How a Random Project Sparked a Game-Changing Filmmaking Partnership

Episode Transcript
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Vipul Bindra (00:04):
Mario, thank you for coming and coming here to
talk to me.
It's always a pleasure talkingto you.
Anyway, how many sessions oftalking have you had?

Mario Rangel (00:14):
Well, first of all , thank you, people for having
me.
I'm proud to be here.
Let's talk film.
I mean, we've uh, a lot oftimes uh, yeah and uh about
everything.
So, yeah, no, we seem to behere we've done so many projects
together.

You've helped me out so much.
You even helped me move.
I mean, come on, uh, we'vedefinitely built, I think, a
strong fun uh friendship since,uh, since met, which is so crazy
how we met.
We can go into that story later, but yeah, and like we were
talking.
The whole point of this is wealready talk and you know so
many times.
There's so much informationgoing around and I'm like people

(00:58):
could so benefit from this andat least find some entertainment
.
I guess, at the most minimumwho are in similar fields so
happy to you know, record thisand, um, you know, talk to you.
So, for anyone doesn't know,you're helping me write my movie
.
We've done a lot of projectstogether.
You know you're freelancefilmmaker who's?
gone, 95 are now going back tofreelance filmmaking so you know

(01:19):
long journey, but let's startfirst with how we met.
I think that'd be pretty cool.

Yeah Well, we met October.
I remember.
Now November 2022.
No, 2023.
Three, so we've known eachother.

What about a year and a half?

I would say roughly, yeah, roughly a year
and a half.

And funny enough.
I've kind of talked about thatstory before.
It was Daisy's movie right youwere working for her so
obviously I've talked myperspective.
People have heard it how sheapproached me.
I think it was in.
Sean's podcast, and you knowwhat I did but I want to know
your perspective you were on theinside man you were working.

You were working for her kind of full time pretty
much.

And then you were also the AD on the inside man.
You were working, you were the,you were her you know you were
working for her kind offull-time pretty much, and then
you were also the ad on themovie.
You knew everything in on theinside.
I didn't know.
I was just coming from theoutside.
I didn't know any of the visionor anything yeah, I remember um
.

So okay, we were editing a film.
She um shot like two years orlike it was 2021.
Okay, I remember they were inthe middle of COVID they had
like mask on.

(02:37):
That I saw through the footage.
So yeah, it a long time ago.
So we were editing the film Atthat time.
It was me as an editor with Kiphe was another editor working
with Daisy in that film.

(02:58):
So the thing is there were alot, a lot of issues with the
film.
I mean there were like wholefull days without audio, like
external audio.
Oh wow, okay, so the amount offootage that we had to work with

(03:21):
, we didn't have a story, okay,we didn't have a story.
Okay, we didn't have a a full,full story.
Um, so we had to come up withan idea of how to connect and
build the story from what wehave I mean because obviously,

(03:42):
when they were shooting they uhdaisy had, um, an idea of what
she wanted to be Like.
Obviously it's a really show.
Uh, for anybody that doesn'tknow, the film is called uh,
that one is called Milton, thismusic, okay, so it's like a,
like a documentary comedyreality show.

(04:04):
But even that people didn't dotheir jobs and there was no
story okay.
So from that we were okay, wehave to write something.
We have to write something andthen shoot it.
Yeah.
Okay, and that's when.

So basically they have this footage from a couple
years ago.
I don't know.
I mean, it's all right, it'snot that that great quality in
my opinion and from what I saw,obviously it was shot a couple
years ago, so who knows what,what equipment and budget and
everything they had.
And, um, so you had no story.
Basically you had some contentand you started helping her

(04:41):
basically write and build astory, that or new footage that
could be shot to build it into amovie, into india.

So we have like, okay, this is happening, this uh
there with these artists.
Right, it's about like artistsmaking music uh for uh, for a
show.
So we start okay, let's writeit from your perspective, from
daisy's perspective, perspective, perspective uh, going through
that uh journey.
Okay, so that's how we wrotethis uh like a parallel story uh

(05:15):
about her and and and and withand her family through through
one night, uh.
So, yeah, we came in that fromthat idea and through that, then
we started writing it.
Uh, we were like four monthswriting that.
It was like around how much?
Like around 20 pages.

Yeah, pretty much something like that it was and
you know why I loved it, whichis so crazy?
Because the ass sounded crazy.

That's my thing the what uh, the ask from her
that what she wanted me to do soessentially, uh, when I was
approached and like I've talkedabout, a little bit before is,
um, you know, I was shooting anevent for a chamber.

She's obviously very active in the community
which, by the way, daisy'samazing but at the time, you
know, I didn't have that much, Ididn't know her that well so
she approached me she said hey,I have something I would love
and obviously you know you getexcited.
But when I find out it's anindie movie, you know I kind of
stay away from indie moviesbecause there's not much budget.
You know it's a challenge andyou know, that's not my thing.

(06:13):
So you know, I love moviemaking, but I also do this for
money.

You, know I have bills to pay.
Same here.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So as soon as I found out it'san indie movie, at first I was
about to say no, but then I findher the way she wanted to do it
she's like the challenge wasvery, very interesting, because
it was like, hey, I want, wewant to film this over one night
and we have to film like 25, 20, 25 pages, whatever, and to
build this movie around somefootage.
I already have remember at thattime I had no, none of this
idea.
No, what, yeah, what?
the footage looked like what itdid and I was like, hey, it

(06:47):
won't match.
First thing, I say she's like,well, it doesn't matter, because
the way I'm gonna, we're gonnawrite it, it doesn't need to
match.
And I was like, but that's veryintriguing.
And also she said she wants todo multi-cam, which is not
normal for movies.
So she's like she wants toshoot three cameras she wants to
do it all overnight.
She wants to somehow shoot, youknow 20 30 minutes of footage,
which is very much like myexpertise.

(07:08):
You know, multi-cam, uh, youknow run gun type of thing right
yeah.
So I was like this is very muchlike an indie movie but shot
like a corporate movie, but yetat the same time she's willing
to give me like yeah wellnarrative at least what I shot
was narrative, and then shewanted, uh, to give me somewhat
of a creative control, like asin obviously it's her movie, her
, your script, but like I canshoot it how I want to shoot it

(07:30):
which is what you want to hearas a filmmaker right, and so I
was intrigued.
I was like, okay, you have myattention.

And then obviously I came to her office and that's
when I met you for the firsttime, we met um.

So at that time, uh, we, I think I sent you the,
the script yeah, I think Ialready had seen the shot list,
or seen the shot list, yeah yeah, you already seen something,
but obviously you read that thatlike how can I say that new
script for the reshoots and it'slike a short film?

(08:04):
Like a short right.

So, uh, I remember you were a little like like
hesitant also I remember that,like a little hesitant, like
okay, what is this, what is theproject I want?

to like really understand, right, I remember
that, I remember so yeah, butyou know, if I'm putting up in
my name which a I don't work forthis credit credit, as you've
seen.
I don't care.
We make awesome content.
I don't care if anyone knowswhat I did or not.
I mean, half my projects arenda, so people never know.
You know what we did and that'sfine with me, but this project,

(08:40):
since it's a narrative, myname's gonna be on it and I
don't want my name on anything,so you know exactly.
So for sure I wanted todefinitely know what was going
on what are you doing, like?

what are you getting into?
So, yeah, for sure, uh, I know,I know how how that feels even
more if you, yeah, if it's an uh, an important project that and
it's going to be your name as asone of the main um dps right,
so I fully understand that.
So that's why I remember alsolike trying like really to for

(09:10):
you to understand what we'redoing, and obviously, daisy, she
wanted to do everything, likeyou said in one day.

Or one night, one night.

Yeah, obviously.
And then I said okay, but wemostly most of the shoots we
have is at night.
So if you want to do everything, well, let's see how.
And that's when we decided,okay, let's do it night.

Everything at night, all night.

Okay.
So yeah, I mean.

and Daisy, she wanted to do multicam because I
told her yeah, the only way youcould have done it, the only way
to do this in one night if yougo multicam and if you which is
what got me on.
Just so you know.
If it was single cam, I mean Iprobably said no so I think
that's a good choice.

Yeah, because no, there was no other way of doing
filling all those pages.

Exactly, and that was the challenge that I liked.

I was like ooh this is pretty intriguing, that
was the challenge and yeah, so Iremember after that, I think we
had one more meeting, yeah, andit's so funny.

So talk about that , let's go there.
So anyway.
So I met with her and Iobviously understood the
challenge.
I kind of had far more clarityand I met you.
Obviously we're strangers kindof, yet You're somebody who
works for her and so we meet,you know, she introduces me and
I'm like okay, perfect, soyou're the AD, so I'm going to
kind of be working with you andmy thing was okay.
So for me this to happen, I needto bring in my crew right

(10:41):
People.
I trust they don crew rightpeople.
I trust they don't have to behigh.
I don't say that people are.
Great point is that they don'thave to be the most expensive
cam ops and dps.
As long as they understand thetasks that work with me, that
they can work at the pace thatwe want to work at, without, you
know, making terrible content.
Right, we obviously allunderstand we're not making a
spielsberg movie here, of course, but at the same time I don't
want to make trash, um, soanyway.

(11:02):
So I'm basically what I thinkthe way I laid out was like hey,
we can absolutely do that.
Uh, the the only way I can dothis is I'm gonna have to not be
an operating dp because I needto be able to, you know, manage
three cameras.
I need to make sure they match,uh.
So I'm gonna need three cameraoperators and I'd like to bring
my own.
And then I was like I'd like tobring a gaffer.

(11:23):
You know, maybe some equipment,obviously like a, a van, a grip
van, would be nice.
And then I need an ac.
I think we had one ac, you knowwhat I mean for for an indie
movie.
That was a decent sized crew,right, and I laid that out.
And then she said obviously,you know, we'll go over
everything.
And then, um, she reached outto me and she obviously wanted
me to do it.

(11:43):
Now, here's, I think, one of themost awkward calls I've had,
because she expected me to workat Indie Rates and I don't do
that because, you know, to bereal, I was very reasonable with
her.
I don't very much work at likejust day rate thing, but, like I
said, the project wasinteresting, but I'm like here's
the minimum that you know I getout of bed for, right, we all
have that, so anyway.
So she called me and I was like, okay, absolutely I would love

(12:06):
to.
And you know she wanted me towork at bare minimum rates and I
was like, well, a first, Ican't find people to work at
free or very minimum wage tocome work on the project, and
then, two, I need to have mybare.
So the call kind of went bad.
You know, yeah, the first callbeer, so the call kind of went

(12:27):
bad.
Uh, you know, so yeah, thefirst call, well, yeah, no, yeah
, the meeting went great, butthen when she called me to
actually sign me up or whatever.
I think the call went bad on myside, so I thought okay though
it's fine, like we yeah, it'snot gonna work out.
but what happened on the otherside?
Because now, obviously, yeah, acouple of days later I got the
call saying, oh, we'll do it howyou want to do it, which which
I think, by the way, my ask wasreasonable.
Now, I wasn't.
Obviously we're not cheap, likeyou know, no, but we weren't.

(12:49):
I was trying to be veryreasonable.
I was trying to do the bestindie movie thing I could do.

But anyway, I know , I mean I know the price, yeah,
so after that, yeah, you knowall the insights.

So you were the AD , so please tell me what
happened in that two days.
Somehow it went from okay,never mind, to please.
I want you to do it.
Please come and do it so.

I remember her okay.
After that call she met with meand she said I mean, it's too
the price is too high.
Okay, I mean it's too the priceis too high.
Okay, so.
So I said, oh okay, can I?
Can I see how much?
And I, and she sent me the linkfor for the budget and I look

(13:37):
at it, okay.
And like you said I thought itwas very reasonable for what we
needed to do.

Yeah, the amount of crew, the amount of equipment
.

The amount of crew for one day.
Obviously, multicams, not only.
What came up is everything bythree.

Yeah, plus FX6s.

I think we had FX3s and the cameras were good
quality.

Yeah, the whole production equipment lighting,
gripman, gaffer, you knowmultiple grips.
We even had two grips.

Anyway, yeah.
So, and that's when I told herlook, if you really want to do
this shoot with a great quality,it's not going to be less than
that ever.
I mean, there's no way.
Yeah, okay, I mean there's noway, yeah, Okay.
So if you really want to makeit right and this is a story, a

(14:28):
project that you really want tofinish, I mean I think this is a
good price.
Yeah.
Okay, and she was hesitant atfirst and then I think she
thought about it.

And then I think, the next day or a couple of days
, she called you and okay, andshe told me okay let's do, let's
go and do it, and that was socrazy for me to get the call
which I mean to be real, that'snot the first time I've had, so
many times where the call of thewhich obviously I try to have
great meanings.
But my whole thing is, I'm goingto be honest, right, I'm trying
to create, uh, and you know,good content or at least help my
clients.
So once I knew I couldn'texecute the pricing, that she

(15:09):
was trying to do it initially, Itold her and that's why the
call ended.
So you know, I kind of move on.
But sometimes, you know,clients do realize that and they
do want to do it right, which Ididn't know at the time.
So, thank you, you were on theback because you know we don't
know each other yet, you knowwe're not like friends yet.
So that you were, you know,helping, you know telling her

(15:31):
giving her good advice Becauseyou are from the film industry,
so anyway.
So yeah, two days later I getthe call.
She's like okay, we can do it,I can provide one other cam up.
So I think that was her.

(15:52):
So I was gonna bring mainly mydepartment right.
So it was me two cam ops, eight, one, uh, first ac gaffer and
two grips, I think, isultimately what my thing be
ended up being.
Yeah, and then so in onlyperson in my department.
That was not my department, orlike provided by me was nat the
third camera up and youknow I was like that's

(16:12):
reasonable.
You know, I know what my peopleand this is just me not knowing
that- but yeah so I was like,okay, that's fine, that makes
sense.
You know, here's a healthycompromise and if that's her
budget, then that's you knowwe're gonna do it.

Yeah, yeah and that, yeah, I think that's
something that we werediscussing also.
Okay, if you don't want thatmuch, well, you will have uh one
less crew, or or let's see what, what we can uh deduce like for
a little bit of less price.
And and that's when I told herokay, you know what, If there's
going to be these three come-ups, maybe he can bring two and one

(16:50):
I can tell nuts.
I know that she's good with whatshe does and then he can go
with his crew and then withcome-up and we were also talking
about like PAs and then he cango with his crew and then come
up and we were also talkingabout like PAs and like second

(17:13):
AD, things like that.

Yeah, which is great.
I mean, see, at the end, thatto me is completely fair because
you know she has a budget,obviously she needs to stay
within.
It is a little like I said Iwas a little hesitant, I
hesitant, I was like, oh, Idon't know who I'm gonna walk
into.
Obviously nat turned out greatwhich nat has been on the
podcast so you know people haveheard from her side of the story
.
But anyway, so that that to methat was a healthy compromise

(17:37):
and obviously that's how we met.
And then, uh, once I arrived onset, obviously everything went
incredible.
I was like you were such a goodfirst AD.
I was like, oh, I have to tapinto him.
And then you know, obviouslythat started eventually after
the movie started our workingrelationship or whatever.
I think after the premiere ofthe movie is when it really kind
of kicked off.
You me.

Nat and obviously the other projects.
So after that we went to theshoot.
It was crazy, a crazy night.

It was like almost 12 hours.

Yeah, it was really long.

And what's crazy, though, is both you and Nat were
kind of not feeling at the bestof your health too.
We were not feeling great, butyou were both troopers.
That's why I knew the only wayit got done and I'm going to put
this on the record the only wayit got done, obviously, my crew
.
You met all the people Now.
I think it was Emmanuel, sean,gio, me, brian and then his two

(18:30):
grips, so everyone, I think, wason top of their game but also
the two people that were part ofat least helping me you as the
AD and then Nat as the thirdcamp.
Both of you, even though I couldkind of tell, okay, you guys
are a little under the weatherand no point did you slow down.
Rather, you were the onekeeping everyone track because
you know initially when westarted.

(18:51):
Obviously things are slowmakeup's taking too long actors
and and which is up.
It's pretty normal and you know, you knew after the first scene
like hey, no, we gotta, yougotta speed up.
So you kept everyone in line,so you did.

Great is what I'm saying as a first ad on that
shoot, yeah, yeah, no, it wascrazy uh.
I mean, when we started I waslike feeling a little off?

yeah, you were, but you, you, we couldn't tell.
I'm saying, when we started itwas like mario's great, and then
halfway through night, I don'tknow if it was we were pushing
you so hard or no I don't knowwhat, I think no, not the week
before, not.

She was, uh, she was sick.
So I thought she made you sickjust at that time through that
night at the end I was like amess no energy, like fevered.
Sweating was crazy.
But yeah, I mean we have to.
We didn't have another option,so we have to push through and I

(19:52):
think everyone pushed through.

So I mean we got everything.
I remember we got justeverything but that one drone
shot she wanted to get.
But we did get everything elseI mean, yeah, it worked amazing.
Uh, oh yeah so I do want toknow that.
So now, obviously, again, Idon't know any of this.
So obviously I shot it.
I went home to me, I thought wekilled it, I sent you guys the
footage.
Now, what's the other side?

(20:14):
What did daisy say?
Or anything about me or thecrew, or the feedback?
Because it's interesting for me.
I don't typically talk aboutthe other side that I don't hear
.
So what happened?

yeah, so.
So after that, uh well, they,she was really really tired also
so yeah, I mean we were alltired, so but we were happy.

Tired, but happy did she say anything about me or
the crew?

she felt amazing uh she felt that because
obviously she, she was alsoacting.
But from from the time she sawthe replays, the shoots, she was
really happy with everything sotired, stressed, but happy with
what we got, and she had areally high praise for you and

(20:59):
your team.
Um, so, and after that, okay,okay, let's go and do the edit
continue the eight and see howit came up.
Uh, comes up right, becauseobviously with every reshoot,
well and this one is like Iforgot also the audio guy was my
guy.

Yes, but go ahead, yeah, um there, which he did
great, by the way.
Marco, I gotta have him on thepodcast.
But marco, yeah, I think it wasthe yeah I remember on the grip
um brian right brian was thegaffer, yes, and then he had two
grips with him, yeah, yeah Iremember, yeah, he's great.

Uh, I remember him also going to a premiere okay
uh.
So, um, we start editing and Isaid, with every reshoot and I
mean, this one is like a wholenew story.
You don't know really whatyou're going to get.
Like story-wise, I mean, weknow that the footage is quality

(21:57):
right, but story-wise it's likelet's see if this works right.
Finally.
So after that was in november,after two months of of editing
like video and audio, we weredoing like, uh, parallels, like
oh hey, I'll finish this partand I'll send it to you because,

(22:19):
if not, we're not going tofinish, because Daisy wanted to
finish by January.
Okay, so we were all tight.
Yeah, very tight and at the endwe did finish.

Yeah, no, you did, we did.

And I remember the screening right, Not the
premiere- the screening was inJanuary, I think or February,
maybe I don't remember too well,but I mean we were right on
schedule.
I don't remember too well, butI mean we were right on schedule
and it turned out, I think frominitially, what we had to what
we got, I think is a reallygreat achievement.

(22:54):
Yeah, it was pretty good.
I was surprised.

No, definitely Because you know again, having
done indie movies a long longtime ago and then so I kind of
know what to expect.
So I was like going in with youknow, I knew what we shot was
good, Obviously rushed one nightto do that much content.
It's not like every scene isperfected, but I think we did
great.
So, coming to the screening, Iwas very interested to see,

(23:18):
because I had no idea.
You guys told me all the newstuff.
I had zero idea how it wasgoing to mesh, what the story
was.
Plus, as a DP, I'm always likehow is it going to match?

Because, even though Daisy told me it was okay
, I'm just like, yeah, exactlyyou don't know the footage, you
don't know the story, I mean,you only know what you're
shooting Exactly.

So when I watched it A I really liked again
talking to why I started workingwith you.
I knew what you had done and Ilooked at the edit.
I was like, first of all, thisis edited really well, so that
was pretty good.

And then two.

I was like obviously I could clearly tell
our shots were nicer looking,yeah, and that's what we wanted,
exactly.

We wanted to really make a difference between
what we had that was like inthe past, in like story-wise and
the present, that it wasExactly, and that's what I liked
.

So I think that it made sense, finally, what you
guys were trying to do.
But it also made sense why thedifference in quality would work
, because now everyone knowswhen we go to the past, when
we're in the present, when we goto the past, because the
footage is drastically different.
But it worked for her story, itworked for her movie.
Obviously it is an indie movie,but I think everyone did a

(24:35):
great job for what they weregiven with and I also really
liked your editing on it.
I think you did a great job,thank you.
Which is why I think.
I was like oh, we gotta worktogether we gotta find a way to,
yeah, and that's when, afterthe screen yeah, after the
screening I think we met orsomething yeah, we were talking
hey, uh, yeah, it was a greatjob, and it was you and that too

(24:55):
, and I was like, oh, I woulddefinitely have not back as it
came up, yeah so and that's whenwe said, hey, let's work more,
right, why not, I mean.

And that's when we really begin our like, I said
like relationship, uh, through,through work, yes, freelance, so
that's great, so I know.
Okay, I'm like how random, itis right I want people to know.

It's all about relationships and who you know,
but you never know where youmeet them because on my side.
You have to see, I was.
I just uh, initially like as Imet you as a, as an employee of
somebody who's hiring me.
Then, at the screening I cometo find out, oh, you also do
freelance work.
You're a you know total, youknow filmmaker, uh, graduate a
full sale and stuff like that.
Like you know your craft,you're a good editor, obviously

(25:38):
I could see you know what youdid.
So at the end of the day I'mI'm saying it and you know, as
soon as you know we met.
After that I think it wassomething you, me and nat kind
of met and I and you know also,I like to work with people who
are cool and fun so you and youand nat are cool and fun,
obviously so I was like oh, wegot to collaborate somehow.
I didn't know at that time,obviously what, because it's not

(25:59):
like I had a project in mind,but I was like, oh, definitely
we have to collaborate, we haveto figure out how to work
together.

Um, because you know it's, it's about just all
about cool people workingtogether, collaborating and
making good content, I thinkexactly at the end of the day,
yeah, um, I think that's one ofthe coolest thing about working
in this industry is just thepeople you meet.
Yeah, and I think, because ofthe environment, you build a

(26:29):
really strong relationship.
So I'm glad that it was withyou and it was crazy how we met,
and I'm really happy with allthe praise that we have.

Well, awesome.
So now, obviously, as far asthe audience knows, we obviously
met, we've done this movie,it's been screened.
And then do you remember whatwas the first project I brought
you on?

The first project.

Yeah, parley, no, no, no.
It wasn't Parley I'm even nothaving a hard time, I know with
Nat it was the live stream shetalked about that.
Do you remember which one wasit where you came first?

What live stream For her?
Oh for her.
So she came yeah.
So she came.

Yeah, so we talked about it so she helped me.
We did like a ribbon-cuttinglive stream.
She came out and she helped me,which I had forgotten about too
.
I was like oh yeah, that wasgreat.

So that was her first time Do you remember,
because I kind of, to be real, Imake trouble remembering which
one.
Mine, yeah, it was parody.
I remember going to thevillages so it was the villages.

That was the first huh.
So I worked with Nat before Idid with you huh.

I think so, maybe, oh, maybe, maybe because I was
well, I was working with Daisyyeah maybe it was a day that I
couldn't make.
It okay, I I was working withdaisy.
Yeah, maybe it was a day that Icouldn't make it okay.

I don't know if I why I thought I worked with you
before I worked on that.

Yeah, I don't either.
It's fine either way.

Yeah, but it's okay, we did a decent amount of
project, but yeah, I do rememberworking with you quite a bit,
obviously, definitely thatproject up in the villages.
You helped me a lot, becausenot only did you uh, come
obviously be the cam out with methere was.
I think the first one we didwas uh, we did these a few
projects with them.
I think, though, one of theones was like recording like a

(28:12):
session or something like aclassroom session, right, yes,
and it was like a two-day shootor whatever, and then I remember
um you not only comingobviously in to be a cam out
with me, but you also helped mebring equipment because, uh, it
was so muchequipment that I needed to bring
that.
At that time, you know, I Ididn't have my trailer and I was
still using my truck, so, andmy truck can only fit so much so

(28:36):
and I was bringing the rest ofthe crew with me, so you helped
me bring a bunch of the lights.
Funny enough, we didn't end upusing most of that, but that's
how it works, right.
So you helped me bring some ofthe equipment.
You did great.
Do you remember anything fromthe shoot?
How was it?
I mean, it was great um two daysof doing the same thing right
it was yeah, it was today theywanted for some reason they

(28:57):
wanted us to capture same thingtwice, twice, yeah I think, yeah
, it went really good.

Uh, first time working together well, second
time really, but first timeworking for, for, for your uh,
for your company, right?
So, uh, I think obviously atthe beginning I was like nervous
, like excited, also like towork with you, um, with.
I remember that's when I metgeo emmanuel yeah, I think it

(29:28):
was the four of us.

Yeah, four of us when he fed us the bad food geo
talked about that the stupidchinese you were with me.
Yeah, yeah, that was all hisfault, uh, so, yeah, we've
talked about that story too,anyway.
So, uh, that's fun.
Uh, that that's when we met and, um, did you learn anything new
?
Or I mean, it was a very simpleshoot, so I don't wanna.
But, um, how, what do you thinkabout the working environment?

(29:51):
Because, um, technically, wehad worked, um, you hadn't, you
had worked with them on themovie, but, you know, only as an
ad, not directly so I don'tknow, uh, do you?
uh, I don't know, I don't knowhow was it?

No, I mean, it was amazing because you guys, you
are really open, really fun,really chill, Like there's no
like bad attitude or nothing,and I feel so like confident
with you guys Like, yeah, I meanI can ask anything, there's no

(30:31):
nothing bad that can happen.
Really, there's a lot of oftrust.
That's what I felt.
So that made my my my jobeasier and and fun also.

Yeah.

Fun to be there, excited, which easier, and and
fun also.

yeah, fun to be there excited, which is how you
know it should be.
It should be fun.
I don't know.
I like people who you knowdon't make sets fun, uh.
And then I think you helped mea bunch because that was the
month we were doing a ton ofcontent for them.
I think you also helped me atthe main, my bread and butter,
which is interviews you helpedme.
I remember the shoots where wewere going uh, interview, b-roll
, interview, b-roll, like wewould set different locations we
would go set up the interview.

(31:06):
That's basically what I findmyself doing a lot, yeah, so how
?
How was that experience?
Because you know you have to beon your mark, you have to go,
and I think we were able tobring that on those two I know,
yeah, yeah, she was therebecause she was the second day
oh, second day I remember thatone.

It was crazy.
A lot of breakdown and goingthrough different locations.
But, yeah, it was hectic butit's fun, right.

Right, that's fun, yeah, and I think, once you
master that you can do anycorporate commercial work
Exactly.
That was like a mini audience.
It's more like I would say,mini corporate documentary
essentially what we're doing,right yeah?
And we were in clients' homesthat are clients' clients' homes
.
So you have to be veryrespectful because, at the end
of the day, you're not onlyresponsible for representing my

(31:54):
company, you're representing theclient's company.
So you can't screw up andyou're in other people's homes.
You know that are not even ourdirect clients.

Yeah, so you have to be very careful and obviously
everyone killed it yeah yeah,uh, and I I think in that one.
Uh, that's one of the freelancethat I've learned the most
because, uh, mostly how to dointerviews, um, like how to
light it well yeah, and we didit, we did a ton of those just

(32:23):
in that time, so after that didyou learn anything new those?

did you like my style how I do them?

yeah I mean, I, I love your style.
Um, it's really you.
You really want to make itcinematic, even as something so
simple as an interview.
Uh, simple, not not, not notlike uh, uh uh, breaking
breaking it up, but as a like.

(32:51):
Somebody that sees an interviewis oh, this is something easy
to do, there's nothing difficultabout it, but you go the extra
mile of always.
Just bring this high quality toall the, and I think the best
thing is to me um.

People don't know that you put an effort you know,
I hate the filmmaking where,especially in the corporate
world, people already know thatyou're producing these videos
where you could tell the the theinterviews produced.
You know what I mean?
I find it, at least for me,that's just I don't know.
It's off-putting to me.
So I like to to make myinterviews.
Like I said, we'll completely.
If you remember the same oneyou talked about, we transformed

(33:27):
their office completely.
We took out the desk and thechairs and everything.
But to the audience at the end,Dave, when you look at that
interview, it doesn't even looklike anything was changed or
anything was even lit.

I purposefully tried to do it in a way
motivated lighting from lampsand stuff purposefully try to do
it in a way, motivated lightingwith from lamps and stuff, so
it looks like natural natural,but even though obviously we
know it's not cinematic.
So I think that's a thin lineto something to look uh like
high quality and natural maybesometimes that can be tricky,
but I really love how you lightuh interviews.

I think that's one of your restaurant suits and if
you remember how, when weshowed up, they were instantly
changed everything on us andthat's how you have to be ready.
On corporate, because we didn'thave much time, because they go
.
So the plan was I think we weregoing to go in, we're going to
set up for interviews.

And the clients were already waiting.

And we show up and we're like we're on time and
they're somehow like expect,thinking at least their staff
was like you're not, I'm like no, I have a schedule right here,
Anyways, yeah.
So they already had theirclients and obviously their
clients come first.
So, we had to like pivotimmediately.
And what I liked was andobviously I want to know how you
were thinking, because I knowobviously I'm in a panic, but as

(34:41):
the leader, I have to go, Ican't show panic so I'm like
okay, so here's what we're goingto do divide and conquer.
I go okay, me, and I don'tremember who.
I took one person with me and Iwas like okay, we're going to
go set up for the interview andwe're going to do a quick setup.
We have five minutes to do what.
And then I send you, I believe,and Emmanuel to go do B-roll,
b-roll outside.

That was.
They already feel like they'redoing something With the clients
and you and Gio, yeah, settingup the interview.
Yeah, so well, thank you youremember.
I remember so.

I think the idea was that the clients don't feel
cause you know we got to go inthe next five minutes.
It's like they don't feel likewe're time is valid because you
know that's what.
That was the there.
What why the client wasworrying?
Because they have their clientssitting there nothing happening
, even though, again, somebodyscrewed up in the scheduling.

(35:30):
But either way, that's okay andbut I did like how everyone was
able to pivot.
There was not an argument oranything yeah we go there, even
though I'm stressful, I'm tryingto make everyone calm, but
everyone's calm.
I, I, I loved it.
I was like, hey, here's acamera, here's a camera.
Go to bureau me and geo quickly.
And then, obviously, once wedid get those initial set of
clients out, we were all able tocome together, obviously, make

(35:52):
the interview even morecinematic, do how we initially
planned them with three cameras,you know, and all that.
But initial rush was kind ofvery hectic but fun.

I don't know what would you say yeah, I remember
is like, I remember you sayingthat like I thought the same as
you okay, let's go, let's set itup one, then we like we always
do, like set up, we'll take abreak and then let's go, yeah,
right but it was like we puteverything okay, let's go, let's
go, let's go okay.
Uh, let's go, okay, let's startshooting.

(36:22):
I was like, oh my God, what'shappening?
What's happening.

What happened At the beginning?
I was like oh my God.

But I think that's .

At least you didn't let me see, so that's
good.

No, no, no, I couldn't tell you yeah of course
, but I think that's somethingthat, in this line of work, is
something that you adapt,especially in the corporate and
commercial world.

You're going to be thrown all sorts of things at
you and you have to be able topivot.
You have to be able to findsolutions, because I think
that's why we're paid, the mainreason, you know, because if it
was just pointing a camera,anyone can do it right.
It's not that complicatednowadays.
It's mostly problem solving andstill being able to deliver

(37:05):
quality content and be able tobe on top of the story, because
at the end of the day, whatmatters was the story that we're
telling.
And now there's a disconnectbecause it makes our job harder,
because now you guys are doingB-roll with the clients that
we're doing the A-roll with andguess what?
You don't know what questionswe're asking, what, what sound
bites they're giving us.

(37:26):
So the b roll needs to match.
And what I love right about youand emmanuel and um, you know
other great people that workwith me is that you guys know
what to expect, as in acorporate world.
You know it's not that hardeither.
But point is, I knew for a facthere and if you remember the
edit, how it turned amazing.
A client loved it and theirclients loved it.

(37:47):
But what's crazy to me is wewere not connected at all.
But the B-roll match.
They have a soundbite whenthey're talking about how, when
they come in, you know it's sucha nice environment.
People greet them.
And now in the edit, I love ithow we had exact B-roll.

We had the B-roll of the building.

It was planned.
Yeah, like we planned it all.
There is a b-roll of thebuilding I think you did that
shot and then people the samepeople from the outside coming
in, then from the inside comingin, them being greeted by the,
the receptionist, uh, the wholeshebang.
They're happy.
Also, them wearing the, theclothes of the company, like
swag point is if there was zeroconnect between, at that in the
initial rush, between theinterviews and the b-roll team

(38:30):
and yet somehow our b-roll wasperfect and you know and match
exactly the sound bites we hadfrom a roll.
So I love that uh, you know thatwe, we had that synergy, um,
and that's what it's.
I mean not saying that theshots are overly unique, it's
just the knowledge of knowingwhat to expect?

Yeah, what to expect?
What you want to shoot forCan't compliment what the
clients will say about thecompany, and I think that's what
makes us everybody a great team.
Yeah, we're all just so jealouseverybody a great team.

Yeah, we were all just so jealous, plus it was fun
, like I said nobody waspanicking.
Nobody was acting Like whether,even if they were panicking on
the inside, everyone kept calm,get the job done Exactly.

Obviously it's like, oh, what's happening?
But after that you have to getused to it.
Like you said, pivot and okay,let's go and do it.
And I think that's what's funand amazing about these jobs.
It's like you know, you, maybeyou won't expect in each shoot
or freelance job that we have.
There's no on corporate work.

(39:39):
There is no, no day thateverything goes as planned.
There is something that youdon't expect.

Exactly, and that's what makes it fun and
interesting, at least for me,because I don't want to do the
same thing over and over again.

Each day is unique , is different, and that's why
we really like doing that.
Yeah, and the other memorable.

Obviously we did a ton of shoots my favorite.
Let me talk my story.
One of my favorite one was sogreat I was helping a buddy do a
live stream like a politicallive stream or whatever, and
it's so interesting, he had hiscrew, so I'd offer to do all of
it, which makes sense anyway.
Uh, he asked me to just be meand my gear, so I didn't have
any of the crew.
Right, it was my equipment, mesetting up, but it was his crew.

(40:21):
And then I guess, no, somebodydidn't show up or something like
that.
But I remember showing up atlocation, having mostly set up
and the live stream's about togo in an hour, hour and a half,
and him going hey, can you get acam up?
And you know you were, I think,the first call I made.
I knew I was like let me check,I know you have a job because
you know you were working withDaisy at the time and know

(40:49):
you're working with daisy at thetime.
And I was like let me, let meask mario first, because I knew
you, you you'd be on top of it.
Uh, because that's been myexperience, you know you're very
willing to do um, you know, bebe ready.
So I was like hey, mario, I'vegot this live stream.
Do you want to come be a cam op?
And you were like, uh, let mecheck.
I don't know if I can leave now30 minutes.
I was like that's perfect,you're gonna arrive in time,
I'll have everything ready.
And you showed up and youkilled it, obviously, and what's
amazing to me is the crew thathe had hired, uh, you know who

(41:12):
also was using my equipment,because I brought the equipment,
so they used that.
He came in, use the equipmentand then just left versus um,
you know you, which is notappropriate, I think, but um,
what's?

crazy to me is you came in we stayed.

We helped him break down, you helped me break
down.
And then I was like I think Icould see in his eyes he could
notice the difference betweenworking with good people.
Both of us stayed and helpedhim.
You know, pack up andeverything versus you know, the
other guy just left.

Like literally left, didn't even bother to.
Yeah, he's like, okay, we'redone, Okay.
I'm out of here.

Yeah, he disappeared yeah that's like the
best way to not get hired.
And I'm not saying, like youknow this is you going above and
beyond?
Obviously, because I broughtyou in, I would have done it
anyway.
I know Help, break down, butwhat I'm saying is you were

(42:05):
brought this, not just you, andobviously you're great, but
other people who've been onpodcasts would have done the
same thing you know, becausethat's what we do.

And that's why you want to work with these people,
with me, because you know thatwe go the extra mile.
Yeah, and we really want,because we are passionate about
doing the best content, yeah,the best quality, and at the end
of the day, everyone workstogether.

To me it's not that and you know, you think I
think same way, because youstayed, I stayed.
It's like it's not that big ofa deal if we can help him,
because you know he was byhimself to help him, help him,
you know, because he had some ofhis equipment in there too,
some of his camera.
So like, if he can come in,help him, you know, pack up,
make life easier, why wouldn'twe?
Plus, you know you help me too,obviously.
So I'm saying I don't know itdoesn't make sense, but that's

(42:55):
why I think again, I don't knowhow those other people find work
.
Uh, because I know I wouldn'twork with them as a producer.
Um, but, like I said, that wasincredible and I think you made
a great impression with my buddy.
You were like, oh yeah, that'show it should be, because I
didn't have to tell you, Ididn't say anything, you just
did it.
You know, like I did it Anyway,but that was great and I liked
that you were able to just hopon literally last minute, kill

(43:17):
it.

Yeah, I think you called me around on three and I
was there four.
Yeah, something like that.
Yeah, it wasn't that long.
Yeah, it wasn't that long, veryquick, yeah, yeah yeah, any
other okay.

So yeah, that was what I want to tell, but any
other stories that come to mind,or anything from any of the
shoots we've been on and which Ithink is quite a few, yeah, I
remember the other one that itwas also for well, I remember
okay.

So I remember the one for parody, also for the
anniversary.

I that was a good event.
And, funny enough, I wasn't eventhere.
You guys killed it.
No, I was somewhere else.
I don't think I don't know ifit's Nashville or something.
I was doing some other shoot.

I was doing a shoot in the United States, but
that one it was really cool.
I mean, the event was amazing,very well organized.

They supposedly spent a million dollars on two
nights.
Oh, my God.
So half a million dollar nightevent, which is crazy to think
about.
Obviously, I don't know if thisis accurate or not.
This is straight from client.

Yeah, but yeah, which looked like it.

I mean, they spared, no expense it was
amazing, I think I may have beenthe cheapest vendor there.
Oh my God, I need to up myprices it was amazing.

I think I may have been the cheapest vendor there.
Oh my god, I need to up myprices.

Yeah, next time, you know you know, but I had a
good crew there.
I think I had like nine peoplethere, because we provided iMac,
we provided a recap video andthen just recording general
recording of the event.
Either way, I think we I hadlike nine people, I think there,
if I'm not mistaken yeah, thingthere, if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we were a lot of people there.
Funny enough, I wasn't there,but but you guys killed it.
That's what I like, you knowbringing in people that you like
.
You know again no like, and youknow that can do the job even
if you're not there um, they cando a really good job.
Oh, and that's.
Oh, I remember that one becausethat's when I saw the edit from
from from the interviews oh yeswe?

(45:04):
I saw, yes, because they playedit over the screen, which is so
amazing.

And, by the way, people I think that company is
so good at marketing they knewit.
That's why they made us makethat video, because normally I'm
like 20, 30 minutes is a longtime and you need a captive
audience to do that.
And then they had the perfectthing they brought the people
there for the event and they fedthem good food and now they're
like watch you have to watchbecause you can't go.

(45:30):
Yeah, you can't, yeah, you can'tgo anywhere, you know, yeah,
and which is great, I mean atthe end because the idea of the
video is to build, you know,long-term relationship,
relationships and also promotethe company as in like they're
building relationships and stufflike that anyway, um, but a
bond right, yeah, a bond, yeah,connection.

Yeah, because you don't want just any customer.

You're saying, like our customers are the best
customers either way.
Uh, we built a video, butpeople have to watch it, and I
loved that, the way they tied itin, that it was like, hey,
we're gonna have this eventanyway, let's show this video
here, because now people, wehave a captive audience of two
nights.
They're gonna be forced towatch this 25 minute video and

(46:10):
at the end they were makingeveryone emotional and happy
anyway.
But, yeah, so it's sointeresting because I've, I had
seen it.
Obviously you had not seen thatvideo.
How'd you, how'd you like it tobe?
And that was a massive led wallthat they were playing it on.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, I wassure I said they were, we were
playing it.

I think it was a massive LED wall that they were
playing it on.
Yeah, I mean I was shooting.
I said they were, we wereplaying it.
I think it was.

Alex and I think Emmanuel were on the iMac.
Yeah, but yeah.

Yeah, I mean I was shooting like B-roll, but once
in a while I was like lookingand hearing, obviously, and it
was like you know, it felt likea short documentary from Netflix
.
Yeah, like about a company.
Yeah, and, funny enough, theirclients.
How fast we moved.

Only us knew how fast.
And that's why I tell peopleget and I've said this before
again like people get envious ofother people, like they look at
Instagram in two ways.
One they go, oh, this is sogood, or whatever, and then the
other way is, oh, I could havedone it better.
I'm like you don't know thecircumstance they were in, as in
like most people when they seethat video will have no idea

(47:14):
what that rush was that we justtalked about a little bit ago.
We walk in and it's like no,get B-roll, get interviews.
And then it's like go, go, like, go, pack up one location, pack
up one another location, packup another location.
We've got most 15, 20 minutesto set up.
So you don't know, I'm saying,what the shooting scenario and
the timeline looks like how itwas, yeah, but I'm so glad you

(47:34):
thought of that.

You know that it looked like netflix or whatever
it was.
It was amazing.
I love that video, um, but yeah, I mean, that's something that
also happens a lot, right, thatpeople only watch the final
result.
So, yeah, they, they don't know.
Well, we, like the guys, thepeople behind, go through yeah,

(47:58):
to achieve that like from fromfrom, I mean from planning the
shoot from from going and shootit and then all the go through.
Yeah, and also with the edit,like julie was a trooper and I,
just so you know it was wedidn't get done because we we
obviously did that.

See the other side of it that you don't know.
So we did that two-day shoot.
But then they want, whichabsolutely made sense, uh, they
wanted to get the family of themain guy you know of the owner
yeah, of the owner and the owner, and so we had to go back to
his home to get that, yeah, soyou uh.
So what I'm saying is we didn'tget all of that footage to like
a Tuesday or Wednesday and aweek or so later whenever.

(48:38):
And then the event was likeSaturday or whatever, right.
So we went, like Julie went,I'm saying three days nonstop
and you know I'm going to committhat.
I mean I'm going to do it.
So two or three of us, I say meJulie was a trooper, she did it
, she pulled that and rememberthat.
Say me, julie was a trooper,she did, she pulled that.
And remember that's hundreds ofhours of footage, hundreds of
hours, because that's like atleast what?

(48:58):
15 interviews, if not more 20interviews either way she did it
yeah she made that 25 minutevideo and and the rule was
everyone's footage has to beused, because you know we can't
record a client and then not usethat because you know again,
they're their clients, clientspoint is, and which is hard,
because when you're trying totell a story you can't be forced

(49:19):
to just use for anyway.
So the rule is somebody has tobe used a little bit everywhere
and I think she killed itbecause she she did it like I
think last time she went like 30hours or whatever, no sleep.
And and again you've seen thefootage.
I think it came out great it.

It came out so great.

It's the goal.
I think it's every singleperson working together at the
end to create something awesome.
And I think we all loved itmaking that, so that's awesome.
Plus, in general, I think thatevent, everyone killed it
Because, like I said, Iassembled some of my friends and
some of the people I trust whohelped me on other shoots and uh

(49:56):
to to make that event happen.
And uh, because I knew I wasn'tgoing to be there and I only
want people there that I knowwill execute without me, like I
don't have to even tell you guys, obviously I pre-planned
everything but and then, uh, youknow, but what I liked was
everyone just knew what theywere doing, because we even had
an interview station.
We had like B-roll stations butnot station.

(50:17):
But you know, you guys weredoing B-roll and they, plus you
had to do like big, hugeconfetti cannons and you know,
yeah, it was crazy, but you guysmade it happen, and you made it
happen on your own.
That's what's incredible to me.

For nine people to show up.
Yeah right, I rememberinterviews outside B-roll and we
were like, okay, go help theinterview and then you go to the
B-roll and then we swap, soyeah, but yeah, it was amazing.
I really like those types ofevents, obviously.

(50:50):
I mean, live events are alsodifferent from doing interviews.
Right, interviews is like yougo set up and then record, then
you go to another one and liveevents is like okay, let's,
let's see what's happening.
Right, okay, what can, what canbe cool, so you can include in

(51:11):
the video.
So that's that's amazing.

Also, that's really fun and, by the way, that
recap video came out amazing,so you can include in the video.

So that's amazing also, that's really fun and, by
the way, that recap video cameout amazing.
The clients said it was thebest video they had ever seen on
their company.
Again, I'm like we killed it.
Yeah, I remember you showed methat one also.

I love that one, yeah.
So we definitely killed it forthem and I'm so glad, I'm so
thankful to you and the rest ofthe crew that helped out on that
.

Thank you for believing in me.
And well, natalia was therealso and all the people that
were there to shoot.
I think to find the rightpeople to work is one of the
hardest things, but once youfind those people you can do

(51:54):
great things.
Yeah.

No absolutely, like I'm telling you, and to me
the biggest thing is even notonly the people that shoot, the
people that edit.
Like I said, it's very easiersaid than done to give somebody
you know like hours and hours oftens of hours of footage,

(52:18):
footage and in three days, fourdays, to make a 25 minute, you
know mini documentary where, uh,you know, you have to tell an
amazing story, um, you know, um,without revisions, because
again, we don't have time forrevisions, right, saturday's the
event.
So it's like, uh, you know, youcan't, most editors can't do
that and julie kind of pushedthrough and created something so
beautiful and I know you're agreat editor, so it's like I'm
saying, it's like everyone puttogether, you can't risk it, you

(52:40):
can't have you know something.

Everything has to come together.
Everyone has to do their best.

Yeah, for that to happen.

Same.

Thing with the recap video, like I said, it had
to be shot, it had to be edited.
I was like I had my vision, Itold everyone what my vision was
, but that was it.
Like everyone executed, it wasdone completely without me and
you guys again knocked it out.
Apart from the shooting to theimag, to the, to, like I said,
to the, to the edit, uh and andsharing that with the client and
it's so great.

(53:09):
I sometimes want to know like Iget so much praise.
I'm like no, it's the sure I doa lot of planning.
I did send everything prepared.
But what's crazy, though, is youknow, I didn't do that much you
know, and so the client's likeyou did it great, you know
you're the best, or whatever,and I'm like thank you, you know
I feel appreciated, but at thesame time it's like you know

(53:30):
there's all this people behindme.
You know I'm happy to call themfriends at this point, because
everyone there was yeah, that'swhat's been great.

Yeah, um, we build a really good community of
friends yeah, and nothing.
We work together.
So that's amazing.
That's awesome.

Yeah, no, we did a ton of projects together and
I'm just so happy.
But here's the crazy thing.
So I think the next I want totalk.
Not only did we do all thesecool projects last year, so
obviously I do corporate andcommercial filmmaking.
Everyone should know that bynow.
But obviously my love isfilmmaking and for years I've
been wanting to you know, make a, make a movie, because you know

(54:06):
I would love to.
It's just I don't want to makean indie movie, which is why I
don't do movies that often, asyou know we talked about earlier
yeah.

So I mean, and I mean you we know that indie
movies are really hard to makemoney.
Yeah, and they're hard to makemoney and it's hard to do.
It's hard to do and it's hardto make money.
Yeah, because you have to askfavors.

I don't like asking for people to work for
free, I don't like any of that.
And plus, you know, then theend result's terrible.
You have Film Cirque, you know,and then unless you can I mean,
obviously there's been greatindie movies- made Of course.
But anyway, my whole thing was,if I'm ever going to make a
movie, I want it to look like itbelongs.
Like you said, netflix I meanagain, it's Netflix is just one

(54:46):
of the platforms, but I don'twant anyone to go, oh good indie
movie or bad indie movie.
I just want them to go look atit and go, oh, great movie.
Hopefully they like it and belike oh, netflix or Max or
whatever spend a lot of money onthis and it's good, or oh, they
spend a lot of money on it andit's trash.
Either way, I want them to notknow that we made it with low or

(55:07):
no budget and which is veryhard to do, otherwise it'd be
done.
The advantage I have is, when Irun this successful production
company, I have over half amillion dollars of equipment.
I'm like might as well use it.
So, anyways, I've been.
I've been building the story inmy head.
I'm obviously not a writer, butfor years I wanted to.
You know some of the passionprojects like this.
I wanted to do this podcast.

(55:29):
We're finally doing it.
The other one was to make thismovie, but I want to make it in
my style, and so for years I wasthinking how can I make a movie
that will look good, that'lllook like it belongs, that'll
look not like an indie movie,but we can do it for a low, mid
to low to actually no let's sayno budget.
And it requires obviously acrew and of talented people.

(55:53):
And I think the final thing Iwas like oh what if we do it in
what I'm good at, which istalking head and b-roll, right,
but how do you make a fulllength and I'm not talking short
movie?
I don't want to make a shortmovie or a document, I'm saying
a full length, 100 minute movie,uh, with interviews and b-roll.
Now that's the hard task,because now you have to make it
interesting, because it's just abunch of people talking to a

(56:16):
camera for 100 minutes, maybewith some b-roll.
And so I had this idea in myhead.
So I worked on it.
You know, in my head justbuilding and building.
Now I needed someone to put iton paper, someone to understand
my vision, because, again, not awriter.
And that's where you come intoplay, because you're also a
writer.
So so I think I met with you Idon't think you came over either

(56:38):
at my old place and we sat down.

No, I think before that.

Yeah, go ahead.
Please tell it correctly.

Yeah, I remember, I remember Before that there was
a time like I was working, youwere doing your thing and we
said, hey, let's meet.
Okay, and that was the timethat Nat was working in downtown
Orlando in the library.

Yeah, yeah.
In the video production section, and so that's when okay, let's
go meet in downtown, and Iremember that we met um in
mecatos oh yeah remember yes,yeah, and I tried some of the
stuff I'd never tried and it wasthen that you started talking

(57:30):
about this idea, this idea rightyeah, because at that time I
knew obviously we gelledtogether, so I was looking for
people to you know collaborateexactly and that's when you uh
asked me hey, if you know awriter?

yeah like let me know that this is my idea and we
started talking about your idea.
Well, I mean, I like your idea.
I think it's.
It's a very cool idea to dowith interviews.
I know that you're great atthat.
Because we already have workeda lot, I know what you can do
right.

Well, thank you.

Yes, if I can't light and make good interviews,
then I don't know what I'm doingyes, no, but I mean, and plus
this one, by the way, these arenot even going to be yeah, not a
lot of people does that.
Uh, a good quality?
Yeah, and I do want people toknow.

I have a range of interviews, so a lot of time.
You know, um, obviously majorityof them are on the on the fx6
level, whatever, but then I do aton for high for my higher end
client, you know, interviewswith I'm saying those where we
have production designers and wewe build, you know decent sets,
and then we'll have um, um,like ari, alexa, minis and mini,

(58:40):
uh, mini, lfs and, uh, you know, signature primes or cook
lenses or something you knowhigher end stuff and, uh, big
lights, you know, uh, so, anyway, so, and that's what I wanted
to do, so, anyway.
So, when we're gonna do this,we're gonna do it at that level.
I don't want to do another fx6interview, so anyway.
So, yeah, that's the goal,obviously, that'll be what I'll
be doing.
But anyway, let's backtrackagain to where you were.

So and that's when I mean it occurred to me.
I mean, obviously we're working, I'm working with you for this
corporate work, but I mean Ireally love to write.
I think it's one of the thethings about film that I love
the most is writing and and wellbeing on being on sets, editing

(59:29):
.
But I think obviously I haven'tdone that a lot, because I know
writing is like one of the mostdifficult yes, things to do in
the industry, especially to dowell, yeah, so it's very
difficult If you want to just doit, chat GPT, but to do it well
to do it entertaining Because,remember, to keep audiences'
attention for 100 minutes, 90minutes, 100 minutes that's a

(59:53):
task.

You know Especially what we're trying to
do, because there's one thingwith a lot of moving action
drama.
You know, blah, blah, blahwe're trying to keep people's
attention for 100 minutes justlooking at people talking.
You know what you can do on adocumentary yeah people have
done it.
Obviously, if you watch, haveyou watched chimp cranes?

Mario Rangel (01:00:11):
chip chimp crazy team crazy, yeah, okay.

Vipul Bindra (01:00:14):
So that's the guy that made Tiger King.
It made another documentary, oh, another documentary, yeah,
about chimps.
You know that one.
I get it Because you knowthere's good documentaries,
obviously, where you can keepwatching, because the story is
so engaging you can just keepwatching interviews.
So what I'm saying is, whenwe're trying to make a movie
which is just interviews andB-roll, we have to have such an
engaging script in such anengaging plot that people just

(01:00:37):
want to listen, people just wantto know what happens next.

Right, yeah, um and yeah.
So that's the challenge of theof this break.

So I want to know if the first time I told you.
I think I don't.
Uh, do you remember if we metin person or over video when I
told you what the script was?

Well, it was there .
You told me a little bit.

Yeah, no, but when did I tell you the whole story?
The?

whole story, like with more detail, was once.
We said there like okay, let'swork together.
Yeah, let's write it together.

And what made you want to do that?
Just because you liked theinitial idea.

Because two things I like the idea, I like working
with you and I know what youcan do.
Okay, what you can do, uh.
So I think this is a reallygood opportunity okay to to do a
great narrative uh featureperfect, so obviously come over
right and tell you the wholestory right uh, I kind of

(01:01:33):
blurted out, remember.

This is just in my head.
There's no nothing on a pieceof paper.
Yeah, I've just been buildingand building, and building and
again, you know, I'm justlooking at it visually, right,
I'm not looking at it.
What the script will look likeanyway, and I've been trying to
build plots.
So you know again the goal Ihave to keep audiences attention

(01:01:55):
.

Things have to happen every five to beat,
something happens.

Yeah, exactly, it's like beat after beat after
beat, obviously following thetriple.
You know the typical arcs, uh,but more often we're not just
doing three arcs, we're not justdoing like, hey, here's an arc,
ends, another arc ends like atypical movie.
We have to do major arcs,obviously, but then there's
beats, because we understandaudience is going to get bored

(01:02:18):
listening to these people.

Like everything, something needs to be happening
every five minutes yeah, or 10minutes at most, even more than
in narrative film.

Yeah, um well, obviously, if it's more
commercial, more arty the beatsare more spaced out right yeah,
it depends, and also we aretrying to make it mass market.
We want to make a commercialmovie, not an art movie.

So that's also a challenge, right.
We want to do an idea that isreally not a commercial, but do
it really a commercial forstreaming, right?
So we have to have a reallygood beat uh, for, for, for, for
.
Like I mean people talking,yeah, exactly, that's.

(01:03:00):
That's a really so amazingchallenge.

No, absolutely said it great.
So now you listen to this.
Obviously, don't give peopleany spoilers.

They gotta watch the movie when it comes up yeah,
but but yeah surprise.

Yeah, so obviously , now you, I want to know your
perspective.
So you listened to the script,right, I blurted out everything.

I know you were taking notes and stuff, yeah,
yeah, so you have now listenedto this.

What are you thinking?
Because you knew a little bit,but you didn't know all the
twists and turns and all thatand obviously we still had to
develop all of it.
But point is, you listened toit.
What's your perspective?
What?

do you think initially and you think I was
too crazy, or what?
No, no, I mean the whole, thewhole.
Other way, I mean at thebeginning I was like I was
interested.
Okay, before that let's seewhat.
What was his idea?
And obviously I want to give achance because I like writing.
But once you told me with moredetail I was like, okay, yeah,

(01:04:01):
we can really make this happen.
Like I was even more sure thatthis is a great project and I
was very motivated to startwriting like right away.
So yeah, but when you listen toit.

Do you think people are going to be engaged?

enough.
What do you think about?

the full story from my crazy brain, from a
corporate filmmaker a fullcommercial entertaining movie
that's just people talking to acrazy story.

I mean I think it's a crazy story.
I mean I think it's a storythat's going to leave audience
very surprised A lot ofdifferent twists, okay, that
people will not see coming, andI think that's something that's

(01:04:57):
very difficult to do, like tocome up with an idea that is
going to surprise audience,because right now there's so
many movies, so many stories.
That is very even more now, Ithink, to have a script that's
going to surprise, that's goingto shock that's going to like
veer's going to shock.
That's going to like veer thenormal stories right that we can

(01:05:20):
watch.
So plus.

I like the twist at the end yeah, I wonder how
many people are gonna go watchthe movie eventually, whenever
it comes out and come back, andI'll listen to this and
understand what we're talkingabout yeah, so yeah.

Right now it's like what are they talking?

about hey look, if somebody, if somebody's
watching, please thank you.
But I mean you don't have to.

But you guys will know, they will know what we're
talking about once they see thefilm.
We're very excited and well,right now we are doing.
We're focusing on dialogue.

Yes, so you basically finished the script?
Yes, and I think we went arevision or two the structure.
Yeah, the structure, the beatsand I think we got most of the
way there and I think we bothagreed that it was good.
We're mostly there as far asthe story goes.
We just need to now refine itand we need to get the dialogue.
I want each person to sounddifferent and engaged Again

(01:06:16):
because, remember, our movie isjust people talking on camera.
I want people to be very clear,that's all.
It is right, but maybe someB-roll, obviously.
But I'm like we need to haveeach person be very good, like
we have to work extra hard thanpeople would on characters,
because they need to beauthentic, they need to be, you

(01:06:36):
know, uh, they need to talk likethem.
You know, they need to beindividuals.
Um, and so we brought in awriter, another writer, well, I
guess a dialogue writer, becauseyou wrote the script.
You know, I came up with themovie story you wrote, wrote it
for me, and now we've, at thisstage, we're working with
someone to fix our dialogue isthat the way you would say it?

yeah, uh, no, and I think more than that.
Okay, so let's go through it.
Uh well, uh, this writer is.
His name is will with will alby.
Um, he's one of my friends fromfull set and he from the
beginning.
He said I'm a writer, I'm awriter, I'm all right.
So he's fully focused onwriting.

Just writing.
Unlike us, he just wants to dothat.

He doesn't.
Obviously, throughout thestudies in Full Sail, he was on
sets and things like that, buthe didn't want to.
He wants to write.
I think that's his strong,strong, uh, strong skills is
writing.
Um, he has a way with wordsthat is so, so cool, so good for

(01:07:45):
for even more for for this, forthe story.
So that's when, well, we met,we, we met with him and we told
him the story.
You tell him your vision andand that was my thing.

I told him, uh, so I was like look, read the
script yeah that's easy.
Mario put all the story in thereand then I just kind of wanted
to give him my vision of eachcharacter because, like I said,
it's in my head.
I was like, let me, let me alsotell you.
You know how.
I told Mario, because, you know, mario is very great.
He has like a two-pager withevery character who they are,

(01:08:20):
their past, present, future.
It may not even in the story.
So I loved how you already hadfleshed out the characters, when
I was like, let me tell youwhat I think.
Let me tell you who thecharacter is inspired by and all
that.
And now you have all Marioio'sresources.
But now you have initially, youknow, me coming up with what I
was thinking when I came up withall that and, uh, I think then

(01:08:41):
I'd be basically like you guys,uh, I'd let you be like, do your
thing.
I mean I'm here with yourquestion so update me, I don't
even know because I'm like, look, what are you doing?
Obviously I want to make themovie now, but I don't want to
make it until it's ready.
It has to be ready to be madeand I want you guys to take as

(01:09:02):
much time as needed, because nopoint going to make it until
it's ready.

And I think you'll be amazed and I think you'll
feel that it's worth this timeof taking this time to really go
through the dialogue, to makeit as natural and real as
possible, because I think it'sturning out amazing.
So right now I'm working withWill.

(01:09:30):
Each week we are gettingtogether to go through new
dialogue.
Okay.
What we do is just go throughthis section of the story, for
example, let's do okay, thissection is the first two, three
beats.
Okay, let's go and go throughit.
Let's discuss the characters.

(01:09:52):
Okay, so the first meetingswere mostly let's see what the
characters are.
We know that we build thesecharacter profiles for each one.
But the great thing about thisis that Will has elevated that.

(01:10:14):
He's making that characterprofiles even better.

Look at that Okay, it's collaboration.

So that's amazing, amazing, amazing, and we are
coming up through the dialogueobviously to enhance that
character, motivation andcharacter background that feels
real, exactly exactly.
I can't wait to read it plus.

You know, what I'm more excited about is hopefully
, uh and again yeah alreadywriters meeting here.
But I'm like it'd be so cool,you know, if it's like you know
how, like a real documentary,real movie, when you know it
could just go back and forth,like you know where people are
saying contrasting things, Idon't know.
I like that in the idea thatyou know somebody's like this
happened and then the otherperson we just cut to and says

(01:11:00):
this happened, and then you'relike let the viewer believe let
them believe, right yeah becausethat's not our goal to tell you
or whatever.
But anyway, this that soundsawesome that you guys have been,
you know so and we like, wesaid uh, without giving any
information.

We just met today okay.
Like for another review ofrevision of the script.
And, yeah, I mean, it's turnedout amazing, you know, amazing.
We have the family, all thefamily, Like we.
You know when you have thecharacter, because you know, you

(01:11:43):
feel that they are real, thatyou're thinking about them and
you know how they are.
Yep, okay, we are at that point, like we know who they are
Makes me so happy.
So that's amazing, that point,like we know who they are okay,
so happy, so, so that's amazing,uh.
So, and now we know how everyonetalks, what they feel, what,
what are their fears?
Uh, their, their, their skills,their their good things, their

(01:12:07):
bad things, everything.
So, and that's making thescript so so much better.
Um, and we are even, we areeven talking how can we connect
all all of these characterprofiles?
Uh, for the, for the end, okaythat how these motivations are

(01:12:28):
going to connect at the end.
So I won't give it away.
Yeah, you'll.

You'll know I'm still looking forward to it and
this is this is live, guys, thisis exactly where we are at, and
but the the thing is, Icompletely trust you at this
point, mario, and that that youknow my vision and I'm pretty
sure obviously I haven't seenwill's work yet, but I think
once we had that call I was like, oh, I think he gets it, he
gets what I'm trying to do hegets it and that's the key.

(01:12:54):
You know people can.
Obviously great writers mayfail when they don't know what
the director, the producer, iswanting here.

I think you both both get it and you know why I
thought of him because Iremember he loved writing this
kind of stories like horrorcrime thrillers, yeah how would
you describe?

people are movies.
Is it what a thriller?
Like a crime thriller maybe?

no, it's what it won't even be a mockumentary
like a crime, docu-fiction,that's what?

okay, crime docu-fiction.
Okay cool, that's what I'mcalling, yeah maybe something in
general, I don't know, yeah,but maybe it exists who knows
yeah I know that thatdocu-fiction exists.

Yes, uh.
So yeah, crime fiction.

Look, that's what I'm here's my goal with this
movie simple as that a I wantedto make it like in a corporate
style which is so weird or adocumentary style, let's say
that.
But I wanted to look, um, I wantanyone to watch this movie.
Obviously this is an insideaudience, right, they'll know.
But I'm saying anyone whowatches the movie.
I don't have one ever want themto be able to say, oh, uh, was

(01:14:00):
this, uh, you know this movie,whether they like it, hopefully.
Obviously we want people tolike the movie.
But even if they don't like themovie, I want them to visually
look at, be like this is themost beautiful, looking, you
know, indie movie, ever type ofthing.
Like they shouldn't even knowit's an indie movie.
They'll be like, oh, netflixwasted a couple millions on it
or whatever right whicheversleeping platform that it ends
up on, if any at all point is, Ijust want it to be visually

(01:14:23):
good looking, and I think I knowwe're gonna make that happen,
and now we're trying to makesure with this writing and the
story that it actually is uh,it's going to be up there not
not only just visually but alsostory-wise, because the ultimate
goal is we want people to justget to the end.
I want people to see that end.

It's going to be mind-blowing and, I think, the
really great.
How can I say you can have theamazing visuals like you just
said but if the story is notthere, people are not going to
watch until the end.
And that's what we want.

We want people to go to the end because I feel
like we're gonna get and again,you can try.
It may not happen, but I thinkour movie has a chance of
getting viral marketing becauseI feel like our end is so cool
that people will go and telltheir friends be like did you
see that, yeah, you have towatch hopefully, hopefully
they'll spoil it.
Yeah, but they say, hey, gowatch till the end.
So, uh, but for us to have thateffect, we have to have people

(01:15:22):
the initial audience watch tillthe end, right, that's why we
have so many beats to keep itentertaining for people to go to
the end.
But, like I said, this is thebest team I could build.
So, yeah, and generally we do agood job right when we build a
team.
So I'm excited, obviously, oncewe feel like and that's what
I'm saying like we want to do itfast but we don't want to rush
yeah, so we want to once it'sfully ready, but but secure with

(01:15:44):
maintaining the quality, um.

So yeah, I'm so excited for this, I think it's a
passion project.

At the end of the day, our goal is nothing but to
make something awesome, but atat the same time, we are making
a commercial movie.
We are trying to make it massmarket.
Obviously, ideally, we'd liketo sell it to some kind of
streaming platform or somewhere,and for us to be able to do it
has to match the content thatthey're already producing, and
for us to do that with a zerodollar budget, I think that's

(01:16:12):
already going to be incredibleBecause, remember, this is just
a passion project.
There's no budget behind it.
Um, it's all the people that Iknow pulling their resources to
make it happen.
But I do believe in what we'redoing and I do think we can make
something that most peoplewon't be able to look at and go,
oh, this is just, you know,made at zero dollar or whatever

(01:16:33):
like this is made with no budget.
I want people to be able tolook at it and go, oh, you know,
they did a good job.
Like nothing about the budget.

You know, yeah, and I have a question for you.
Yeah, so we know that we wantthis, like this film, this
project, to be on Netflix or anyof these big platforms.

At least we're going to try.

That's what we are going to try, that's what we
are aiming.
So I don't know too much abouthow can people do that.
My question is what do you knowabout that mean, what have you
figured out?

or something like that my thing is let's first
make the movie that's my stylethen, then we'll figure it out,
but hopefully we'll have someonewatching.
Maybe they can help us ifthey're in distribution or
whatever.
But look, here's the truth.
There's so many people outthere, maybe even making great
content.
You know what we can do, yeah.

Yeah, Once, obviously once we have it's just
.
Yeah, they just occurred to me.
Once we have the final film,like maybe we can to all the
filmmakers in the film makingcommittee I don't know in
Florida.
Yeah.
Let's invite them to ascreening.

Yeah, that would be incredible Right.

And get their feedback, all the filmmakers in
florida at least, or, okay,let's start with orlando, yeah,
and then we can go where yeah,exactly, and let's go and they
can google watch it, and thenyeah, but but here's my thing.

Look like I'm gonna be a front here, like I've
been with everyone.
Uh, people all day, every day,want to sell their content to
netflix or penguin.
Uh to yeah you know, peacock orwhatever like.
There's so many streamingplatforms out there now, so
that's why I'm like I can'tpromise anything but here's what
we can promise, right.
If we make a mass market, uh,high quality and I'm not joking,

(01:18:29):
like you know I mean likeactually high quality, very good
scripted content that couldeasily be put on any streaming
platform and it would belong,right, then I don't think we
should have any trouble findinga buyer for it.
When we start looking to find abuyer, I think our goal is.
The good thing is, I don't wantany outside funding.

(01:18:49):
It would only matter, you know,if you were like, oh, we need
funding or whatever, right, orwe need to go take this to
someone.
My whole thing is I want this tobe my and our vision and I
don't want any compromises.
I don't want anyone coming inpre-production and production
telling me what to do.
Right, we're gonna go out thereand, plus, I know I can pull my
resources, I can get alexas, Ican get those, uh, anamorphic

(01:19:11):
lenses that I want to get.
Point Point is, I know and Ialready have all the other
equipment and the talent aroundme, so the thing is we don't
really need outside funding.
Maybe the actors, right, andwhich I think we're going to do
a good amount of time on findingthe right talent.

That's a really good, important thing.
Yeah, very important here,because the cast has to feel
really good.

But at the end of the day, what I'm saying is, if
you make good quality, highquality content that stands out,
it doesn't look like any otherindie movie, then if we can
stand with these big leaguesthat are you know, because I
don't want to make anotherHallmark movie either Point is,
if we make something really goodthat belongs, we can then
figure out the distribution.
Once we get there right, I'mnot as worried about it.

(01:19:57):
But at the end day, even if,let's say, hypothetically it
doesn't sell, I think peoplewill learn so much and we would
make such high quality contentthat it will be okay.
Obviously the goal isn't thatthe goal isn't to make something
just to just to go on youtubeor whatever.
But if you have to do that, Ithink you will, I think we'll be
fine.
Uh, obviously we're going totry and make it so high quality,
we'll try and screen it for allthe uh people in our community.

(01:20:20):
Maybe even some peoplelistening can come in and watch,
and but obviously I do wantpeople to know this is not art
house cinema.
We're not trying to make acritically acclaimed movie.
We are trying to make a massmarket movie with mass appeal
and uh, so it's not gonna.
You know like you can goobviously find flaws in the
story or whatever Like if youwant it to be realistic.
I'm saying we're not trying tobe realistic.

(01:20:41):
We're trying to make a, likeyou said, a crime, docu fiction
that people can watch and peoplecan be engaged for 90 to a
hundred minutes and then theycan watch our twist and be
shocked and go tell everyoneabout it and go tell everybody
To go watch it or whatever andwhatever.
Then they farm their own opinion.
We're kind of letting theviewer kind of farm their own

(01:21:02):
opinion and that's kind of whatwe're going for.
But yeah, I would love forother filmmakers to watch and
kind of shred hopefullycritically to pieces.
It's okay, it'll be fine.
That's what we're aiming forfor yeah, we're not trying to
make what do you call a highlylike indie and even the best
directors.

Yeah, they have that.
They have that, especially whenyou're trying to like look at
Michael Bay, I mean at the endof the day, his movies make so
much money at the box office,but they're not, they're action,
action.
Yeah, that's what it is.
Simple stories?
Yeah, it's not, uh, but it'sjust an aspect of a spectacle,
right?
And?

yeah, some people just want that.
You know, like, for example, Ilove, uh, my, um, you know
movies that I love watching thatare like you watch it as a
filmmaker, you watch it for likean art house movie, but then at
the same time, you know I'm oneof those filmmakers I will
happily sit down when I'm havinga bad day or not having a good
time watching an Adam Sandlermovie, I don't care, it makes no

(01:21:58):
sense.
You have to obviously turn yourlogical brain off but, they're
fun yeah exactly, man, they'refun, they're engaging, I mean
they're making Happy.
Gilmore 2, come on.

I want to watch that.

Yeah, exactly, I'll go watch it, yeah that's
what I'm saying and andobviously I'm already expecting
like I'm not going to sit thereand say this is going to be
uncut gem or whatever rightUncut gems.
But this is what I'm saying isthere's place for all, like we
all sat and watched Tiger King,right, it was so stupid and
crazy, but we all did, andthat's what I'm saying.

(01:22:30):
There's place for, I think, alltypes of there's a market for
everything.
Yeah, especially when you'retrying to make mass market.
We want to appeal to majoraudiences, not film critics, you
know, but at the same time, wewant it to visually look very
great, we want it to be a veryengaging story and I just can't
wait.
I just can't wait for us tofinish start shooting it.
Obviously do you have atimeline.

(01:22:50):
Obviously, again, not to rushyou guys what?
Do you think when do you thinkwe'll have a script done again?

I'm not going to hold you to it being realistic
maybe just give weeks, likedon't give exact dates yeah,
yeah, maybe between six eightweeks, that's not bad.
Okay, I think we'll be therearound that time so, but I'm

(01:23:18):
going to send you a revisionnext week okay, that's pretty
good because we wanted to haveat least at least like 30 pages
yeah, so I can yeah so you cango through and get the feel for
it to get a really good feel ofwhat we are doing.
Because maybe 10 pages ago, okay, but so that's what we're doing

(01:23:38):
now.
We're doing now and then afterthat.
Now, once you get the feel,then another version will will
go maybe at one like one onehour script, I will go for a
second.

Uh no, I like that , I definitely like that and
that ways.
You guys can be sure you know Ilike it.
But to be real, I think at thispoint I kind of trust you guys.
I was already happy, kind of,with the script.
I think we just needed to fleshout the beats with the dialogue
.
And you know editing betweenthe dialogue essentially, um,
point is to kiss, just keep it.
You know engaging, keep theaudience.
You know editing between thedialogue essentially, point is
to just keep it, you knowengaging, keep the audience, you
know engaged.
But no, I'm excited about it.
Look at that live.
We're doing this on thispodcast.

(01:24:18):
Because genuinely I haven't seenit since you guys started
working together, you and Will.
But you know that's what I'msaying.
Like you don't have to juststick yourself to corporate
filmmaking, like not sayingthere is anything bad about it.
I love corporate filmmaking.
The project with parody that wewere talking about earlier, uh,
in the in this podcast uh, thatwas pretty much a mini

(01:24:39):
documentary.
So you can do enough creativeprojects just with this, but
nothing stops you from stillgoing out there doing corporate
making money and, on the side,pursuing your passion projects
right I mean you don't have tokill the filmmaker inside
exactly

exactly and that I think, like the people that
we're close to, everybody wants,wants to pursue that, like we
want to do this type of work.
Um, because obviously we wehave to have money, so later we
can also do this type of jobthat are more like about our

(01:25:18):
passion, like filmmaking.
So yeah and they.
I think they go hand to handbecause without another you can
not do the other one.

So plus, you know, as I listen to more and more
and maybe that's why I need toget an indie movie filmmaker up
here, so they can explain theirstruggles because every time I
talk to somebody who loves andis passionate about making indie
movies, the horror stories theytell me and that's not the
movie script the horror storiesthey tell me of sets and uh yeah
yeah, on set, the experiencesthey've had, you know, and then

(01:25:47):
on top of that they're notgetting paid.

Uh, you know, it's just horror and I'm like I I
can't imagine people are willingto put like they, they say like
how they were treated, or orthe requirements they were
supposed to be being paid and no, no, no, the pay is very little
anyway.

Yeah, yeah, yeah and if anything, because I'm
saying you know they'reexploitative in a way, but you
know, and again, these are otherpassionate filmmakers trying to
make passion projects.

Point is it's like somebody always have to
compromise, yeah and and theexperience I'm saying is
horrible for most people onindie movies.

so, um point is it's not, uh, you know this,
this loved uh thing, you knowyou get into it because you love
it and then you're like, uh, Ican't make money off of this.
This is a reasonable amount ofmoney to survive in Orlando.
You have to, you know.
Then deal with the DPs ordirectors who are rude to you or

(01:26:43):
whatever Point is, the storiesthat, at least I've heard, make
it sound like something Iwouldn't want to do, and that's
my goal with this movie was justto, you know, make something
where everyone's proud of it.
Everyone can speak up, everyonewill be respected and we'll all
be proud of something to showLike you know you won't be.
Oh like, no, it's just an indieLike.

(01:27:06):
I don't want anyone to evenhave to say, oh, what they show,
like, look, this is what I canmake, right, and it should be so
high quality that people shouldhave no or just look like
anything that, like I said, thatbelongs on any uh, nice, fancy
documentary or narrative movie.
There's nobody should um, whatdo you call?
Uh, you know, feel embarrassedor whatever, or have that story.

(01:27:29):
uh, you know where they weremistreated on the set or
whatever, or removes that storyyou know where they were
mistreated on the set orwhatever or removes their
passion of making indie moviesor something like that anyway,
that's great.

I think that's really something that is hard to
find or that happens a lot,even mostly a lot in indie
movies, because, like you said,the pay is not good, maybe the
treatment is not that great.
There's a lot of issues right,People that are not as

(01:27:58):
experienced, right, so a lot oferrors.
But yeah, I think it's greatthat you want to do this in the
project, but as high quality aspossible for the project itself,
but also for the people working.

Yeah, because I just want to be with my friends
and make something cool, youknow, some cool shit, I mean at
the end of the day right, and Ithink we're going to achieve
that.
I've already talked to enoughpeople that I know and they've
all shown interest.
Especially, remember theyhaven't even seen the script
once or know the script.
This, the, what do you call?
Nobody knows the twist endingbut you and me, and maybe now
will.
Now, uh, maybe nat.

(01:28:35):
Have you told nat?
no, no, and even that doesn'tknow, look at that so I want
everyone especially i'm- sayingwhen people get involved, which
is great, I want a lot of peopleto.
Um, you know, and julie doesn'tknow either so I'm saying I
want a lot of people to actuallyget that shock.

That surprise?
Yeah, because that's also whenwe show them these people,
because, yeah, people obviously,well, people close to us can
have bias right, but I think weknow that people close to us are
also people in the industry.

(01:29:11):
Yeah, that people close to usare also people in the industry,
so they know and they will begiving a really good experience
of how is the movie exactly and,plus, you know, we can screen
it, we can do a focus test andall that.

But the main thing being is what I'm saying, like
I'm excited to actually shareall the crew, that I want to
have the actual script with themCause, you know, they'll have
to know, obviously, to be ableto film it.
They'll know the twist, whichkind of sucks.
But point is, I'm reallyexcited.
I have a very good feeling thatso many people that have been
on this podcast, or other peoplethat have approached, will want

(01:29:43):
to be part of it once they readthe script and they kind of
actually see the vision that youand I have been seeing for a
while now.
Um, so I can't wait to justshare, bring in the crew, uh,
read them the script, let themsee it, because, uh, I think
once they hear it and once theythey, you know, they know the
beats and the twists andeverything I think they're going
to be even more excited moreexcited to work?

yeah, for sure.
Um I, yeah, I'm so excited.
Let's go fast, but safe.
Yeah.
So, yeah, let's keep working.
I'm excited also to see therewrite for the script.

If you don't like the visuals, you blame me.

If you don't like the script, you blame mine.

Yeah, you know who's the guilty one yeah no,
you know who's the who's theguilty.
Yeah, no, uh.
So anyway, let's jump, uh uh,to the other side.

So obviously now you're, you're going very soon
independent.
Yes, uh, back to freelance life.

Freelance fully fully full-time all into it, and
I'm sure a lot of people, uhlistening, want to do that.
Um, are you excited?
Have you made a strategy?
Or maybe not yet?

It's too soon.
I don't have anything planned,really.
What I want to focus on rightnow is to get to know more
people like in in the in theindustry for freelance corporate
work.

(01:31:18):
I do want to focus on thatbecause I think that's the thing
that can attract like, like,and I can earn more money, yeah,
um, with those type of jobs, um.
So, yeah, that's what I want todo, and what I wanted to ask
you is like, how was yourexperience doing business
productions or building yourcompany?

Really fun.
I mean in one way.
Obviously there's lots ofchallenges, you know.

Yeah.

You know things weren't easy.
There was a lot of sleeplessnights.
There was a lot of, you know.

How many years have've been doing so?

uh, the company, I think, started september 2018,
so that's six years yeah, sixand a half years now so
basically, um, you know,obviously, like I said I, I had
been doing freelance videobefore before that yes, so I
can't end plus.
I was, I'm obsessed with theindustry so I knew about

(01:32:12):
everything that could be known.
I've been on enough sets, uh.
But the goal was just toelevate, you know, corporate and
commercial video productionwithin certain budgets.
Right, I was aiming for 50k andunder at the time and, um, you
know, was to just come in,elevate it, get people success.
And I found huge success,obviously immediately.

(01:32:33):
You know, closing, startingwith I think it was 1K, 4k same
day, then it was like 7K, then10K, like within, I'm saying,
three days, three days.
Yeah, and the seven was likethree, four times.
Point is it was a huge amountof sales.
And then you know becauseinitially you go okay.

And where did you get those clients?

So I talked about this on our previous podcast.
But basically a buddy of minewas like, hey, I have a buddy
who wants to make a movietrailer and he'll give you, you
know.
And I was like, look, athousand bucks minimum, that's
my start.
And said, okay, I can set upthe meeting then for a movie
trailer.
Yeah, but remember this is ahalf-day shoot, it's not much

(01:33:19):
much of a real movie trailer Iwant you to know, this is
somebody's passionate about itand they had a something they
wanted to do a one page orwhatever and I was like I can do
it.
Then, uh, a minute, minute anda half, and then on the other
side, we had set up a meetingthrough the same friend, like at
a college, at a university, andthen I had another meeting set
up with another local businessfor the next day.

(01:33:41):
Then I had a meeting set withanother service-based business
the following the same day.
So basically it was just goingto a meeting, simple, the first
one.
Obviously I was in thatinterest.
I was like thousand bucks.
And they were like sure, makemy trailer, here's a thousand
bucks, straight up.
And I was like, obviously yougot to pay me up front, sign the
contract, because you know Iwasn't that intrigued by that,
but it's so funny I started likethousand bucks immediately then

(01:34:03):
I was aconfident and when the next one,
they were like look, we want toget this testimonial done.
This company in the US charges5K.
We want it done for 3K.
And I was like, look, 3k is toolow.
You know again just throwingnumbers.
I was like, how about 4K?
And they're like, let me thinkabout it.
I walked outside 30 seconds.
They gave the call, said let'sdo it.
I was like all right, you'regoing to sign my contract,

(01:34:35):
you're going to meeting.
I was like okay, I can help you.
10 grand again.
I'm trying to distill it veryquickly, but it wasn't that easy
, but you know what I mean.
And I was like, oh, okay, 10k.
Obviously I'm also diagnosingtheir problem, I'm helping them.
This isn't just me arbitrarilythrowing numbers out, but at
that time, at least in my brain,I was like I'm gonna walk away
with 10k, right, right, that'sjust a goal.
So I go in.
I'm like, okay, I want 10K.
And he goes okay, let's do it.
The wife goes, oh, let me thinkabout it.

(01:34:56):
I was like no, no, no, you gotto, let's do it now.
And then he goes yeah, let'sstart to think about it.
Give him the check, took thefive-day check.
The wife decided and that'sbeen decided.
My wife was just anyway, no,but obviously we did good work,
for the point is walked out.
Then another now I'm like, okay, now I'm gonna go to 15k.
Remember, this is day two, thisisn't like months of planning.

(01:35:18):
I'm like, okay, now I want todo 15k.
So I I presented the project,this one again, little arbitrary
, I don't like it, but I alreadyhad a plan.
So I was like look, here's thepackage.
It's going to be 15k, it'sgoing to be this many videos or
this whatever, and they werelike let me think about it same
thing.
They were like okay, let's doit all right.
$7,500 immediate paymentpointed.
So I sold like 30 grand orwhatever and just projects.

(01:35:40):
Uh, first, three, four days andI was like holy crap this is
this is great, uh, you know.
So that's basically how itstarted.
And then, obviously, you know Ihad to learn everything.
That's what I said there, thatthe opposite side of this.

I immediately had to learn and you already have
the equipment.
Yeah, yeah.

So yeah, I'm redoing so I had a gh4 and a
gh5s at the time from freelancework, and then some lights, some
hot lights, and then Iimmediately went out and bought
um.
So I used that for thetestimonial, I think.
And then I immediately went outand bought c200, one uh and
then three more uh very soonbecause I didn't shoot a

(01:36:17):
testimony, a brand video for3500 and I was like, oh, I don't
like that, they don't match.
So I bought like three more andthen I bought an aperture, I
think 120d mark ii.
They had like three light kitabout that um and uh.
But I had most of the stuff.
I had wireless mics, I had labs, I had boom mics, the mkh416
that everyone buys.
Then I went out, you know,slowly started acquiring very

(01:36:38):
higher quality stuff like chefsand dpa and stuff like that.
But yeah, I was nevercompromising on equipment.
That was my whole thing.
I'm gonna make the movie thequality and the type of sets I
want to be on right.
That was the whole point ofbeing a production company.
I'm like no, I'm showing up witha crew, it's not me anymore,
right, and uh, I think this setme apart, um, because, like I
said, most people were not doingthat you know from from, at

(01:37:02):
that time at least, and plus, Iwas actually genuinely offer
them real advice.
So the part that I take outright now is I was genuinely
like trying to figure out inthese interviews, like what do
you need, why do you need it,where are you going to share
with it, who?

so I was genuinely invested in helping them right
interested in in solving theproblem right and then, uh, and
then the.

Obviously the other thing I did was I had all
these marketing agencies that Iworked with in the past.
So I reached out to them.
I was like, hey, I'm doingvideo production now.
We've got an audio engineer,we've got, you know, other
people in the team, we've goteditors or whatever you know.
Plus, I had a cousin in Indiawho does animation.
So I reached out to him.
I was like we can do animatedvideos immediately.
So, you know, it was kind oflike just reaching out to every

(01:37:43):
resource that I had and just youknow, and just doing it and,
like I said, a local productioncompany that I reached out to
didn't get any response of.
At first I wanted mentorship,but then I was, like you know, f
it.
Like you know, I can only do somuch.
I just went, I went for it and,like I said, it just kept
working, kept working, keptgrowing up, um and um.
Yeah, there was no juststopping it, but, like I do want

(01:38:05):
people to know the other sideof it, there was a lot of
sleepless night, there was a lotof learning how to um, like a
lot of problems.
Like you said, first time thecameras didn't match, so
figuring out time code.
Then it was like, oh, the twocameras first I meant like match
by like they didn't syncproperly.
I've always done multi-cam withthe production company.
The second one was like, oh,the a and b match, okay, so I

(01:38:26):
gotta freaking invest in anotheryou you know, expensive camera.
But mainly I think it was assoon as every time I encountered
a problem I would go solve itand I think that has kind of, at
this point, made my company soresilient, like, as you see,
with just something with data,like I'm like going two cards
always simultaneous to veryexpensive cards, to multiple

(01:38:48):
drives, to servers, to you, youknow, uh, online, like my
clients deserve this.
You know this, what you calltrust and that's with everything
.
This is one thing.
Same thing with cameras Ialways bring backup cameras.
I bring extra cameras plus, Ibring backup cameras for those.
So it's just kind of like thatthat that's just been my style.
I'm just crazy, uh again so youdon't have to do as I do

(01:39:12):
obviously there's more efficientways to do it.
I'm always like uh, you know,there's other people like me in
your town, owner operators, justhire them.
You're way better off, becauseequipment changes.
You know you're better offrenting, you know, uh, from
other people or bringing them on.
Be like hey, look, I'll pay youthis much.
Um, you know, bring all yourequipment, or whatever, because
you're you're.
You.

You know the equipment's gonna age, the
lighting is gonna age like lookat aperture, so I have tons of
everything, like everyone, likethe knowledge you watch, like,
for, yeah, they're changingeverything, blair, so everything
I have is gonna be old, so I'mgonna have to start switching
those out.

So I'm saying the, the, unless you're using a ton,
uh, the roi, isn't there aninvesting gear?
the only gear that is worth itbuying and that's.
But again, it only makes senseto buy that gear too is if
you're an audio guy.
Microphones don't age.
Their prices don't go downbecause the same mkh416 is still
popular, same mkh50 is stillpopular.

(01:40:08):
These mics have been out fordecades.
But outside and that too onlythese microphones, wireless and
headphones goes out of style too.
Point I'm trying to say is mostgear in video production, um,
is not worth investing.
You should have a bare minimumkit as a dp or as a freelance
video, and then anything else.
I think my advice is just youshould be renting it, because

(01:40:31):
then you can easily put that offon somebody else and there's
usually owner operators, unlessyou're trying to be owner
operator, which is fine, uh butmost owner operators.
So like me, like I own all myequipment right, I'm an owner
operator okay yeah, but I havemore than just uh, some one
camera package like I'm not justa DP, I'm a whole production

(01:40:52):
company.
I've got, obviously, a grip vanout there with two tons of grip
electric, pretty much everyaperture, light and the camera
cards, camera sound, shep sound,Sennheiser sound.
So you know what I mean.
I have everything.
So you're way way better offrenting from and then it's not
just me.
If you go to some other townsthere'll always be somebody like
that.
You're better off renting fromthem.

(01:41:13):
Because now you're passing off.
Sure, that's a cost, but it's acost of doing business that you
can write off, that you canalso pass on to the client.

Exactly, and then?

now.
Yeah, exactly, and then you canalso.
Plus, owner operators arewilling to work.
See what happens is if you go tomy share grid, for example,
I'll say the rate is the rateshare grid's gonna take their,
take my rate is the rate you endup paying more versus you get
the item.
So, like you say, I want torent uh, I don't know a nova,
right, let's say a lightaperture nova.

(01:41:43):
I'm gonna give you the light.
I'm gonna say, go right, but ifyou hire me and I bring my
novas, I'm going to bring bunchand bunch of accessories that go
with those to be able to tiltthem to be able to yeah because
I have.
I've actually used it on set andI know what I need to light to
make it work for how I want itto work.
So the point I'm trying to makeis when an owner operator comes

(01:42:04):
and, unlike a rental house,they bring everything because
they use it, they know what itneeds and you get more out of it
, just like my fx6.
I'm not gonna bring just thefx6, I'm gonna bring these one
terabyte cards, these lenses,the matte boxes, the filtration,
the batteries, um, you know,extra cables, monitor, wireless
transmitter.

(01:42:25):
There's a lot more than just ifyou say I want to rent your fx6
, then there you go, you knowyou get the body and you got to
figure out.
The rest Point is there's a lotmore to it and I'm saying that
it generally makes more sense.
And the good thing is, if you'renot getting those higher
project price projects, you'renot going out and selling a 6K,
8k, 10k project, then you havezero cost Because you never

(01:42:48):
invested anything in it.
That's what I'm saying Do asthen you have zero cost because
you never invested anything init.
That's something.
Do as I say, not as I do,because in my opinion that's way
way more lucrative, because ifI start to break down my costs
every month.
They're, they're absurd.
Obviously we do a huge amountof business does it make sense?
yeah, it doesn't make any senseis what I'm saying, especially
on a corporate commercial world.
Unless, like I say, you'retrying to be an owner operator,
you want to do a huge amount ofwork.

It makes way more sense just to rent it, just to
go rent it, yeah, or just hireowner-operators and what's your
biggest I couldn't say yourbiggest cost with your company,
like you said, like each month,right?

(01:43:32):
Yeah, you have some.
What was your most costly?

Well, the most costly thing is people always.
Yeah, people, and then alsoequipment.
And then there's other costs,you know, like taxes, and
there's freaking 10 differenttaxes that you have to pay.
As a company, yeah.
Plus rents.
You know, the companies ownmultiple storage units which
we're trying to consolidate now.

(01:43:56):
Right.
Now the company owns vans, it'sthe van payment that you have
to pay.
There's also a rent for nowthis location.
The company has to pay.
That's new.

What else the rent of this space?

Yeah, this space is new for the company uh, that
was but also our office.
So I have a main office in themillennia area.
That costs money, um, soeverything, you know everything,
uh, like that, but mainlyobviously it's all these people.
But, um, the way I like to doit is I have my editing staff,
which is my constant cost, butthen the um, the shooting cost
varies.

(01:44:30):
So, um, you know, if it's localin florida or maybe even
atlanta, I like to hire from mynetwork where I can use my
equipment, my van, obviously.
If it's um, uh, you know, outof state sometimes, you know, if
the budget is there I'll fly,but otherwise I'm also doing the
same thing I'm hiring owneroperators there.
Otherwise, if I don't have thebudget or I have the time to go

(01:44:52):
there, um, I'm gonna basicallyhire locals there um to go make
manage oh, you don't go yeah,sometimes sometimes it varies,
yeah, and sometimes I don't know, you don't go, and then you
hire somebody from there to goand yeah, and, and I'll,
generally somebody you alreadyknow yeah that, or if it's a new
market, I have to find someowner operators you have to,
then you know, vet them, youhave to make sure, um, and

(01:45:14):
that's what I'm saying, that'swhy I like owner operators,
because I don't want it to belike oh, I'm a dp with this
camera package, well, if yourcamera package breaks right or
I'm hiring three differentpeople because that's the crew
one of them calls out, I preferpersonally to hire owner
operators.
The the advantage is I'm likeokay, you, plus it's going to be
a three-person crew, right?
So most owner operators arelike me.

(01:45:35):
If you call out, right, let'ssay you got sick or whatever, I
can go dial quickly and getpeople on the set right.
So that's an advantage.
Plus, I have my own equipment,so I generally have backups of
everything you know, like onlive streaming when we go.
Everything I bring a backup ofthat could possibly fail Again.

(01:45:58):
Anything and everything thatcan go wrong will go along
during live.
So that's what I'm thinking onour operator.
But versus, if I just startedrenting equipment, it may not
come with backups, right.
So does that make sense?

Yeah.
So, that's what.

I like to do?
I just push the liability Again.
That's all we were trying to do.
Push the liability on someoneelse but at the same time
they're interacting with myclient and I don't want to also
ruin the my relationship.
When they're working with me.
They're representing my clients.
So when somebody hires me indirect let's say a filmmaker,

(01:46:32):
for example adam was on here I'mrepresenting him.
So I'm always out there lookingfor him because I know I don't
want to be um, you know, becausewhatever I do is not going to
now look bad on me, it's goingto look bad on him, if that
makes sense.
And that's the samerelationship I expect from
people I hire, right likethey're going to go out there
they're representing you andyour company yeah, so.
So that's basically the biggestcost.

(01:46:52):
I would say it's always goingto be people and it's going to
be equipment.
Sometimes you can merge the two, like I said, by hiring owner
operators, or you can do itdifferently.
There's so many different waysof doing this.
I've seen it always.
I've seen it people wherethey'll hire employees and do it
Right.
I've seen it where they're likewith me, like it's freelance

(01:47:13):
based.
Sometimes it's a balance ofboth, right?
I guess it varies because it'svery hard to find consistency.
Is what I'm saying?
Like even with me, I'm doing somany various things.
One day I'm doing um dp workfor a friend, right?

and it could be only a couple thousand.

Then the other day I'm doing a thirty thousand
dollar commercial right.
Then I'm going on a corporateinterview set for like 8k.
You know what I mean.
It's so varied, yeah so verydone.

Yeah, how much can you make from project to
project?

like what do you mean money?

like money wise, the difference of like you said,
like you go to one that paysjust 2K but, then the next day
you go to another party for thesame amount of time right, well,
it depends, yeah, or similaryeah.
So you're earning like 10 timesmore.

(01:48:07):
Yes, so I think the best way isto scale.

That's a very good question, though, mario, I
think you're the first one toask me that the biggest way to
scale is to know that you're oneperson and is to bring in other
people.
So the best way I'll give youan example I scale is by doing
multiple things at once, so Iwill be on one set doing one
project.
Right, let's say you call me.

(01:48:30):
I'm just making hypothetical.
You're like come help me withripple, so I'm coming out there
and I'm charging you, I don'tknow, 1500, 2000, whatever,
whatever the rate is like comeout to help out just, yeah, you
know, and you get the advantageyou don't have to buy that
equipment, I'll bring theequipment or whatever right.
And then on the other side samesay like it's a half day shoot,
then I can go the later half behelping another friend.

(01:48:50):
Then on the other side I haveanother shoot going on.
Let's say in New York that I'vehired an owner-operator to.
So essentially most of the timeI have two, three things going
on at once.
Is what I'm saying.
Like three breaks At once.
I'm saying, sometimes on thesame day, like the project we
talked about earlier, I wasdoing another project in
Nashville while the nine of youwere here there, plus I had

(01:49:13):
multiple rentals out, and then Ihad another project I was doing
pre-production on at the sametime.
Right, you have to be doing.
What I'm saying is you're doingthree, four, sometimes five
things at once.
That's how you scale, if youwant to scale and how.
Because if you're doing onething at a time, you have a
limit.

You have only 365 days.
How can you manage all those atthe same?

time exactly no sleep, that's that's what I'm
saying.

Yeah, don't go crazy as me, but I'm also
obsessed don't go crazy as you.

Good advice, I mean the good thing is um, uh,
yeah, like I said, we're friends, you came to my home for
thanksgiving.
You see that I spend time withthe family right, I pay
attention to my family.
It's not I'm not working allthe time but, to be real, that's
what it takes.
At least what I'm doing may notbe the healthiest thing.
I'm.
I'm trying to spend good timewith my family, but the rest of
them I'm working.
I am uh, I'm all the timeworking I mean 3 am I'm working.

(01:50:09):
2 pm.
I'm working.
The good thing is I don't findit work, because I enjoy it
anyway.
You know, as you've seen, likeif you come and talk to me, I'm
available, right, I can managemy schedule.
I'm like oh hey, mario, what'sup, right, and we talk, but then
you go, I'm back to work.

Yeah, so yeah, and I I know that you, that you
like, you like, uh doing that,but have you thought sometimes
like it's too stressful.
I need like somebody to do thisfor me.

Yes, absolutely, and that's what you know, or you
just?

go okay, let's go through it and you don't think
about it.
No, I mean, currently I enjoyit.

Automatic.
I do delegate.
Like I said, I don't do thisjust by myself.
The only way I can do three,four shoots, sometimes in a day,
is because I hire incrediblepeople.
And then I'll hire you and otherpeople, and you know it's all
about balance.
Obviously, I can't do it all bymyself, so I do.
I'm just saying my people costis the number one cost and

(01:51:11):
that's okay.
That's what I'm saying.
I'm all about collaborating,meeting other people.
It's not just me but, yes,logistically I have an assistant
, obviously for emails and stuff.
But at the end of the day it'sme Like I have to discuss and
edit after this.
I have to discuss and edit withJulie and then I have to pack
and like literally three hours Ihave to be to the airport.

So I'm going to get any sleep tonight?

No, no at all, no Right.
And then I have to fly all theway to West Coast.
So that's just part of what wedo.
That's just the truth.
And I bet you, when I go there,you know I'm all thinking, oh,
I'm going to go to the hotel andI'm going to sleep, but watch
me Probably going to end up aclient's going to want to meet
or have lunch or whatever.
But the point is it's achallenge.

(01:51:54):
Yes, it's not easy, but if youlove this and you feel
passionate about it, you know itdoesn't feel like work.
The other thing I want to say isyou don't have to scale this
much.
There is other ways and I wantto bring a few other people that
have scaled differently, wherethey have automated, and hired
people where they don't do asmuch.
But my obsession also is I wantto do different types of things

(01:52:15):
.
I couldn't just do one type ofvideo.
So the better way to findsuccess in video production, in
corporate video production, isto niche down.
Like my offer is, I help, notmine.
I'm just saying hypotheticallyIf your offer is, I help lawyers
which make you know, which helppeople in the 30 to 50k range,
whatever, like, once you nichedown, you have an easier offer

(01:52:38):
right, so you can automate that.
You can find clients, you canautomate the content, but you
don't do that I would get bored.
Yeah, no, I my problem isdifferent breaks.
Yeah I, I would lose my mind.
So, yes, I do do the same thingeither live stream or I go make
commercials or I make, you know, interviews in b-roll.
I do want to narrow downtechnically, I don't do that

(01:52:59):
much, however.
Or conferences, I guess eventsshoot some kind of, but
everything's different right.
One day we're at a conferenceof freaking screws and the next
year conference for I don't knowyarn, you know.
I mean, it's so random and sodifferent that it makes it
engaging.
And then every interview isdifferent.
People you're meeting.
You hear their stories, youknow some could be emotional,

(01:53:20):
some could be funny.
Um point is I like to and that'swhy I like to, work in
different industries.
Uh, same thing.
And I love the challenge oflive streaming over live action
and being able to maximizeclients budgets and figuring out
how to do that point is I liketo.
I like the challenge whichmakes it harder, um to to

(01:53:41):
automate things, because it'sall so different it's, and I
love that.
I love not getting bored,because if I got bored it would
be just a job and I couldn't doit at least my personality
doesn't gel well and I have aquestion.

So what do you think is the next step for your
production?
Like you want to scale more, oryou, I think.
What are the next steps?
No, I think.

I want to do, which is so crazy.
That's why I'm like doing this,I don't know.
No, I mean no, for me it's this, uh, to be real.
At this point I'm happy.
2024 was an incredible year andfor years was your best year.

Yeah, uh, yeah, oh , definitely 2024 was the best
year.

I was also for years saying things like hey, I
want to have a dedicated space,I want to have a dedicated space
, I want to have a dedicated van, like I've talked about,
finally was able to finish it,like I said, literally finished
2024 with finished dedicated,you know, production man, uh,
group man, dedicated space tojust come hang out with people
and be able to record these.
Then other thing was I wantedto share because you know, once

(01:54:47):
you get to your revenue goals,you're like what's next.
I wanted to make this podcast.
I wanted to share because youknow, once you get to your
revenue goals, you're likewhat's next.
I wanted to make this podcast.
I wanted to share these amazingconversations that I have with
people and I want to make thepodcast that I want to listen to
.
You know, when I'm traveling,literally like I'm on a plane
and I have to struggle to find apodcast that I'm going to enjoy
for the four-hour flight.
So something like that, that'sbeen my goal.
So something like that, that'sbeen my goal, so I'm kind of

(01:55:09):
doing it.
So to be honest, the goal for2025 is just that I want to just
do what I did in 2024 and findthose extra time to be able to
collaborate with more like Iwould love for you, now that
you're going to be doingfreelance, to find your own
clients, I would love to be ableto come on your sets and help
you.
and then I would love to becauseI don't have prep days anymore,

(01:55:29):
since I've automated most ofthe prep process I would love to
be able to go on more sets.
I would love to be able to talkto more people like this.
So this is technically what I'mtrying to do next for me and as
long as I can maintain myrevenue last year, hopefully it
doesn't go down, and that's thething I like about being a
private company.

(01:55:50):
There's no one here trying totell me to.
You know, I have to up yearover year.
I'm just like we did great itwas good.
I just want to do the same thisyear, while doing all this extra
stuff, the extra which is moreprojects with friends, more
collaborations that are not mine, and then also be able to
continue this um, you know thisthis podcast that I started, and

(01:56:10):
just be able to continue thispodcast that I started and just
be able to talk and obviously,initially I'm doing it with the
people that I know and I want tohave these talks with.
But eventually maybe even talkto new people that I haven't
connected with yet.
Maybe I can hire them, they canhire me.
That's all it's about.
It's a networking thing.
Because, it's not like I'mpeddling anything.
People have nothing to gain.
I have nothing to gain out ofthis.

(01:56:37):
Uh, like I'm not selling peoplecourses or ads or anything here
.
You know sponsorships.
There's no.
You know code down here toselect anyway, that's at least
what I'm aiming for, right?
what about you?
What's your goal with thisfreelance thing?
Do you have a certain goal, orrevenue goal, or anything in
mind?

um, I mean yeah.
I mean yeah, it's the like.
You know, I've been full timeand obviously doing freelance
also from time to time with you.
To to how can I say, focus on a, on a niche, like you said.

(01:57:16):
I think for me that's somethingI want to do.
Because, really it is a firsttime doing like freelance full
time, so I have to go andconnect and and people that can

(01:57:37):
offer me the opportunity to workwith them and also, once I find
this niche, they can also workwith me.
Obviously, covid are with youand you work also with me once,
once I'm doing that.
So, yeah, that's something thatI want to um really focus on
this year.

yeah, no, that's very smart, like like I was just
saying.
Yes, if you just want to findsuccess, the easiest way to find
success, don't make it harderon you, like I am um, you know,
and again, it's also personalitytoo.
I like it, like I said it makesme want to work 18 hour days.
You know, otherwise I wouldn'twant to even work eight hour
days if I would get bored.
I've had you know, attorneyespecially asked me to do the

(01:58:19):
same thing over and over again,and it gets so annoying and
boring, but anyway, yes.
No, that's very smart, becauseonce you niche down, like I said
, once you figure out, hey look,this is what I enjoy, this is
what my offer is, and when youmake that offer, what happens is
you become an expert.
Yes, and there's a very hugeadvantage to being an expert,

(01:58:40):
Because currently people are whoare like Bindra.
Bindra is like the best youknow video company for
businesses, but then that's toobroad right, Like currently how
people describe me.

What type of business?
There's a lot of different typeof business and that's happened
to me because I mean I've donework with you like for business,
for corporations.
I've done wedding, I've donelike photography editing, so a
lot of different kind offreelance.
Yeah.
But I do really want to thisyear just focus on an issue.

Do you have anything in mind or not?
Yet I think you're gonnaprobably try a few things.
Yeah, I want I want to try.

I want to try different things and then decide
what really excites me, likelike you said, like you and my
working like whole day, like 18hours, and you love it.
That's something I want to findalso this year.

Yeah, I think that's a very deep question to
look at.
It's an individual question,right?
Like I've said so many times,if you just want to make money,
there's so many easier things todo in life where you can make
money.
Video is not the easiest.
I mean it's not hard to makemoney, but it's not the easiest.
But then if you're gonna justhave any job, I mean you might

(01:59:56):
as well have other jobs.
But if you love it right, youcan make a very good living in
video.
Not that hard, that's what Iwant people to know it's not
hard to make living doing videofull-time, corporate or
commercial video as long as youenjoy it, uh, then it won't feel
like you work, right?
You?
don't feel that work that hard,uh, and you can make a good
living, um, but it's not the thecareer to just be like, get

(02:00:18):
into because it can pay well,right, because it's going to be
long days.
You have to learn so manythings, so many entrepreneurial
things that some people don'tenjoy, like accounting and
figuring out, um, you know allthe business stuff, full-time
job and you have to know abouteverything.

Yeah, I mean, you're doing video, but then,
like you said, yeah, you'redoing customer service sometimes
you are marketing you know youalso have to go network with
people.

It's not, it's not the easiest thing, but again,
it's not the hardest thingeither, and we have in the past
podcast.
Quite literally, I love howguests have come in and told
people exactly what to do andmultiple different approaches,
and so I love how much resourcewe're putting out there, and all
I want is just more people tosucceed, and I want you to
succeed and I'm here obviouslyto help you to you know, succeed

(02:01:05):
in any way.
Plus my goal would be now, hey,new goal, I would want to just
hire you more and more.
I mean, make this awesome movie, plus the.
You know I love hanging outwith you, so why?
Not just do more projects anduh, who?
Who needs you to find a nicheif you can just work for me?
I?

mean like we said uh, uh, I think that's uh, I'm
gonna say like agreement that wehave.
Yeah.
I can work with you, but I also, every time that I can have a
client I will represent, likeBindra.

(02:01:45):
Yeah absolutely.
I think, that's something thatyou know why?
Because I make the sale likemake a sale to new clients
because that's something that Ithink there's a lot of
opportunity out there.

Exactly.

Orlando is a really it's a city that a lot of
companies are moving here.
Orlando is expanding, yeah, sothere's a lot of companies are
moving here.
Orlando is expanding, sothere's a lot of opportunities.

We just have to go and there's so many companies
and what's crazy is not justOrlando, any city, guys just
drive around.
What's crazy is we close withour eyes.
We go to specific places, likeI'm going to Walmart.
Or you'll see some businesseswith billboards or whatever.
That's different Sometimes.

(02:02:36):
Go to a business district or anindustrial area in your city
and you'd be surprised you'llhear the name of companies that
you've never heard of.
And then you google them and yougo oh, this is a multi,
multi-billion dollar logisticscompany that I've never heard of
, or this is a uh, you know thistype of packaging company, or
they make paper products or theymake this, they make that.
Like there's so many companiesthat you've never heard of.
They need marketing, they needvideo.

(02:02:57):
So there's so much work outthere and I just that's what I'm
saying, and all you have to dois just open your eyes, look
around you.
And here's the thing, mario, Iwant to continue talking to you
and somehow it's already beentwo hours, my friend, it's time
to wrap this up.
I know we got to, I think, withyou.
What I would love to do is once, let's make this movie.
I would love to have you back,I would love to talk more?

Yes, with spoilers , yes, so I would love for you
to come back but thank you againfor coming.

before we go, do you have anything else you want
to say?
Or before we wrap up, oranything?

um, well, no, I mean, I feel great, uh, with you
here.
People, thank you again for forinviting me.
Um, it's very nurturing just totalk here.
Uh, it felt like the the hourspassed so fast, uh, and, yeah,

(02:03:51):
I'm excited to continue workingwith you with the projects that
we have.
Keep building these projects.
I'm really excited and let'smake this year another great
year.

Yes, 2025 for the win.
We're going to all growtogether you, me, everyone who's
been on this podcast, everyonelistening.
Let's kill it.
2025 is our year.
No excuses, just going outthere getting things.
So before we Also, do you wantto shout out your Instagram or
anywhere?

people can follow you.
Yeah, my Instagram is at MarioR-A-N-G-E-L-H-U-R at mario

(02:04:47):
r-a-n-g-e-l-h-u-r, and mywebsite is wwwmariorangelcom
okay, mario,r-a-n-g-e-l-h-u-rcom, we got it,
thank you.

Mario for coming.
It's always a pleasure.
I mean, dude, you just livedown the street.

Yeah, we can have this conversation anytime.

But yeah, I'm looking forward to just making
more content with you.
Thank you again for coming.
It's always a pleasure, andit's always a pleasure to call
you a friend.
Thank you again.
I appreciate it.

Thank you people.

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