WEBVTT - Greg Carter Full Interview 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:04.000 This podcast is sponsored by Better Help Online Therapy. I'm 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:07.760 Michleine Malouf and I'm Nadyadsi, licensed therapists and hosts of 0:00:07.800 --> 0:00:10.800 Getting Better Stories of Mental Health. Join us for discussions 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:13.880 with Megan Trainer, Chris Bosh, Rebel Wilson, and more, from 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:17.840 discussing motherhood to immigrating to general mental health. Our guests 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:20.720 are all inspiring. We all struggle with the same things, 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:23.640 so let's talk about it and de stigmatize them. Find 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:26.840 our new podcast, Getting Better Stories of Mental Health on 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:32.920 iHeart Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Still living in manually taking notes, 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:34.639 there is a better way to start the new year 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:38.000 with auto dot ai automatically get meeting notes. Auto dot 0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:40.839 ai works for virtual meetings like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:42.640 Google Meet. Sign up on the web for free or 0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:45.199 download in the app stores auto dot ai. That's O 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:50.560 T T E R. Dot Ai. As upsman called Los 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:52.640 Miller of the eighty five Suth Show and do me 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:55.080 a favor, make sure you check out the Black Market, 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:58.080 hostly by Meat only on the eighty five Sealth Show. 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:01.200 Fee Subscribe to the eighty five Our Show to here 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:06.240 and tune into the black Market here. Amazing interviews with entrepreneurs, creatives, 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:09.399 and thought leaders, people who are doing amazing things in 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:13.080 the Black community. Listen to the Black Market or Heart 0:01:13.200 --> 0:01:23.280 Radio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts. Yeah, 0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:26.360 welcome to Money Making Conversation. I am your host with 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:29.959 Sean McDonald. I recognize that we all have different definitions 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:33.800 of success. For some insercizable paycheck. Mine is helping people 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:36.440 wake up and inspiring them to accomplish their goals and 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:39.160 live their very best life. These are my passions and 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:40.959 that's what I'm going to do for you. When you 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:43.200 listen to Money Making Conversations, I would you to stop 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:45.880 tripping over small challenges and prepare to rise above the 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:49.240 bigger obstacle that life will present to you. The Money 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:52.800 Making Conversation interviews provide relatable information to the listener about 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:57.840 career and financial planning, entrepreneurship, motivation, leadership, overcoming the arts, 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:00.680 and how to live a balanced life. Next guest as 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:04.000 an independent filmmaker. He's a graduate of the Texas A 0:02:04.040 --> 0:02:08.120 and M University and has produced over thirty featured films 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:11.720 and several have been featured at Sundance. Also, his movies 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:15.200 have been distributed by Sony, Lionsgate, Wanner Brothers, and Netflix, 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:17.560 just to name a few. He's one of the Independent 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:21.200 Spirit Award and has been inducted into Texas Filmmakers Hall 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:23.640 of Fame. He's on the show today to discuss his 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:27.040 career and the second season The Fifth War. New episodes 0:02:27.080 --> 0:02:29.959 of Fifth Ward stream every Thursday through September three on 0:02:30.200 --> 0:02:34.040 UMC dot TV. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations, my 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:40.120 man Greg Carter, Thank you, thank you, my brother Sean. 0:02:40.240 --> 0:02:42.799 I'm so slighted to be on the show. I got 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:44.560 seven grade at the Dutch and I said, I gotta 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:47.320 live up to that. Actually, hey, Greg, you know, because 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:50.280 we're both from Houston, Texas, and you're doing a show 0:02:50.800 --> 0:02:54.360 about I was born in the Fifth War. I lived 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:57.000 there the first ten years of my life. Russell and 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:01.280 uh and and and thirty fifteen Main Street. It's it's 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:05.119 the home that I lived in, a two bedroom shotgun 0:03:05.120 --> 0:03:09.320 house and had six sisters, two brothers. My father was 0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:11.359 a truck driver, my mom was My mother was to 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.760 stay at home all and so uh. The whole concept 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:18.960 of doing the show called Fifth War really really just 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:21.239 touched home with me emotionally because I know that that 0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:24.160 was those first ten years were a very important part 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:26.800 of my life. In fifth Ward is a community like 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:30.240 any neighborhood, is an urban based, inter city neighborhood that's 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:33.160 in Houston, Texas. Just to give everybody who's listening the 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:36.920 exact location of where this particular community is and and 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:40.320 it's one of the prominent black communities in Houston, Texas. 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:43.560 But you but this initially started out as a movie, correct, 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:48.240 this series is correct, that's correct, so years ago. I'm 0:03:48.280 --> 0:03:52.160 also from the neighborhood. So forward, my my family at 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:56.520 home church is on the corner of lying Uh and 0:03:56.680 --> 0:04:01.320 UH and also my family Stelf family still live it 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:03.760 over there, and so it was one of the things 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:06.480 that was important to me when I started out. I 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:09.400 was trying to tell a story about the neighborhood based 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:14.520 on the people I knew. And so back in eight 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:18.159 dating myself, I did the first I did the first 0:04:18.279 --> 0:04:23.360 U UH movie and it had a lot of success. 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:25.240 It went to south By Software and a lot of 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:29.800 film festivals, and then after that I ended up putting 0:04:29.800 --> 0:04:32.760 it writing a treatment for a TV show and I 0:04:32.800 --> 0:04:34.920 put it on the shelf and it was there, sat 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:38.000 on the shelf. But probably about twenty years. And then 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:42.440 later I got approached by UH Angela Northington, who was 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.400 the head of content over at UMC at the time, 0:04:45.800 --> 0:04:49.680 also UH Sylvia George, who's the general management of network 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:53.320 about the show. And I said, hey, I got this thing. 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:57.359 I condusted obviously what happened and when everybody got it, 0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:00.479 they truly enjoyed it. And that was the beginning UH 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:03.039 season one, and we had a successful season one. So 0:05:03.200 --> 0:05:05.080 then we came back for two. Now, when you do 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.400 a show that hasn't emotion tied to it, because like 0:05:07.440 --> 0:05:09.039 I said, you grew up there, I grew up in 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:11.960 there in that environment. Tell us about season one. I 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:14.599 know there was a there's a character chain for a 0:05:14.680 --> 0:05:18.159 major character chain for season two, and tell us about 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:21.840 that and uh and also just putting together a show. 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.440 We know it's shot. Some of the scenes are there 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:26.560 are the shots within the community itself, all of them 0:05:26.560 --> 0:05:29.719 on set, No, all of all of the show is 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:34.600 primarily shot in Houston, Texas, uh and and and the 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:37.320 majority of those shots in Houston, Texas are in the 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:41.960 fifth ward. I wanted to have an authenticity, UH for 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:45.320 the show, to make sure that you know, I was 0:05:45.400 --> 0:05:48.600 quote unquote keeping it real. Uh. But then the other thing, 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.600 but yeah, we did had a couple of changes of 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:57.680 our lead actor who played the role of Ray Ray Uh, 0:05:57.760 --> 0:06:01.200 he got cast into another TV show. And then we 0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:04.240 have another character who played the role of Robert Kennedy 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:08.719 who's a police commander. He had schedule shooting, uh, schedule 0:06:08.800 --> 0:06:11.320 conflicts and he had to and we and of course 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:14.440 when you're shooting on a time frame and the schedule, 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:16.600 you just have to kind of go into it and 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:19.120 get it done. So uh, you know, you get me 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:22.760 to the situation where uh you make the decisions that 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:27.360 you can uh and then sacrifice what you can keep 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:31.240 pressing forward, right, And like I said, there's nothing negative. 0:06:31.279 --> 0:06:33.240 I was just telling people about their business, you know, 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:35.960 like I said, we as change happening, and you have 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.839 to move forward and and recast with the best person 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:41.240 that's available to do that role. And you have a 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:44.560 very talented guy, so very talented people that you brought 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:46.440 on for the second season. And that's why I wanted 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:48.800 to let everybody know there are changes. And so if 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:51.120 your fans on the show and you've waked the premier episode, 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:53.960 because to my understanding, the episode has already aired and 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:58.080 I'm supposed to be in that episode, right, sir, That 0:06:58.360 --> 0:07:03.120 is correct? Correct? Uh. So, so when you watch the show, 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:05.440 if you haven't watched the show, what you'll find is 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:08.520 it's not just a narrative with characters who say dialogue. 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:13.600 For me, it was important that the show itself, uh 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:17.160 was not just my story, but the story of other 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:23.040 voices that also know and love Fifth Woard. So uh 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:25.760 at the beginning and the end of each episode, you 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:30.640 have a small interview with someone from the neighborhood who 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:36.120 gives their experience about what made or what makes Fifth 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:39.760 Ward special. And so we we try to make sure 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:46.160 that uh that is uh something that that. Of course, 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.840 I want to keep it engaged with the audience, but 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:52.040 also let the audience know that there's more than just 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:54.280 great card to telling this story about Pickle and the 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:57.560 neighborhood who we love. There's other people too that that 0:07:57.600 --> 0:08:00.640 are gaging the story. And wow, you know, I know 0:08:01.040 --> 0:08:03.480 we were. I was all I flew into town. I 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:05.840 remember a great call me, Richelle. I'd like you to 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:10.080 take this and it was more of an opportunity to 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:13.240 be a part of something special because I consider you 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:16.960 doing a project about a very important community within a 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:20.400 black community within Houston, Texas, a community that was that 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:23.560 I was born in the community that I pride myself. 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:26.440 I tell people from fear forth all the time. But 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:28.320 then we see the feel worth that you and I 0:08:28.360 --> 0:08:33.000 were born in. It's changing and and UH as they 0:08:33.040 --> 0:08:36.280 say the streets have gotten wider and white people are 0:08:36.280 --> 0:08:42.240 moving in. It's true not just for Fifth War, but 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:46.680 it's also true for a lot of communities, UH in 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:51.960 the UH throughout the United States. And what happens is 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:55.880 that you have these depressed home values, which means these 0:08:55.960 --> 0:09:00.920 areas of right for uh gentrification. And what gentrification is 0:09:00.920 --> 0:09:04.000 if people don't know, it's a process of where you're 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:08.320 slowly UH moving I guess in the simplest way, moving 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:15.560 the original residents out and culturally and sometimes uh racially, 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:20.320 changing the way the neighborhood is. UH. And so you know, 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:23.640 for me, if you look at what's happening in Los 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:28.280 Angeles where they're building build a brand football stadium in 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:30.400 the middle of the hood, are we going to the 0:09:31.880 --> 0:09:36.439 right there Inglewood? That is correct, happening in Englewood right now? Uh, 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:39.400 those you are listening, just let me just even expand 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:42.360 it They're not only only building a stadium, they built 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:46.360 a train system to go right up to it, so 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:49.920 you know they really vision. They've tore up all of 0:09:50.040 --> 0:09:53.439 Crenshaw to put this train line in this metro line, 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:55.880 and so that just you know, when they want to 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:59.280 make a change, they can make a significant change. And 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:02.280 when you do it, change like that. It affected the 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:05.880 black businesses that were along Crunchhall along the way, and 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:08.480 so that's what a lot of people understand say is 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:10.960 for the good, but also who you heard and create 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:14.160 this quote unquote good. And so that's what we're dealing 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:16.840 with in fifth Ward is that you know there are 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:18.800 people who are being moved up, but where are they 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:21.000 being moved out too? Because they can't afford to pay 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:23.720 the taxes, because that's why they do it. It's finally 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:27.240 here the season of celebration, and no matter how you 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:30.640 celebrate with family and friends, whether you're preparing for reys 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:34.760 magos or Karamu lighting the Manura, are going to midnight mass, 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:38.439 Coals has just what you need to make those traditions special. 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:41.880 Plus you'll find gifts for all your loved ones. 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Still living in one and manually taking notes, 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:54.079 start the new year with auto dot ai to generate 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:58.040 automatic notes for meetings, interviews, or lectures. With auto dot ai, 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:01.079 you can search the meeting notes in images, played back 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:03.440 the audio and share them with your friends or coworkers. 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:06.760 You can capture action items, remember meeting details, and keep 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:10.080 everyone informed. Auto dot ai works for in person or 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:13.560 virtual meetings like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. Sign 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:16.080 up for free at auto dit ai or download the 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:18.520 app for free auto dot ai. That's O T T 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:22.720 E R dot ai. Because you are bringing these these 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:25.680 better property values. Guess what taxes go up? Now the 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:29.080 person across the street, they can't pay that new tax, 0:12:29.120 --> 0:12:30.920 so that guess what. They are either forced into a 0:12:30.920 --> 0:12:34.000 homeless situation or they have to move out a neighborhood. 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:36.560 That and that's all the neighborhood they know. And that's 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:41.560 the tragic part about that process, isn't it right? Right? Oh? Absolutely? 0:12:41.720 --> 0:12:46.839 And uh is happening in Seattle? Uh is happening? Uh? 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:48.880 Like I was about to say, people who live in 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.800 New York, they just built a new basketball arena in Brooklyn. 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.880 That neighborhood is changing. So so these it's happening nationwide 0:12:56.480 --> 0:12:59.800 and in the last five or teen years is happening 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:04.800 an increasing pace, and so we have to fight for 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:09.280 our neighborhoods and so that we can have and keep 0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:13.880 the cultural representation that made the neighborhood great because when 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:16.400 the people come into many people come into the community, 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:19.840 what time with that. That's okay, no worries there. But 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:23.840 but we want we want the respect of the of 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:27.319 the of the neighborhood to be there. We want the 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.480 culture of the neighborhood to stay, you know, we want 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:34.280 all that to happen. Wow, now let's talk about this. 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:36.160 Let's get back to said I don't want to get 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:38.319 so social to forget that I brought you in this 0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:41.160 show because you're not gonna get to talking because we 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:44.000 because you're a texted NM grad, I'm a Universe Houston grad. 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:46.720 So you know, we've we've gotten out degrees. We you know, 0:13:46.760 --> 0:13:49.559 we have intelligence behind and not saying other people don't 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:51.920 have intelligence, but we both from Fifth War and so 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:53.920 we have a passion when we start talking about this. 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:57.719 But this series, some of your main characters Maya and 0:13:57.760 --> 0:14:00.920 my boy called Anthony Payne and all my Gooding and 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:04.600 Jaylen Mack talk about putting the cast together like this 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.079 and if you don't know Maya the former singer Seal, 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:09.400 I shouldn't jay former the singer Maya is one of 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:13.040 the lead characters in this particular problem. Gary Sturgis bringing 0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:15.640 all that casting together. My man called Anthon, who I 0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:18.680 love to death, and Omar Gooding I should work with 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:20.320 him on a Smart Guy back in the day on 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:23.360 w B. And so I know who you're working with 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:25.920 in Jayleen Mac. She's a She's one of the most 0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:31.080 famous attorney slash actresses in the game. Oh yeah, daily 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:35.480 look days. Sometimes I marvel how much Daily Mac does 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:37.800 in a day. I'm like daily, you being more to 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:40.360 day sometimes and some people doing a whole month. I 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:45.400 don't know how you do it. But the cast, uh, 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:47.760 you know. I'm the son of a Methodist minister, and 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:50.760 I feel like I was really blessed to have a 0:14:50.800 --> 0:14:54.560 cast such as Maya and Gary and Karl, Anthony, paying, Omar, 0:14:54.960 --> 0:14:59.480 original Ty Dorsey, Uh, Jayleen, all those people. And there's 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.600 so many terrific talented people who are from the Houston 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:06.200 area of local actors that come in. And what I 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:09.760 think it really was was that when people have opportunity 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:13.880 to read the script. The first draft of the season one, 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.760 episode one script. Uh, people will just drawn to the 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:21.160 characters because you know, we don't really have a lot 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.760 of stories that are urban that are told from the 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:27.400 perspective of, you know, residents in the neighborhood more. I think, 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:30.560 somehow another we came to the conclusion that that was past. 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:33.240 We wanted to be this, that and the other, but 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:39.960 we cannot forget our forgotten poor and are forgotten under 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:43.640 classes are with us. You know, I consider myself and 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.560 just as you, someone who picked ourselves from the from 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:50.080 the bootstrapt. But there we still have those neighborhoods there, 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:53.840 and it's important for us as individuals to make sure 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.400 that we give, give and inspire hope so that those 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:59.600 people can thrive and do well. And so you know, 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:02.840 thes are written from a perspective that they have a 0:16:03.000 --> 0:16:07.960 huge sense of hope and faith in them. And so, uh, 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:12.120 even even cards he played is playing the bad guy, 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:16.360 he still has that in his character where he is 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:20.400 trying to do things for the betterment, but he has 0:16:20.440 --> 0:16:22.680 his own way of doing it. And so I think 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:25.560 that's what I always wanted to do. I wanted to 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:30.760 make sure that uh we connected with UH with the 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:34.760 understanding that you know, when things are not the best 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:38.320 way they can be, you know you you can survive 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:40.960 and you can make it. But also show how people 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:44.760 were move in and we've through through life, maybe the 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:48.240 way that uh, you didn't do it, but maybe your 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:50.560 grandparents did it or your mother and father did it, 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.040 because people are still doing that today and I think 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:56.960 it's important to bring a spotlight to that journey. I'm 0:16:56.960 --> 0:17:01.880 talking to Great Carter, director, creator, exacutive producer. You know everything, 0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:04.480 he added, he does it all. That's what you do 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:06.919 when you when you're when you're learning. The reason the 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:09.000 reason I'm saying that because I gotta go back on us, 0:17:09.119 --> 0:17:11.120 but also if you want to catch this series fild War, 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:14.760 it's on UMC dot tv. It's as as a streaming 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.720 service and anywhere you find Netflix and Hulu, you can 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:20.840 find UMC dot tv and just go to the site 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.560 and find the fifth ward. This is a fantastic series. 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:26.040 It's in this second season. But let's go back in 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.600 our journey, all the way back to when I opened 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.000 a comedy club, hip hop comedy stop, and when you 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:34.200 were you was you know, all I heard was Gred Carter, 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:36.720 you gotta get a bad car because you were doing 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.119 all them. You thought, all the music videos in the 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:41.720 city of Houston next time, that's where you cut your teeth. 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:44.679 And we met a couple of times, but you know, 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:47.160 but we didn't meet enough because I was still trying 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:49.960 to build my brand and then eventually go back to 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:53.360 l A and started writing no sitcoms. But really it's 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:56.399 always a journey, and you got to start somewhere, and 0:17:56.400 --> 0:17:59.560 it started with you those early years when rap took 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:02.440 off to get all boards with just just just put 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:05.560 a put a face on the city of Houston music scene, 0:18:05.760 --> 0:18:07.840 and you was right at the heart of it. Brig. 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:14.520 It was funny because, uh, so when I went to college, 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:20.000 I was studying engineering and I had the chance to 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:22.560 study I had to take a couple of like this 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:27.280 and uh and I studied, uh screenplay writing. And it 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:29.040 was just so happened that there was a gentleman by 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:31.440 the name of Charles gold On who was a guest 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:34.600 lecturer at tech A and M. And once I had 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:38.159 my first taste of writing and directing, I was sold. 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:40.720 I was like, Yeah, this engineering degree is not gonna 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:42.159 be no good because I know what I want to 0:18:42.160 --> 0:18:46.600 do now. So then I from there and I went 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:50.000 to UH Rice University and I started taking UH in 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:53.479 the massive m f A program and started studying. And 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:56.960 so I knew when I came out that's what I 0:18:57.000 --> 0:18:59.840 wanted to do, and it was gonna be a situation 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:02.439 where Okay, I can need to pack up a go 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:06.000 to UH, you know, to Los Angeles and New York, 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:08.040 or either I can try to do something. So I 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:11.720 decided to write my first script and then hire myself 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.760 to produce and directed. And that was the eight cor 0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:17.080 in the genesis of how things started. And I always 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:21.880 tried to look at UH, you know, everybody's journey being 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:25.280 unique and different, including my own. So you know, I 0:19:25.600 --> 0:19:28.399 didn't long for Okay, I gotta go, I gotta go, 0:19:28.480 --> 0:19:31.000 I gotta get out of it. I just because I 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:33.760 at the time I was married and I was starting 0:19:33.760 --> 0:19:36.720 off with two kids, and I was just like, you 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:39.800 know what I can I can be a dad and 0:19:39.840 --> 0:19:42.600 do both. That proved to be a little difficult, but 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:46.600 you know, I still I still know that, you know, 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:52.480 with perseverance, you can find success. And so I always 0:19:52.560 --> 0:19:55.600 thought that, you know, once I got into the situation 0:19:55.760 --> 0:20:01.440 of actually trying to make UH content and and drive. 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:04.359 You know, we call it content now, but you just 0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:08.600 I'm shooting the movie. I do that. I always had 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:10.680 the Vivie know when I started off doing the music 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:13.760 videos and everything else, that the that the big prize 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:17.199 was doing movies and TV. And you know, fortunately for me, 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:20.080 I was I was at a time where it was 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:23.600 a much more open opportunity to do it than was 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:28.159 blockbuster videos everywhere, lots of companies making content UH and 0:20:28.240 --> 0:20:31.040 fill the shelves there. And so I was just in 0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:34.080 a very unique situation. And I feel blessed to do it. 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:37.480 And now, you know, it's funny because you look around 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:43.240 some you know, fifteen or twenty twenty five years later, whoa, 0:20:43.600 --> 0:20:46.600 I'm here. And so part of what I tried to 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:50.520 do as well is to realize that my journey just 0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:53.880 ain't all about me, It's about also helping people. So 0:20:54.040 --> 0:20:59.320 I also teach UH filmmaking at the University of Houston 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:02.680 UH in the Let's A School, And I also do 0:21:03.280 --> 0:21:07.280 UH also do different UH work with jay You mentioned 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:09.399 Jayleen Mac. I work with Mrs j Lee Mac. She 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:13.080 has a program called Impact a volunteer. They're working with kids. 0:21:13.080 --> 0:21:16.040 So it's an important part of, you know, just making 0:21:16.080 --> 0:21:21.399 sure that your legacy, like what you do is out there. Wow. 0:21:22.080 --> 0:21:25.280 He's uh, he's the Independence one of the Independent Spirit Award. 0:21:25.320 --> 0:21:28.200 He's been inducted into the Texas Filmmaker's Hall of Fame. 0:21:28.560 --> 0:21:30.840 He's on the show to talk about fearth Ward a 0:21:30.960 --> 0:21:32.919 serious as in the second season. You can reach it 0:21:32.960 --> 0:21:36.520 on u MC dot TV. Whenever they're in the streaming 0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:39.960 platforms like Hulu or Netflix, you can find it right 0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:41.800 there as well. I want Greg want to thank you 0:21:41.840 --> 0:21:43.760 for coming on the show, and thank you for putting 0:21:43.760 --> 0:21:46.240 me on your show. And again I want to help 0:21:46.240 --> 0:21:48.560 promote and this is just one project. I know when 0:21:48.560 --> 0:21:51.520 you have a future project. We've connected because you know 0:21:51.560 --> 0:21:54.920 when I when I look at our relationship that we've 0:21:55.000 --> 0:21:58.320 had started in Houston and we kind of like launched 0:21:58.320 --> 0:22:02.320 our careers simultaneously. And I was as a comedian and 0:22:02.359 --> 0:22:05.320 I eventually came a producer, writer and manager of talent, 0:22:05.400 --> 0:22:07.840 and and you started out as an engineer. My degree 0:22:07.880 --> 0:22:11.480 was mathematics, so we all started in a different direction, 0:22:11.560 --> 0:22:16.119 but creativity overwhelmed us and now we are content creators. Gregg, 0:22:16.200 --> 0:22:18.280 thank you for coming on my show. Money Making Conversations 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:21.880 Thank you so much for having great call, great call man, 0:22:21.920 --> 0:22:24.399 great conversation. If you want to hear more interviews with 0:22:24.520 --> 0:22:27.120 money Making Conversations, please go to money Making Conversations dot com. 0:22:27.400 --> 0:22:30.800 I'm with Sean McDonald. I'm your host. In this season 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:33.639