Transcript

Ep 101 Mericia Palma Elmore

From The Big Picture · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 18 min · 14,969 words · 82 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Ep 101 Mericia Palma Elmore", an episode of The Big Picture published March 29, 2025 (1 h 18 min, about 14,969 words). It mentions 10 people, works and ideas, including SAG-AFTRA, CBS, Brian Wallace, Marisha Elmore, William S. Richardson School of Law.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Brian Wallace, Danielle Conway, Marisha Elmore, William S. Richardson School of Law
  2. – 1:00:00: Puerto Rico

Notable quotes from "Ep 101 Mericia Palma Elmore"

  • We talk about Ho's film industry its Inspirations its challenges and the sharing of resources I'm Brian Wallace and today's guest is Marisha Elmore she's the executive director…
    about Brian Wallace · at
  • Speak a lot on that because you have a background in law yeah I do I went to the William S Richardson School of Law and I'm a proud graduate and it's it's still my three years…
    about William S. Richardson School of Law · at
  • Build Hawaii and so guess what somebody else is building Hawaii look for us or places like Puerto Rico that you know that look tropical to begin with so that's why that's why I…
    about Puerto Rico · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Brian Wallace — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Marisha Elmore — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Inspirations its challenges and the sharing of resources I'm Brian Wallace and today's guest is Marisha Elmore she's the executive director at sag aftera hoi and professor at University of hoi West aahu and hoi Pacific University.
  • Danielle Conway — Person · 1 mention · first at
    And I learned a lot my one of my favorite professors I'll named drop her name is Danielle Conway she is now the dean of the law school PSB but she kind of brought me into this…

Books & papers

Companies & orgs

Places & events

Full transcript with timestamps

welcome to the big picture podcast where we talk about Ho's film industry its Inspirations its challenges and the sharing of resources I'm Brian Wallace and today's guest is Marisha Elmore she's the executive director at sag aftera hoi and professor at University of hoi West aahu and hoi Pacific University

so Marisha thank you again call me mnie all my friends call me mnie so now you're a friend because we're doing this thing so mnie I'm calling you mnie all right and uh where did you just come from you teach a class I I just came from hpu and this was maass media which is a 3,000 Lev level class at hpu and um today was the intro class first day and like all good intro classes I introduced them to Beyonce you got course I mean that's a everyone knows about Beyonce of course of course and and you you you taught um a cinema class at uh monoa as well right yep and I'll be doing that again this spring too Wednesday nights same class and and what what do you teach in that seminar so this Cinema class it's an ethics class okay and the way it's done before the 460 class from my research when looking through past syllabus syllabi syllabuses zabi from looking through past zabi it's really been focused on film and talking about ethics

through different you know film projects ETA movies I do it a little differently so I talk about the creative Industries in general and look at different issues in the creative Industries through different ethical lenses so you know just like we all have our different perspectives there are also different ways to look at various things AI being one of them I talk a lot about fair use in the First Amendment and looking at that through all different angles from a rights holder and one who wants to a rights user so it's a little different but I feel like I feel like the the students get a lot of it you can you can speak a lot on that because you have a background in law yeah I do I went to the William S Richardson School of Law and I'm a proud graduate and it's um it's still my my three years there really hold a special place in my heart and um I I learned a lot my one of my favorite professors I'll named drop her

name is Danielle Conway she is now the dean of the law school PSB but um she kind of brought me into this world of intellectual property and how in my opinion anyone who's out there creating content whether you know it be someone who's making short films or YouTube videos or anything really that it would really it's really beneficial to at least get the very basics of Ip down and and what led you from your law background into where you're at now as executive director at s um you know we'll have on a story time let's have on a story time because you know it's it's also a lesson in what we do when we fail how's that because that's I went to law school doing a joint degree so I did a joint librarian information science Master's so an information science masters along with the JD so I did both at the same time and um my goal was to be a law librarian and researcher that was my dream I wanted to work in the library and and

look at books and laws and research and write papers all day long I'm glad somebody finds that exciting no I did I I still do and I still think man Librarians are the rock stars they're the and law Librarians total rock stars and um so that was my dream I did the whole thing I even took the bar just in case so taking the bar was the just in case right so I'm glad I did and I tried for many years to get a position as a law librarian and to talk about failures and stuff I couldn't I I applied to all kinds of schools all over the world and I got a lot of rejections and it made me we're talking real it made me depressed because you know we have this vision of who we are in our brain and that's my that was my vision in my brain is I was going to be you know Professor Palma whatever and be that and um just because I came up from the entertainment industry and I worked in entertainment and had my own production company for a

while um out of the blue my husband Gerard Elmore says hey I saw this thing on Facebook I'm like what Brenda Ching who is the executive director here at sag aftera was retiring after 32 years and he knew I was kind of going through a little bit of depression cuz I was and I and I still am an adjunct I don't want to say just an adjunct because there's an important role for being an Adjunct professor but I was just doing it part-time I couldn't get a full-time job being a professor and he was like just try and my dad before he passed also said just try you never know just try and into thinking no they're never going to want me whatever cuz I knew it was a national search and there were folks from all over who wanted this job and I just tried and one thing led to another and I got it and there are still times speaking of imposter syndrome for all those listening where I still think one day someone's going to figure out

they're going to figure out that's how I feel as a grip it's like they're going to figure it out right oh why is she there and now I'm in my eighth year and I keep thinking I'm going to figure it out yeah and um you know so things can come out of failure yeah I and I think that's what that was that's totally normal you know having that feeling no matter who you are no matter what level you're at but I can say um first of all no librarian ever liked me growing up but um I think they missed a good person in that position you know but um and I think we're we're really lucky to have you as you know executive director here in Hawaii I mean you bring so much to the table um you know with your law background you're you're like overqualified you're too nice to say that thank you for saying anyway um but yeah it's it's cool to hear your your story and and that kind of happens to a lot of people you know my my dad sent me

to Iolani and the last thing he wanted me to be is a grip you know he he he worked in Industry 40 something years as a grip electrician you know when when you're in Hawai you got to kind of do all these positions cuz we don't have enough work and um you know he didn't send me there to be a grip but you know what I I I got into the industry and it's something that I love and it's something that I really um like sharing with other people too you know so that's pretty cool how you got into it and so what what exactly like does a executive director do so my day yeah so the the main thing right is we you know take care of our members that's a member service is huge but if you really you know at its core it's administering and enforcing the contract okay so that touches a lot right the administrating and enforcing things like um set visits that's so that's where we saw each other I think last as during a

set visit part of that is enforcing the contract so if somebody calls and says xyz's happening M so you go and you know what the contract says that has to happen what the XYZ looks like and you go to set and make sure that it's looking like the XYZ in the contract and who's making these um contracts are are are is sad neg so the members so it's the members I serve and I serve at the pleasure of my board and I serve at the pleasure of the members okay um I was a member long long time ago but I'm not now so we can talk about the whole acting thing another day or today or whatever but um they depending on what the contract is so there's different contracts for different things right and they um negotiate just like you know as you're familiar with in your union they negotiate the collective bargaining agreements that's not for me as staff when it is negotiated and agreed to and un ratifies then my job comes in to help

enforce that right here in Hawaii and So that obviously is the benefit of being a sag member as opposed to being a non-union worker just kind of correct cuz when you're on set and you start being treated a certain way you have someone like you coming on protecting those rights and you know and all the members here if you've ever I put my cell there yeah and that the reason for that is sometimes when you are on set um if something happens right you I don't know about from for grips or for folks on the creu side but for actors especially and then especially if you're an actor that may not be number one number two on the call sheet that may not be a name or even a part that speaks yeah it it's harder for you to say hey I need um I need a restroom that I can get to I need whatever it is right and so I think that's one service that I'm very proud to provide is that you text me on my cell yeah and I do people do they text

me and say hey this is happening it's a lot easier for me to make a call to the upm or to whatever and say hey put some umbrellas out my guys are getting hot yeah I think um I think a lot of people especially when they first start out you know stepping on set is kind of overwhelming it's intimidating everybody seems like they know what they're doing where they need to go everybody's on radios talking to someone talking to a boss you know and so um I think a lot of the times uh people especially maybe actors I I think in general you know where there's like production assistance when they're first showing up is like like you said you don't want to ask any questions you don't want to get in anybody's way you don't want to you know you almost feel so lucky to be there a lot of people especially Americans I I think are so fascinated with celebrities and just the whole TV set that they just they just are too afraid to speak out

and a lot of times that's where people get themselves in some pretty hairy situations where it's like should I be doing this like I don't feel comfortable but again it's like people like you that are making sure that that's not going to happen and that's that's a huge benefit a lot of people don't know um what the big deal is I guess on on joining a union like sag or AI the union I'm a part of 665 but um I think it's very important and to strengthen those unions and support those unions you know ABS I I I do and it gives voice to folks and and I think this I think it's you know collective bargaining 101 right that you know the voices of the many join together are a l louder and more powerful than the one person in you know in the in the wilderness out there saying hey I'm too hot I need a chair I need whatever yeah that's harder to do so yeah and that's kind of one of the reasons why I wanted to kind of do this

podcast is because if you look at um the film industry here in Hawaii specifically as a whole it's kind of like it feels like and this is just kind of my opinion like everyone's kind of doing their own thing everyone's kind of fighting their own little battles with the information that they're given you know and we might be giving one bit of information sag might be giving one bit of inform information and so I think it's like you said we're we're going to be um in a better position if we all can come together share our resources and um share the information and maybe we all can stand up together to push our industry here forward you know cuz really it's it's it's local people like I'm not sure sometimes that the general public knows that it's local people it's not Hollywood people coming here like we're making a living here like how many members are in Sag like locally yeah in in um the last count was around 1400

1,400 that's a lot of that's a lot of people that's a lot of jobs and and I think um you know put getting those people work cuz it's a real career you know what I mean and people are are struggling and to be quite honest it's hard yeah it's hard it's hard anywhere in the industry I feel like but especially in Hawaii we're we're fighting a lot for jobs I I agree I agree and um so when you so when you decided to take that job um what kind of you know you were kind of in a dark dark place you know that's not ideally what you wanted to do and then you you get the job and what kind of inspired you to say hey like I could do this this is like something I could do or want to do or did you were you still were you passionate about it were you like this is something I want to do I think I've always been passionate about being an advocate period I think that's why we go to law school right not we most people a

lot of folks that you do find in law school will find you'll find that that's one of the drivers right is that we want to help especially in Hawaii that's one of the great things about Richardson is that that's as the young kids say that's the vibe that's the vibe really is is helping giving back what are we going to do to enrich our community and make it better so that's the big thing advocacy is is huge for me it's one of my you know Mission Vision purposes in life is to advocate for folks who don't necessarily have the voice at that moment to advocate for themselves when you think about you know the job that I'm in now I think a lot of people kind of get blinded or lost in the the glamour so there's that right you see I'm thinking of the Golden Globes that were just last night right there's all the fancy people and the dresses and the the I'm I'm thinking of Selma hyx emeralds that could probably feed a

third world nation all I mean she had the whole deck all that so that's easy to see and you see that and you can get blinded by it but the things that you don't necessarily see are like how I came up so I started when I was nine that was when I got my first job right oh nice I was a kid actress you don't see that you don't see the 9-year-old girl on set for her first commercial and trying to figure out where to go and where to stand and it was a little different I do remember my mom like dropped me off she dropped me different times different time and this was Texas so things are different in Texas too you're like ah different times but and so I think I always had a passion cuz advocacy is a huge passion of mine and it still is I mean my my kids will tell you this if um if there's ever a fight or scrap to be had usually I'm the first one to put my hair up oh yeah take off my earrings I'm kind of good at that I

like it whether it's my words or you know whatever whatever I have at my disposal so I think that that passion is there you filipo that's I know right I'm ready I go I scrap I don't even think twice child actor already your mom was like get get over there and um make us money yes and then um you um and then you you got the Pacquiao in you ready for scrap any I that's kind of sad but I kind of am man that's not that that's the fire that's the passion the fire so passion you bring that in whatever you I do I do and I'm sure if people here have seen me on set show up with my little 54 self usually with boots your Converse on I'm like what yeah yeah what and I do the eyebrow but you you're standing up for you know people might not be able to stand yeah so that that makes total sense I think I have that from day one so that I hope that answers your question yeah so you um I I was more you know was there anyone in your personal

life you said you started acting when you were like 9 years old you know or you know you had your first I mean there there's Brenda Chang we got to talk about her I tell you what that woman is a Spitfire and to even be a little bit to fill her shoes cuz I'm still working on it like going into like eight years AG she who was Bron she was the executive director here from 1980 I think 86 8586 all the way to 2017 when I took over okay and um she's amazing she is I mean she is absolutely a tireless labor advocate so um to me just to be half as good as her oh that's and and you knew about her met met yeah I met her when I was an actress first and then just in production there were times when I've been on set and I just call her and you know hey let me run this by is this decent is this normal oh good yeah and so speaking of your times on set just so you know we can kind of relate people can relate what what were

um some of the struggles that you encountered say growing up onset and um just any particular job that kind of was tough to you doing War Stories yeah any any situation that that you strug with CU I feel like a lot of people do and and they might not know how to cross that bridge when they when they get to it you know so my time in Hawaii when I I moved here in 2001 right from Texas people here are really decent I got to tell you that they are just generally speaking 99% of the time decent good people that just want to work um so I don't know if I have like War Stories to Tell for folks here I mean there's there are times when people come in and they got to be schooled because they don't know about things like that right it's you know what I'm talking about people come in and say how this is how we do it in Atlanta or whatever okay that's fine I think that generally though the people that are

here that work here they we know what we're doing we have heart I will say if we want to talk War Stories coming at it as from a former actor one of the things that was hard was is especially as a kid is rejection and knowing that oh this is like the whole thing about fa failure this your podcast has turned into a podcast of of how people fail but this is well I am running it so it's good um the um that's hard to to to live with on a daily basis and it wasn't until you know sometime in adolescence or so that um had lots of different teachers and coaches say different things right when you get into your mindset that it's the the goal is the performance if that makes any sense so the audition the whatever it is that is the meeting the interview that's why we do it and in my mind whenever I did get the part that was bonus that was the gravy right so all the prep all the reading all the subtext all getting

everything into it for the auditions for the meetings once I got into my brain that that was a privilege right it made life so much easier um and we can talk about I don't know if this is the podcast for that as far as War Stories just as a woman there are tons of those stories leaving auditions crying we talk Eating Disorders honestly I think that's what what a lot of people like need to know because I think that's part of it is like um is this something we'll just go to that question right away it's like is this something you would encourage um the youth to get into like you said if you're not comfortable with failure if you don't have a mindset like you you found that out right it's like the mindset is the performance it's not the result you know you put the time in you put the effort in and whatever happens happens and if you stay consistent this is kind of personally what I've seen it's just

consistency you know what I mean and um that but that's hard a lot of people um uh handle it different differently and it's totally normal however you handle it but it's it's about being able to to get through it you know if you were to come up to me and I get asked this a lot especially when I talk to students and all this they want to you know be and I hear it when they say they want to be XYZ and that is a name of someone or they want to be famous or they want to be this and that something in me always goes H that's just me person I'll own that's my opinion so what I tell folks is there anything else you want to do is there anything that Sparks your passion you know explore that because usually the folks that stay in this business and stay in it with love and passion and all that are the folks for whom this is the only thing M there is nothing else they can do there when they wake up in the morning they're thinking

of plays scenes whatever it is if if if that's not you even a little bit yeah maybe consider what that is for you does that make sense no 100% And everyone's situation is different you know I get a lot of people oh you're a grip you know they don't know I'm just like a glorified labor but they you work what somebody said something to me our industry is a white collar no a blue collar job with a white I I wish I knew the quote something about how basically all what we do is really blue collar work this is let me find the quote let me get back to you with my research because there's a quote somewhere about the film industry and it really is we're laborers we are laborers and there's you know there's enough art in it that can you know give you that sense of joy and pride like you're creating something you know and that's that's really the only thing that has kept me laboring uh all these years is that we're creating a

story we're creating a beautiful picture but we're we're we're entertaining people you know and so that that's behind it but circling back around to what you said it that's exactly right um if you're not really passionate about it and you know what is crazy is like I I couldn't believe I came to this realization like I guess I'm a struggling artist like I never you know I'd always see like you know paint people paint oh I'm a struggling artist but I feel like I'm a struggling artist right now and but artist nonetheless um if I want to give myself that glorified title but um you know as you can see in our community whether it's short films um people helping with audition tapes um uh anything you have so many people willing to jump in and volunteer and help you tell your story why because they just like the process of film making they want to help out do you need a stand in I'll just be a stand in do you need a

grip do you need electric and so our community here if you have a passion for it can keep you pretty busy can keep you fired up you know you just got to know where to look and um I hope like through this whole process of this podcast that we can put enough resources out there a lot of people are always looking for help a lot of people need to tell tell their story and I think that's the the the biggest thing thing here in Hawaii with the film industry is like if we don't help groom this if we don't help put in the infrastructure for this industry then guess what US local people will never really get to um know how to tell their story in a cre Creative Media way yeah because there's many many ways to tell your story early through dance through um art in in any way but when it comes down to this digital age you know showing something on the screen is going to get the most views you know and and and when you have better

lighting when you have a better structure for shooting a short film or any event when you have professionals that have been doing it for a while everything will run smoothly everything will have quality and then in the end your story will get out there I think when you lack those things a lot of people especially with the um with the the amount of interest um that people give things nowadays if it's not if it's not oh if it's not like high quality if it's not eye-catching a lot of people are just going to keep scrolling it's cuz there's so much they're going to change the channel they're going to go to much out there so I I love what you're saying I hear you because there's so much out there there's so much out there there is so I mean it's I know at our root right as human beings as hominids whatever when we first started came up off the trees with our two feet sitting around a fire yeah right and we're telling stories yes

that's who we are at our core 100% that's it at the very end of the day that's our core and that's what we're doing however we're in an age where it's lots of different fires lots of and if you want your story out you're correct you got to find a way to make that story stand out and unfortunately we can't just sit around the fire and talk I mean we can people do all the time yeah you're um it's a lot harder to get the word out and so I I think that's great what you're doing is great amplify the message yeah and I think the biggest fear of that is and the biggest fear for a lot of cultures is someone else telling your story ah right you was talking about perspective and ethics it's like can we tell our story yeah through the camera lens through camera motion through lighting the emotions of lighting can we tell truly our story if it's not us doing the lighting doing camera mement you know that's something

to talk about that that's a that's a really interesting topic to really dive into but those are all skills that have to be learned that have to be taught that have to be you know executed because who tells your story so when we start with that premise that your story needs to be told authentically in an authentic manner who tells it but that is a really that's that's a deep and interesting thought to to if we're going to go down right that in order for especially marginalized communities for stories that don't get told too often and don't get told in an authentic way for them to be seen we have to ascend to this level y so that's and we have to move away from the sitting around by the I mean and not leave it forever but you know move progress towards this level and that's hard I I hear you that is that's something and I've worked you know my my dad worked in the industry for a long time and even um as a kid watching him

him work it was a struggle because a lot of these film um movies TV they're bringing in everyone from the mainland right especially at the top the top tier of everything especially at the top tier you know and um so I was fortunate enough to um get in very young and be taught by some of the greatest um technicians and I've been very fortunate and I feel like it's almost like my generation is kind of the first generation that kind of has made a pretty steady career out of it to a point where we now accumulated enough um ours experience to hold those you know we're getting into that um time where we're we're kind of holding these higher positions so it's like at what point do we start saying hey you know you guys don't have to bring everybody from the mainland like you know bring your bring your script you know bring bring your story bring your leads but we can actually I think facilitate um these

Productions on our on our own I hope people see that now I mean you're probably on that level you and your colleagues are probably at a place where you see where you can make that assessment to see if that's happening I mean is it happening do you find that that's where we are or are we not there yet um we in certain positions yes definitely um it it all boils down to opportunity you know and we we have you know um one second mhm you know um these Productions have given us opportunities like I did 10 years on Hawaii 5 as a grip and I've seen so many people whether they're a PA that they move all the way up to you know assistant camera you know or to ad second ads you know assistant directors so it's those kind of shows that actually there's enough time you know you went 10 seasons 22 25 episodes a season you know nine months out of every year consecutively um that's hard to do that's hard to grind out but imagine the

hours the hours and hours of experience so um definitely in in certain positions I feel like um we're we're ready to uh take the charge the thing is like you said you got to be super passionate about it you got to be kind of pressing about it you got to be very just like getting a role in a movie right you got to be very consistent with it persistent and so I think um what doesn't help is that you have to do pretty much everything on your own yeah you have to wait for an opportunity to have consistency of work cuz that's the only way you're going to get better is actual work yeah so consistent work I mean we love the movies but you're right yeah it's the TV that that that's where we learn so it's like how many opportunities do we get though in the state of Hawaii for TV shows you know and what is the biggest challenge for TV shows to be made out here does people do people want to see shows in Hawaii I

think they do I think there's a big demographic for people who just turn on the TV whether you're freezing your butt off on the East Coast going I just want to see Hawaii right now um but it still seems like it's very hard to get television shows here or feature films here what what in your perspective why do you think that is oh I that is a great Segway what a great sway to that's good you're good you're good you good you good podcaster you know my first day no you know well I'm GNA if I can take two roads right yeah first road is I think the one that's talked about a lot and that's the idea of what do we do to make coming to Hawaii attractive yeah and we talk a lot about tax incentives right and um infrastructure development and I mean it I'm not the one who made this up the the three the three prongs right and then also Workforce to make sure we have the workforce you've talked a lot about Workforce and you're right

they've had 10 years plus with other shows developing that Workforce so that's going that you know part of the equation's going recently what is it Bill 59 over at the city and county so hopefully you know that's going to pave the way and start you know I'm over here going y but I don't know what okay so that's that's the most recent one I'm just a grip on the city and county side where they have um a tax credit a real estate tax credit for building a studio so that's number two right so that's going and then of course the studio and that you know look at that hand inand with what's happening in Wahu with that studio so all of that's working together studio so right now just while we're on there how many studios do we have available on in the state of that's the Georgia Skinner question for the creative industry so I'm not going to speak to her expertise I can tell you just from you know what I know from the

things that come in I know that there's a Diamond Head Studio there's the One Magnum was out out on the westside Barbers Point which is really a warehouse but that again it's totally just a warehouse that's not this is going to be the state of Hawaii's purview they can discuss that more and then what was there in kakaako yeah where Lilo and Stitch was for a little also just a warehouse so unless there's something else that I don't know about right so right now there's one state working Studio Diamond Head studio and again not the expert on that I'm always going to have to say not the expert on that but so of those three things and then we have a tax credit and you know for whatever you say about the tax credit I'm sure there are detractors there are folks who say you know folks that are in in high positions of power who say who do not just philosophically even theoretically believe that a tax

credit is a that that should be a thing that we give to to encourage or incentivize business so what would the when when you say tax credit so the state of Hawaii is giving these Productions any any production like what money back or I'm going to go with just the stuff exactly from state of Hawaii because again I don't want to speak out of school but all of this is information that you can find and um you know on the debed site is probably the best place to go and then I think their actual website is film Hawaii or something like that but if you go to Department of um business debed whatever that I was going to ask you business development and tour Economic Development and Tourism okay um and I can share that with your friends and I'm sure I'll give it to you and you can put it in your comments everything you know and and and I don't know if you guys are seeing us but we're looking at this

beautiful document that Maisha put together and um it basically is the information on hoi film tax incentives and I I would like to just kind of go over it and and what inspired you to like make this because honestly all my union meetings all speaking with people I've never seen kind of a concentrated document of facts number actual numbers yeah exactly that's surprising to me because all of this is what I was going to hopefully let you know when anyone else is listening all of this is out there none of this is my work and the scholar that I am everything is cited so I always make sure there's citations and um you know where you know exactly if you look at it I put like found here and I put the actual links in the citations CU none of this is I did not do the work of getting the numbers I did not do any of the research the state of Hawaii has done this for you yeah so dbad has done this what I wanted to do

is because I kept getting questions from my board members especially that's why this thing it says here prepare prepared for the board and the legislative committee because I would get questions from my members from board members from even you know folks that are just into industry like hey what's this about so what I hope to do was make it so that it's easy to digest y That's exactly and so here's what the tax credit is 22 to 27% and um you know what you need you got to spend at least 100,000 you know all the you know what's your cap 17 million per per um production what's the big cap 50 million and I did it in bold um so that you know a 5-year-old who knows how to read you know explain it to me like I'm five I get that a lot explain it like I'm five hopefully this is it um but it's not you know there are experts who can talk on this and who can talk at length and who can go deep into the

weeds but what I found is some people don't want to go into the weeds no they just want to know here's what it is yeah and if it's okay but but the reason why you made this in particular was it because um you were presenting this um to anyone to to get more incentives or what what was no I I'm just totally curious on like so yeah if you go to the back page the very this because I made it for my board the way I do things for my board or anyone who listen is I do the last page is the what can you do and that's why I made it I made it so for the folks you know again just focused on you know the folks that I deal with every day my board members but also for all of us you know my um my husbands in the industry I think I I know I have friends that aren't in the industry but most of my friends maybe maybe that says something about me that I need to go get more friends but most all my friends are

in this industry they may not be actors they may not be my members but I was I want I want to help give them the facts and the knowledge and Empower them with the tools so that they can say hey okay here here's where you go go to this site and visit and then how do you do it how do you go to legislators and I give them their Five Points first identify yourself as a Hawaii resident that's a big thing and um one of the things I do with my board is I do a questionnaire and my committees I say go to this place and it's um I think it's ballot pedia or something like that where you put in your address and you see exactly who your reps are go there Find Out Who Your it's pretty easy to do you know Senators because there's only you know two big senators and we only have two Congress people Federal side but on the state side see who your state senator is see who your State Rep is see who your city

council rep is right once you know all those you know tell them how this industry that's a second Point how you're you benefit from work in the film industry you know tell them you support the tax credit if you do and then give examples of what they you know how this is in your nebor neighborhood and what it means for you and then just cuz I'm a polite girl and I think probably just raised Asian say thank you always thank the legislators for the time and so that's why I made it I hope that this is a tool right so now that you've got the way I made it not only do you have the numbers but just for education and again these aren't my numbers what's the impact on tourism right but before we get into all that cuz I do want to point out some of those numbers sure sure sure you're saying what what can you do for what for us to fight for more war to let it be known just I don't think a lot of people know how this started you and

me talking about this that you and I are the faces of the people that work this industry and how how our legislators is going to know that unless you say hi it's me I live on XYZ Street in kanoh and you're my rep and this is my job and this is why we need to build this industry because why you think in general they have no idea I don't say no there are folks who are definitely our Champions I mean I'm thinking right now um the one that's coming to mind Jana capella she's out there on on um in Hawaii County I think she's maybe Kona um Adrien Tam is wonderful he gets it there are folks that just get it um Senator Linda Koy she understand there are folks and I'm like dropping names but I think it's good to call them out 100 call the people out who understand that and they've been to set uh Trisha chica she's another one I actually took her to the on a set one day and one of the new guys AKA there were two there

are two akas that are new this one is AKA old I brought him to set with me one day so they can see and shake hands and meet the people building stuff but I named what four people right I named five people and there's a whole bunch more that in their mind they've got again blinded by the Glamour and Glitz they have an idea right of oh we're giving money to Hollywood we're doing that and I hope to maybe combat that idea a little bit with yes maybe that's part of it giving the money to Hollywood but you're also affording tuition to Iolani 100% you are affording you know Morgan exactly things like that yeah and and because CU I I think the point I'm trying to make is that we're not do do you feel like there is something holding us back as a as a growing industry do you think it's something that maybe the state of Hawaii um you know the politicians feel like you know what this is not a good road to invest in let's

not build it let's not build more Studios let's not make more incentives for other TV shows to come down here let's not go down that road like why it it almost seems I hope not very clear because I I'm in the industry I'm bias right the writing's on the wall like this is a good source of income you know we might be giving tax incentives and tax breaks yeah but this is a good way for the state to get Revenue so I feel like it works all the way around we're not even competing against the tourism industry we're actually supplementing and if tourism is our number one economic you know source of income then why not supplement it why not pivot some funds some resources to help grow our Hawaii industry so that's kind of you know when you wrote this is like what can what can we do and it's like what can we do for what it's what can we do to help maybe grow this industry that could make a huge impact for our state

right right you know I I hope you know going back to the beginning of what you were saying I hope that people get it I really do but I and I hope it's not that oh we don't want to just give tax credits I hope that it's bigger than that however I mean realistically we have to exam in whether or not for some people in power this is just something that's not palatable to them this is something they don't want to do the when you look at the numbers and I think the last numbers are what 4,000 4,000 jobs is or so yeah it's like 4,200 yeah okay so yeah for some people 4,000 jobs yeah yeah and and I I get that and I've actually been told that by someone I don't remember who I was speaking with someone at the ledge and one and she was you know telling me in the kind of nice big sister way oh one of the reasons why you know you're not getting much traction is because you only have a thousand members or whatever yeah I get

it but when you're one of the 4,000 that's depending on your check so that you can write the check to yolani right so that you can write your mortgage check it's a big deal for us and I think it's it's it's a bit flippant right for for you say Oh They'll just get another job yeah because we started this talking about passion yeah it's not that easy to just get another job and what are we doing to The Souls of those folks that are like okay you hey yeah you were really great being a grip now you're going to be um an account I don't know I don't know why I went with accountant but you're going to go be something else because now go find another job I work hawaian Airlines baggage go find another job now cuz that's your your job so I think that's a I hate to say it but that's part of it and so it's more complicated I think the tax credit part is huge yeah the interest all those things the incentive part is is a big

part of it but then we also have to be real and you and I talking about where the industry is yeah where our industry is even with and I know you've got other guests coming on that can probably speak to this way more eloquently than I can and I hope they do but let's say we did have the best tax credit ever right let's just go to that exercise where everything is great even if all of that going to New Zealand especially New Zealand today the currency exchange rate being what it is you're going to get a discount m going to Canada the currency exchange rate as it is you're going to get a discount and they've got those three things already not only you getting your discount you're getting your tax credit you're getting a Workforce that is um robust and what they're doing you know worldclass Workforce and um you've got infrastructure yeah so we have to we have to think of that too so is that why

you think local boys like Jason Mamoa will take their M to I'm not going to New Zealand but you know a lot of a lot of people on the outside especially in the Press it's like why is he taking this why is he taking this movie you know to New Zealand to shoot a Hawaii show or Hawaii movie it's like it's not hopefully you can get him here on this chair you can talk Jason if you're out there while we're waiting the camera please in the chair I I think people don't know that it's hard it's hard so that and that's just he wants to the whole point is he wants to a lot of people want to but they can't cuz we don't have the INF there's that okay so now we've got globally that's going on and then we also have we cannot turn away from the fact that the industry is Contra Contracting period yeah yeah globally and and and then there's that and then also when we used to watch TV you just talked about it right with 5 a

broadcast television series 20 episode 22 23 maybe 25 if you get the Christmas special episode and you're lucky okay 25 episodes I mean just speaking to that how many things are that now no what you do is you watch Shogun for what is it 10 Epis onun which is great by the way and congratulations to that production team from Maui really yeah I think I did not know yeah the show owners live on myi maybe you could come hey I don't come to this chair yeah you see what I mean though it's like all all Hawaii people Hawaii people Hawaii Town yes and but we're still not making avenues for that all of those things we just talked about and people are getting content different okay so now we're talking the contraction all the other things that this is a part of it of why we're not having stuff here the industry is changing content is different so one of the things I asked my students back in this class was where you you know where

you get your news where you getting your content every single one Tik Tock insta all this so maybe the question we need to start asking ourselves and this is I mean it's tough right we have all this and we're re we've gotten in a we've gotten to into this groove where we're really good now at fighting for this mhm I this is what my seventh my seventh um legislative session with sag after I've done it before with other folks but we've gotten really good at tax credit tax credit let's I we it's a nice Groove we know what we're doing we know how to make the argument and that's great and I'm not saying we abandon that we never should but maybe we need to also look at the bigger picture of where we are as an industry we can't do anything about the exchange rate no we don't have that power um but maybe maybe maybe we start doing stuff on our end back to the storytelling not going back to sitting around the fire

but doing what we can to grow our IP and this is the soap box that I'm always on little box in the stand little soap box is that um we need to grow our own intellectual property we need to make the seeds we need to put it in the soil we need to water it and make our own things in Hawaii 100% and that's it goes to what you were speaking about I think because you're right we've gotten to this level you've had your 10 years experience on 50 plus countless other folks who've been on the different CBS shows thank you CBS for always coming here on all those things right um I think we're at the place now where this is you know it's time to start doing it this way and because the the means uh you know it's it's a lot easier now to make a film make a movie make a short make some content on Tik Tok make a series on Tik Tok for goodness sake they have long form now it it's different than I mean I still remember this is how old I am back

in the day when I was helping dropping names all over Dave Rosen Shooters back when he you know doing whatever I could to help him be a PA there when they ke kept film in a refrigerator right when you had actual film yeah exactly you know that so and the expense that goes with that we are to the point now where I can take out my phone and maybe make a you know a nice soap oper little series and put it on Tik Tok and now we've got a series yeah but you know what but that's that's crazy but I I can totally see a world where it comes full circle because I've already experienced that right it's like and I I shout out all my content creating friends like they're amazing because usually it's just them they're writing the story they're shooting the thing they're you know they're making us laugh they're making us you know it's it's good it's very good content but the funny thing is as as they grow as these

content creators grow what are they going to want to have the edge over the next content creator yes that's why I get a call once in a while once in a while hey can you do some of the lighting for my content creating can can you call your friend who can actually operate a real camera for my cont and so in the end you're eventually just going to make little Productions little Productions and so I think I think it all goes hand in hand you know and I think the more we can U help facilitate that and tell our stories by any media I think that'll be that's going to be a good thing and we talked about you know we don't basically have a lot to bargain with we you know the last number is like 4200 people we employed but do you think that number would be doubled or tripled if we had more projects like it's like you said those are the people willing to be passionate and stick around even in the low points and no jobs um to stick

around and then they end up Landing the next job but a lot of people come and go because they have families to feed you know they have rent to to pay so they have to go take a job at some place else so I think if there was more production more thing we would see you know so for argument sake as like oh you know that's only 4,200 people out of the whole state so why are we making these you know special um incentives for them you know but really it's something that can grow absolutely I think so because let's take a look at the numbers on what what 4200 people employed bring in um to the state right so you have here what um what amount of money is actually you know for for those people being employed and the productions being made are we talking about it brings in you know $100,000 to the state a million dollar nope let's talk first on 2015 and this was a report that you found on on de right so anybody

can look at these so these are not my numbers we're just talking about them and these are this this is facts this is not somebody going oh yeah maybe you know so in 2015 there was an estimated of 243 and a half million expenditures generated and 422 million of total output what is that mean the total out so I am not going to answer the questions from the the economists those are just I I mean I can just tell you what the numbers are but I don't I don't feel spending yeah spending that's how me and you as Layman would do it but I I want to defer to The Economist to talk about what that looks like specifically but yeah to me and you yeah like spending so there there was $422 Million spent in the that's is that is that small I mean I really don't know too many here other um as an economist I don't know what that looks like but just as mnie sitting in the chair next to you and I see that number like huh that's a

lot of money yeah and that's 2015 and that resulted in 26.7 million in state taxes so it it it continually increased from 2015 now let's like jump up to 2021 yeah and those are the last numbers unfortunately I don't have any numbers for this year so next year when you get this from me because I do it every year right you'll get more hopefully so so we don't have 23 and 24 is there a reason why 2023 I'm sorry um 20 202 22 and 23 are not reported I mean we're already in 2025 is there a reason why those numbers I don't know that's that's going to be for debed Department of business devel business and Economic Development and Tourism I so how come how come you think they can't get those numbers oh is it a lag in I don't know I I I I wish I I wish I had the crystal balls see everyone I would think that that's important that we have those numbers like updated continually especially when we're fighting for our lives for these

incentives it's the data that we can actually bring to the table and say hey this is what we're trying to to negotiate here but we can't even get the numbers to negotiate so it kind of feels unfair it you know I wish I wish I knew what those answers are but I think that the answers are probably more complicated than you and I yeah but all I can do and this is what I tell folks I'll just give you the facts and you make your opinions what you want on the facts and here's the facts the last numbers I had from 21 and even with those numbers in 21 that's huge 421 million in estimated State and County production expenditures generated and 728 million of economic direct and induced impact y 728 million ion and 45.5 million in taxes and um 4,200 people um got jobs for it so so it's interesting that 45 number our cap is at 50 right so we're like you know yeah we're spending that much but look how

much you're taking in so that's one way to look at it so and these are questions that I think will be good questions to bring up to your legislators when you talk to them you know whether it's it's a phone call I mean people still do that right pick up the phones and say Hey I want to speak to my legislator and a lot of them want to know what their constituents are saying especially you know I'm I'm um if if you're I'm going to speak really specifically like living in khhi they have a new a new State Rep that's that's in khi you know call her up and say hey you're a new let me tell you about this just in my opinion I think they would probably find it a lot easier that's so weird are you good you got to go no no no no no cuz work work's always happening um I think they would really want to hear I mean you and I I mean you probably more than me like hey you're the lady that works at the union I'm

just the lady that works at the union but someone in her neighborhood in khi you know because she's new saying hey I live on XYZ street I'm your constituent I want to ask you about this number and usually they'll say oh what number let me let me show you some things and best send them the this is why I put links there send them the links and say hey what's going on how come this number and then how come you guys want to get rid of our tax credit but look this number MH yeah and and and this is this is what I teach my kids too and we negotiate and maybe this isn't good that my three kids are really good at negotiating because they really are go is you say the thing and then you stop talking and it makes people really uncomfortable MH yeah yeah my kids are the the worst attitude they're born negotiators you just stop yeah and people mommy they get all weird but that's what I would that's how I

would do it I'd say hi rep here's what the number is I'm going to stop talking and let them tell you why it's okay for them to get to get rid of the tax credit and these jobs let them tell you or maybe not maybe they go I don't know I thank you for bringing that up like let's kind of look into that yeah and um and and I think the you know we we've been just like you said stuck on this uh incentives thing what why is the incentives aspect of it such a big issue why why is that something that we're totally fighting for and and is the biggest thing about bringing jobs here to hoi all those things are yes I don't think we should ever stop fighting we should absolutely always because even if it's not something you agree with even if philosophically you are opposed to the idea of government you know tax credits handouts whatever you want to call it if you are opposed to it that's fine that is your opinion I don't think

we as an industry should stop fighting for it because unfortunately that's the landscape if you look at the the little um chart that I do where I compare everything that's where we are and you some people call it a race to the bottom I don't like using that term but if we're going to compete this is the game comp compete getting to let kind of clarify that this T tax incentiv is important to compete in the bigger pict picture because other states are also giving their tax incentives right you got Atlanta giving great taxes yeah and it's here which is awesome that you point that out and so when shows are making a decision should we shoot in Hawaii oh why should we shoot in Hawaii when we get a better tax incentive in Atlanta but it doesn't look like Hawaii oh that's okay the the money that we're saving in tax incentives we can just build Hawaii and so guess what somebody else is building Hawaii look for us or

places like Puerto Rico Puerto Rico that that you know that look tropical to begin with so that's why that's why I think the fight's important that's why I think it should always be front of mind to anyone who wants to talk to a legislator about it that it's part of it and um I think another part of it and you know they just announced a couple of days ago that dbed did release the funds now for their um I think they're calling it The the special projects or special funds or whatever for independent filmmakers so that finally got released yay and then where do independent filmmakers fun let me when we're done I'll send you the links because I've got the the links to everything and you can put it on your podcast yeah I we'll put the links up def that's a good thing I think we have to keep we have to fight for both of those equally in my opinion yeah we we cannot quit fighting for the tax credits that bring in all the big

folks all the cbs's Disney and all that of the world we need that because how that's how you trained up yeah that's how we make our everyday money but while that's going on I I really think it's important to always fight for the Indie Indie filmmakers too it's really important to fight for those upand cominging content creators that are making their their soap operas on Tik Tok yeah because um the the market being what it is who knows what our industry is going to look like in 10 years yeah and um we need to start training people up to to be able to work in that industry in 10 years and not just folks who worked 10 years ago yeah I I I think uh it goes both ways you know for me you know I came from loss and that show was a long run you get a lot of guys gain a lot of experience from that run that went right into Hoy 5 um but I can tell you A lot of those people who have you know blessed to have

a full-time job for 9 months out of the Year gain all the experience they cannot wait to help the local independent filmmaker they cannot wait to say hey I learned all these skills on this big time show let me help you out how can I help you with telling your story because you came came up with the creative writing you came up with the idea like let us help you translate that into something that is beautiful you know so it does go both ways like you know the the more experienced people you know that work for these bigger corporate CBS ABC they want to help your in so it goes both ways as far as it doesn't matter in my opinion who you're helping in the industry it it'll all go around I believe that and we can lift everybody up it's the community right it's the ecosystem and the community and you know remembering back to our science lessons as kids you see the arrows going to this it's part of the cycle that we're all in

so I know this kind of s of oh you know should we still do this and it's important yes absolutely we need to educate folks as to what's going on but it's also important to educate you know people on telling their own stories if that's what they want to do yeah all I think that's the most important thing is telling your own stories from your own perspective yeah and um let's let's talk a little bit of the impact on tourism okay cuz so there's no way around it is that Hawaii has already made tourism its main focus of economic uh income but my whole thing is it's a trip to me that it's like when we go to ask for these incentives and support from the state like the amount of money they put into tourism is there any reason why you can't give a little to our film industry cuz at the end of the day do you think our film industry has anything to do with tourism right right and the numbers bear that it they do yeah so I this was

a little surprising to me and um weirdly I just messing around on the computer I think that if I weren't going down rabbit holes and deep Dives for things I wouldn't have found this stuff it's not something this study came out when uh 20 February 22 Yeah 22 is when it was done and it came out it was released on February 24 so just this year which is you know but in the it was you know the it was on the website as of February 24 which is the height of session and you know during session about the fighting we're constantly fighting for and trying to get get our our message out there and I think that it would have been really a good message to get out there that indeed our industry has an impact on tourism but I think that's something we all knew no but now we see it you're saying these numbers these factual numbers didn't come out until after the fact of well I know they were came out in 24 but they I don't unless I miss

something right I don't remember there being any kind of press release conference I don't remember it ever being brought up in any in any of the hearings well from from what I heard yeah when we whenever someone and again this is like I don't know where I heard it but um it's always like oh we can't connect the numbers between between how many tourists come here for our shows or you know like they saw Hawaii 5 and they go hey that's where I want to go it's beautiful there just from watching the show they can't connect that person to the actual tourism numbers and and why do you think that is there's not a structure of you know I people not checking a box on the plane saying so that's how this came about because I did so these are if you go read this study so it's linked here on the thing and you can you know pull the links and put it on your on your um podcast website that's how they did it they

asked people you know coming in who are visitors not you know when we come you how we check the boxes that we're a resident and we skip ahead to do the residence so this was one of the questions asked and what's interesting is you know maybe it's a timing thing so I I'm I'm going to give benefit of doubts to lots of folks maybe it's a timing thing but you know 24 February 24 February is a I mean that should have been there still hasn't been anything I don't think I don't think ded's done any kind of push for letting everyone know these numbers maybe my hope is when this session rolls around again that this will be a big talking point um but you in my opinion um no I don't say in my opinion in my experience in my experience I I don't remember this I don't remember it being talked about at all last session yeah I I heard it's just been a real um struggle to connect those dots connected here I could see

that though unless you're doing something like that where it's like you know check the box if this show has made you want to come to Hawaii you know and so let's talk about some of the numbers so 4 8% of visitors to Hawaii came in 2022 due to TV and film yeah um that's 4.5 million visitors a day yeah in 2022 so you know we we get what billions of visitors I I don't know see this is why chair the chair for HTA now 4.5 million seems like a lot to me it it seems like a lot but you and I know who knows what those numbers are right they may be a lot bigger well it's 4.8% so that's you know less than 5% so small small kind but still so a billion bucks is still a billion dollars total visitor spending a billion is not nothing and um these are just from the the numbers that we collected yep you know that's you know who who really knows yeah but still with with those numbers that that seems substantial to me and I think we are

making a positive impact on tourism you know and maybe that's not something where you know for me personally it's like that's a lot of people coming here that is but so then the flip side of it also is perhaps these numbers aren't Forefront for certain folks because maybe they don't want that many tourists coming in right so there's and that's something to consider how much how many human Souls can our can our Islands take so that's something that people to so that's why I don't I'm not saying bad or good or anything about Anyone who puts these studies that's not it it's all just hear the facts one thing I do want to point to though is the Japan numbers because that's something that gets talked about a lot right that we want to bring more people back from Japan Asia in general maybe this is a thing maybe then maybe that's the road we take um but I am not the tourism expert at all I just am showing everyone

the numbers so 14 14% of visitors a good amount from Japan and even you know Korea 8 so it it definitely has impact and and like you said I'm kind of on that side of things too where it's like the tourism is industry is a huge footprint on the state of Hawaii but you know what isn't ours and do we have I mean right now we don't have comparable numbers but when you think about the numbers that it does generate to the percentage of local workers on the production so you're not bringing people in it's the same local footprint you know and and I can tell you right now when we're on set local people like you said it it's a Vibe Y and we bring we leave things cleaner than we found them we're sharing that Vibe too like you said when people come from La Atlanta It's A vibe and guess what they all respect it yeah they all I've seen so many people you know not to sound disrespectful but change their

tune they come in here in that race that they always been running in LA and everywhere else and they come here and go that I feel out of place running it like that you know everybody got a Vibe here and so I think I just want to point out like I feel like Hawaii can make a Vibe change in the industry with the amount of respect that we show each other the amount of respect that we show the places that we work and work and the people we work with so I think that's very important and and in turn it's like we're not bringing in billions of people um as a footprint in our state no we mean we bring in a little and the the vibe can change someone's life so I don't know do I have time can I you can cut it out I have a little story can I tell a little St tell your story so about the vibe the vibe and how it changes so when I came here 2001 and I love telling stories um I love telling Leanne ferer stories cuz she was one of

my best yeah Leanne fer she's the last time I was here I was here with her um and she passed um a few years ago but she's um I tell her story because she's an amazing was an amazing woman please do Vibe how Vibe can change a person's life came out 2001 thinking I'm hot sorry can I say you can say whatever you like girl you know really right coming out here because I'm from Texas that attitude that was my I will tell you I will own that was my attitude when come out and we're going to do it this way and blah blah blah and I auditioned for her I auditioned for her for she was doing a short and uh she wrote it directed it all this this was her short and I I walked in incorrect I mean we got to own it right we got to own when we're incorrect I was incorrect I approached it and I walked in and um she corrected me and I that was my first experience of what the vibe is and how I did not have it

and I still work I work really hard to learn what that is and then by no means I mean there there are still times that I need to be corrected I mean that's the whole thing right but um it changes your life because it put things in perspective without going into it you know there lot there were some culture things happening there and I was incorrect I was what I will you know maybe even a little cre racist but incorrect no and to be schooled like that but to be done in a firm Gentle Way and then from then on bestie cuz there there was mad respect for that and um to the to the very end I felt like that's what this is It's lifechanging and I guarantee that if you talk to folks who've come in from other places and even left that Vibe check that happens is life-changing and it changes who you are as a person and it changes your soul so we got woooo I'm sorry for going to the woo woo place we were just talking

money and I took the money place to the woo woo Soul Place guess what that's that's where we are that's one of my biggest passions you know so I'm glad we went there and thank you for being like vulnerable and and telling and I think that's why you got respect back because you were you were able prepared hold on I have a hanky cuz I I I got to I got to my we got tears on the first episode guys yeah thank you I get a hanky okay go ahead no I mean that's honestly what I really love the most is on set yeah spreading that Vibe you know and and and sticking to our Vibe and and really seeing people change in a positive way and you get so many people directors actors they love it here they want to raise their kids they and they stay they stay you know and they stay and they and they contribute what they have to other locals I've seen so many people take local kids local young people under their wing and say hey you want to learn

this I'm GNA teach you you know and so we benefit from it you know and we we all do it goes back and forth I think that's why I still do what I do and why I'm here and why I love teaching I mean we don't we don't teach for big bucks because we don't get it but why I keep doing it is because of that I feel such a duty but not a duty and obligation in a negative way but a privilege I feel a privilege to be able to do what I can to give back to give back back to this industry to you know because I'm grateful for the privilege just to to walk around in the air that I breathe all of that so what am I going to do I will pick up the phone you can ask my friends too I'll pick I mean I will later because the person called I'll pick up the phone of the person who says hey I don't have an umbrella onset and it's a tiny tiny thing and I'm not solving world hunger or feeding puppies or putting Rockets

into space but you know what for that one person who didn't get an umbrella that's what I'm doing and that's I feel like it's a privilege for me to do that here you got a good heart well thanks you got a good heart unfortunately we're we're we're just no we're no we're we're winding down but um I guess I guess um if if you were starting off if you're a young person maybe High School thinking about getting into the industry whether it's like I want to be an actor I want to be a camera operator I want to um from your experience and what you know what would be a good resource to look into or what would kind of be what would you recommend like the young person or actually anybody getting into industry what would you recommend that they the their first steps may be or what they can work on so if you come at me and you are a Storyteller kind of person what you know I'll tell you this what I find

a lot is people who want to be influencers who want to create content yeah so what I would and I think this applies to really anything that you do whether it's a grip or someone who wants to be an influencer and have Lou Vuitton pay them $10,000 to carry a bag M Louis Vuitton yeah shout out $10,000 okay there you go anybody you're so funny you're like I'll take a coach or a duni and Burke too um water find the people who are doing what you're doing yeah so for me it would be if when I have students who say they want to be influencers you'd be surprised how many people want to just be that's what their job is they want to be an influencer that's what I like do right I would say you know do your research cuz that's your researching what you are do now and if you can't even make it narrow so that they're doing it here locally so I'm thinking of the guy in Eva what's his name pretty guy um you know you know I'm

young the young people know rock rock something Rockman Rock there you go thank you oh God I sounded so old I didn't okay so you know what I'm saying he is he's a you know research figure out their life figure out what they're doing even better if you can find a way in the same circles to reach out have someone help you and Mentor you so that's like up here but like for you know the grip job or people come to me cuz they want to be lawyers which is awesome and then I say you know what talk talk to me why and find someone who can tell you about their life and it really is you know mentorship and you know find someone who can help you you know also read the books and do the research but at the end of the day what's the biggest help and you I mean who is the best teachers are the folks who actually got down and said this is how you do it mnie Yep this is how you do it exactly so that's what I do do the

research find someone who's doing what you're doing find a mentor and that'll also if if you can spend a day shadowing mhm walk you know walk with them the whole day and not only will it help you get to where you want to go it'll also help you figure out if that's even what you want exactly if that's a life so that's my advice whether it's one day on set could completely change your mind whether it's being a grip or being you know stunt person actor um a writer MH is is live their life for a little bit with them and see what they say oh my goodness you just got the Water Works going one one last thing I I always like to know what what you got you got any fun projects you working on next you I know you just started teaching this class know I love the teaching part yeah you you know I'm like are you producing anything I can't produce anything cuz technically you know my job you know it's sag after no conflicts of interest

or none of that however let's say I have ideas you know what I think is a great idea I'm going to just throw it out there somebody needs to pick it up can somebody pick up here's free IP I'm throwing it out there throwing it out to anyone who's looking to listen hear me out Instagram stories right you know how the stories come up and they pop up yeah yeah yeah Shakespeare okay okay each shakes like let's say we're doing Hamlet uhhuh each character and you can do it a bridge you know make it short or whatever just pick the highlights each character makes their profile and you can do it in modern times and then and you say the the lines the soliloquies whatever in time so that when it pops up on your feed you're getting the play read to you in time there we go I don't know silly but I think of these These are the ideas I think of because we're using short form we're using social media take it it's

yours somebody's going to come run with because it's it's you know what it's also public domain yeah so you don't got to get rights for it putting on my IP hat right you know hamlets out there in the public domain take I mean how many people have done Shakespeare over and over again and like 10 Things I Hate About You is really Taming of the Shrew Romeo and Juliet's been done a gazillion times so take it it's out there for a reason Hamlet and Instagram stories well thank you so much and I don't even need credit don't give me credit it's fine no you're going to get all the credits I just but you know I say it because it's something I want to see you're awesome seriously I I've learned so much from this conversation I hope everyone I I know everyone will learn a lot from this conversation I hope I didn't say stupid stuff you did great I this this was my first podcast ever and I couldn't have picked

a better guest than you're too nice to me now I really I love you too I hope I didn't say stupid things Elm more everyone thank you so much bye-bye bye

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Ep 101 Mericia Palma Elmore"?

In order: 0:00 Brian Wallace, Danielle Conway, Marisha Elmore, William S. Richardson School of Law; 50:00 Puerto Rico.

What is mentioned in this The Big Picture episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including SAG-AFTRA, CBS, Brian Wallace, Marisha Elmore, William S. Richardson School of Law, Danielle Conway. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Ep 101 Mericia Palma Elmore"?

The episode runs 1 h 18 min; the transcript is about 14,969 words in 82 timestamped sections.

More from The Big Picture

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.