The lore.

Marielou Mandl is a host and creator with 20+ years in front of the lens — hosting since the middle-school morning announcements. These days she tests AI tools, wellness tech, and whatever the internet swears by, and reports back with the honest verdict. She'd also like to remind you to drink some water.

Marielou Mandl is a host and creator with more than twenty years in front of the lens. She booked her first hosting gig at twelve — the Everitt Middle School morning announcements — and never gave the microphone back.

Her receipts run deep: content for HBO, Nintendo, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, Scholastic, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and Panavision; New Year's Eve segments from Times Square; a video honored at the 70th Primetime Emmys. She has fronted live events with and without a teleprompter, conducted hundreds of on-camera interviews — from Oscar-winning composer Kris Bowers to first-timers — and hosted 49 episodes of the filmmaker-interview podcast On the Fly Filmmaking.

Today the camera points at her. Through Mandl Media she makes personality-led content about the creator life — testing AI tools, wellness tech, and whatever's next, with loud opinions and honest verdicts. An official Ecamm Expert, she hosts branded video series for companies she actually uses, including Ecamm and HeyGen, and still takes the mic for live events and speaking.

She is classically trained in improv comedy (Upright Citizens Brigade, levels 1–4), has survived six kinds of natural disasters, and always has at least one camera on her.

I got my first hosting job at twelve: the Everitt Middle School Morning and Afternoon Announcements. Hosted and produced, for the record. It's still the longest-running line on my résumé — I've been in front of a camera, holding a microphone, pretty much ever since.

I'm a military kid (yay, US Air Force), born in the Philippines, with ten elementary schools and most categories of natural disaster behind me. I studied mass communications at the University of Central Florida and spent an honest amount of that time at theme parks. After a lifetime of never living anywhere long, Los Angeles is home — the longest I've stayed anywhere, on purpose.

I've spent my career on both sides of the camera: producing and directing videos, photo shoots, and marketing events for brands — I'm the type of filmmaker who will do whatever it takes to get the shot. I've emceed live events scripted and unscripted, interviewed hundreds of people from Oscar winners to first-timers, hosted at AfterbuzzTV, and directed a video that screened at the 70th Primetime Emmys. In 2018 I went all in on my own content. These days the camera points at me: I try the things the internet swears by — AI tools, wellness gadgets, viral everything — and tell you exactly what I found.

The rapid-fire round

• I have survived an earthquake, flood, hurricane, typhoon, tornado, and volcano. Yes, volcano — I was in the Philippines for the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991.
• I am classically trained in improv comedy. By classically trained, I mean I completed levels 1–4 at Upright Citizens Brigade. I loved it. I miss it. Everyone should try it.
• Pageant record: some random one at 8, Miss Teen Fil-Am at 17, Miss California USA 2010. All interesting experiences.
• I learned to drive on a stick shift. Once I figured that out, I realized I could probably learn anything.
• In school, I taught myself to take notes backwards in cursive.
• My favorite movie is Back to the Future.
• I always have at least one camera on me. Usually more. Seriously, always ready to shoot.
• As long as nobody's in danger, I'll try almost anything just to say I did — especially if it scares me.
• Drink some water. Be good humans. Don't forget to wipe your lens.