1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: On this episode of News World. Palladium Pictures Incubator Program 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: is an initiative to fund and mentor the next generation 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: of right of center filmmakers. The program helps emerging filmmakers 4 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: produce outstanding short documentaries. Each participant receives funding, mentorship, and 5 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: assistance in distribution and marketing for a short documentary project. 6 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: Palladium Pictures is currently accepting application for twenty twenty five 7 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: class of Incubator Fellows and the deadline to apply is 8 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: December fifth, twenty twenty four. Here to talk about their 9 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: Incubator program of shaping future storytellers. I'm really pleased to 10 00:00:47,240 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: welcome Thomas Pack of Palladium Pictures. We welcome and thank 11 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: you for joining me on news World. 12 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 2: Thanks for having me net first time. 13 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: Tell us a little bit about Palladium Pictures, who founded 14 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: it and how did you get involved? 15 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: Sure? Absolutely, well, it was about a year ago that 16 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 2: I was on this podcast at the launch of the 17 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: program with my father, Michael Pack, who's our director producer here. 18 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: You know, my family has been making documentary films for 19 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 2: many decades. You know, we make long form documentaries, most 20 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: of them have been on PBS. We now have a 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 2: new series of short documentaries that we're doing with the 22 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 2: Wall Street Journal called Wall Street Journal Opinion Docs. We 23 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 2: have this experience in the documentary world, and we wanted 24 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 2: to start this program because we feel like, you know, 25 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: the culture matters, and for some reason, conservatives have more 26 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: or less given up fighting for the culture in the 27 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: space where it's really needs to be fought, which is film, entertainment, 28 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 2: the arts, and so we wanted to pass along some 29 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 2: of our knowledge of how to make mainstream documentaries that 30 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 2: can enter the cultural conversation but from a conservative or 31 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: right of center perspective. 32 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: When you say that, though, does this largely go to 33 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: like PBS where you just showed created equal Clarence Thomas 34 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: in his own words, where do the films go? 35 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: Sure? So we've just now wrapped our first set of 36 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 2: Incubator productions. So this year we had four people in 37 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: the Incubator, which means four up and coming filmmakers that 38 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 2: we're mentoring, we're executive producing. We also fully fund the 39 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 2: short project that we work on with them, and we 40 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,679 Speaker 2: help them with distribution and promotion. So this year they're 41 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: all have been launched on Real Clear Politics, which has 42 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 2: been a great partner for US, and they're all doing 43 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 2: pretty well. They launched last week, so it's brand new. 44 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 2: They could be showed elsewhere, but you know, we think 45 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: Real Clear is a good partner in part because they 46 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: are part of I think the mainstream conversation. They're not 47 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 2: seen as far right media or anything like that, and 48 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: the response to them has been really positive. 49 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: I think as a result, people can go to Polladium 50 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: Pictures at Palladium Pictures dot com and see these products. 51 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: Is that right? 52 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 2: You can see them on our website, that's right, or 53 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 2: you can see them on the Real Clear website. There's 54 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: a page that has all of them, and there's individual pages. 55 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 2: They're also released on the Real Clear YouTube and x 56 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 2: so we watched for free. 57 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: Can you talk about these first four incubator films, because 58 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: I remember when we were first talking about it sort 59 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: of a dream you were going to do this, and 60 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: now here we are getting caught up with and you 61 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: did it. Can you walk us through the four films? 62 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 2: We did it, and we're excited about it. It's a 63 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,839 Speaker 2: real reason to be enthusiastic because we think these four 64 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 2: people really represent the future of filmmaking that is outside 65 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: of the mainstream Hollywood orthodoxy. Would you like me to 66 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 2: go through them one at a time or give them 67 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 2: you all at once. 68 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: Let's do one at a time, because they're each are 69 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: worth thinking about it, talking about, and also explaining who 70 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,119 Speaker 1: did it. I mean, part of what makes these exciting 71 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: is that you're bringing a whole new generation of filmmakers 72 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: out into the world. 73 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 2: Absolutely, yeah, I couldn't agree more so. The first one 74 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 2: is called High Country Murder, and it's actually a true 75 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:22,679 Speaker 2: crime documentary. So our filmmaker is this woman, Kili Cavello. 76 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: She's on a team with her sister and they go 77 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 2: back to their hometown to solve a murder. And I 78 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 2: won't spoil how it ends, but it's extremely dramatic, as 79 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 2: you can imagine, So they kind of get closer and 80 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 2: close to finding out who the killer is. But also 81 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 2: it's beyond just being about a murder. It's really about 82 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: their hometown in Mendocino, California, and how it's changed. It 83 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 2: began as like Rancher Country with one type of American 84 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 2: and then at some point hippies came in and there're 85 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 2: this cultural clash of more hippie culture, free love, free 86 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 2: grow pot that kind of world with the rancher culture, 87 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 2: and this was twenty years ago, and since then it's 88 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: sort of descended, and there's cartels and there's a huge 89 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 2: number of unsolved murders coming out of this exact part 90 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 2: of town, partly because there's a lot of murder and 91 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: partly because the culture has changed that makes it difficult 92 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 2: for people to come forward and difficult to solve them. 93 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 2: So they uncover a lot of information about this murder, 94 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 2: but they also uncover the story of Mendocino, California. At 95 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 2: the same time. 96 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: When Kille Cavello decided to do this, who approached too 97 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: and said, let's turn this into a film? And were 98 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: the sisters going to go do it anyway or what's 99 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: the deal. 100 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: They're independent filmmakers and they make films about the West 101 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 2: in general. So their last documentary was also about ranchers. 102 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 2: It was not about a murder. Their whole thing, I 103 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 2: think is, you know, America needs more myths and heroes, 104 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: and we need to uncover the kind of drama of 105 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: the American West. This was a film on their mind 106 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 2: because it hit these themes about ranching culture. They've never 107 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: done a murder before. They pitched it to us through 108 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 2: this incubator, so they applied with the film idea. But 109 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 2: I think that it's ambitious to do a film that 110 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 2: is I think I'm going to solve a murder. And 111 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: they had to convince us that they could do it, 112 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 2: and they did, and they did a great job. 113 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: This is what the French would call cinema veries. You're 114 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: covering the raw edge of life as it's happening. 115 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:23,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, And it's a tough thing to pitch for that 116 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 2: reason because you don't know what's going to happen. You 117 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: know when you're going to go shoot, and you've done 118 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 2: your research and you've talked to people ahead of time, 119 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: but things go wrong in production and it's actually a 120 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 2: little bit scary. You know. There's a lot of cartels 121 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 2: in this part of California. 122 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: That's what I was just thinking. The way you're describing 123 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: that town, I don't know that I would be the 124 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: guy walking around carrying a camera. 125 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well they were very concerned about that too, I 126 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: think rightly. I think there's some act of bravery in 127 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 2: shooting this particular documentary. 128 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: Actually, So how long is High Country Murder? 129 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 2: High Country Murder? I thinks about twenty one minutes or 130 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 2: something like that. 131 00:06:57,600 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: That's amazing, all right, tell me what the. 132 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 2: Next Okay, So the next one is called The Bird 133 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 2: and the Bee and it's about the Babylon Bee and 134 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 2: it's fight with Twitter. So if you don't know the 135 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 2: Babylon b it's a Christian satire site. And they got 136 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: kicked off of Twitter for posting a what was called 137 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 2: transphobic tweet. And this film tells that story by talking 138 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 2: to the guys that work there, So these kind of 139 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: jokester comedians Seth Dylan, who's the CEO. They get to 140 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 2: tell their perspective of it and what did it feel 141 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 2: like to get kicked off of Twitter and have to 142 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: make this choice, which is do I click the button 143 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 2: that says yes, I'm a transphobe and then get back 144 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 2: on Twitter, or do I choose to stay off Twitter, 145 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 2: not knowing where my revenue is going to come from, 146 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 2: not knowing the future of my company, but am I 147 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 2: willing to kind of stick to my guns? And then 148 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: the end they get swept up into something bigger because 149 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 2: Elon Musk gets involved and talks to them and kind 150 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 2: of starts to use them as a explanation for why 151 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 2: he's buying Twitter and so these kind of comedians get 152 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 2: caught up in this very dramatic, bigger story about Twitter, 153 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 2: about free speech on the internet, and about censorship and comedy. 154 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: I would have thought that Musk would have loved this story. 155 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: I mean, it's the perfect example of what sort of 156 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: sets him off. 157 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 2: I think that sometimes when he talks about why he 158 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 2: bought Twitter, he does put this story front and center. 159 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 2: And I think that he probably bought Twitter for many 160 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: complicated reasons, but for his perspective, this is a good 161 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 2: one to point to because I think Americans feel differently 162 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 2: about the censorship of Saint Donald Trump or Alex Jones 163 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 2: or something. But many people think that this is a 164 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 2: bridge too far. It is like, Okay, now you're censoring 165 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 2: someone who's clearly making a joke. I think you're right. 166 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 2: It was a great thing for him to lean into 167 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 2: as here's the problem with Twitter. 168 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: And I think the Babylon Bee is a real asset 169 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: to the culture because they're a reverent They're a little 170 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: bit like Mad Magazine forty years ago. A free society, 171 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: you have to have some space to make fun of yourself. 172 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 2: Absolutely, it's hard to imagine a world and I think 173 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 2: this is why it bothers us so much to think 174 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: about comedy being censored is you know, I just think 175 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 2: the world is a much worse place if we're not 176 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 2: making fun of each other. And your point's more poignant. 177 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 2: I think often if there's some irony in it, I 178 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 2: think it's a great way to point out flaws in 179 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 2: each other's arguments. 180 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: What's your third film? 181 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 2: The third film is called Spears, and it's about embryonic adoption, 182 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 2: which is something that I frankly knew nothing about when 183 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 2: we started this project. So for people that like me, 184 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 2: didn't know about it. You know, when people go through IBF, 185 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 2: they create sometimes extra embryos, and they have a choice 186 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,079 Speaker 2: about what to do with it. You can card the embryos, 187 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 2: you can keep them forever on ice, or you can 188 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 2: put them up for adoption. Often, I think lost in 189 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 2: the conversation about IVF is that IVF doesn't necessarily mean 190 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 2: destroying embryos. There are other solutions. So embryonic adoption is 191 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 2: there are these people that are adopting other people's embryos. 192 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 2: So the film talks to some families that chose to 193 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 2: give up their embryos for adoption and some families that 194 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 2: adopted other people's embryos and kind of gets into the 195 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 2: interesting ethics and different life that you get when you 196 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 2: get pulled into this sort of relatively new embryonic technology. 197 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: Your fourth film, okay. 198 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 2: The fourth film is called The Secret Game, and it's 199 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 2: about this basketball game that happened in the nineteen forties. 200 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 2: It's the first interracial basketball game. So it happened. There's 201 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 2: this all white duke team undefeated, can't find anyone that 202 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 2: could beat them. And then across the street there's this 203 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 2: all black n C Central team that is having the 204 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 2: same problem. They're running up the score against everyone they play, 205 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 2: and so obviously, you know, these kids just want to 206 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 2: play basketball and find out who's better. I mean, these 207 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 2: are dominant teams. The politics of the time prevented it 208 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 2: because it was illegal to play basketball, obviously, and also 209 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 2: there were other tensions between blacks and whites in the 210 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 2: Jim Crow Durham, North Carolina. So they played this game, 211 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 2: the secret underground game that an oral history of survives. 212 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 2: So our film tells the story of that game. 213 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: A couple of questions. I can't resist who won. 214 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 2: The nca Central team won, As maybe you might have guessed. 215 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: Which would have been an enormous shock had that been 216 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: a public event. 217 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,439 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, the interesting thing is, so the coach of 218 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 2: the NC Central team is this guy John McClendon, who 219 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 2: had a very illustrious Hall of Fame career and was 220 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 2: integrating the NBA later, and he started under Nasmith, and 221 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 2: he invented the full court press, the fast break, like 222 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 2: he was thinking differently about basketball. So he had this 223 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 2: team that played this radically different style of fast paced, 224 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 2: fast break basketball. And so it was blacks and whites. 225 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 2: It's also two styles of play colliding and basketball actually 226 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 2: changed forever because of the fast break. 227 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: That particular film would make an unbelievable commercial movie as 228 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: a drama. 229 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 2: I agree. We have a bit of a dramatization in 230 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 2: the film because he brought some kids from local high 231 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 2: school to kind of reenact the game itself. 232 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: But can you imagine in the conversation, if you made 233 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 1: it a full length film and you have the conversations, 234 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: you have the whole process of build up, figuring out 235 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: how to do it secretly. When did it finally become public? 236 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,200 Speaker 2: That's a good question. So there's one journalist that was 237 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 2: not allowed to write anything about it. That was in 238 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 2: the stands, and then otherwise was just the players. So 239 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 2: over time it sort of seeped out that it had happened. 240 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 2: There was a book written about it, people have known 241 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 2: about it for a long time, but I don't think 242 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 2: a movie like that has ever happened, and it has 243 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 2: all the drama as you're saying of just a great 244 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 2: sports movie. 245 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: Are a number of the players still alive, So. 246 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 2: This happened in the nineteen forties, so mostly not. I mean, 247 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 2: we interviewed some family members of John McClendon, who was 248 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 2: the coach, so he ended up being sort of the 249 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 2: main character of our film. And so there are people 250 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 2: still alive that are close to the story and know 251 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 2: about it. 252 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: Given the technology that period, nobody would have filmed it. 253 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 2: And nobody was allowed to film it. 254 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: Let's talk from minute about these four independent producers. What 255 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: motivates each of these people when you deal with them, 256 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: when you say, what is it you see in them 257 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 1: that makes you want to have them be the creative 258 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: people you work with. 259 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,599 Speaker 2: So when we put this call out, you know, a 260 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: year ago, and we made this push to find you know, 261 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 2: documentary producer directors. By the way, at least one of 262 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 2: these four heard about his first on Nuts World, so 263 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 2: we reached out to them this sort of way. But 264 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 2: when we did this, it turns out I think that 265 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 2: conservatives are coming from a moral alternative way, I mean 266 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 2: more alternative paths. We don't have a clear ecosystem in 267 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 2: film and entertainment the way that the left does with 268 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 2: film schools and other training programs. So they all had 269 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 2: different paths. I talked about Keeley who makes sort of 270 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 2: rancher movies. We have Jason who did Spares. He runs 271 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 2: an AI film studio, so he's trying to stay on 272 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 2: the cutting edge of new technology and film and using 273 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 2: aiart and AI music and other details like this, you know. 274 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 2: We have Matt Parol who made the Babylon B film. 275 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 2: Comes from the world of Catholic filmmaking. He works for 276 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 2: Catholic Media Company and wanted to sort of make something 277 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 2: and do some independent work as well, and so this 278 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 2: is sort of a divergence for him. And then Greg 279 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 2: Dedug who worked on The Secret Game, has a lot 280 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 2: of experience in sort of conservative nonprofit space in the 281 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 2: video world. So they all come from different paths. We 282 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 2: picked the people that we thought were sort of coachable. 283 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 2: I mean they're far enough along in their careers. Isn't 284 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 2: an entry level program. They'd all shot documentaries before it 285 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 2: and knew how to do that. But we took people 286 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: that we thought we're coachable and also had a deep 287 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 2: understanding and create a vision for what a documentary is 288 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 2: and how to put one together. 289 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: If somebody is accepted in the incubator program, what's the advantage. 290 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 2: Well, we fully fund their documentary short So these are 291 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 2: fifteen twenty or some minute documentaries. We fully fund it 292 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 2: up to thirty five thousand dollars for the production, and 293 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 2: at the end we do distribution and then an additional 294 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 2: cost up for us, we do promotion for it. So 295 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: I think a lot of people do this because they 296 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: like the idea of free money and help with distribution. 297 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 2: These are great reasons. It's a good springboard for people's 298 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 2: careers to get different kind of eyeballs on their film 299 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 2: than what they're used to do. But I think the 300 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 2: main thing they get out of it is they get mentorship. 301 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: We work with them, We check in every week, we 302 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 2: do site visits, we look at every cut, and my father, 303 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 2: Michael Pack, is a very well established documentary producer director, 304 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 2: and so his sort of wisdom and mentorship. I think, 305 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 2: having now done it for a year, I can tell 306 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 2: you I feel really confident that these four filmmakers are 307 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 2: better at their craft than they were before. And I 308 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: think that is the most important advantage, is actually becoming 309 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 2: a better filmmaker. 310 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: When you get a group of applications and my hunches. 311 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: As your program gets better known, you'll get more and 312 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: more applications. What's the art sek, what are the principles 313 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: by which you measure an applicant to be part of 314 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: your increbator program. 315 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a good question. So our goal, really broadly speaking, 316 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,919 Speaker 2: is to start to create the future culture shapers, you know, 317 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 2: people that are going to impact the way Americans think 318 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 2: about the world. Documentaries have a long history of doing 319 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 2: this in an important way. Yes, we want these projects 320 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: to be successful, and we're really glad that these four 321 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 2: are so far being very successful. We want to pick 322 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 2: filmmakers that we believe in in a major way. So 323 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 2: criteria for that has a lot to do with whether 324 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 2: they understand the importance of the art side of documentary 325 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 2: filmmaking and the journalism side, whether they're going to be 326 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 2: honest and straightforward and ask the right questions and whether 327 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 2: they're going to be filmic and story oriented. And when 328 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 2: these sort of art and journalism pieces come together, those 329 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 2: are the key ingredients we think into a great documentary filmmaker. 330 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: In the long run, if you look out, say ten years, 331 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: what do you hope to have achieved, will you routine 332 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: lea twere to get four year? 333 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 2: Yeah? So I think in the long run, you know, 334 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 2: we'd like to have more Our films are on PBS 335 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 2: and speak to the mainstream, and we'd like filmmakers that 336 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 2: came out of our program. We had a good number 337 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 2: of them that were picking up the mantle of our company. 338 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 2: But I think even in a more sort of aspirational sense, 339 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 2: I see this as kind of the tip of the spear. 340 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 2: I'm hoping that we have four great filmmakers and four 341 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 2: great films that are out, and I'm hoping that this 342 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 2: sort of proves something to the conservative donor class or 343 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 2: whoever it is that decided that conservatives can't make good 344 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,680 Speaker 2: films and aren't good artists, and we get more programs. 345 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 2: I mean, the left has a huge and like incredibly 346 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 2: vast ecosystem that is supporting their filmmakers, not just training them, 347 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 2: but also they fund all these film festivals and these 348 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 2: film schools. There's a lot of like healthy amount of resources, 349 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 2: which is I think they are to be commended for 350 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 2: creating this, but the right need it too. And the 351 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 2: reason that we don't make as good movies is because 352 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 2: we're not fostering talent. So I'm hoping that this program 353 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 2: is the first of many, and that we don't have 354 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 2: to start all of them, but that we start a 355 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 2: trend toward let people that have perspective that is outside 356 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 2: of the mainstream start fostering culture changing programs like this. 357 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: As a general principle, I understand it they probably should 358 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: have made at least one film before they apply. 359 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 2: That's right. I think we have got kind of a 360 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 2: unique niche for this program because you can't be entry 361 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 2: level like just out of film school. You apply with 362 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 2: a work sample, So you have to be able to 363 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 2: demonstrate to us that you can make a film. We're 364 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 2: going to give you some funds and you're gonna have 365 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 2: to put a crew together, You're gonna have to do 366 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 2: some research, you're gonna have to shoot it. You have 367 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 2: to already be a competent filmmaker, but you can't be 368 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 2: so far along in your career that you don't need mentorships. 369 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 2: But for that niche, there's a lot of independent filmmakers 370 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 2: out there that really could use this kind of a break. 371 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 2: And if you're not saying what the mainstream orthodox message 372 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 2: wants you to say, there's not a lot of resources. 373 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 2: So we're hoping to reach those people. 374 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to understand this. You were able to 375 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:16,119 Speaker 1: bring in four films wildly different topics for about thirty 376 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,719 Speaker 1: five or less each. Is that correct? 377 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, Actually last year was thirty This year we're going 378 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 2: up to thirty five. So they spent thirty thousand on 379 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: their productions. 380 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:26,680 Speaker 1: They obviously are pretty frugal. 381 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, People I think sometimes don't know how much goes 382 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 2: into these types of movies. It was a lot of 383 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,919 Speaker 2: their own sweat equity. They all worked super hard on it, 384 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 2: and they all kind of had to figure out how 385 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,360 Speaker 2: to make these relatively low budget films. But they did 386 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 2: have the additional resource of our support. Beyond that, we 387 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 2: help them where we can, and then there's additional funds 388 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 2: that went into distribution and promotion. This is what we 389 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 2: did with thirty thousand eights. So imagine what these four 390 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 2: people are going to do next. I think it's really 391 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 2: exciting to think about the next step of their careers. 392 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: I'm curious to your standpoint. I mean, you sort of 393 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: grew up inside a filmmaking family. Was it kind of 394 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: preordained that you were going to be making movies? 395 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 2: No, not at all. I actually never thought I would 396 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 2: be here. I spent a good amount of time working 397 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 2: in educational nonprofits. I worked at the Intercolugion Studies Institute 398 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: ORRE as director student programs. I worked as a head 399 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 2: of operations at a small arts and education organization. I 400 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 2: liked running programs in educational space, and so you know, 401 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 2: when my folks were starting an educational program, which is 402 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 2: what this is, they wanted me to come back and 403 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 2: run it. I'm also associate producing our films, including these shorts, 404 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 2: through doing for Wall Street Journal and loving that. But 405 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 2: it's funny how the world works. It was around film 406 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 2: my whole life, never quite expecting that to be where 407 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 2: I would spend my professional life, and yet here I am. 408 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 2: And it's great, and there's a lot of advantages to 409 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 2: working for your parents. There's some really nice things about that. 410 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: What you are doing in this whole program, the Palladium 411 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: Pictures in program. This is exactly the kind of continuous growth, 412 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 1: continuous exploration that has made this country so astonishing. And 413 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: you're reaching out to what are really entrepreneurs. I mean, 414 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: people who are there on their own making films are 415 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs as much as somebody who invents something. I think 416 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 1: it's very exciting. I'm just delighted to Thomas and you 417 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: agreed to join us. I hope our listeners can find 418 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: out more about Palladium Pictures Incubator program at Palladium Pictures 419 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: dot com, slash Incubator and watch the films. I want 420 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 1: to remind everyone the deadline for applying to be part 421 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 1: of the Incubator program next year is Thursday, December fifth. 422 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,679 Speaker 1: And thank you again Thomas for joining me today. 423 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having me. 424 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest, Thomas Pack. You can learn 425 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: more about Palladium Pictures Incubator program on our show page 426 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: at newsworld dot com. New World is produced by Gaglish 427 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Guarnsey Slow. Our researcher 428 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the show was created 429 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the team at Ginglish 430 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll 431 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: go to Apple Podcast and both rate us with five 432 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: stars and give us a review so others can learn 433 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: what it's all about. Right now, listeners of Newtsworld can 434 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: sign up for my three freeweekly columns at gingwishtree sixty 435 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: dot com slash newsletter. I'm newt Gingriish. This is Newtsworld.