1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties, weekly podcast featuring conversations with 2 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. I'm 3 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: Cynthia Littleton, co editor in chief of Variety Today. My 4 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: guest is David Madden, Global head of Entertainment for what 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: Pad web Tune Studios. I've known David in many incarnations 6 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: as a creative executive. He's worked on the studio side 7 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: for Fox Television Studios, as a network programmer for Fox 8 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: Broadcasting and a MC network, and he's spent the past 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: two years as head of television for the busy Gregg 10 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: Berlante Productions. Now he's taking all of that experience and 11 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: channeling it into working with a new form of storytelling. 12 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: I'll let David explain what a web tune is and 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: how the watt Pad platform works. I found it fascinating 14 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: to learn from him about how the company in corporate 15 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: simple math and insights from readers to help find kernels 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: of gold in a vast mountain range of users submitted stories. 17 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: During an interview in his l A office, Madden grins 18 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: when he says, for the first time in his long career, 19 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: he feels like he's working for a quote one Century 20 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: company and quote. That's all coming up after the break, 21 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: and we're back with David Madden, the global head of 22 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 1: Entertainment for what Pad web tune Studios. You start by 23 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: explaining to us what exactly a web tune is and 24 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: how its popularity is growing around the world on social 25 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: networks and various media like that. He started about ten 26 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: years ago based in Toronto. It is the largest digital 27 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: platform for web novels in the world if you actually 28 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: exclude China. China goes off, but the rest of the 29 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: world is the are just It's about ninety millions subscribers. 30 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: Fifty five languages are represented in what on what pad 31 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,959 Speaker 1: um it is. It has grown over time to be 32 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: a mammothly meaningful site, especially for younger people. The audience 33 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: that the readers on what pad a largely fifteen thirty 34 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: five um But and there have been things in the 35 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: past that have become films or TV shows that were 36 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: based on white Pad stories. There have been stories that 37 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: have come out of off what Pad that have become 38 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: movies or shows. So the Kissing Booth movies that were 39 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: there are three of them on Netflix were based on 40 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: what Pad story. We didn't produce it, but they did 41 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 1: come from there. Um there's a movie called after theatrical 42 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: movie Love Story that spawned five sequels. UM. While the 43 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: optrical outside the US that was based on what Pad Story, 44 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: So they that platform exists, and there was a web 45 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: two platform. Web Tune is based in Korea and Soul. 46 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: It is large digital comics and graphic novels platform in 47 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: the world. Ninety million people subscribed to that, so between 48 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: the two platforms almost two million people or on either 49 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: what pad of web Tune. Web Tune basically just means 50 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: it's a something visual, a comic on the Internet. That's 51 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,519 Speaker 1: all it means, um so, but it actually looks different 52 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: if you if you go on web tune, it's vertical scrolling. 53 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: So instead of the way that we are used to 54 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: reading comics where you go across the page, you go 55 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: down the page, get to end of the chapter. UM. 56 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: Actually they call them episodes. So there are extra graphic 57 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: novels on web tune that could be two five hundred, 58 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: six hundred episodes long, and they're all carefully drawn by 59 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: individual artists and creators and UH and have different UH 60 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: readerships from from web tune. UM. Both what Pad and 61 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: web Tune measure in things called reads. So if you 62 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: which means like you could go on a story on 63 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: what Pad or or comic on tune, you could be 64 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: on it for five seconds, that's a read. You could 65 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: be on it for five hours that's um. So, we 66 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: don't actually really know exactly how many people have finished 67 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: reading a given book or a given comic, but there 68 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: are titles on web tune that have over a billion reads. 69 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: Um there are type over a billion. My eyebrows just 70 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: jumped out. Uh that I'm not sitting here saying that 71 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: a billion people actually reads that start to finish. But uh. 72 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: And there are titles on one bob Pad that are 73 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 1: in the hundreds of millions of reeds. Um So a 74 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: big global readership for these two platforms. And then there 75 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: are titles that have virtually no reads. So it's it 76 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 1: is genuinely a meritocracy where both platforms in their ways 77 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: are built on word of mouth. Are they built on 78 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: subscription or advertising? What? How do they monetize this kind 79 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: of advertising? Well, and there's I could get a little 80 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: more detailed. There there's advertising, um. There there's publishing. So 81 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: the most successful of those books on either pad of 82 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: web tune. They are there are hard hard copies, they're 83 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: in bookstores, they're they're by their own Amazon, they're they're viable. Um. 84 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: There's a title on web tune called Laura Olympus, which 85 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: has been on the top of the Graphic Novel Best 86 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. The new there's 87 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: a one called Tower a Tower of God that has 88 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: one point five billion titles. Believe Reads I Believe and 89 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: that's the third season that is about to come out, 90 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: and that will that has been on the top of 91 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: the list. That's another way to monetize them. Something called 92 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: paid reads, where the most successful stories you can read 93 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: for free up to a certain point and then if 94 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: they continue. And it's modest as a couple of dollars, 95 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: but that's it's another way for us to get paid um. 96 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: Or there's paid a webtoon and get paid um. But 97 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: that's how they monetize it. So that's it sounds like 98 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: a literal trove of content. There's there is so much stuff. 99 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: We don't actually know how much is on watpad, but 100 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: it's certainly in the hundreds of millions of stories. Uh 101 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: so is it the user do users upload their own stories. 102 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: Users upload their own stories. Anybody, anybody in any country 103 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: can put their story on the platform. We check it 104 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: to make sure it's not offensive, obscenes something terribly, but 105 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: once it clears that filter, anybody can put them up. 106 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 1: There's no creat there's no qualitative filter. It's all about 107 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: kind of just offensiveness. Um. And anybody can go on 108 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: their read it's free. So so now the authors retain 109 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:37,479 Speaker 1: their rights, so we aren't by putting it on the 110 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: platform getting their rights any any on both platforms. The 111 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: creators retain their their creative prerogatives. Um. So it's so 112 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: it's good for us because it gets people to come 113 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: to our platform. It's good for the authors because it 114 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: gets exposure for them and they hang onto their rights 115 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: so they can sell something later on down the line, 116 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: either the movies or television or traditional publisher or to 117 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: us as a publisher for actual compensation. So so the 118 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: things that you are developing into more traditional television and 119 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: film or other types of digital media properties, you you're 120 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: still have to you still go and do a deal 121 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: with that creator and a licensing agreement. It's not like 122 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: a blanket. Once they put it up, then then what 123 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:25,119 Speaker 1: Pad web tune can adapt it. No, that's that's correct 124 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: and sort of how it works. Just to go into 125 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: a little more detail. We love detail on a strictly business. Okay, 126 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: then then here you go, uh so on what Pad, 127 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: like I said, people can put up their stories. Um, 128 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: if you are as reader, you're curious about a certain 129 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: kind of thing. Let's say you're really into vampires. You 130 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: and you went on what Pad and say, what are 131 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: the top ten vampire story zone? Right now? The platform 132 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: will point you to hear the stories that are most liked, 133 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: that they've got most feedback against. All about word of mouth, 134 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: it's all about positive feedback. Everything is tagged, everything data 135 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: is collected and everything. So you'll you'll, you may check 136 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: out that vampire story. That's another set of needs. The 137 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: more time something is read, that that creates more and 138 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: more constituency, more and more audience for that particular title. 139 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: When it reaches a certain threshold for us, it's one 140 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: thousand reads, then it kind of gets on our radar 141 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: and it goes to a very large group of book 142 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: scouts in Toronto, which would call the Content Group H 143 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: and they review anything that's reached that threshold. They then 144 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: anything they think could possibly be a movie, could possibly 145 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: be a TV show, they sent to me and our teams. 146 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: We have a film team, we have TV team, we 147 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 1: have an animation team. Um. We then they said this 148 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: maybe thirty things a month. Let's say. Um, we then 149 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: look at those things and will cherry pick the things 150 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: that we actually think we can sell, things that actually 151 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: feel like they fit the television and film market. And 152 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: once we've identified a title we like, then we reach 153 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: out to that author and we say we'd like to 154 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: make an option persons deal shopping agreement. Um, we make 155 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,079 Speaker 1: that deal with It's so far, every single time we've 156 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: reached out to a water paddle author, we've made a 157 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: deal because there there, they like the platform and they're 158 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: excited to be there. Uh. They feel flatter that somebody's 159 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: actually wanted to try to make a move your show 160 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: out of them. Uh. With web tunes similar, although it's 161 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: a web tune, authors creators have sometimes already found um 162 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: revenue opportunities in Korea, so they may be a little 163 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 1: more uh careful about what they what rights they want 164 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: to give away and not give away. But basically it's 165 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: been a very positive relationship between what authors, web web 166 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: tune authors and US and once we make a deal, 167 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: h then we now we're out like traditional producers trying 168 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: to package things, put them together in such a way 169 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: that we can sell them too. Platforms are you are? 170 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: Are things being uploaded in multiple languages from uages for 171 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 1: for what pad web tune because it just takes a 172 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: lot more work to put a web tune up because 173 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: it's all artistically created. Are basically either in English or Korean, 174 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: m mostly in English, but but it's perfectly easy for 175 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: anybody to type in their rock pad story. So, like 176 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: I said, lots of lots of different languages. And what 177 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: we've done is both position things to be in the 178 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: US market um which are previently told by American authors 179 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 1: telling American stories. But we're making shows in Indonesia and 180 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: Malaysia and the Philippines, in Spain and France and Italy 181 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: mostly from authors whore writing in the in the appropriate language. 182 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: And the plan is to distribute these shows on the 183 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: same platform so that you get to that you reach 184 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,559 Speaker 1: that audience, or you're going to license these You're gonna 185 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: license these two more traditional network and streaming channels. The 186 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: plan as to as of today is to sell them 187 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 1: to other distributors. So we are selling to Netflix or 188 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: Amazon or or or networks in the US. UH. And 189 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: we have slight deals with companies like by a Common 190 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: Freeman Freemantle where we have multiple projects with them which 191 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: we are selling in multiple territories. Um. There are Indonesian 192 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: networks and and and other Asian networks that we're selling 193 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: things to down the line. Could there be some platform 194 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: of our own maybe, but but for right now, we're 195 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 1: really trying to work through through traditional distribution systems. We 196 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: see Indonesia is like one of the growing markets in 197 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: virtually every metric for media and entertainment. It's a really 198 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: interesting market to watch. It's basically it's the number four 199 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 1: country in the world in terms of population and it's 200 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: a big it's a big market for us. What pad 201 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: is a very meaningful word as this web tune interesting? Um? 202 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: Is there? So this is a kind of a new 203 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: kind of storytelling. Is there are there qualities to adapting 204 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: this to TV and fill to other types of media? 205 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: Are there qualities that you're retaining? Is there something that 206 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: makes it a web tune or a what pad story 207 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: that you're trying to retain as you adapted for other formats. 208 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 1: It's it's a it's a it's a good question. I 209 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: think that it's hard to generalize because so many different 210 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: authors are right for these sites. We have on what 211 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: pad alone, five million writers working on our posting at 212 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: least once a month. Five million writers. Um, it's a 213 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: lot of writers. So it's very hard to generalize across 214 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 1: five people. Um. And it's a it's a slightly smaller number. 215 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: Is so much smaller number for web tune because it 216 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: just takes more work, But there's a lot of different authors. 217 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: The thing I would say, um, is that coming from 218 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: traditional media as I do, I'm used to writers who 219 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: have grown up in Hollywood, who have who are reading 220 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: Variety every day, who are very knowledgeable or think they're 221 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: very knowledgeable about what we'll sell or will not sell, 222 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 1: and they walk in with a certain degree of cynicism 223 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: about what idea they may want to present. People who 224 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: are writing for these platforms are the opposite. They are 225 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 1: writing from their hearts, they're writing their stories. They're not 226 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: even thinking about Hollywood mostly when they're writing them, they're 227 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: telling their narratives. There's a lot of very personal perspective 228 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: in there, and you'll just find ideas that either feel 229 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 1: genuinely authentic and true to that particular writer, where where 230 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 1: that persons lived, where that where that what their culture is. 231 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: Or sometimes you'll you'll read ideas that you'll just think 232 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: that's nuts, that's a crazy idea. But we live in 233 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: a world where the craziest ideas tend to have the 234 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: most traction. Uh So, you know, the writer's on what 235 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: Pad and web tune debt tend to have no field, 236 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: cynical filter. There's nothing in them saying, oh but that 237 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: will never sell to two Netflix is they're not buying 238 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: this kind of thing. One of the things that's really 239 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 1: interesting about what pad if. I don't know if you 240 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: ever read a book on this site, but it's a 241 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: very different experience, or at least it candy. So you 242 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: can read a pad story and you can read it 243 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: like a traditional narrative. We read like a traditional book 244 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,719 Speaker 1: you've got from random house, or you can read it 245 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 1: and you get to a certain point in the narrative 246 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: where something meaningful happens, where somebody kisses somebody, or somebody 247 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: dies or something significant happens, and you can write in 248 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: the digital margins that say that was awesome, that was horrible. 249 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: I can't believe they did that. Why do that? You 250 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: can get get it into arguments with people. You can 251 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: look up how many people like that given moment, and 252 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: people hated that given moment. You can react in a 253 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: social media is way to the book as you're reading it. Uh, 254 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: if you choose to. Again, you're not obliged. But I 255 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: think it's part of what the attraction has been to 256 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: younger readers is that of billinge to react right now, 257 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: a little more interaction into the book, um, which is 258 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: on the one hand, fun for them. On the other hand, 259 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: it gives us all this information about it's your focus group. 260 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: Well you know it's it's like we can we can 261 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: we can look at actual statistics of they love that moment, 262 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: they hated that. So it helps us a when we're 263 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: kind of working with our writers, say hey, don't cut 264 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: this character out that's their favorite character, uh, or or 265 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: guide them whichever way. It also helps us tell platforms, 266 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: and this is a big part of I think the 267 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: attraction of hey, not only do we know that they 268 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: liked it, we know why they liked it. You know 269 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: what what and they don't know exactly what they what, 270 00:14:57,920 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: what meant something to them and what is because we 271 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: have all this literal information that we've collected, so it 272 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: is it is like a focus group, but it's the 273 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: focus group of hundreds of thousands of people, not twenty 274 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: four people. In more coming way, don't scroll away, We'll 275 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: be right back with more from David Madden of what 276 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: pad web Tune Studios. And we're back with more from 277 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: David Madden of what pad web Tune Studios. What is 278 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: your mandate now coming in to you know, to build 279 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: out a studio and to to get what pad web 280 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 1: Tune into the business of more traditional TV and film 281 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: content creating. What is your goal do you want to 282 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: do you have a do you want to reach you know, 283 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: ten shows in two years? What do you can you 284 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: give us some sense of kind of what your what 285 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: your goal posts are at this point? Uh, I don't 286 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: know that our goal posts are necessarily numerical in that way. 287 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: Um you know, I think that that and the different 288 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: in the business are are are moving at kind of 289 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: different speeds. We're a little farther along in the film side. 290 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: So right now we have we have two films in 291 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: post production that are actually not in post production, they're 292 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: finished posts. They're actually now selling at the a f 293 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: M with the American Film Market as the erectly as 294 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: we speak, we're kind of four lanes on the film side. 295 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: Lane one fully financing our own movies, and the kind 296 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: of five million dollar range co financing movies that are 297 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: a little more expensive. So we're doing one that we're 298 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: closing a deal on with a distributor you would recognize, Uh, 299 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: that would be like a ten million dollar movie that 300 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: we would co finance. We we really want to do 301 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: bigger movies where we wouldn't finance it, but there there 302 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: would be studio sized movies, major streaming sized movies that 303 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: we've just worked for fees. Um. And then we have 304 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: a whole international movie business. So for example, we did 305 00:16:52,440 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: a movie in Spain called Nana Uh my span it's 306 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:04,880 Speaker 1: just it's non existent through my window, which which came 307 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: out earlier this year. It is now the number four 308 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: movie non English language movie on Netflix in its history. Uh. 309 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: And it spawned two sequels. That was that was based 310 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: on a wit Pad story. Um. So so we want 311 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 1: to do movies all over the place. Um. And you know, 312 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: I think in terms of goals, I'd love to be 313 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: making uh four to six movies by twenty a year 314 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: by UM. With television, we're a little more early stage. 315 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: Uh and it's just kind of in the nature of 316 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: how the two companies came together. Uh. So we have 317 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,199 Speaker 1: a couple of things that Disney Disney and Company, Netflix 318 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: and the things we are in early stage about. But 319 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: I don't expect us to have anything uh greenlit in 320 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: even three I expect us to set up a lot 321 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:54,959 Speaker 1: of things, but I think, you know, by let's i'd 322 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: love to have board of six shows on the air. Uh, 323 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: you know, but we have some growing to do to 324 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: get there, especially like scripted scripted TV drama series. Those 325 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: those can be big financial commitments. Are those Is there 326 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: a world where you would UM finance that or do 327 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,919 Speaker 1: you aim to more like a cost plus model with 328 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: streamers to kind of get you on the board if 329 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: we could, if we could, Uh, I mean, I don't 330 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: believe this is a market where you deficit finance a 331 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: TV series the way one used to ten years ago, Right, 332 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: it says when you say it almost sounds like an anachronism. Well, 333 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: and it is economically at this point but sure if 334 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: if we if we can be in a position where 335 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,880 Speaker 1: we can be the studio on a cost plus basis, Um, 336 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 1: that would be great. Right now. I think we're perfectly 337 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: happy to partner with traditional studios, especially if we're doing 338 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: something at a platform which has an in house studio 339 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: connected to it. We're happy to partner with people. Um, 340 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: we we want to walk before we run. Um, but 341 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: in the longer run, could we if we could own more, 342 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: would be better? Sure? M. You seem to have a 343 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 1: lot of fair amount going on on the movie side. 344 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: Are the are you finding those relatively low budget movies 345 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: there you can make enough to make it worth your while. 346 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 1: We'll find out, you know. I think that that you know, 347 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,919 Speaker 1: we're playing to a very in the movie side, certainly 348 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 1: on the smaller movies, we're playing to a specific target. 349 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: We're playing to y A, We're playing to young romantic stories, 350 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: young thrillers. Um. So it's still a market actually that 351 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: that consumes movies. UM. You know, obviously harder with people 352 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: my age. Um, I'm very old by way for anybody's listening, 353 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: but so uh so, I there seems to be a 354 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: lot of appetite for for the brand. So we've both 355 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 1: in the US and internationally, so I think that people 356 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: know that there's especially if you can say to people, hey, 357 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: we have eighty million reads on this, there's enough people 358 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: who love this book that they're gonna want to check 359 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:57,920 Speaker 1: out the movie. And if you can make a movie 360 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: for four or five million dollars or le stephen, uh, 361 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,199 Speaker 1: it's pretty safe. It's pretty safe that you know that 362 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: you'd be that as long as we don't make a 363 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 1: disastrously bad movie, that the audience that so that either 364 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: read the book or knows of the book is going 365 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 1: to be stimulated. You want to go, m h. You 366 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: must be as you develop things, and you know, with 367 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: the anticipation of getting shows before cameras, you must be 368 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: having to arrange some creative marriages between creators and people 369 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 1: with the skill to really, you know, put a TV 370 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: show on its feet. Is that I know, we all 371 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,640 Speaker 1: know that can be tricky at times. Has that been 372 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: Has that been a big focus for you in terms 373 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: of matching the right creative partners to get things? What 374 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: have you found people that have experienced I mean, are 375 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: people are like more seasoned writers writing in these formats? Um, 376 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? People who are adapting them. 377 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,920 Speaker 1: Are you talking about the authors of the original book 378 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 1: The authors are the originals. Well, the authors of the 379 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 1: original books are, um, you know, they're starting, some of 380 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: them are starting to have enormous amount of success and 381 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: therefore have the different degrees wanting to influence or shape 382 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: the way their stories are being told. Uh. And we 383 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: respect that and we're happy to. But it's not just 384 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: similar to working with traditional authors of traditional book business, um, 385 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: in that both in the traditional book world and in 386 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: our world, they're writers who take go with God, don't 387 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: care to send me my check, or are rooting for 388 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 1: you and their authors you want to be more involved. Uh. 389 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,719 Speaker 1: And either is fine. But you rarely find an author 390 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,199 Speaker 1: that is equipped to become a show writer. And I 391 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: think that's again, I think that's true in both an 392 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: immediate It happens, but rarely and and you know, I 393 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 1: think that if I think many authors love the ability 394 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 1: to sit at their computer and create that their own 395 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: story with very little micro managing. And if you're gonna 396 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: go with the television or film, you have to be 397 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,439 Speaker 1: able to put up with micro management on a lot 398 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: of different fronts. Uh. It's like a professional So it's 399 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 1: just again, some can adapt to it, most can't, and 400 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,440 Speaker 1: and even most even more than that, just don't want to. Yah. 401 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: That's interesting. I mean, David, you've had such a breadth 402 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: of experience on the studio side, working for Fox Television Studios, 403 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: working for the Fox Broadcasting Network, Game Scene Networks. What 404 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: we've given all your experience in traditional television and film. 405 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 1: What do you see is? What do you see? What 406 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: is the sort of special opportunity here? Used to be 407 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: able to walk into a studio or a network with 408 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: an original idea, uh, and the writers of something that 409 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: they came from them and pitched that and have a 410 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 1: chance of sellient um. And that's super hard. Uh, it's 411 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,879 Speaker 1: you know, it's a rare thing that even the most experienced, 412 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: even the most lauded writer, ken walk in and just 413 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: tell their story. Uh. The phrase I p or the 414 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: to those two letters didn't really exist when I started. 415 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: Nobody used that expression. Now it's the expression that ever 416 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 1: everybody's lips. Uh. When I was in my last job 417 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: as a producer, working with BRILLIANTE, so many people, even 418 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: though we were very powerful producer people wires walked in 419 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: and the first question they ask is do you have 420 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:15,959 Speaker 1: any any i P um And so the building now 421 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: in this job. But I think is unique is we 422 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: can we we have the blessing of a having i 423 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: P that is that has a built in fan base, 424 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 1: that that we can prove and demonstrate that the i 425 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: P has has audience. But it's coming from writers that 426 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: they are actually telling original stories from their heart who 427 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: are not writing from calculation. They're they're writing from their spirit. Uh. 428 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: And that quality, even if those writers can't be the 429 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:48,640 Speaker 1: person who actually writes the script, those are those qualities 430 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: of freshness, of of true uh audacity um. That is 431 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 1: a lot of it attracts our adapters to the right 432 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: to the stories that are on our plan form. So 433 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 1: I think the opportunities just to tell stories that break 434 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: some rules because they're coming from people who don't know 435 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: the rules uh and yet have ingrained popularity, popularity that 436 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: we can demonstrate. And I think that's synthesis of originality 437 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: and proven success. Is a pretty unique thing that these 438 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,919 Speaker 1: two platforms can actually offer. What's been the responses you 439 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: talk to people in the creative community more, you know, 440 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: more traditionally seasoned producers and writers. Has there been is 441 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: there are people intrigued by these stories? Uh? Well A 442 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: Sometimes when I have a first approach, it's it's sort 443 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: of like I told you, I reacted like, well, what 444 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: what is that? What? What? What? There's a little education. 445 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: I have to kind of go through this entire speech 446 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: many times. UM. So if it seems familiar to me, 447 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,680 Speaker 1: that's why you can send this out in advance. When 448 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: you go, I'll send them copy of the podcast. Thank you, 449 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: happy to be happy, to be a service. Um No. 450 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: But but I think once you take people through it, uh, 451 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,119 Speaker 1: then I think they are treated because I think it 452 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: is again that combination of oh I can walk into Netflix, 453 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: I can walk into Disney, I can walk into Paramount 454 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: Plus with data with stuff. Uh and and that's meaningful. 455 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: That makes you feel less naked as a writer, like 456 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: you're walking in with something where it's like here, look, 457 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: there's people who like this. Um And at the same time, 458 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: it's you know it. There's the liberty of doing something 459 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: that's kind of crazy and nutty. It doesn't have to 460 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: be uh like, oh, you're you're doing something with I P. 461 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: But it's for Marvel or it's for d C. So 462 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: it has to follow all these rules. That have built 463 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: into that world a little bit of that you have 464 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 1: to kind of fit into a very tricky box sometimes, 465 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: at least so I'm told. UM so so I think 466 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: it's so far, um, I mean four months in so 467 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: far people have responded to it really well because they 468 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: feel like, oh, there's a chance to do something different. Well, 469 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: I think original ideas are are as scarce as rain 470 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: in southern California days. And that is not to diminish 471 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: the importance of either. David, thank you so much. Thank 472 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 1: you for the education. Hopefully we can be of service 473 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: here too with with a good explainer, but really appreciate it. 474 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 1: I can sense, and having known you a long time, 475 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: I can sense your enthusiasm and your excitement about this. 476 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: I genuinely am. I mean, I've enjoyed all the jobs 477 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: I've done, I've had some great bosses, I've I've I've 478 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: all the steps in my path I value. But this 479 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: just feels really different, and and if I can say 480 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: it this way, I feel like I'm working for a 481 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: twenty one century company, having spent all of my career 482 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: prior to this working for twenty century companies. Nothing wrong 483 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 1: with twenty century companies, but they're clear economic challenges facing 484 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:51,120 Speaker 1: those companies. This company feels like it's all potential, it's 485 00:26:51,119 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: all outside. Thanks for listening. Be sure to leave us 486 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 1: a review at Apple Podcast. We love to hear from listeners. 487 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 1: Please go to Variety dot com and sign up for 488 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: the free Strictly Business newsletter, and don't forget to tune 489 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: in next week for another episode of Strictly Business