolly. As everybody knows, I'm a huge Dolly Parton superfan. And if 9 to 5 played every time I was walking into a room, getting on the subway, walking down the

[KP]

street, that is good walking music.

[Kristen]

It's great. But I don't want to get to the point where I'm like, oh, I'm sick of Dolly. I never want to get to that point. And so I feel like that personal background music would come to feel like a curse, whereas the good lighting would be a blessing no matter what. Everywhere, I would just be like Mariah. Once again, I'd be just like Mariah having that good lighting. And the more I can be like Mariah, the better. I guess that's the lesson of today's episode. Be more like Mariah.

[KP]

I do think some people do have their own background music. Bringing the speakers on the train, bringing the speakers on the beach. And I don't often enjoy everyone's taste.

[Kristen]

No. I was at the doctor's office this morning, and there were people doing that, and I'm like, come on.

[KP]

At the doctor's office.

[Kristen]

Yeah. Just going to get my regular checkup. I'm like, what are you all doing here? None of us want to hear that.

[KP]

No.

[Kristen]

Especially the three people over here who are listening to something else on their phone. They don't want to hear it. Yeah.

[KP]

The beach one really does. I sound like the oldest fogey, but I'm like, I like the sound of the beach as it is. I don't need. I don't need loud music, but God bless music is lovely in general. There's silver linings to everything.

[Kristen]

Maybe those people should just enjoy the good lighting. It's the beach. There's good lighting. Enjoy that instead.

[KP]

That is good lighting. Okay. Kristin, do you have another one?

[Kristen]

All right. Would you rather be known for your fashion risks or for always looking polished and timeless?

[Cole Walliser]

Oh, another good question.

[Kristen]

So would you rather be, like, an Audrey Hepburn or would you rather be,

[KP]

like, Bjork or Mariah Carey? She's just around.

[Cole Walliser]

She's just.

[KP]

She's just always around, and then there's just Mariah.

[Cole Walliser]

But the risks appeal to me because I think that, like, playing it safe isn't always the best move, you know, but, like, timeless isn't necessarily playing it safe. Right. And that is one thing. Like, you could, like, I could just be in, like, classic suit, suit and tie the whole time, which would be pretty cool. But I do think a part of me wants to be a little bit more, like, expressive and take. And the idea of taking a risk, like, is. Is exciting for me. Like, I'd rather, like, swing and miss than, like, not swing, really, you know? So I'm going to say. I'm going to say take risks on that.

[Kristen]

Yes. How about you, kp?

[KP]

I think obviously there's a beautiful middle ground. I would love to be like, oh, we can't wait to see what she does next on the carpet. That's a fun position to put yourself.

[Kristen]

Is she going to wear a meat dress today?

[KP]

Yeah, but she does timeless sometimes, too, so it's like she's. It's almost. The risk is for her sometimes being beige, that would be risky for her. So I think I'm going to lean more risk because that does. I think fashion is. Costume is fun, is an art form, and we should be stretching it to its limits when we can. So I'm going to say risk.

[Kristen]

I will confess that in real life, I tend to wear kind of the same silhouette, the same kind of 1960s mod outfits every single day, which, you know, it's like the mini skirt, the top, the. You know. And you know me, kp. We've met, not just on the screen, but face to face many times. I pretty much wear, like, not very exciting clothes. They're just like. Like I said, same color, same silhouette, same palette. But if I were somebody who did the red carpet, if I were one of the people who was doing Glambot all the time with you, Cole, I would want to be a fashion risk taker. I'd want to be the person in the Bob Mackie dress that's made out of curtains or the whole, you know, silhouette that's, like seven feet wide and just made out of feathers, I feel like, yes, I want to be that person. I want to look like the lemon meringue pie or whatever it is and just go bold. Go all the way. Wear all the Colors, wear all the textures and have fun with it. That's an alternate life of mine. Again, this is my glam bot life, not my podcast host life.

[Cole Walliser]

I love that you referenced Bob Mackie. I mean, he's a legend. I worked with Sharon Pink and he dressed both of them for many years. And it's just like, he's the best.

[KP]

So cool.

[Kristen]

Yes.

[KP]

All right, we're all risk takers there. I like it. I mean, yeah, there are people that knock it out of the park every time because they're just perfectly tailored to them, but I am like, sometimes it's just, we gotta have some fun in this world, folks.

[Kristen]

Yes, yes, absolutely. Well, that game night was so fun. But before we wrap, Cole, there are a couple of things we want to ask you. First and foremost, is there something that our listeners should be checking out because we know they want more of you?

[Cole Walliser]

Ooh. I mean, I'm pretty active on all the social medias. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, all this stuff. Just my name is basically where you find me. Yeah. I mean, the Glambots are a fun thing that I post a lot of content year round, but the awards season is just sort of coming to an end with the Oscars coming up, so it'll be nice to kind of chill out for a little second and go on my own kind of personal adventures. But then we're back to it in the fall, so. Yeah.

[Kristen]

Nice, Nice. And the second thing we want to ask you, is there somebody out there that you would like to say goodnight to? Somebody. Something. We'd love to have our guests shout out a good night to somebody before they go.

[Cole Walliser]

Ooh, I would love to say, let's see who was friendly to me recently. I would love to say. Oh, here's who I want to say goodnight to. I want to say goodnight to all of, like, the PAs and security guards at the award shows. I was just at the Actors Awards, and these people are just working hard and I think they don't get any recognition. And they're there six in the morning till way after I leave. So I just hope that they have a wonderful good night and they sleep well and they're ready to tackle their day tomorrow.

[Kristen]

I love that good night because I used to work as a PA and it is thankless and no one pays attention. And sometimes people aren't very nice to the PAs either. Just people will complain to the PAs or dump on the PAs. But production assistants, none of these things would work. No live show, no videotape show, nothing would work. Without the production assistance, so. Oh, that's beautiful. I love that.

[KP]

And the security guards are often the first people you see. They set the vibe for the night. And I've met a lot of really friendly, funny ones.

[Kristen]

Yeah, absolutely. And they keep us safe. What's not to love?

[KP]

Well, thank you so much, Cole. This was very fun, very cool, very glamorous. I will talk to you next time. Good night, Cole. And good night, Kristin.

[Kristen]

Good night, Cole. Good night, KP. Sa.

[Narrator]

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