December 18, 2023 • 15 mins
This week, we're revisiting our conversations with Will Packer. Tanya Sam sits down with renowned filmmaker and entrepreneur, Will Packer. In a candid conversation, Will shares his journey from pursuing an engineering degree to becoming one of Hollywood's most successful producers. He talks about the challenges he faced along the way and the persistence and determination that kept him committed to his dream of becoming a filmmaker. Will also shares how he brokered his first deal with Blockbuster and offers valuable advice on using the resources and services that are accessible to you. Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn more about Will Packer's path to success and the lessons he's learned along the way.
Host IG:@itstanyatime
Guest IG: @willpowerpacker
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Whatever your industry might be, don't have to be filmed,
whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What are the reasons Because a lot of times we're
daunted because we say, Okay, my end goal is going
to require X number of dollars and resources to accomplish
and I'm nowhere near that. Right, that's okay, What are
you What can you get your hands on? What can
you use as resources now to start your way on
(00:24):
the path.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
That was very much my store. That was exactly what
we did.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
You're listening to Money News powered by Greenway, a finance
podcast dedicated to dropping all the knowledge and gems from
the world's leading celebrities, entrepreneurs, and experts, a tech business
and norm I'm your host, Angel investor, technology enthusiasts and
media personality Tanya sam Each makes me talk with guests
who are making significant strides in their fields and learn
(00:49):
how they are making their money. Do If you're someone
who's looking to make your money.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
View, you're in the right place.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
So open up your notes app and lock us in
because this podcast will give you the e to the
kingdom of financial stability, wealth and abundance so rightly deserve.
Before we start the episode, I'd like to remind you
to check us out at Gogreenwood dot com.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
And follow us on social media at Greenwood.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And me on all things social at It's Tanya time
to stay locked in to new episodeses. On this episode,
we sit down with acclaimed film producer Will Packer as
he discusses how he got his big break in the
film industry. I am so excited to have our guest
on the stage today with us, Will Packer.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
It is a pleasure to have you here today.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Dana, honor is allmine. I love this platform. I love
what you're doing. It's so important, it's so intentional. I'm
honored to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Our Money Mows audience is so excited to have you
today because you have been an icon in the production
and filmmaking industry and we want to know how you
did it. And our promise at the Show of Money
Moves is not just hey, I've here, I've arrived. We
want to dig into how we can help the intentional
about setting a roadmap for creating generational wealth for our
(02:00):
families in black homes and really understand how you made your.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Money New Absolutely, it's an important and needed conversation.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I know you know that I'm ready to get into it.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Well, let's start from the very beginning.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I know you were a very outspoken FAM you graduate,
you went to school for engineering, But I want to
know how you really started and pivoted into being in filmmaking.
And I've heard that you started actually behind the camera.
So start at the beginning and tell me a little
bit from there.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, so at FAM, you because that is really where
I got my full entrepreneurial start, where I really honed
my Black college absolutely and I'm a big proponent and
advocate of black colleges and whether you went to an
HBCU PWI, whether you're a parent watching this thing in
(02:50):
about your children, it's where you are. It's who you are, right,
that's the key. So you could be successful wherever you are.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
The key is you.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
For me, I definitely found an environment that was foundational
for my success at an HBC, very specifically there, my
entrepreneurial instincts were honed because it was cool.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It was the thing to do.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It wasn't just about we'll go to corporate and get
a job and work your way up.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
And that's different. That's different.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
But you and I both know in order to really
unlock the level of multi generational success and economic independence
that we talk about that you advocate you actually need
to be creating something on your own.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I'd like to say, build something from nothing.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yes, you know that foundation comes and I love to
hear that it came from historically black college entrepreneurship teaching.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
You know, how can we advance and get to that
next level?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yep? And for me, it wasn't initially that I wanted
to be a filmmaker.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Because I didn't know that that's what I was going
to end up doing. I knew I wanted to be
an entrepreneur, I be honest with you, very blatantly. I
wanted to be a boss, a ball, That's what I said, right.
I knew I wanted to be in charge. I wanted
to be affecting people's lives and want to have my
own company, business, industry, whatever it might have been. I
then found filmmaking along the way and found a love
(04:12):
for storytelling. While trying to figure out what my entrepreneur
endeavor was going to be, I linked up with my
lifelong friend Rob Hardy. He knew he wanted to be
a film director. I helped him to make his first
movie we made it.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So going to stop you there, okay.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Because I think sometimes in our audience people think of
this big, broad umbrella statement of producing film Hollywood and they.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Have no idea what it is.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
So you had this influence who said I knew I
wanted to make movies?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And how did you figure out how you wanted to
fit into this production piece?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Like? What was it about producing? And how did you
also know that it would enable you to be a
boss you make some money.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
It's a great question, and the honest answers that I
didn't know all of that at that time. And sometimes
times we can find strength in what we don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Right, say that sometimes it is the thing, the.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Unknown that actually can help us, because very frankly, if
I knew how difficult and challenging.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
The industry that I am in was at that time,
I might have tried to figure out something else.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
I like to say that all the time, if it
were easy, everybody can do it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
That is absolutely true. But this is not who you
are now, It's not who I am.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
And I went into it head first, which I think
you have to do, going really really hard.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
And what happened was Rob knew that he wanted to
be a film director.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I was helping him cast the movie, fine financing for
the movie, ultimately independently distribute the movie. It was later
that I found out that's what a producer does. See,
I didn't necessarily was. I was learning on a job,
and I was doing what needed to be done. A
lot of people can relate to that. Do what is
it going to take to have success at a particular level.
Do whatever that is, and then along the way you
(06:01):
can figure out maybe how you monetize that, how you
label that a particular way.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I wasn't worried about that at the time.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I was worried about getting it down very focused time.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
I am a sophomore in college. Okay, so you know.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
You've got a runway, You're like, I know, I got
a grind.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yes, yes, I I also wasn't afraid to work when
everybody else was playing. My dad used to always tell me,
you can pay now and play later, or you can
play now that you're gonna pay late.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
I like to play later. There's you know, when you
have a little bit more money, play is so much
more fun.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
There's no question about it. You got no college parties
listen to me, there's somebody watching this right now that's grinding.
Everybody else is having a good time. That grind will
absolutely play off. That play later when you have the
resources to do it on a different level, it hits very,
very different. I had a lot of people that looked
at me when I was, you know, delivering newspapers and
(06:54):
answering the phone, because when I came out of fam
you I didn't take an engineering job, even though that
was my degree. Had this dream to be a filmmaker,
so I just need to make ends meet. There was
a lot of Ramennudu's meals after I had graduated, with
all my peers were out. They were making you know,
mid five, low six figures, and they were like, you.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Know, this is dude, I don't know what you're doing.
But we out here calling and Mexicos and hanging out
at the club.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
And I was like, nah, I got a bigger vision
and you know it turned out all right for me.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Well, it sure did.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And I know, if I am correct, I think you
have your name on a building at FAMU, So it
really turned out.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Right, which is insane to me. I still am floored
when I think about that. When I think about the
fact that, you know, I a graduate of that school,
a product of that school.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Now you know, I'll tell you tell you.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I was so like, we did a great celebration and
we got christened it, dedicated it. It felt amazing. After
we left, I was like, they're gonna take that down.
I was like, I know they just did that because
when I was here and so later to see pictures
when I was never around the people like posed and
taking pictures with like a building.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
With my name one, I was like that legacy buildings.
That is the essence of what we are trying to
talk about. I want to go back when you are
broker in this first deal. I hear you in twenty thousand.
It was you one movie, your partner, and you guys
broken your first deal with Blockbuster.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Yep, walk me through how that happened.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So we made our first movie, Chaka City, for about
twenty thousand dollars total in funds. Now, that was not
all like cash on hand at any one time. It
was money we'd raise from our student government association. That's
another lesson there. Use the resources around you however you can, right,
So for us, that was the fam you SGA. Yep,
(08:45):
we did in kind as well. We were using equipment
that a television station in town. They would let us
borrow it on the weekends to shoot. We would go
in and edit our movies at like four in the
morning because that's when that news station wasn't using the
editing equipment.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
How people are hearing because you're dropping gems.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Listen, use the resources you have a lot of times
early days, people are out there asking for money, but
you're like, we were using the free student center. Yes,
we were going for grants. Yeah, this is really tactical information. Yeah,
people need and it takes actually work. It's the homework
that people need to do.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Y see, no question, whatever your industry may be, don't
have to be filmed, whatever it is. What are the
reasons because a lot of times we're.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Daunted because we say, Okay, my end goal is going
to require X number of dollars or resources to accomplish
and I'm nowhere near that. Right, that's okay, what are
you new? What can you get your hands on? What
can you use as resources now to start your way
on the path. That was very much my story. That
(09:44):
was exactly what we did. That's great Okay, so now
you're the twenty thousand in twenty thousands invested it.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
We made our movie, right.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
The first thing we did was we actually we tried
to send it to Hollywood, and nobody in Hollywood care.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Oh wait, so is this That's one of those things
where it's like we failed. Oh my gosh, it didn't
work out. Life wasn't always rosy.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
That's right, totally failed. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Hollywood said, we don't care about this movie. We don't
know what fam You is. We never heard of old Packard.
Not interested, please stop sitting us stuff. Right, However, and
this is something that I think people can benefit from.
There was an audience that did care about that move,
and that was that audience at our university, at FAM You.
Now it wasn't the global audience that we were going
(10:29):
after when we were sitting at the Hollywood, but there
was a niche audience that said, we'll buy that movie,
will go see it, will support it. And we leaned
into them very heavily. We created T shirts and hats
and soundtracks. Later I learned these are ancillary revenue streams.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
That's what that is.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
So I was learning as I was going, because I
knew I needed to hustle to find a way to
make this project successful. I didn't have all the right
traditional ways of doing it, but I went into that
audience that knew it.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
They bought the movie. We showed it at you know,
the second run.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Theater and made it a party where people could come
and watch, and it went weekend after weekend. And that
twenty thousand dollars turned into one hundred thousand dollars, five
x what we originally put into.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Huge for a couple of broke college students.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
That's humane, that's huge. That's a big payday. You must
have felt like a really big payday.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Something else I just want to say that you talked
about here was finding your audience right, And sometimes I
think we cast the net so wide we're looking for
I've got to touch everyone. But something about amplifying the
audience and people that love you, Yes, that organic and
authentic customer.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yes, brilliant. And you've done that really well with a
lot of the movies.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
And it's actually grown from there because now you have
these people who were the voice I love this, You've
got to come and they sort of spread your.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Gospel one hundred percent. I mean, I still do that
to this day.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
The same thing that helped to launch my career early
on is the same kind of principle that I use now,
which is know your audience into that audience, and then
you talked about how instrumental a particular audience can be.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
For me, that has never been more true.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
I have a very my core audience is very persuasive, influential, loud.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I need all of those things because that helps.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Counteract the fact that oftentimes I'm up against other movies
that have bigger budgets, Yes, have bigger perceived ste guess
what that.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Core audience comes out in supports that tweet, They.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Create energy around it, and they will always come back
because they know exactly what you're going to deliver one
hundred percent. We're at Rainforest Films in your partnership with
Rob Hartman because I feel like this was also another
pivotal point of your career.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yes, after I graduated from FAMU.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Now it was what do we do because it was
one thing when you're doing it in college and you've
got the safety net and that bubble of being on
a college environment and everybody's kind of broke. But now
we're graduating. Now you got to figure out, Okay, how
are you actually going to turn this into a career.
Are we really doing this or are we just kind
of around and again relate to that where it's like, Okay,
(13:06):
I'm at a point where I got to figure out,
am I going for this? Am I gonna do this?
I was at that point after we graduated, and I said,
you know what I'm gonna I'm going for it. If
there's ever a time, already was coming out of college
not used to having a lot.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Now here's another lesson. I will tell you.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
When we came out of college, we didn't do things
that would incur a lot of debt or require us
to then be.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I was no change, no Bentley's none of that that
will come. Don't do no.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Because the point was I didn't even go out and
initially like get a mortgage right or another car. Note
I kept the car that I had from college. Because
you know what that means. That means you got responsibility. Yes,
you've got if I do share responsibility to pay these
things off before you're paying yourself, before you're putting money
into your own career.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's the trick.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
A lot of times we get too caught up on saying, Okay,
I got a little success, I deserve this.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I deserve this, or I have to look like I'm
successful in a.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Lot of ways to look successful. That's what I will
sell you. Yeah, a lot of ways and a lot
of people that are very successful, and they don't have
to be conspicuous consumers. They don't have to wear it
all over them. Nothing wrong with that if that's what
you want to do, but don't do it to the
detriment of your ultimate long term goal.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
That's what I would say.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Tune in Wednesday as we continue the conversation with film
producer Will Packer as he talks about how to make
money in film. Thanks for listening to today's episode. If
we helped you make your money move, please share it
with your community, Subscribe and leave us a review on
iHeartRadio and Apple Podcasts. Follow us on social media at
Greenwood and visit us at gogreenwood dot com for more
(14:43):
financial tips and remember, money Movers, If this were easy,
everyone would do it. So take the lessons you've learned
from this episode and apply it to your life. Until
next time. Money Moves is an iHeart Radio podcast powered
by Greenwood executive produced by Sunwise Media. In For more
podcast on iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
(15:04):
wherever you get your podcasts from. Make sure to tune
in Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and subscribe to the Money
Moose podcast powered by Greenwood, so that you too can
have the keys to financial freedom you so rightly deserve.
Whatever your industry might be, don't have to be filmed,
whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What are the reasons Because a lot of times we're
daunted because we say, Okay, my end goal is going
to require X number of dollars and resources to accomplish
and I'm nowhere near that. Right, that's okay, What are
you What can you get your hands on? What can
you use as resources now to start your way on
(00:24):
the path.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
That was very much my store. That was exactly what
we did.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
You're listening to Money News powered by Greenway, a finance
podcast dedicated to dropping all the knowledge and gems from
the world's leading celebrities, entrepreneurs, and experts, a tech business
and norm I'm your host, Angel investor, technology enthusiasts and
media personality Tanya sam Each makes me talk with guests
who are making significant strides in their fields and learn
(00:49):
how they are making their money. Do If you're someone
who's looking to make your money.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
View, you're in the right place.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
So open up your notes app and lock us in
because this podcast will give you the e to the
kingdom of financial stability, wealth and abundance so rightly deserve.
Before we start the episode, I'd like to remind you
to check us out at Gogreenwood dot com.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
And follow us on social media at Greenwood.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And me on all things social at It's Tanya time
to stay locked in to new episodeses. On this episode,
we sit down with acclaimed film producer Will Packer as
he discusses how he got his big break in the
film industry. I am so excited to have our guest
on the stage today with us, Will Packer.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
It is a pleasure to have you here today.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Dana, honor is allmine. I love this platform. I love
what you're doing. It's so important, it's so intentional. I'm
honored to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Our Money Mows audience is so excited to have you
today because you have been an icon in the production
and filmmaking industry and we want to know how you
did it. And our promise at the Show of Money
Moves is not just hey, I've here, I've arrived. We
want to dig into how we can help the intentional
about setting a roadmap for creating generational wealth for our
(02:00):
families in black homes and really understand how you made your.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Money New Absolutely, it's an important and needed conversation.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I know you know that I'm ready to get into it.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Well, let's start from the very beginning.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I know you were a very outspoken FAM you graduate,
you went to school for engineering, But I want to
know how you really started and pivoted into being in filmmaking.
And I've heard that you started actually behind the camera.
So start at the beginning and tell me a little
bit from there.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, so at FAM, you because that is really where
I got my full entrepreneurial start, where I really honed
my Black college absolutely and I'm a big proponent and
advocate of black colleges and whether you went to an
HBCU PWI, whether you're a parent watching this thing in
(02:50):
about your children, it's where you are. It's who you are, right,
that's the key. So you could be successful wherever you are.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
The key is you.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
For me, I definitely found an environment that was foundational
for my success at an HBC, very specifically there, my
entrepreneurial instincts were honed because it was cool.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It was the thing to do.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It wasn't just about we'll go to corporate and get
a job and work your way up.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
And that's different. That's different.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
But you and I both know in order to really
unlock the level of multi generational success and economic independence
that we talk about that you advocate you actually need
to be creating something on your own.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I'd like to say, build something from nothing.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yes, you know that foundation comes and I love to
hear that it came from historically black college entrepreneurship teaching.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
You know, how can we advance and get to that
next level?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yep? And for me, it wasn't initially that I wanted
to be a filmmaker.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Because I didn't know that that's what I was going
to end up doing. I knew I wanted to be
an entrepreneur, I be honest with you, very blatantly. I
wanted to be a boss, a ball, That's what I said, right.
I knew I wanted to be in charge. I wanted
to be affecting people's lives and want to have my
own company, business, industry, whatever it might have been. I
then found filmmaking along the way and found a love
(04:12):
for storytelling. While trying to figure out what my entrepreneur
endeavor was going to be, I linked up with my
lifelong friend Rob Hardy. He knew he wanted to be
a film director. I helped him to make his first
movie we made it.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So going to stop you there, okay.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Because I think sometimes in our audience people think of
this big, broad umbrella statement of producing film Hollywood and they.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Have no idea what it is.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
So you had this influence who said I knew I
wanted to make movies?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And how did you figure out how you wanted to
fit into this production piece?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Like? What was it about producing? And how did you
also know that it would enable you to be a
boss you make some money.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
It's a great question, and the honest answers that I
didn't know all of that at that time. And sometimes
times we can find strength in what we don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Right, say that sometimes it is the thing, the.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Unknown that actually can help us, because very frankly, if
I knew how difficult and challenging.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
The industry that I am in was at that time,
I might have tried to figure out something else.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
I like to say that all the time, if it
were easy, everybody can do it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
That is absolutely true. But this is not who you
are now, It's not who I am.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
And I went into it head first, which I think
you have to do, going really really hard.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
And what happened was Rob knew that he wanted to
be a film director.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I was helping him cast the movie, fine financing for
the movie, ultimately independently distribute the movie. It was later
that I found out that's what a producer does. See,
I didn't necessarily was. I was learning on a job,
and I was doing what needed to be done. A
lot of people can relate to that. Do what is
it going to take to have success at a particular level.
Do whatever that is, and then along the way you
(06:01):
can figure out maybe how you monetize that, how you
label that a particular way.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I wasn't worried about that at the time.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I was worried about getting it down very focused time.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
I am a sophomore in college. Okay, so you know.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
You've got a runway, You're like, I know, I got
a grind.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yes, yes, I I also wasn't afraid to work when
everybody else was playing. My dad used to always tell me,
you can pay now and play later, or you can
play now that you're gonna pay late.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
I like to play later. There's you know, when you
have a little bit more money, play is so much
more fun.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
There's no question about it. You got no college parties
listen to me, there's somebody watching this right now that's grinding.
Everybody else is having a good time. That grind will
absolutely play off. That play later when you have the
resources to do it on a different level, it hits very,
very different. I had a lot of people that looked
at me when I was, you know, delivering newspapers and
(06:54):
answering the phone, because when I came out of fam
you I didn't take an engineering job, even though that
was my degree. Had this dream to be a filmmaker,
so I just need to make ends meet. There was
a lot of Ramennudu's meals after I had graduated, with
all my peers were out. They were making you know,
mid five, low six figures, and they were like, you.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Know, this is dude, I don't know what you're doing.
But we out here calling and Mexicos and hanging out
at the club.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
And I was like, nah, I got a bigger vision
and you know it turned out all right for me.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Well, it sure did.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And I know, if I am correct, I think you
have your name on a building at FAMU, So it
really turned out.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Right, which is insane to me. I still am floored
when I think about that. When I think about the
fact that, you know, I a graduate of that school,
a product of that school.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Now you know, I'll tell you tell you.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I was so like, we did a great celebration and
we got christened it, dedicated it. It felt amazing. After
we left, I was like, they're gonna take that down.
I was like, I know they just did that because
when I was here and so later to see pictures
when I was never around the people like posed and
taking pictures with like a building.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
With my name one, I was like that legacy buildings.
That is the essence of what we are trying to
talk about. I want to go back when you are
broker in this first deal. I hear you in twenty thousand.
It was you one movie, your partner, and you guys
broken your first deal with Blockbuster.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Yep, walk me through how that happened.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So we made our first movie, Chaka City, for about
twenty thousand dollars total in funds. Now, that was not
all like cash on hand at any one time. It
was money we'd raise from our student government association. That's
another lesson there. Use the resources around you however you can, right,
So for us, that was the fam you SGA. Yep,
(08:45):
we did in kind as well. We were using equipment
that a television station in town. They would let us
borrow it on the weekends to shoot. We would go
in and edit our movies at like four in the
morning because that's when that news station wasn't using the
editing equipment.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
How people are hearing because you're dropping gems.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Listen, use the resources you have a lot of times
early days, people are out there asking for money, but
you're like, we were using the free student center. Yes,
we were going for grants. Yeah, this is really tactical information. Yeah,
people need and it takes actually work. It's the homework
that people need to do.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Y see, no question, whatever your industry may be, don't
have to be filmed, whatever it is. What are the
reasons because a lot of times we're.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Daunted because we say, Okay, my end goal is going
to require X number of dollars or resources to accomplish
and I'm nowhere near that. Right, that's okay, what are
you new? What can you get your hands on? What
can you use as resources now to start your way
on the path. That was very much my story. That
(09:44):
was exactly what we did. That's great Okay, so now
you're the twenty thousand in twenty thousands invested it.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
We made our movie, right.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
The first thing we did was we actually we tried
to send it to Hollywood, and nobody in Hollywood care.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Oh wait, so is this That's one of those things
where it's like we failed. Oh my gosh, it didn't
work out. Life wasn't always rosy.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
That's right, totally failed. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Hollywood said, we don't care about this movie. We don't
know what fam You is. We never heard of old Packard.
Not interested, please stop sitting us stuff. Right, However, and
this is something that I think people can benefit from.
There was an audience that did care about that move,
and that was that audience at our university, at FAM You.
Now it wasn't the global audience that we were going
(10:29):
after when we were sitting at the Hollywood, but there
was a niche audience that said, we'll buy that movie,
will go see it, will support it. And we leaned
into them very heavily. We created T shirts and hats
and soundtracks. Later I learned these are ancillary revenue streams.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
That's what that is.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
So I was learning as I was going, because I
knew I needed to hustle to find a way to
make this project successful. I didn't have all the right
traditional ways of doing it, but I went into that
audience that knew it.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
They bought the movie. We showed it at you know,
the second run.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Theater and made it a party where people could come
and watch, and it went weekend after weekend. And that
twenty thousand dollars turned into one hundred thousand dollars, five
x what we originally put into.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Huge for a couple of broke college students.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
That's humane, that's huge. That's a big payday. You must
have felt like a really big payday.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Something else I just want to say that you talked
about here was finding your audience right, And sometimes I
think we cast the net so wide we're looking for
I've got to touch everyone. But something about amplifying the
audience and people that love you, Yes, that organic and
authentic customer.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yes, brilliant. And you've done that really well with a
lot of the movies.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
And it's actually grown from there because now you have
these people who were the voice I love this, You've
got to come and they sort of spread your.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Gospel one hundred percent. I mean, I still do that
to this day.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
The same thing that helped to launch my career early
on is the same kind of principle that I use now,
which is know your audience into that audience, and then
you talked about how instrumental a particular audience can be.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
For me, that has never been more true.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
I have a very my core audience is very persuasive, influential, loud.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I need all of those things because that helps.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Counteract the fact that oftentimes I'm up against other movies
that have bigger budgets, Yes, have bigger perceived ste guess
what that.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Core audience comes out in supports that tweet, They.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Create energy around it, and they will always come back
because they know exactly what you're going to deliver one
hundred percent. We're at Rainforest Films in your partnership with
Rob Hartman because I feel like this was also another
pivotal point of your career.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yes, after I graduated from FAMU.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Now it was what do we do because it was
one thing when you're doing it in college and you've
got the safety net and that bubble of being on
a college environment and everybody's kind of broke. But now
we're graduating. Now you got to figure out, Okay, how
are you actually going to turn this into a career.
Are we really doing this or are we just kind
of around and again relate to that where it's like, Okay,
(13:06):
I'm at a point where I got to figure out,
am I going for this? Am I gonna do this?
I was at that point after we graduated, and I said,
you know what I'm gonna I'm going for it. If
there's ever a time, already was coming out of college
not used to having a lot.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Now here's another lesson. I will tell you.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
When we came out of college, we didn't do things
that would incur a lot of debt or require us
to then be.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I was no change, no Bentley's none of that that
will come. Don't do no.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Because the point was I didn't even go out and
initially like get a mortgage right or another car. Note
I kept the car that I had from college. Because
you know what that means. That means you got responsibility. Yes,
you've got if I do share responsibility to pay these
things off before you're paying yourself, before you're putting money
into your own career.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's the trick.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
A lot of times we get too caught up on saying, Okay,
I got a little success, I deserve this.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I deserve this, or I have to look like I'm
successful in a.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Lot of ways to look successful. That's what I will
sell you. Yeah, a lot of ways and a lot
of people that are very successful, and they don't have
to be conspicuous consumers. They don't have to wear it
all over them. Nothing wrong with that if that's what
you want to do, but don't do it to the
detriment of your ultimate long term goal.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
That's what I would say.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Tune in Wednesday as we continue the conversation with film
producer Will Packer as he talks about how to make
money in film. Thanks for listening to today's episode. If
we helped you make your money move, please share it
with your community, Subscribe and leave us a review on
iHeartRadio and Apple Podcasts. Follow us on social media at
Greenwood and visit us at gogreenwood dot com for more
(14:43):
financial tips and remember, money Movers, If this were easy,
everyone would do it. So take the lessons you've learned
from this episode and apply it to your life. Until
next time. Money Moves is an iHeart Radio podcast powered
by Greenwood executive produced by Sunwise Media. In For more
podcast on iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
(15:04):
wherever you get your podcasts from. Make sure to tune
in Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and subscribe to the Money
Moose podcast powered by Greenwood, so that you too can
have the keys to financial freedom you so rightly deserve.
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