Film Hustlers
Filmmaker Mark Roberts (Meet Me Next Christmas, Strangers with Candy) and aspiring filmmaker Rod "Tuddy” Rinks discuss in detail how to navigate the treacherous world of filmmaking from pitching, financing, casting, securing rights, post-production, distribution etc. We cover it all!
Film Hustlers
Taking your shot at acting and stand up comedy, How Davie Dave made it work!
Join us for an electrifying episode of Film Hustlers as we welcome our very own, the talented Davie Dave Morales! Dive into his journey through the worlds of Social Media, Comedy, and Acting, as he shares the behind-the-scenes stories of performing on stage and capturing the magic on screen.
Davie brings humor and insight into the challenges of stand-up comedy, his evolution as an artist, and the joy of collaborating with fellow creatives. We discuss everything from memorable performances in front of sold-out crowds to the art of writing jokes—and how sometimes it's the throwaway lines that steal the show!
Don't miss this conversation filled with laughter and inspiration. Tune in now and discover the passion, hustle, and heart that drives Davie Dave to succeed in the entertainment industry! 🌟🎭
#FilmHustlers #DavieDave #Comedy #Filmmaking #Podcast #Inspiration
Yeah, thank you.
Rod Rinks:All right.
Mark Roberts:Let's go. Ready? We're good.
Rod Rinks:Ladies and gentlemen.
Mark Roberts:Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to film Hasalars.
SPEAKER_03:What'd you say like in that robot voice?
Rod Rinks:Are you AI?
Mark Roberts:No, I'm not from the movie food. Which, by the way, has had uh really great reviews. Mostly, mostly uh user reviews, people that have watched the movie and talked about it and said how great it was and how great the acting is. You're in it. So yeah, you're part of the comments about the great acting.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, great experience, but it was a lot of fun.
Mark Roberts:So if you haven't seen it, check out uh The Christmas Spark starring Mar Lopez and Ali Cobran. Ali Cobran's amazing in it. Charlie Best was amazing, Eric Rivera is amazing in it. Um Guy. Eric Eric was really good. Guy Nardooli Nardoli is amazing in it. I mean, really, everybody was terrific. It was really nice to have like such a great ensemble. Estherman was good in it. Estherman was he in it? Yeah, he's the bartender. I don't remember anymore. Yeah, and uh baby Dave was good in it. Let's talk let's talk about something that we don't talk about often. Like your your arc as an artist and a and a professional in our business has been a massive one since we met since we started, right? That's true. Yeah, we all met. Well, you weren't there, but we met in Arizona.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, in Tempe, I think it was, or Scottsdale.
Mark Roberts:In Scottsdale, Arizona. We were doing a show that we were doing like some kind of Tinco de Mario.
Rod Rinks:The tequila and tacos, right?
SPEAKER_03:It was uh Cinco de Mario.
Rod Rinks:Tinco de Mario?
Mark Roberts:Okay, tacos and tequila. Tacos and tequila. But um, we met you there, and you know, you were doing a little acting, do a little this, a little bit of that. Now you're you've got arts and movies, which I think you were doing for a long time anyway, but now like it's been consistent. You've been working consistently, and um, and now you've transitioned into comedy. Yeah, how and and you're on main stages and sold-out shows of four over 400, 600 people. 600, 700 people, right? Right. But so how does one start to do that? How how how did that happen?
SPEAKER_03:Well, I'll be honest with you, it's something that I wanted to do for a long time, and like since I was small. Like I always like I always had a fascination with not only the screen, but like you know, the people behind the TV and you were like 11 months old going, like, I want to be a comedian. No, but I used to write jokes, and I didn't know what writing jokes meant. I just knew I wanted to write something that was funny to me.
Rod Rinks:You started with the means.
SPEAKER_03:Well, that was that was you know 10 years ago, 11 years, not even like two 2015, yeah, over when Instagram started basically. But I'm saying like before like before that. When I was a kid, I used to think like, oh, that's cool. Like I want to my dad always used to say like he used to love Robin Williams because he's got a cartoon brain, and so I was like, Oh yeah, he's it kind of makes sense. Yeah. So I did write like jokes back in the day, like in my little books and stuff, and I didn't know what I couldn't tell you. I I remember one joke, and I'll I'll tell you this. Uh one I remember from uh writing as a kid. I said, the the worst place to blow your nose is in an airport bathroom. That was my joke. Like to myself, it made me funny because it was it was like it was like a premise, you know what I mean? You know, but I was like, oh, and I still think about that stupid joke every time I go to the airport, anyways. But yeah, skip past all kinds of shit. Um why though?
Rod Rinks:I just gotta figure this out.
SPEAKER_03:Why? Why why do you blow why is it the worst place to blow your nose? Because fucking people blow the bathroom up at the airport is like non-stop though. Try the veal. Like nonstop. Try the veal. But no, man, it's it's it's been crazy. Yeah, we moved from memes to comedy and you know, acting and you know, hanging out with you guys every day. So it's I'm I'm doing literally everything I want to do every day.
Mark Roberts:With this is what this is your dream.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I live multiple dreams daily. Yeah, yeah. It's crazy.
Mark Roberts:Don't get married. I'm just kidding. If you're listening, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_03:I'm not, I'm not.
Mark Roberts:Well, congratulations for starters. You know, you've gotten funnier, though. You've gotten funnier. Like literally, I I don't know what it is. Uh if it's like um just the confidence level is up and kind of clears your mind, opens up uh a bunch of avenues for creativity. Like something like that has to be happening.
SPEAKER_03:I'll be honest with you. Um, I used to be really funny, uh, and then I wasn't funny because I used to want to be involved in like a professional setting, and I think there was uh uh something in my mind that told me I should just be quiet and just listen more. And let me see who the people are who really want to talk to me without me being overly Esterman-ish.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, I've only seen that a couple times because he's quiet, right? David Day's reserved, you know what I mean? And then you slowly like it gets to the point where the reserve comes off, and then uh and then uh and then he gets like very true. I've only seen it though a handful of times. It has to be past like 10 drinks.
SPEAKER_03:No, but see, it was one of those things where I was like, you know what, let me I'm I just gotta be quiet. I think you know, I don't want to ruin my chances of being involved with you know professionals.
Mark Roberts:I think you always want to continue to grow and to do things that feed your soul, you know. I'm sure you get up and you're like, oh, I need I need some jokes for for next Thursday or whatever. Yeah, very true. And you're starting to think about what's funny to you. What does it take to make that kind of paradigm shift? Because that's not just you don't, you know. I mean, do you just wake up and say, I want to be comedian?
SPEAKER_03:No, I think there you have to have some kind of desire, like before you jump on a stage, because people say, I want to do comedy. I said, Well, go up on stage. Oh no, that's it.
Mark Roberts:I can never do it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and and I was given a piece of advice one time, even when I started hanging out around with these guys, it was very, very new. I'm still new, like la this was like beginning of last of this year. Um, but yeah, no, you need you need some kind of desire and want to be up on the stage, wanting to cut up. Like you have to want to do that. But um, and I give I tell people, just do it, you know, just just do it. Like they're either gonna you're you you're gonna eat shit anyways, like eventually, like you're gonna you're gonna get a flat tire.
Mark Roberts:Well comedy's subjective, right? If you go to if you go and all art is subjective.
Rod Rinks:Right. You know what I'm saying?
Mark Roberts:All all art is subjective, yeah. So but in terms of what you do, like you get up there, you tell jokes, um, on any given night. It depends who the crowd is who the crowd is and how they're feeling you're in, what's happening in the news that day.
SPEAKER_03:What mood you're in, what mood the crowd's in, what mood the you know you get at the valet. It's it's a lot of factors, man. Like that's why I like to stay by myself too. Like I just kind of do my own thing. Of course, I get input from the other comics, but like it uh there's so many factors. Like, I try to limit all of them. That's why I'm always by myself before the show. I was like, I don't like to talk to anybody.
Rod Rinks:Well, yeah, your ass was the first show before he told everybody, he was like pacing. I remember thinking, like, what's wrong with this?
SPEAKER_03:Bro, it's the biggest crowd I've ever seen in my life to go up by myself and to open the show. That's it was like super daunting.
Rod Rinks:But they call it cut because you told me. You I knew that day, remember? Yeah, that I was gonna go up. No one knew.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and so I only Stearns knew.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, and then uh his ass was pacing in the hallway, and I remember Lopez looking over, like, what the fuck is wrong with this guy? And I knew though, then Config called you up, and everyone's like, Oh, Daily Day is going on! What?
SPEAKER_03:That's exciting. What a beautiful experience, actually. Um it was funny, man, because it was uh I actually got a standing ovation.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, you did a good job, dude.
Mark Roberts:Standing ovation, but I must have been one of the ones standing because I was there that night. Weren't we there last night? Yeah, I was there next to you. Yeah, we were together.
SPEAKER_03:Well, you I can only see I can't I can't see past the third row, so it was maybe the people in the front, but it was it was it was great. It was great.
Rod Rinks:Dude, you we were la we were you did a great job, but we it didn't we were clapping at everything. Yeah, yeah. You're like, hey, welcome, look at the fucking babies.
SPEAKER_03:No, but that's good that's good. It fed into the show, it fed into uh my comedic ego. So you know, it helps you, right? The energy is a thousand percent. Like you say, okay, it gives you a little boost, and say, Okay, you know what? Fuck, I I did it, you know, I conquered that that time frame and go to the next one.
Mark Roberts:Yeah, you know, but no matter who you are, no matter what comedian you are, you're gonna have a bad night. Yeah. Um there was only one time that I saw a comedian that I thought, this guy doesn't have a bad night. There's no way, and it was Chappelle. Well, Chappelle, that's a great one, probably doesn't have a bad night. But um Chappelle can only have a bad night if he's having a bad night. Right. And he goes up there and he decides to like not tell jokes. But like when I saw Jerry Seinfeld, I was like, this guy doesn't have a bad night. This guy's very funny, like no matter what.
SPEAKER_03:Well, the thing is he's been doing the same jokes for 40 years. Yeah, and he knows that literally 40 years. Yeah. Like if when you're when you're that old in in comedy, like you're gonna have an hour that works because you already went through 12 hours, 20 hours. And it's a point of view.
Mark Roberts:It's a point of view. It's like it's like um I say this about directors. Like I I have movies that I've watched in my life, and comedians that I've seen in my life that I uh love, that I think are the best. When I tell someone else about it and they go see it, or I tell them the joke, or whatever, they don't get it. Right. Right. Um, there's a couple of movies that I was that I literally watched in a theater, ran, grabbed a friend, took him back to the theater, watched it again, and they were like, Oh my god, why'd you make me watch that? Right. That was the most horrible film I've ever seen. I was like, really? I said I literally just watched it twice and brought you because I thought it was amazing. Yeah, like that's a weird phenomenon, right? But the idea that you're able to get up there every night and understand that it's a numbers game and you're not gonna win every night. You're gonna it's gonna it's a win and lose. But as long as you win more than you lose, you're pretty happy, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, for sure. And and I've been blessed enough to work with comics who actually take their time and listen to you and want to help you grow, and they give you, you know, tags on some jokes and they want to punch your stuff up, or they give you like the guys I barely know, like they'll say, like I remember the last show at Long Beach, uh, a couple of the guys that you know they've been doing it for a long time, and they're they said, Man, fucking great stuff. Hey, why don't you add this? I was like, Oh shit. Fuck, okay, cool. That was it. One one told me one and another one told me another one. I was like, damn, that was great. They're like, Yeah, just add, you don't have to and they were wanting to give like unsolicited.
Rod Rinks:I think you told me a comic told me I think it was you that said, like, because I was talking about their act or whatever, and they said they made a mistake because they they did one thing one week and then they tried something different, and they were like, You shouldn't do that. You should just like it's like if you go to watch a band, this was the analogy.
SPEAKER_03:I think you told me yeah, I told you it was because um Valentino told me this. He said, No, literally think about what you're doing when you go to uh uh like a like a rock show. Like, yeah, we want to see Morris's hits, bro. Like we don't want to see his new stuff. Like you're gonna take the the air out of the sales, yeah. So um he told me, he said, Yeah, think about that. Go do the other stuff on off nights, don't do it at the big shows. Yeah, yeah. I was like, well, okay, fuck that makes sense.
Rod Rinks:And or do your shit and then incorporate that at the end. So you already get them. They're they're expecting, they come expecting.
SPEAKER_03:They just want the hits, you just want the hits. That's why I do the same opener, the same middle, the same end. Boom, boom, boom.
Rod Rinks:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:The same middle, the same beginning, the same end.
Mark Roberts:Dude, you don't know how many times I have to take out the hands hitting the table or touch or touching the mic. Take it. Um that that is really cool. Here's another question. If you want to be an actor and you're a comedian or you want to be a comedian, does getting more comfortable with yourself and your body and your ability to stand in front of people make you a better actor?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, you know what? I actually embraced that this last movie, The Christmas Spark, was um is probably the most comfortable I felt in front of the camera like in a long time. Um, probably ever. Not only because I know you guys, because you still have to do the work and you know it's it's a lot of pressure, it's very quiet. You know how it goes uh for anybody who has never been in front of the camera, like you have 30 people just watching your every move.
Mark Roberts:And you have to be as natural as you could be. As natural as you can be.
SPEAKER_03:It's it's not like the comedy club where it's noisy and people are clanking glasses and talking. It's dead dead silence, and you have to be in the moment. Like you have to do it.
Rod Rinks:But it but it has to, like, stand-up has to help you with that. Like, well, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_03:Acting has helped me with the stand-up.
Rod Rinks:Okay, I see what you're saying.
SPEAKER_03:And and and and giving some flowers to Stearns here, he he told me, Hey bro, listen, I know your style. Like you're you're an actor, dude. Act the shit. Yeah. And I was like, damn, okay. He said, no, don't don't be comedian. Yeah. But act the act be the actor. Yeah. I was like, fuck. And it made sense. And the next show that we did, yeah, I was like, I I didn't figure it out, but I was like, damn, I tried that shit and it made million million times.
Rod Rinks:You acted like a comedian. I I just acted my. You know what's funny you say that? Do you remember what that that movie that James Franco did where he uh years ago and he played like a host, like an entertainment news host, and he went to North Korea? Remember that? Yeah. He did an incredible job as a host. Right. Like literally, people were like, dude, he could have a second profession. And he said that same thing. He goes, I'm not a host, I just acted like a host. And then I was like, oh, that dude, he killed it. Because I remember he did like stand-ups. Like if he was like That's right, you know, welcome to extra. And it was like, dude, this guy's really good.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's true. It it takes something. I turned a new leaf for myself, you know, inside my my artistic brain.
Mark Roberts:A new page, maybe a new page. A new page, yeah. What did I say? You can turn a leaf.
SPEAKER_03:But uh I was more comfortable in and watching myself, you know, be myself on on screen because it's different. You know how this is you look all the you see all the angles and you know nothing, the camera doesn't miss anything. Yeah. And so um uh translating that into the stage, um, and uh you know, I work with Stearns here, you know, and then he said, Yeah, man, like you gotta be comfortable, this and that. He said, What you gotta do instead of pouring all your energy out, like you know, you be comfortable with yourself, but uh don't waste your energy like pacing the stage or anything like that. Why don't you just stand still and use all your energy and push it out onto uh the audience instead of wasting it pacing up and down the stage? It's like you have to be it's like being on camera. You have to just put all your energy into that one scene or that one line being delivered, whether the camera's looking at you, close up, whatever it is, you gotta you have to give them the energy. Like it's it's the same thing. I was like, okay, it equates. And it worked out. It worked out.
Mark Roberts:Um what's the what like ultimately what's the plan? Like when you're when you're doing comedy and you're acting and you're working in Hollywood, is there like an ultimate goal? Do you do you um manifest what that what the future looks like or are you just working?
SPEAKER_03:Uh very grateful to be working to be a part of these projects, of course. Uh of course all the comedy and the tours and things like that. But um I think I think you uh for me I knock little goals down as I go along. Like for every show, I'll be like, oh, I want to try this one or the next one, movie, or whatever. I want to um incorporate this kind of movement or for my eyes or something like that for the acting thing. But I think for me it's just little wins along the way that I I set for myself little goals that I accomplish.
Mark Roberts:So so it's true you're only as successful as the people around you.
SPEAKER_03:That's true. I believe I believe that. Yeah, and yeah, and because our our both of these uh move so fast, like you're able to get um feedback pretty quick, especially in the comedy shows, like um you know, and you can see what works. And if these guys are succeeding, they they're and if they believe in you, they're gonna bring you along also. And it's the same with the movies too. Like if it works, hey man, like people use you.
Mark Roberts:Yeah, people start giving you a call. You know what, guys? I have to say there's always every week there's a new composer, a new album of music that comes out on Extreme Music. Yeah, so it's not like there's a library and it gets old and it gets stale. Extreme Music.com has weekly new albums, new music, and all the different genres. So if you're working on a show, if you're working on movies, there's new stuff all the time.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, because if so, if you don't find what you're looking for one week, you could wait a couple weeks and go back and it might be there.
Mark Roberts:I wonder if Extreme Music has Broadway tunes. I mean, we're sitting here talking about Broadway, so let's do a test.
SPEAKER_00:Let me let me go to the site and see if they have anything here. Okay, here we go. There are 41 results. Oh my god, there's hundreds of songs. Let's go with the very best of Werner Touts, and this song is called Off Broadway.
Mark Roberts:I mean, it's amazing that composers, it's amazing that composers can be coming up with a different way to do drama and comedy all the time, but it is, you know, it's a it's an art of figuring out how to get new things going constantly.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, and you know, like my string out that I'm looking at right now, although I'm gonna have a music supervisor, I'm I'm thinking in my head, because it's rough, right? It's a string out, music means 50% of your movie, at least, right?
Mark Roberts:Like sense the tone, it sets music ends up being 50% of the enjoyment of the movie, right? So if people are watching it and they love it, 50% of their love is going towards the music.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, you're right. Some some filmmakers they think of music, or writers, I should say, have music songs in their head out of the writing, right? Scorsese does that when he writes. I like to do that.
SPEAKER_02:I'd like to think like that too. What mood is this? And I can always think, oh man, yeah, I want to hear the I can hear the Smiths playing over this right now.
Mark Roberts:If you're in film, if you're in TV, if you're doing shorts, if you're doing commercials, whatever you're doing, check out extreme music.com.
SPEAKER_00:They've got it all.
Mark Roberts:But I think um, yeah, it's been it's been fun watching your progression because it's a clear arc, you know. And we go we come on this show every couple weeks, and the whole point is to talk about, you know, where you came from, what you're doing, how you're what you're planning to get there, and how how complicated or not complicated it is. And you're kind of you're the living version of what we talk about. Like you're from where we started five years ago to where you're at now um is pretty remarkable, actually.
SPEAKER_03:I think that we've all been working together. Um, and it you guys have made me better. And like I take stuff from Roberts, take stuff from Tootie's, from Stearns, from Mario, and I put it all towards my application, and I apply it to everything. And it's been working for me, and you guys have made me a lot better.
Mark Roberts:Like are we getting I was about to say, are we hugging it out, Dave? No, no, I'm just telling you.
SPEAKER_03:I'm just telling you, this is how it's made me well.
Mark Roberts:There's a there's a uh great collaborative um spirit amongst the comedy world. Right. Um, and I think it's neat, you know. I think I think it wasn't like that before. I mean, there was a time in the eighties and nineties where you where people are fist fighting on the side of the stages.
SPEAKER_03:Because at that time you could literally take uh your buddies' jokes and perform up the street, and you guys wouldn't know about it until like months or maybe years later. Internet now, yeah. Now everything's uh online immediately you can tell you know who's saying these jokes or blah blah blah, what happened. And so, you know, it's just changed a lot. And so now you have to come up and be original.
Rod Rinks:Yeah. But Davey's also like, like I said, he's um you're easy to. To like, you know what I mean? You're not, you know, you're you're easy to like talk to, to like, you you know. Um, so people want to help you. True. Like all those comics, concrete, and all those guys, they took to you right away.
SPEAKER_03:You know, it really is collaborative. These guys have taken uh me under their wings, sort of say, even though I'm the old dude, you know. Sometimes people are you the old dude? Sometimes people understand how old I am. Like I'm way older than these guys, and they think I'm their age, which is I mean, that's cool. Yeah, but um, you know, but it's cool. They've been doing it, you know, for a few years already, too. It's all about being collaborative too. And that's where so the next step for me is actually being um or or helping me being help writing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Once uh I'm actually have some writing sessions coming up, which is crazy. It's cool because you know, I need I want to yeah, I want somebody else's input. Uh, comedian's been doing it for a while. Um, I need that. This is this is the time now. Like I I I went through my stuff and I say, okay, that kind of works, but I need some new shit. Like I got my premises up, but I need some new shit.
Mark Roberts:Yeah, are you always working on material?
SPEAKER_03:Uh every day, yeah.
Mark Roberts:Do you ever do you ever work on material while you're in a general conversation and they don't know that you're working on material?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, all the time. Yeah, all the time. I love that. It's kind of like I switched from writing memes to writing jokes. Like now I could use that. I don't really write the memes anymore, you know, but it's it all still applies. The thing is about the comedy that I've learned, like you gotta be don't be a hater. Yeah, everyone sucks. Um, but at the same time, everyone has one good thing about them or one joke or one bit like that you always remember. Yeah, um, and the other thing is like you have to be prepared. You have to be prepared. Like, you can't, I mean, some guys are good, but don't let it fool you. Like, whatever they're talking about, they already prepared that shit. Like, they may seem like they're just talking, or like Dave Chappelle, yeah, or Jerry Seinfeld. Like, no, this shit's already prepared. They they knew exactly what they're talking about. They're just good storytellers.
Rod Rinks:Let me ask you this, Davey. So, like, when you're making movies or acting or whatever, sometimes like you improvise or you don't think anything, you it's like you know, a line might be written and the writer's like, this is so funny. Yeah, and then there's this like a throwaway line, and you watch it and you're like, fuck, that's all that you know, you're cracking up.
SPEAKER_03:Right.
Rod Rinks:Does that happen in comedy?
SPEAKER_03:It's usually the stuff that you think won't work, works the best.
Rod Rinks:Really? Because you just don't care, so you just kind of throw it away, and people go.
SPEAKER_03:I do that all the time, and I was like, damn, what the hell? Like, yeah. Like I literally did not want to even mention that today, and sometimes somehow I mentioned it where I was feeling space or feeling time. Yeah. I was like, oh, like that one that one actually works better than the punchline that I had prepared.
Rod Rinks:Well, even like music, like songs, like uh I remember hearing Rob Bass, I Wanna Rock, he wrote that in the in the lobby of you know, like he wrote it in five minutes, or like Fortunate Sun, you know, that was the anthem for the Vietnam. Like those dudes wrote that song in the same thing in like 15 minutes. It wasn't supposed to, those weren't like some of these hits weren't supposed to be it's some movies weren't supposed to be hits, right? Um Fight Club was a flop, right? You know, that was a big gamble that that um Brad Pitt took, you know, and it bombed. But it but it resurfaced as a cult and now it's huge, you know what I mean? But so it comedy's kind of the same then. So like throw away jokes that you're like uh could be the the joke that like could be the one that turns the entire bit around and makes it like into like a 20-minute bit.
Mark Roberts:But you have to believe you have to believe in it though, right? I mean, like if you you if you know Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_03:You you have to believe in that five-minute bit or that one line, and be like, oh yeah, that one line or that punchline. Like that's my 20-minute set. I mean, there's something that's like everything's gonna lead to that punchline at the end.
Mark Roberts:There's something really cool about well, comedy, writing, movie making, producing, all of it. There's there's one thing that that it all has in common is music, bands. The more you do it, yeah, right, the more you trust what you know is funny, what you know is good, and what you know is emotional. Right. So the more you practice it, the more anyone can say, oh, that wasn't very good, but you know it is. You know it is. Right. Like it doesn't matter what anyone says. I know it is. And I I feel that way, like when you think of a band like the Eagles or Jackson Brown back in the day, you know, like those guys toured so much, they played so much that by the time they made it, they were like this syncopated perfect band. Right. So whenever they performed, you were like the best you've ever seen, right? Because they were always on the road. Right. That goes for anything, right? Like the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it, the more you know that you are gonna nail it. And then when you think when something doesn't work, you know that too. That's true.
Rod Rinks:That's when people think shit's easy. You know what I mean? Like people think, oh, I could do that. Like so many people, like especially when I want to be an actor.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, okay. How hard could that be?
Rod Rinks:Okay, let's see. Or even when Lopez would read prompter, I remember people would be like exactly how to read and and try that shit. It ain't that easy, you know what I mean? Makeup. Like when I oh Tudies. I've had people try to do it, and they're like, oh, you know, certified. So the something's eat, produce a movie, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, exactly.
Rod Rinks:Produce a movie, go produce. Oh, it's easy. Producers, that's an easy just put everything together. Micromanage, that's it. Yeah, go ahead, try it. Right, try to produce a movie. Try to get those the permit for those pigeons. Yeah, go by stage, go up on stage.
Mark Roberts:Hey, it isn't impossible, but it does require something, right? It requires time, energy, uh, and an opportunity, that's the thing.
SPEAKER_03:An opportunity. But the opportunity only comes for I can only speak for myself, is when people trust you enough to hand you the opportunity. Um You gotta be ready. You gotta be ready to be handed the opportunity. That's the thing. You have to be prepared, you have to know, say yes confidently. Like every time you bat, yes, I can do it.
Mark Roberts:Yeah, so advice to everybody be ready, keep preparing yourself, even if you're even if you keep writing for yourself, or even if you keep making movies and making clips or whatever it is, you know.
SPEAKER_03:And I do have to give Lopez uh a lot of thanks too because he's given me opportunity to uh you know a lot of trust, puts a lot of trust in me, man. Yeah. So like with everything, and comedy's no different. He's just a and at the end of the day, he's good, man. And I give him kudos because um I make fun of him all the time. Well good.
Mark Roberts:Somebody eats that's good. He's uh he's uh one of the most incredible supporters of uh of his friends and and of uh of the industry in general. Like true. He's a fan, he's a fan.
SPEAKER_03:It's great to see him as a fan like at the comedy shows and even like of myself.
Mark Roberts:Well, he cheers, he cheers for you, he cheers for people's success, he cheers for people to do a good job. Very true. I don't think I've met a lot of people like him, actually. That's what I love about comedians, dude. Comedians could be like making fun of this Celsius can, and the and then the other comedians start laughing and be like, and then join in, and then next thing you know, like you've turned it into like a full bit.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, we've we've we've done that in the green rooms at almost every show. Like somebody will say something about it.
Mark Roberts:Wouldn't it be funny if it's great. But it but it's exciting uh to see you succeed. It's exciting to see you on stage in front of 600 people and people like laughing and cheering and having a good time. And uh and you and you've proven that you can go from not doing comedy to being on stage and touring. I mean, that's that's uh your success story.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's it's crazy that I think about it like I'm literally sharing the stages on these big shows with comedians who have you know Netflix specials, um, you know, shows on who they're encouraging you. Yeah, they're the ones that are they're the ones that are telling, giving me the other jokes besides mine. So yeah, this is great. But add this. Yeah, you know, we got Creeper up there, we got you know, Jesus Sepulveda, uh, you know, of course, concrete and all those, all those guys.
Mark Roberts:Why does why does every comedian or most comedians go up and say, like, so I just had a breakup, just broke up with my girlfriend. Why is that?
SPEAKER_03:That's that's shooting fish in a barrel, bro. Like, is that right? Yeah, it's it's too easy. Yeah, yeah. It's like, all right, where's my uh where's my couples at? It's like come on.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, but that's just another avenue of comedy, right?
SPEAKER_03:That's here here's the thing here it's like actresses, there's like tons of them that look exactly the same. So like you have to stand out somehow. Like, I have to stand out somehow. What I do is part of my act, it's like Mario's included, and be like, oh yeah, now I remember. Yeah, yeah. So it's you gotta have that kind of thing because I'm just a normal dude. Yeah. Like, you know, Conqueror, he's got the hair, do no, he's fat, you know. So and me, I'm just like a normal guy. So it's like I gotta, I gotta do something. So it's kind of like it's tough, bro. It's tough.
Mark Roberts:You know what's funny is um when I was in New York one time, I was premiering a movie, and there was this comedian that we knew, and he was like, Hey, why don't you guys come out with me tonight? We can have a drink in between sets. We said, Okay, so we went to his first show, then we jumped in a taxi, went to another comedy stop, he went on stage there, then we got in the taxi, went to a third place, and he went on stage there. And the whole time he was just like completely normal. Yeah, like if we were just having a cup of coffee, but he was actually going from club to club, jumping on stage and doing his comedy act at three different places in one night. I was like, that's amazing. Yeah, so clearly, like at some point it just becomes like you're a machine, right? You're just going up, doing your thing, going on. Like, I don't care if you liked it or didn't like it. I'm gonna move on to the next place. I hope you liked it, you know. But he was the same in the cab as he was on stage, right?
Rod Rinks:So it's that's that's who he is. It's like normal. Lopez goes on access. Same guy. He's just I mean, he might change it.
Mark Roberts:That's why that's why he has almost four million followers because people see his genuine personality and everything he does, the same guy. Right.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, I mean depending on the situation, you know what I mean. He's not gonna be like, what's up, but what's up, foos? He can't say that on access, you know what I mean? I mean, he has sometimes mean this guy crack up in the back. But um, but yeah, you just have to continue. And I think even for acting, I think it's it's being comfortable. And if you get cast as that, it's because they like you who you are.
Mark Roberts:Just keep going, man.
Rod Rinks:Yeah, you just go and you do every day you get up and you do what you need to do, and you enjoy that day because you don't know what's coming the next.
SPEAKER_03:So the thing about stand-up comedy is that you can literally do it at any stage in your life. You can be I've seen eight-year-old kids do stand-up. Seriously. That's funny. And guys that are 80 years old. Yes. So you can go on whenever you want. Yes, but you can start anytime. Anyone should I mean, anyone could do it, not everybody should do it.
Mark Roberts:Human beings have forgotten how powerful they are. I think we're born to be successful, we're born to be great and to live out your fantasies and your life to the to the fullest. But I I truly believe that we have to remember that we're powerful from the start, and that all of the noise and the language of life makes you feel less than, and then you have to build yourself back. I think I'll leave you with that. Think about how powerful you are and stop the noise that's coming in from other people. I think that's that's a really important thing to remember. Don't be stopped.
Rod Rinks:You know what that was, Davey? Mic drop!
Mark Roberts:But but anyway, I appreciate you. I'm glad that you're doing well. It's exciting to see you, you know, getting up and doing comedy and doing all that. And um and keep it up. Awesome show. Congratulations, keep up the good work, keep uh being successful. Thanks for the chat. Inspire people.
Rod Rinks:I'm not to ruin your ending, but Roberts, we were talking yesterday on the phone, and you were doing the music for your last Christmas movie. Yeah, and I know what you were using for it, right? You almost had to go, you told me you had to almost do it all yourself.
Mark Roberts:By the way, you didn't interrupt because this is very important. Uh extreme music.com. Boom, baby. Yeah, you're right. So we had an issue with the movie that I'm not gonna say which, and the music had to be switched. Had to be.
Rod Rinks:And and they only gave you a limit, like what's the average amount of time? Limited.
Mark Roberts:It was like the average amount of time to do a score is about 11, 12 weeks. Okay, what did you guys get? Three days. Come on. So we were able to go into the library extreme music.com, figure out how to uh create a score with the music that they offer on that site, and uh it was remarkable. It was I didn't sleep. You know what's amazing about what you're saying though is that this was a score for a movie, 90-minute film, and we were able to find themes for characters, love themes that we kind of kept going throughout the project. It was beautiful, man. Extreme music.com for all your music needs. Check it out. 100%. Russ is the best.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you, Russ.
Mark Roberts:Um, all right. Well, Merry Christmas, happy new year. Um keep up the good work. Uh, and let's uh and we'll see you. I I I feel like it'll be next year. Next year, we'll see you next year on film hustlers. Yeah.
