Building a Streaming Platform with Revry Co-Founder & CEO, Damian Pelliccione

Damian Pelliccione, Co-Founder and CEO of Revry, shares his incredible transformation from Toronto actor to entrepreneur in Los Angeles. He reveals the pivotal moments that shaped his journey, highlighting the importance of community and the mission to uplift new voices in the entertainment industry.

Damian discusses content development and founding Revry, a free streaming platform supported by advertisers. He provides strategies for creating original shows, from in-house development to collaborations with trusted production companies, and offers valuable guidance for filmmakers on getting their content licensed and featured.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
One of the biggest things is like, when you look at
it, like we're predominantlyGen Z, millennial, focused
audience.
I don't know how we got to that.
I know that we are focusing onthat from a marketing
perspective, but I think it'sthe content and kind of like to
your point we were talking aboutearlier mission which drives so
much of who we are.
You know, we are authenticallythe consumer of this product and

(00:22):
and we are really focused onfinding ways to uplift new
voices within our own community.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
This is the Cinematography for Actors
podcast.

Speaker 4 (00:34):
More than a podcast.
Cinematography for Actors is avibrant community devoted to
bridging the gap between talentand crew.
Each week, our show offerstransparent, insightful
conversations with industryleaders.
We unveil the magic behind thescenes, from candid discussions
about unique filmmakingprocesses to in-depth technical
exploration.
Join us in unraveling theintricacies of filmmaking, one

(00:57):
episode at a time.
It's more than just cameras andlenses we aim to inspire,
educate and empower as we peelback the curtain on the art of
effective storytelling.
Now on to the episode.
Hi, everybody, this isCinematography for Actors
podcast.
I'm your host, haley Royal, andI'm seated here with my co-host
, indiana Underhill, hi.
And we're seated with the CEOand co-founder, damian

(01:19):
Pelliccione of Reverie, hi Hi.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
Thanks for having me.
We're really excited to haveyou here today.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
I have a lot of questions about just the
business.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
I mean, we've been sitting here talking a little
bit about business and thethings you learn while you run a
business I'm so curious about.
First of all, what was like theseed that built this idea?

Speaker 1 (01:43):
for you.

Speaker 4 (01:44):
And then what's the first step to creating a
streaming network?

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah.
So this it's funny because,like we just celebrated eight
years consumer facing- Wow,congratulations and this fall
will be nine years since we hadthe idea.
Cool, the idea came to me backin another life when I first
moved to los angeles.
I'm 43 years old now.
I was an actor actuallyfantastic now.

(02:11):
I went to performing arts highschool in toronto, moved to new
york from toronto from born andraised in toronto oh my god yeah
, yeah that's so.
I'm born and raised inunionville, markham.
I am so happy, yeah that's sofunny, she knows we love canucks
every time we meet a canadian,it's really exciting.

Speaker 4 (02:32):
I have like finally energy.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
I'm like oh my god, we can, we can relate.
Yeah, we can talk about a lotof a lot of things okay, sorry
continue um, like how celinedion is gonna open the olympics
it's gonna be amazing.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
it's gonna be amazing , it's going to be amazing.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
I'm so excited.
Have you seen the documentary?
No, I'm dying.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
Okay, I keep seeing it on Tik TOK, little snippets.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
I know, me too, I keep wanting to watch it.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
I haven't watched it yet.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
And.

Speaker 4 (02:52):
I'm like, she's like.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
I think that's exciting have a whole podcast on
just Celine Dion.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Yes, we could anything Canadian please.
Oh, it makes me so happy, so,anyway.
So, going back, like I, youknow, coming from a performing
arts background and, after 9-11,moving to Los Angeles.
So I've been in Los Angeles nowit's kind of crazy to say since
2000, october 2001, so it'sbeen 20, it'll be 23 years.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
I'm like 23, 22 years , 23 years you're a local, I'm a
local, stayed in los angelespast.
That, like, I feel like 10years, is where people are like
oh, like I've done, like, ifthey haven't already, they're
like, you know, like, but youdid it.
Yeah, you stayed more of myadult life has.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
I've lived in los angeles than growing up, yeah,
in toronto, which is wild to mewhen you, when you cross that
kind of like barrier and you'relike holy, like how did this?
How did the time fly right?
So, one of the things I'vealways been curious about his
business, and I've been veryentrepreneurial my entire life
and so, um, I had a roommate ofmine who won the first emmy for

(04:05):
Best Broadband Drama back in2007, dionna Nicole Baxter,
who's a super fabulous actressand writer, creator, director,
producer, extraordinary,filmmaker, extraordinary, and so
she really inspired me to juststart doing things on my own,
and so I started producing.
And then, from producing work,you know, and at this time, in
2007, 2008, this was all aboutthe web and youtube was just

(04:27):
created and launched in 2006, so, like, we were creating short
form, serialized content for theweb, and so, um, that parlayed
into um, working for a startup,uh, and then working for another
startup, and then working foranother startup.
All, all startups that werebased in entertainment.
Okay, um, so one was likecasting, one was platform based,

(04:49):
one was, um, a filmmaker socialnetwork.
Another one was, um, you know,focused on, like, uh, software
for live streaming, software forpodcasting and it just kind of
escalated and elevated intobeing an export at technology
for entertainment, specificallyfor making and creating for

(05:09):
entertainment.
And so I was working for.
The last startup before Istarted reverie I was working
for is this german-based startupout of cologne, germany.
They were called make tv andthey were b2bB, business to
business, saas, so software as aservice platform that
essentially powered a lot oflive streaming for news

(05:30):
organizations, and at the time Iwas actually the director of
business development because mypredecessor before me, she, got
pregnant and in Germany they geta year of maternity leave right
.

Speaker 4 (05:43):
What a dream Paid year of maternity leave right.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
What a paid year so I took over her beat, like I was
just North American, focused onHollywood in LA and like some
you know folks in Canada, butended up like working in the
international televisionbusiness on the you know, on the
sas tech side, for like AlJazeera and Med Car in Singapore
, and going to like all thesedifferent parts of the world and

(06:07):
seeing what television, how itoperated outside of the United
States.
Yeah, and this is you know,2010, 2000, 2009, until
basically like 2015.
And what really blew my mind, Ithink, was we were at this kind
of precipice where streamingwas essentially just taking over
and streaming is a globalexperience, it's not a localized

(06:29):
experience.
Youtube was the first one toreally define that.
Um, the barrier to entry is isjust pick up and watch Um.
And so this is when I wassitting in my um, my hotel room,
waiting to do IBC, theinternational broadcasters
convention in Amsterdam, whichis in September, and I don't
speak German, non-spekendieDeutsch.
I was trying to learn German.

(06:50):
I don't know one thing Wo istder Schwulenbar, which is, where
is the gay bar?
That's the only thing I reallyneeded to know.
And so I watch the Applekeynotes every year, like from
the time that Steve jobs wasdoing it all the way till tim
cook, like it's the olympics,like it's just like I have to
have all the products.
I am self-proclaimed apple file,I like, live for the culture of

(07:13):
apple and so I'm watching it.
They're talking about apple tv,and apple tv, specifically in
2015, had introduced tv os,which was essentially a unique
operating system that was forjust Apple TV.
Now, they had already existed,but it was a closed source
system, and Roku devices werereally popular, and Amazon

(07:34):
Firesticks were really popular,but they weren't really open
source, and so when Apple doessomething, it really changes the
game.
And so there was this lightbulb that went off in my head in
amsterdam, like waiting to doibc not not speaking german and
watching the apple you knowproduct launch on my, on my
laptop, on my, on my computer,which was, oh, we should start a

(07:57):
streaming service that isspecifically for lgbtq and
allied communities.
Um, and so it wasn't untilabout a month later, my husband,
who's also my co-founder, chrisRodriguez, or COO power couple,
we could do a whole podcast onworking with your, your partner.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
That's the whole separate session with power
couple.
So let's please eventually dothat.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
Oh my God, I feel like we're going to write a book
or do a podcast about the do'sand don'ts.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Um, do a podcast about the do's and don'ts.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
Um, you should.
That is a whole otherconversation.
But, um, but through thick andthin, um, you know he had broken
his iphone.
And this is back in the daywhen you go to the genius bar
and you go to get your glassreplaced.
And so I'm playing with a newapple tv and I'm new about tv os
.
I'm like great, just pack it uplike I'm waiting for my husband
to get his phone fixed, like Ineed to have this in my life,

(08:43):
and and then I plug it into mytelevision.
And the first thing that you doand you think about it is like
when you go to an app store isyou search for apps that are of
interest to you.
So I typed in lgbtq, lesbian,gay, all the acronyms.
Nothing popped up, nothing.
And so that solidified thatthere was a white space in the
market, there was an opportunity, there was a need, and so, um,

(09:06):
uh, two weeks later, my othertwo co-founders, alia j daniels,
our coo, and lashawn mcgee um,I sat them down in chris and i's
living room at our little housein echo park and, like, pitched
them this idea for a streamingservice.
That was for and by and um.
Immediately they were likewe're all in and for context,

(09:27):
like alia and chris went to lawschool together, chris was
actually the attorney at thetime for shark tank and delhi's
cats and storage wars previouslyand like was also doing like
people's choice awards, and sohe quit that job to come do this
.
Alia was also an attorney, butspecialized in like small
business and employment startup,hence why coo and so great.
So um, and she didn't reallylike the job she was working at.

(09:48):
So you know she's like great,I'm all in and leshawn whatever
yeah and leshawn was our chiefproduct officer for the first um
seven years and she was like,yeah, I'm also.
She was an editor by trade.
She actually was editing afeature film that was actually
in holly shorts, ironicallyenough, like a long, long time
ago, and like she had um workedwith everyone from, like gabe, a
different, a graduated theamerican film institute, you

(10:12):
know, really had a eye forprogramming.
And so, um and uh, we startedthis with no money, um, you know
, we're now venture-backed, umvc-backed, yeah, which was
that's a whole other story.
And struggle being four equaldiverse co-founders focusing on

(10:33):
an LGBTQ, b2c, you know,business and consumer media
product, at a time where no onewas really investing in media or
didn't understand how thiswould all shake out.
And so, you know, weimmediately started building the
application with a developer inNew York and we started going
to all of our friends who werelike filmmakers and like, give
us your web series, give us yourmusic video, give us your short
, give us like like it's revshare.

(10:54):
It's just like YouTube, likethis is all we can afford right
now.
But, like you know, we'rereally going to make a big deal
about it and we launched at SanFrancisco Pride 2016.
And I remember this vividly.
We drove up like all four of uswith, like our pink, like
really bad self-printed.
T-shirts with QR codes.
Back before, qr codes were likea thing.

(11:15):
We were like what do we do withthis, what do we do with it?
And these flyers that were likedouble the size I don't know
why we did like theseers thatwere like double postcard size
and we thought they were a goodidea and we gave away like 5,000
of them between, like theSaturday before Pride and the
Sunday of Pride.
We did San Francisco Pridebecause it's bigger than LA and
it was just tech focused.

(11:35):
And what we did is we foundourselves at the end of that
weekend being interviewed byMacworld, which is the biggest.

Speaker 3 (11:41):
Which for you as a big fan, yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:46):
I was like, oh my god , I was geeked.
I was geeked.
I was like, oh my god, I can'tbelieve they want to talk to us,
but it's obviously.
It was like a queer journalist,um, oscar ramundo, who's still
a friend of our company, who waslike I want to write about you
guys.
This is really super excitingto be the first lgbtq tbos app,
and so that came out about amonth later, end of july, around
this time 2016, and immediately5 000 people were using our app

(12:09):
and we were in 10 differentlanguages.
Um, you know they hadreplicated the article and we're
getting calls from all theseother media outlets to be
interviewed and cut to.
Today we have 7 million monthlyactive viewers, we we say,
across the globe, with about 80%of those 75% of those being in
the United States.

(12:29):
Congratulations.
Over 1,000 hours of content.
Working with major studios likeSony, bbc, lionsgate, warner
Brothers who are fabulous andlicense this content.
Working with lots of filmmakersand creators creating lots of
amazing.
We just won a GLAAD award forour original project Drag Latina
, our season two of our Spanishand English hybrid drag

(12:52):
competition series, hosted byCarmen Carrera, formerly of Drag
.

Speaker 3 (12:55):
Race.
I know I was looking throughall of the originals and I was
like there's so much diversityin genre too that you have, and
it's so cool.
So, are you guys the productioncompany on that?
Or are you saying like, justgive us stuff and we'll like,
kind of, we're the distributorof?

Speaker 1 (13:11):
it.
So what we do best isdistribution, marketing and
sales, like at our core, andtechnology.
That is like what a network, astreaming network, is great at.
Yeah, but we also haddevelopment backgrounds.
So all of the originals aremajority of the originals that
you see.
Um, we developed in house or wemay have acquired and then
continue to develop with ourteam.
Um, we work with productioncompanies to service a

(13:34):
production Cool.
So, um, and sometimes we justsee really great shows that come
to us that are either finishedor maybe halfway finished or our
concept, and we're like, hey,this totally fits the tone and
the voice of the network.
We really think we can getbehind this and we feel like we
can find an advertiser tosupport this At the end of the

(13:55):
day, because we're not asubscription platform, we are a
free-to-consumer platform, so weare supported by our
advertisers, much like you guys.
It's so funny.
It's a very similar model, likewith you guys in the workshops,
and so we you know, the contentthat we develop and that we
create has to have integrationto a brand for it to work, for

(14:17):
us, for us to pick it up, for usto want to want to, you know,
put our weight behind it and andand so for a vast majority of
the content that we have, it'sbeen unscripted because it plays
really well with brands.
It's the easiest to integrate.
But we're now branching out andwe're starting to think about
scripted content for next yearwell, you have like what's the

(14:38):
railroad one, the?
yes, oh, that one we acquired.
So the production company isthe barn um.
They are really really amazingfriends of ours.
They actually produce a lot ofour shows.
We, because we just love them.
They're great at musicals, um,um, but that was their short,
was their thesis project, um forusc, and we were like that's
how we met them, was theysubmitted it to us and we're

(15:00):
like you guys are really cool,would you want to work on some
shows with us and cut to todaythey actually they produce, I
would say, almost 50 of ouroriginal.

Speaker 3 (15:08):
That's great, yeah, I mean cfa like hayley and I are
all about.
You know you work with who youlove yeah, like that's why you
design your own things because,you're like, I want control over
, like kind of who I'm workingwith and, and you know,
diversifying that community asmuch as I can through the people
that are like-minded you know,and and so I love to hear that
you're like, yeah, and we metthem and it worked, and now you

(15:29):
know it's like a long-termrelationship we have with them,
with multiple things on thepipeline.
So how does it work for, like,our audience that's listening,
who is obviously going to checkout reverie?
But yeah from for the creatorstandpoint for filmmakers, can
you talk about what it lookslike to work with you guys on a
development thing, versus whenthey already have something and
they want to like get it up onthe platform?

Speaker 1 (15:51):
yeah, so great question.
You know, getting things up onthe platform, I always say, is
like our low-hanging fruit,right?
We're always licensing content,um and um, and so if it's a
finished work, it's really justa matter of like reaching out to
us with a screener and withinabout a month we'll get back to
that person afterwards and sayit's a yay or nay, or we'll give

(16:12):
you an offer to license thecontent um, sounds just like
such an open submission justlike.

Speaker 4 (16:18):
It's beautiful, look like we'll look at it like don't
worry, don't be scared, justsend it to us.
We'll look our.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
I love that very much .
No, it's really like we're invery much an open door.
Our one criteria is we nowdon't distribute any short form
work.
So we are looking for fulllength movies and we're looking
for full length series.
Series do really well because,of course one, it makes more
money for the filmmaker, itmakes more money for us because

(16:50):
we have more sustainableaudiences that way.
But we love film, obviously lotsof film, from documentary to
narrative, you name it, scripted, unscripted, like we have tons
of stuff, um, that we distribute.
Um, and I think like one of thebiggest things is like will if
most folks it's funny and likehere's like a little like do and
don't, right, I think one ofthe biggest things is like when
pitching a service like reveriewith a finished work and then
we'll go back to like the secondpart of the question, um, you

(17:10):
really have to think like, doesthis fit into what I'm seeing
already on the platform?
You would be surprised how manypeople send us stuff and I'm
like great, what's your favoriteshow on reverie?
And they're like oh, I've neverwatched reverie.
And I'm like like, I'm like, soyou don't even, you're not even
the audience, you're not evenlike looking at who the audience
is like do your homework, justdo a little bit of homework.
It will go miles and miles and Iwill ask that question,

(17:33):
sometimes strategically, just tolike get a little bit of like,
you know, um, um, like a gutcheck on, like, is this person
paying attention to?
Like what we're actuallyputting out?
Um, most people are today like.
I think it was like more thoughthat's more like the early day,
like mistakes, when we weren'tso recognizable as a brand.
Um, I think, you know, one ofthe biggest things is like, when

(17:54):
you look at it, like we'rereally we're.
75 percent of our 7 millionusers are under the age of 45.
We're predominantly gen z,millennial focused audience.
I don't know how we got to that.
I know that we are focusing onthat from a marketing
perspective, but I think it'sthe content and kind of like to
your point we were talking aboutearlier mission which drives so

(18:16):
much of who we are.
You know, we are authenticallythe consumer of this product and
we are really focused on onfinding ways to uplift new
voices within our own community.
Um, you know so we're not doinglike coming out stories those
have been so done before andwe're focused on minority
communities.
You know what be it?

(18:36):
Um, you know black, hispanic,indigenous, aapi audiences and
in communities or intersectionalcommunities where we're showing
, you know, a very diverse castor a very diverse story that has
never had a chance to really beseen or had an opportunity to
be have a platform like RevRave.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
What I love about it as well is like because you're
like you even said it's likeit's the low-hanging fruit to
kind of getting working withthat relationship with us is
there's not a lot of platformsthat have submission links ready
to go, like that, and what thatmeans is that you're creating
an industry that showcasesfilmmakers at every level.
As long as that story aligns,yeah, and I think it it's like

(19:18):
kind of emotional because and Iimagine that's like why it's so
wonderful for you as you've beendeveloping this but and hayley
probably feels the same as likea lot of people you know that we
work with that I know that sheknows are constantly like how do
I get it some, how do I go?
to even start like how do, I doI have to get a sales agent.
Do I feel like?
no right manager.
Do I have to like have money tojust do my own pr like, and I

(19:42):
think it becomes a dead end oflike.
I have this amazing film that Iwant to share that has an
interesting story, but becauseit's not you know, I don't have
10 years of credits behind me noone's willing to look at it and
I love that you're like we'lltake at it, like we'll at least
give you the green light of likeyes, we will check it out and
then let you know, and I thinkthat's so rare in this industry
and that email, by the way, goesto like me, chris, our chief

(20:04):
content officer.

Speaker 1 (20:13):
It goes to Alex Albright, our head, receipt and
like give us sometimes it couldbe two weeks and sometimes it
could be upwards of a month.
It just depends on, like theseason and like how busy we are.
We're still a startup, we'restill a small team to you yeah,
yeah and sometimes I have 500emails to answer but um, but um,
but no.
But I mean like we respond andwe watch everything.
Like you know, if I'm notwatching something, alex, her

(20:35):
team is watching something, andso much you know.
Going back to what you saidbefore, is it's so much of this
business is relationship is like, and also just being a marketer
yourself, like being afilmmaker today, being an actor,
writer, producer, any like typeof creative.
You actually need to learnmarketing it's 95 it's 95 yeah,

(20:58):
exactly and I think, likelearning to market yourself in a
business to business, likewhether it's a streamer, whether
it's you know um, a agent whodoes below the line, or, you
know, because film distributorsare dying, film distributors are
disappearing.
I mean there was like threethat like wanted us to buy them
this year because they wereshutting down their business

(21:19):
model, because the businessaudible is no longer sustainable
.
When we live in a creatoreconomy, when we live in a
direct consumer economy economy,or when you can just go on a
streaming service and, like, youknow, all the right people will
get that email immediately andrespond.
So there is um and everyone'sfighting for content.
So it's you know, people willwatch, people will respond to

(21:41):
you, people will seek you outsometimes, too, like if we hear
that there's like a festival hitor darling, uh, like holly
shorts, for instance, or any, or, or outfest, or any of these
other festivals, lgbtq orotherwise, um, you know, we'll
sometimes seek it out.
If we don't, if we think that wecan compete and what I mean by
that is like, if it's at south,by or or or um like sundance or

(22:02):
sundance like we're, we're gonnaget, we're gonna get right,
we're gonna get bought out byyou know, someone is gonna beat
us to the punch from like anamazon prime or netflix, um, but
we're still interested in those, in those pieces and, believe
it or not, there's still a lotof stuff from even those
festivals that get, you know,glossed over.

Speaker 3 (22:17):
Yes, so we're like great, we'll take it like you
have the potential to actuallywork with those filmmakers in
the long term.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
Yes, like getting bought out and then being like,
okay, yeah, maybe if it'sanother festival, darling,
you'll come back to you ifyou're like a larger, larger,
larger and it's funny, I can'tsay who, but there is a amazing
filmmaker friend of ours thatcame to us with a project that
had a festival darling allthroughout last year and he came
to us with this project andwe're like, of course, like,

(22:44):
this is phenomenal, it has allthese celebrities in it, you
made this yourself, you, youknow, crowdfunded and it has had
so much traction.
We would love to put this onreverie and make this like an
original and create an entirelike strategy, pr, marketing,
release, programming around it.
So we do have, like some ofthose legacy kind of
relationships, but, like thisperson we hadn't worked with in

(23:06):
like since probably theinception of Reverie, like in
like five or six years, and cameback around and said, hey, I
have something I think would beperfect for you guys, because I
don't see this living anywhereelse unless I just throw this
out on YouTube, and so you know,I think, like you know, we were
talking about networkingearlier.
Networking is such a big partof that and one of the things
that I've always taught my staffor anyone who's ever worked for

(23:28):
for me or for reverie isdevelop a relationship, not the
business deal, because thatrelationship will take you you
don't know where that's going totake you.
It's going to take you, youknow, 10, 15, 30 years from now
out and that person could besitting in a totally different
seat than they are now.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
so having that relationship today could be
building your equity and yourcapital for tomorrow the
relationships are happening likeon the beach at someone's party
at someone's birthday party, orlike at dinner at like a group
dinner at someone's home, or youknow like birthday party or
like at dinner at like a groupdinner at someone's home, or you
know like they're happening inplaces where it's not a business
meeting set up that you'reattending.
And it's like the follow-ups orthe casual instances, you know,

(24:07):
and I and I think it takes a lotof people a long time to learn
that.
But if they can learn thatearlier on, I think you'll have
more authentic relationshipscome out of it, more authentic
problem um projects and likeit'll just be kind of a better
industry yeah, you know, and soI love that you said that,
because I we talk about that allthe time.
It's like yeah, no, those dealshappen at like dinner, they

(24:27):
don't happen like or in thehallway.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
That's all like going from one screening to the next.
Yeah, I mean go to filmfestivals.

Speaker 4 (24:35):
Go to film festivals.
The an argument we have a lotover here is like you don't have
to have a project in thefestival to go.
There are so many people I knowwho refuse to go to a film
festival if they don't have areason to be there.
The reason can be just tocasually run into someone that
you'll probably see at anotherfilm festival in a couple of

(24:56):
months and to slowly beginbuilding an authentic
relationship with that person.
You don't have to be winning afilm festival to go to it, yeah.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
No, totally, it's networking.
I mean, we were just at KenLyon, which is the marketing and
advertising side of Ken, thankyou.
We were the first LGBTQbusiness to ever present at can
lions and we presented a studythat we did with nielsen, um,
around lgbtq audiences andconnected tv, which also had
never been done.
We like to do, we like to breaka lot of firsts, um, and so we,

(25:29):
we like to be very creativewith our presentation.
So it's like you know, I got upon stage with an executive from
nielsen and talked about youknow, oh, this is what we this,
these were our findings aboutlgbtq audiences, which over
index, obviously, in connectedtelevision, um and um, and then
we put on a vogue ballroom showand we flew in.
We had flown in six voguers fromparis, our executive producer

(25:50):
of our big vogue um ballroomshow, pride ball, which just
aired, actually last night, oursecond annual um sponsored by bt
.
Plus, yeah, pride ball.
So like voguing, you know.
Obviously you probably haveseen legendary yeah, wait, I
actually didn't know, oh my god.
So tell me, can I be so now Iknow that you, now I know you
didn't go to the madonna concertor the beyonce concert last

(26:11):
year.

Speaker 4 (26:11):
No, I'm just, I'm teasing, I'm kidding.
No, we were building a startup.
I'm a gaga fan too.
We didn't go to any.
No, I'm just teasing, I'mkidding.

Speaker 2 (26:15):
No, we were building a startup.
Oh, I'm a Gaga fan too.
We didn't go to any concertslast year.
No, but it's funny.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
I only say that because it was amazing to see
Beyonce and Madonna like makingVogue like such a big part.
I mean, madonna, she, you knowVogue the song Vogue like that
comes from the 80s era but it'son Pose, which was Ryan Murphy's
show on FX, and later there wasLegendary, which was on HBO Max

(26:42):
, and so you know we both thoseshows, unfortunately, were
canceled after three seasons.
One was scripted, one was theactual reality competition show.
But we've always been very bigin the voguing ballroom
community and so it's a dancetournament like that is the the
basic way to like kind ofdescribe it, kind of like a
dance battle.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
Yes, it's a dance battle, exactly yeah, and so we
put on.

Speaker 1 (27:04):
We did this um big show last year pride balls uh,
season one, and it was sponsoredby nike and hankles got to be
like hairspray, hair hair gels,and so we had, you know,
different categories thatvoguers will walk or battle and
dance to, and we had a panel ofjudges.
We put it in front of like 800people at Neuhaus here in LA.

(27:25):
This year we did it at theFrankie downtown.
Bet Plus was our big advertiserand the categories they have to
dress up or kind of bring anarrative story in their form of
dance.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
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Speaker 3 (28:09):
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(28:30):
quote.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
Cool and so bt plus was really focused on don't tell
mom the babysitter's dead, withnicole richie, their remake,
and so we had don't Tell Mom theBabysitter Vogue's categories
from service industry outfitslike from the original film, to
just so much great goodness thatfocused on promoting their new
film on BET Plus, I don't know.

(28:51):
No, no, no, no.
You're going to come to thenext ball.
I'm going to invite you to thenext ball, but you're going to
come to the next ball.
I'm going to invite you to thenext ball, but you're going to
watch pride ball.
I get really into it for all thetime, but it's super.
You do get into it Like it'svery.
You can't because you'rewatching a competition and it's
something so unique and superfun.
So we bring like these thingsto our, to these industry events
like Cannes, canline, and so webrought these vogers down and

(29:13):
we put on a ball on the terraceand the blazing hot heat and the
like french riviera, in frontof 2 000 people who were just
like what is this that I'mwatching like this is so cool
they were there for analyticsand then they got a vote ball.
We flipped it and they were justgagging, like they were taking
photos and videos, and can wasso excited like they were, like

(29:35):
we want you to come back.
So smart, yeah, wow so this isthe type of stuff that we do.
We look for disruptive,creative ideas, whether it's,
you know, in these places.
But you know, going back tokind of what you were saying,
like with can, yeah, like halfthe business that I did were not
in the meetings that we createdprior to going to can.
They were like literallywalking from one event to the

(29:56):
next in the hallway like or justpassing a friend and being like
, oh my god, I haven't seen you.
How are you?
What are you working on?
What are you doing?
You know and hearing aboutwhat's next?

Speaker 3 (30:05):
yeah, that is the most fun stuff when like your
relationships, like in passingor catching up, turn into
something where you get to seethat person more and also work
on something together.
That's like the best part ofour industry and like what I'm
always telling people.
Hayley like comes from theactor side originally, and when
we first started doing cfa shewas like networking is a dirty
word.
I hate networking.
I was like I love networking.
It's my favorite thing in theworld.

Speaker 4 (30:26):
It's the most powerful invention, like you
know, like and now, like hayleyloves that, would she do?

Speaker 3 (30:31):
you still hate the word no, oh cool.

Speaker 4 (30:34):
No, it's not scary anymore.
Now you know like now that Ihave experienced this side, it's
the side of the industry that Ithink a lot of actors never see
because, yes, we are trained orsomehow just like have it in
our heads as a collective thatthe way we have to break into

(30:56):
the industry here is to go toour job as a server, go to
acting class, go home, learn ourlines, do our self-tape, be a
good girl and wait.
You know like yeah, and, andnetworking is the scary thing,
that sometimes you have to go tothis thing and like bring your
cards and like everyone aroundyou is scary and has your life

(31:17):
and your future in their handsand like it's not like that on
other sides of the industry.
On, on any in any other avenue.
You can just go, have a goodtime and make some friends and
then someday be like should weshoot something you know like it
?

Speaker 3 (31:32):
it happens so organically like hey, you knew
that person.
Do you guys want to?
You guys should connect overthis and stuff like you.
I think you guys would be good.
You know, it's like kind oflike matchmaking too a lot of
the time, which I love, so theidea that it is or it's organic
and it's friendship is true.

Speaker 4 (31:46):
Yeah, and it's very exciting to me and it's
something that I love.
Now we changed your phone, wedid it?

Speaker 1 (31:52):
no, but you know what's funny is it's like I I
think like the scary part if I,you know, can dive into the
psychology of this is thatyou're not conditioned because
you weren't taught how tonetwork like when you were
learning your trade.

Speaker 4 (32:04):
No, because it's just important that you're a good
actor.

Speaker 1 (32:06):
Right, exactly, learn your trade and that you know
how to do your trade.
Yeah, and that should speak foritself and people will fall over
themselves at you Right, that'snot how it works, but no, but
you have to like, you have tomarket yourself, and it's the
same way of like.
You gotta market yourself toagents, you gotta market
yourself to managers, and Ithink of like.
What I think people get scaredof is like you're marketing,
you're creative, but youactually already know how to do

(32:28):
marketing.
You, you had to figure out howto get that server job, so you
had to market your resume to getan interview, to get a job,
right, yeah, same thing, sameconcept.
You, um, you had to find aroommate and you were looking
for somebody, and maybe youinterviewed those people and
like or you were looking forplaces that you wanted to live.
So it's like you werenetworking, you were networking

(32:48):
to figure out where to live.
So it's the same basic toolsand model.
But I think where people gettripped up is that like, oh shit
, but this is for something thatI really want and it's high
stakes.
Yeah, exactly Because we holdit on this in our psyche, on
this like, like high pedestal,and so part of it, I think, is
developing the confidence to belike it's the same fucking thing

(33:09):
Excuse my French and if youtake that, you actually
inherently already know how todo this, and if you just take
away the high stakes and thefact that this is something you
really want and you just goafter it, then you actually
it'll just happen, like thingsjust start to happen.

Speaker 4 (33:24):
They all fall into place can be lowered.
Like you said, take away thehigh stakes.
The stakes can be lowered bycontinuously going to these
places and there will always bemore people to meet and there
will always be more chances tocreate with people, but you have
to go many times.

Speaker 1 (33:39):
Yeah, even if you don't have a film in the
festival yes, totally, even ifyou don't have a film that
should be in, like that shouldbe in a t-shirt go anywhere,
just even if you have don't havea film in the festival, go.

Speaker 3 (33:50):
What does that?

Speaker 1 (33:50):
mean go to holly shorts go yeah yeah, go to the
party, go, go supportindependent but so canline,
that's amazing yeah, so that wasa really big turning point for
us and we had so many newadvertisers and new business
that came out of that.
Um, and just to be looked atinternationally in that way, I
think was really super exciting.
Um, and and previous year, lastyear, 2023 we are also the

(34:16):
first lgbtq company to everpresent at an upfront, a tv
upfront, and it was at the newfronts in new york.
So tv up fronts are like whenall the studios and networks
will present to the advertiserslike they're shiny new shows
that are coming out for the fall.
Um, yeah, and so we did this atthe new fronts, which is the
digital version of the tv upfronts, and you know, there's's

(34:37):
like Samsung there and there's,you know, snapchat and there's
Facebook and a whole bunch ofbig, you know, and there's also
like streamers and Vizio and awhole bunch of other folks
Netflix, you name it.
We're on the multiculturalstage with Hispanic and black
and API and other types ofnetworks or smaller streamers in

(35:01):
our space, and we were thefirst LGBT company to ever
present there, and the way thatwe did it is we did instead of
getting up and talking aboutanalytics, which is what most of
them do.
Here's a sizzle and someanalytics about our new show.
Come on, dove Soap, you want tosponsor this.
We did a 15-minute, so we, we,oh my gosh, and it was actually

(35:22):
the barn slash, the silo, thatsame team that actually produced
it.
Yes, I'm gonna send you guysthe link.
So we did it in the vein of theWizard of Oz and I played the
wizard and so, and so it wasreally fun and we brought in
talent from our shows and we didit as a musical because, you
know, we're big, we're gay, wewant to, we want to do
everything as a musical, and,and what really disrupted what

(35:45):
people's opinion was of a tv upfront was really unique and we
were voted by forbes, the numberone thing to watch at the new
fronts, over over amazon androku, which, for context, they
spent like over five milliondollars on their new fronts, and
we're like a baby fraction, canyou?

Speaker 4 (36:02):
imagine the relief that all of those advertising
executives or representativesfelt when it wasn't one more yes
, with the fucking grass.
Yes, yes, yes you're like it'sa musical and they're like oh,
thank god, they're like waitwe're gonna entertain you, we're
staying here.
We're not going to go out andget coffee for this one.

Speaker 1 (36:22):
No, no, no, totally, and I think it shocked them and
disrupted them.
There were so many phones upand so many people.
So this year we came back tothe new fronts.
We did cabaret, which is ourcabaret theme don't hate me, she
knows this.

Speaker 3 (36:36):
I'm gonna admit it I hate musical cabaret.
I love them.

Speaker 1 (36:39):
You should go see it on broadway.
It's really good, freddieredmond and is amazing.

Speaker 4 (36:44):
We're getting indiana to broadway.

Speaker 1 (36:46):
Yes it's really, and you know what's funny.
We went to go see it before wedid the upfront this year and it
cabaret was.
It was experiential.
So the moment you walk inthere's like players and they
hand you a shot of sherry.
This whole thing is.
It's like Broadway is I think2.0 is like experiential.
There has to be.
You can't just go sit in atheater Like.

(37:07):
It has to have an experientialelement and it was amazing, so
kudos.
So we did cabaret and I played,I played the host and so the MC
, and I even sang money, moneymoney.
Yes, yeah, we did money, money,money.
We did that it's part of it,yeah I know you totally did it,
but I just know I like that.
But that's funny that you hatemusicals.

(37:28):
But you know that part, youknow that part.

Speaker 3 (37:30):
I love cabaret.

Speaker 1 (37:31):
Everything else I hayley knows my impersonation of
musicals the best it's justlike someone talking and then
they go.

Speaker 3 (37:37):
But what is it Like?
It's?
Just it just starts intosomething.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yeah, but yeah I love cabaret, but it was.
It was one of those momentswhere that room, because of last
year, was full.
There was like not a single, itwas standing room only.
So much so that like even theconference staff when I was
going to check in, they're likewe loved you last year, we're
taking our break so we couldwatch your presentation this
year.
I was like, oh, my God, that'sso cool.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
Thanks to you, but you are representing like what
you do at your company.
So it's like the most authenticrepresentation of like working
together, like with.
Reverie.
And so that's why it's so cool,cause it's not like you're just
doing it as like a marketinggimmick, it's like you're doing
it as like a marketing gimmick.

Speaker 1 (38:14):
No, like you're doing it because like that's what
your audience is, that's whatyour brand is, like that's what
you're trying to get out andlike promote and like it's
amazing you know that's like afun way and it's creative and
it's cool, so that's awesome andthis is where I think, like
even from filmmakers is like howare you disrupting with your
projects, like what we'vealready seen?
Right, and so you really gottalike think outside the box, to

(38:35):
do things outside the box, liketake away everything that they
taught you in film school andlike just create something
totally new and authentic thatno one else could like replicate
, because it's so you Totally.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
I mean like and this is like, but Chris Nolan's
original student film that helike put out that's available
for everyone is the weirdestfilm I've ever seen.

Speaker 1 (38:57):
I've seen it.
It's so weird, it's so arthouse.
It's so art house, so strange.

Speaker 3 (39:02):
It wasn't like I'm going to conform to this
reference and make it like thisso people can see I can do that.
It's like, no, I'm just goingto make it my own and like it's
just this, like really strangeshort film and it works, like
it's just like you can see thethought behind it, you can see
that and it's just so.
I love that.
It's like, yeah, you take it'salmost like you take your
foundational tools and you'relike okay, I have that.
Now what do I throw out thewindow?
What do I keep for this and howdo I like bring in my own?

Speaker 1 (39:25):
personality.
Well, your personality and yourstory.
I think that's the mostimportant thing.
Yeah, that creators andfilmmakers like don't do enough
of or they feel like they needto like like siphon right like
because I feel like the mostinteresting stories are that
person's own story, because noneof us have the same story, none

(39:47):
of us come from the samebackground, none of us have the
same struggle like and, and Ithink, like for me, when I
started to really amplify who Iwas like right now you're
getting boy Damien, but I doidentify as, like, non-binary as
well as male, and when I was atKen Lyon I was in full makeup
and heels and an amazing, likeyou know, outfit.

(40:08):
I I transition between you knowmy, my female, my feminine self,
as well as my masculine self,and I think that that's who I am
.
That's when I'm most confident,when I feel most, uh, most real
, because it's it's, it's, it'swho I am, it's how I express
myself, it's, and so I think,like when, when I started to do
that and I didn't actually comeout as non-binary until the

(40:30):
pandemic, um, business shiftedfor me in a big, big way, yeah,
as an executive and even justwith our company, I think when
you can authentically be who youwant to be and amplify that
through your storytelling, like,people are attracted to that.
There is a law of attraction,there's a magnetism to your

(40:50):
authentic self that nobody canreplicate to excel yes

Speaker 4 (40:53):
100% but nobody can replicate and there is.

Speaker 1 (40:56):
there is such power behind that and I think that
there is such audience behindthat.
Right, because what I noticed is, even in like business to
business spaces, when because Inever look like this in a
business business space I willtotally be full femme and
wearing some amazing, you know,full face of makeup and like
dress or frock or like oversized, like you know, heels yeah, we

(41:18):
saw your headshot on the website.
Yes, yeah, my Instagram.
Right, it's empowering forother people to want to do the
same.
So I have like queer andnon-binary folks come up to me
like, oh my God, it's so greatto see someone like me in a
position of power, who has avoice.
Or I'll have like the uncle,the aunt, the parent of like a
trans or non-binary or queer kidwho tells me their story of

(41:41):
like their kid coming out ortheir kid transitioning, or
their kid, you know, being anally to the community because
they're part of their LGBTQ.
You know student association,and I'm like that is so
empowering because what I amdoing is giving voice to the
voiceless.
What we are creating with ournetwork is a place for stories

(42:02):
at all levels to be told, bothindependent or studio.

Speaker 3 (42:05):
Yeah, incredible.
I want to talk about thescaling.
So you went to san francisco,pride you had 5 000 people,
you're at 7 million.
What?
What happens after pride?
Like back then, right, like soyou got the.
You hand out the, thedouble-sized flyers yes and then
how do you scale a company?

Speaker 1 (42:23):
between year one and year eight.
So a lot of blood, sweat andtears, a lot of um ups and downs
, a lot of sacrifice, um, um,you know you scale, you, you
scale a business by having afirm belief in what you're doing
, um, and not giving up, because, also, you know to say that I

(42:43):
would say, 30 of success isstill timing right, and so the
timing between 2016 and 2020 wasnot ideal for us, but we
sustained ourselves and keptourselves afloat and kept going
and kept trying and keptpitching investors and VCs and
filmmakers and studios and evendistributors to like give us
content on spec.

(43:03):
And it wasn't until thepandemic where we had a social
shift, obviously, um, with blacklives matter, and we also had a
economic shift because therewas a lot of money and resource
being pumped into um, you knowthe arts and creative and and
investment specifically, and sothere were, you know we are

(43:26):
black owned 50 women of color,black owned 25.
Chris is hispanic and gay.
I am non-binary but I am alsoqueer, and so 75 ali as an ally.
She's our ceo, so sheidentifies as heterosexual, um,
but lashawn is lesbian.
And lashawn is also a veteran25 veteran.
So we check a lot of our D&Iboxes.

(43:47):
But that wasn't always thepurpose.
We just knew, by being fourequal co-founders, that this was
something that we wanted tohave as equitable for all of us
and build together.
So we all had skin in the game,so we would see this through.
That, I didn't know at the time, would be our greatest strength
to scaling our business today.
Because your diversity ofthought that's one right.

(44:08):
And the diversity of thoughtallows alia and lashawn and
chris and myself, being fromcanada, like our backgrounds,
being so diverse in oureducation, the way that we
thought, the way that we um, youknow, tackled problems um with
the business, like hurdles, um,and, and so I think that was a
big part of it.
Um, and and you know there is apodcast that um shell sandberg,

(44:32):
the coo of facebook, meta um,talks about it's on masters of
scale, um, and she's like whenshe had pods at facebook where
it was all youero, cis, whitemales coming from like the same
five Ivy Leagues, and then thediverse pod of engineers coming

(44:52):
from different schools,different backgrounds, different
races, ethnicities, gendermarkers, sexualities.
That pod that had diversity ofthought, like shot up about 50,
outperformed, 60, 70% over theone that didn't 50, outperformed
60 70 percent over the one thatdidn't, um and and and I.
I believe that that has beenour biggest strong suit where,

(45:13):
economically, people weren'tnecessarily believing that prior
to 2020, then 2021, 2020started to happen and
investments started flowing ourway because there was a.
There was studies that forbesput out around being minority
co-founders and, by the way,that includes women, women in
general.

(45:35):
That's a minority, not male notstraight male and only like,
like, like, like five or 6% ofall venture capital was going to
that yeah, the minority founder.
But yet we gross 40, 50 highermargins and and it's like kind
of like, oh, the rest of theventure world started to wake up
and realize the investmentworld.

(45:56):
Hey, we need to start taking,we need to start paying
attention to this and these areactually really great
investments and that's whenwe're able to get a lot of
venture through the door andreally build the business.

Speaker 3 (46:05):
wow, and so to ask that second part of the question
yeah, oh yeah, sorry, we wenton so many tangents I know I'm
and I'm so grateful for all ofthem it's a canadian and I say
my boyfriend recently brought um, bought tim horton's coffee.
That I came yes and I wasreally excited about it.
I was so sweet and he was likeI found this.
They were like, came up onlineand I thought you might enjoy it

(46:25):
and I was like it actually is.
Yeah, it's like our McDonald'scoffee, but it's really good yes
.

Speaker 4 (46:29):
It's actually good.
We have Tim Horton's pods herein the studio we do.
I made us buy.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
Costco business Tim Horton's pods.
And so when people come, I'mlike Tim Horton.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (46:41):
But no great people can submit do your homework.
What about if and I think maybethe answer, and you tell me, is
that they should submit whatthey already have and then build
a relationship with you?
But how can they work indevelopment with you and looking
at originals?

Speaker 1 (46:56):
yeah, so we put out.
It's funny, it's like this isaround the time of year that we
look at the most originals.
Our cycle for development islike q3, so so July, august and
September, and that mainly hasto do with how we are attaching
brands Brands we're pitchingthroughout the year, but mainly

(47:16):
it's a year in advance.
So we're already in 2025.
Planning 2024 is completelyobviously spoken for and we're
looking for gaps.
So, like, do we already have ashow that's around voguing?
Yes, so we're not going to lookfor another voguing show.
Do we have a show aroundhispanic drag, drag latina?
Yes, we're not going to lookfor another one of those.
We're looking for gaps that weare not necessarily paying

(47:40):
attention to or not necessarilylike in our purview.
Yeah, so this is why watchingthe content and like being a
consumer of the network isreally crucial in order to pitch
them.
New ideas, um, things that weare always thinking about right
now is like food, beauty,fashion, um, looking and, and
gaming.
Video gaming is really, reallybig for our community and we

(48:03):
don't have any shows thatsurround those concepts, um, and
so those are things that likeyou heard it here, like our
ideas that you could pitch usright now, because there are
advertisers that want to putdollars behind it, and that
essentially is we.
in turn, take those dollars anduse that as the production
budget.

Speaker 3 (48:19):
And what does that process look like?
So say, someone was like I wantto do something in gaming.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
What is the next step that they need to do in order
to reach out to you?

Speaker 1 (48:27):
Yeah, I gaming.
Yeah, what is the next stepthat they need to do in order to
reach out to you?
Yeah, I mean, look, having acalling card like a one sheet,
yep is really crucial.
Um, um, which gives the who,what, when, where, why.
Um, you know the five w's, Ithink that.
And and submitting that throughour submission.
Um, you know, email throughthat, that, that part of our
website on reverietv which canbe found at the bottom of the
website.
It's a submit your content yeah,and we take new ideas like all

(48:50):
the time, like we're looking andif, if it's something, you know
that one we don't need a wholebible.
You know, I don't.
We all we don't want topressure folks to do too much
work, because that's kind oflike it's like a courtship,
right.
So it's like, hey, you'rebaiting me with that one sheet
where I'm like, oh, there's thisreally cool queer design show.
We don't have a design show.
Oh, and we're talking to HomeDepot.

(49:10):
Oh, my god, like let's get ameeting.
So then we get a meeting andthen at the meeting we'll be
like, okay, show us the wholeconcept, give us the whole
treatment, the bible, the like,the six episode arc don't put
the cart in front of the horse.
Yeah, yeah, totally yeah, don'tgive away too much, like you
know, and and and.
Then that's where we're reallymaking decisions on, like okay,

(49:31):
and asking a lot of questionsand being inquisitive and being
like, does this fit in whatwe're doing, is it?
And we take it to committeewith programming and marketing
and sales and like, pick itapart and think like, is this
something that could work?
And also, is this budget and isthe timeline realistic for us
and for the person?
Right, right, um, you know, ifyour last project was only sixty
thousand dollars, I don't thinkyou should ask for six million

(49:54):
dollars for your next project.
Like they're, you know it's,it's, it's almost like.
I use also the example of likeworking your way up the ladder,
climbing the corporate chain.
It's similar like if you areonly as good as your last
project, but that doesn't meanthat your last project doesn't.
Your next project doesn't needto be an elevation, but you, you
can't level jump like it's,like it's got to make sense and

(50:16):
like our budget range is between, you know, anywhere between two
hundred fifty thousand to amillion per project.
So we're not like at a Netflixbudget range.

Speaker 3 (50:22):
We're not at like a Hulu you know what's great about
that is it's a fantastic placefor a lot of authentic creators
and storytellers to come in atyeah, because you're gonna get
people who are like really doingit out of sheer passion and
haven't like sold out orsomething like yeah so that's
actually like a really great butyou're creative with their
resources and know how theirnetworks already and already

(50:46):
know how to do that.

Speaker 1 (50:46):
Yeah, like you have to.
You have to be a media preneur,like an entrepreneur.
So it's like I want like beinga producer is being a media
preneur.
It's like, okay, like, whatresources can you tap?
Like, because we're still astartup, we're still tapping
resources.
I still wear multiple hats, youknow, we're not at that level
where we're.
You know, and I don't think Iever want to be at that level,
we're like so big that we'rejust paper pushing, like one

(51:08):
thing.
You know.
And that's really what a studiois, you know, today.
It's like you get hired to doone thing and just think very
myopically I can't do that.
I have adhd, really bad adhd.
So it's like I have to be ahundred places at once.
Yeah, um, but like we want tosee and even like going back to
like this filmmaker which Ican't say who, but like that I'm
really excited about comingback full circle to work with is

(51:29):
he is a mediapreneur and he isreally smart and he has a
resource pool.
He taps his resource pool tomake the content that he makes,
to market it, to evangelize it,even to sell it.
And that's the type of personbecause they're not, they're
entrepreneurial in theirapproach.
That's the type of person Iwant to attach myself to because
they think like us.

Speaker 3 (51:49):
Well, it's the like-minded thing again, and
they work like us Exactly.
Yeah, always, always, oh, myGod.

Speaker 4 (51:53):
Dan, thank you so much Did you have one, yeah, and
you were going to ask aquestion I wanted to mention
something I've said this beforeabout film.
For me, when you were saying,yes, if someone sends something
that's like a queer design showand oh, we're talking to Home
Depot, that also is like very,it all kind of like depends on

(52:14):
like time and coincidence ofwhat's going to work for you in
that season of programming.
So I think it's just importantfor people who are putting their
work out there, creatingsomething that they're proud of
and then submitting to any place.
Right, you're not chosen, itdoesn't mean you suck yeah, it
often means that it just isn'tmatching up time wise and you

(52:37):
just have to try again.
Which is what you said 30percent of the time, yeah, yeah,
it's all about, uh, whichadvertisers we have right now
kind of thing and like maybe tryagain soon.

Speaker 1 (52:49):
Or like and I'm so glad that you said that, because
I don't want filmmakers to getdiscouraged- when it comes to
timing.
There are so many projects thatlike will say like hey, we're
going to pass on this right nowand it just has to do with like
bad timing for us or just notmatching like what we already
have ahead of us.
But I really want to help andlike I'll introduce you to other
folks.
Or like hey, come back to me inlike six months if you haven't

(53:11):
already like sold this.
Yeah, and, and I think one ofthe things is like, like you
know, I remember being an actor,like you'd ask for feedback
from the casting director, evenif you didn't get the role it's
from the studio, the network orwhoever that you're pitching and
be like hey, can I ask why youpassed?
Or like was there?
something that I can improveupon, either in my pitch or in
my deck, or or, like you know,give, give me the why.

(53:34):
Yeah, we'll always answer thatquestion.
That's great, right, like, andI, and I'm happy to answer that
question and I'll be honest, youknow, it's funny, as it's rare
to have people who do ask thatquestion right, and I get super
excited because I'm like here'sa filmmaker who wants to improve
and you're starting arelationship and it's starting a
relationship feedback.

Speaker 3 (53:53):
It starts a relationship because you're now
more like like engaged with thatone person rather than just
like, oh, we're gonna pass thistime, and they never follow up
with you again.
I can remember annoying.

Speaker 1 (54:03):
Yeah, no, it's not, it's totally not.
I can, because there's a way todo it.
That is, you know, you're askingprofessional, professional yeah
out of, like, I would say, 500projects in the last, like you
know, eight years that we havebeen pitched or put in front of
us.
I would say that, like, maybefive to ten ask for feedback and

(54:23):
it shocked me because, like, Iwon't offer it unless it's, you
know, asked.
But, like, the ones that askfor feedback, those are the ones
that I'm still we're workingwith today, or I always keep in
mind, or I'll come back to andsay, like we, we recently did
this great commercial with rainvaldez, who was actually the
first trans person to benominated for an Emmy award.

(54:46):
Um, and amazing filmmaker,actress, writer, director,
creator, um, and she had starteda production company and I've
always wanted to work with rainand she had sent me her deck and
the timing of it was we need aproduction company to do this
Pantene ad.
That's for pride.
Um, rain, like it's not a hugebudget.
I know this isn't like likeit's not a huge budget.

(55:08):
I know this isn't like, youknow, razor tongue or one of
your, your, your Emmy nominatedprojects, but do you want to do
this?
She's like hell, yeah, I have.
This is timing for me.
It's great, I'm looking for,like, something to do and she
made this beautiful, amazing,like kick-ass 30 second
commercial.
That to me, I think, is like Ican't wait to like, I want to
put it up for like awards andstuff like that next year.

Speaker 2 (55:26):
It's so good.

Speaker 1 (55:27):
It's so good and and and and.
She was so proud of it too.
But it was like the timing ofthat relationship was she just
happened to reach out and pingme and I was looking for
somebody and immediately likeyou're hired, let's go.
You know, so you never knowlike you.
It's so much of it is justbeing consistent.

Speaker 3 (55:45):
Yeah, and being and remind people you're, you're
around in there, Like not in adesperate way, but like.
I think one of the best piecesof advice I ever got from an
agent was like be at the top ofsomeone's inbox, you know,
because we get overloaded.

Speaker 1 (55:57):
Rain was always at the top of my inbox.
There you go, you getoverloaded with information
socials like you get buried andstuff Just Just like.

Speaker 3 (56:03):
Maintenance on relationships is like just
checking in or updating peopleabout what you're up to is a
reminder that you exist, and aweek later they might be like oh
wait, we need a DP or we needan actor for that thing.
Like Haley might be great, or,you know, maybe we think of
Reverie for like that next.
It's just so interconnected andI think once people start to
realize that like you're not abother, like it changes the way

(56:26):
that you work in this industryso I'm so excited about
everything reverie's doing

Speaker 1 (56:30):
damian thank you so much for sitting down with us.

Speaker 3 (56:33):
We can't wait to um get you on to talk about power
couples and coming back.
We're talking about the book,book release yeah, that's gonna
be my, my next book awesome well, we can't wait to check out all
of the stuff you have on theslate for next year the panting
commercial vogue, ball rightpride ball, but the vogue ball
room yes, cabaret, I'll send youguys a link too.

(56:54):
Yeah oh, thank you so muchwe'll see you next time.

Speaker 5 (56:56):
Thanks so much, bye everyone, bye guys join us in
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(57:16):
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