Paige McKenna - Documentary Filmmaking, "Seeds of Life", and "Gold" - Ep. #11

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What's up, friends?
Welcome back to Rooted

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Wisconsin, where we are
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sharing the stories of the
people who make Wisconsin home.

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When you think of a starting
point, what do you think of?

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I think maybe like my first
film, kind of getting that,

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like, out of the way, I guess.
Yeah, yeah, I don't know.

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Did you get a chance to watch it
or?

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Yeah, I checked out some of it.
Yeah.

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Super interesting concept.
I was just wondering, like, did

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that start from a place of
passion for you, or is that

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something like a story that fell
in your lap?

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Where did that come from?
Yeah, so I when I was in high

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school, I gave my phone number
to like at a after a church

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group.
We there was a guy like who had

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a little booth set up and he was
talking about mission trips to

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Haiti.
And I really wanted to go, but

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it was like 1200 dollars or
something.

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And I was, you know, in high
school and I just thought, well,

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you know, I'll just give him my
number if any, Like

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opportunities come up eventually
and like you know, don't have

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the money right now, but like
maybe eventually I will.

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And it was like 10 years later,
he called 10 years later. 10

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years.
Later and I like answered and I

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never answered the phone when I
like, don't know a number, but I

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answered it anyway for whatever
reason.

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And I was at working at Kohler
Company as a video producer and

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was kind of thrown off by the
call.

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And you know, he was like, do
you Remember Me?

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And I was like kind of, you
know, and it started coming back

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to me.
But he said, you know, I kept

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your number after all these
years.

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And we do have a open slot on
our next trip and it's paid for.

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Like someone had to back out.
So it was a trip to Haiti, paid

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for.
And I just immediately said yes

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and didn't really ask like
details, you know, like, when

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are we leaving?
How long will we be gone?

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I just was like, Yep, I will
totally do that.

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And he said, well, we leave in
two weeks and we'll be gone for

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two weeks.
And I thought, OK, I got to talk

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to my boss, I think, But yes,
like, buy me the ticket.

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And I did end up talking to my
boss right after.

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And, you know, I was contracted
at that time through Kohler, so

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I didn't get paid vacation.
And I thought, you know, I don't

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need, you know, to be paid for
two weeks or whatever.

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But he had said, like, your
contract doesn't allow you to

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take two weeks off.
And I said, well, then I'm

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putting my two weeks in.
It's like I have to go, like I

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can't pass up this opportunity.
So I had just gone on that trip

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just to like help build walls.
Like we were doing like a dental

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clinic kind of pop up thing.
And I had met Sister Maria

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through that trip and I like
immediately was just like this

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woman is amazing.
Like her story needs to be told.

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And so then I came back to the
States and, like, it changed my

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life, you know, just like seeing
the poverty over there and how

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much she's helping and what
she's doing and her mission.

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And so I fundraised for I think
like a year and then rented all

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kinds of gear and went over
there and shot for two weeks and

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then came back with a bunch of
footage that was in a foreign

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language.
And I'm like, I need to get this

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translated because I don't speak
either language.

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Like, did we get anything?
And so I sent that off to be

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translated and then I edited it
for.

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It took me about a year and it
was during COVID, so I had time.

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I was working as a bartender
during that time, so I had like

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a lot of free time during the
day and that that was like my

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full time job, so.
Yeah, I was wondering that as a,

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you know, creating a
documentary, I was just assuming

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you had like a translator there,
like telling you what they said

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because how do you know if
you're getting, how do you know

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the content is going to match
what you're looking for?

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It was terrifying.
Like I wrote questions and then

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I had a translator who was like,
there with me, but she didn't go

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to the shoots.
Like I was sent out on the back

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of a motorcycle with a man that
I couldn't, like, communicate

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with, and he was then doing the
interview.

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So my questions got translated
from English to Spanish or

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Portuguese and then from
Portuguese to French Creole.

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So like the translation twice.
And then, you know, I'm sitting

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like monitoring audio and
monitoring the camera and I'm

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like, OK, did he answer the
question?

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Did he ask the question?
Like, I I've never felt so

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stupid in my life, honestly.
Yeah, like and helpless, you

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know?
That's yeah, I think that's

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probably the best, the best
term.

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Like you can't ask a follow up
question.

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You have no idea what they said.
You don't know how you know

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that.
Had to be a creative trip on the

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back end when you got home to be
like, mash it all together and

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be like, how does this fit?
Yes, totally.

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So how long from when you were
there the first time until you

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went back to the film, the
documentary?

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Like what was the?
I think it was two years, OK.

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Yeah, I think I went in 2016, I
think for the first time and

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then 20, No, I went in 2018 and
then 2020.

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So I actually came back two
weeks before they shut down the

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airports for COVID, yeah, it was
like if I I mean and Haiti like

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shut down their country
basically.

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So like.
You could have a huge

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documentary if about two weeks.
Later still be there, Yeah.

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Like like a living documentary?
Not.

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You'd probably speak, you'd
speak the language.

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I would, yeah.
Yep.

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That's awesome.
It's a well life's happenstance,

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you know, saying yes when an
opportunity presents itself, you

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never know what it's going to
come of it.

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Yeah, Well, yeah.
And like just being

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uncomfortable too, you know,
Like, I felt helpless.

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I felt really out of my comfort
zone.

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But I think that's why I
continue to do these projects is

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like to get myself out of my
comfort zone, you know?

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And it I like that feeling
because I think it's important

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to feel uncomfortable a lot of
the times to test yourself and,

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you know, test yourself
creatively too.

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That's where so much personal
growth comes from.

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And when you reside in comfort,
the the boundary pushing stops

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too.
Oh.

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Yeah, for sure.
So maybe back up a little

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further.
What?

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How did your interest start?
Like you you didn't you.

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You must have had some idea of
creating a documentary at some

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point, or did it just like pop
into your mind when you were

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there?
Honestly, I think it's just

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popped into my mind like I went
to film school, but I was like,

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we didn't really have any, like,
documentary classes or anything.

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It was more like, you know,
narrative film, is that the

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word, narrative film, Like
drama, you know, like that sort

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of stuff where you write a
script.

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We had to screen writing classes
and then it was more like, now,

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you know, come up with this
story and then shoot at this,

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you know?
However, pick your shots and

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like, light everything really
nice.

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And that was like, cool for me.
But I was like, damn, this is

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like a lot of work, you know,
Like and for me, like my

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passions reside in like people's
stories and like the humanity

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of, you know, like how people,
you know, people have to walk 10

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miles to get water.
And I can just walk to my sink,

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like.
So I think, I I think when I was

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in Haiti, I was just like, OK, I
think this is like my life

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purpose is to, like make
documentaries and tell people's

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stories who may not have a voice
and, you know, like bring their

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stories to life and have my
experiences there.

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Kind of like I want people to
who if they can't physically go

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to Haiti, I mean, right now it's
like very dangerous.

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But if you can't go to Haiti,
like, at least watch this film

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and kind of, you know, hope that
they can understand kind of like

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what I went through, like like
bringing that experience to

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other people.
Yeah, I was wondering that too.

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Was Haiti in a little bit
different place when you were

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there and filming this?
Yeah, I mean it's like very,

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very dangerous now, sadly, like
the mission group that I went

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with, like they haven't gone I
think in like 2 years.

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Not only with the COVID stuff
that's still happening there,

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but like a lot of the, there's a
lot of violence and a lot of

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like kidnapping.
And like actually Maria, the

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woman who the documentary is
about, she has like a couple of

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like hits out on her.
So she has like a permanent

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bodyguard.
It's kind of a lot to get into,

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but it's basically like the two
countries don't get along, the

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Dominican and Haiti.
So they're like constantly at

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odds.
And like, if she's helping in

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Haiti, the Dominicans are like,
you know, well, she should help

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here.
She's helping in both countries.

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But it's just like AI don't know
generational, you know, the

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poverty there is just it it
changes people and it makes

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people, you know, do whatever
they need to do to to feed their

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families.
So it's really.

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Absolutely.
Humanity is a different thing as

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as poverty rises, humanity, just
humanity in general really

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adapts and changes and that like
the counter intuitiveness of

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that right.
Like she has this amazing skill

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set and not only that and drive
and.

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The patience, Yeah, yeah.
That was one of my one of my

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favorite parts of the
documentary so far.

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I can't remember verbatim how
they said it, but it was like

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she would find any excuse she
could to be outside.

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She finished like what?
It was like a five year program

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in two years or something and
everybody was like, how'd you do

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it?
And she's just like, likes it,

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yeah.
She didn't sleep.

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She wanted to be outside.
Yeah, yeah, I can see that.

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I can see how that you know some
that similar sentiment is some

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00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:07,080
reason why I started the podcast
is sharing people's stories and

224
00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,880
I can see that how like when you
come across stuff like that in

225
00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:15,160
life it's like people need to
know about this and and it's

226
00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,720
awesome that you have the skill
set to make it happen.

227
00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:18,520
Thank.
You.

228
00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,600
Yeah, yeah.
That's sweet.

229
00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:25,600
So film school but never thought
about documentaries Hadn't

230
00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,360
crossed your mind.
I actually, like, wanted to be

231
00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:34,120
an actress ever since I was 7.
So I was like, my parents were

232
00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,280
wonderful and supportive.
Like I was shocked, You know,

233
00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,720
looking back like as a 7 year
old, you know, like, OK, honey,

234
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,480
you're going to be an actress.
Like, but when I was 15, so like

235
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,520
basically throughout high
school, my mom and I would fly

236
00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,440
out to LA and like, I had an
acting coach out there.

237
00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,000
So I did a lot of camps and
things and like I was kind of

238
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:58,160
like immersed in like that world
from since I was like 14, I

239
00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,880
guess so.
But I decided acting was not for

240
00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,680
me.
And it's just like I like being

241
00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:05,240
on the other side of the camera,
you know?

242
00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:06,320
Sure.
Yeah.

243
00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,600
How did that happen?
How did you make that decision

244
00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,200
to say that it wasn't for you?
That I think that resonates with

245
00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,320
a lot of people.
We all had a all's, a all's a

246
00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:16,720
strong word.
It's all-encompassing.

247
00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:21,040
But most of us had a dream at
one time that it didn't happen,

248
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,800
and a lot of times it's for the
better.

249
00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,760
But the journey to get there and
make that decision is always so

250
00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,000
poignant and difficult.
So how did that happen for you?

251
00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:30,920
When did it?
Was it at one point in time or

252
00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:34,280
did it grow slowly?
That's a good I'm trying to

253
00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,800
remember.
I think it well.

254
00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:44,200
I think it was like I got really
into Wes Anderson films and I

255
00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:49,600
wanted to like have the control
of like the editing and like the

256
00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:54,280
directing process of that.
Not necessarily like, you know,

257
00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:58,680
I wanted to like create visual
things, I guess, rather than

258
00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,320
create like characters.
So I think it just kind of

259
00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,840
switched like during school and
I just kind of realized, you

260
00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:10,080
know, also, you know, everyone
in LA in that area was trying to

261
00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:12,720
be an actress or an actor.
So it was like, I just kind of

262
00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,000
like didn't give up on myself,
but I just kind of like tweaked

263
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,880
my dream a little bit to.
Yeah, adapt to what happens.

264
00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,040
So did you have like, did you
have like gigs?

265
00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:31,920
Did you act and stuff?
I had auditions, but I not, not

266
00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,040
while I was in college.
When I was in high school, I did

267
00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,640
auditions for like Disney
Channel stuff and like never got

268
00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,360
anything.
But it was still like awesome

269
00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,520
experience because it like, I
still remember that feeling of

270
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,360
like being terrified and walking
into a room of producers and

271
00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,480
being like, OK, now do your
monologue, you know, and hope I

272
00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:50,040
remember it.
But it.

273
00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,520
So I think like that helped me
grow up too and just like be

274
00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:58,120
more of like comfortable with
myself and like I helped with my

275
00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,560
confidence.
I think where people might think

276
00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,720
it like would do the opposite,
but it it helps, like you know,

277
00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:06,440
grow a pair and get out there
and do it.

278
00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:08,560
Absolutely.
Well and in that atmosphere,

279
00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:13,400
it's so competitive like there
and I would guess, I don't know,

280
00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,640
I've never been there, but I I
would assume that they're

281
00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,520
looking for a specific thing
that you don't know what it is.

282
00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:24,760
So it's completely out of your
control and you know all you can

283
00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,680
do is become resilient again,
growth from uncomfort maybe

284
00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:36,120
that's our theme today, Paige.
OK, so that switches then.

285
00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:40,240
And then you go to film school
and then it sounds like what

286
00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,320
what after that was the
corporate gig you went into?

287
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,560
After that I moved.
So I was dating a guy pretty

288
00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,000
seriously in LA after I
graduated.

289
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,960
So I like moved back home here
just to like I was just going to

290
00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,360
work at like a coffee shop and
like save up and move back to

291
00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:01,840
LA.
But I ended up getting a job at

292
00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,440
a local production company, like
kind of doing what I went to

293
00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,560
school for here.
So I was like, you know, this is

294
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,040
pretty cool.
I might, you know, stay, save up

295
00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:14,040
money and then eventually get
back out there and like, I'm

296
00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:14,800
still here.
So.

297
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,200
So it was a small production
company in town here and then

298
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,079
Kohler Company and then another
small production company.

299
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:28,480
So I kind of, you know, got my
feet wet and every like type of

300
00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,400
company business in town here
so.

301
00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,800
Yeah, before the before the 1st
documentary, Seeds of Life.

302
00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,240
Before that.
Had had you done any like have

303
00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,960
you, had you done passion
projects outside of like work or

304
00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,560
it was just focused on kind of
the day-to-day?

305
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:46,920
Yeah, it was just the
day-to-day.

306
00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,280
I I didn't really have a whole
lot of time.

307
00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,600
Like I traveled a lot for
Kohler, which was awesome.

308
00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,240
I really missed that.
But so I didn't have a whole lot

309
00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,200
of time free time to like do any
of that so.

310
00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,800
Yeah, I get that.
It was when I left my my

311
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,880
previous job in broadcasting.
I I figured I'd want to make

312
00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:13,280
content again sometime.
But the job that I took at that

313
00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,920
time and then that in
coordination with kind of being

314
00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,920
burned out from content, I
stopped for a while too.

315
00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:26,600
But it takes a lot of time to to
do creative things because it's

316
00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:31,920
it's often times well, like we
don't always have a story like

317
00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,480
that fall in our lap too, right?
Right.

318
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,360
And then it's like, OK, how do
you, how do you maneuver this

319
00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:40,800
around life, right?
Like you had to leave gainful

320
00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:45,200
employment and kind of take a
step in the scary direction.

321
00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:46,800
Yes, very.
Yeah.

322
00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:52,320
What's it like as you take a
step in, in that scary direction

323
00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:55,160
with filmmaking in particular,
what's it like?

324
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,160
It's an expensive thing to do
and and there's a bunch of like,

325
00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,480
fundraising you have to try.
What does that space even look

326
00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,040
like?
Like How do you how does that

327
00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:08,600
work?
Yeah, so I with the first film,

328
00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,360
I rented all of my gear and at
the end of it I was kind of

329
00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:14,160
like, well, I could have like
just bought most of this for

330
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:18,680
what I paid in rental.
So then this time IA buddy of

331
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:23,680
mine just like retired from like
doing wedding videography.

332
00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:28,280
So he sold me most of his stuff
for like a very like friend

333
00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:30,120
rate.
So I was just like this is

334
00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:31,280
amazing.
Like handshake.

335
00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:32,520
Thank you.
Though paying it off.

336
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:36,800
But yeah, but I was like, you
know, now I can actually, like

337
00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:42,200
have the freedom to like do my
own stuff, 'cause like, you

338
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:46,720
know, I would ask, I have to ask
a lot of favors because I didn't

339
00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,960
have all the gear that I needed
for like for the first one and

340
00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,520
even for this, this next film,
it was like, OK, I need someone

341
00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,200
with a camera, like, can I
borrow your camera, please, just

342
00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,120
for the weekend, you know?
Or like, can I borrow you and

343
00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:00,520
your camera?
Because I need to do the

344
00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,360
interviewing or whatever.
So I've just been really lucky

345
00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:08,040
having, like a support system
of, like, professionals, too,

346
00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:09,720
that have just volunteered their
time.

347
00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:14,720
So like if I I mean.
I haven't had to pay anyone,

348
00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:19,720
like, for their time.
But so this film, like I say,

349
00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,760
you know, my budget's like 10
grand, which people are like,

350
00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:23,640
what?
That's it.

351
00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,120
But it's like literally like,
I'm not paying myself.

352
00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:29,200
I'm not paying like my wonderful
crew.

353
00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:34,560
Like, it's literally just like
for music licensing for the

354
00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,000
gear, for meals.
Like, I like to feed people.

355
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,320
If I'm not paying them, we're
gonna go and have a meal.

356
00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,480
Yeah, So.
But when you have a crew of, you

357
00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,160
know, six people, it's like 250
bucks for a meal.

358
00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:50,280
And like, so things add up and
and gas, 'cause I'm traveling

359
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:54,400
now for for this film, so I I do
try to pay myself with gas money

360
00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:58,480
and and my crew with gas money.
So yeah, a bare minimum, but.

361
00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,240
Yeah, at least that's part one
part.

362
00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,360
With documentaries you don't
have some talent because that

363
00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:07,600
gets very expensive too.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

364
00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:15,320
So like the kind of the classic
like fundraising that we see,

365
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,520
like GoFundMe type stuff.
And Yep, I have a GoFundMe.

366
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,640
Yeah, this, this film's been a
little bit trickier to get

367
00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:29,000
funding for just because it is
like kind of a the subject

368
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,960
matter, you know, people either
are comfortable with it or

369
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:33,520
they're very uncomfortable with
it.

370
00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:38,880
So it I've seen like a lot of
support like from my friends and

371
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,000
which has been super, super
helpful and like my, you know,

372
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,200
like my the crew and the
community.

373
00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,760
But it is like it's been tough,
you know like the I've applied

374
00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:54,280
for a couple grants, I applied 2
local ones.

375
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,880
One of them I still might get
funding through, I have to touch

376
00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:04,000
base with them next month, but
the other one was not really

377
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,040
given an opportunity to like
plead my case.

378
00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:10,040
So it was kind of like but but I
kind of expected it going into

379
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:11,720
it.
It's a it's a tough ask for

380
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,440
sure.
Yeah, and we live in such APR

381
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,520
driven world that any time like
there it could scratch the

382
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:23,400
surface of like riling half the
masses funding.

383
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:28,200
It's funny our last one of our
last guests he does like

384
00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:33,160
waterway cleanup and he
contacted a couple like if he

385
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:38,080
cleans a lot of lures out of
local rivers and he contacted

386
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,360
the companies about like maybe
collaborating and and helping

387
00:22:41,360 --> 00:22:44,480
out and I told him I'm like I I
that's probably why you didn't

388
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,360
get a response because of the
negative PR that could come from

389
00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:51,200
that but it's such like a it's a
good thing right.

390
00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:57,520
And I think I don't know the the
the shininess or the the

391
00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:02,760
perceived shininess of PRI think
takes away from the authenticity

392
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,400
that I'm at least striving for
with my conversations.

393
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,880
Exactly.
So that's probably a good segue

394
00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,400
into it.
Let's talk about Gold, your next

395
00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,120
project.
How did the How did this one

396
00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:19,080
come about?
Yeah, this one, actually.

397
00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:23,960
I was approached by two of the
women who are in the film.

398
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:29,320
They came to Seeds of Life when
it showed the premiere back in

399
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,160
2021.
So they were at the premiere and

400
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,720
they kind of approached me
afterwards and said, you know,

401
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,200
we can't have a story for you.
Not sure if you're ready to do

402
00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:42,040
another one yet, but they kind
of, like pitched it to me and I

403
00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,240
was like, yeah, like totally.
This is what I want to do.

404
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,440
And I think like my, you know,
my theme for my films has been

405
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,440
giving a voice to people that
don't always have 1:00 and also

406
00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,000
female empowerment.
Like that's kind of the theme

407
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,680
and trajectory that I'm trying
to keep on.

408
00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:07,640
And it took probably a year to
to meet the club owner to kind

409
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:12,120
of like foster the relationships
with the women in the film.

410
00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:16,880
Just because you know from my
perspective if if I was in their

411
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,600
shoes and you know some chick
was coming in and I want to make

412
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,520
a movie about you and like well
what's your angle here?

413
00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,200
You know like are you going to
expose us like what's your.

414
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,160
And it.
So I'm grateful that it that

415
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:34,200
they were kind of you know
wondering about like like they

416
00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,560
were pretty hesitant which was
good I think and rightfully so

417
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:42,680
because it was.
I mean, not only are they being

418
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:46,560
vulnerable with their stories,
but it's also like some of them

419
00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:48,960
have family members that don't
know that they're dancers.

420
00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,760
And, you know, it was like all
this level of exposure that they

421
00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,840
really had to think about, Like,
do I want to, you know, put

422
00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,640
myself in this situation?
And like, I'm so grateful that,

423
00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:02,880
you know, the girls in the film
decided to be in it and like

424
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,200
share their stories because I
think, like it's such an

425
00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:10,040
interesting, it's such an
interesting, I guess, like

426
00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,280
career path that you could take
or you know, a job.

427
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,360
Like everyone's interested in
strippers like and it's a very,

428
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:25,880
there's a lot of levels to, you
know, a strip club and like the

429
00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,520
culture around it and stuff is
so interesting to me.

430
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,440
So I've been learning a lot.
Absolutely.

431
00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:37,360
So it was 2 dancers that
approached you and just wanted

432
00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:42,200
to tell the story of dancing.
So they are, they are current

433
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,720
dancers.
And so they said we have this

434
00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:51,760
club up in Iron Mountain area
called the Gold Nugget and it's

435
00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:53,360
in technically it's in Spread
Eagle.

436
00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:54,960
So I just think that's
hilarious.

437
00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:56,960
At first I was like, that's not
real.

438
00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:58,160
And they're like, yeah, it's
real.

439
00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:03,520
And they showed me on the map.
And so it the club is different

440
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,720
because it's run by a woman.
And she was a dancer in the 90s.

441
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:14,080
So she runs the club in a way
that empowers women and kind of

442
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:19,880
like, so let me back up.
She, when she was dancing in the

443
00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,440
90s, she saved up enough money
to leave her abusive husband.

444
00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:28,320
And that was kind of like the
story that, like hooked me was

445
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,440
like, well, yeah, like you can
make a lot of money, quick money

446
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:36,680
when you're dancing and like,
leave your abusive situations.

447
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:41,120
Cause like, so many women are
stuck in these situations that,

448
00:26:41,120 --> 00:26:43,800
you know, a lot of domestic
abuse, like there's a lot going

449
00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,400
on.
And if you're not financially,

450
00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,480
like, stable and independent,
you're kind of stuck.

451
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,240
So that's kind of what hooked me
into it.

452
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:56,000
Sure, so.
So they they found the story

453
00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,040
interesting of like her, and
then the rest is kind of coming

454
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,280
with it.
Yeah, and so they work for her.

455
00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:04,840
They work at that club, Sure.
Yeah, OK.

456
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:10,480
So you you mentioned like the
layers of what you know that

457
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:15,160
work is, and then there's also a
lot of layers around the people

458
00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,400
who who work there.
Where where are you at with like

459
00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:23,240
filming content?
Is all the content you have like

460
00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,360
done or are you still filming
content?

461
00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:27,000
Still filming?
Yeah, so.

462
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,520
You're right in the thick of.
Things right now, yeah.

463
00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,720
And I was so excited like I just
shot.

464
00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:39,520
So I've been trying to do like I
use my crew when I do like, you

465
00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,160
know, the the big interview.
So I sat down and talked with

466
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,720
the girls for I think it was
like an hour each at the club

467
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:49,840
and I had, you know, a crew of,
I think it was five of us.

468
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,920
And you know, in this industry
it's very like male dominated.

469
00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,600
So it was all men and me and you
know, the woman having a

470
00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:03,160
conversation kind of about like,
you know, like, you know, sexual

471
00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:05,520
abuse or what whatever, like
their past.

472
00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:10,280
So it was like a space that
maybe didn't feel so safe maybe

473
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:14,880
for either of us, just because I
love the the men that work with

474
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,320
me, but it's just like, you
know, there's still like a male

475
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:21,480
presence.
And so I wanted to go to have

476
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:26,360
that of course in the bag and
then travel to their homes,

477
00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:31,600
these women and just me and a
camera and kind of get more into

478
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:38,040
like the the weeds of like like
you know their past and their

479
00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:43,240
upbringing and just have a more
like comfortable and like just

480
00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,640
have them feel more comfortable
I guess and like telling me

481
00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,960
their story.
And so I just went up and shot

482
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,360
like a day in the life thing
with one of the girls on Sunday.

483
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,440
And I'm like so excited with
what the content that I've got

484
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:58,080
and it's very cool, very
exciting.

485
00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:02,000
Yeah, absolutely.
So is it kind of coming to life

486
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,520
that you're going to be like
paralleling their stories with

487
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,160
the owner's story type thing?
OK.

488
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:10,120
Yeah.
So I have about an hour of

489
00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,720
footage on a timeline right now
and I showed it to a very small

490
00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:15,920
group of like trusted people
recently.

491
00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,920
And just to get some feedback
because I'm so close to it now

492
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,640
or it's just like I don't.
Does this make sense?

493
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,760
Is this good?
And, you know, I'm moving some

494
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:31,080
things around now.
But yeah, it's all, it's like

495
00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:34,240
little offshoots of the the
women's stories, but it's still

496
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,760
like very much about, you know,
Dusty.

497
00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:39,840
And like Dusty is her name, the
owner of the club.

498
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,600
So it's still about, you know,
her and her journey and things

499
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:45,240
and.
Was she on board from the

500
00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,400
beginning?
No, I was going to say.

501
00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,200
Yeah, no, yeah.
It's like AI mean I I remember

502
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:55,080
having lunch with her the first
time I met her and she like,

503
00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,400
didn't really look at me like
the whole lunch.

504
00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:00,320
And I was just like, oh man,
this is going to be tough, you

505
00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,520
know, Like I try to be like an
open and like bubbly, welcoming

506
00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,080
person.
But it was just like, you know,

507
00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,200
I I felt pretty defeated after
that lunch because I was like, I

508
00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,480
don't know if she's going to be
like cool with this.

509
00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:18,760
The the younger girls were more
open from the beginning but

510
00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,280
still a little bit closed off.
Like it took, you know a year to

511
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:25,800
foster relationships with them
so and now they're honestly like

512
00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,360
my sisters and she dusty like
she's been amazing.

513
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,840
She did so good in her
interview, like so open and like

514
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:35,720
I yeah, I was very happy with
it.

515
00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:40,200
And you can like you can
speculate as to why, right.

516
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:43,560
Like we're we're talking about
the the nature of that industry

517
00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,200
and not looking at you might be
her guard, you know that's that

518
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:50,160
was her guard up at the time
feeling you out, you know.

519
00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:53,800
Having lunch.
But seeing if you're going to

520
00:30:53,800 --> 00:31:00,000
tell the story, I'm I'm guessing
that she would like told, you

521
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,200
know, because there's a lot of
stories just about that

522
00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:08,720
profession in general that
aren't all the times, the real

523
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,560
stories, I would assume.
And then in another way, like

524
00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:15,880
painted in a negative light and
I'm sure that's what she was

525
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:19,240
thinking, just another like, you
know, spotlight on all the bad

526
00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:21,320
instead of.
Because the the couple trailers

527
00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:25,800
that I've seen that you released
from it, it seems like the

528
00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,560
you're flipping that script.
It's the spotlight on the good

529
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,760
that can come from it if you use
it positively.

530
00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,040
Yeah, yeah.
And the empowerment, yeah.

531
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,560
Yeah.
Have you been like, were you

532
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:41,080
close to that environment at all
prior to these two approaching

533
00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:41,920
you?
No.

534
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,080
No, no.
I had never stepped foot in a

535
00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:50,200
strip club before this project.
And I actually grew up very in a

536
00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:52,200
very Catholic, conservative
household.

537
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:58,520
And so, you know, I have found
myself over the years, you know,

538
00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,560
now I'm very comfortable with
who I am and my choices and

539
00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:04,360
whatnot.
But yeah, my parents, like, are

540
00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,480
not happy that I'm doing this
story.

541
00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,120
And like, you know, it's like a
lot of, but personally, like,

542
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:12,480
like we were talking about
earlier being uncomfortable.

543
00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:17,440
I when I went to the Nugget for
the first time, I was just like,

544
00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,440
you know, because I went up
there I think twice before I

545
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,280
started filming anything just to
like, experience, you know, what

546
00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:26,920
that club was like and what the
customers were like and the

547
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,120
girls.
And I was so uncomfortable.

548
00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,840
I was just like drinking PBRS in
the corner, just like not

549
00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:34,840
looking at anyone.
Like, this is so crazy.

550
00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,240
I went by myself too, you know?
And it's just like, OK, who's

551
00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:39,760
this?
You know, Is she a dancer, too?

552
00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:44,560
You know?
But it I've become a lot more

553
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,800
comfortable with the club
atmospheres.

554
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:54,280
I recently went to another club
just to like, you know, see

555
00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:56,920
other clubs and atmospheres and
the girls and like how the

556
00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,720
rotations go and like what the
customers are like just for my

557
00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:05,360
own like research and things.
And yeah, I mean it's it's a

558
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:08,560
whole nother world.
And it like, I still get a

559
00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:13,440
little bit uncomfortable just
seeing like some of the how some

560
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,880
of the men like interact with
the women and it's, you know,

561
00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:19,560
part of me wants to like step in
and be like you can't treat her

562
00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:21,200
like that.
But then it's like, you know,

563
00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:26,360
OK, I gotta this is her job.
She's at work like she she is in

564
00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:30,640
control you know and that's like
a very that's a it's a cool

565
00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:35,280
thing for me to like understand
and see and like it's, I mean

566
00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:36,920
it's still a learning experience
for me.

567
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:38,640
Yeah.
So how long have you been

568
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:40,880
filming like in that, Like when
did you start?

569
00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:48,000
I started in April, so in April
we, I think it was in April.

570
00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:53,040
Yeah, we did like just like some
still photography up there for

571
00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,200
like the promotional footage and
stuff.

572
00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:58,400
And then I filmed most of the
trailers when I was up there in

573
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:02,720
April.
So yeah, it's I've, I think I've

574
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:07,000
been doing like about like a
shoot a month typically, or like

575
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,320
an interview a month.
How does how does working on a

576
00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:14,880
project like, like like that go
as far as like when do you know

577
00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:19,280
you have enough footage?
Like, 'cause you can probably, I

578
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,800
just kind of working through it,
like imagining myself in that

579
00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,760
you have to, like, open door
after door that you're like, OK,

580
00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,719
this needs to be explored, this
needs to be explored, and it can

581
00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,800
turn into like, this endless
project, right?

582
00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:35,280
Yeah, I keep saying this could
be a docu series like I have.

583
00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:40,480
I already have so much footage.
And, like, I keep finding these

584
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,239
rabbit holes, too, with like,
each of these women's stories

585
00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:47,120
where it's like, you know, they
have some sort of experiences

586
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:54,159
with like, you know, for
example, there's there was like,

587
00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:56,960
a recording that one of the
girls took recently and, like,

588
00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:59,320
showed me it and stuff.
And I was like, this is a whole

589
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:04,720
nother, like, you know, rabbit
hole of, like, the customers,

590
00:35:04,720 --> 00:35:07,480
you know, the customers that
come into the club, like what

591
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,040
they're dealing with.
And like, you know, there's just

592
00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:13,040
so many different angles that,
like, things could go.

593
00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,960
So I have to be very focused.
And, like, I actually have been

594
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,720
getting a lot of messages from
women who have worked at the

595
00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:22,040
Nugget saying, like, oh, you
know, I'd love to, like, share

596
00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:25,000
my story and stuff.
And it's been really hard for me

597
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:29,840
to to be like, you know, I can't
have 25 girls in this film.

598
00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:32,760
Like, I wish I could, but it's
just like then I'm going to

599
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:38,000
lose, you know, the I, then it,
then it becomes something that's

600
00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,520
like almost too chaotic, you
know, It has to be like a little

601
00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:47,480
bit more focused, so.
It that can probably get outside

602
00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,560
of the story you're trying to
tell, 'cause that can quickly

603
00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:52,800
that could become like soft
white, underbellyish.

604
00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:54,000
Have you seen soft white
underbelly?

605
00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:57,080
Yeah, and fascinating content
too.

606
00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:58,720
And you can do an awesome job
with it.

607
00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:01,560
But it doesn't seem exactly what
you're trying to do with this.

608
00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,640
Yeah.
So it's going to focus on 2

609
00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:09,200
dancers and the owner.
Yeah, two or two or three

610
00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:13,200
dancers.
It's yeah.

611
00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:17,280
And then I'm also trying to
there will be a man interviewed.

612
00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:22,200
He's the, the bouncer like
manager of the club and he's

613
00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,640
worked there for a long time.
So I I want that perspective

614
00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:29,600
cause like the themes that are
coming from this, which again

615
00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:32,960
documentary film making is kind
of like easy because it's just

616
00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:36,000
like well you know, it just
comes together and then it's

617
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,760
like, OK now I'm like finding
these themes and can pick out

618
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:41,600
like commonalities.
And a lot of it is like the

619
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:45,120
sisterhood that goes on at this
specific club, which I think is

620
00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:50,080
like amazing cause a lot of from
what the girls have said, a lot

621
00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:52,760
of other clubs like the women
are kind of pitted against each

622
00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:57,960
other and like there's a lot of
like jealousy and like cattiness

623
00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:00,120
and whatnot.
But at this club, like, they're

624
00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:04,200
all like best friends and
sisters and every like, That's

625
00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:08,920
also a theme throughout the film
too, is like the sisterhood that

626
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:12,240
they have and like they support
each other and like most of them

627
00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:17,000
are sober, which shocks me
because like I if I were to be a

628
00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,240
stripper, I would need to be
wasted, probably.

629
00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:22,840
But like they're, you know,
they're keeping each other

630
00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:25,000
accountable.
And like that's another

631
00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,360
beautiful part of like this club
in like the middle of nowhere,

632
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:30,640
like supporting everyone
supports each other.

633
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:33,480
It's so cool.
Yeah, leads me to a couple

634
00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:36,480
questions.
I had been thinking about one

635
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:40,760
being what or or have you.
You said you went to a couple

636
00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:45,360
other clubs to like contrast.
Have you had the chance to do

637
00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:51,840
that in depth or thoroughly
because like that being a woman

638
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,600
owned club, I'm assuming there
probably aren't many of those.

639
00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:56,640
That's just me making an
assumption.

640
00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:01,880
I have no idea, but that is
probably far outside the norm.

641
00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:03,400
Is.
Is that what you've found so

642
00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:06,400
far?
Yes, very outside the norm.

643
00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:11,200
There's in Dusty's interview, I
think.

644
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:12,960
I think it'll make the final cut
of the film.

645
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:18,240
But she talks about like, how,
you know, people will come in

646
00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:19,960
and they'll say, like, where's
the big man?

647
00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:24,120
And she's like, you're looking
at him, you know, like I'm the

648
00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,080
owner.
And, like, people are just

649
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,640
shocked constantly.
And like, even dancers that come

650
00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:31,800
and like dance for like there
for the first time, they're

651
00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:33,880
like, she's the owner, you know,
like.

652
00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,920
And I'm like, that's so cool.
It's badass.

653
00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:44,040
Yeah, yeah.
And then kind of along with that

654
00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:48,560
have being in that uncomfortable
environment like have have you

655
00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:51,320
run any into any like precarious
positions?

656
00:38:51,400 --> 00:39:01,800
Yet it's funny, there was the,
the club that I went to a little

657
00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:03,480
bit north, probably like 45
minutes.

658
00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:04,760
Can I say the name?
Is that fine?

659
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,040
OK.
I went to North Point, which is

660
00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:09,400
like right off the highway kind
of in.

661
00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:11,960
I think it's in Peshtigo,
technically.

662
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:16,160
But like, the girls had kind of
told me, like stories about that

663
00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:18,320
place and like how rough it is
and whatnot.

664
00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:22,560
And it was like tiny.
Like the club itself was very

665
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:26,000
small.
And you know, I walked in and

666
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,240
you know, of course I'm, like,
always, like the only woman at

667
00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,960
the club lose, not a dancer.
But the girls were all like

668
00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,640
talking to me, 'cause like, I
know that most of them.

669
00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:37,640
And like we were all.
Kind of.

670
00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:39,640
You had gotten to know most of
them just because they know what

671
00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:44,040
you do.
So yes, I guess, but the two

672
00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,840
girls who work at the Nugget
also work at North Point once in

673
00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:50,200
a while.
OK, so they were there that

674
00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:51,560
night.
So, like, they were introducing

675
00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:53,640
me to all the other girls and
stuff and like, telling them

676
00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,800
what we were doing.
And I just noticed that, like, a

677
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,120
lot of the guys were like, kind
of like, they seemed kind of

678
00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:04,000
pissed off because I was like,
taking the girl, you know, like

679
00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,960
the girl or I was distracting
them or whatever.

680
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:11,440
And it was like they wanted to
talk to them, but they were

681
00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:13,400
talking to me and stuff, which
was kind of funny.

682
00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:17,440
That was really, that's really
been the only, like, precarious

683
00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:20,040
thing I would say.
It was just like, dudes are

684
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,600
like, jealous that I'm there.
Something about the girls are

685
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:26,240
talking to me.
Yeah, Well, and they probably

686
00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:31,120
had a vested interest too in you
because with the other two girls

687
00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,880
working there, they, you said
you've been angled to see if you

688
00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:36,480
could have more in the
documentary.

689
00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:40,600
There's probably this whole
thing of like, they want to talk

690
00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:44,560
to you to see, you know, several
different angles you could think

691
00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:48,600
of.
Yeah, that's fascinating.

692
00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:53,160
So what, how would you say just
in this little bit of time your

693
00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:56,360
perception is shifted of what
you thought that atmosphere was

694
00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:58,680
like before you started shooting
to now where you at?

695
00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:02,800
Oh my gosh.
I mean, it's like totally

696
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:07,000
changed.
Like I from like, you know,

697
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:11,240
being so uncomfortable and like
you know, well there's also

698
00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:17,560
another like side of I think the
most fascinating part of all of

699
00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:21,080
this is like, you know, most
women have had some sort of

700
00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:24,360
sexual trauma in their lives.
It's just kind of how it goes.

701
00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,840
And you know, personally I have
also.

702
00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:34,400
And so being like, you know, at
A, at a place where women have

703
00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:38,840
walk around, you know, half nude
or nude when there's, you know,

704
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:43,200
strangers, strange men around,
it's like that to me is like

705
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:48,720
quite shocking and like, you
know, I wasn't like I was OK

706
00:41:48,720 --> 00:41:52,160
with it, but it it like hit me
differently I guess the first

707
00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:53,920
couple of times that I like saw
that.

708
00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:59,880
And so it's just been my own
personal growth of like working

709
00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:03,160
through my traumas through this
documentary too, which I didn't

710
00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:05,040
even realize that that was going
to happen.

711
00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:10,120
But it has been and like most of
the women say, you know, we have

712
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:14,440
had sexual trauma, but we do
this like we're on stage is like

713
00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,960
it empowers us because they can
just say no and mean no.

714
00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,200
You know, they if if they, if
there's a customer like

715
00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,040
bothering them, they'll just be
like, can you get this guy out

716
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:27,040
of here?
And like, he'll be thrown out.

717
00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:31,840
So it's like that like taking
control of like I can tell this

718
00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:34,520
guy no and it's going to mean no
like for for real.

719
00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:38,400
For real.
So that side was very like

720
00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:41,760
inspiring and eye opening for me
where I was just like wow,

721
00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:43,960
that's yeah, that's like a whole
different take.

722
00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,800
Like I wouldn't have assumed,
you know, I I don't think I

723
00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:50,880
could ever do it because But
then again, like if you look at

724
00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:55,200
it from that way, it's like well
that's very like inspiring.

725
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:59,600
And I thought it was like
backwards I guess at first, but

726
00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:04,320
now it makes like total sense.
So yeah, I've just been like,

727
00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:10,120
and yeah, I mean this, this
whole process has really helped

728
00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:14,360
me be more confident and like
figure out who I am too, like

729
00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:16,880
through all this because the
women are so supportive of me

730
00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:18,960
and I'm like so supportive of
that.

731
00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:23,600
So it's like this really cool.
Like, I'm growing a lot like,

732
00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:26,520
you know, personally too through
this whole process.

733
00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:33,160
That's so awesome.
So when you decided that this

734
00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:38,560
project was something that you'd
pursue, you mentioned your

735
00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:41,600
personal experience there was
that.

736
00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:44,680
Did that come into
consideration?

737
00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:46,680
Did it push you away from
wanting to do it?

738
00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:48,600
Did it make you want to explore
it?

739
00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:53,600
That had to be a trip in itself.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

740
00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:58,400
I think it pushed me away a
little bit from it because I was

741
00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:04,640
like, you know, don't really
want to like I'm I would

742
00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:07,560
consider myself pretty much
healed from that trauma.

743
00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:11,200
But like I wasn't sure what
would come up.

744
00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:13,920
You know, like especially like
being in a club.

745
00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:19,000
Just simply being in a club or
you know, seeing men look at

746
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:23,560
women in that sort of way, you
know, like, but it ended up

747
00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:29,320
being like even more healing, I
guess, just because it again

748
00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:31,280
pushed me out of my comfort
comfort zone.

749
00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:34,400
But I also knew that I was safe,
you know, the whole time too

750
00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:38,040
that I was like there and like
you know I'm in control and and

751
00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:40,600
that.
So it ended up being, like, very

752
00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:45,440
helpful with like pushing myself
to, you know, deal with the

753
00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:49,960
uncomfortableness and like grow
and heal.

754
00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:55,680
Absolutely, Yeah.
And that's that could be another

755
00:44:57,640 --> 00:44:59,960
intended or not however you
decide to do it.

756
00:45:00,240 --> 00:45:06,320
Another outcome of the project
in general because I'm sure

757
00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:11,600
there's so many dancers all
across the world that are in

758
00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:17,000
different places on that
spectrum of healing compared to

759
00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,240
what's happening.
Because I mean you're right I I

760
00:45:19,240 --> 00:45:24,560
think you mentioned it earlier
but the the stats on like women

761
00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:28,280
who have experienced that those
situations are insane.

762
00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:35,440
So, and I'm sure there's some
sort of whatever you want to

763
00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:37,720
call it there.
There's a certain amount of

764
00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:42,040
dancers who that's one of the
primary reasons they do what

765
00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:44,160
they do.
I think So.

766
00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:48,920
Like that spectrum of healing,
if you can move that needle in a

767
00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:53,520
way, is so so like deep.
Yeah, yeah, it really is.

768
00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:58,120
And I think, like, it can go the
other way too, which like I

769
00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:02,160
haven't personally seen, you
know, or met any of the any

770
00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:03,960
girls that like go the other
way.

771
00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:08,000
But it could also be like, you
know, a little bit could be very

772
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:10,000
triggering.
And then you know, you could

773
00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:15,560
kind of spiral the other way
too, which is like very sad and

774
00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:18,680
like I would hope that that
doesn't happen often, but it

775
00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:21,400
could, I could, I could see, you
know, myself doing something

776
00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:22,240
like that.
So.

777
00:46:22,720 --> 00:46:23,560
Absolutely.
Yeah.

778
00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:27,240
Towards the negative side and
that's some you know hearing the

779
00:46:27,240 --> 00:46:30,720
situation that you're you're
sharing that's probably one of

780
00:46:30,720 --> 00:46:34,920
the beauties of that environment
is we find we find well yeah I

781
00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,320
mean you're finding comforting
community with people that you

782
00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:40,960
didn't know you would we all
find comforting community and

783
00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:45,360
when you have those things in
place different support systems

784
00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:49,560
it's more likely to go upwards
instead of downwards.

785
00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:52,880
Similar to the we were talking
about poverty earlier same

786
00:46:52,880 --> 00:47:00,040
concept when you know things we
can often push things in a

787
00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:03,240
different direction but we're
either fighting a force or going

788
00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:04,200
along with it.
Right.

789
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:07,920
And we don't always have control
over which one of those things

790
00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:10,680
it is.
Do you find that heavy?

791
00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:14,040
Do you, do you find that heavy?
Do you find it to be any type

792
00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:19,760
of, any type of burden or weight
on your shoulders?

793
00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:24,960
When you think about how you're
trying to share a story, what

794
00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:27,440
what else does that do you carry
with that?

795
00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:29,560
Do you feel a certain weight
with that?

796
00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:31,720
Yeah, huge.
Like, I feel like a huge

797
00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:35,360
responsibility to like, protect
the girls.

798
00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:37,880
You know, like, I don't ever
want to put anything in the film

799
00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:39,920
that's going to make them
uncomfortable or that, you know,

800
00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:42,400
like, is going to compromise
their safety.

801
00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:49,080
And I think that, you know, it's
such a touchy subject because

802
00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:53,080
people have such a preconceived
notion that, like all of the

803
00:47:53,200 --> 00:47:56,120
strippers are drug addicts and
they have daddy issues and

804
00:47:56,120 --> 00:48:00,200
traumas and all this stuff.
But it's like, well, I mean, we

805
00:48:00,200 --> 00:48:02,200
all kind of do like we all have
our.

806
00:48:02,240 --> 00:48:05,840
We all have stuff in our in our,
in our, you know, tank or.

807
00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:07,600
Whatever.
Yeah, Yeah, exactly.

808
00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:12,520
And a lot of it's messy and it's
just like, I don't want to like,

809
00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:17,760
like dwell on the negative, you
know, of like a lot of the

810
00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,040
traumas and whatnot that these
women have gone through, But

811
00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:23,480
their stories are their stories.
So it is like, I do have to

812
00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:26,680
include some of the, like,
gnarly details just to like

813
00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:30,400
tell, you know, tell their story
and who they are.

814
00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:34,240
And it's like, it's easy
because, like, they have been so

815
00:48:34,240 --> 00:48:37,120
honest and open with me.
But also like on the back end,

816
00:48:37,120 --> 00:48:39,960
I'm just like, I hope I'm doing
these girls proud because like,

817
00:48:41,120 --> 00:48:44,560
you know, it's a lot to sort
through and it's a lot to I I

818
00:48:44,560 --> 00:48:48,320
just come at it of a like, I
come at this whole project from

819
00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:52,160
a place of like, my heart is
like on the table all the time.

820
00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:56,920
And it's just like, I just want
to tell their stories from like

821
00:48:56,920 --> 00:49:00,840
the best place that I can.
So I just, I think it's just

822
00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:03,040
through love.
It'll all like come together and

823
00:49:04,080 --> 00:49:05,400
love and support.
Yeah.

824
00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:08,480
Yeah.
So going back to that question

825
00:49:08,480 --> 00:49:13,640
about pushing you away or
bringing you to it, did it

826
00:49:14,120 --> 00:49:21,240
along, you know thus far in the
process has it helped in your in

827
00:49:21,240 --> 00:49:24,920
your journey like would you say
it's it's been a net positive

828
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:27,560
for you?
Totally, Yeah.

829
00:49:27,560 --> 00:49:30,880
Like, unexpectedly too.
You know, like, I've actually in

830
00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:34,720
my, like, personal life too.
I've just learned to, like, set

831
00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:39,120
boundaries and kind of like
it's, it's weird.

832
00:49:39,120 --> 00:49:42,600
It's like been a trickle effect.
Like it's just like it started

833
00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:45,960
as like, you know, healing more
from my sexual trauma through

834
00:49:45,960 --> 00:49:49,280
all of this.
And then the sisterhood and

835
00:49:49,280 --> 00:49:54,960
then, you know, just like, like
not really caring what people

836
00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:58,400
think, I guess, too, which has
been like, I'm a people pleaser.

837
00:49:58,400 --> 00:50:02,600
I've always been that way.
And like, for whatever reason,

838
00:50:02,600 --> 00:50:05,880
something's clicking.
And it's just kind of like, it

839
00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:09,000
might just be the subject matter
being so taboo or whatever

840
00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:13,800
people want to say about it.
But I've just been like, yeah,

841
00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:17,520
setting boundaries and like
figuring out like, you know, who

842
00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:22,080
I want to surround myself with
and the support system that that

843
00:50:22,080 --> 00:50:26,480
I do have from my chosen family
of like, my friends have been

844
00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:30,480
like very, very supportive.
And it's just been like helpful

845
00:50:30,480 --> 00:50:35,360
because I don't have, Yeah, I
mean my family hasn't been like

846
00:50:35,360 --> 00:50:37,600
the most supportive.
So that's been a little tough

847
00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:44,240
like just, but also like it's
been good because then I can set

848
00:50:44,240 --> 00:50:47,800
boundaries and figure out those
relationships and like how to

849
00:50:47,920 --> 00:50:52,560
have them I guess.
Yeah, a lot of things in there.

850
00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:55,960
Freeing in a way, right?
Overall that that feeling is

851
00:50:55,960 --> 00:51:01,240
freeing.
I don't want to dig too far, so

852
00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:05,760
feel free to go wherever you
want, but that that seems kind

853
00:51:05,760 --> 00:51:10,560
of ironic isn't the word.
It seems maybe unexpected

854
00:51:10,560 --> 00:51:13,800
because you mentioned that like
you had a very, very supportive

855
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:19,120
family of your dreams early on
and then something content

856
00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:22,480
related can turn the turn the
tides a little bit.

857
00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:28,840
Yeah, I think it's not it's
content related, but it's also

858
00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:33,040
like I just like fell away from
the faith a couple of years ago

859
00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:38,520
and haven't really looked back
and I think that that really

860
00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:42,960
disappointed them.
So that's been like one of the

861
00:51:42,960 --> 00:51:47,360
things that has been a struggle
for us, like to try to find, you

862
00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:51,560
know, a common ground and like
to not feel like a constant

863
00:51:51,560 --> 00:51:53,320
disappointment to them and
stuff.

864
00:51:53,320 --> 00:52:01,680
But yeah, I I think that kind
of, you know, I I found myself

865
00:52:01,680 --> 00:52:07,400
more in my later 20s and now
that I'm 32, it's like I feel

866
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:10,480
very confident with who I am and
I'm happy with who I am and like

867
00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:12,880
love myself and it's well, I'm
getting there.

868
00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:17,560
But it's it's just been like I
wish that they could just kind

869
00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:22,120
of like, you know support no
matter what and it just hasn't

870
00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:26,640
been happening.
So it's, yeah, just like finding

871
00:52:26,640 --> 00:52:29,960
a new relationship with my
parents, I guess, at this age,

872
00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:32,440
in this point in my life.
Yeah, yeah.

873
00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:34,320
Appreciate you sharing.
Yeah.

874
00:52:35,040 --> 00:52:38,400
Yeah.
And there's probably that's

875
00:52:38,400 --> 00:52:41,200
probably some of the some of the
comforting community right once

876
00:52:41,200 --> 00:52:44,480
you start having these
conversations with with others

877
00:52:44,920 --> 00:52:49,120
at a deeper level right Because
you that's not somewhere we

878
00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:51,880
often get to especially with
strangers.

879
00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:53,680
Right.
And I I wish we could more

880
00:52:53,680 --> 00:52:58,320
because there there's so much
value in sharing authentic

881
00:52:58,320 --> 00:53:03,800
humanity and that you're
probably you have a front row

882
00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:07,960
seat right now to all of those
conversations and that has to be

883
00:53:07,960 --> 00:53:10,760
awesome.
Yes, yes it is.

884
00:53:12,400 --> 00:53:16,080
Yeah, yeah.
So thinking about that, what is

885
00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:19,080
the what, what kind of timeline
are you on?

886
00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:21,720
Like, how do you know when this
thing is ready to go?

887
00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:27,680
Yeah, well, with my first film,
I honestly like, had to schedule

888
00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:30,880
the premiere before I finished
the film because I was like, if

889
00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:33,400
I don't give myself a deadline,
like a hard deadline.

890
00:53:33,400 --> 00:53:36,880
You're a deadline.
Person and I'm a procrastinator,

891
00:53:37,200 --> 00:53:40,560
so I think I was like editing.
I was changing things up till

892
00:53:40,560 --> 00:53:42,880
like 2 hours before, like the
premiere.

893
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:45,840
Yeah, 'cause I was just like,
this has got to change.

894
00:53:45,840 --> 00:53:47,360
This has got to change.
But you know, when you're

895
00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:49,600
working on like art or
something, it's like it's never

896
00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:51,000
done.
How do you know it's done?

897
00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:55,560
So I don't know if I'll ever
know, like when it's done, I

898
00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:58,960
think I'll just get to a point
where I'll be like, OK, like, I

899
00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:00,920
need to put this out there to
the world.

900
00:54:00,920 --> 00:54:02,960
So I need to schedule a premiere
and then I'll still be like

901
00:54:02,960 --> 00:54:04,760
feverishly editing 2 hours
before.

902
00:54:05,360 --> 00:54:09,440
That is mind blowing to me.
You edited something 2 hours

903
00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:14,960
before it premiered, Yeah.
But, like, yeah.

904
00:54:14,960 --> 00:54:16,840
And then, of course, you know,
I'm sitting there at the back of

905
00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:20,240
the theater or whatever, just
like, Oh my God, I want to

906
00:54:20,240 --> 00:54:21,400
change.
I should change that.

907
00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:23,280
Oh my gosh.
You know, no one noticed

908
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:24,680
anything.
Like, everyone was like, oh,

909
00:54:24,680 --> 00:54:26,040
it's fantastic.
It's great.

910
00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:28,080
And then I was just like, OK,
then I'm then I'm done.

911
00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:30,360
Like, I'm just going to be too
critical of my stuff.

912
00:54:30,360 --> 00:54:37,320
So I'm hoping to have everything
filmed before March.

913
00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:41,400
And then I'm hoping to premiere
like late spring summer.

914
00:54:41,840 --> 00:54:42,920
Okay.
So.

915
00:54:43,920 --> 00:54:45,680
So you're beginning to set that
deadline.

916
00:54:45,680 --> 00:54:47,880
Under yourself, Yes, I.
Am I love it?

917
00:54:47,880 --> 00:54:50,800
A really good friend of mine
calls it being pressure

918
00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:52,720
motivated.
Yeah, yeah, He says.

919
00:54:52,720 --> 00:54:55,040
He's very good at being pressure
motivated because he's a

920
00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:55,880
procrastinator.
Too.

921
00:54:57,600 --> 00:55:01,360
And that's I think I can
empathize with that too.

922
00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:05,560
The the combination of being a
bit of a procrastinator and then

923
00:55:05,560 --> 00:55:07,760
also a perfectionist at the same
time.

924
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:13,040
Another friend of mine calls
herself a recovering

925
00:55:13,040 --> 00:55:15,560
perfectionist.
And I think there's a lot of

926
00:55:15,560 --> 00:55:18,600
value in that, right, Especially
in the creative realm.

927
00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:21,200
Because we were talking before
we came on.

928
00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:22,960
You asked me some of the
mistakes that had happened with

929
00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:25,960
the podcast.
And similarly, I have one that

930
00:55:25,960 --> 00:55:28,560
drives me nuts.
But no one would ever tell to

931
00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:30,280
the person they they, they don't
even know.

932
00:55:30,800 --> 00:55:36,240
And you know, that has to happen
consistently, right?

933
00:55:36,600 --> 00:55:39,440
One thing I you know, this leads
me to a question.

934
00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:46,240
You have to have so much footage
that you you get.

935
00:55:47,160 --> 00:55:52,560
How do you pair that down into
what you're going to use?

936
00:55:52,560 --> 00:55:56,160
What's your process?
Because like you, it has to be,

937
00:55:56,320 --> 00:55:57,560
right?
You have to it.

938
00:55:57,560 --> 00:56:01,160
Like there has to be some level
of organization to it where you

939
00:56:01,240 --> 00:56:05,920
you jot down times when things
that are gold are gonna go in.

940
00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:08,320
But what does that look like for
you?

941
00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:11,920
How do you, how do you take all
of that footage and plan what

942
00:56:11,920 --> 00:56:14,480
you're trying to get out of it?
And then it, I'm sure it ends up

943
00:56:14,480 --> 00:56:18,640
being not what you planned.
And then how do you turn that

944
00:56:18,640 --> 00:56:23,640
into, you know, whatever, 50
hours of footage into a one hour

945
00:56:23,640 --> 00:56:25,040
documentary?
How'd that happen to you?

946
00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:26,400
First one?
How's it going with this one?

947
00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:28,880
How do you plan it?
Yeah, well it's funny because

948
00:56:29,680 --> 00:56:35,640
when I for my my salary job, my
day-to-day job, I'm an editor

949
00:56:35,640 --> 00:56:39,640
mostly.
So I work closely with another

950
00:56:39,640 --> 00:56:42,320
editor.
So there's two of three of us

951
00:56:42,320 --> 00:56:46,040
total at the company Shift
Visuals and two of us edit.

952
00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:50,160
So like in any given situation
like we might need to jump into

953
00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:53,240
each other's projects.
So like we have the same like

954
00:56:53,320 --> 00:56:54,960
you know we're going to sub clip
everything.

955
00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:59,800
So it's like you take bits from
the interview and then you just

956
00:56:59,800 --> 00:57:03,320
like write yourself notes on it
like you can do it on the clip

957
00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:05,200
itself.
So you just say, you know, like

958
00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:09,440
they said this and whatever and
then you can like it's very

959
00:57:09,440 --> 00:57:13,080
organized.
That is not the case with like

960
00:57:13,080 --> 00:57:17,440
my personal stuff.
I literally just go through like

961
00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:21,480
I put the entire interview on a
timeline and then I will cut

962
00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:25,120
like my voice out of everything.
So like, I'll just listen to

963
00:57:25,120 --> 00:57:28,680
like the answers.
And then if I think that it will

964
00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:31,680
fit in somewhere to the film, I
like just move it up a little

965
00:57:31,680 --> 00:57:36,440
bit And then like, so then I
just take all this like pieces

966
00:57:36,440 --> 00:57:39,080
that are moved up and then I
just transfer them to another

967
00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:41,760
timeline.
And then I go through and I

968
00:57:41,800 --> 00:57:44,240
think like, OK, now I got to
organize this, but like

969
00:57:44,240 --> 00:57:48,120
nothing's labeled.
So you know, I I get too

970
00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:50,560
excited.
I think about like getting stuff

971
00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:54,480
together that I kind of bypassed
the whole organization part and

972
00:57:54,480 --> 00:57:58,080
sometimes I get burned later on.
But so far it's been OK.

973
00:57:58,560 --> 00:58:02,560
That's what drives your passion.
Other than lining up the audio

974
00:58:02,560 --> 00:58:05,080
that's been it's been a journey,
yeah.

975
00:58:05,720 --> 00:58:07,520
I could see that.
I could see because you come

976
00:58:07,520 --> 00:58:12,040
across like, oh this, this 45
seconds is fantastic, but how

977
00:58:12,040 --> 00:58:14,200
does it fit in?
Oh, this 30 seconds is great.

978
00:58:14,560 --> 00:58:16,560
And I was trying to picture that
in my mind.

979
00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:19,800
Like, you know, since we started
talking about being on the show

980
00:58:19,800 --> 00:58:23,920
and everything, I was thinking
about how that would that would

981
00:58:23,920 --> 00:58:26,520
like.
I'd have to figure out how to do

982
00:58:26,520 --> 00:58:30,480
that because like, me too, it
would be messy and I would have

983
00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:33,000
things everywhere and I'd get
excited in the moment.

984
00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:36,280
I'd have a big pile of things
that like, oh goodness, now how

985
00:58:36,280 --> 00:58:38,880
does that go in a line?
Yeah, yeah.

986
00:58:39,120 --> 00:58:43,560
Does it help doing the having
the first one done or is the

987
00:58:43,560 --> 00:58:45,800
process way different?
It's way different, honestly,

988
00:58:45,800 --> 00:58:49,280
just because it's in English.
This one's in English, the

989
00:58:49,280 --> 00:58:51,240
other, the other one was a
foreign language.

990
00:58:51,240 --> 00:58:54,400
So that whole editing process
was like totally different

991
00:58:54,840 --> 00:58:58,960
because I had, you know, my
translation document up and then

992
00:58:58,960 --> 00:59:03,280
I had time code.
So I literally just kind of cut

993
00:59:03,680 --> 00:59:07,280
like I would just cut and drag.
Like it wasn't, I wasn't like

994
00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:11,800
second guessing like whoa, you
know, do I have like another way

995
00:59:11,800 --> 00:59:14,320
that she said this or he said
this, you know, But it's just

996
00:59:14,320 --> 00:59:16,120
like, oh, well, that's what that
is.

997
00:59:16,120 --> 00:59:17,440
And I'm going to slide it in
there.

998
00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:21,880
So it's it's a different,
different process for sure,

999
00:59:21,880 --> 00:59:25,680
'cause like now I'm looking for
more like, you know, inflections

1000
00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:31,680
and tones and things and like.
But, you know, it's hard for me

1001
00:59:31,680 --> 00:59:38,000
to like cut things out to where
like I'll just put like way too

1002
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:41,560
much of this, like kind of the
same story or like too much of

1003
00:59:41,560 --> 00:59:43,720
the same way that someone said
something.

1004
00:59:44,320 --> 00:59:46,840
And it isn't until like I, you
know, I showed my small group of

1005
00:59:46,840 --> 00:59:49,640
friends and they were like, oh,
well, she said that like twice,

1006
00:59:49,680 --> 00:59:51,920
Like you don't need that other
part in there.

1007
00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:54,160
And I was like, Oh yeah, that's
true.

1008
00:59:54,200 --> 00:59:57,480
You know, I just, I'm like a
more information rather than

1009
00:59:57,480 --> 00:59:59,160
less.
And I need to like.

1010
00:59:59,160 --> 01:00:00,880
That's one thing I'm trying to
work on.

1011
01:00:00,880 --> 01:00:03,960
Is like just.
Cutting more stuff that like is

1012
01:00:03,960 --> 01:00:06,320
fluff I guess out of things.
Yeah.

1013
01:00:06,800 --> 01:00:10,680
Is it invigorating to have a
passion project going when you

1014
01:00:10,680 --> 01:00:13,720
do it day-to-day too?
Yeah, it's funny, 'cause when I

1015
01:00:13,720 --> 01:00:16,720
listen to your and Maddie
Maddie's conversation, you guys

1016
01:00:16,720 --> 01:00:19,680
talked about this and it's like
I was thinking about that.

1017
01:00:20,840 --> 01:00:25,720
I mean it's tough like some days
I'm like, I don't wanna, you

1018
01:00:25,720 --> 01:00:29,880
know, sit at a computer and edit
into the night and like be doing

1019
01:00:29,880 --> 01:00:36,960
this.
But I think like, because it's

1020
01:00:36,960 --> 01:00:40,840
such a path, like I'm so
passionate about this one that

1021
01:00:40,840 --> 01:00:43,880
it's like it really, I'm excited
to look through footage like it

1022
01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:47,120
doesn't feel like work.
Like, I it's, I don't know it's

1023
01:00:47,120 --> 01:00:49,400
hard to explain.
It's almost like a like out of

1024
01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:52,320
body experience sometimes
because I'm like oh man, like

1025
01:00:53,160 --> 01:00:55,800
have I been sitting for three
hours now Like, you know, I need

1026
01:00:55,800 --> 01:00:59,560
to get up and walk around
because like it's, yeah, it is

1027
01:00:59,560 --> 01:01:03,000
time consuming, but it's also
like it consumes me totally.

1028
01:01:03,520 --> 01:01:06,560
And I haven't felt burned out at
all, knock on wood.

1029
01:01:06,840 --> 01:01:08,960
That's awesome.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1030
01:01:08,960 --> 01:01:12,320
We did talk about that because
like in that conversation and

1031
01:01:12,320 --> 01:01:15,560
now again when I hear that I I
put my, I try to put myself back

1032
01:01:15,560 --> 01:01:19,320
in the shoes of like, you know,
40 hours a week making content.

1033
01:01:19,320 --> 01:01:25,040
And then would I have started a
podcast at that time And as you

1034
01:01:25,040 --> 01:01:28,760
know, conversations tell me yes,
that I'm getting to have with

1035
01:01:28,760 --> 01:01:32,680
awesome people tell me yes.
But I don't know if my drive

1036
01:01:32,680 --> 01:01:35,560
would have let it happen because
it's like I I I don't know.

1037
01:01:35,760 --> 01:01:38,920
I felt like I needed time away.
But that's awesome to hear that

1038
01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:42,240
it still is an escape.
Even you're doing the same, you

1039
01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:44,520
know the same clicks.
Yeah, right, right.

1040
01:01:44,560 --> 01:01:45,440
Exactly.
Yeah.

1041
01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:48,760
Yeah.
And like, I mean, my, my, my

1042
01:01:48,760 --> 01:01:52,080
bosses have been amazing, too.
Like if we don't have, you know,

1043
01:01:52,280 --> 01:01:54,960
a whole lot going on, like
they're like just work on your

1044
01:01:55,080 --> 01:01:57,480
stuff because you're still like
working on your skills and

1045
01:01:57,480 --> 01:02:00,520
perfecting your skills and
whatnot and learning new things

1046
01:02:00,520 --> 01:02:02,400
and yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.

1047
01:02:02,800 --> 01:02:04,680
So they're they're supportive of
the X.

1048
01:02:04,840 --> 01:02:07,440
That's 100% key.
That's awesome.

1049
01:02:07,560 --> 01:02:09,440
Yeah.
So they've helped like shoot it.

1050
01:02:09,440 --> 01:02:12,880
And they've helped with audio
and stuff and like graphics,

1051
01:02:12,880 --> 01:02:14,280
because I'm not a graphics
person.

1052
01:02:14,280 --> 01:02:17,840
So they'll help with graphics.
And yeah, it's like amazing that

1053
01:02:17,840 --> 01:02:19,720
they're supportive.
Yeah.

1054
01:02:20,680 --> 01:02:28,880
So now, when you think of it
from film school until now, what

1055
01:02:28,880 --> 01:02:34,600
what is your reaction to where
you've gotten to?

1056
01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:46,240
It's interesting.
So like film school, I I loved

1057
01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:48,400
my professors.
I learned a lot.

1058
01:02:49,040 --> 01:02:53,640
I graduated in three years
instead of four, but they have

1059
01:02:53,640 --> 01:02:56,040
not.
My school itself has not been

1060
01:02:56,040 --> 01:02:59,000
like supportive at all of like
my projects, which has been

1061
01:02:59,000 --> 01:03:00,360
really weird even.
The first one.

1062
01:03:00,600 --> 01:03:06,800
Yeah, yeah, not at all.
Yeah, I mean it's a whole thing.

1063
01:03:06,800 --> 01:03:08,600
We could do a whole nother
podcast on that.

1064
01:03:08,880 --> 01:03:12,920
But yeah, it's it's been like
I've questioned myself like a

1065
01:03:12,920 --> 01:03:15,480
lot and it's.
I think it's just because like I

1066
01:03:15,480 --> 01:03:20,240
have a lot of non support in my
life too, you know, like from my

1067
01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:23,120
my family and then like my
school.

1068
01:03:23,120 --> 01:03:26,880
Not, you know, it's like I wish
people could just look past the

1069
01:03:26,880 --> 01:03:30,400
like subject matter and look at
the actual story and what I'm

1070
01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:33,320
trying to do.
Because it is like it's a good

1071
01:03:33,320 --> 01:03:39,120
thing And I think just like I
question myself like am I, is

1072
01:03:39,120 --> 01:03:40,400
this like what I should be
doing?

1073
01:03:40,760 --> 01:03:43,600
Because, you know, you have
Angel and devil on your shoulder

1074
01:03:43,600 --> 01:03:47,240
and it's just like, you know,
it's like I have a voice in my

1075
01:03:47,240 --> 01:03:50,080
head that like I sometimes try
to bring myself down.

1076
01:03:50,080 --> 01:03:53,520
And I don't know why, like where
that comes from, but it is like

1077
01:03:53,520 --> 01:03:58,320
I question myself.
But I also have to remember like

1078
01:03:58,400 --> 01:04:01,120
I am.
I my first film won awards.

1079
01:04:01,120 --> 01:04:03,160
Like I'm an award-winning
filmmaker like.

1080
01:04:03,600 --> 01:04:06,200
And that's, you know, what kind
of lifts me back up out of the

1081
01:04:06,200 --> 01:04:08,720
whole like, oh gosh, you know,
is this good?

1082
01:04:08,720 --> 01:04:11,000
Like, what am I doing?
You know, I question myself a

1083
01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:15,640
lot, but I think you know that
comes with the the confidence

1084
01:04:15,640 --> 01:04:17,320
and the self love.
That I'm learning through this

1085
01:04:17,320 --> 01:04:20,160
whole process too is like I'm
doing it.

1086
01:04:20,480 --> 01:04:23,280
Absolutely, Yeah.
It's so hard in the creative

1087
01:04:23,280 --> 01:04:28,280
space too, because our.
Everyone has opinions too.

1088
01:04:28,680 --> 01:04:32,960
Yep, everyone.
And a lot of the, I believe a

1089
01:04:32,960 --> 01:04:38,960
lot of that perfectionism comes
from that feeling you're talking

1090
01:04:38,960 --> 01:04:41,080
about.
Because in the creative realm,

1091
01:04:41,760 --> 01:04:45,360
no one is ever going to judge
the content more than the

1092
01:04:45,360 --> 01:04:49,080
creator.
No one ever looks at it the same

1093
01:04:49,080 --> 01:04:51,560
way or in the same level of
depth.

1094
01:04:52,280 --> 01:04:57,360
And that's on one side what
makes a lot of great things

1095
01:04:57,360 --> 01:05:00,160
great.
But on the other side, it would.

1096
01:05:00,240 --> 01:05:05,160
It's what keeps a lot of great
things from being great, because

1097
01:05:05,160 --> 01:05:08,160
there's all kinds of stuff in
the world that is sitting on a

1098
01:05:08,160 --> 01:05:10,320
shelf somewhere because of that
feeling.

1099
01:05:10,320 --> 01:05:11,120
Right.
Right.

1100
01:05:11,240 --> 01:05:13,840
And that's a travesty.
It is, yeah.

1101
01:05:13,920 --> 01:05:17,480
Yeah, it really is.
And I I think, like at, you

1102
01:05:17,480 --> 01:05:21,480
know, at least I can put myself
out there, you know, and if it's

1103
01:05:21,920 --> 01:05:25,040
not good, it's not good.
But you know, it doesn't matter,

1104
01:05:25,040 --> 01:05:29,480
'cause these are, I think, you
know, all art should make you

1105
01:05:29,480 --> 01:05:34,280
feel something.
And like, I I want to feel and I

1106
01:05:34,280 --> 01:05:37,560
want people to feel.
And I I think that, you know, if

1107
01:05:37,560 --> 01:05:40,640
it's sitting on a shelf
somewhere like that is so sad

1108
01:05:40,640 --> 01:05:44,640
because it's like you, you know,
what's that going to do?

1109
01:05:45,120 --> 01:05:46,960
What's that going to do for the
world and for people?

1110
01:05:47,800 --> 01:05:53,000
So I I just, I hope that people,
you know, don't do a whole lot

1111
01:05:53,000 --> 01:05:56,360
of that and they just can't put
themselves out there.

1112
01:05:56,600 --> 01:06:00,120
Yeah.
So we talked a little bit about

1113
01:06:00,120 --> 01:06:02,760
your trying to find distribution
for seeds.

1114
01:06:03,520 --> 01:06:06,520
So it's temporarily kind of on a
shelf right now.

1115
01:06:06,520 --> 01:06:10,120
And what what is that like?
What is that like as like a, you

1116
01:06:10,120 --> 01:06:14,120
know, a filmmaker, what's that
process?

1117
01:06:14,200 --> 01:06:18,200
It's, it seems pretty heavy and
really in depth and and with a

1118
01:06:18,200 --> 01:06:20,080
lot of moving parts.
What?

1119
01:06:20,080 --> 01:06:22,960
What's been your experience with
trying to find like distribution

1120
01:06:22,960 --> 01:06:24,560
and?
I actually haven't even really

1121
01:06:24,560 --> 01:06:29,560
done much Like I've, you know, I
don't really know like who to

1122
01:06:29,560 --> 01:06:32,640
talk to I guess like about that
whole process.

1123
01:06:33,440 --> 01:06:40,080
I did have a a friend.
He works for PBS and I was like,

1124
01:06:40,080 --> 01:06:44,440
dude, if you can get seeds of
life on PBSI would die happy.

1125
01:06:44,440 --> 01:06:47,960
Like that's like my goal is to
have like a film of mine on PBS,

1126
01:06:47,960 --> 01:06:49,960
do like the independent lens,
you know.

1127
01:06:51,240 --> 01:06:55,800
And so that's, I haven't really
heard much and that was kind of

1128
01:06:55,800 --> 01:06:57,640
a recent thing, like maybe a
couple months ago.

1129
01:06:57,640 --> 01:07:03,320
But I yeah, I don't know, like,
I don't really know where to

1130
01:07:03,320 --> 01:07:05,960
start, I guess with that whole
process because it's just kind

1131
01:07:05,960 --> 01:07:08,400
of daunting to me.
And it's like, then I get,

1132
01:07:08,920 --> 01:07:11,640
because I've done a few film
festivals where they say, you

1133
01:07:11,640 --> 01:07:14,600
know, we could put your film
online like through our

1134
01:07:14,600 --> 01:07:16,480
database.
But then I'm thinking like,

1135
01:07:16,680 --> 01:07:18,320
well, can people download it
then?

1136
01:07:18,320 --> 01:07:20,920
And like, then I'm not going to
like, not that I need to make

1137
01:07:20,920 --> 01:07:23,040
money, but like, I want to know
where my film is.

1138
01:07:23,040 --> 01:07:27,440
Like living, I guess.
You know, like, yeah, I don't

1139
01:07:27,440 --> 01:07:29,840
know.
Maybe it's just like, I just

1140
01:07:29,840 --> 01:07:34,840
need to let go of it, I think.
But it's like, hard to trust

1141
01:07:34,960 --> 01:07:37,960
people too.
And like, OK, you know, what are

1142
01:07:37,960 --> 01:07:39,600
you going to be using my film
for?

1143
01:07:39,960 --> 01:07:42,240
And like are you going to like
download it and like re edit

1144
01:07:42,240 --> 01:07:43,800
things?
You know, like, I don't know,

1145
01:07:43,800 --> 01:07:46,560
maybe I'm crazy, but that's the
stuff I think about.

1146
01:07:46,840 --> 01:07:48,840
I think there's a conversation
there.

1147
01:07:49,160 --> 01:07:55,720
One of my favorite music artists
is named Jason Isabel, and he

1148
01:07:55,720 --> 01:07:59,640
got asked a lot or he got asked
a question that's floating

1149
01:07:59,640 --> 01:08:02,720
through my mind right now.
But he hearing you say that it

1150
01:08:02,720 --> 01:08:05,240
was about his song.
He has a song that's been

1151
01:08:05,240 --> 01:08:06,720
covered by a lot of different
people.

1152
01:08:06,800 --> 01:08:12,000
And then it was covered by one
person in particular who I think

1153
01:08:12,000 --> 01:08:16,760
shortly afterwards had some
like, PR negative stuff happen.

1154
01:08:17,760 --> 01:08:24,279
And it kind of contrasts what
Jason Isabel believes in and see

1155
01:08:24,279 --> 01:08:29,359
and kind of like stands on.
And he had such a fascinating

1156
01:08:29,359 --> 01:08:35,920
answer to this.
He talked about how what he and

1157
01:08:35,920 --> 01:08:38,399
it's a little bit different
because songs are covered all

1158
01:08:38,399 --> 01:08:40,240
the time.
Nobody covers a movie.

1159
01:08:40,240 --> 01:08:43,000
You know, like that's copyright,
but.

1160
01:08:43,479 --> 01:08:48,000
At the same time, you're talking
about your your, your creative

1161
01:08:48,000 --> 01:08:51,080
thing and what's gonna happen
with that thing afterwards.

1162
01:08:51,080 --> 01:08:55,319
And and his stance on it was
that he created something, you

1163
01:08:55,319 --> 01:08:58,120
know, beautiful enough and
worthwhile enough that somebody

1164
01:08:58,120 --> 01:09:02,520
else wanted to make theirs.
And I thought that was really,

1165
01:09:02,520 --> 01:09:07,600
really moving to look at it like
that because in that particular

1166
01:09:07,600 --> 01:09:12,840
instance, he, most of us, and he
probably felt immediately at the

1167
01:09:12,840 --> 01:09:13,960
same way until he thought
through.

1168
01:09:13,960 --> 01:09:16,120
And he's like, this isn't how I
wanted to go.

1169
01:09:16,399 --> 01:09:20,319
This isn't this, isn't it.
But to be able to get to that

1170
01:09:20,319 --> 01:09:24,680
spot where it's like, you know,
I created this thing and then I

1171
01:09:24,680 --> 01:09:28,080
did it because I I wanted to,
you know, probably change the

1172
01:09:28,080 --> 01:09:29,520
world.
Yeah, share it with the world.

1173
01:09:29,920 --> 01:09:34,319
Yeah, yeah.
And once it's there and it

1174
01:09:34,319 --> 01:09:39,240
exists, you lose all control.
Of it.

1175
01:09:39,279 --> 01:09:42,080
Kind of.
And that's just what I thought

1176
01:09:42,080 --> 01:09:46,040
about as you were saying, that
it's like, you know the the

1177
01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:49,279
birdie flies sometime, right?
And that's why you made it.

1178
01:09:50,160 --> 01:09:52,319
Yeah.
And I feel protective of it.

1179
01:09:52,319 --> 01:09:57,640
But at the same time, like, why?
You know, like, I guess I was

1180
01:09:57,640 --> 01:10:00,160
thinking too of, like my
projects is like my children,

1181
01:10:00,160 --> 01:10:05,640
'cause it is like something that
I'm like, I've, you know, grown

1182
01:10:05,640 --> 01:10:10,040
and cultivated and like, then
release, and then it's like, now

1183
01:10:10,040 --> 01:10:11,920
what happens?
It's kind of out of my control,

1184
01:10:11,920 --> 01:10:15,240
you know?
But you're right, like, I I

1185
01:10:15,240 --> 01:10:17,440
shouldn't be.
So I guess I shouldn't be so

1186
01:10:17,440 --> 01:10:20,320
worried about like, 'cause I
made it for people to watch.

1187
01:10:20,440 --> 01:10:24,000
So like, I shouldn't be like.
People got to see it, yeah.

1188
01:10:24,360 --> 01:10:27,520
I think I throw it on YouTube.
Well, the thing I'd be worried

1189
01:10:27,520 --> 01:10:31,480
about is trying to recoup some
of the fundage that it cost to

1190
01:10:31,480 --> 01:10:32,680
make it.
Happen, right.

1191
01:10:32,960 --> 01:10:35,240
I think I did that film for like
5 grand.

1192
01:10:35,240 --> 01:10:36,640
That was it.
Really.

1193
01:10:36,680 --> 01:10:38,080
Yeah.
Travel and everything.

1194
01:10:38,080 --> 01:10:41,520
Travel and everything.
Maybe it was 10, but yeah, it

1195
01:10:41,520 --> 01:10:44,400
was like cheap, cheap, cheap.
It'd be hard to get there for

1196
01:10:44,400 --> 01:10:46,080
five grand right now.
Probably.

1197
01:10:46,640 --> 01:10:50,800
So you mentioned that earlier,
renting equipment versus buying

1198
01:10:50,800 --> 01:10:53,240
equipment.
Did did you rent equipment there

1199
01:10:53,240 --> 01:10:56,800
or did you travel with it all?
Traveled with it and it was, so

1200
01:10:56,920 --> 01:10:57,880
that was the other thing.
Too.

1201
01:10:58,040 --> 01:11:01,400
That wasn't 5 grand.
They get you with those weight

1202
01:11:01,400 --> 01:11:04,320
things.
So we just we took them in carry

1203
01:11:04,320 --> 01:11:06,080
ONS.
So we didn't even check.

1204
01:11:06,200 --> 01:11:10,080
We didn't check any bags.
So like we had like bare bones

1205
01:11:10,080 --> 01:11:14,880
like gear wise like nothing.
And that was, it was actually

1206
01:11:14,880 --> 01:11:19,840
mostly because, like, they would
ask you questions like, you

1207
01:11:19,840 --> 01:11:22,120
know, what do you got in your,
like, where you going?

1208
01:11:22,120 --> 01:11:23,760
Like, where what do you have in
your bags?

1209
01:11:23,760 --> 01:11:27,440
Like because when you we flew
into the Dominican.

1210
01:11:27,440 --> 01:11:31,080
So then when we were leaving
that country to go into the next

1211
01:11:31,080 --> 01:11:35,960
country, it was very much like,
you know, like, oh, you have

1212
01:11:35,960 --> 01:11:37,800
camera gear, like, what are you
doing with that?

1213
01:11:38,080 --> 01:11:40,480
So it was we had to kind of be
like quiet about it and

1214
01:11:40,480 --> 01:11:43,280
secretive and just say like, oh,
we're we're visiting friends and

1215
01:11:43,280 --> 01:11:47,640
family, like, and 'cause if they
would have, I mean, they could

1216
01:11:47,640 --> 01:11:51,160
have just confiscated stuff too.
Like, because it's kind of the

1217
01:11:51,160 --> 01:11:54,440
Wild West in those countries,
Like, people will just take

1218
01:11:54,440 --> 01:11:57,080
stuff.
So that was really scary.

1219
01:11:57,080 --> 01:11:58,480
Think about how devastating that
would have.

1220
01:11:58,480 --> 01:12:00,560
Been Oh my God.
Well, and I hadn't then how much

1221
01:12:00,560 --> 01:12:03,760
I would have to like.
I would have to pay, you know,

1222
01:12:03,760 --> 01:12:06,440
company that I rented the gear
from for the whole, the whole

1223
01:12:06,440 --> 01:12:08,000
thing.
Like for the lost gear, it's

1224
01:12:08,000 --> 01:12:10,040
like, Oh my God, I can't even
think about that.

1225
01:12:10,200 --> 01:12:14,040
Yeah, maybe a little bit less
stress with this project in that

1226
01:12:14,040 --> 01:12:15,160
way at least.
So much.

1227
01:12:15,160 --> 01:12:18,760
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No traveling, no feeling dumb

1228
01:12:18,760 --> 01:12:20,880
because I don't know what people
are saying around me like.

1229
01:12:22,680 --> 01:12:27,880
Yeah, yeah.
So if you had to, if you

1230
01:12:27,880 --> 01:12:30,760
describe the feeling now of what
you're feeling about your

1231
01:12:30,760 --> 01:12:33,400
project, how would you put it
into words with gold?

1232
01:12:37,200 --> 01:12:42,240
I'm just like, so excited to
have the opportunity to like,

1233
01:12:42,240 --> 01:12:47,240
tell these stories.
I mean, I I've come a long way

1234
01:12:47,360 --> 01:12:55,000
with myself learning a lot.
And also, like, I just want, and

1235
01:12:55,000 --> 01:12:57,200
it's not, you know, people
always say like, oh, do you want

1236
01:12:57,200 --> 01:13:00,040
like men to have a certain
reaction to like, when they see

1237
01:13:00,040 --> 01:13:02,800
the film.
And it's like, no, I like, I

1238
01:13:02,840 --> 01:13:06,200
mean, I know women who are, you
know, like I'm not going to

1239
01:13:06,200 --> 01:13:11,080
watch that like or you know,
like uncomfortable with dancers

1240
01:13:11,080 --> 01:13:15,040
and and whatnot.
But I just want like society to,

1241
01:13:15,560 --> 01:13:19,160
I want this to change the way
society looks at dancers.

1242
01:13:19,240 --> 01:13:22,080
And like I want to touch as many
people and, you know, change

1243
01:13:22,080 --> 01:13:26,480
their minds or open their minds,
I guess to that, you know, these

1244
01:13:26,480 --> 01:13:29,560
are all someone's daughter.
You know, these are all women

1245
01:13:29,560 --> 01:13:33,040
who are getting themselves out
of really tough situations

1246
01:13:33,040 --> 01:13:35,840
through this temporary job in
their lives.

1247
01:13:35,840 --> 01:13:39,960
You know, it's like it shouldn't
be such a, Oh my gosh, you know,

1248
01:13:39,960 --> 01:13:42,560
we can't look at the strip club.
We can't talk about the strip

1249
01:13:42,560 --> 01:13:45,240
club, like keep driving, don't
stop at the strip club.

1250
01:13:45,240 --> 01:13:50,720
But it's like why not?
You know, like I I think that I

1251
01:13:50,720 --> 01:13:55,800
just want to like open people's
eyes and minds to like we can

1252
01:13:55,800 --> 01:13:58,960
talk about this stuff and we can
learn about it and understand

1253
01:13:58,960 --> 01:14:01,840
where these women are coming
from and hear their stories and

1254
01:14:02,400 --> 01:14:03,880
support them too.
So.

1255
01:14:04,800 --> 01:14:07,320
Absolutely.
There's so much value in long

1256
01:14:07,320 --> 01:14:10,440
form conversation.
There is.

1257
01:14:10,520 --> 01:14:13,840
Unbelievable, Paige, it was
awesome chatting with you.

1258
01:14:13,880 --> 01:14:16,240
Thank you so much.
It was awesome.

1259
01:14:16,280 --> 01:14:18,080
Thank you so much.
Yeah, I'm sure you're going to

1260
01:14:18,080 --> 01:14:24,760
have a fantastic just experience
with creating the documentary

1261
01:14:24,760 --> 01:14:28,000
and there has to be a captive
audience ready to take it in.

1262
01:14:28,080 --> 01:14:30,240
And I and I hope, I hope you let
him.

1263
01:14:30,840 --> 01:14:33,840
Yes, thanks, Paige.
I and I'm just grateful because

1264
01:14:33,840 --> 01:14:37,000
you know, I felt like I haven't
had quite a platform to talk

1265
01:14:37,000 --> 01:14:40,560
about this, you know, locally, I
guess in the community.

1266
01:14:40,560 --> 01:14:43,720
And I'm just really grateful
that you approached me and

1267
01:14:43,800 --> 01:14:45,640
wanted to have this
conversation.

1268
01:14:45,640 --> 01:14:47,840
So thank you.
Thanks for giving me a voice,

1269
01:14:47,840 --> 01:14:48,880
my.
Pleasure.

1270
01:14:48,880 --> 01:14:59,800
Thanks Paige.
None.