1 00:00:17,519 --> 00:00:21,760 We'll back with another edition of The Federalist Radio Hour. I'm Emilydianski, culture 2 00:00:21,839 --> 00:00:24,320 editor here at the Federalist. As always, you can email the show at 3 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,839 radio at the Federalist dot com, follow us on Twitter at fdr LST. 4 00:00:28,039 --> 00:00:32,679 Make sure subscribe wherever you download your podcasts into the premium version of our website 5 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:37,079 as well. I'm very excited about today's guest, the one and only Thomas 6 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,640 Pack. He is the director of the Incubator program over at Palladium Pictures. 7 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,320 You can find out more about Palladium Pictures dot com. But first let's have 8 00:00:45,719 --> 00:00:50,479 Thomas tell us all about Palladium Pictures because it's sort of the reason for this 9 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,439 conversation. It's a really fascinating project. You guys are doing important, interesting 10 00:00:55,439 --> 00:00:58,719 work. Tell us about it right off the bat here. Sure. Yeah, 11 00:00:58,759 --> 00:01:00,200 So, first off, thanks for having me. I can hear it 12 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,879 in my ear already, have a good podcast, Willys. Yeah, Well, 13 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,480 thanks for having me. So I worked for my family business, so 14 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,560 playing pictures of new business. But we've had other company for a very long 15 00:01:12,599 --> 00:01:18,079 time, over forty years called Manifold Productions. We'll make documentary films. Our 16 00:01:18,079 --> 00:01:22,599 most recent one was this film about Clarence Thomas called Created Equal Clarence Thomas in 17 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,920 his own words, Washington Amazon. We think it's great. But your father 18 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,040 was on this podcast to talk about it. Some people might remember that episode. 19 00:01:30,159 --> 00:01:33,879 Michael Pack, he's been on a couple of times. That's right. 20 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,879 My father's Michael Pack. He's our producer director. My mother's also in the 21 00:01:36,879 --> 00:01:41,920 business as an executive producer. So it's really a family affair. But look, 22 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,280 we've been making documentaries for a very long time and sort of in examining 23 00:01:46,359 --> 00:01:53,239 the landscape of film right now, we're we're sort of unhappy with, you 24 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,640 know, the way the system is built. I mean, there's really quite 25 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,719 a lot of infrastructure on the left film. You know, we just sort 26 00:02:00,719 --> 00:02:06,439 of treat Hollywood without even thinking about it, like it's just one big left 27 00:02:06,519 --> 00:02:10,240 leaning institution. It's made up of a lot of left leaning institutions. It's 28 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:17,199 there's all of film school is sort of is left leaning, all of you 29 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:23,319 know, other incubator programs like Mind the Left as many of them, all 30 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:29,319 of the film festivals and the streaming platforms, and you work your way through 31 00:02:29,319 --> 00:02:32,719 this ecosystem and they cultivate talent and people come up and they are successful and 32 00:02:32,759 --> 00:02:37,280 then they end up making great films that impact the culture, and who complain 33 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:42,159 them? That's like what they should be doing. That's what That's what you 34 00:02:42,159 --> 00:02:46,240 know, anyone would want to do, and such an ecosystem needs to exist 35 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,599 on the right, we feel, so this is the first step in that 36 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,759 process in a way. So, uh, incubator program is really you know, 37 00:02:55,759 --> 00:03:00,639 to try to do to do some career launching and also to cultivate talent. 38 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:06,280 Right, that's so interesting, And maybe even take a step back here 39 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,039 and explain what an incubator is. I feel like it's sort of industry jargon 40 00:03:09,199 --> 00:03:14,159 or some people might know it from Silicon Valley that a lot of incubators over 41 00:03:14,199 --> 00:03:19,159 there. So what is the kind of like concrete existence of the incubator. 42 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,840 It's yeah, it's industry. I think it's cross industry jargon. I think 43 00:03:22,879 --> 00:03:27,319 it's industry jargon. Right, Fellowship is another one of these words. It 44 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:32,319 like could mean like any number of things, and so yeah, it's a 45 00:03:32,479 --> 00:03:37,960 it's a meaningless phrase, but I'll tell you what I mean what this one 46 00:03:38,039 --> 00:03:46,400 does. So our our incubator basically is, you know, learn by doing 47 00:03:46,479 --> 00:03:51,360 kind of programs. So where people will apply to it with an idea for 48 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:57,960 a short documentary. If they're accepted, we will fully fund the documentary and 49 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,919 then they will be on their own to make it. These are ten to 50 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,879 fifteen minute docs, and we're looking for people that know how to make a 51 00:04:03,879 --> 00:04:08,800 film. You have to in your application demonstrate to us that you can put 52 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,319 together a crew and produce a film, because we're funding these things and we're 53 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,240 investing in you. So it's at that level. It's not just for people 54 00:04:15,279 --> 00:04:18,959 with an idea or people that are like in film school. It's it's it's 55 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:25,920 for people that are trying to become director, producers and people that want are 56 00:04:25,959 --> 00:04:30,879 interesting documentary and are sort of have a right of center topics that they're interested 57 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:35,720 in. You know, we're talking about topics at the mainstream media is ignoring 58 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,360 of which you know, there's a lot of good ones, you know, 59 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:45,759 unfortunate for America, fortunate maybe for filmmakers. But yes, we'll fully fund 60 00:04:45,759 --> 00:04:49,439 the film. We will then executive produce it, so they'll get mentorship from 61 00:04:49,519 --> 00:04:54,759 Michael Pack who's our director producer, who has a lot of experience having produced 62 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:59,600 you know, over fifteen films, all of which we're broadcast nationally on PBS, 63 00:05:00,079 --> 00:05:03,480 so mentorship funding, and then the final thing is distribution will make sure 64 00:05:03,519 --> 00:05:08,639 to get the film out there so lots of people see it, and so 65 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,720 that I mean, it's a great opportunity for people that are looking for that 66 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,160 career springboard. You get, uh, you know, your film. You 67 00:05:15,199 --> 00:05:18,560 don't have to worry about funding and distribution. You don't have to make the 68 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,160 film that people are paying you to make. This is the film that you 69 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:26,279 get to make your way. You get to you know, you know, 70 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,720 learn from us, get a sense of like what we mean by storytelling and 71 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,439 documentary, and you get to at the end of it, have a film 72 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:39,399 that lots of people have seen it and it and you'll have your proof of 73 00:05:39,439 --> 00:05:43,920 concept going forward to make more long form stuff or anything after that. And 74 00:05:44,079 --> 00:05:48,759 the term incubator actually really like because I think it's getting at what you were 75 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:57,120 saying about the infrastructure. It's the very literal definition to incubate in some sense 76 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,319 is to start building up the early infrastructure, because if there's not an on 77 00:06:00,519 --> 00:06:04,560 ramp, you're just sort of expecting people with right of center ideas who whose 78 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,319 ideas, by the way, will be wildly unwelcome as you know better than 79 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:14,480 anyone at mainstream studios and distributors, and this is not going anywhere. You 80 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,160 can make the film, package it up perfectly and give it to a distributor, 81 00:06:16,199 --> 00:06:18,560 they're going to laugh you out of the film festival or whatever it is 82 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:24,040 if it comes from a conservative slant. In some cases, there's no if 83 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,120 there's no on ramp, you're asking people to do that rare thing where they 84 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,240 like Evil Knievel onto the freeway from a cliff, Like, it's just not 85 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,519 there. Can you speak to that a little bit? What it looks like 86 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:38,759 if you're you know, if you have maybe right of center ideas versus if 87 00:06:38,759 --> 00:06:45,240 you're somebody who's just your your average liberal filmmaker who wants to you know, 88 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,040 get a criminal justice documentary on Netflix. Well yeah, I mean I think, 89 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:55,240 I mean, yeah, so as with the with the just to riff 90 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,600 off your incubator point, Yeah, So we're incubating these short films, meaning 91 00:06:59,639 --> 00:07:03,680 we're taking that we're sort of growing them into something. And but I think 92 00:07:03,759 --> 00:07:10,759 further than that, we're actually incubating the beginning of this same ecosystem that the 93 00:07:10,839 --> 00:07:14,000 left sort that left has. This is step one. So I feel like 94 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,560 you know, someone gave us funding to create an entire film school tomorrow, 95 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:19,959 we couldn't do it. We'd have to give it back. I mean, 96 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:27,360 there just aren't enough talented people that view themselves on the right that want to, 97 00:07:27,959 --> 00:07:30,639 you know, learn about film, and there aren't enough professors. I 98 00:07:30,639 --> 00:07:34,079 mean, we're just not there yet. So in a sense, this is 99 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,720 a very modest project compared to the size of the real project, which is 100 00:07:38,759 --> 00:07:45,000 that the landscape is really bad right now. And you know, you can, 101 00:07:45,399 --> 00:07:47,000 you can do a lot of things to try to impact the culture, 102 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,720 and you can create your own new streaming sites and uh, you can you 103 00:07:50,759 --> 00:07:55,600 know, boycott certain films and try to see others. But at the end 104 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,959 of the day, we have to have good stuff coming out. And so 105 00:07:59,439 --> 00:08:03,240 this is there's not a lot of even training programs or places where people can 106 00:08:03,639 --> 00:08:09,519 get better or you know, career launchers that can you know, amplify people 107 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,319 that are good that are trying to be seen and you know, I mean 108 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:16,639 it's just it's tough out there in the in the world of film. I 109 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,199 don't know, maybe I forgot your your actual question. No, know, 110 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,279 that's exactly what. It's also a technical skill, which I was in my 111 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:26,160 head drawing parallels with journalism, where I was going to ask, you know, 112 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:30,480 there's some advantages, which of course there are, but in the sense 113 00:08:30,519 --> 00:08:33,440 of like when you skip over the film school thing, it reminds me of 114 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:35,840 you know, people skipping over the J school thing. You can do that 115 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,120 and in some way, in some ways, it's going to give you an 116 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,399 advantage. You're not going to come with all of the ideological baggage and some 117 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:46,240 of the you know, conventional wisdom that maybe deserves to be thrown out the 118 00:08:46,279 --> 00:08:50,000 window. On the other hand, you do need the technical knowledge of how 119 00:08:50,039 --> 00:08:54,879 to keep on the journalism example, file a foil request, write a lead, 120 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:58,320 do all of these things. And on the filmmaking side, it seems 121 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:00,919 to like that's probably the I feel right now. There are a lot of 122 00:09:01,039 --> 00:09:07,200 energetic, artistic, artistic, creative people on the right, but the technical 123 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:11,360 skill set is such an important one and there's never really been a way for 124 00:09:11,399 --> 00:09:15,720 them to develop. Not right. I mean, you might know this better 125 00:09:15,759 --> 00:09:18,919 than me. I don't have a strong sense that much is learned in J 126 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:22,720 school. But I don't know no s no, nope, maybe how to 127 00:09:22,799 --> 00:09:26,480 use like Adobe, yeah, sure, But I think film school. You're 128 00:09:26,519 --> 00:09:31,639 right, there's a lot of technical stuff that happens there. I also think 129 00:09:31,759 --> 00:09:35,200 that, you know, film is brutal, and especially Hollywood. I mean 130 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,039 we're on the documentary side, the narrative side much harder. And it helps 131 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,720 to be in film school and then to meet film professors that were in the 132 00:09:43,759 --> 00:09:48,399 industry in Hollywood and they pick the best and the brightest. It's a network. 133 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:52,559 It's a network, and I think that network effect is also crucial, 134 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,360 and we're building that out too as part of this. And you can't really 135 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:58,799 make it without it. I mean otherwise, what like say you're talented and 136 00:10:00,039 --> 00:10:01,919 you do have all the technical skills, and then you make your short doc 137 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:07,720 and then what it sits on your website? Like who's going to how who's 138 00:10:07,759 --> 00:10:11,320 going to believe in you and fund you? And I mean people. There's 139 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,840 a system for this in film, and it's tough to make. But the 140 00:10:13,879 --> 00:10:18,960 really good people rise to the top and they get shepherded along. And you 141 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,320 know, you can learn from Robert Redford and those Sun Dance They have all 142 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:28,000 this stuff. We just don't have it so alive. It is technical, 143 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:33,000 it's true, but also some of it is just that we need to attempt. 144 00:10:33,039 --> 00:10:35,960 I mean, we need to make put some fraction of the amount of 145 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:43,279 effort into this actual cultivating knowledge that that the left just automatically does. I 146 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,679 mean, we're not even fighting. We've just seated them Hollywood, which is 147 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:48,919 the same thing as seating them, you know, control of the culture. 148 00:10:50,879 --> 00:10:56,639 Yeah. Absolutely. You know we've said something earlier about how you know, 149 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:01,279 the reason people put documentaries to the world is to change the culture, and 150 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,600 you said, you know, that's what anyone would want to do. And 151 00:11:03,639 --> 00:11:07,759 I can just in my head here, you know, old school people saying, 152 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,679 well, of course it's art for art's sake. You know, you're 153 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:16,480 not it shouldn't be what they would pejoratively refer to as propaganda with this very 154 00:11:16,519 --> 00:11:20,519 broad definition of what constitutes propaganda. And of course I think we're in agreement 155 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:24,080 that that's wrong. I mean, we don't do, for instance, journalism, 156 00:11:24,279 --> 00:11:28,879 you don't break news to just have it out there so people can shrug 157 00:11:28,919 --> 00:11:33,720 at it. Obviously, there's utility to engaging in the sort of conversation, 158 00:11:33,879 --> 00:11:39,279 the discourse and the exchange of ideas. So is it do you feel that 159 00:11:39,879 --> 00:11:45,440 the right that has engaged in the space before has sort of veered into the 160 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:52,360 propaganda lane. What is how do you as a filmmaker, A is it 161 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,000 hard to make that distinction when you're getting pitches and when you're looking at what 162 00:11:56,039 --> 00:12:01,759 else is put out there? And be how people maybe think about that as 163 00:12:01,799 --> 00:12:05,440 filmmakers. Yeah, I mean, I mean, I think this idea that 164 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,120 everything's downstream of culture is pretty intuitive to most people. And it's true, 165 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:13,080 you know, art for art's sake is great, but it is also true 166 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,399 that a lot of people watch movies and are affected by movies. And so 167 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,159 you know, the key to effect, to affecting culture is and I mean 168 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,360 there's easy examples here. Look at you know, just how abortion is portrayed 169 00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:30,360 in in film over the past couple of decades, and how that's affected just 170 00:12:30,399 --> 00:12:35,200 the American zeitgeist about you know, just normalizing it or you know, Will 171 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:39,320 and Grace, Yeah, sure, Will and Grace did more for you know, 172 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:46,320 the gay rights movement than you know any Elton John. Yeah, Elton 173 00:12:46,399 --> 00:12:52,279 John's another great example actually of affecting the culture, but more than like Barney 174 00:12:52,279 --> 00:12:54,639 Frank, right, yeah, truly, yeah, anyone in those sort of 175 00:12:54,639 --> 00:12:58,200 political arena, right, sure, So this is this stuff is really clear. 176 00:12:58,399 --> 00:13:00,799 You have to be good first. You have to just make the films 177 00:13:00,799 --> 00:13:03,240 that people want to make, and I think there's a lot of impulses. 178 00:13:03,399 --> 00:13:05,720 The infrastructure we do have on the right although great, and there's lots of 179 00:13:05,759 --> 00:13:09,759 great stuff coming out, but a lot of it sort of points in the 180 00:13:09,799 --> 00:13:15,840 direction of making the quick hits stuff and making your point. But really better 181 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,360 is to is to make an actual impact on how people think about things. 182 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,320 You know. With our most recent film, which is our documentary about Clarence 183 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,399 Thomas, we tell his life story from his perspective. And the great thing 184 00:13:28,399 --> 00:13:33,720 about that film was a lot of our left leaning friends said, you know, 185 00:13:33,759 --> 00:13:35,759 well, I hate his jurisprudence, but you know, I mean, 186 00:13:35,799 --> 00:13:39,960 now he's a human to me, I understand him, and it's a compelling 187 00:13:39,039 --> 00:13:45,759 He's an amazing American story of like coming up from poverty, and so people 188 00:13:45,879 --> 00:13:50,080 were just affected by it. You know. I also think that I mean 189 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,159 that sort of in the case of documentary, it's also a little different because 190 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,840 you are you really need to just like you and journal and it's journalism really, 191 00:13:58,879 --> 00:14:01,279 so it's the same type thing. We have to tell the whole truth. 192 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:07,039 But there are topics that conservers are more interested in, and especially now, 193 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,600 there are topics that are just not being subjects, are just not being 194 00:14:11,159 --> 00:14:16,240 talked about or told, and often those are the juiciest stories. So I 195 00:14:16,279 --> 00:14:20,600 think I think that that's that's another thing that will that impacts the culture is 196 00:14:20,639 --> 00:14:26,639 just that you can kind of break free from the mainstream media's like stranglehold on 197 00:14:26,759 --> 00:14:35,399 what the overton windows should be by just telling the truth. Cold turkey great 198 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,720 on sandwich is probably not the best way to break your bad habits. 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There's no shying away 222 00:16:22,799 --> 00:16:26,360 from the toughest questions from asking him about the hardest moments of his life. 223 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,399 And to your point about how the stories that aren't told are often the juicist 224 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:36,480 I mean, the story of Clarence Thomas's life and the story of different moments 225 00:16:36,559 --> 00:16:41,080 chapters in the Clarence Thomas book. The fact that those have just been sitting 226 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:48,039 on the table for so long was the best opportunity for you guys to come 227 00:16:48,159 --> 00:16:52,320 in and just knock it out of the park. And there has to be, 228 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:55,960 as somebody who's looking at this right now, all kinds of different stuff. 229 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,840 I mean, I imagine your head spinds reels with the possibilities sometimes. 230 00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:03,960 Yeah, I mean it's true, there's just you know, there's there's more 231 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,079 options, I think, which is great, and there's a lot that the 232 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:11,480 stories that aren't being told are more fun to listen to to watch. And 233 00:17:11,559 --> 00:17:15,680 also I think on the sort of narrative side too, it's like it's just 234 00:17:15,799 --> 00:17:22,400 true that the the conservative perspective is just more intuitively appealing because that's the pro 235 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:27,759 American perspective, that's the pro individualism. These are great storytelling tropes that people 236 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:33,400 identify with and people don't really like the Grievance study, you know, focus 237 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:40,519 on that the left has and we're seeing it impact streaming services, impact ticket 238 00:17:40,599 --> 00:17:45,240 sales, Like people are kind of less and less interested in the left leaning 239 00:17:45,319 --> 00:17:51,079 narrative. I think the right leaning narrative wins out if if we are willing 240 00:17:51,079 --> 00:17:55,359 to compete and spend a fraction of what they spend on film and culture, 241 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,359 you know, I think it's I think it's better. I think we were 242 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,039 lucky with this Clarence Thomas film that he has many arcs to his life story 243 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:06,720 not all of us have. That. He is like a couple of you 244 00:18:06,759 --> 00:18:10,160 know, rising moments, and he had a great story. And then also 245 00:18:10,839 --> 00:18:14,200 he is a great narrative narrator of his own life, and he gave us 246 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,839 a lot of time. So very fortunate in that way that it sort of 247 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:22,359 all came together. Talking about a good podcast voice. If Clarence Thomas host 248 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:26,680 any if he did like talk radio or podcasting, people could do ASMR through. 249 00:18:26,759 --> 00:18:30,160 Yeah, Clarence, He's got a great laugh too, which is really 250 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:36,400 the sort of selling play. The best thing I think about talking at him 251 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:41,680 belly laugh. Yeah, that definitely came through in the film. I want 252 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,160 to hear more about the pool of talent, because I imagine so the networking 253 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,759 point you made is really interesting, and there are some people on the right 254 00:18:48,799 --> 00:18:52,079 who have just sort of tossed their hands up. This was the line I 255 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:56,960 think all the time over the last twenty years, before Trump especially, but 256 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,880 over the last twenty to thirty years, it was like, well, conservatives 257 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,200 aren't naturally inclined towards art. You probably heard that a lot right, like, 258 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:08,440 conservatives aren't activists, they're not hippies, they're not artists, so they're 259 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:14,519 always going to have a disadvantage in that space. Now, I don't know 260 00:19:14,599 --> 00:19:18,000 that I buy into that, and I'm curious for your thoughts, Thomas. 261 00:19:18,039 --> 00:19:26,680 In addition to the infrastructure pipeline challenges, what are some of the biggest Why 262 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,319 is it outside of that? And maybe maybe there isn't a good reason outside 263 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,680 of that, but but why is it outside of that? It's there just 264 00:19:33,799 --> 00:19:41,079 aren't that many talented conservative filmmakers. And I say that with also the context 265 00:19:41,319 --> 00:19:47,720 of early Hollywood. You know that the code was voluntary, and those there 266 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,319 were you know what people today would consider propaganda films that I think hold up 267 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:55,599 as excellent films that were just patriotic, wonderful stories, well acted, well 268 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:00,920 shot, and there was a totally I mean talk about conservative artists. Sorry 269 00:20:00,079 --> 00:20:03,160 kind of aut capra. I mean it was there at a time, it 270 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,640 went away. What's going on, Yeah, I mean, I don't know. 271 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,680 I'm curious to hear what you think. I mean, I understand that 272 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,000 there's an argument that there's just natural talent, just how like you know, 273 00:20:15,079 --> 00:20:21,039 liberal people are more likely to start companies and conserves more likely to run companies. 274 00:20:21,079 --> 00:20:25,759 Maybe there's a more creativity on the left. People would argue that's not 275 00:20:26,279 --> 00:20:30,640 impossible. In my mind, you know, we can't really know until we're 276 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,160 actually trying to compete and spending like they spend in cultivating talents. That seems 277 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:38,240 to be the reason we're losing. I mean, there's a there's a really 278 00:20:38,319 --> 00:20:42,599 long history of conservatives in the arts. You made that point. It goes 279 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,920 back all the way to you know, Michelangelo, And I mean there's so 280 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:51,799 many great conservative artists, and there's a great history of patronage of the arts 281 00:20:51,799 --> 00:20:56,160 in among conservatives which continues to this day in the opera and the ballet, 282 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,480 and I mean, we care about the arts on the right. We want 283 00:20:59,519 --> 00:21:03,279 to preserve great, we care about beauty, care about aesthetics. I mean, 284 00:21:03,319 --> 00:21:10,519 that's always been actually conservative values. So I don't know, we'm I 285 00:21:10,559 --> 00:21:15,880 think I sort of reject this idea that conservs are less creative. I think 286 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:21,160 in the film world, if you are conservative minded, even if you're not 287 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,160 afraid to speak out or anything, I don't really blame you for wanting to 288 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:30,519 be somewhere that is just like a political because that's more interesting stuff is probably 289 00:21:30,519 --> 00:21:34,400 happening there. We need to create opportunities for people that are creative to see 290 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:38,359 this as like a reasonable path to go and to like, you know, 291 00:21:40,039 --> 00:21:47,920 express themselves artistically. I don't know. I mean it's possible that at the 292 00:21:48,039 --> 00:21:52,359 end of the day, you know, we have less creativity, but I 293 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,039 really doubt it. And so our ideas like we'll start spinning the flywheel. 294 00:21:56,079 --> 00:21:59,440 We'll have a couple of people come out of this, and we'll do it 295 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,680 every single year. There'll be more and more, and you can show you 296 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:07,279 proved to this sort of conservative donor class that may be holding off on donate 297 00:22:07,319 --> 00:22:11,279 because they believe this thing that you say that like there's no talent, and 298 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,160 prove that there is talent and that good stuff can happen, and that film 299 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:18,359 effects culture, and then the fly will will spin further from there, and 300 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,079 then there'll be more investments and more great stuff, and then we'll say, 301 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,720 well, then we'll sort of see who does have more talent? You know. 302 00:22:26,519 --> 00:22:29,160 Yeah, I say we're as I was listening to it was like, 303 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:30,920 yeah, we're actually like literally here it. Yeah. For there's pictures, 304 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:37,720 there's posters or Ronald Reagan all over the wall, right the film posters that 305 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,759 we actually have one that that really it's not a it's not a Reagan poster. 306 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:48,880 It's one that a critic made where they photoshopped President Reagan and Margaret Thatcher 307 00:22:49,039 --> 00:22:52,920 onto the Gone with the Wind to the iconic Gone with the Wind poster and 308 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,960 a way to sort of criticize. Somebody loved it so much that he actually 309 00:22:57,799 --> 00:23:02,640 hung it up. It's a wonderful poster. But that's such an anomaly that 310 00:23:02,759 --> 00:23:06,319 era in American history to me. I just it feels like an anomaly to 311 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:11,240 me because growing up in the twenty nineties, the two thousands, twenty and 312 00:23:11,279 --> 00:23:18,079 twenty first century, it's just ingrained in us that artists are liberals. It's 313 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:23,920 almost synonymous. And I wonder if that's because the evolution of mass media allowed 314 00:23:25,039 --> 00:23:32,200 for middle brow and arguably even like lowbrow art to flourish in a way that 315 00:23:32,319 --> 00:23:37,240 it really never could before. And conservatives have always been concentrated in the highbrow 316 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:41,000 and as you were saying, the operas and the ballets, but just being 317 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:48,559 able to tell an accessible, beautiful true story in documentary format, that's just 318 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,279 it's a space that conservators naturally should be in. And maybe then it was 319 00:23:52,319 --> 00:23:56,240 just a twenty year pause, and now that the documentary boom is upon us, 320 00:23:56,279 --> 00:24:00,920 you guys will be able to reap a whirlwind of wonderful, talented conservative 321 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:06,680 filmmakers. Yeah. I mean there's a real renaissance happening in documentary right now. 322 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:10,400 Everybody's amazing. It's perfect for streaming, and so that's why I think, 323 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,119 or that's part of why. I mean, you know, nonfiction in 324 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:17,400 general, it's like most most film jobs are in nonfiction. There's only so 325 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,119 many Hollywood jobs and a lot of people do commercial or or you know, 326 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:26,039 corporate stuff for you know, all sorts of different work for higher nonfiction. 327 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,880 And so yeah, I mean, there's a there's a boom upon us, 328 00:24:30,039 --> 00:24:33,480 and things are shaking up in the world of film. You know, there's 329 00:24:33,519 --> 00:24:38,599 like there's something seems to be hollow in Hollywood. That is meaning some of 330 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,799 these streaming services are buckling, and then new things are happening, you know, 331 00:24:44,079 --> 00:24:47,400 like with Angel Studios that has a different model and put out Sound of 332 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:52,000 Freedom and Chosen and other things. So maybe there is this is a moment. 333 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,359 It is true to your point that you know, Reagan did understand this 334 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:59,839 stuff about the culture, and so often people you know, in order to 335 00:24:59,799 --> 00:25:04,000 win and you almost always need to and the great, great conservative people tend 336 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:10,039 to really understand that. Buckley did too. Another yaff you know, face 337 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,559 of yaff. There's a whole Buckley room here. I can show you it 338 00:25:12,799 --> 00:25:17,880 every book William F. Buckley wrote on one shelf that is that is wonderful. 339 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,240 The ms you guys are really great actually at yaff about you know, 340 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:27,720 both Buckley and Reagan and saluting them very consistently, which I appreciate well, 341 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:33,880 But they're also you know, that's another to make another point about the stories 342 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:38,960 that are being told. Ronald Reagan's story is incredible. William of buckley story 343 00:25:40,079 --> 00:25:41,920 is incredible. I mean, how many people know about what William F. 344 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:48,279 Buckley was doing in Mexico. Not many, and it's because I think there's 345 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,680 just nobody around to tell the truth of either of those stories. And so 346 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,519 you get these because there are a lot of conservers in the industry, because 347 00:25:56,519 --> 00:26:00,039 the industry blocks them out and for whatever reason that we've we've discussed here, 348 00:26:00,319 --> 00:26:03,119 the industry is not going to tell those stories in an interesting way. They 349 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:10,400 just made a Reagan. It was like showtime they did something, and I 350 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:12,240 know there's a Reagan. We've been coming out with Dennis Quaid, which seems 351 00:26:12,279 --> 00:26:17,920 fantastic, so maybe that'll be a rare bright spot. But these are just 352 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:22,240 incredible stories and there's so many of those on the table for the taking. 353 00:26:22,799 --> 00:26:25,720 Are you able to tease a little bit about stuff that you guys are looking 354 00:26:25,759 --> 00:26:30,279 at or is it is a kind of confidential proprietary I can tease it a 355 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:33,519 little bit, but I mean, you know, the the uh, you 356 00:26:33,559 --> 00:26:36,640 know, the bottom line is, you know, Palladium Pictures, a new 357 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:40,799 company, is going to produce more film and we're sort of committed to the 358 00:26:40,839 --> 00:26:44,240 other side of this. So there's the incubator, but we we as a 359 00:26:44,279 --> 00:26:47,759 film company, have to have to do more as well. I mean we've 360 00:26:47,799 --> 00:26:52,480 been We've done over fifteen films through our other company, Manifold Productions. But 361 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:56,440 like, in order for this stuff to work, if we part of the 362 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,480 ecosystem we're making, so we have to be creating talent and creating work and 363 00:27:00,519 --> 00:27:03,279 creating creating the market for it and putting out stuff. So I think there's 364 00:27:03,319 --> 00:27:07,880 a lot coming in over the next couple of years. But this you know, 365 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,799 we're working on a couple short documentaries with a major news outlet that is 366 00:27:11,839 --> 00:27:17,319 coming up, and those will be out. You know, those will be 367 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,759 exciting. And we have a we're going to have a long form film that's 368 00:27:19,759 --> 00:27:25,319 going to deal with some of these events that happened in Seattle after the George 369 00:27:25,319 --> 00:27:30,000 Floyd Riots, talking to all sides and getting the whole story of you know, 370 00:27:30,079 --> 00:27:33,880 kind of a weird event that is not really being well was not really 371 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:38,640 well covered actually by either side. So we're doing all that and you know, 372 00:27:38,799 --> 00:27:42,039 I mean follow along with because I think a lot will come from play 373 00:27:42,079 --> 00:27:47,559 in pictures to follow in social media and you know, you know it'll be 374 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,000 it'll be more films than we're used to doing and coming out faster. I 375 00:27:51,079 --> 00:27:53,920 love that, and I Actually that is such a perfect example what happened in 376 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:59,839 Seattle of stories that are just left on the table to be told beautifully and 377 00:28:00,319 --> 00:28:04,240 in a way that actually helps people better understand empathize with. You said something 378 00:28:04,279 --> 00:28:08,720 interesting and without obviously asking for too many details. You mentioned that it's a 379 00:28:08,759 --> 00:28:14,119 story that actually neither side really got right, that there's a lot more probably 380 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:21,640 nuance, and I imagine I've been looking into the story really closely. When 381 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,839 that story is more as you like, pull back layers and you start to 382 00:28:25,839 --> 00:28:29,000 see it more clearly for what it was. Is there something big you think 383 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,240 the right got wrong about not just that story, but since you've been looking 384 00:28:32,279 --> 00:28:34,759 into that, these sort of autonomous zones that popped up all over the country 385 00:28:34,759 --> 00:28:38,400 in twenty twenty, Yeah, well, this one was a unique in that 386 00:28:38,519 --> 00:28:42,960 it like was a real autonou zone that actually really existed. We haven't quite 387 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:48,240 ever seen anything like it. I mean, you know, people talk about 388 00:28:48,279 --> 00:28:51,880 Occupy Wall Street or you know, going back to the Paris Commune, but 389 00:28:52,119 --> 00:28:59,079 but this really was a unique, interesting thing where the Seattle abandoned their precinct 390 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:03,799 and sort of left the protesters and autonomous zone to you know, take care 391 00:29:03,799 --> 00:29:07,519 of themselves. So it's an amazing story with amazing characters and yeah, I 392 00:29:07,519 --> 00:29:14,079 mean miscovered by both sides. That is commonly happens in the sort of you 393 00:29:14,119 --> 00:29:17,039 know, fog of war when you get a new thing happening and people are 394 00:29:17,079 --> 00:29:22,079 rushing to cover stuff. The great thing that documentary as a whole is you 395 00:29:22,119 --> 00:29:26,640 get to take your time and go back, get the real story, talk 396 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:30,319 to everybody, and then get set the record straight and figure out what really 397 00:29:30,359 --> 00:29:36,759 happened and make something that will stand and last. And it's just a different 398 00:29:37,559 --> 00:29:41,079 Uh, it's a different goal than the twenty than you have with the twenty 399 00:29:41,079 --> 00:29:44,599 four news our news cycle, where you do have to get your facts right, 400 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,680 but it's a little it's it's a little different. I mean, we 401 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,839 cannot if you're a lib right, I mean, well, there was something 402 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,559 with this story. There was actually, you know, a famous moment of 403 00:29:53,279 --> 00:29:59,200 conservative media sort of faking footage. And I mean nobody is sort of free 404 00:29:59,319 --> 00:30:02,759 here, you know. I mean, I know, you know, they're 405 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:04,839 great journalists. I'm sitting next to one of them, and that's good. 406 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:12,839 You know, there's you know, this is documentary filmmaking is really at its 407 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:17,519 core, it's real journalism and you have to get to the truth, and 408 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:21,640 often that gets missed, and people make documentaries that are just you know, 409 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:23,400 they come in knowing what their story is, who their experts are, and 410 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:29,640 they can make them really fast artist take a really long time because they because 411 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,240 we respect real journalism. And then the other thing that people sometimes miss with 412 00:30:33,279 --> 00:30:40,039 documentaries is the storytelling side, because you know, they're just trying to tell 413 00:30:40,039 --> 00:30:41,759 you their point, but you can't whop. Don't like being told things. 414 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:48,160 People like characters and plot lines and going up following along with the story and 415 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,960 all the same storytelling elements you need in any in any other kind of filmmaking. 416 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:59,799 So it's this like really exciting blend of you know, storytelling and journalism 417 00:30:59,799 --> 00:31:07,799 to it. They grass a little from your original class. Hey y'all, 418 00:31:07,839 --> 00:31:11,839 this is Sarah Carter, investigative columnist and host of The Sarah Carter Show. 419 00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:15,279 Thanks for listening to the Federalist. We all have a heartfelt reason to support 420 00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:18,640 our blood pressure. In fact, more than half of the US population would 421 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:23,559 benefit from blood pressure support. 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Actually, I think I ended up watching Making a Murderer like 436 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:35,079 three four times because I watched it on my own, and then it's not 437 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,480 far from where I grew up, so I showed it to my dad and 438 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:38,599 then my dad wanted to show it to my mom, and then I had 439 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,240 to watch it with my roommate at the time, so I saw it a 440 00:32:42,279 --> 00:32:45,599 bunch of times. And I'm right now watching Convicting a Murder, which is 441 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:52,000 Candice Owens rebuttal after some eight years. I think Making a Murder was twenty 442 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:57,880 fifteen is credited with serials sort of kicking off the documentary boom, a spark 443 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,480 behind the documentary boom, you know, showing a lot of people there was 444 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:05,839 interest in it, and you know, you can allocate resources in the documentary 445 00:33:05,839 --> 00:33:09,759 space. And one of the things that strikes me about Convicting a Murderer, 446 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:14,960 which I've been pleasantly very surprised by. It's just such a complicated case. 447 00:33:15,079 --> 00:33:19,319 But one of the things that's really stood out to me is how often it 448 00:33:19,359 --> 00:33:27,599 seems that in Making a Murderer they smoothed out the story to create a cleaner 449 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,599 narrative, and it is not a story with a clean narrative at all. 450 00:33:30,799 --> 00:33:37,640 And what Candice owns is showing is that some of those intentional omissions and sometimes 451 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:42,039 unintentional sometimes they clearly weren't looking in the right space and just didn't even stumble 452 00:33:42,039 --> 00:33:45,039 onto things other times they must have, but in the effort to sort of 453 00:33:45,079 --> 00:33:50,799 produce this compelling narrative. That's what got everybody hooked on Making a Murderer is 454 00:33:50,839 --> 00:33:55,920 that it was such a clean arc. Every episode amazing cliffhanger that just kept 455 00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:00,480 you on the couch for hours. And it seems very clear. And our 456 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,440 own David Harsani at the Federalists probably said this was clear when it came out, 457 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,200 because he has been angry about Making a Murderer since it came out. 458 00:34:07,599 --> 00:34:09,880 But when you look at what was left out of it, I want to 459 00:34:10,159 --> 00:34:14,800 know, Thomas, it sounds to me like it would be invigorating to stumble 460 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:19,400 onto new, more complicated realities as you're investigating a story and making a documentary. 461 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:22,280 What is it like to sort of, you know, you go into 462 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,719 these things, you're conservative, and maybe you have a preconceived notion about it 463 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:31,079 one one way or the other. How do you sort of moderate yourself and 464 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:38,079 push yourself to create a fair picture or a complete picture? Right? And 465 00:34:38,119 --> 00:34:42,440 by the way, I would just say, you know, since this whole 466 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,920 past week, because it was like an internet trend, I've been accused by 467 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:50,199 a lot of people of being obsessed with ancient rome because I'm a man, 468 00:34:51,039 --> 00:34:57,880 so like I got a lot of that. Yeah, so from Missjury that 469 00:34:58,079 --> 00:35:00,239 is just rank Missengery. A lot of women am life texting me saying and 470 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:05,239 now I get it this you are part of this whatever. Anyway, I 471 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,519 accuse you now, since especially since we've talked in the past about your obsession 472 00:35:08,559 --> 00:35:12,840 with true crime, accuse you of liking true crime because you're a woman. 473 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:15,840 I don't get that at all, Like, I just don't know. I 474 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:21,679 mean, actually everything you're saying is right, the reason, but the true 475 00:35:21,679 --> 00:35:25,719 crime is a huge part of your reason. Obsession with documentaries because they're great 476 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:30,920 stories and people love them, and because that you you know, it's like 477 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:35,920 any you know just unfold further and further and you go deeper and deeper into 478 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:38,119 it, and that's all really exciting. So I don't know why that's a 479 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:43,320 you know, it's so it's such it's such a female dominated fan. I 480 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,360 wonder what you think of that. We've done podcasts trying to figure this out 481 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:51,480 for years. And you know, there's someone just published a great someone that 482 00:35:51,559 --> 00:35:53,239 either works for Reason or they published it in the free press, which was 483 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:58,559 very wise publication. Wrote a great sort of dive into They were listening to 484 00:35:58,559 --> 00:36:00,960 Amanda Noxi this podcast. I think it was for Reason, and she has 485 00:36:01,039 --> 00:36:05,920 a podcast about sort of the ethics of telling true crime stories and whatever you 486 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:10,239 think of an Amanda Knox. They were talking about how there's this consensus idea 487 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:15,239 that women are projecting their own fears of men, and that is, like, 488 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:19,800 I think, so stupid. I think the answer is just really simple, 489 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:22,599 which is that they're emotional good stories. And I think men like true 490 00:36:22,599 --> 00:36:27,800 crime too, but like for women, these are women respond to emotions. 491 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,559 That's think why women watch The Real Housewives instead of wrestling for the most part. 492 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:37,480 So I think it's it's that simple. But speaking of like simple and 493 00:36:37,559 --> 00:36:42,599 complex, I have to imagine constantly as you investigate these things, talk to 494 00:36:42,679 --> 00:36:47,639 people, get people on camera, having these conversations, You're stumbling onto new 495 00:36:47,679 --> 00:36:52,280 and complicated things. And it's it's probably in some ways to do what you 496 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,280 were just saying, a lot of people will just throw something at a screen, 497 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,440 you know. I remember, like when I took an iPhone down to 498 00:36:59,519 --> 00:37:00,800 the border, like I wasn't trying to make a story, like I was 499 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:05,880 just putting it out there for people. To watch. It wasn't the art 500 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,119 of documentaries, and what you're talking about is something that is a craft of 501 00:37:10,199 --> 00:37:17,360 building a story with reality, with real footage, with real investigations that cannot 502 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:22,679 be easy, right, And that was actually yeah, sort of a you 503 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:25,880 know, accidentally dodged your previous question because of my ancient room show. But 504 00:37:27,519 --> 00:37:30,039 I think that's right. I mean, I'm I you know, I didn't 505 00:37:30,039 --> 00:37:34,280 actually, you know, I grew up around film because in this family business, 506 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:37,119 you know, and and was in the education world for a while and 507 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:42,800 came back to launch this educational program and now you know, associate producing some 508 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:45,800 of these films. But you know, I never I never saw myself as 509 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:50,679 a filmmaker, but I grew up around filmmakers, spent a lot of time 510 00:37:50,679 --> 00:37:54,360 around filmmakers, and they have this thing that you're describing, where this like 511 00:37:54,480 --> 00:38:00,559 need to know and this drive to this obsession with the product too of like 512 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:04,000 I mean, you know, I will do anything to make this movie just 513 00:38:04,119 --> 00:38:07,079 slightly better, no matter what it takes. I mean, it's this crazy 514 00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:13,599 attitude that now that we're talking and I'm thinking about it is very similar to 515 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:19,039 what you so stereotypically assigned to like a detective who's got a case that they 516 00:38:19,079 --> 00:38:22,559 can't let go of. So of course the two just pay naturally really well 517 00:38:22,599 --> 00:38:27,079 together where like that, You're right, it feels really good, I think, 518 00:38:27,119 --> 00:38:30,920 to find some more truth and it's addicting. And that is just the 519 00:38:30,039 --> 00:38:36,639 really exciting thing about being a filmmaker and uncovering. People go into documentaries because 520 00:38:36,639 --> 00:38:40,960 they want to uncover story and like find something out that's exciting and expose the 521 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,800 truth. And those are very similar people that go into you know, solving 522 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:51,000 crimes, and so you know, these two are It is a really perfect 523 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:55,199 match. And there's a lot sort of in the true crime genre. That's 524 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:59,239 that's why it makes so much sense, I think to a lot of people. 525 00:39:00,599 --> 00:39:02,239 And that's why I think it's I mean, it's also just why it's 526 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:07,199 a great if you if you have that mentality, you know, plus you 527 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,519 have just just artistic sense. I just you know, diagonic film is a 528 00:39:09,519 --> 00:39:14,840 great sort of direction to go. Well, I was just going to ask 529 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:20,960 what sort of people should go over to the incubator website play in pictures dot 530 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,559 com. You'll see the incubator as soon as you toggle over there. What 531 00:39:23,599 --> 00:39:28,039 kind of people are you looking for Yeah, good questions, So we have 532 00:39:28,199 --> 00:39:30,920 I mean, I think, like I mentioned before, this is for people 533 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:35,559 that are producer directors, and so in your application you have to show us 534 00:39:35,639 --> 00:39:38,320 evidence that you can produce and direct a film. So, uh, this 535 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,239 isn't you know, for people that just have an idea and think me. 536 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:44,679 You know, if you have an idea and you want to become a filmmaker, 537 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:46,639 maybe this is a good program for you later down down the road. 538 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:50,960 But that's important too, knowing that there's somewhere to go, Yeah, that 539 00:39:51,039 --> 00:39:53,039 will support you if you go and get the technical training, because why go 540 00:39:53,079 --> 00:39:57,400 get the technical training if it's a money hole. Basically that's the idea. 541 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:01,920 So we're looking for that. We're looking af so for people with you know 542 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,480 that our sort of right of center and want to be right of center a 543 00:40:05,599 --> 00:40:10,800 documentary documentarians, you know. So I think for us, we're investing in 544 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:15,159 these films, we're incubating these films. We're also investing in these people that 545 00:40:15,199 --> 00:40:19,440 we want to create or create as the next generation. It doesn't have to 546 00:40:19,679 --> 00:40:22,519 so don't have to mean you're early in your career. It could be people 547 00:40:22,519 --> 00:40:25,199 that are elsewhere in the film world, maybe making corporate films for a long 548 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:30,599 time, and you want an opportunity to make a documentary and get your proof 549 00:40:30,599 --> 00:40:32,480 of concept that you can do your own thing. You know, maybe you 550 00:40:32,559 --> 00:40:36,960 have a day job and you've been you know, doing your side side hustle 551 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,000 production company for a long time. I think there's a lot of different types 552 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:45,079 of people that could fit that want to be future right a center documentarians. 553 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:49,480 We're big tent and what we mean by you know, the right, but 554 00:40:49,519 --> 00:40:52,960 you have to do there'll be topics that the right is interested in, some 555 00:40:53,199 --> 00:40:59,239 topics that deal with conservative themes or deal with issues that you know, are 556 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:04,800 you know, of interest to conservatives, or that the mainstream is ignoring. 557 00:41:06,239 --> 00:41:09,039 And we're looking for people that like, like us, love storytelling and love 558 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:15,519 like like documentary is something meaningful to them and they want to hone that craft. 559 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:22,239 So that's the type of people that should be applying. I would encourage 560 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:25,039 all your listeners to tell people about this program. Think about people you know 561 00:41:25,159 --> 00:41:30,679 in film, whether even if that's not you. I think we need we 562 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:35,480 need to get this message out because this program being a success is sort of 563 00:41:35,519 --> 00:41:38,079 the first brick that we're going to start stacking. But there's a lot of 564 00:41:38,119 --> 00:41:43,480 infrastructure to build. We're in and we've talked about this before, but you 565 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:45,440 don't have to be based in DC full time. And it's something that it's 566 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:49,960 it's a project, it's not you're not necessarily replacing your full time job. 567 00:41:50,039 --> 00:41:52,320 So if you're if you're somebody who knows how to do this in the conservative 568 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:57,159 movement, or you're making films for your business, you can still do this 569 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:00,519 right, right, could catch an you're better at this than I? Yeah? 570 00:42:00,559 --> 00:42:06,079 Absolutely, So this is this This program is for people. Yeah, 571 00:42:06,079 --> 00:42:09,480 it is four people in the continental United States. We will like travel and 572 00:42:09,519 --> 00:42:14,239 do site visits, but you have to be able to make your film where 573 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:15,719 either where you're located or where you need to shoot it, you know, 574 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:20,159 depending on your story. But it can be done anywhere, and it will 575 00:42:20,199 --> 00:42:22,679 be we see it as like a year long program. Uh you know, 576 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,320 not that it will take you a year to make these short films, but 577 00:42:25,679 --> 00:42:30,880 you know, we will still be in the program as we're doing the you 578 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,719 know, as we're promoting the film. Uh so, And so that's it, 579 00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:36,679 and then after that you'll be an alumni and you'll be part of a 580 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:42,159 network that's building uh so. Uh yeah, be anywhere, and these are 581 00:42:42,199 --> 00:42:45,199 five to fifteen minute documentary shorts. They should us to say amazing, you 582 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:49,880 know, so you don't have to move to Manute to walk Wisconsin and make 583 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:53,400 a ten hour documentary on I mean, you don't have to move to washing 584 00:42:53,519 --> 00:42:57,840 d see where we are, and we're often having trouble finding talent because so 585 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:04,079 many filmmakers are in Hollywood or or elsewhere, and the conservative filmmakers to extent 586 00:43:04,159 --> 00:43:07,840 the exist sure as heck not concentrated around the DC area. I would imagine 587 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:12,639 either that's right right, all right, Well, Thomas Pack, where can 588 00:43:12,679 --> 00:43:15,679 people find more? There's politium Pictures dot com. You guys are on Twitter 589 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:17,679 too, right on Twitter or politium Picts. You can find any of our 590 00:43:17,719 --> 00:43:22,920 social media and yeah, and just yeah, I just follow along on social 591 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:27,239 media and check out our website, and you know, pay attention because more 592 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:29,400 we'll be coming out. Yeah, I will say, they've got some stuff 593 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:31,199 coming up. And I'm really personally very excited to see us. So, 594 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:35,039 Thomas, thank you for joining us, Thanks for having me. Of course 595 00:43:35,119 --> 00:43:37,480 you've been listening to another edition of the Federalist Radio Hour. I'm Emily just 596 00:43:37,519 --> 00:43:40,519 Shinski, culture editor here at the Federalist. We'll be back soon with more. 597 00:43:40,679 --> 00:43:52,400 Until then, the lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray, heard 598 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:58,679 the famous The Reason, then faded away.