September 10, 2025 • 32 mins
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From childhood VHS movie-making to crafting indie films with a distinctive voice, actor-director Zac Cino takes us behind the scenes of his creative journey on this episode of NOLA Film Scene.
Zac shares the story of how a prop gun pressed against an actor's face created an unexpectedly authentic moment - which leads to a fascinating discussion about unconventional directing techniques, including how asking an actor about Spider-Man right before a take can elicit the perfect confused expression.
Sponsored by Jana McCaffery Attorney at Law. Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999 focusing on personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously and, if you are a fellow member of the Louisiana film industry and have been injured, she is happy to offer you a free consultation and a reduced fee to handle your case from start to finish. She can be reached at Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously. If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free consultation AND a reduced fee for fellow members of the Lousiana film industry, and she will handle your case from start to finish. She can be reached at janamccaffery@gmail.com or 504-837-1234. Tell Her NOLA Film Scene sent you
Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @kodaksbykojack, and @tjsebastianofficial. Check out our 48 Hour Film Project short film Waiting for Gateaux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pFvn4cd1U . & check out our website: nolafilmscene.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Zach Chino.
I am an actor, slash director.
I am super excited to be onNOLA Film Scene because it's not
as hot as buying.
Actually, in the NOLA FilmScene I said buying, enjoy kids.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to NOLA.
Film Scene with TJ Plato.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I'm.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
TJ and, as always, I'm Plato.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Cool.
Welcome, zach.
Hi, glad to be here.
Hey, mr Director.
Yeah, we look like if the threestudios opened a microbrewery,
that could be us yeah, I couldsee that I don't even get mo, I
get shemp, though I'm gonna likedemote myself a little, I guess
I get curly be able to brianright now.
So oh, I don't know you did that.
That's movie magic.
(00:41):
I've already hit brian in theface.
Enough of things that I don'tknow how you did that.
That's movie magic.
I've already hit Brian in theface.
Enough with things that I don'twant to do anymore too much.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Oh, that's right, the infamous gun in the face.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, that was another 48.
We talk about the 48.
So much TG.
And I.
And even Zach.
We all just did one of this twoweeks ago, yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
That's right.
So you told the story of adirector that asked you a
question about a superhero andthey were trying to get you to
have, maybe, a confused look onyour face.
Was that part of that storywith the gun with Zach in that
project, or was it a differentdirector?
That's exactly right.
It was Zach.
All right, retell the story,because I don't remember the
exact details.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Me too.
Yeah, and Zach's the director Ialways talk about One.
He got my fellow actor, gil,who was a contract killer in the
story, looking for a witnessand I was a potential witness
and he took this prop gun whichhe couldn't fire and he put it
up to my cheek and he'sinterrogating me, but he really
got into it, so it popped acouple of blood vessels right in
(01:40):
my face.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I was so pumped.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
It really helped with the moment and, of course,
thank God you stopped him shortof pistol whipping me.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, I was pretty excited.
I was like, look at that, lookat that, look at that, and
everyone's like you should becaring about the actors.
I'm like I know, I know, butlook at it, look at how it looks
on, look how it reads.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And I always love, because when they've been on the
show, how do directors drawthings out of people?
Because I wasn't coming across,I wasn't thinking enough, I was
all just in my lines in my headthe wrong way, and he said,
okay, before this take, we'regoing to ask you a question and
just think about it and you go,who's your favorite Spider-Man
(02:16):
action?
Oh, cut Got it.
And I'm like, wow, that's cool,you Got it.
And I'm like, wow, that's cool.
You know what I mean?
It was leveling up.
I was still pretty much a noob,but it showed me something in
acting.
It's one of my favorite moments.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Nice.
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Is that the shot that's actually in there when he
asks you the question andyou're, like you look kind of
confused?
That's the one.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, my face looks like what the fuck are you
talking about?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
yeah, I like doing little things like that you have
a film on facebook that justcame out.
There was some cgi in thebackground, maybe puppets oh,
that's a little older.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
That's.
I started working on thatprobably in 2020.
It's pinned.
It looks recent okay, that'swhat it okay and then those, uh
were kind of what got me backinto movie making.
And then it just kind ofsnowballed from there.
And then I eventually, like Iknew Brian through Jim's class
and then I was asked by some ofhis classmates to direct for
(03:13):
that one and that's where I metYashaya.
His girlfriend at the time waslike you need to watch these
weird videos of him with puppetsand aliens.
I think this is like a guy youshould continue to work with.
And he was.
And then they so those thoseare a funny little thing.
There were supposed to be fiveof them.
I released two, I shot thethird one and I just kind of
like every now and then I'llplay with the footage, but I'm
like huh, it's not on mypriority list at the moment
(03:35):
anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
But I love putting weird effects and stuff like
that and like puppets.
Some of it I guess CGI.
Were the puppets like realphysical puppets, or were they
cgi as well?
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I know that's a puppet that I uh, I've owned
like three times.
I got when I was 10 forchristmas and I used to make
videos with it like a like anold taiko video camera back in
the 90s oh, that's cool.
It was choked right into the vcr, shot in black and white.
It was, uh, my first camera, soI used to make all these little
films with like toys and stuffbecause I was 10.
And Harry and I, the monkey,would star in multiple things
(04:10):
together.
We went on space adventures.
I did the hour where I'mworking on a ship, but then,
evelyn, we're out fighting theships.
It's just me pointing a cameraat a modder and I'm playing a
video game and I'm like, oh,look at at us.
We did the jobs and my actionsequences were just stolen from
like 90s computer games that oneeventually fell apart the first
one.
And then I, uh, when I startedmaking little shorts again
(04:31):
during, uh, during lockdown, Iwas like let's just bring him
back, wouldn't it be funny?
so I found one on ebay and thenjust ordered it and been playing
with them since that's prettycool and I used to make movies
the same way.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
My dad had a VCR that had you could connect the
camera.
It was an RCA and there weretwo pieces to the VCR.
You could take the tape sideoff and put it in a bag and it
was wired to the camera and wewould make little films with the
neighborhood.
Kids and my nieces would comedown and stay a couple of weeks
in the summer and we'd filmthese little skits.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Those had instant replay.
Yeah, you could rewind on themand play back in the beginning.
That was a big deal.
I remember the ad where theguy's filming his son's baseball
game in the 90s and he's like,oh, I got instant replay and
it's just this giant bag on hisside.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Right right.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
It's almost as good as the first cell phones, where
it was like a brick.
Yeah, it melted your face whenyou used it.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
That's right.
Yeah, what you just described,that might be the earliest form
of video game streaming orfilming, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, maybe.
So yeah, it was kind of like aplaythrough, but I put it in, I
reverse engineered it into aplot.
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
That's pretty funny.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
You mentioned Yashaya from Fireface Films, so I
wanted to get that plug in therefor him, so we know who we're
talking about.
Mm-hmm, your partner now.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Yeah, yeah, for the most part, yeah, we make
everything together.
We want to do something weirdlater this week.
We haven't.
Even earlier today.
I was like he's like I want toshoot something and I was like,
all right, I want right fromthere.
That's just a prerequisite.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Mm-hmm, let's go back .
How did you get started?
You talked a little bit aboutmaking films.
What led you into this career,into this biz, into this acting
and directing?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I don't know.
When I was a kid I was justlike super into movies and
wanted to make movies.
I feel like when I was a kid,my two big movies in like Mask
and Jurassic Park, and I feellike that just makes sense.
When you look at everything Imake, that's just like weird.
It's like a weird combinationof should this be funny?
It's kind of violent, and sothen it just kind of snowballed
(06:31):
from there and then I got intostand-up when I was in high
school so I used to do thetalent shows and I was super
into that.
And then I was like 18.
I just kind of messed around,played with cameras and film
stuff.
That it was more like just medoing weird sketches with
friends.
And then after Katrina I cameback, the film scene here
started blowing up.
I kind of was just like this isthe right time.
I met my friend, chris Black,who I used to make films with
(06:55):
him.
He was kind of my film partnerfor a good long time and it just
kind of went from there.
And then it slowed down and thennow I'm in midlife crisis and
just doing the whole, the wholerun through again Midlife.
What are you?
30?
, 38?
I'm giving myself 76.
I've done some things.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, totally, totally.
But.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I'm not making it to 90.
Young man you're not even closeto midlife.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
See, we had the cops somewhere in someone's
background.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
We won't say who that's not the first time, brian
.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
The cops are coming on, I got to go Let me put on
this.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthat stand-up.
We haven't had many guests whohave done that.
Yeah, do you miss it?
Do you want to do it again?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I like doing it sometimes but I don't like doing
the the full-time thing.
Like I know people who do it,you know, six nights a week.
I work mostly nights also, butlike I enjoy doing it on
occasion.
But the film direction is muchmore my interest.
It's just kind of like a funalso thing to have Right.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
But comedy movies are more what I'd like to do a
little bit of Right, do youwrite your jokes out, or you
just kind of improv and do it onstage it's like 75 written and
then I'll I'll spice it up ifI'm feeling momentum.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Do you do any crowd work?
I not really.
Only if it feels necessary,like if it's a bunch of young
kids who won't laugh untilthey're acknowledged, I'll kind
of oh look at you guys oh andthey're like, oh, I got
attention.
And then they actually payattention to what I'm saying.
For the rest of the bit.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'll do that.
What's your best?
Comeback for a heckler.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I've never been heckled.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
That's cool.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
I guess I just don't do it enough.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
I think that's probably the biggest fear for
some people is getting up thereand getting heckled.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, especially like how now everyone because of
Instagram videos of comicsthinks's like what they want
Like oh.
I mess with them, they'll goviral.
It's like no shut up and let medo what I wrote.
I'm here to do a bit.
Pay attention, it's funny, Ipromise.
Uh, sometimes people just likebecause of you know, like
Instagram reels and such, theydon't understand the boundaries
(08:57):
between performance and audience.
Part of the show it's.
You know.
That's not what people arethere for.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
They sometimes think that the performer wants that
extra help or needs that littlecontroversy to draw some
attention.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And it's not necessary, no, and also it's
usually a two drink minimum andwe'll leave it at that.
Zach, like you mentioned, wemet in Jim Gleason's class.
Tell us a little about I can'tspeak today.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He does this for a living.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Kind of Mostly I clean shit as a janitor for a
living.
Zach, like you said, we met in.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Jim Gleason's class Sorry dude Take five.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Zach, like you said, we met in Jim Gleason's class.
Please tell us a little bitabout your acting experience.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So, I had a friend named Chris that I used to work
with at a restaurant way back in2007.
And he was in a screenwritingclass and he wanted to make a
movie and me and that dude didnot like each other for a very
long time and then he was likehey, I wrote a movie and you're
in it, and then we've been bestfriends since Nice.
And then we made some littleshort films here and there I met
a friend of mine named BrentHenry, working through Sean
(10:10):
Jerwin on a movie called let'sRob the Cheese Shop about the St
James Cheese Company, andthrough him I met his agent and
I was maybe like 21 or two atthe time and then I just signed
with I don't remember, but itchanged names over time, but I
signed with that agency at thetime and I have just kind of
been with a continued evolvedversion of that same one since.
(10:32):
It kind of they did their ownthing and now it's evolved into
a separate agency.
I lived in new york for fiveyears and I didn't really do any
film stuff there, I was justneeded change of scenery for a
while.
And when I was caught, when,when I was about to move back, I
called him and I was like I'mcoming back my old agent.
He was like it's time.
He was like I need you to go seea guy named Jim Gleason.
I need you to go see so-and-sofor headshots.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
This is what you'll do when you return and I was
like got it.
That's good, that's cool thatyou had an agent already that
brought you back into the foldand got you started back up.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Now, if we can just get the business to light up
again.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, maybe we'll see with Nola King, nola King.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Hopefully, right, maybe that'll bring Infusion
back down here.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Sam Jackson.
I just want a chance.
I just want a chance toaudition Sam Please.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Before the strike, auditions I was averaging three
or four a week and now it's kindof few and far between.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah, before all that , my agency never really sent me
advertisements that much.
It was mostly just film and TV.
Now it's just every now, andthen they're like hey is for
like a chase commercial.
They're like these are what Ihave at the moment, which is
great.
Uh, it's just an unfortunatelike window into what everyone
in the industry is dealing withhere right now that's right, and
(11:55):
my paid gigs the last year havebeen commercials yeah nothing
really film or television beendoing a lot of fake eating and
fake being a dad.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah, I could see that.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, a lot of fake cabinet opening.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
I had one where I looked into a mirror.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
That was it.
That's the whole audition.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Yeah, but that was the film.
That was like the gig.
Yeah, they shot me dirty overmy shoulder into the mirror.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I had to do one where I was getting covered in a
barbecue sauce.
They were like, pretend you'regetting sauce dumped on you from
above and I was like, okay,this is what we've gotten to.
I didn't put my tongue out oranything.
I know I've learned enough.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I auditioned for that too.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, you did the old sauce dumping.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
The artist was it?
That's what I had heard.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
We'll cut that out too, sorry, yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I'm just discussing everything in the confidential
parts of the audition.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Yeah, I was going to say the artist wasn't named, but
we've heard that it was.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So I think.
So yeah, I never heard.
I just heard that was like arumor thing it was.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
It might have just said artist throws a record at
you and I was like okay, wedon't know what it was, and once
that commercial comes out,everyone, you can try to figure
it out for yourself.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Allegedly we heard.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
So we'll shift gears in keeping with the theme of
auditions slowing down.
A lot of us are starting tomake our own content and there's
a lot of little projects linedup just to keep going, keep
practicing, keep making stuff.
Yeah, because it's a perishableskill.
If you just sit on your handsand not do anything to improve,
you're going to lose that.
Yeah, I've seen some of thestuff that you made.
(13:36):
I saw your last 48 and it seemslike you're incorporating a
little bit of CGI into that.
Is it challenging to do that?
Because I haven't done any ofthat really.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
It's easy for me because it's I'm not building
those models those are, you know, it's like basically like I pay
for a subscription toproduction crate and I have
story blocks as well.
We did a zombie film recentlyand I had to kind of just have
some news on the background.
So I just re-signed up for bothof those and just did that, all
editing myself.
But like, yeah, they have thoseelements that are you can use
(14:12):
and you just drag and drop themkind of into like after effects
and premiere.
I've just been doing it for likefive years, so it's just like
fun now and I can just likebuild it and make the sounds and
put it all together it didn'ttake long to make that little
like plane going down, like thatwas like 10 minutes of work oh,
wow all right so brian and Ihave worked with michelle busque
and they have a setup.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
They don't always use it, but they have a setup where
they have a virtual backgroundand they do rear projection
right like the volume kind of.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Yeah, like something like that volumes is what star
wars has, the whole room withLED screens.
Oh right, this is just.
It's projected from behind andthat's behind you, Okay.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
It's a silver screen, that's I don't know if it's 12
or 15 feet across or so, andthey use a rear projection.
And then Dave Burdick buildsthe scenes in Unreal Engine.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
So they'll get on Friday, they'll get all the
information and then he'll go towork starting to build the
background while she's writingthe script.
So he'll have everything theworld built out and ready to go
the next day and then when westart filming he's able to
project that, those backdropsthe last one we did was on a
spaceship, the 48.
(15:26):
That we did.
This time we didn't use thevirtual background and it
actually saved them a lot oftime with all the setups it was
yeah, cool, tj, your 48 wasclean in the script.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
You know what I mean.
I will admit, on my teams tjand I were on separate teams
this time.
Basically they had a 12 to 15minute movie that had to be cut
down to seven.
It's very hard to come up withthe idea and you have to focus
on that, on making sure thatit's under seven and you can
play with it, of course andy'all both did superhero films-
(15:58):
I don't think.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Did y'all draw superhero?
Yeah, you did.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, a lot of like consolingyou shy on the drive back to to
our 48 hour base.
I'm like it's good, it's goingto be OK, man, I'm going to, I'm
(16:22):
going to do a plane crash butit's going to be fine.
And he kind of had to trust meon that plane and the plane was
going down.
Which part of that was likephysical in the room props and
which was virtual, it see, didhe have a yoke?
Did he have a plane yoke in hishand?
Speaker 1 (16:33):
yeah, I'm trying to remember we took exercise bars
for like push-ups, turn themsideways and then duct taped it
to like the end of a garbage can, of a not the kid, the, you
know like a dustpan with, like astick.
Put that on there and we had aguy underneath who would just
like I beg more turbulence nowand he would shake it up more.
And it's kind of old schoolingunder like a guy with like a
(16:55):
sitting on a green screen.
He was sitting on a foldingchair.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
That's pretty cool.
I've been exploring a littlebit so Brian doesn't like some
of the AI stuff he can speak tothat.
I've been exploring some of thethings, some of the worlds that
you can build out with thesenew engines, the Google VO and
some of these other tools whereyou can build out a whole world.
(17:19):
I don't agree with having doall the audio for you that can
be done.
Do all the audio for you.
That can be done.
You know I would prefer to domy own dialogue with whoever's
involved and I would prefer towrite my own script.
But some of those tools tocreate some of those virtual
worlds are just incredible theway that they're improving.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
I saw an ad on Instagram and it was a computer
program and you just like draw apicture and it would scan it
and make a three-dimensionalmodel out of that and you're
like that's it.
I just gotta like put frames onnow and I can animate this like
I was.
Like it just skips an entirelarge step of the process.
It was wild.
It's a weird thing because,like, if you're making a little
something for yourself, then Idon't care, I don't use ai for
(18:05):
anything, but I understand, likeif it's someone small doing it
or because you're not taking ajob away from anyone, really
there right just you're justdoing something at home for fun.
When, like, a big company doesit, then it's like no, you're
just taking jobs away to foryour bottom line yep, I agree
but yeah, I know if, like if tomis sitting at home and he's
like this would look funny withthis on it, whatever, that's
(18:27):
fine.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
I do think that they need to have, like YouTube and
some of these other platforms,need to have rules, because some
of these creators are makingentire films.
A popular one is Stormtroopervlogs or Yeti vlogs there's a
few different ones and they'remaking it in a matter of minutes
.
They create a script on chat,gpt and then the O3.
(18:51):
It's a dollar for every eightseconds of video that it
generates, and I agreewholeheartedly with what you
said.
If you're doing that foryourself, that's fine, but if
you're making something likethat and then putting it on a
platform a headless video andmaking a whole bunch of money
and didn't do any work, that'swrong.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
I think I recently read that they just demonetized
a lot of those.
I could be wrong, but I thoughtI saw something where they
demonetized a lot of the AI.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
YouTube videos.
That's good If you're going touse it for a virtual background.
I just don't want to trudgeinto the territory of having ai
write or voice anything for usfor us for the background we
used.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I found a royalty-free 3d layout in a
program that's designed forsketch artists, like it's.
They'll just have a 3d model tohelp you draw out what you're
trying to draw out on paper.
And they had a royalty-free oneof a ship.
And I just kept zooming in andzooming in and like rotating it
and I was like, all right, I'vemade the three angles, we shoot
these three angles and thenwe're just going to drop them in
(19:54):
there and hope for the best.
And that was kind of like that,as opposed to like someone
using AI.
That was just me like.
Just like digging on theinternet for hours until I found
something that worked.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Yeah, I know it's easier with AI, but what you
just described to me is a personusing a tool to get the job
done rather than just clink,clink, clink.
I've made something, it looksokay and it just floods the
market.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Oh yeah, and this was like after we all went to sleep
.
I was just in bed.
I knew I'd have to get up atlike 7am and I'm just scrolling
until something hit Like it.
Just it wasn't.
I wasn't going to sleep until Ifound the piece we needed.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah, yeah, it's coming.
I don't know if we can stop it.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I don't either, as long as we have rules in place
and it doesn't hurt my paycheck.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Well, and it's protecting the actors and voice
actors, and then the stuntpeople and then the creatives
who design, you know, thecomputer graphics.
Yeah, and then they made theargument when it went from 2D to
3D is the same to me, the sameargument as 3D to AI.
It's cutting people out whohave worked so hard and they
either have to evolve or losetheir jobs.
I just don't want to lose thehuman element.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Not only is AI crap, but it's I like humans better
than AI.
Yeah, I'll be the first in thecamp the Terminator's coming for
me.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
I watched a movie that I will not disclose the
name of, but it was a 4K Blu-rayrestoration.
I'm with this service where Irent 4K Blu-rays and they mail
them to your house like oldschool Netflix.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Really, because I love physical media.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It's $18 a month.
I get four 4K Blu-rays in themail a month, so I'm just
watching all these movies on anOLED and just having a good old
time with physical media.
One of the movies they had usedAI to clean up the grain of it
because it was shot in themid-90s.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
You know, when you watch a scene in an Instagram
video and then you see where theAI starts and the real video
ends, the entire thing felt likeAI.
Everyone looked so polished.
I was like and I've seen theseactors my whole life, I know
that's not what they look likein 96 on set, and it was so
clean that I couldn't reallyfinish the movie.
It was unfortunate.
So there's that weird thingwhere I don't need more polish
(22:06):
at this point.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Right, I want the original.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
If your restoration is grainy I like a grainy movie
sometimes I'm going to watch itmovies, love the movies.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
That's not the point.
The fast and furious movies oneof the actors, paul walker,
died during the production ofone of the films and they used
some cgi and superimposed hisface on one of his brothers.
Yeah, and they finished out acouple of scenes using cgi and
you can tell, you can look andyou can tell the scenes that are
not really him.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
There's a close up at one point and you're like why
are you this close man?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
It's like when Neo's flying out of the exploding door
in Matrix, Reloaded and it's aCGI man and you're like, why are
you so close to that?
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Put that back there under very specific, defined
parameters like that to finishsomething out, it's okay.
But like brian said, I I don'twant to see it evolve to the
point where they're like oh, wedon't need background actors
anymore, we can just make thiswhole stadium all cgi people and
from a distance it'll look real.
I think that's gonna hurt theindustry yeah, yeah, it'll hurt
(23:23):
the industry.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
plus, like sometimes an actor needs things to be
there to build that emotion inme, there's people cheering in a
crowd.
When I have to stay in line,I'm going to feel it more than
if I'm just shot in a green roomshouting into an echo-y
nothingness and then you dragand drop me into a crowd.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
That one still drives me nuts.
It's like I need things there,I need the room to exist.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
There's one movie, I think it's Dodgeball.
Could have been a few of them.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I guess Dodgeball the Academy Award winning.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
I love that movie.
Dodge, dip and dive.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
But when Ben Stiller in all his gear, I think, just
after he's lost and they runinto the kid and he flips the
drink and he grabs the hot dog,that wasn't planned, that was a
real moment and it really showedthe character was an asshole.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
No, I like a little improv like that yeah, you need,
you need real elements outthere yeah, agreed and even cgi,
the first original star wars.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
I like the film cleaned up, but not the special
edition.
Special edition is okay, butyou lose what it was yeah star
trek, the original series, evenbefore they went to streaming.
I think it was on their dvdthey offered you the two.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Yeah was like do you want the cleaned up TOS or do
you want like the thing on astick in a black sheet?
Speaker 2 (24:33):
They fixed all the special effects.
The ship was going around thisbeautiful planet and it was like
that sucks because it wasn'tthe model.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yeah, I like that.
The DVD gave you the options Ithink on like Amazon Prime or
like Paramount.
It's just like the fixed upversion.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Just the fixed up version.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Whereas sometimes, yeah, you just want like a stick
and like a thing and it lookslike crap.
You're like yay, and then cutto lighting on Kirk like this
and it's a good old time.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Cardboard sets which are beautiful.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Battlestar Galactica yeah, the reboot from the 70s.
I mean they didn't change itCould have they could have
updated it and made it all CGI.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
No, you don't have to .
Sometimes it's fine.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Have you ever seen the show the Prisoner?
No, it's Patrick McGowan.
He also did Secret Agent man,but he retires from the British
spy force, whatever they calledit.
And then, because he has so muchknowledge, they have to find
out what he's thinking.
They take him to this secretvillage.
The monster, the guard dog, isa giant balloon which you can
see somebody tugging.
I mean, it's 60s craziness andit's great.
(25:31):
I'm watching it on Amazon Primeand the thumbnail is an AI
recreation because you can kindof see the balloon.
It's this white thing.
The face looks like JimCaviezel if I'm pronouncing his
name right, it's like why.
You know what I mean.
I don't understand.
I see those little thingscreeping in and it's not
necessary.
Or people, people like oh, chatGPT told me this.
(25:52):
Okay, you're listening to chatGPT, chat GPT.
What should I wear today?
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Oh my.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
God, you know that that it makes me shudder.
I weep for humanity.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yeah.
I'm just always like hey,google AC on please.
And just like in my room,soaked in sweat for no reason
Because I ate like some chips,and then that was it.
And I was like, because that'sNew Orleans living.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Baby, come on over, come to New Orleans where I have
central AC, and then I have aunit in my room because it's so
hot.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Hi, you don't like me , but you like my AC baby.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah, that's the one thing I miss about being on
bigger sets when they comearound with the big old silver
snake tube and they just blow ACon you so that you can still be
cold while not affecting sound.
God bless that thing.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Or they just blast that into Extra's holding tent,
mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
That pink lemonade is hot.
Those cookies are room temp.
You need a little something.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I think we're getting into the weeds here.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It happens.
I warned you.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Brian, I have no problem with the weeds, but we
are getting close to the time,so let's figure out one last
question to wrap us up.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Yeah, that's what we did.
I wasted y'all's day.
You have not wasted.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I love talking about filmmaking.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah, and you bring a unique perspective.
Easy for me to say I know Oneof these days I'm going to learn
how to speak.
You bring a unique perspective,not only acting.
You got the comedy andfilmmaking, so you're not
wasting our time.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Sure, I was being silly, no.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
I know Now you're wasting my time.
Let me finish my question.
Yeah, sorry.
Yeah, I'll hit you with thisone I'm trying to direct.
It's my turn.
Don't make me break out theprop.
So we like talking about howpeople were inspired, which
we've covered.
(27:53):
How will you inspire the nextgeneration, or even filmmakers
and actors at your level?
What would you say?
Give someone a nugget of yourknowledge, like for the next
generation of filmmakers.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
If you'd like, aim for like that level where you
still get to make what you want.
Don't aim for a marvel movie.
Aim for that level where youcan.
They're like here's some money,it's not crazy money, but you
get to make something that feelslike you.
I feel like that should be thegoal that people overlook.
It's not celebrity or anything.
I mean I'm sure that's great, Idon't know, but like, I think
your goal should be the goalthat people overlook.
It's not celebrity or anything.
I mean I'm sure that's great, Idon't know, but like, I think
(28:28):
your goal should be where peopleare just like oh, I trust you
to make that and you get to makeit, as opposed to like a
screenplay that was written by aboardroom.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Right.
Find your voice in the littlefilms.
Maybe you'll get lucky and getthe big ones.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
but you do the big one, he said, you can do more
little ones.
That's what I've learned.
Yeah, like that French directorfrom uh who did um Close
Encounters of the Third Kindbecause, like Spielberg loved
him and he did it just to fund,like, his little movies that he
makes, yeah, I can't rememberhis name either.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Uh, I'm drawing a blank.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Maybe we'll, we'll we'll put it in the notes so
that we're not Totally dismissed.
Sorry, zach's not middle-aged,but I am, and my brain is
falling out of my ears.
That's okay, my brain's notgreat.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Well, you're in good company.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Your brain may not be great, but we've enjoyed
picking it for this past halfhour, that's a fact.
Before I have it longer done.
Zach, do you have any socialsyou'd like to share, if you?
Speaker 1 (29:21):
want to see something of mine.
There is youtubecom slash earlysummer pictures.
Just early summer pictures, asyou would, just no spaces.
I'm on Instagram as Zachunderscore Chino C-I-N-O.
I'm private because people willbe wild.
If you come, follow me, I'mgoing to accept it.
I got nothing going on, butyeah, I share a lot of videos
(29:42):
there.
If I put up something onYouTube, I usually put it there
too.
I like putting little shortfilms on Instagram.
The whole thing on the reel.
It's fun sometimes.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Early summer pictures .
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Yeah, I only use that , that's cool.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Excellent.
We should get together and dosomething.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Yeah, in the same room, For sure.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
If we have to, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Twist my arm and I'm down, whatever you guys want to
do cool.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I'm around.
Make more films.
Make more films.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I'm trying, brian, yeah you shy is ready, you shy.
Everyone's like what do youhave?
And I'm like I don't knowanything.
Man, I'm getting shy.
Before I show up at arestaurant I have ideas of like
weird little ones I want to do Iwant to do something really 70s
looking nice I was thinkinglike a naked gun type noir,
where it's just like a deadpangoofy yeah and it looks gritty
and old.
(30:33):
It was like, yeah, well, that'sthe thing we were talking about
for a while and he was superdown for very cool, it could be
cool I wanted to do a scenewhere, like, you're at a smoky
club, uh, and it like pans outand then or dolly's out and and
there's just people vaping,because it's 2025.
So the smoking of the club it'svape smoke, as opposed to the
old days where it looks like a20s club, but it's the 2020s.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Is that in black and white?
Speaker 1 (30:57):
No, I think I would just go like grainy 70s gritty
look to it, I got you Hard noirlighting in picture, but I think
I just keep the.
I just really want to makesomething that looks like it was
made in the 70s.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
I don't know why yeah , I think you two both inspired
me.
I have a superhero film,probably a short.
It's rolling around in my head.
It hit me the other day yeahand I've always wanted to do a
noir.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
But I was thinking the 80s gritty New York,
anything is super fun.
Kids watch Maniac Cop 2starring Robert Zadar.
80s man the chin, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
He's also like Quagmire.
Giggity, but no giggity in it.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Uh-uh, no giggity.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
All right, well, zach , we've run out of time.
Thank you very much for joiningus.
We really appreciate yourinsight.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Thank you, guys for having me.
It's fun.
Hi, I'm Zach Chino.
I am an actor, slash director.
I am super excited to be onNOLA Film Scene because it's not
as hot as buying.
Actually, in the NOLA FilmScene I said buying, enjoy kids.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to NOLA.
Film Scene with TJ Plato.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I'm.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
TJ and, as always, I'm Plato.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Cool.
Welcome, zach.
Hi, glad to be here.
Hey, mr Director.
Yeah, we look like if the threestudios opened a microbrewery,
that could be us yeah, I couldsee that I don't even get mo, I
get shemp, though I'm gonna likedemote myself a little, I guess
I get curly be able to brianright now.
So oh, I don't know you did that.
That's movie magic.
(00:41):
I've already hit brian in theface.
Enough of things that I don'tknow how you did that.
That's movie magic.
I've already hit Brian in theface.
Enough with things that I don'twant to do anymore too much.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Oh, that's right, the infamous gun in the face.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, that was another 48.
We talk about the 48.
So much TG.
And I.
And even Zach.
We all just did one of this twoweeks ago, yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
That's right.
So you told the story of adirector that asked you a
question about a superhero andthey were trying to get you to
have, maybe, a confused look onyour face.
Was that part of that storywith the gun with Zach in that
project, or was it a differentdirector?
That's exactly right.
It was Zach.
All right, retell the story,because I don't remember the
exact details.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Me too.
Yeah, and Zach's the director Ialways talk about One.
He got my fellow actor, gil,who was a contract killer in the
story, looking for a witnessand I was a potential witness
and he took this prop gun whichhe couldn't fire and he put it
up to my cheek and he'sinterrogating me, but he really
got into it, so it popped acouple of blood vessels right in
(01:40):
my face.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I was so pumped.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
It really helped with the moment and, of course,
thank God you stopped him shortof pistol whipping me.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, I was pretty excited.
I was like, look at that, lookat that, look at that, and
everyone's like you should becaring about the actors.
I'm like I know, I know, butlook at it, look at how it looks
on, look how it reads.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And I always love, because when they've been on the
show, how do directors drawthings out of people?
Because I wasn't coming across,I wasn't thinking enough, I was
all just in my lines in my headthe wrong way, and he said,
okay, before this take, we'regoing to ask you a question and
just think about it and you go,who's your favorite Spider-Man
(02:16):
action?
Oh, cut Got it.
And I'm like, wow, that's cool,you Got it.
And I'm like, wow, that's cool.
You know what I mean?
It was leveling up.
I was still pretty much a noob,but it showed me something in
acting.
It's one of my favorite moments.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Nice.
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Is that the shot that's actually in there when he
asks you the question andyou're, like you look kind of
confused?
That's the one.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, my face looks like what the fuck are you
talking about?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
yeah, I like doing little things like that you have
a film on facebook that justcame out.
There was some cgi in thebackground, maybe puppets oh,
that's a little older.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
That's.
I started working on thatprobably in 2020.
It's pinned.
It looks recent okay, that'swhat it okay and then those, uh
were kind of what got me backinto movie making.
And then it just kind ofsnowballed from there.
And then I eventually, like Iknew Brian through Jim's class
and then I was asked by some ofhis classmates to direct for
(03:13):
that one and that's where I metYashaya.
His girlfriend at the time waslike you need to watch these
weird videos of him with puppetsand aliens.
I think this is like a guy youshould continue to work with.
And he was.
And then they so those thoseare a funny little thing.
There were supposed to be fiveof them.
I released two, I shot thethird one and I just kind of
like every now and then I'llplay with the footage, but I'm
like huh, it's not on mypriority list at the moment
(03:35):
anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
But I love putting weird effects and stuff like
that and like puppets.
Some of it I guess CGI.
Were the puppets like realphysical puppets, or were they
cgi as well?
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I know that's a puppet that I uh, I've owned
like three times.
I got when I was 10 forchristmas and I used to make
videos with it like a like anold taiko video camera back in
the 90s oh, that's cool.
It was choked right into the vcr, shot in black and white.
It was, uh, my first camera, soI used to make all these little
films with like toys and stuffbecause I was 10.
And Harry and I, the monkey,would star in multiple things
(04:10):
together.
We went on space adventures.
I did the hour where I'mworking on a ship, but then,
evelyn, we're out fighting theships.
It's just me pointing a cameraat a modder and I'm playing a
video game and I'm like, oh,look at at us.
We did the jobs and my actionsequences were just stolen from
like 90s computer games that oneeventually fell apart the first
one.
And then I, uh, when I startedmaking little shorts again
(04:31):
during, uh, during lockdown, Iwas like let's just bring him
back, wouldn't it be funny?
so I found one on ebay and thenjust ordered it and been playing
with them since that's prettycool and I used to make movies
the same way.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
My dad had a VCR that had you could connect the
camera.
It was an RCA and there weretwo pieces to the VCR.
You could take the tape sideoff and put it in a bag and it
was wired to the camera and wewould make little films with the
neighborhood.
Kids and my nieces would comedown and stay a couple of weeks
in the summer and we'd filmthese little skits.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Those had instant replay.
Yeah, you could rewind on themand play back in the beginning.
That was a big deal.
I remember the ad where theguy's filming his son's baseball
game in the 90s and he's like,oh, I got instant replay and
it's just this giant bag on hisside.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Right right.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
It's almost as good as the first cell phones, where
it was like a brick.
Yeah, it melted your face whenyou used it.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
That's right.
Yeah, what you just described,that might be the earliest form
of video game streaming orfilming, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, maybe.
So yeah, it was kind of like aplaythrough, but I put it in, I
reverse engineered it into aplot.
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
That's pretty funny.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
You mentioned Yashaya from Fireface Films, so I
wanted to get that plug in therefor him, so we know who we're
talking about.
Mm-hmm, your partner now.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Yeah, yeah, for the most part, yeah, we make
everything together.
We want to do something weirdlater this week.
We haven't.
Even earlier today.
I was like he's like I want toshoot something and I was like,
all right, I want right fromthere.
That's just a prerequisite.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Mm-hmm, let's go back .
How did you get started?
You talked a little bit aboutmaking films.
What led you into this career,into this biz, into this acting
and directing?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I don't know.
When I was a kid I was justlike super into movies and
wanted to make movies.
I feel like when I was a kid,my two big movies in like Mask
and Jurassic Park, and I feellike that just makes sense.
When you look at everything Imake, that's just like weird.
It's like a weird combinationof should this be funny?
It's kind of violent, and sothen it just kind of snowballed
(06:31):
from there and then I got intostand-up when I was in high
school so I used to do thetalent shows and I was super
into that.
And then I was like 18.
I just kind of messed around,played with cameras and film
stuff.
That it was more like just medoing weird sketches with
friends.
And then after Katrina I cameback, the film scene here
started blowing up.
I kind of was just like this isthe right time.
I met my friend, chris Black,who I used to make films with
(06:55):
him.
He was kind of my film partnerfor a good long time and it just
kind of went from there.
And then it slowed down and thennow I'm in midlife crisis and
just doing the whole, the wholerun through again Midlife.
What are you?
30?
, 38?
I'm giving myself 76.
I've done some things.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, totally, totally.
But.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I'm not making it to 90.
Young man you're not even closeto midlife.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
See, we had the cops somewhere in someone's
background.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
We won't say who that's not the first time, brian
.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
The cops are coming on, I got to go Let me put on
this.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthat stand-up.
We haven't had many guests whohave done that.
Yeah, do you miss it?
Do you want to do it again?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I like doing it sometimes but I don't like doing
the the full-time thing.
Like I know people who do it,you know, six nights a week.
I work mostly nights also, butlike I enjoy doing it on
occasion.
But the film direction is muchmore my interest.
It's just kind of like a funalso thing to have Right.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
But comedy movies are more what I'd like to do a
little bit of Right, do youwrite your jokes out, or you
just kind of improv and do it onstage it's like 75 written and
then I'll I'll spice it up ifI'm feeling momentum.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Do you do any crowd work?
I not really.
Only if it feels necessary,like if it's a bunch of young
kids who won't laugh untilthey're acknowledged, I'll kind
of oh look at you guys oh andthey're like, oh, I got
attention.
And then they actually payattention to what I'm saying.
For the rest of the bit.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'll do that.
What's your best?
Comeback for a heckler.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I've never been heckled.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
That's cool.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
I guess I just don't do it enough.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
I think that's probably the biggest fear for
some people is getting up thereand getting heckled.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, especially like how now everyone because of
Instagram videos of comicsthinks's like what they want
Like oh.
I mess with them, they'll goviral.
It's like no shut up and let medo what I wrote.
I'm here to do a bit.
Pay attention, it's funny, Ipromise.
Uh, sometimes people just likebecause of you know, like
Instagram reels and such, theydon't understand the boundaries
(08:57):
between performance and audience.
Part of the show it's.
You know.
That's not what people arethere for.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
They sometimes think that the performer wants that
extra help or needs that littlecontroversy to draw some
attention.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And it's not necessary, no, and also it's
usually a two drink minimum andwe'll leave it at that.
Zach, like you mentioned, wemet in Jim Gleason's class.
Tell us a little about I can'tspeak today.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He does this for a living.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Kind of Mostly I clean shit as a janitor for a
living.
Zach, like you said, we met in.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Jim Gleason's class Sorry dude Take five.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Zach, like you said, we met in Jim Gleason's class.
Please tell us a little bitabout your acting experience.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So, I had a friend named Chris that I used to work
with at a restaurant way back in2007.
And he was in a screenwritingclass and he wanted to make a
movie and me and that dude didnot like each other for a very
long time and then he was likehey, I wrote a movie and you're
in it, and then we've been bestfriends since Nice.
And then we made some littleshort films here and there I met
a friend of mine named BrentHenry, working through Sean
(10:10):
Jerwin on a movie called let'sRob the Cheese Shop about the St
James Cheese Company, andthrough him I met his agent and
I was maybe like 21 or two atthe time and then I just signed
with I don't remember, but itchanged names over time, but I
signed with that agency at thetime and I have just kind of
been with a continued evolvedversion of that same one since.
(10:32):
It kind of they did their ownthing and now it's evolved into
a separate agency.
I lived in new york for fiveyears and I didn't really do any
film stuff there, I was justneeded change of scenery for a
while.
And when I was caught, when,when I was about to move back, I
called him and I was like I'mcoming back my old agent.
He was like it's time.
He was like I need you to go seea guy named Jim Gleason.
I need you to go see so-and-sofor headshots.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
This is what you'll do when you return and I was
like got it.
That's good, that's cool thatyou had an agent already that
brought you back into the foldand got you started back up.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Now, if we can just get the business to light up
again.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, maybe we'll see with Nola King, nola King.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Hopefully, right, maybe that'll bring Infusion
back down here.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Sam Jackson.
I just want a chance.
I just want a chance toaudition Sam Please.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Before the strike, auditions I was averaging three
or four a week and now it's kindof few and far between.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah, before all that , my agency never really sent me
advertisements that much.
It was mostly just film and TV.
Now it's just every now, andthen they're like hey is for
like a chase commercial.
They're like these are what Ihave at the moment, which is
great.
Uh, it's just an unfortunatelike window into what everyone
in the industry is dealing withhere right now that's right, and
(11:55):
my paid gigs the last year havebeen commercials yeah nothing
really film or television beendoing a lot of fake eating and
fake being a dad.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah, I could see that.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, a lot of fake cabinet opening.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
I had one where I looked into a mirror.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
That was it.
That's the whole audition.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Yeah, but that was the film.
That was like the gig.
Yeah, they shot me dirty overmy shoulder into the mirror.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I had to do one where I was getting covered in a
barbecue sauce.
They were like, pretend you'regetting sauce dumped on you from
above and I was like, okay,this is what we've gotten to.
I didn't put my tongue out oranything.
I know I've learned enough.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I auditioned for that too.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, you did the old sauce dumping.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
The artist was it?
That's what I had heard.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
We'll cut that out too, sorry, yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I'm just discussing everything in the confidential
parts of the audition.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Yeah, I was going to say the artist wasn't named, but
we've heard that it was.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So I think.
So yeah, I never heard.
I just heard that was like arumor thing it was.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
It might have just said artist throws a record at
you and I was like okay, wedon't know what it was, and once
that commercial comes out,everyone, you can try to figure
it out for yourself.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Allegedly we heard.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
So we'll shift gears in keeping with the theme of
auditions slowing down.
A lot of us are starting tomake our own content and there's
a lot of little projects linedup just to keep going, keep
practicing, keep making stuff.
Yeah, because it's a perishableskill.
If you just sit on your handsand not do anything to improve,
you're going to lose that.
Yeah, I've seen some of thestuff that you made.
(13:36):
I saw your last 48 and it seemslike you're incorporating a
little bit of CGI into that.
Is it challenging to do that?
Because I haven't done any ofthat really.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
It's easy for me because it's I'm not building
those models those are, you know, it's like basically like I pay
for a subscription toproduction crate and I have
story blocks as well.
We did a zombie film recentlyand I had to kind of just have
some news on the background.
So I just re-signed up for bothof those and just did that, all
editing myself.
But like, yeah, they have thoseelements that are you can use
(14:12):
and you just drag and drop themkind of into like after effects
and premiere.
I've just been doing it for likefive years, so it's just like
fun now and I can just likebuild it and make the sounds and
put it all together it didn'ttake long to make that little
like plane going down, like thatwas like 10 minutes of work oh,
wow all right so brian and Ihave worked with michelle busque
and they have a setup.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
They don't always use it, but they have a setup where
they have a virtual backgroundand they do rear projection
right like the volume kind of.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Yeah, like something like that volumes is what star
wars has, the whole room withLED screens.
Oh right, this is just.
It's projected from behind andthat's behind you, Okay.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
It's a silver screen, that's I don't know if it's 12
or 15 feet across or so, andthey use a rear projection.
And then Dave Burdick buildsthe scenes in Unreal Engine.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
So they'll get on Friday, they'll get all the
information and then he'll go towork starting to build the
background while she's writingthe script.
So he'll have everything theworld built out and ready to go
the next day and then when westart filming he's able to
project that, those backdropsthe last one we did was on a
spaceship, the 48.
(15:26):
That we did.
This time we didn't use thevirtual background and it
actually saved them a lot oftime with all the setups it was
yeah, cool, tj, your 48 wasclean in the script.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
You know what I mean.
I will admit, on my teams tjand I were on separate teams
this time.
Basically they had a 12 to 15minute movie that had to be cut
down to seven.
It's very hard to come up withthe idea and you have to focus
on that, on making sure thatit's under seven and you can
play with it, of course andy'all both did superhero films-
(15:58):
I don't think.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Did y'all draw superhero?
Yeah, you did.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, a lot of like consolingyou shy on the drive back to to
our 48 hour base.
I'm like it's good, it's goingto be OK, man, I'm going to, I'm
(16:22):
going to do a plane crash butit's going to be fine.
And he kind of had to trust meon that plane and the plane was
going down.
Which part of that was likephysical in the room props and
which was virtual, it see, didhe have a yoke?
Did he have a plane yoke in hishand?
Speaker 1 (16:33):
yeah, I'm trying to remember we took exercise bars
for like push-ups, turn themsideways and then duct taped it
to like the end of a garbage can, of a not the kid, the, you
know like a dustpan with, like astick.
Put that on there and we had aguy underneath who would just
like I beg more turbulence nowand he would shake it up more.
And it's kind of old schoolingunder like a guy with like a
(16:55):
sitting on a green screen.
He was sitting on a foldingchair.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
That's pretty cool.
I've been exploring a littlebit so Brian doesn't like some
of the AI stuff he can speak tothat.
I've been exploring some of thethings, some of the worlds that
you can build out with thesenew engines, the Google VO and
some of these other tools whereyou can build out a whole world.
(17:19):
I don't agree with having doall the audio for you that can
be done.
Do all the audio for you.
That can be done.
You know I would prefer to domy own dialogue with whoever's
involved and I would prefer towrite my own script.
But some of those tools tocreate some of those virtual
worlds are just incredible theway that they're improving.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
I saw an ad on Instagram and it was a computer
program and you just like draw apicture and it would scan it
and make a three-dimensionalmodel out of that and you're
like that's it.
I just gotta like put frames onnow and I can animate this like
I was.
Like it just skips an entirelarge step of the process.
It was wild.
It's a weird thing because,like, if you're making a little
something for yourself, then Idon't care, I don't use ai for
(18:05):
anything, but I understand, likeif it's someone small doing it
or because you're not taking ajob away from anyone, really
there right just you're justdoing something at home for fun.
When, like, a big company doesit, then it's like no, you're
just taking jobs away to foryour bottom line yep, I agree
but yeah, I know if, like if tomis sitting at home and he's
like this would look funny withthis on it, whatever, that's
(18:27):
fine.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
I do think that they need to have, like YouTube and
some of these other platforms,need to have rules, because some
of these creators are makingentire films.
A popular one is Stormtroopervlogs or Yeti vlogs there's a
few different ones and they'remaking it in a matter of minutes
.
They create a script on chat,gpt and then the O3.
(18:51):
It's a dollar for every eightseconds of video that it
generates, and I agreewholeheartedly with what you
said.
If you're doing that foryourself, that's fine, but if
you're making something likethat and then putting it on a
platform a headless video andmaking a whole bunch of money
and didn't do any work, that'swrong.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
I think I recently read that they just demonetized
a lot of those.
I could be wrong, but I thoughtI saw something where they
demonetized a lot of the AI.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
YouTube videos.
That's good If you're going touse it for a virtual background.
I just don't want to trudgeinto the territory of having ai
write or voice anything for usfor us for the background we
used.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I found a royalty-free 3d layout in a
program that's designed forsketch artists, like it's.
They'll just have a 3d model tohelp you draw out what you're
trying to draw out on paper.
And they had a royalty-free oneof a ship.
And I just kept zooming in andzooming in and like rotating it
and I was like, all right, I'vemade the three angles, we shoot
these three angles and thenwe're just going to drop them in
(19:54):
there and hope for the best.
And that was kind of like that,as opposed to like someone
using AI.
That was just me like.
Just like digging on theinternet for hours until I found
something that worked.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Yeah, I know it's easier with AI, but what you
just described to me is a personusing a tool to get the job
done rather than just clink,clink, clink.
I've made something, it looksokay and it just floods the
market.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Oh yeah, and this was like after we all went to sleep
.
I was just in bed.
I knew I'd have to get up atlike 7am and I'm just scrolling
until something hit Like it.
Just it wasn't.
I wasn't going to sleep until Ifound the piece we needed.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah, yeah, it's coming.
I don't know if we can stop it.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I don't either, as long as we have rules in place
and it doesn't hurt my paycheck.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Well, and it's protecting the actors and voice
actors, and then the stuntpeople and then the creatives
who design, you know, thecomputer graphics.
Yeah, and then they made theargument when it went from 2D to
3D is the same to me, the sameargument as 3D to AI.
It's cutting people out whohave worked so hard and they
either have to evolve or losetheir jobs.
I just don't want to lose thehuman element.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Not only is AI crap, but it's I like humans better
than AI.
Yeah, I'll be the first in thecamp the Terminator's coming for
me.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
I watched a movie that I will not disclose the
name of, but it was a 4K Blu-rayrestoration.
I'm with this service where Irent 4K Blu-rays and they mail
them to your house like oldschool Netflix.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Really, because I love physical media.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It's $18 a month.
I get four 4K Blu-rays in themail a month, so I'm just
watching all these movies on anOLED and just having a good old
time with physical media.
One of the movies they had usedAI to clean up the grain of it
because it was shot in themid-90s.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
You know, when you watch a scene in an Instagram
video and then you see where theAI starts and the real video
ends, the entire thing felt likeAI.
Everyone looked so polished.
I was like and I've seen theseactors my whole life, I know
that's not what they look likein 96 on set, and it was so
clean that I couldn't reallyfinish the movie.
It was unfortunate.
So there's that weird thingwhere I don't need more polish
(22:06):
at this point.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Right, I want the original.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
If your restoration is grainy I like a grainy movie
sometimes I'm going to watch itmovies, love the movies.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
That's not the point.
The fast and furious movies oneof the actors, paul walker,
died during the production ofone of the films and they used
some cgi and superimposed hisface on one of his brothers.
Yeah, and they finished out acouple of scenes using cgi and
you can tell, you can look andyou can tell the scenes that are
not really him.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
There's a close up at one point and you're like why
are you this close man?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
It's like when Neo's flying out of the exploding door
in Matrix, Reloaded and it's aCGI man and you're like, why are
you so close to that?
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Put that back there under very specific, defined
parameters like that to finishsomething out, it's okay.
But like brian said, I I don'twant to see it evolve to the
point where they're like oh, wedon't need background actors
anymore, we can just make thiswhole stadium all cgi people and
from a distance it'll look real.
I think that's gonna hurt theindustry yeah, yeah, it'll hurt
(23:23):
the industry.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
plus, like sometimes an actor needs things to be
there to build that emotion inme, there's people cheering in a
crowd.
When I have to stay in line,I'm going to feel it more than
if I'm just shot in a green roomshouting into an echo-y
nothingness and then you dragand drop me into a crowd.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
That one still drives me nuts.
It's like I need things there,I need the room to exist.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
There's one movie, I think it's Dodgeball.
Could have been a few of them.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I guess Dodgeball the Academy Award winning.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
I love that movie.
Dodge, dip and dive.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
But when Ben Stiller in all his gear, I think, just
after he's lost and they runinto the kid and he flips the
drink and he grabs the hot dog,that wasn't planned, that was a
real moment and it really showedthe character was an asshole.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
No, I like a little improv like that yeah, you need,
you need real elements outthere yeah, agreed and even cgi,
the first original star wars.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
I like the film cleaned up, but not the special
edition.
Special edition is okay, butyou lose what it was yeah star
trek, the original series, evenbefore they went to streaming.
I think it was on their dvdthey offered you the two.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Yeah was like do you want the cleaned up TOS or do
you want like the thing on astick in a black sheet?
Speaker 2 (24:33):
They fixed all the special effects.
The ship was going around thisbeautiful planet and it was like
that sucks because it wasn'tthe model.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yeah, I like that.
The DVD gave you the options Ithink on like Amazon Prime or
like Paramount.
It's just like the fixed upversion.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Just the fixed up version.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Whereas sometimes, yeah, you just want like a stick
and like a thing and it lookslike crap.
You're like yay, and then cutto lighting on Kirk like this
and it's a good old time.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Cardboard sets which are beautiful.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Battlestar Galactica yeah, the reboot from the 70s.
I mean they didn't change itCould have they could have
updated it and made it all CGI.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
No, you don't have to .
Sometimes it's fine.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Have you ever seen the show the Prisoner?
No, it's Patrick McGowan.
He also did Secret Agent man,but he retires from the British
spy force, whatever they calledit.
And then, because he has so muchknowledge, they have to find
out what he's thinking.
They take him to this secretvillage.
The monster, the guard dog, isa giant balloon which you can
see somebody tugging.
I mean, it's 60s craziness andit's great.
(25:31):
I'm watching it on Amazon Primeand the thumbnail is an AI
recreation because you can kindof see the balloon.
It's this white thing.
The face looks like JimCaviezel if I'm pronouncing his
name right, it's like why.
You know what I mean.
I don't understand.
I see those little thingscreeping in and it's not
necessary.
Or people, people like oh, chatGPT told me this.
(25:52):
Okay, you're listening to chatGPT, chat GPT.
What should I wear today?
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Oh my.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
God, you know that that it makes me shudder.
I weep for humanity.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yeah.
I'm just always like hey,google AC on please.
And just like in my room,soaked in sweat for no reason
Because I ate like some chips,and then that was it.
And I was like, because that'sNew Orleans living.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Baby, come on over, come to New Orleans where I have
central AC, and then I have aunit in my room because it's so
hot.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Hi, you don't like me , but you like my AC baby.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah, that's the one thing I miss about being on
bigger sets when they comearound with the big old silver
snake tube and they just blow ACon you so that you can still be
cold while not affecting sound.
God bless that thing.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Or they just blast that into Extra's holding tent,
mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
That pink lemonade is hot.
Those cookies are room temp.
You need a little something.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I think we're getting into the weeds here.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It happens.
I warned you.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Brian, I have no problem with the weeds, but we
are getting close to the time,so let's figure out one last
question to wrap us up.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Yeah, that's what we did.
I wasted y'all's day.
You have not wasted.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I love talking about filmmaking.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah, and you bring a unique perspective.
Easy for me to say I know Oneof these days I'm going to learn
how to speak.
You bring a unique perspective,not only acting.
You got the comedy andfilmmaking, so you're not
wasting our time.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Sure, I was being silly, no.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
I know Now you're wasting my time.
Let me finish my question.
Yeah, sorry.
Yeah, I'll hit you with thisone I'm trying to direct.
It's my turn.
Don't make me break out theprop.
So we like talking about howpeople were inspired, which
we've covered.
(27:53):
How will you inspire the nextgeneration, or even filmmakers
and actors at your level?
What would you say?
Give someone a nugget of yourknowledge, like for the next
generation of filmmakers.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
If you'd like, aim for like that level where you
still get to make what you want.
Don't aim for a marvel movie.
Aim for that level where youcan.
They're like here's some money,it's not crazy money, but you
get to make something that feelslike you.
I feel like that should be thegoal that people overlook.
It's not celebrity or anything.
I mean I'm sure that's great, Idon't know, but like, I think
your goal should be the goalthat people overlook.
It's not celebrity or anything.
I mean I'm sure that's great, Idon't know, but like, I think
(28:28):
your goal should be where peopleare just like oh, I trust you
to make that and you get to makeit, as opposed to like a
screenplay that was written by aboardroom.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Right.
Find your voice in the littlefilms.
Maybe you'll get lucky and getthe big ones.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
but you do the big one, he said, you can do more
little ones.
That's what I've learned.
Yeah, like that French directorfrom uh who did um Close
Encounters of the Third Kindbecause, like Spielberg loved
him and he did it just to fund,like, his little movies that he
makes, yeah, I can't rememberhis name either.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Uh, I'm drawing a blank.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Maybe we'll, we'll we'll put it in the notes so
that we're not Totally dismissed.
Sorry, zach's not middle-aged,but I am, and my brain is
falling out of my ears.
That's okay, my brain's notgreat.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Well, you're in good company.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Your brain may not be great, but we've enjoyed
picking it for this past halfhour, that's a fact.
Before I have it longer done.
Zach, do you have any socialsyou'd like to share, if you?
Speaker 1 (29:21):
want to see something of mine.
There is youtubecom slash earlysummer pictures.
Just early summer pictures, asyou would, just no spaces.
I'm on Instagram as Zachunderscore Chino C-I-N-O.
I'm private because people willbe wild.
If you come, follow me, I'mgoing to accept it.
I got nothing going on, butyeah, I share a lot of videos
(29:42):
there.
If I put up something onYouTube, I usually put it there
too.
I like putting little shortfilms on Instagram.
The whole thing on the reel.
It's fun sometimes.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Early summer pictures .
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Yeah, I only use that , that's cool.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Excellent.
We should get together and dosomething.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Yeah, in the same room, For sure.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
If we have to, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Twist my arm and I'm down, whatever you guys want to
do cool.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I'm around.
Make more films.
Make more films.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I'm trying, brian, yeah you shy is ready, you shy.
Everyone's like what do youhave?
And I'm like I don't knowanything.
Man, I'm getting shy.
Before I show up at arestaurant I have ideas of like
weird little ones I want to do Iwant to do something really 70s
looking nice I was thinkinglike a naked gun type noir,
where it's just like a deadpangoofy yeah and it looks gritty
and old.
(30:33):
It was like, yeah, well, that'sthe thing we were talking about
for a while and he was superdown for very cool, it could be
cool I wanted to do a scenewhere, like, you're at a smoky
club, uh, and it like pans outand then or dolly's out and and
there's just people vaping,because it's 2025.
So the smoking of the club it'svape smoke, as opposed to the
old days where it looks like a20s club, but it's the 2020s.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Is that in black and white?
Speaker 1 (30:57):
No, I think I would just go like grainy 70s gritty
look to it, I got you Hard noirlighting in picture, but I think
I just keep the.
I just really want to makesomething that looks like it was
made in the 70s.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
I don't know why yeah , I think you two both inspired
me.
I have a superhero film,probably a short.
It's rolling around in my head.
It hit me the other day yeahand I've always wanted to do a
noir.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
But I was thinking the 80s gritty New York,
anything is super fun.
Kids watch Maniac Cop 2starring Robert Zadar.
80s man the chin, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
He's also like Quagmire.
Giggity, but no giggity in it.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Uh-uh, no giggity.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
All right, well, zach , we've run out of time.
Thank you very much for joiningus.
We really appreciate yourinsight.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Thank you, guys for having me.
It's fun.
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