TNZ#123 MAUI NEUTRAL ZONE – 4 24 21 Jason Schwartz with Brad Starks-Brad is a multi-talented photographer, actor, comedian, associate producer, producer, media specialist and general capable MAUI man, a great mentor for people looking to be in the film and tv ? industries… great conversation
Summary & Transcript
Brad Starks on Maui Neutral Zone
- [00:00 → 02:52] Introduction and Background of Brad Starks
Jason Schwartz introduces Brad Starks as a multifaceted creative professional highly connected within Maui’s entertainment community. Brad is recognized not only as a photographer but also as a producer, actor, stand-up comedian, and associate producer. Jason highlights Brad’s impressive resume and credits across Hawaii, emphasizing his involvement with many local artists and productions. Brad expresses gratitude for being on the show after nearly a year of trying to coordinate the interview. - [02:52 → 05:39] Early Life and Creative Foundations
Brad shares his upbringing in Illinois, where his parents fostered his creative interests. His mother was musically inclined, and his father was a professional athlete for the New York Jets. Brad’s passion for photography began early, fueled by his fascination with fashion magazines and prominent photographers. His parents supported this creative pursuit, which led him to build a portfolio in Chicago and pursue photography seriously. - [05:39 → 06:23] Technical Interruption and Resumption
During the interview, a technical issue caused a brief pause, which Brad humorously navigates before continuing his story. - [06:23 → 11:57] Football Experience and Life Lessons
Brad recounts his challenging experience playing freshman football in high school without prior formal training or standardized coaching. Despite natural talent, his unfamiliarity with established plays initially hindered him. After multiple setbacks, including penalties during games, his father—who was also his coach—had a heartfelt conversation encouraging Brad to pursue photography while still supporting his football endeavors. This experience underscored the importance of perseverance and parental support. - [11:57 → 15:53] Education and Early Career in Chicago
Brad attended Columbia College Chicago, where he honed his craft despite financial limitations. He credits key mentors such as Marie Anderson Boyd from Elite Modeling Agency and Ron Gordon, a respected landscape and architectural photographer who owned a studio where Brad worked. Brad also highlights lifelong friendships with industry professionals like Ernest Collins and Bob Thall, who influenced his artistic development. His Chicago years were foundational for building his photography career over seven to eight years. - [15:53 → 17:27] Move to Europe and New York
Brad briefly lived in Europe for about three and a half years, experiencing a more minimalist lifestyle and connecting with diverse people. He then relocated to New York City, where he spent approximately 20 to 25 years furthering his career in photography and production. - [17:27 → 18:43] Return to Chicago and Move to Maui
The 2008 recession forced Brad to return to Chicago due to the decline in photography opportunities in Manhattan. Soon after, he accepted a project shooting photos in Maui, which led him to establish roots on the island. Brad began collaborating with Maui-based creatives like Branston, Sean Spillet, Skye Pierce, Paul Eamon, and Glenn Beatles. He appreciates the island’s small but vibrant creative community and the opportunities it provides. - [18:43 → 21:55] Industry Challenges, Race, and Professionalism
Jason raises the topic of race and industry challenges. Brad, as a Black man in America, acknowledges race as a factor but emphasizes that professionalism and reliability are paramount in entertainment. He stresses the importance of being known not just by contacts but by those willing to vouch for your competency and character. Brad points out that wasting time is universally disliked in the industry, so trust and reputation play critical roles. He mentions working with respected creatives and being recognized for his capabilities regardless of race. - [21:55 → 25:08] Learning Film and TV Production on Maui
Brad describes his transition from photography to film and television production in Maui. He has worked as a second assistant director on multiple projects and as a unit production manager on an independent film. He attributes his growth to mentorship and collaboration with local professionals like Paul Eamon, Glenn Beatles, Branston, Steven Schaefer, and Robert Angelo. Brad appreciates the collaborative, hands-on nature of production work on Maui, where everyone pitches in and respects the land. - [25:08 → 27:32] Work Ethic and Advice for Young Creatives
Brad highlights the demanding nature of production work, especially under Hawaii’s sun and long hours. He underlines that success comes from hard work, patience, and dedication over many years. He encourages young people to persevere, learn the craft thoroughly, and build relationships with established professionals. Brad is seen as a cornerstone resource for emerging artists on Maui, offering knowledge and guidance for navigating the industry. - [27:32 → 31:20] Mentorship and Community Building
Jason and Brad discuss the importance of mentorship, noting Maui’s close-knit creative community. Brad mentions his involvement in a panel with students discussing the film industry and shares resources for young creatives to learn through online platforms such as YouTube. He underscores how social media has democratized access to knowledge, empowering youth to start podcasts, films, or other projects with minimal equipment. - [31:20 → 34:23] Supporting Emerging Talent: The Story of Austin
Brad shares how he spotted a talented young filmmaker named Austin during a Relativity Studios event on Maui. Impressed by Austin’s artistic black-and-white film, Brad encouraged him and helped secure an internship on a Maui production. Austin’s hard work and dedication earned him further opportunities, illustrating how mentorship and support can launch a young person’s career. Austin also has a background at Maui High School’s audiovisual program. Together they later won an international documentary contest, showcasing the success born from collaboration and mentorship. - [34:23 → 36:56] Reflections on Legacy and Community Impact
Brad reflects on the generational role creatives like himself play as “runways” for emerging talent. Jason praises Brad’s influence in building Maui’s creative ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of collective effort. Brad advocates for supporting local artists and celebrates Maui’s unique culture, including its vibrant food truck scene and community spirit. He mentions favorite local food spots, demonstrating his deep connection to the island beyond the arts. - [36:56 → 38:49] Upcoming Projects and Industry Outlook
Brad shares news of a Hallmark movie titled Aloha with Love set to release soon, which showcases Maui’s scenery and talent like Sarah Rodriguez. He also hints at multiple upcoming television projects on Oahu and Maui, including NCIS Hawaii and other undisclosed productions. Brad is actively involved in discussions about future collaborations and expresses excitement about Maui’s growing role in the film and TV industry. - [38:49 → 43:12] Vision for Maui’s Creative Future and Personal Aspirations
Jason and Brad discuss plans for expanding Maui’s production capabilities, envisioning a local studio and digital platform to showcase Hawaiian culture globally. Brad emphasizes the importance of community collaboration and mentorship to elevate the industry on the island. When asked about his future direction, Brad expresses interest in expanding his role beyond photography to producing and possibly acting. He admires actor-producers like Don Cheadle who participate in multiple aspects of projects and notes his enriching experience producing a one-man play with Robert Angelo, highlighting the challenges and growth that came from that. - [43:12 → 44:58] Closing Thoughts and Gratitude
Brad expresses gratitude for the opportunity to tell his story and to work with Maui’s creative community. Jason appreciates Brad’s openness and professionalism, encouraging viewers to connect with him for potential projects. They both acknowledge the importance of raising local talent and continuing to build on Maui’s growing reputation as a creative hub. The interview closes on a warm note, with mutual respect and enthusiasm for future collaborations.
Key Insights
- Brad Starks is a versatile creative professional whose career spans photography, production, acting, and comedy.
- His journey reflects perseverance through challenges including industry shifts, economic recessions, and adapting to new creative roles.
- Mentorship, community support, and professionalism are recurring themes in Brad’s success and advice.
- Maui is emerging as a significant, though small, creative market with unique opportunities for local talent.
- The industry is evolving with social media and digital platforms enabling young creatives to learn and showcase work independently.
- Brad’s ongoing projects and vision contribute to positioning Maui as a global cultural and production center.
Highlights
- Early passion for photography nurtured by family and mentors in Chicago.
- Football experience taught resilience and the value of pursuing true passion.
- Transition from Chicago to Europe, New York, and finally Maui, adapting career focus each step.
- Insightful discussion on race and professionalism in the entertainment industry.
- Active mentorship of youth and emerging creatives on Maui.
- Upcoming film and TV projects spotlighting Hawaiian talent and scenery.
- Vision for Maui’s creative community as a collaborative “family” supporting each other’s growth.
Recommendations for Aspiring Creatives
- Embrace hard work and long-term dedication; success rarely happens overnight.
- Build genuine relationships with industry professionals who can vouch for your reliability.
- Use online resources and social media as powerful tools for education and exposure.
- Seek mentors and be willing to learn from those with more experience.
- Stay adaptable and open to evolving your creative roles and skills.
- Support your local creative community as it grows and elevates collective opportunities.
This comprehensive summary captures the essence of Brad Starks’ interview, illustrating both his personal journey and his contributions to Maui’s creative industry ecosystem.
Transcript
00:00
[Music] aloha my name is jason schwartz i’m your host here at the neutral zone maui neutralzone.com you can find us up on the web at mauineutralzone.com you can also find us on kaku 88.5 fm the voice of maui and ak aku akaku maui community media and up on youtube where everything lives most for everybody anyway i have a great guest today to my left on screen is a man that has been elusive uh he was introduced to me by a friend and said you have to call brad starks that’s where it starts brad i i thought
00:59
who is this guy he he’s been recommended by robert angelo a really nice guy and an actor and maybe he’s a a producer or maybe he’s an agent or maybe he’s a photographer and then i come to discover brad stark’s here all of those things and more welcome to our show aloha jason thanks for having me here uh very excited about this and yeah it’s been a long time coming hasn’t it well you know when i first spoke to you there was this guy that i thought of that maybe i’d get on somebody named
01:36
branston and then i got brandt’s from richmond who’s a friend of yours and involved here as an actor producer all kind of stuff and he said i know who should be on your show and he picked out aloha surf hotel producer steven schaefer stefan schaefer and brad starks i said ah that’s two great references for this guy you must walk on water and i found out you do walk on water you are on all these islands and you’re like i thought you think of you as like maybe you can explain it when i looked
02:12
at your resume a few things jumped out at me one was wow you got a lot of credits for a guy on an island like maui and in hawaii you’re doing a lot of different things with a lot of different people so wow that’s he’s really connected he’s the guy and then i as i’m watching you’ve been a stand-up comedian and been an opener [Music] but i also know you’ve been an associate producer you’ve been you’re a photographer and you’re gonna tell me or probably all kinds of stuff
02:52
tell us well how do you highlight you if i was gonna introduce you how are you well um i’ve been i’ve been very fortunate uh and again you know thanks for having me on the show jason we’ve been trying to put this together for almost like about a year yeah but um i have been very fortunate to uh be a freelancer uh my entire life and um my interests are many but it all began uh mostly with photography i’m originally from illinois my parents um both are also sort of like creatives in their own
03:35
mind my mom was uh you know used to play the piano uh sang she’s got a great singing voice uh my father was a professional athlete he used to play for the jets um i remember sort of like you know yeah running around you know oh you’re marshall stark’s son your dad was like one of the best football players i’ve ever seen and i was kind of like uh you know whatever but um they always um in instilled me and always pushed me um to be creative and to pursue any kind of like creative um
04:13
urge that i had uh luckily for me i really latched into photography very early um like a lot of uh you know beginning photographers you start taking pictures of your friends um you uh you know have kind of like a love for that you’re you know taking your camera kind of like everywhere and um i remember taking all of my mom’s fashion magazines my mom this huge huge fashion nut and i would beg her to buy me like w magazine uh interview magazine which are these very large format you know magazines that are out there
04:56
and i had these pictures plastered all over my wall um i knew the names of fashion photographers and hair and makeup artists you know like other kids sort of like no you don’t have like baseball stars and whatnot so it’s just uh it was just a love for it that i had uh as a kid really really early on and my parents recognized it and fostered it in me so um i ended up building a portfolio in chicago um i did that for a couple of years and then once i got really comfortable in chicago i ended up uh relocating and moving
05:39
[Music] are you in the middle of a hurricane or is that like yeah can you hear that give me one second we may have to pause this because like this really fancy sort of diffusion thing i made completely came down i thought it was gonna come down on me one second sir technical difficulties wait a minute good lord this is an example of a technical trip that happens on the air we’re perfect now i’ve watched some things that brad sent me his resume and in his resume i saw a friend of mine rod gemberling
06:23
who was in a an acting role and i saw robert angelo so you’ve promoted done promoting you you’ve calmed the storm a little bit yes yes it only took a second but um i i just sort of get back to what i was saying i mean um my father really wanted me to to play football and i was i thought i was decent at it but there was one game in particular that happened when um i was a freshman and i’ll give you a little sort of background in that you know growing up like in rockford illinois um i i
07:05
uh the the the school district that uh that was close to me where i lived you know we didn’t have sort of like pop warner kind of you know we didn’t have any program like that um there were community centers that were in rockford and if you wanted to play football well you know you put a little sort of like hodgepodge team there together they had uh equipment for kids and then you would just go out and play so my father was the coach so um different from pop warner there’s sort of like a playbook and
07:40
this and there’s a system to to that to you know to kind of like that whole organization well i didn’t have that um so when i got into high school and um i went out to play football you know i was unfamiliar with any of those sort of like standardized plays that all these other kids sort of like uh grew up with and um we relocated to uh just a great uh suburb uh called hoffman estates now listen to that name and just sort of like think of you know sort of like you know like like what that sort of brings to mind but um
08:26
i uh remember that week trying out for freshman football that was that was a hell week and you know this was like in the summer like when we used to do you know uh you know double sessions and you know you’re in 100 degree heat and you know they just give you like you know one thing of water and like salt tablets you’ll be fine you know it’s just craziness but um anyway i ended up on the b team um once i got on the b team and i tried out for quarterback you know the the coaches were just like well
08:59
you know starks what’s the problem i mean you know you’ve got all this natural ability but you know what what you know where did you play before this and when i explained the whole story to them they were just like well no wonder no wonder you’re lost okay okay so they started with me from scratch and i think maybe the third of the fourth b football game that uh that we had a set of circumstances sort of came up where uh i called the rollout pass the receiver fell down and i just tucked
09:34
the ball on iran and i ran it for like a 65 yard touchdown but it got called back for clipping or something like that okay so we take the penalty we come back i run the same play the opposite way i was just like hey you know what that was actually kind of fun what i did let me just tuck the ball and see how far i get another touchdown but it gets called back for another penalty i did that another three times i did that another three times and then you know the half came and then you know but i remember looking over to the
10:09
sidelines and i didn’t see my father who was always standing there and i was like wow you know that’s weird so anyway on the bus ride home the coaches were just like brad that was your last day being quarterback uh you’re gonna be running back uh you know we’re gonna we’re gonna get you on board with like a whole new program once i got home my father was waiting for me in my room you know which is never a good thing for a kid and i’m kind of like you know hey dad what’s
10:39
you know what happened to you and i just remember my dad sitting me down and he told me he was just like son he goes when i was your age i never could have done that before in my life he goes you are so much better than i was he was just like son he goes i look around your room i see all these pictures on the wall i don’t understand any of this stuff but if this is really something that you want to do i’m going to try to help you as much as i can however however all the way up until like you
11:20
know once you hit you like your senior year i am gonna lobby really really hard for you to continue to play football because i could never do what it was that i saw you do today so you know i was you know thinking and it was just you know it’s something that you hear you know if you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve heard your parents tell you something about how they feel about you that you just never imagined so it really it really did hit me quite hard but um i always knew i wanted
11:57
to get into photography so that was what i did um uh i went to school i went to downtown um chicago uh columbia college didn’t have the money to go to brooks in california like i wanted but um i made a lot of uh great acquaintances while i was in school there some of the best mentors um i’ve ever had um uh were from my chicago days uh marie anderson boyd who to this day i’m still connected with we’re still really good friends uh she was the executive vice president of elite modeling agency who gave me like
12:37
my first shot i remember going in with my book of uh dry matted black and white pictures of like my friends from high school and i would really love to ask her because i’ve never asked her this before you know what did you see you know i was shaking in my boots but i walked out with a stack of model composites like this and she’s just like you set up a day when you want to shoot these young ladies i’ll schedule to have you you know have them show up you shoot the pictures and then let’s see what you do
13:13
so uh marie was was a great influence uh oh gosh my old boss ron gordon huge huge uh this is this is a guy who was known for um uh landscape and architectural photography uh really well regarded in the fine art world and just so happens that ron owned a small studio and a black and white lab literally right down the street from where i was living in college so i was able to roll out of bed many times about 10 minutes 15 minutes too late thanks ron um i used to watch a lot of late night television so i believe
13:55
that but um just the education that i got from working at his place some of the best photographers not only in the city of chicago which is a huge thriving advertising market some of the best photographers in the world would send ron their film and we would process it we would print it and there was just a lot of opportunity a lot of uh great artists i got a chance to to meet through him um oh god and then um my my mom uh was lucky enough to have a hairdresser one of the only sort of black-owned businesses on what’s
14:34
called the gold coast in chicago uh i was fortunate enough become really really lifelong friends with guy named ernest collins who was initially a makeup artist but then became a self-taught uh photographer and again just as luck would have it the guy lived right down the street um and and you know right around the corner from me so uh just great influences and i can’t say enough sort of about like all of the uh the mentors that bob thall another great landscape photographer who uh who who would always make fun of me i
15:15
mean like back in the days um you know when i was in high school the whole preppy sort of like trend was uh you know was kind of like a thing and my sister and i were really really into it and i just remember him looking dressed up like you know a wasp you know coming dressed and he was just like do you even know what you’re doing do you what is this so just just a great guy just a really great guy yeah um built up my career in chicago over the course i would say maybe like about seven or eight years i guess
15:53
but uh i ended up moving to europe and uh went there for four months and i ended up living there for about three and a half years and um just living on nothing hot bowls of steam all you can eat um uh meeting and making some really great friends uh from all over the place and then i um i made the move to uh to to new york and god i was there for wow over 20 years over 20 years 25 years before before i moved out here how can you do that and only be 30 now oh yeah you’re you’re you’re uncool aren’t you you must
16:39
be you have the signal sometimes goes off yes yes yeah um so you were in new york for 20 or 30 years oh no all right again are you there yeah uh about um what ended up happening yeah yeah yeah i can hear you can you hear me hello hello so what i know i’m here can you hear me i can hear you okay so yeah so uh yes okay so i am uh when the recession happened um i had no idea what it was but living in manhattan uh is very expensive you know endeavor but uh the rates for photographers started to
17:27
plummet just went down down down and it got to the point where it was just untenable it didn’t make any sense um so i packed up everything i drove back to chicago where i was able to reconnect with some of my friends there um an opportunity came up to shoot some pictures for a friend of mine out here in maui and i came out and you know only took me like three or four days to sort of like shoot what they needed but then once i was out here i started to meet people like branston i started to meet uh sean
18:04
spillet and skye pierce uh two great friends of mine who run hana productions um paul eamon i mean just like the glenn beatles just all these guys who are here on island who are all doing different commercial productions as they come in as well as tv and film so um it took a while to sort of get on those radars and um but yeah i couldn’t be happier i couldn’t be happier and you know you’re talking about for young people it’s the hard work and dedication and all the years of work
18:43
and then it’s the opportunity to meet the right people in the right time and throw up the coin and so let’s see how we’re doing here there’s lot either way it’s gone really really beautifully for you that’s great and uh only because we’re here in 2021 we’re in the middle of this coven thing and we’re in the middle of all kinds of legislation about guns and violence and race um i myself haven’t really seen much of that in in the industry maybe you have i’d be curious to see
19:21
over time if you’ve had any kind of feeling about a race as it may because i never think of it at all i mean i mean i’m i don’t even know why i’m bringing it up except it seems to me i don’t want to to leave it out by omission for most people because um you know you seem to have no problem with with any issues like that the people that you’re working for think of you as capable for who and what you are sure sure and i mean i think that’s that’s kind of the um that’s kind of the uh the common
19:57
denominator uh there’s it makes me think of that um that old saying uh that you hear a lot like in entertainment uh where people say it’s all about who you know well i would change that i would say it’s it’s not it’s not about who you know it’s who you know that’s willing to admit that they know you and that is a real thing because if i’m going to recommend you jason to a producer to talk to them about you know a new project or something like that i’m only going to do it if
20:43
i have a great feeling about you that i can send you somewhere that you’re not only going to represent yourself well but you’re going to represent me well you know because no one wants a phone call back hey who was that joker you sent over here oh my god he was completely unprepared you know use 20 minutes you know all these kinds of like things um so and and i think too in the interest in the entertainment industry people people don’t like to waste their time people don’t like to waste their
21:17
time people don’t like to waste their time outside of the entertainment industry there are a lot of hurdles that have to be crossed simply just to get projects off the road and you want to know up front that the people that you’re going to be dealing with whether it’s a big or a small project you know you want to know that hopefully they know what they’re doing and why are we bringing you know them them into the fold um so uh yeah and i mean you know race is i’m about you know i mean i’m a black
21:55
man in america so yeah i mean i’ve i you you have to deal with it i mean you know there are not many african-american guys named bradley and uh you know you make a phone call um bradley you know you know louisa and her boyfriend brad sure yeah yeah yeah we’re great friends uh louisa just worked with us on the hallmark move she’s fantastic i actually met her in new york through through mutual friends years ago and when i ran into her again here i was just like oh my god so yeah it’s very very very
22:30
small world but um that’s why this happened oh yeah oh yeah and and he’s he’s great brad and i worked on um there was a great oprah winfrey project um that happened just before i started that and brad was on that and uh yeah just just there’s there are so many great people that are here that i just absolutely uh love and adore and um it’s one of those things you know i i mean i’ll also say this that um [Music] i’m fortunate and i’m blessed to actually be learning the uh tv and
23:12
uh film production business here um i’ve been second assistant director now on four projects and unit production manager on the first sort of indie film that we when i say we myself branscum and sort of like this small collective of us that we’re able to bring here and um quite honestly i really don’t think i would have gotten as far as i’ve gotten now um simply because you know working with all of these guys you know paul and glenn and branskin and uh steven and you know robert uh
23:54
uh you know was able to produce a hit one-man play with robert angelo i mean uh uh it’s like it’s literally like rolling sevens over and over and over again it’s like you know like the best week the best year you’ve ever had like in vegas and um it would not happen if those people number one weren’t fantastic and incredible uh you know human beings to work with but just you know having them sort of take you under their wing and be like okay here’s how we actually you know got to
24:29
do that and just you know it’s like learning the business through your family that’s like the one great thing i love about maui is is a very small market but at the same time we’re we’re one of the uh only um united states uh locations that has been working right along through uh covid um uh yeah uh so yeah i i just i i can’t say enough about the um production uh professionals that live here on island that have been nice enough to give me a shot um i am always flattered and uh
25:47
everybody’s sort of like looking around you know let’s not leave anything here on the beach you know let’s make sure you know we’re you know we’re doing you know we’re doing the right thing for the aina so uh a 12-hour day if you’ve never worked one before under the hot hawaiian sun it will knock you down and believe me if you got to do 25 days of that you know you wake up at four o’clock you know i live up country wake up at four o’clock in the morning to be on location somewhere like in
26:19
mckenna before six you know to start sort of like sussing out today you know that’ll that’ll get you after about like like two weeks it really will but you know it it becomes easier when you know when you get there paul’s gonna be there oh man i can’t wait to see nori again you know i i mean you know it’s not the work per se it’s the stuff that happens during the job that make you smile and laugh really hard um because yeah we’re laughing like crazy through all of this hard work
26:57
so you know i i i feel really lucky i feel really lucky when you know you’re talking about the young people trying to do it you just shared you’ve been doing it for 20 25 years and and putting in a lot of hard work so when someone like branstam or glenn or paul call on you they know that you’re professional they know that you know how to hit the mark make the thing happen and if you don’t know the details you have a sense of what’s going so i would say if i was going to be a young
27:32
person working hard and keeping at it and not get discouraged look how many years you worked at it to be really now coming into your own i mean here in maui you’re like i think of as a cornerstone guy for young people coming up you know to know what it means to do you have knowledge of the industry where to go um you probably you know brian cohen you probably do brian got a job and all those guys this is a very small island so i’m just being kirti right but brian’s over at college bringing up all kinds of people in these
28:13
courses and uh learning how to edit learning how to shoot how to do this then they’re going to get into the business side i hope that you’ll get involved there because these young people need mentors that’s the thing that i’ve been looking for years there’s someone you know like they haven’t done it got like shep gordon said oh let me take you under my arm here let’s do this show well we’re going to get to a point where this time these people are going to come because
28:40
what we have is so perfect and so beautiful and it isn’t just jason jason’s got branston he’s got brad starks he’s got this team because this thing is about all you said it it’s about this collective that is rising up and we have the the fabric here and the young people how do those young people get involved before they get paid they can create this whole thing right here and you got guys like brad got it well i i i i agree with you on that i mean um i i was lucky enough uh stacy woodson
29:20
reached out to me and branston uh just before we started this last movie project we wrapped on and we were asked to be uh in a panel discussion um with two of the other actors that branscombe was in the netflix movie uh finding ohana which was a huge hit huge hit um so i was lucky enough to be brought into finding ohana through the connections that branskim had with the director um but we did a zoom conversation about the film industry and about being here on on maui with all of these students and it was
30:03
fantastic i mean i loved it and um tried to come as prepared as possible uh with with with different um answers to questions or uh you know i i printed out sort of like a list with a bunch of online links that kids could actually use that i use in the business that i think that they would find you know helpful so it was just uh it was just a fantastic discussion and um yeah i i you know uh chatted with uh you know with brian i mean i know brian cohen very well um he and eric gilliam you know came up with that uh uh
30:40
you know a white hawaiian uh show that i think is actually getting ready to do another run um if no one’s seen that you’ve got to go see that i got to play a very small part in that uh on stage with with eric which was absolutely fantastic but um yeah i mean all these creative types that live here bring something special to the mix and um if you have any young viewers that are out there uh that watch your show i would tell them you know uh the internet and social media um gives has leveled the playing field when
31:20
it comes to uh entertainment and sort of learning um if you have any kind of an interest search it on youtube and there’s you know at least six or seven thousand different interviews with your favorite performers your favorite uh you know directors producers singers right on down the line um you can literally start a podcast with a phone these days so um there are a lot of young kids that are out there who are really good uh really great friend of mine named austin who’s become a great friend of
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mine i was shooting all the behind the scenes uh social media video and pictures for relativity studios like four or five years ago when they were still around um they had a class here on maui that they were going to do annually and there was just this kid who i saw you could just tell he knew what he was doing he knew what he was shooting he he the the first piece that he presented halfway through this program was this really moody black and white uh very artistic sort of film and i just sat there flabbergasted and i
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approached him uh at the end of that that school day i was like hey listen man you don’t know who i am but you should be doing this as a you know like once you get out of high school how old are you what are you seven years old yeah but i was just like you should be doing this there are projects that come into maui every now and again if they have an internship or if i can just you know if it jives with like your school schedule or it’s like in the summer i’m getting you a job so give me all your information and i don’t
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know when this is going to happen but i’m going to make this happen sure enough yeah yeah yeah and sure enough something came along i submitted his names to the uh production coordinators they brought him on they fell in love with him i mean austin is just he’s a powerhouse now the other great he was he was down at the tv station here at akaku when i was doing stuff there 20 years ago so he’s been committed and at this for a good while that’s great to hear that that it’s still continuing for him and
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it’s it’s his being on it and his hard work and dedication recognized by someone like brad stark that’s a great we uh yeah i mean i was just gonna add to that the um he definitely does work hard he’s learned a lot of the stuff kind of like on his own uh maui high school has got a great uh uh audio visual and sort of filmmaking department my gosh i uh austin and i were asked to come in to tell the story of how we both won this best documentary worldwide look worldwide yeah international
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contest uh which was like our first venture together so it was just great it’s just great you know really exciting stuff you know i’m sure we can talk for a long time in fact you remember when i didn’t press the recorder the first time i’m not sure where we’re at again someday i’m going to have a team of people and there will be someone a sign to hit the go button you know it’s very funny you know i i laugh about that but i’m at an age where i realize that we are the the runways for these
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future planes taking off all these young kids that are coming up the industry that we can see developing here and the inspiration that someone like you brings to these kids i’m real glad to hear you’re doing those kind of things and i hope you could do more you know um i’ve really had a good time talking to you when you’re on what do you feel like you really want the audience say again i i couldn’t hear you say again yeah i keep talking about this guy brad starks he’s this he’s that
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what do you want the audience to know about you do you want them to look for an upcoming show you’re going to be on or what do you want them to know or you’d like to share well um i would i would tell everyone watching uh support all the creative people that are here um this is i and i probably don’t have to tell your audience this but maui is such a magical place and uh there are so many creative souls that live here uh the sunday maui market though those food trucks i mean the creativity of those people
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who cook that food is delicious i mean two of my personal favorites that i gotta single out dope barbecue fantastic uh while i was working on the hbo special they were nice enough to make time to accommodate over like a hundred of us um uh and also oh god there’s another truck that’s over there called two cheesy guys the best grilled cheese sandwiches on planet earth i’m still pushing for them to do some kind of a surf and turf one but oh my god it’s delicious but um uh let’s see the hall there’s a hallmark
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movie called aloha with love that’s gonna come out uh i believe that’ll probably come out maybe like this coming winter i’m not i’m not quite sure but uh that’s gonna make maui look fantastic um and i saw is that the one that sarah was in sarah rodriguez yes sarah rodriguez absolutely one of the biggest underrated talents i’m sure you probably know her as well from akaku it was a pleasure to actually see her just blow everyone you know stealing scenes left and right fantastic the director
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was just like oh my god you know she’s a natural she’s just so great she’s also from chicago so you know i got to pump a fist uh for her as well so uh yeah sarah’s awesome sarah is awesome kids say enough good things but yeah i i mean um you know there’s that movie coming out um gosh over on oahu there are a lot of uh new big television shows uh ncis hawaii is going to get started up there are um three other big uh television program um that might kick off over here that that i can’t really
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say anything about i’m talking to some people about and then um there’s another there are another three projects i’m in the midst of talking with some some really good people who as of yet not everyone really knows about and we’re working on some incredible projects plural um starting probably the end of next month and moving forward for at least like the next like two and a half like three years at least well you know we’re going to be talking offline but i don’t know how i can think of doing
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anything on this island without thinking of wanting to include you and almost like you know you’re a production coordinator you know when i need someone bruh you know brad’s got the list we put this together where i really see us all as the potential you probably tell me it’s happening of a studio you know we just need some money to fund things and create this this local market and the markets will watch what we do through you know on maui arts and music so i know i’m looking for the portal
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online to showcase all this stuff elevate the hawaiian culture bring all the stuff that we do here up into a global visual spot and it won’t happen without people like you and exactly people like you not only are you a wonderful guest and i think anybody watching has got to say i like this guy brad i’d like what can you do on my project so if you’ve got a project out there we’re going to put up places in ways you can contact me and i’m sure there anything otherwise that i mean i don’t want to
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leave there and as we go you’re going to go i forgot to tell them about something anything else i would you see yourself more as an actor are you do you want to go this way or that way with your life have you given thought to that well you know one of the interesting things sort of about the way the the industry has changed now is like some of like the top actors have a hand in the projects that they’re a part of um don cheadle is uh is is someone who i never thought i’d get a chance to meet
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but i actually got a chance to meet him in person through through to a buddy of mine um and looking at how actors are also producers and then also contributing in some way or form to uh the writing um really really excites me i think that um one of the things about sort of moving here from new york and going from photographer to more sort of which is which is kind of like being behind the scenes but um the the fashion photography that i was sort of like trying the level that i was trying to you know attain those photographers are
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also in and of themselves these very prolific uh personality filled kind of like stars but um when you become a producer like i was with uh with robert which was just a great learning experience for us both working together i literally was able to kind of stand back and see what it was that robert needed for his performance and for our production to sort of gel and become what it was and i’ll tell you if we have time on uh to do another show with he and i both we have got a real story to tell on
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what it took because um even with papers signed and contracts and all these kinds of like things once you go out on the road with play things do not always go as expected and when it’s you know and i want to say it’s just the two of us it was actually the three of us um uh uh we had to figure out a way to make it the best show that this playhouse ever had and we did it and we did it and all of sort of like my social media sort of like a superpower is sort of like game to play and robert
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was is is just so he’s he’s an amazing guy because he he knows what it is he needs to excel and if you can just meet him halfway and allow him to have that everything else is easy um and we had a lot of challenges i really grew a lot from that experience and you know we’re not done yet we’re not done yet he and i yeah we’re going to rob a couple more banks you’ll you’ll you’ll see you’ll see we we we’ve got uh we’ve been chatting about a lot of different things i actually got to go
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see him today but uh yeah just a great guy just a great guy well you know you’re a great guy and that i feel like i’m getting an entree into a world of great people and i hope that um we can if you know anyone you think should be on this show send them on my way here and just know that i hope that our audience will get to know more and more about you and get the feeling like we’re all working here together we’re going to elevate this whole thing a rising tide is going to raise all
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ships and we’re going to get more and more local production and more and more things that we can show the world because we really do we are just an amazing island of talent on all levels and i how many people here you know i had an opportunity to work and to meet paul emen and glenn beatles and all years ago you know you can see i’ve been around a few years here a little older but i’ve watched there was a guy named joe rossi did you ever meet joe rossi maui i think i never met you what
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never did joe no no no no no we babe spontaneous anyway maybe that’s a good signal for us to kind of wrap it for today but thank you for coming and being here with me i’d like to say we’ll speak soon but i know you’re so busy i’m just hoping to i don’t want to get in your way but i’d love to uh explore more with you and what do they say take things up a notch even from where we are now thank you for being a terrorist great thank you so much thanks again thanks again for having me this has been great
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thanks again jason thank you all for watching and listening we will see you again aloha you
