WEBVTT - Fixing Hollywood's Supply Chain with Data and Deals 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:09.719 M h. Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties podcasts featuring conversations 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:13.840 with industry leaders about the business of entertainment. I'm Cynthia Littleton, 0:00:14.040 --> 0:00:17.000 business editor for Variety Today. My guest in New York 0:00:17.079 --> 0:00:20.360 is Jeff Baldez. Jeff has worked in the entertainment industry 0:00:20.400 --> 0:00:24.040 for thirty years. He's a comedian turned producer turned TV 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:28.640 entrepreneur Remember See TV. Jeff launts that channel as a 0:00:28.640 --> 0:00:32.400 true cable independent back in two thousand four. Jeff has 0:00:32.400 --> 0:00:35.120 been frustrated for years at the slow pace of inclusion 0:00:35.200 --> 0:00:38.720 for Latin X talent at all levels. After studying the issue, 0:00:39.240 --> 0:00:42.159 Jeff and three partners decided to tackle it head on 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:46.320 as the mission of the newly launched New Cadence Production venture. 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:49.599 In this interview, Jeff talks about what he sees as 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:53.440 Hollywood supply chain problem and why corporate America needs to 0:00:53.479 --> 0:01:00.800 take some radical steps to ensure its own future. Jeff Baldez, 0:01:00.880 --> 0:01:02.480 thank you so much for coming to talk with us. 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.200 My pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me. I 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:07.680 know that you have recently been on an interesting tour 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:12.840 of talking with very prominent industry leaders and entertainment about 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:19.039 the persistent lack of meaningful participation of Latinos in the 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:22.760 entertainment industry at all levels, in front of the camera, 0:01:22.880 --> 0:01:27.080 behind the camera, in the executive suites, in in decision 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:32.120 making processes. It's that you look at the numbers and 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:34.600 it is just it's hard to believe that as a 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:38.160 society we haven't we haven't advanced, and that we haven't 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:45.320 open doors. Clearly, two people, particularly people of Latino backgrounds, 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:49.400 tell me about the information that you and some partners 0:01:49.440 --> 0:01:51.480 have gathered, and tell me about some of the things 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:55.560 that you are bringing to corporate leaders in entertainment industry 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:57.880 leaders and you're sitting down and talking to them about 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:02.680 look at the numbers, look at the purchasing power of 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:05.760 this of the Latino community in the United States. To 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.200 talk us through some of the things that you're talking about, 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:11.960 and tell us about some of the responses that you're hearing. Um, 0:02:12.000 --> 0:02:15.240 you know, we we've had some really terrific meetings. I 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:17.440 would tell you that in the past, I don't think 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:22.840 that there was the receptivity to hearing things from uh, 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:25.760 you know about this market, and that's changed, I think 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:30.280 drastically recently. So we really and what we're doing is 0:02:30.320 --> 0:02:33.440 not a political You should do this because this is 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:37.760 the right thing. We're having our conversations about economics, and 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:40.040 when you look at the economics of this market, you 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:43.760 just can't continue to ignore it. It's a it's a 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:46.880 massive market. We've been saying that for twenty years. Twenty years, 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:49.519 you and I have had this conversation more than a 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:53.079 hundred times. Right, but but but now and now you're 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:56.360 literally you're talking about the the U. S. Latino not 0:02:56.520 --> 0:03:00.480 US Latino. First thing is people go Latino equals Spanish language, 0:03:00.639 --> 0:03:03.200 and it does not. The U. S. Latino audience is 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:05.560 thirty four compared to forty three. We knew that before, 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:10.120 but US born is eighteen. So for the health of 0:03:10.160 --> 0:03:12.960 any company, you really have to be thinking about this 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:16.000 young cohort. When I say cohort, also, I don't limit 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:18.880 it to just the sixty million Latinos in the country. 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.680 Is you know my family there were nine kids, seven 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:26.120 married non Latinos. But the non Latinos in our family 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:29.680 are all culturally Latino. So you don't have to be 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:32.960 have you know, have a last name to be a 0:03:33.000 --> 0:03:35.480 cultural Latino. Right, So I'm gonna make you a cultural 0:03:35.600 --> 0:03:38.640 Latino today's uh Cynthia. So we'll give you the name 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:44.320 a sou. But but again it's explaining what we call 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:47.680 the new Maine stream because when you look at in 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:50.640 in a lot of major d M a s thirty 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:56.440 three of the under thirty four audience in the top 0:03:56.480 --> 0:04:00.760 ten d M as is Latino. That's a real number. 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:04.040 And it's the seventh largest global economy two point one 0:04:04.120 --> 0:04:07.360 three trillion in g d P. There's some new studies 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:10.000 coming out they're just really mind blowing as to the 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:14.760 size of it. And there is a obviously a a 0:04:15.080 --> 0:04:20.120 complete lack of content um in particular in comedy. You know, 0:04:20.200 --> 0:04:23.039 we we look at the comedy opportunity as as the 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:26.720 jumping off point uh Nielsen will you know Nielsen research 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:29.960 tells us that you know, Latinos love comedy. Well, they're 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:33.560 not seeing or hearing their cadence. Thus the name of 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:36.800 the company we started, new Cadence. We're trying to bring 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:42.480 a new cadence to the entertainment business. And what um, 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:47.400 what the the information that you've gathered about purchasing power 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.560 about you You've really broken it down into specifics of 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:56.400 specific markets for everything for phones to insurance, policies to 0:04:56.640 --> 0:05:00.760 you know, and when you sit with people and they 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:05.000 certainly recognize the power of this market, but what what 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:07.520 what answers do you hear when we all ask the questions, 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:11.719 why are there so few Latinos coming in the door 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:16.040 as creative talent, as executive recruits, are intern recruits that 0:05:16.160 --> 0:05:18.480 you know, that's to start that, to get that foot 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:21.080 on the ladder, Like what what is the block at 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:25.440 that point? Well, there's a couple. Number one. I always 0:05:25.480 --> 0:05:29.400 use the expression you can't change tires on the freeway, right. 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:33.080 So you've got companies trying to just keep their business 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:38.120 uh running in a time of great disruption, and you 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:42.120 have companies that you know, because they're doing that, they 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:46.280 just they can't just stop and change course. Right. Uh 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:49.680 that's that's a real big problem right there. And then uh, 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:52.120 they're unable to hire the talent they need to go 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:54.400 out and get it done. Because also it's a business 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:57.240 of friends and people, you know, right, I live on 0:05:57.279 --> 0:06:00.159 the West Side and Beverly Hills, and I you know, 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:03.279 my kids went to private school, so my circle of friends, 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:05.920 there is a level of trust there. But a lot 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.440 of times I always joke that you know, people in 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:11.440 the development industry in Los Angeles have never been east 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:15.160 of Highland, right, so, you know, and and I and again, 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:18.479 well intended people, but if you just don't get it, 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:20.279 you don't get it. So you need to have the 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:23.400 right people in place. Have you looked at all in 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:25.960 as part of this process. Have you looked at um 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:30.160 efforts that have been done in the past to open doors, 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:34.640 whether it's you know, mentoring programs or in the creative community, 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:39.159 you know, workshops, you know, training programs to try to 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:42.440 to try to bring people. Is there anything that is 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:45.479 there anything that can work on the level of a 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:49.880 of a of a proactive approach companies? Um? You know what, 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:53.880 I think a lot of companies do things like that. UM. 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:56.599 And you know, in the name of diversity. And we 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:59.480 talked before the interview about kind of diversity is kind 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:01.919 of a weird thing these days, as you talk about 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:05.119 it in a more holistic way, it's become a catch 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:08.440 all term that has become a morpheus now and and 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:11.800 and so you know, the the the intern programs and 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:15.360 you know, the you know that type of stuff. UM, 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:19.360 they yield some results, but the reality in this marketplace 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:23.120 are actually really talented people ready to work, that are 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:27.360 capable of doing shows and getting things done. Uh. This 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.880 true story. A couple of years ago, I was at 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:33.400 a um AN event and there was a young lady 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:35.200 that I knew there was used to be a showrunner 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:37.760 on the show I did for Nickelodeon called Brother Scarcia. 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:40.280 She was running the room the last year there, and 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:42.680 prior to that she had run another room. And she 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:46.680 was there at the young writer's table of this company, 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:49.120 and I'm like, what are you doing here? Because it's 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:50.440 the only way I can get in. I had to 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:53.360 literally sell myself off as a young writer. I was like, 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:56.440 that's absurd. You shouldn't have to do that. So that's 0:07:56.720 --> 0:07:59.840 you know, in that they are good. There also needs 0:07:59.880 --> 0:08:03.440 to be an understanding of you know, there is talent 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:07.040 ready to deploy right because speed to market is critical. 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:10.400 I think Netflix has done an amazing job of speed 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:13.400 to market and and and getting you know, content out 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:16.200 there as opposed to what they call development hell that 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:20.560 you know is a term in Hollywood, right, So it's manufacturing. 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:23.960 This is really simple manufacturing. And then the other problem, 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.680 this is something actually I I we did some very 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:31.640 deep research about the major studios in Hollywood because we 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:35.000 were like, why is there a block in the supply chain? 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.240 Because we and I think I mentioned this to you before, 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:41.520 is so what we did is we built this index 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:44.160 and it's a really cool index. We went through every 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:49.000 writer and director at every studio and we did their name, 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:53.719 their age, their ethnicity, uh, their agency, their agents, how 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:57.000 many clients the agent had, how many of those clients 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.320 were a US Latino not foreign, right, because you know, 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:05.199 an Argentinian is very different than somebody was born in Colorado. 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:09.040 As I was, Uh, they're just their cultural experience. Uh 0:09:09.240 --> 0:09:13.280 there their first film ever, uh, their last film, uh, 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.160 their most recent film in their box office. So we 0:09:16.240 --> 0:09:19.600 built this index. We we found some very interesting things 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.400 that validates some other stuff that's out there and went 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:25.640 a little deeper. Is you know, uh the average ages, 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:28.840 it's you know, like eighty five percent of the studios, 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:32.559 about eighty five percent are male, of some cases ninety 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:36.800 you're talking about filmmakers, filmmakers and TV TV shows and 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:41.320 then you get into um of of those it's you know, 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:45.679 there's seven tenths of one percent or Latino US Latino. 0:09:46.320 --> 0:09:49.440 Because what happens they'll say, like Alfonso Cuadro and Guillermo 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:52.240 del Toro. And I understand that people think that, but 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:55.800 they're they're Mexican Mexicans. Like my wife's from Mexico City, 0:09:55.960 --> 0:09:59.920 she's a Mexican Mexican. I'm a Mexican American. There's a difference, 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:03.280 but people just think, you know, Mexican, like kind of 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:05.720 what Trump said the other day of all of the 0:10:05.760 --> 0:10:09.600 Mexican countries of Guatemala and hondurasm like, wow, really, so 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:14.120 even our president doesn't understand our countries. I know you're shocked. 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:18.400 So um So, when we looked at that the supply 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:23.079 chain in the very beginning, you have, um the all 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:28.640 the studios use three agencies sell them their writers and directors. 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.160 So in those studios there's seven tenths of one per 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:35.640 cent of the writers and directors that are US US Latino, 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:38.920 and amazingly, up at the top where the programming is, 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:42.040 it's about the same seven tenths. So when people say, well, 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:44.360 we haven't done very well, we could do better, I 0:10:44.760 --> 0:10:49.080 very politely say, well, actually you can't. It's mathematically impossible 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:52.080 for you to do better because you would have to 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:54.880 change the whole not only you have to change all 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:57.840 four tires on the car. So what we're proposing is 0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:01.680 going outside of the trade sational structure, and we have 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:04.360 to in order to make this happen the traditional world 0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:10.000 of of writers developed scripts. You know, writers start to 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:12.640 get get some traction, they get an agent, they kind 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:16.440 of get into the system, the pipeline of developed of 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:19.640 you know, because we all know everything starts with the scripts. Um, 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:22.200 and how would you how do you? How do you 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:25.119 when you say go outside, do you mean more aggressive 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:29.400 efforts to look for talent in untapped places to make 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:32.520 people aware, even people aware at a young age that 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:35.600 writing and producing and being an executive that these are 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.320 that these are even open to them. There there's, like 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:41.160 I said, there's talent ready to go. Um. You know, 0:11:41.240 --> 0:11:43.320 I remember when we when we did the Brothers Garcia 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:47.199 series for Nickelodeon, there were no real comedy writers out there. 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:50.960 This is fifteen years ago, and I met folks. I 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:55.360 read them and I said, you know you're you're you're capable. 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:57.040 I can read your script, tell your I can tell 0:11:57.080 --> 0:12:00.120 you're competent, and say with directors, we gave break Us 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:02.280 to a dozen new writers and a dozen new directors 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:05.640 on one show and so it's not about getting him 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:08.840 in an intern programming spot, finding smart people and giving 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:12.800 him the opportunity because everybody, I assume somebody probably met 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:14.520 you one day I said, you know what, she's really 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:17.559 smart and talented and I'm gonna give her her shot. Right. 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:20.440 That just happens, and we need to do more that 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.079 And that doesn't mean that you know people. We we want, 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:25.720 you know, to identify new talent and get him in 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:29.560 the agencies so the agencies can diversify their they're they're 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:33.480 offering and uh and also existing talent. There's a lot 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:38.320 of really really terrific talent um And what is the 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:42.199 we know, when you sit and talk do you do? 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:45.400 Are you pressing people for a commitment for any kind 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:47.680 of response? Are you trying trying to Is this a 0:12:47.760 --> 0:12:50.679 consciousness raising effort? Well, no, no, this is a this 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:53.800 is a business effort. Um. I'm very fortunate that one 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:56.080 of my partners is a guy named Soul through Hell 0:12:56.840 --> 0:13:00.199 and Soul is the he ran Us West was the 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:04.800 chairman and CEO, and he ran um Telstra in Australia 0:13:05.280 --> 0:13:09.000 and it's really innovative stuff down there, and he ran 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:13.040 Orange in Europe. So having a guy like that. As 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:16.360 a partner, he's you know, I'm the creative guy, but 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:18.680 he's always about, you know, the bottom line business. He's 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:24.160 the closer. So uh um that that that is um 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.440 job one. And everything we go to is educate and 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:33.600 then you know, cut deals because that's what has to happen, right, 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:36.480 we have to really um and and and what I 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:38.839 love about him, he's about like, We're not going to 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:41.400 take two months to negotiate this. I want you know, 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:44.400 this done in very short order. And and literally we've 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:47.360 gone literally in the past two months from just talking 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.160 about this too. I can't get into a lot of detail, 0:13:50.240 --> 0:13:53.719 but some terrific results that I think we're that we're 0:13:53.720 --> 0:13:57.600 going to yield soon. Is there is there a deficit 0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:01.880 of awareness of the opportunities in the entertainment industry in 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:05.400 what you would call the Latino community, which I know 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:08.679 is not a monolithic by any means of monolith. That's 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:10.760 the problem. People go, We're gonna make something for Latinos, 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:15.040 Like what does that mean? Which Latinos? What age? What where? 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:18.000 What are the market segments you're talking about. It's a 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:21.600 business proposition, but are there areas? Are there you know, 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:25.040 areas of Greater Los Angeles outside of the West and 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:27.720 other areas of Houston. Are there areas, are their programs 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:30.200 that could be done in schools? Is there things to 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:34.080 just even again, even to spark the fire of interest 0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:38.320 in a budding comedian or director or you know, future ceo. 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:41.000 You know, I think the most powerful thing to do 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:44.640 is when years ago, when I first came to Los Angeles, 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:47.320 I I you know, I was a guy from Colra. 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:50.120 I've never even been on a sound stage, and I 0:14:50.160 --> 0:14:53.360 did this show called Comedy Compodes and it was Carlos 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.400 mincs first show ever. He was the host of it, 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:58.360 and I was just, you know, this complete nobody from 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:00.480 el had. I mean, I was freak now that I 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:02.280 got to do the show. We've had like ten thousand 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:05.360 dollars for the budget, and imagine a ten thousand dollar 0:15:05.400 --> 0:15:08.600 budget show, and I barely was able to fill eight 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:12.520 eight eight shows with comedians. And we were on Katie 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:15.040 l A and we're up against at the time, David Letterman, 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.640 Jay Leno, Chevy Chase in our Sineo Hall and we 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:22.600 beat them most every Friday night. Of course we did, 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.400 and we would do it again in l A. Because 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:29.280 people connected to it. And what happened to answer your 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:33.960 question is people saw themselves and they said, hey, if 0:15:34.000 --> 0:15:36.880 Carlo Spincia it can do it. This kid named Fluffy 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:40.080 glessie Us used to watch that show and Gabriel glessia 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:42.000 I said, wow, if that guy can do it, I 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:44.840 can do it. And then somebody saw flu So when 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:49.160 you see yourself, you go, well, hell, let's not you know, 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:52.640 an impossible dream, because, believe me, a lot of young 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:55.400 Latino's dream about doing it, but when they see it 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:57.360 as opposed to, hey, let's go to a school or 0:15:57.440 --> 0:16:00.560 let's have an outreach program. Just you've got to have 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:04.320 the product on the screen. And that'll, believe me more 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:07.680 than open the doors. You can't be what you can't see. 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:10.600 That's a I'm gonna steal that from you. Thank you. 0:16:10.800 --> 0:16:13.680 I would say, it's harder to be what you can't 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:17.680 It's infinitely harder. Well, let's just hears. You're also involved 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:20.720 in an adventure that is is tapping into what seems 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.240 to be a really growing field right now of the 0:16:23.280 --> 0:16:27.360 world of live experiences, which is kind of you know, 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:30.160 it seems like it. It says a lot about our 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:34.560 wired and crazy screen connected world. That we're now seeking 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.920 seeking opportunities to have live experiences as opposed to living 0:16:38.920 --> 0:16:42.080 in the world. But um, but you are putting your 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:46.560 producer and your comedian's brain onto a onto developing a project, 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:50.600 a big real estate development project outside of Tucson. Tell 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:53.440 us about how that happens. About A friend of mine 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:57.400 called me and he said, uh, I bought a mall. 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:01.240 It's like, honey, we bought them all and he got 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:03.760 this amazing deal on it. And it was it's a 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:08.399 mall in Tuson and um and and he said, you know, what, 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:10.680 do you think what let's do something really cool with it. 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:13.359 And I was like great, And so we got in 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:17.480 the sandbox and we just started playing. And basically it's 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:20.400 a two fifty thousand square it's a six d square 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.720 foot mall, but the footprint we're doing is about a 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:25.439 quarter million square feet. And it's going to have Instead 0:17:25.440 --> 0:17:30.119 of a traditional mall which has about se retail food, 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:33.600 our retail is going to be wallless, so you don't 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:35.680 really know when you're going from one into the next. 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:39.120 The food is aligned with the retail, so when you're 0:17:39.240 --> 0:17:42.000 buying something that you can relate to as a consumer, 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:45.480 you can also enjoy food that might want to cater 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:47.879 to you, so kind of we kind of do that online, 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:51.360 but now we're doing that with with expert real experiential. 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:54.879 There's activities because uh, I remember when I met with 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:57.119 a friend of mine our kids grew up together, and 0:17:57.160 --> 0:17:58.600 I said, you know, living in l A when my 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:01.399 kids were younger, because I and you went through this too. 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:03.719 Is you know, if I wanted they want to paintball, 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:05.240 they'd have to go all the way to south in 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:07.480 the town, like a ninety minute drive. And they wanted 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:09.280 rock wall, they'd have to go to Santa Monica. They 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:11.879 wanted laser tag, they have to go to Fan Eyes. 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:14.320 So this is all that under one roof. That's the 0:18:14.359 --> 0:18:17.720 activity side. And then there's the entertainment side, which includes 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:22.200 a fifteen screen theater and that's actually already currently there. 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:25.800 Just went through a big remodel and um, and then 0:18:25.840 --> 0:18:29.879 we're doing these really cool uh they're sweets. They're the 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:32.639 easiest way to describe it as like the ultimate man cave, 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:34.640 you know, And I don't want to say that because 0:18:34.640 --> 0:18:38.639 it's inclusive of male females, not exclusive two men obviously, 0:18:39.080 --> 0:18:41.160 and because I was raised by five sisters and they'd 0:18:41.200 --> 0:18:44.240 kill me for doing something like that. And um and 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:46.120 literally you can go in there. It's got the most 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:49.480 outrageous you know, its sound and and TV and set 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:52.119 up and and comfortable chairs and you can order food 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:55.600 from your phone and uh uh and drinks from your phone. 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:57.520 So you know, my wife doesn't like when I have 0:18:57.560 --> 0:18:59.760 friends over to watch the games on Sunday, So I'll 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:02.600 just rent one of these right when we ultimately roll 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:04.920 them out, and I can go and watch the game 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:06.920 with my friends instead of a sports bar where you 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:09.680 can't hear the game. And and when they're not being 0:19:09.800 --> 0:19:13.000 used for sports, gamers can use them. Uh they can 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:17.080 also uh karaoke and then also for corporate events. And 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:20.000 then we've also got this we're kind of recreating the 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:22.440 comedy clubs. I used to own a comedy club back 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:25.399 back in the day, you know, and you know it 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:27.080 was like, you know, Rosanne used to work there when 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:30.600 she was just be a housewife from Denver and uh 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:33.800 Sinbad and Ellen degenerous. You know, everybody did the circuit 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:36.240 and came through Colora Springs. What was the name of 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:38.320 your club, It was called jeff El doz Is Comedy 0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:41.480 corner and so funny. Sinbad was on Allen recently and 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:43.119 he said, where do we meet? I don't remember. She 0:19:43.160 --> 0:19:45.119 asked him that because you don't remembers the jeff el 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:47.879 Dez comedy corner. So he was a nice plug. But 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:52.080 Zella lives on and um, you know, and and and 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:54.200 the the new environment we're creating. It's going to be 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:56.399 a comedy room, but when it's not being used for 0:19:56.440 --> 0:19:59.160 because you know, the comedy shows only last three hours 0:19:59.160 --> 0:20:01.560 a night for was on the weekend, and then the 0:20:01.680 --> 0:20:03.720 rooms just empty the rest of the time. So we're 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:07.000 turning the room into a gaming arena and on the 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:11.080 sports arena, so it'll be e sports all the other time, 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:15.040 corporate events and comedy. So everything is constantly fluid and 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:18.600 constantly working in this uh new project that we're doing. 0:20:18.800 --> 0:20:20.840 And it's really been a lot of fun because it's 0:20:20.960 --> 0:20:22.320 you know, it's like I told my partner, I said, 0:20:22.320 --> 0:20:24.199 you're not in the real estate business anymore. You're in 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:26.720 the entertainment business. And how is it for you to 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:28.960 look at instead of you know, instead of working on 0:20:29.000 --> 0:20:31.600 a script, to look at blueprints and use your you know, 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:34.000 use your creative muscles to think about how you could 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:37.240 make how you could make these these individual spaces really 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:40.760 cool entertainment experience. You know what, it's not much different. 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:46.359 It's right, you're you're literally you're developing something. You know, 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:48.120 you when you go build, you know, when you write 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:50.400 a script, you write the treatment, you know, and then 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:51.920 you you know, I always tell people, if you don't 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:54.520 have the treatment, that's the blueprint, right, and then you 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:57.520 get into the real the real site plans and the 0:20:57.520 --> 0:21:00.880 details of it, and and and that's the actual script part. 0:21:01.280 --> 0:21:03.760 And then there's the marketing of it. It's very similar. 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:06.480 I told him, my my bud Don boorn I said, 0:21:06.920 --> 0:21:09.520 it's like producing a TV show. It's really not much 0:21:09.560 --> 0:21:12.960 different about it's real estate. It's just you know, it's 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:15.679 different because it's real estate. But it's not much different 0:21:15.680 --> 0:21:17.840 at all. Really. So there there are skills that you 0:21:17.880 --> 0:21:20.520 can say that do translate, that you learn in Hollywood, 0:21:20.560 --> 0:21:24.720 that you that do translate outside industries. That absolutely that's 0:21:25.119 --> 0:21:28.520 good news for people. Yeah, um, I know, you know 0:21:29.200 --> 0:21:31.920 when we first met, you were just at the outset 0:21:32.160 --> 0:21:37.600 of of a really impressive run of you launched. You know, 0:21:37.800 --> 0:21:40.680 one of the few that you can count on two 0:21:40.680 --> 0:21:45.440 hands the number of truly independent from scratch cable channels 0:21:45.440 --> 0:21:47.960 that have been launched in the last you know, going 0:21:48.000 --> 0:21:51.480 on let's call it fifteen sixteen years, and one of 0:21:51.520 --> 0:21:56.400 them was CTV, which is now the Fuse channel. UM, 0:21:56.600 --> 0:21:59.920 tell us what that experience, you know, going soup to 0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:02.960 that's from the idea, to raising the money to to 0:22:03.320 --> 0:22:06.639 cajoling cable operators to carry it. What did what did 0:22:06.720 --> 0:22:10.280 that process you know, going on fifteen plus years ago? Now, 0:22:10.400 --> 0:22:15.240 what did that process teach you about the industry, about 0:22:15.240 --> 0:22:20.600 the television industry, about my finance? Um? Well, first of all, 0:22:20.640 --> 0:22:22.920