Geraldine (She/her) (00:00) when you're talking about Cosby, it's either about all of the great things that he did and the impact that he's left or all of his wrongdoings. but what was key for this is not being able to shy away from either because they all exist as part of the same world, right? and so you can't talk about one thing without the other. Bradley Carpenter (00:25) Hey, hey, welcome to The Unscripted Files. My name is Madelyn Cunningham. I'm a development producer in the unscripted industry, bringing you candid conversations with the minds behind your favorite form of entertainment. Today I have two guests on the show. are sisters, super producer sisters, Geraldine and Grace Porras. Geraldine has multiple. Emmy Awards and a Peabody under her belt. is her sister. are a absolute powerhouse team creating some of the most impactful and culture shifting documentaries of the past several years with Freaknic, The Wildest Party Never Told on Hulu, 1000 % Me Growing Up Mixed on Max. We need to talk about Cosby on Showtime. We get into the very nuanced storytelling and the dichotomy of art versus artists and cultural impact versus personal wrongdoing. talk about the show California Love, the documentary covering the 2022 halftime show with icons like Dr. Drake, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and what their jobs were on those projects, what they look for in their projects, as well as getting into some of their personal passions when it comes to trying to bring film and production to the Bay Area with Make It Bay. I really hope you enjoy this incredible conversation with the Porras sisters, Geraldine and Grace. Madelyn Cunningham (01:49) Geraldine and Grace, welcome to the Unscripted Files. How are you guys doing? Grace (01:50) Bye. Geraldine (She/her) (01:54) thank you. we're doing well. sunday is one of my favorite days so it's a good day to be hanging with you. Madelyn Cunningham (02:01) I love a Sunday. I used to have the Sunday Scaries, but I guess it changes when you love what you do. You kind of like... Do you guys have a Sunday reset routine or anything like that? Grace (02:06) Mmm! Definitely. Sunday is the new Monday for me. So it's like the first day of the week, you know, getting ready for whatever the work week looks like, gym, you know, all the things so that the energy is set and the tone is set for the week. Madelyn Cunningham (02:27) Yeah, what about you, Geraldine? Geraldine (She/her) (02:29) Mine is less on my P's and Q's and more about like having breakfast on Sunday morning and just like hanging with my boyfriend and my cat and just having a slow, I feel like Sunday is our day where we're very slow. Saturday is usually. an extension of the week where we're doing what Grace said, going to the gym, finishing projects. Sundays I like to take it easy and I like to be home when the sun is going down and just enjoying the natural light in our place and not have... we work from home. So I think that Sundays is a day where we can enjoy our home in a different capacity since we usually are doing everything out of here. Madelyn Cunningham (03:13) I totally get that. I don't know what you guys are star sign. I'm a Virgo. So Sunday is definitely, I'm more on the grace side where like, I will chill on Saturdays and then Sunday is just my like cleaning sheets, getting ready for the week, making a list. And Saturdays is more of my like Geraldine day where I'm like hanging out. So, well, I... Grace (03:35) Definitely. Madelyn Cunningham (03:36) I was introduced to you guys through our mutual friend Quinn Fagan who said, and I quote, everything they touch turns to gold. So I want to know what is that signature Geraldine and Grace gold touch? What is the essence that you bring to your projects? Geraldine (She/her) (03:55) think, you know, honestly working with Grace, being sisters, what we really bring to the table is just the authenticity and integrity to projects. think that we, you know, it's important for us to really put our best foot forward on anything that we do. And oftentimes... Grace (04:29) There's that. Geraldine (She/her) (04:16) when we're not working together, we get praise for these things. So then we sort of double up on those things. So we're like, can you just, you know, make a duplicate of yourself? And I'm like, actually, meet my sister. And Madelyn Cunningham (04:28) already done. Geraldine (She/her) (04:31) go ahead, Grace. Grace (04:33) I'm going to say there's been so many times where that's been said to me too. It's like, wow, if we only just had another one of you. And this is before Geraldine and I started really intentionally working together. And so like when we actually had that aha moment where we're like, like why haven't we been doing more of this? It just, it just makes sense. It's hard to explain. Madelyn Cunningham (04:52) Yeah, it's so crazy how authenticity, being genuine, transparency in this industry seems like it's rare and not the norm. It's wild. So what are some things that, know, individually or that you both do to kind of, whether it's with your collaborators on your projects, what are just some things that you always ensure are in the DNA of your projects? Grace (05:00) Mmm. Mmm. Definitely setting the tone at the top of a project, talking with the teams, making sure that there's a clear roadmap of expectations, I think is important because so many times I've walked onto a set where there were a ton of producers, but no leaders. And so for us, it's super important for us to lead with not just like a strategic plan, but also lead with our hearts and like understand that everybody here is here to do a job and has a livelihood to look out for besides, you know, the project that we're currently on. And so I think that is critical and integral to everything that we do. It's just like setting that tone, setting a precedent being open, open lines of communication with our team so that they know like something's not feeling right. Like how do we adjust and make sure that, you know, we're we're all on the right track for a successful project. Geraldine (She/her) (06:08) to add to that too, I think the other side right treating our with that humanity, but also for us working in unscripted, realizing that these are people who have lives and are going through their own things. And at the end of the day, we're making TV, we're not curing cancer. And so I think that we have to sort of remind ourselves because there is that looming pressure of the deadlines, the deliverables, what the network is asking for, that you have to sometimes be able to take a pause and be like, hey, like... it's okay, this is not the end of the world and we'll pivot and i think that's the beauty of unscripted is finding that balance of really being able to capture that essence, that real life essence on screen and on camera. Grace (06:50) Totally. Madelyn Cunningham (06:54) Absolutely. It takes so many people to make things nowadays. so there's, you're right, there's a lot of cooks in the kitchen, but that doesn't always mean that everyone is aligned on the vision. And so when it, when it comes to the projects that you look to be a part of or the projects that you develop yourself, what do they tend to all have in common? Grace (07:06) Right. Geraldine (She/her) (07:15) I would say the heart, really, is finding the stories of the communities of people who you don't normally hear from. And I think that that is what Grace and I both really align on is, wow, we've never heard a story like this, or we've never heard from people who are living these types of lives or experiences. And I think that... Grace (07:16) Okay. Geraldine (She/her) (07:35) those deserve the same platform as other mainstream stories. and so that is something that i think we both really gravitate towards. the beauty of that is that it can look many different ways. really, people often ask like, what format? and i'm like, honestly, if the story is good and you find the heart and that's something that we really like to do, the format becomes a tool or like a way to transport the information to others and create that sort of common point of connection with people who may not have access to these communities. Grace (08:07) Mm. Totally I double tap everything she said Madelyn Cunningham (08:16) Exactly. No, I agree. It's interesting when as I develop as well, when it's like, what's the format? And you're like, I've got the story. Let's let the format follow. If we need to break it into a one, two, three, fine. But it's all it's story first. And it's really nice when you can find partners and collaborators who understand that. I don't know, is the story best told as a really great audio first podcast? And so it's when you do lead with Grace (08:41) Mm. Madelyn Cunningham (08:43) heart and what story I find that you're exactly right. The format is just a part of it to serve the story and to like elevate and amplify it versus, you know, trying to serve a mandate of like, well, we need to fit this in the slate, right? Which can be tough. And when I look at all your projects, they're really incredible. a fan of many of these. Freaknik, The Wildest Party Never Told, We Need to Talk About Cosby, 1000 % Me Growing Up Mix, The Show California Love. Let's dive into Freaknik. That event has been mythologized in pop culture for a long, long time and in the culture it's been referenced. so I'd love to know, number one, how did this project find you? How did you become a part of it? And then how did you go about sort of separating what actually occurred versus like the urban legends that we hear about often? Geraldine (She/her) (09:32) Yeah, I think, you know, part of how... Freaknik found me really was through people that I have worked with and I think that's the beauty of this industry, right? Is really the connections that you build. And so with Freaknik in particular, it's this big cultural moment, but it's also so nuanced. And I think that that is something that I've really been able to put my stamp on on the projects that I work on is finding the nuance and the layers in the stories that we tell because nothing is ever black and white, right? And so I think that that is what really brought me onto the project is to help bring out those nuances of something that I wasn't old enough to be a part of. I wasn't able to go to Freaknik, but it was still so impactful that despite my age, I knew about it. I knew what Freaknik was. I saw it in episodes of Sister Sister growing up. You heard it in the music. Grace (10:24) . Madelyn Cunningham (10:25) Yes! Yes. Yes, totally. Geraldine (She/her) (10:29) And so part of that too is when you come into a project, I appreciate not always being the expert because I think that most of your audience are not going to be experts. So it gives you a unique ability to really tap into the things that are like, this is a really interesting fact that I'm sure not a lot of people know about. And the people that have watched Freaknik have commented, like I had no idea that all of these other things were happening. And I think the way that we were able to accomplish that is talking Grace (10:40) huh. Geraldine (She/her) (10:58) to people who were there or who are part of that firsthand. And I think that that's very important to be able to highlight those types of stories and those types of experiences because the experiences were not monolithic. Everyone had their own version of Freaknik and I think that that was the beautiful part is that people sort of came as they were and they were able to find community with that. Grace (11:05) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (11:25) 100%. Yeah, and this is a of a theme that I see in a couple of your projects where you write everyone, there's something that impacted culture so much, left its mark, but there's also people who experienced it, that person, that event, that maybe had a different story to tell. And there were some unsavory maybe layers to it where you're like, how can we Grace (11:42) Okay. Madelyn Cunningham (11:47) ensure that we sort of resurrect this in culture because it did have an impact, but we also ensure that we're honest about maybe some other things that happened. And I think you do that so well and so honestly and delicately. And I know that that's something you probably had to learn along the way, I'm sure. Geraldine (She/her) (12:07) Yeah, definitely. think that, you know, Grace and I both have had the privilege of working with W. Kamau Bell. And that is, you know, something that we really were able to gravitate with each other. Him, likely with us as well, right? I think that we have those sensibilities to understand that there are different sides to the story and it's important to be able to provide a well-rounded view of these stories and let people Grace (12:07) . Geraldine (She/her) (12:35) understand the full picture, right? and i think that you'll see that in a lot of the projects that we work on is that we're not trying to force feed you one sort of point of view. we want to make sure that you have all the facts so that you can discuss and think through these different topics on your own and come to your own conclusions. Grace (12:47) Okay. Madelyn Cunningham (12:56) Absolutely. Yeah, no, I think it's laying it out for the audience and saying, here, here it is, and allowing them and not kind of deciding for them what is or isn't. think, again, I think it was done incredibly well. What was the biggest surprise you sort of uncovered about the event that you that you didn't know or that you, you know, people didn't really realize? Geraldine (She/her) (13:15) Um, I didn't know that Outkast was discovered at a Freaknik. Madelyn Cunningham (13:20) That shocked me too. Talk about like a monumental moment. mean, you're like, wait a second. Geraldine (She/her) (13:27) Definitely. I think that that was one moment where you really, I mean, you know the lasting impact of it, but that was such a concrete like wow moment that made you really realize of how big, even though this was a contained event, contained to a certain degree within Atlanta. its impact really had such a big reach in hip-hop for the culture and really everything that we're seeing today from music to fashion to all of these different factors. so that was for me. i'm curious to know, grace, if anything stood out for you as a viewer. Grace (14:06) Honestly, it was just the entire event. Like never realized how big the festival was, right? Like how folks from other parts of the country were coming in, like the different groups that traveled to Atlanta that learned about this and how it blew up. Obviously, like with any big event, there's always something that happens, something that surfaces. And so understanding some of the experiences that that the women had there and all of that. wasn't, I wouldn't say that it's shocking, but it's definitely like, wow, we have, we don't actually talk about those things. And those nuances, like Geraldine says, are super important and integral to this entire experience and why it gets shut down and why it doesn't, you know, have the same legs that it once had. And so I think it's important to recognize that and talk about those things. And all of that, think was super well done, especially for me. I'm, three years younger than Geraldine. So I definitely, definitely didn't experience Frick Nick, but you know, similar to Geraldine, I, I've heard it referenced in pop culture and now I hear it so much more because you're aware, keenly aware to about it. and I think that's the, beautiful thing about the projects that we do is like, didn't realize how much this influenced the things, the culture that I touched. And so, yeah. Huge kudos to the team. Geraldine (She/her) (15:27) you Madelyn Cunningham (15:27) It really was... I always am fascinated by seeing... events like this before phones really and how word of mouth just like exploded where people you know it was all about just people talking and people showing up and not knowing what to expect you know it's easy to like see i don't know Coachella right now or any other right music festival and be like that's the i that's what's happening that's what i can expect but the idea of people just coming in troves to Geraldine (She/her) (15:35) Mm-hmm. Grace (15:38) Mmm. Mmm. Madelyn Cunningham (15:58) to experience the community, to experience the event, and actually genuinely being there and enjoying it without their phones, maybe a few VHS camcorders, thank God, so we have the archival. But it was just so interesting, again, just to see the enthusiasm from the community to just be a part and to just drive in, sit on the highway, and if they had to wait, they were gonna dance. And it was just... Geraldine (She/her) (16:20) Thank Madelyn Cunningham (16:24) know, a piece of nostalgia that I found so interesting. There was a, you know, and when you talk about the other sort of, I don't want to say the underbelly, but the unsavory things that happened, you know, there's a documentary on HBO. It was like Woodstock 94. I don't know if you guys watched that, right? And it was like, it was so interesting and crazy. Again, I never knew about this. I certainly didn't know about the crazy things that were happening with a population that was... Grace (16:47) Right. Geraldine (She/her) (16:47) Yeah. Madelyn Cunningham (16:51) 100 % different than the population of Freaknik, the same things happened. And so I think at the end of the day, look at like, unfortunately, when you can get a large group of people together, no matter what community they're from, there's sometimes going to be these things that happen. And again, I just think you guys, you told it with such a... Geraldine (She/her) (16:54) Mm-hmm. Grace (17:05) Nothing. Madelyn Cunningham (17:08) honesty, sensitivity, made sure it had, you you recognize its place in culture, you know, and still ensure that a lot of the narratives and the stories that needed to be amplified were. When we talk about, you know, today's festival, party culture, music, fashion, what kinds of remnants from Freaknik do you still see today? Grace (17:28) I'm on everything. Geraldine (She/her) (17:30) I think definitely everything, but I think the fashion, right? I think we're in a time where this generation is really looking back to the 90s and like reincorporating some of those same looks and also this just energy of being able to express yourself. And that's what I appreciate of thing. I love, I've never been to Coachella. I don't think I want to go to Coachella, honestly. But I'm like, yeah, I'm too high maintenance to be out in the desert like that. But what I appreciate is scrolling on my IG feed and seeing all the fun outfits and people just really having a good time. I think that... Madelyn Cunningham (17:58) Seems pretty dry and hot. Geraldine (She/her) (18:15) you know, what was unique about Freaknik is, like you said, there was no phones. So really, people really could let loose, but I think that this generation, they've grown up with phones, they, you know, that's all they know. And so they're sort of still admitting that. Grace (18:33) And. Geraldine (She/her) (18:33) DGAS. And I appreciate that about this generation too. I'm like, good. I think that it's important for you to be able to express yourself and just live freely without worrying about what other people are gonna think or say. Grace (18:50) Yeah. Two, mean, you, we can't understate enough how much Freaknik impacted culture across the board before, you know, there were spring breaks for in Cancun and all these other places where a lot of the times white folks would go and because they could afford to go. And so, so black students didn't have the same, you know, spring break experience. And so that was really their opportunity to be like, okay, we're gonna pull up and do something. And that has shaped the way that, you now we seek out these types of communities and these types of events. As you know, I was in a Latina sorority in college and so, or I am in a Latina sorority and in college, we, you know, our staple event was a summer barbecue where we got to meet all of the Greeks who crossed that year. And so those are the freaknik influence that. whether we knew it or we didn't. It's the ability to find and build community wherever we are because that is what's accessible to us and that's part of culture. Madelyn Cunningham (19:52) 100%, yeah, building your own table and your own space. And again, like I said, just seeing how the ripples and everyone coming from everywhere to be a part of this, it was just amazing to see. I don't know, it's kind of rare now, it feels like. To be a part of it, to genuinely be there, not to tell people you're there. And it was, you know what I mean? And it was just, it was pretty incredible. Grace (19:55) Absolutely. Mmm, so true. Geraldine (She/her) (20:12) Thank Madelyn Cunningham (20:16) Speaking of nuance and projects, We Need to Talk about Cosby. It tackles that same sort of duality of cultural impact and personal wrongdoing. How did you approach this particular conversation when it came to Bill Cosby and We Need to Talk about Cosby? Geraldine (She/her) (20:33) think the same thing with with We Need to Talk about Cosby. oftentimes when you're talking about Cosby, it's either about all of the great things that he did and the impact that he's left or all of his wrongdoings. but what was key for this is not being able to shy away from either because they all exist as part of the same world, right? and so you can't talk about one thing without the other. and it's interesting because i feel like a lot of the feedback that the negative, quote unquote, negative feedback about the project was, you know. highlighting all the good things he did. and i'm like, well, if you have watched the project, you would know that we also talk about those things. and so i think the bigger conversation was really to be able to digest these things as a whole and navigate this is part of the world that we live in. fortunately and unfortunately, right? the good and the bad. and so we need to be able to navigate this and have these difficult conversations with both of these things being true. you can have a huge cultural impact with but you can also do wrong things and hurt people. And so for us, it was important not to shy away from that. And I think working with Kamau as the director, he really, like so much of his childhood was embedded and so much of what he does now as an artist, as a comedian, as a director. was directly influenced by him. so he knew that these conversations were not easy ones to have. and so it was really a priority for us to make sure that we included all of those details and sort of took you on this ride, right? like there's points where when we're making this, i'm watching old stand-up from him and i'm laughing and then you kind of catch yourself and you're like, wait. you remember like what this person did and i think that was what we were trying to capture that internal conflict of this guy's funny, i'm laughing at his material, but also take a step back and realize everything else that comes with that. and how do you really navigate that struggle? so that was sort of our core going through the series and... Grace (22:34) And. Geraldine (She/her) (22:45) It was meant to spark conversation and debate and really do the things that it did for people, whether they watched it or not. Grace (22:54) Mm. Madelyn Cunningham (22:56) Absolutely, I mean, and how many of us over the course of our lifetime, but more specifically probably since about 2016 have had a hero who turned out to not be that great, who was in your favorite movie growing up, who was in your family's favorite movie growing up, who you had a, I don't know, you had a poster on your wall of them and reckoning with that and how can two things be true? I think everyone can relate to that feeling and conversation of like, can I... Grace (23:11) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (23:31) Can I still sing this song? I enjoy it? Well, also recognize, you know, it's just, there's a lot that's happened in the past couple of years of, think, everyone trying to figure out what is the right thing to do. You know, I wanna, this means a lot to me. It impacted my life. It was the song that was playing when X or whatever. Grace (23:45) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (23:52) And now this person has done this. How do we reckon with it? And so I think that, again, it's just relatable across the board. Were there any voices that you wish you could include, but it just kind of didn't work out? Geraldine (She/her) (24:07) think that was...we had a list of countless celebrities and comedians and folks that we wanted to speak to, but we were also realistic in knowing that a lot of these people might not want to speak to us and go on the record and talk about this difficult subject. And I think it's for the same reasons. It's a lot to reckon with, right? And so this felt like a very... Conclusive type of way of sharing your opinion. And so I think that a lot of people shied away It's interesting how many people would talk to us for hours on the phone about their experiences and things that they personally saw But the minute you asked them to be on camera Mmm, we'll let you know or thank you, but no, thank you. And so You know without naming any names, I think you don't see we had we had dreams of having a long celebrity, a list of celebrities that would be a part of this conversation. And in the end, it didn't turn out that way. And so I think that that is a testament to the power that, you know, his influence has on camera, but also in the industry as well. And I think that that was part of what we talked about in the film. as well as just the how the toxicity of Hollywood and how we can sort of contribute to these types of... to these types of things one way or another. Grace (25:36) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (25:39) Right. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, that feels like a very direct reflection of how this was perpetuated for so long. It's like, even though it's now out in the open, we still have people who don't want to speak for one reason or another. And you're right, it is this culture of like, Grace (25:39) Absolutely. Madelyn Cunningham (25:58) of wanting to be silent. You know, I, I, as I'm sure you do, you respect some people's, you know, decisions and then other times are like, what do you have to lose, you know, by sort of, sort of coming forward. And again, more more nuanced and not everything is black and white. Do you think, do you think Hollywood and specifically society, like I said, this has been happening a lot. lately in the past decade or so, specifically with the Me Too movement but other things as well. Do you think that, you know, we fully reckon with the separation of art and the artist and that relationship? Geraldine (She/her) (26:31) don't think we ever will, honestly. I think that it dates back to, like, not even just in our industry, artists, things like that, and what becomes socially acceptable throughout history or what doesn't or sort of what gets written in history books. think that... I mean, if you look at our administration, what we have a president who has been accused of laundry list of things, what's acceptable and what's not, think is always going to fluctuate depending on what your values are, what's important to you. And so I think that it's gonna be an age old question that we continue to ask ourselves. Grace (27:11) Definitely. don't know either. feels, I felt like there was a point in time, I'd say probably three years during COVID years that were Like, wow, we actually are starting to be accountable to or hold these artists accountable to the things that they've done despite all of their accomplishments or influence in our culture and in our lives. But yeah, like Geraldine said, under this administration where we actually, know, not just, he's not just accused of things, he's convicted of things, we still allow this person to have the power that they have. And I think that that makes it even more challenging for us as culture bearers to be able to hold that line and say like, no, this, we must hold this person accountable. And absolutely not. will not be supporting X, Y, or Z. You know, we see it in the way that we, boycott, you know, big box brands like Target and Walmart and all of that, because, you know, we know the importance of, of where our dollar goes. but like what is that same accountability through like what we listen to and what we consume on a like not dollar in dollar out basis. You know what I mean? Like what we spread, what we perpetuate. And so I really do think that it's, we're in a conflict right now. And if we as culture bearers and culture makers can actually hold the line, I think eventually we will shift back, but it requires a lot of energy. Madelyn Cunningham (28:35) Absolutely, I mean the you know, it also requires a lot of energy the mental gymnastics people must have to do every day to Make some things right in their head Grace (28:41) Mm-hmm. Yep. Madelyn Cunningham (28:46) and others, they'll, you know, it's really wild. And you're right, it does shift. And I think in hindsight, you know, we can look back at, let's say like artists of the early like 20th century that a lot of people loved that were mentally ill, that did a lot, you know, it's in every corner. Grace (29:04) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (29:04) of creativity. There's the argument about, you know, do good, are good artists, does what make a good artist mean that they're a little, you know, rough around the edges or I don't know, it's a very fascinating conversation. And like I said, I think that it is going to be ongoing. I don't think we're ever gonna have a right answer because art touches us so emotionally. I think it can be so difficult to sever. Grace (29:19) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (29:33) those bonds in terms of like, well now that means nothing to me anymore. Like it can be really tough. And like I said, I think that was captured so incredibly well. Grace (29:37) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (29:44) let's get into 1000 % me growing up mixed. Again, more like, again, nuance is just something you guys do so well. And I really enjoyed watching this, you know, given the deeply personal nature of identity, how did you create a space for for kids to share so openly in this particular series? I enjoyed watching it so much. I couldn't believe how Grace (30:00) And so. Madelyn Cunningham (30:10) honest and how much depth your subjects had. So how did you guys create an environment where they could really open up? Grace (30:15) Mm-hmm. Do you want to start Geraldine just from like development or do want me to start? Geraldine (She/her) (30:25) You can start. Grace (30:26) I think from like a bird's eye point of view, all of our subjects turned out to be from the Bay Area. And the Bay is a super special place. It's a breeding ground for counterculture and identity is something that we're constantly aware of. It's not something that we're just like, we just move through the world as we are. is something that like at a young age we're coming across at a young age, we're talking about it. And so huge credit to the parents of all of our participants who have been having these conversations with their young ones, you know, from the beginning. And so really the way that, you know, again, credit to Kamau, like the approach that we took. was definitely going in and just learning about their real life experience, allowing them to talk about the way that they were navigating the world. wasn't like we were looking for a specific beat or we wanted them to say a certain thing. These were naturally their experiences and we were just there to capture it. I mean, even down to the way that we filmed the interviews, if we want to just get down to production side, it's like we were... you know, making sure that Kamau was coming down to their level. They're, you know, some of them really young and little people. And so making sure that he was eye eye with the subjects and it didn't feel like he was overpowering them or, you know, interrogating them in any way, just, you know, to put it plainly. So we were really intentional about crafting that, that energy and that synergy. And of course, building relationships with them outside of just on camera talking to them, me as the producer, as the field producer and the story producer, I was in constant conversation with their parents and constant conversation with our subjects and participants and also their siblings. Like some of them appeared on camera. Some of them appeared in the final cut. Some of them, some of them didn't, but it was all a family. It was always a family affair and we always treated it that way. And even down to the crew that was a part of the the production, like everybody was family and you can feel that energy, the moment that we had them step on set. So I think it's a lot of different layers when it comes to that, but I think the ultimate is that it was like the perfect storm. Geraldine (She/her) (32:48) Definitely, and I think that the care that really goes into working with people in this capacity is important, right? And it goes back to what we were saying earlier of just treating people like people and listening to them. And I think that coming out of this, I learned so much. I didn't realize how... well thought out, you know, these kids would come and share their experiences and really just, we didn't really have to produce much. We had a conversation with them, which I think is, again, Kamau is really great at just having conversations with people and we're so fortunate to be learning under him, right, as a mentor, as a director, but these kids, were just so incredible and just so self-aware of who they are and how they show up in the world. And a lot of them ended up being friends either before or after. Now it's really amazing to see them on social media. The kids are now going into their teenage years and you start to see them change. they have, you know, one of our, one of our, Grace (33:40) you Geraldine (She/her) (34:02) participants, Presley, she plays the guitar and she's in a band and so it's been amazing to see her like her band is performing and then some of the other kids going to support. So I think we really helped cultivate that community within a community that already existed and it happens so organically but I think to date this is probably one of my favorite projects that we've worked on. I'm so happy that Grace and I really got to collaborate and work on this together because it is just a nice breath of fresh air. Grace (34:35) Mm. Madelyn Cunningham (34:38) I completely agree. So you guys developed this, the two of you, and you took it all the way through, right? Geraldine (She/her) (34:46) So I actually started developing it with Kamau. Kamau, as a father of mixed race kids, was approached for this. And he brought me along to do the development for this project. And once we got the green light to go into production, that's when we pulled Grace into the mix. And she really started on the ground, working with these families and building these relationships with folks. And so it was something that it took. quite a bit of time to develop because we had to find the right families. And like Grace said, originally the idea was a story about mixed race kids. But then we realized that everyone's experiences, depending on where you grow up, is going to be very different. And so that's why we decided to dedicate it to the Bay Area, where we're from, where Kamau's kids are raised, and understand that perspective because kids in the Bay Area are going to have a very different upbringing and perspective than kids who grew up in Alabama. And so we wanted to make sure that we didn't generalize Grace (35:46) Mm hmm. Geraldine (She/her) (35:50) And again, these experiences are not monolithic and so we wanted to be very intentional with where we focus this conversation so that it didn't feel like it was meant to check off all the boxes because it's not. And hopefully it served as a testament that these stories can be fun and exciting and nuanced and we need more of these stories. So hopefully in the future there's a thousand percent me from the South, a thousand percent me from the Northeast, from all different parts of the country because I think these stories really just informed so much, especially coming from young people's perspectives. Madelyn Cunningham (36:32) Yes. Well, and things so often in, you know, sort of docu-style unscripted do change shape as you get into it. And so I love that it just became very clear to you guys and you knew that this is going to be more exploratory. This isn't going to be like a five act. Here's our conclusion. Like, you know, it was just going to be like, we are going to have these conversations and it's going to be more exploratory. I think, I mean, honestly, those are hard projects sell. They're not easy, right? They don't have Grace (37:00) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (37:03) a critical point of tension really, and they can be difficult to sell unfortunately even though they're so important. How do you guys both, in being brought onto projects and in development, when you get to the point where you're out in the market with a project, how are you sort of handling any type of feedback that comes back as, know, we want drama, we need wholesome, we don't want earnest, we don't want this. It's a hard market right now, especially for these types of projects. How are you guys sort of managing that? Grace (37:33) Yeah, it's definitely something, it's a really good question. It's worth excavating what's the importance of stories these days, right? And so for us, a project that I have in mind, I'm sure Geraldine knows exactly which project I'm talking about. It's getting feedback of, not having market viability and, you know, figuring out, you know, how do you repackage it so that it has more of that pathway. But then Geraldine and I like sidebar with each other and, and speak honestly. And we're like, we really love the way that this project is formatted. The conversation that it's bringing forward, where does it have a home? Because the reality is, that sure, like the Netflix's and the Hulu's of the world are looking for a specific mandate, but these stories can exist in other places. mean, YouTube is doing triple what Netflix is doing right now. And so what is our goal ultimately? Is our goal to have this story out there? Is our goal to have this through line? Or is our goal to make entertainment? And so I think that because we have a shorthand with each other, we can really say like, like. Madelyn Cunningham (38:26) That's right. Grace (38:42) We respect that this is not where it's gonna end up, but our goal is to put it out in the world the way that we're imagining it and hold up its integrity. And so it's a hard conversation because one way you make some money, another way you may not. And that is why Geraldine and I still take on individual projects because we know that, yes, we have to sustain our living, but also it's important for us to find ways to break these stories through in the marketplace, whether it's traditional or non-traditional. Madelyn Cunningham (39:12) Yes, absolutely. I have a few projects like that myself. And you just kind of like, I'm like nodding along with you and just be like, You know, but it is, I think it's so important that you stay the course and hope that ultimately it'll find the audience it needs to, you YouTube really becoming center to the... Grace (39:17) Yeah. Geraldine (She/her) (39:17) Thank Grace (39:26) Totally. Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (39:34) conversation and entertainment, specifically unscripted, is really interesting because, I mean, I think when it comes to who gets to decide, you know, the gatekeepers of this industry, how long it takes projects, I mean, I'll be in legal for like six, eight, 10 months before we even get to really have a conversation. And... Grace (39:44) Mm-hmm. Geraldine (She/her) (39:48) See ya. Grace (39:58) Mm. Madelyn Cunningham (40:00) And things are more urgent than that. They can be more urgent than that. And so the current landscape of development, getting projects greenlit, I think we're going to see a change. I just, I think that the way that you both follow your intuition and stick with your integrity is really incredible. And I just, I really am looking forward to even more from you. I do want to talk about, Grace (40:04) Orderly. Madelyn Cunningham (40:22) the show, California Love, about the 2022 halftime show in Inglewood with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, 50 Cent coming in upside down. The people who didn't know what that was in reference to, I was just like, don't speak to me. But so incredibly iconic. When you talk about... Grace (40:27) you Madelyn Cunningham (40:46) influencing culture and recognizing, you know, what Compton specifically has done for hip hop, what all of these artists have influenced. It was so massive. Talk to me about how you guys got involved in this and I mean, how thrilled were you to get to really document this iconic performance and sort of monument to hip hop culture? Geraldine (She/her) (41:08) Well, from a logistical perspective, I had just finished working on Cosby and someone, the same company, was producing this documentary and they were like, hey, we need some producers for this halftime show doc. And my first question was, do I get to go to the Super Bowl? And they said, yes. I said, I don't care what it is, sign me up. So from... Grace (41:26) Yeah Madelyn Cunningham (41:26) you Mm-hmm. Yeah. Geraldine (She/her) (41:34) from a logistical standpoint, it was kind of a no-brainer. And then the second question was, how do we get grace in the mix too? Because I think for both of us, I was a field producer on that coming from... Madelyn Cunningham (41:43) Yes. Geraldine (She/her) (41:48) you know, being a co-EP on Cosby, I think there's no egos, right? I think that a producer is a producer regardless of the title. And Grace really came in and helped on a logistical level. We still sidebarred on a creative level, but like her official title was really handling logistics, which for a project like this is massive. Definitely. And I think so many people don't often... Madelyn Cunningham (42:10) massive scalen scope. Geraldine (She/her) (42:14) realize if maybe they're not a part of the industry or they're just getting started, how much like the work is in tandem, right? The logistics and the creative really inform each other and sometimes they're often silos and that creates a lot of challenges. But I think the fact that we were sort of able to divide and conquer and be in constant communication, things really helped the production flow. And on top of that, you are producing around an already massive production. So I think that was pretty incredible, aside from the star power and the factor. Just seeing how a production works as someone who's in production of that magnitude was so impressive. And what Jesse Collins and his team does is honestly, it's remarkable, it's inspiring. Grace (42:46) And. Geraldine (She/her) (43:07) I guess you never really think about all the little details that go into something like this. You see the show and you're like, wow, all these performances, but you don't realize all of the work that goes on behind the scenes. And I think that that was what attracted me to the project is really seeing how all these pieces came together. Grace (43:27) Yeah, I'm a big BTS person. I love understanding the making of like Project Greenlight. Like all of those shows and projects for me are fascinating, especially coming from this world. It's like you know what you know, but you don't know what you don't know. And the ability to like... Madelyn Cunningham (43:36) Yes. Grace (43:49) break down those walls, break down the fourth wall for them and really let the viewers, the audience experience the intense labor of love that folks give and the real humanity behind it because there are the stagehands that come out to bring the stage out in eight minutes in the middle of a football game is so intense. These folks come from across the country. They're committed to this every year. They're paid and it's a job for them and they take it really seriously. And that is like a small example of what it takes to even put this entire thing together, right? Like without them, the stage doesn't exist. And yes, like we have producers who are thinking of all of the macro, but there are so many layers to what it takes to... create this show. So giving that window in for me was super attractive. I had seen the season before or the doc before was the weekends show. And I was always like, genius, amazing. So when Geraldine told me that they were going to be doing one for the LA halftime show, was like, I will PA. What are we doing here? Yes. So grateful to be brought in in the capacity that we Madelyn Cunningham (45:00) Just let me be a fly on the wall. Well, and... Grace (45:07) got brought in on, but think about it. You're working with massive entities like the NFL, Jesse Collins Entertainment, of the DPS who does the production services. There's so many people involved and making sure that you're in lockstep logistically with all of these people is a huge task, even as just a fly on the wall. Madelyn Cunningham (45:28) I can't imagine. mean, and yes, we can watch the BTS of the Weekend or we can watch one on any artist and appreciate and be like, wow, the scope and scale. But this show specifically, there was an emotional... Grace (45:38) Mm-hmm. Mm. Madelyn Cunningham (45:43) There was a whole new layer to it, many, many layers. It was personal, it was emotional. Do you feel like, you you were giving us this 20 days out sort of view of something that is 13 minutes long and takes months of work, but could everyone really feel the weight and the significance of this show, this year, these artists? Was that a common theme for the months and months of work leading up to it? Grace (45:45) Totally. Geraldine (She/her) (46:08) I would say so, yeah definitely. think that even the artists collaborating with each other, seeing them all in the same room together, I think that was so incredible because I mean for most halftime shows, it's one artist, maybe they bring somebody else out with them, but to have these types of artists on this level all performing together, it was incredible. And you just felt... Grace (46:08) Totally. Geraldine (She/her) (46:33) the pressure but also the pride behind being a part, even if it was a small part, being a part of this huge production and being witness to that was truly incredible. even just hearing the people that are from LA that get to experience this moment as a representation of culture that has grown. from here in their backyards and things like that, I think was really monumental and you could feel that impact in every aspect of production and with the artists themselves. Grace (47:11) Mm Madelyn Cunningham (47:13) Yeah, I mean, again, you both being from the area as well, like I'm sure that it was so exciting for you to see like those creative conversations come together of like what hop motifs and what themes are we incorporating that like, that are really going to resonate. How did you decide? mean, how did, you must have captured so much footage. How did you really? decide what felt important to show. Geraldine (She/her) (47:39) I think, you know, on a project like this, you also have to realize that there's, it goes through so many hands and it has to go through so many, like, it sifts through so many people and, and, and... Grace (47:43) you Madelyn Cunningham (47:51) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Geraldine (She/her) (47:54) Everyone is looking at it for different reasons. And so naturally, I think being on the field, we're capturing what feels important to us and we're trying to really have a broad scope of what's going on so that you have those options and posts and that you have, you can navigate the story differently depending on the powers that be and what they want, right? I think that it's more than just, it's not an independent project where you can say this is the vision, this is the route that we're taking. You have to sort of keep that in mind as you're on the field and shooting things because it has to go through all of these different layers. so you have to make sure that you're capturing enough stories to pivot it one way or another depending on, you know, who makes those decisions ultimately. Grace (48:41) Absolutely. Madelyn Cunningham (48:41) Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I again, I just think that knowing having that intuition of what feels important right now not only comes from you both as Peabody Emmy winning professionals who have honed in on your craft. But again, you're part of the culture. So you innately knew it's something that other people like me really wouldn't have been able to distill. And it was so like, I imagine that you just were like, this feels so important to capture this conversation, this creative decision, this logistical decision. Grace (48:59) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (49:13) Because again, it's a 13 minute long performance. can't imagine, like, does it feel during the performance like time stood still and it took forever or did it feel like it just absolutely flew by? Yes. Grace (49:24) During the day of. It was for me, it was surreal. I was on the field on the day I was, I was assigned to the camera that was following the musical director, Adam Blackstone. And, and so like, just from imagine you're the musical director. you, you're in charge of this entire production of sound wise and yeah, yeah. And you're performing and you're performing in multiple. Madelyn Cunningham (49:29) my god. I just got like my stomach hurts. Right? Like. Geraldine (She/her) (49:47) Yeah. Grace (49:53) segments. he wasn't just performing with Dr. Dre, he was also performing with Snoop. He's also performing with Mary. So it's like a lot of layers. as when I was on the field, all I could do was like fixate my eyes and like my attention on that person's movement. And it flew, definitely it flew. And then like afterwards you're in this whirlwind where everybody's like excited and like in the green room and you have Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, all of these folks in one room, legends, and I'm standing there like, wow, this is insane. And to see them be so human, so excited, wow, that was the best thing I've ever done. And here you are, just one, a fly on the wall, and two, a part of documenting this incredible monumental thing that people will never forget. Madelyn Cunningham (50:26) history. Absolutely. Geraldine (She/her) (50:41) feel like I had the... the opposite experience, not opposite, but I had a different experience that I was in the stands with the camera that was sort of capturing the wide view of the show. And so I had the opportunity to just take it, all of the pieces in at once versus Grace, who was really the micro, I got to experience the macro for once. And because we're capturing the wide view, you don't have to necessarily like focus on one person at that time. And so I, Madelyn Cunningham (50:53) Okay. Mm-hmm. Geraldine (She/her) (51:10) felt like I really got to take it all in after seeing all of the rehearsals and seeing the show little by little start to get come together. It was nice in that moment. Grace (51:16) Thank you. Geraldine (She/her) (51:23) And it gives me chills thinking about it because you can feel the energy in the audience, the lights, the way the lights turned off. they, you know, I think that they had wristbands where the lights were changing, you know, the people in the audience. so being able to experience all those different elements at once was really incredible. And it did, it felt like... time slowed down and nothing else mattered outside of those outside of those 13 minutes and it was truly incredible. I'm thinking about it now I'm like wow it's probably definitely in my top three moments of life. Yeah. Madelyn Cunningham (52:01) I mean, absolutely. Again, it's history. And I don't know, just what an amazing thing to be a part of. And rightly so. You both have earned your place in being in such a historic, monumental moment. And I hope you get to be, and I know you will be a part of many, many more. What were some of your favorite, personally favorite creative decisions from the show? Grace (52:11) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (52:30) whether it was song choice or set design or, you know, what were some of your personal, like, creative favorite decisions? Geraldine (She/her) (52:36) You know, it's hard. There's so many amazing things, but I think... seeing Kendrick and Kendrick was so involved with all the details down to like, I want all my dancers with their heads shaved and they're all blonde and they're all wearing black. Like he is so involved in every little detail and yet you see him at the the rehearsals and he's so like in his head and pensive about these things. Seeing that creative process was really incredible. At one point we're at a rehearsal and I'm sitting, I'm like standing next to Kendrick and I'm trying to like keep my composure because I'm like this is Kendrick fucking Lamar and he's standing right next to me but he's so like in the zone and focused that I'm not gonna be the one to break his focus to be like I love you Madelyn Cunningham (53:24) What's up? Geraldine (She/her) (53:25) But really seeing all of those details come together and the way that he uses his artistry to really amplify a bigger message I think is so impressive and remarkable. Again, there were so many details that went into it, even down to Dr. Dre playing the, was it California Love? Grace (53:27) Okay. Geraldine (She/her) (53:46) on the piano. That was a last minute decision. don't know if I'm allowed to say that, but it's now. but that was... Grace (53:55) I think we talked Madelyn Cunningham (53:52) Hahaha Grace (53:56) about it. Geraldine (She/her) (53:57) yeah, that was something that happened on the fly and I was like, it was just a moment where you get to really appreciate these people for the creative artists that they are. I think you often just see the finished result, but to see their minds working and the process behind this was really inspiring. Madelyn Cunningham (53:57) Mm-hmm. Grace (54:16) Yeah, that's the thing about, you know, being this or doing a project with this docu-style is like, you are literally there to document the moments unfold. And so, so yeah, when, Dr. Dre decided to play, Ain't Mad At Ya on the piano, as opposed to still Dre, that was like, of course, like, like it's Tupac. and we're in California and it's California love. Like, why wouldn't we do this? Why didn't we think of this sooner? But like the drama that you get to document as the official documentary, behind the scenes documentary of this project is like, we must follow like all of the details, even down to Adam Blackstone. He's like, I'm sick to my stomach. Like the show is literally in two days and we're gonna have to change the entire score to make this fit. And that is like, the reality of working with creatives. It happens on our own projects where we're like, oh, no, no, no. The way that we edited this, I have a completely different idea. Let's restructure, right? And yes, we have a slower burn because we're not airing the next day. A live show is very different, but the same level of intricacy and thought and detail that goes into making sure that the product that you're putting out into the world is the best possible product. Geraldine (She/her) (55:18) you Grace (55:34) and the ability to document that and like the unraveling or how that unfolds is it's not just interesting, it's part of what makes us incredible artists. It's great to be able to have that documented and out in the world. Madelyn Cunningham (55:51) Yes. And who could have thought that three years later, Kendrick would be performing solo at the Super Bowl. He's such a, like you said, cerebral artist and performer. and I mean, talk about intentional messaging. Geraldine (She/her) (56:01) Yeah. Grace (56:01) Mm-hmm. Madelyn Cunningham (56:06) artistry from him to the set design to the to every single decision you know that also like has to be set up in eight minutes right and has to like change on the fly and it really is an incredible thing to see watching the show California Love Grace (56:18) you Madelyn Cunningham (56:26) prior to watching Kendra's performance, I had an entirely different appreciation for it. And so, you know, for me, was so incredible to see, but now moving forward, whether it's the Super Bowl or any other sort of large iconic performance, I just see them so differently now, and I have such a respect not only for the artist, but for every artisan who's, you know, behind the scenes working, because it takes an absolute village. Grace (56:31) No. Okay. Madelyn Cunningham (56:51) Yeah, I... Well, do we... Has anyone... Did anyone document behind the scenes of the Kendrick show? Do we know? Grace (56:59) I feel like I saw something out there. Yeah, no, they had to have documented it. I'm almost certain there was something, but like, I don't know that it was actually like a sold show it should be, but who knows. Madelyn Cunningham (57:02) We can only hope. We can only hope. Right? Yeah, for sure. Okay. Geraldine (She/her) (57:06) Yeah. Madelyn Cunningham (57:15) Yeah, my, yeah. Just the, yeah, the symbolism, just everything there was so, again, he's such a cerebral, iconic artist. And, and... Grace (57:25) Yeah. Madelyn Cunningham (57:27) It was incredible to see his process in this documentary as well. So let's, we'll wrap it up. I want to hear what you guys have watched, are watching recently that you really loved, appreciated, or maybe it's not that deep. You're just like downright addicted to it. What are you enjoying right now? Grace (57:44) That's a good question. Go ahead. Geraldine (She/her) (57:47) just finished White Lotus. Okay, as somebody who works in Unscripted, I'm like a scripted junkie. I'm like, I love watching scripted TV. I don't know if it's because it's like a break from what we do, but I just finished White Lotus and I just, I absolutely love how they tie all of these storylines together, how you start to really like the character development in these, in this series is incredible. And I think that it's Madelyn Cunningham (57:49) GASP You too. Geraldine (She/her) (58:16) it's just a show that is so well done and I just appreciate it so much because I think that there's a lot of nuance in these episodes as well. so no spoilers because... watching that last episode, but my mind was blown. And honestly, I had rewatched the last two seasons before watching the third one. And I want to go back and rewatch it again. Like I think that that really, for me, is a tell of a great show. And then also another show that is an oldie but goodie, Insecure. I've rewatched Insecure so many times. And that's another show that is just, it's so well written. And I think that it depicts you know, our communities in a different light in a way that it just feels so relatable and you feel seen and you feel just all the different layers of what we are that I appreciate so much and yeah, those have to be my two top faves at the moment. I have, I watch a lot of TV but those are the standouts. Madelyn Cunningham (59:20) yeah. White Lotus, I was going to say when you want to see like Two Things Can Be True at Once or an unsavory end, an arc that isn't going to give you maybe a satisfying ending, like you know all these interesting things, it's certainly a conversation starter and all of the ways that Mike White in every season has been able to show us again, unlikable characters and greed and lust and religion and wealth. I enjoyed as well. Insecure is my comfort watch. I think I've seen it 10 times. like I... Such a good show. I know people are like have been begging her to bring it back and she's like I I just put out one of them days like it's that you know what I'm like it is not the same Issa first of all okay, but yeah, it's like gosh like I Geraldine (She/her) (59:50) Yeah. Grace (59:51) Totally. Yeah. Madelyn Cunningham (1:00:06) Yeah, she's so incredibly brilliant, that cast. I love seeing Natasha Rothwell now, like in White Lotus, because I loved her in Insecure. The casting in Insecure, the storylines, like just, I 100 % agree. Grace, what are you loving right now? Geraldine (She/her) (1:00:13) Yes. Grace (1:00:14) I'm through! watching movies. I'm watching a lot of movies right now. just, shameless plug, Freaknik, I'm Freaknik, my God, Freaky Tales. Freaky Tales is out in theaters. It's a film based in Oakland, in 1980s Oakland. it is, I've watched, we watched it at Sundance premiere last year. I watched it. Madelyn Cunningham (1:00:25) Mm-hmm. Geraldine (She/her) (1:00:32) Yes. Grace (1:00:46) once in March and once when it premiered. I've seen it three times. I'm not sick of it. It's great. It's a cult classic. It's like pulp fiction meets. Like I can't even describe it. The critics describe it really well. So like I've been really enjoying watching films and and understanding like the landscape of filmmaking, something that has been like current in my mind. But, you know, I'm always binging something on Netflix. There's always like I just watched the popped the balloon, which I had no idea what it was. was like, I must figure out what this is. Like, what are people talking about? Madelyn Cunningham (1:01:18) With our girl Yvonne Mourgy, like we love who we love, but it was live, wasn't it? Yeah. Yeah, it is. It's... Grace (1:01:24) Yes, it's like, it's interesting. Right. It's not something Geraldine (She/her) (1:01:24) That was a... Grace (1:01:29) I'm like, go watch, run and see it right now. But like, you know, Netflix and all these streamers, know what they're doing. They know how to get people's eyeballs on things. So, so interesting. Madelyn Cunningham (1:01:40) Yeah, do they? I wonder sometimes because I really think, I just think sometimes when you try to take things from from YouTube, which is what the mandate is right now, I know you guys are seeing it everywhere, how can we take this viral show? Grace (1:01:50) That's nice. Madelyn Cunningham (1:01:54) Sometimes when you take it to a larger scale and you polish it up too much, it doesn't feel the same. You know what I mean? And I think like Pop the Balloon felt like a little rough around the edges, unhinged, it felt a little more real. And I think the moment they really like just added a little production to it and professionals to it, it suddenly was like the... Grace (1:02:00) It's really annoying. Geraldine (She/her) (1:02:00) Yeah. Madelyn Cunningham (1:02:16) the essence of it got lost a little bit, I think. But I think we're gonna see that a lot more and live, think is, you know, things being live, things being interactive. Like I think we're seeing that a lot more. it's, the landscape is interesting for sure right now. Geraldine (She/her) (1:02:29) Madeline, I Grace (1:02:30) What is? Geraldine (She/her) (1:02:30) did want to bring up before we wrap out and talking about Shameless Plug, Grace is doing a lot of work in the Bay Area with an organization that she's founded. And I'm going let her talk about it, even though I've already liked her biggest hype woman. I'm always like, you need to learn about Make It Bay. But I think it's really important with what we're doing in Unscripted and Scripted and just being able to amplify voices and communities. Madelyn Cunningham (1:02:42) Please. Grace (1:02:42) Great. Madelyn Cunningham (1:02:55) Absolutely. Geraldine (She/her) (1:02:55) or depending on where you are on the screen. Grace (1:02:59) No, yeah. Madelyn Cunningham (1:02:59) She's this way for me. Grace (1:03:00) Absolutely. No. So thank you for that. I appreciate it. It's make it Bayes is an initiative that basically was born out of a question of in the Bay area. There's a lot of productions that are about here that want to be based here, but you know, you're in development. The name of the game is like, where can we make this thing? Where can we make it the cheapest? Exactly. So so we had lost two big productions, blind spotting on stars and I'm a Virgo on Amazon, both. from Bay Area creatives, directors, writers, et cetera, like the biggest champions of the Bay and they couldn't get their thing. Yeah, yeah, and Rafael Casal and then Boots Riley with Amavergo. And they, know, even with them being, trying to champion and advocate for it to happen here, they couldn't get it done. And that's just because. Madelyn Cunningham (1:03:36) Yeah, Daveed Diggs, blind spotting, right? Yeah. Yep. Yep. Grace (1:03:52) you know, the bottom dollar, like where's the cheapest that we can make it? was cheaper for them to build a Victorian in a soundstage in LA than it was for them to shoot on location in a Victorian in the Bay. So, really the organization was born out of, how do we fix this problem? We're losing, you know, millions and millions of dollars of potential revenue in a city that really needs it. And we're exporting our culture. The reality is the Bay has influenced culture across the globe. What happens is, you know, I'm one of those people who leaves the area to go pursue our career because it's more viable in another place. And so we're trying to like flip that. We're saying like, let's call our artists home. Let's figure out how we fix this. And so we've been working with local government. We're also working on working on the state level to make sure that these tax credits that are the budget that's being increased by Governor Gavin Newsom really gets to be spread across the state. It's not just an LA thing. It's a California thing. And so we are just fiercely advocating for us to look at regional, different regions within California and making sure that we're benefiting from all of this increase in tax credit. yeah, just like keeping our culture and keeping our workforce here if they want to be. There's a lot of folks who don't want to be in LA and that should be an option. Madelyn Cunningham (1:05:09) Absolutely, I can't imagine how your... skill set in logistics is helping you here because you're right it does come down to it all comes down to legislation, incentives, rebates, tax credits and more and more productions are moving out of California out of the LA area and so what an incredible and not easy thing that you're doing but so incredibly valuable to bring Grace (1:05:26) and how you Thank you. Madelyn Cunningham (1:05:37) spotlight to those communities, to the talent in those communities as well, to the crews, the, you know, gaffer, sighting, camera, anything in between, so that, you know, you're not, you're enriching those communities as well in their economy. So incredible. Is there a way I can include, is there a website or anything I can include in the show notes? Perfect. Grace (1:05:40) Mm-hmm. Totally. Absolutely. Yes, it's at make it bae on Instagram, makeitbay.org on the webs. I was like on the internet. Yep. No, thank you. Madelyn Cunningham (1:06:03) On the interwebs, listen to us. Megabay.org. Okay, amazing. Thank you so much. No, it really, again, part of development, part of producing is when you talk about things being hard to sell in development, it is such a difficult road. takes a long time and unfortunately, they're... There are compromises that you have to make and I love that you are not willing to make them and really doing it, you know, having your own initiative to try to make a change and I think it's so incredible. I've enjoyed you both so much. I'm a fan of your work, of the authenticity, the honesty, the nuance that you bring to your projects. I can't wait to continue to watch what you both do in the future and am incredibly inspired by the work that you do. Grace (1:06:33) Likewise. Madelyn Cunningham (1:06:48) So thank you for sharing it with us, sharing it with the world, and I'm excited to see what you do next. Thanks. Geraldine (She/her) (1:06:54) thank you. Grace (1:06:55) Thank you. Bradley Carpenter (1:07:01) I am such a personal fan of all of their work. Just so many amazing lessons to glean from that conversation. It's incredibly inspiring for me. I hope it was for you too. Thanks for joining us on this Friday. I can't wait to see you next week on The Inscripted Files. Don't forget to like, subscribe, follow, rate, review, all the things, and we'll see you in a week. Madelyn Cunningham (1:07:20) The Unscripted Files is brought to you by Good Gravity Entertainment. Thank you to producer Bonnie Adams, Original Music by composer William Wright, Artwork by Lisa Schweikart, and Photography by Reid Schick.