♪♪

>>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH

RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD AND

JENNA FLANAGAN.

♪♪

>>"METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE

BY --

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III,

SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA

PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN

GANZ COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ,

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, THE

AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION AND

BY --

JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER, JODY AND

JOHN ARNHOLD, CHERYL AND PHILIP

MILSTEIN FAMILY, JUDY AND JOSH

WESTON, AND THE DR. ROBERT C.

AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION, THE

JPB FOUNDATION.

♪♪

>>> THIS IS MY FAMILY.

>> HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN

TOGETHER?

>> 12 YEARS.

12 YEARS.

>> I MET HER THROUGH A FRIEND

AND HE INTRODUCED ME TO HER.

SHE WENT TO SEE ME AT A PLAY.

>> I SAW JEANETTE.

I LIKED HER.

RIGHT AFTER THAT PLAY, WE GOT

TOGETHER AND THEN WE STARTED

TALKING.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER.

IT'S BEEN GOOD.

♪♪

>> GOOD EVENING.

WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M JACK FORD.

WHAT YOU JUST SAW WAS A CLIP

FROM A SHORT FILM TITLED "NORMAL

FAMILY" BY STUDENT FILMMAKER

RAYA VELASQUEZ.

A BROOKLYN BASED NONPROFIT

MATCHES KID ACROSS THE COUNTRY

WITH FILMMAKER MENTORS TO THEM

PRODUCE THEIR OWN CONTENT, TEACH

THEM PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND

PREPARE THEM TO ENTER THE MEDIA

INDUSTRIAL.

THIS YEAR REELWORKS IS

CELEBRATING ITS 25th

ANNIVERSARY.

JOINING ME NOW AS PART OF OUR

CHASING THE DREAM INITIATIVE ON

POVERTY, JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC

OPPORTUNITY IN THE AMERICA TO

DISCUSS HOW REELWORKS HAVE BEEN

WORKING ARE REELWORKS FOUNDERS

AND CODIRECTORS JOHN AND

STEPHANIE WILLIAMS.

>> HELLO.

>> ALSO JOINING US IS FILMMAKER

MAYA VELASQUEZ AND BROADWAY STAR

BRIAN TERRELL CLARK.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.

>> IT'S A MARVELOUS

ORGANIZATION, WHAT I'VE LEARNED

ABOUT IT AND THE WORK THAT

YOU'VE DONE IN 20 YEARS.

LET ME START, JOHN AND

STEPHANIE, WITH YOU.

WHAT WAS IT THAT PROMPTED THE

TWO OF YOU TO SAY WE NEED THIS

ORGANIZATION AND THIS IS WHAT WE

NEED IT TO DO?

>> WELL, IN 2001 STEPH AND I

WERE NEWLY MARRIED AND WE WERE

BOTH WORKING IN TELEVISION.

I THINK WE BOTH HAD A NEED THAT

WE COULDN'T QUITE ARTICULATE

THEN OF WANTING TO DO MORE FOR

OUR COMMUNITY.

IT WASN'T REALLY PLANNED HOW WE

GOT INTO IT.

WE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY.

OUR LOCAL YMCA IN PARK SLOPE

BROOKLYN CALLED US AND SAID DO

YOU WANT TO TEACH A FILM CLASS

TO THESE TEENAGERS WE'VE

RECRUITED.

WE BOTH SAID YES.

BECAUSE WE WERE BOTH WORKING, WE

WOULD RUN TO THE Y ON THE

AVERAGE WHEN WE'RE TEACHING AND

THE ONE THAT GOT THERE FIRST

TAUGHT THE CLASS.

WE WERE JUST FIGURING IT OUT AS

WE WENT.

OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WERE

DOING, THE WORK WITH TEENAGERS

SORT OF JUST GRABBED OUR HEART.

WE TAUGHT A CLASS OF YOUNG

DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS.

WHEN THE FILMS STARTED ROLLING

OFF THE COMPUTER SCREEN AND WE

STARTED SEEING THE STORIES THEY

WERE TELLING, NOT ONLY WERE WE

DEEPLY MOVED, WE THOUGHT WE HAD

SOME GREAT FILMMAKING.

IN FACT, HBO PURCHASED TWO FILMS

IN THAT FIRST CLASS.

THAT WAS A MESSAGE TO US THAT

MAYBE WE WERE GOOD AT SOMETHING

WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GOOD AT,

WHICH WAS TEACHING AND MENTORING

KIDS.

WE BOTH FELT WE REALLY

EMOTIONALLY CONNECTED TO HOW WE

COULD USE OUR SKILLS AS

FILMMAKERS, AS TV PRODUCERS TO

DO SOMETHING FOR OUR COMMUNITY

AND LIFT UP OTHER VOICES.

REALLY IT FOUND US.

>> MAYA I'M GOING TO GET TO YOU

IN A SECOND AND, BRIAN,

CERTAINLY TO YOU ALSO.

STEPHANIE, LET ME ASK YOU THIS

QUESTION.

WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR WEBSITE, THE

FIRST THING YOU SEE ON THE

SCREEN IS AN EXPRESSION THAT

SAYS CHANGE THE STORY TELLERS,

CHANGE THE WORLD.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT AND WHY

IS THAT SO IMPORTANT TO YOUR

MISSION, THAT NOTION?

>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE

INDUSTRY, LET'S LOOK BACK EVEN A

FEW YEARS AGO.

THE STORIES WERE CONSISTENTLY I

FELT THE SAME AND I THINK JOHN

FELT THE SAME WAY, WE FELT WE

WERE WORKING WITH YOUNG FOLKS

FROM VERY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS.

THEIR STORIES WEREN'T JUST

MOVING, THEY WERE EXCITING AND

IMMEDIATE.

I THINK THAT WE BOTH REALIZED

THAT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS

REALLY PUSH FORWARD THE IDEA OF

GETTING KIDS IN THE INDUSTRY.

CHANGE THE STORY TELLERS AND

CHANGE THE WORLD.

I REALLY BELIEVE THAT.

FILM IS A VERY EFFECTIVE MEDIUM

TO REACH AUDIENCES, RIGHT?

LOOK AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS THIS

YEAR.

THE FILMS THAT WON WERE DEEPLY

MOVING BUT THEY WERE FROM THE

VOICES OF PEOPLE WE NEVER HEAR

FROM.

SO THAT MISSION TO US IS

IMPERATIVE AND I THINK ONCE WE

REALLY GOT BEHIND IT AND

UNDERSTOOD HOW TO GET BEHIND IT,

WE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE ABLE TO

CHANGE THE STORY TELLERS.

BUT HOW DO YOU DO IT?

YOU DO IT BE HAVING A REALLY

EFFECTIVE STAFF OF PEOPLE, BY

LISTENING TO OTHERS, BY BEING

VERY OPEN TO CHANGE AND TO

MOVING FORWARD IN YOUR VISION

AND YOUR MISSION.

THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

>> INCREASINGLY WE'RE PARTNERING

WITH MEDIA COMPANIES AND OTHER

FILMMAKERS TO AMPLIFY YOUNG

PEOPLE'S VOICES.

THAT'S AN EXCITING MOMENT TO BE

AT.

>> YEAH.

>> BRIAN, HOW ABOUT YOU?

YOU'RE AN ESTABLISHED ACTOR, AN

ACCOMPLISHED PERFORMER.

MANY PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU AS

GEORGE WASHINGTON ON BROADWAY

AND HAMILTON AMONG MANY OTHER

ROLES.

AT YOUR STATURE IN THE INDUSTRY,

I'M SURE THERE ARE A LOT OF

FOLKS REACHING OUT TO YOU,

SAYING HEY, WOULD YOU ALIGN WITH

THIS GROUP OR THAT GROUP.

YOU'VE CHOSEN TO BE A PART OF

THIS GROUP.

WHY?

>> I HAVE.

I MET JOHN TWO, THREE YEARS NOW.

I HAD AN AMAZING MANAGER

KEITH ESTERBROOK WHO'S A BIT OF

A GENIUS.

HE TOLD ME YOU'RE NOT JUST AN

ACTOR, YOU'RE A STORY TELLER AT

YOUR CORE, YOU'RE A PRODUCER AND

YOU NEED TO ALIGN YOURSELF WITH

ORGANIZATIONS THAT REFLECT YOUR

PURPOSE.

HE'S SO RIGHT.

REELWORKS AT THE CORE OF WHAT

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IS

LITERALLY THE GIFT OF ART AND

STORY TELLING TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

FOR ME, I WAS GROWING UP IN

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, IN MIDDLE

SCHOOL AND MY PARENTS WERE GOING

THROUGH A HORRIBLE DIVORCE AND

MIDDLE SCHOOL IS ALREADY THAT

WEIRD AGE WHERE YOUR HORMONES

ARE CHANGING AND YOU'RE STILL

PLAYING WITH ACTION FIGURES AND

WATCHING POWER RANGERS.

YOU KNOW, YOUR BEST GIRLFRIEND

HAS HEELS AND BOOBS NOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING,

MY HORMONES ARE GOING NUTS, I

DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

YOU KNOW, HELL IS GOING ON AT

HOME AND I DON'T HAVE AN OUTLET

FOR ANY OF THIS.

FOR ME IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, I

BECAME VIRTUALLY SILENT.

I MEAN, I GET PAID TO TALK NOW,

BUT I WAS VIRTUALLY SILENT UNTIL

I WAS IN A GOSPEL CHOIR.

MY AUNT SAID IT SEEMS LIKE HE'S

TAKING TO THE ARTS, WHAT IF WE

PUT HIM IN AN IMPROV CLASS.

THAT REALLY GAVE ME A VOICE.

I WAS AROUND MAYA'S AGE WHEN I

STARTED WRITING MY OWN STORIES.

I SAW THE WORK REELWORKS WAS

DOING, HANDS IN THE CLAY.

THESE STORIES ARE IMMEDIATE.

I FOUND THAT NOW I'M IN THE

INDUSTRY AND I'M A LITTLE OLDER

AND MORE SEASONED, NOT SO BURNT

OUT, NOT SO JADED, STILL KIND OF

EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE DO, WHAT I

HAVE FOUND IS THAT OFTENTIMES

THE PEOPLE IN POWER, THEY HAVE

DISTANCED THEMSELVES SO MUCH

FROM THE GROUND THAT THE WEALTH

OF STORY AND THE WAY WE TELL

STORY AND WHAT STORIES ARE BEING

TOLD ARE OFTEN NOT GIVEN

OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE VOICE.

SO WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT

REELWORKS WAS THE KIND OF

ORGANIZATION THAT I WISH I WOULD

HAVE HAD IN MIDDLE SCHOOL OR

HIGH SCHOOL, IT MADE PERFECT

SENSE FOR ME TO BE A PART.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONNECT WITH

JOHN FOR THE LAST TWO, THREE

YEARS.

IT SEEMS LIKE 2021 WAS OUR YEAR.

WE HAD AN AMAZING LIVE CONCERT,

A LIVE LIVING ROOM CONCERT.

I GOT A CHANCE TO DO MY OWN TINY

DESK.

WE DID REELWORKS LIVING ROOM

CONCERT AND THEN I HAD THE

AMAZING PRIVILEGE OF SEEING

MAYA'S FILM AS I HOSTED THE

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL.

I WAS DEEPLY, DEEPLY, DEEPLY

MOVED BY YOUR STORY.

SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO CAN

TO BE A PART OF REELWORKS.

REELWORKS IS NOT ONLY CHANGING

THE LIVES OF THE STORY TELLERS

BUT THE LIVES OF THE AUDIENCES

THAT GET TO HEAR AND SEE STORIES

THAT ARE REAL AND RELEVANT.

>> MAYA, THAT BRINGS US TO YOU.

YOU'RE THE STAR OF THIS WHOLE

THING.

WE HEARD RYAN TALK ABOUT HIS

JOURNEY.

HOW ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY?

WHEN DID YOU GET A SENSE THAT

MAYBE WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO IS

BECOME IN SOME FASHION A

STORYTELLER?

>> THANK YOU.

I WOULD SAY WHEN I FINISHED MY

FILM I REALIZED THAT THE STORY I

TOLD WAS REALLY POWERFUL.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT MY TWO

MOMS, THE FIRST TIME I

DISCOVERED THEIR COMING OUT

STORY AND THE DISCRIMINATION

THEY FACED.

AFTER THAT I REALIZED I WANT TO

MAKE MORE STORIES LIKE THIS.

>> HOW ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION

WITH REELWORKS?

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

>> I FOUND REELWORKS THROUGH THE

SCHOOL.

I REMEMBER MY TEACHER WAS

HANDING OUT FLYERS FOR THE

DOCUMENTARY LAB.

I HAD NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN

FILM, BUT I WAS INTERESTED AND I

WANTED TO LEARN MORE.

>> CAN I INTERRUPT ONE SECOND?

WHAT WAS IT THEN THAT SAID TO

YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS

SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REALLY

INTERESTING FOR ME?

WHAT WAS IT THAT GRABBED YOU?

>> HONESTLY I'M REALLY NOT TOO

SURE, BECAUSE I HAD NO PRIOR

EXPERIENCE, LIKE KNEW NOTHING

ABOUT FILM CAMERAS.

I JUST HAD THAT FEELING THAT I

WANTED TO APPLY.

>> WHAT DID YOU FIND -- MAYBE A

BETTER QUESTION IS WHEN YOU

FIRST BEGAN TO WORK WITH THE

FOLKS AT REELWORKS, WHAT DID YOU

THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE, AND

WHAT DID YOU FIND IT ACTUALLY

WAS?

>> I WASN'T REALLY SURE WHAT TO

EXPECT FROM REELWORKS, BUT I

WOULD SAY I FOUND A GREAT

COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT ALWAYS

LIKE SUPPORTED ME FROM WHEN I

TOLD THIS IDEA ABOUT MY FILM AND

JUST GREAT PEOPLE TO BE AROUND.

>> STEPHANIE, LET ME COME BACK

TO YOU.

IN TERMS OF HOW THE ORGANIZATION

WORKS, WHAT SORT OF THINGS ARE

YOU ABLE TO HELP SOMEBODY LIKE

MAYA WITH?

I DON'T WANT TO SOUND TOO

COMMERCIAL, BUT WHAT SORT OF

PRODUCTS ARE THEY CREATING AS A

CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR WORK HERE?

>> REELWORKS WOULDN'T EXIST

WITHOUT OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN

NEW YORK AND THE 20 OR MORE

SCHOOLS THAT WE PARTNER WITH

THAT HELP US GET THAT FLYER OR

NOTICE ABOUT THE LAB INTO THE

HANDS OF STUDENTS LIKE MAYA TO

APPLY.

WHEN STUDENTS APPLY, WE MAY GET

50, 60 OR 100 APPLICATIONS FOR

12 SPOTS.

WE SAW A LOT MORE THIS YEAR.

COVID HAS REALLY DEVASTATED

AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE.

WHEN WE MEET SOMEONE LIKE MAYA,

WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW IS NOT DO

YOU HAVE ANY FILM EXPERIENCE,

IT'S WHAT IS YOUR STORY.

FROM THE BEGINNING OF REELWORKS,

THAT WAS THE QUESTION.

YOU COULD TELL THE WORLD

ANYTHING, TELL THE STORY TO THE

WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

YOU KNOW, MAYA'S STORY -- I

WASN'T AT THAT INTERVIEW, SO I

DIDN'T KNOW YOUR STORY THEN.

YOU REACHED OUR TEAM AND YOU

EXPRESSED A REAL CLARITY OF

VISION.

THAT'S WHAT GETS YOU INTO THE

CLASS.

>> LIKE FELL IN LOVE SECOND I

MET HER, I THOUGHT THIS IS A

VERY QUIET, INTROVERTED YOUNG

WOMAN.

I CAN TELL SHE WANTS TO SAY

SOMETHING.

SERIOUSLY, I MEAN THAT.

SHE WAS REALLY VERY COMPELLING

TO ME.

ACTUALLY AS IT TURNED OUT ONE OF

OUR TEACHERS HERE WHO WORKS FOR

US WHO CAME FROM THE SCHOOL

ORIGINALLY WORKED AS A TEACHER

IN THE SCHOOL MAYA WAS IN, HE

KNEW HER.

HE SAID TO ME, YOU'RE RIGHT, SHE

REALLY HAS A LOT GOING, BUT

SHE'S VERY QUIET.

LET'S HELP HER TO EXPRESS

HERSELF.

AND SHE DID.

SHE DID AND DIDN'T JUST DO IT,

SHE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WHEN

SHE REALIZED WHAT HER STORY WAS.

SHE'S BEEN WITH US NOW FOR TWO

YEARS, MAYA, A YEAR AND A HALF.

>> YEAH.

>> AND NOW SHE WORKS WITH ME IN

REELWORKS PRODUCTION.

SHE'S A POWERHOUSE FOR REAL.

>> JOHN AND STEPHANIE WILLIAMS

ARE THE COFOUNDERS OF REELWORKS,

ABOUT THE WORK THEY DO ALSO WITH

FILMMAKER MAYA VELASQUEZ AND

BROADWAY STAR BRIAN TERRELL

CLARK.

BRIAN, I SAID IN THE

INTRODUCTION, I MENTIONED HOW

DIFFICULT IT IS TO BREAK INTO

AND THEN TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN

YOUR INDUSTRY.

I'M ALWAYS STRUCK BY -- AT

"METROFOCUS" WE DO A LOT OF

BROADWAY STORIES.

WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK

ABOUT THE ARTS.

ONE OF THE GREAT CONSEQUENCES IS

I GET TO GO TO A LOT OF THEM.

IF I HAD A CHANCE TO GO BACK IN

MY LIFE, I'D SAY MAYBE I CAN GET

ON STAGE.

IT'S WAY TOO LATE FOR THAT.

>> NEVER TOO LATE.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I'M ALWAYS

STRUCK BY IS THE VAST ARRAY OF

TALENT.

MY WIFE AND I SAW A SHOW AND

SOMEBODY WAS ANNOUNCED AS AN

UNDERSTUDY TO PERFORM AND WE

WALKED AWAY BLOWN AWAY BY THE

UNDERSTUDY.

IT GETS US BACK TO THAT NOTION

OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO BREAK

IN.

AND THE VALUE OF MENTORS, TALK

ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT FOR ME

IN TERMS OF WHAT REELWORKS DOES

AND HOW VALUABLE A MENTOR CAN BE

TO A YOUNG STORY TELLER SUCH AS

MAYA OR EVEN SUCH AS A YOUNG

BRIAN.

>> FOR SURE, JACK.

FOR ME, MENTORS ARE LIKE GUIDING

LIGHTS.

THEY REALLY STAND LIKE

LIGHTHOUSES.

THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO

SHOW YOU DIRECTLY EACH STEP, BUT

THEY CAN DEFINITELY LIGHT THE

WAY.

>> OUR ALMA MATER YALE, WE BOTH

WENT TO YALE, WHEN I WAS DPRAJ

GRADUATING I HAD COURTNEY B.

VANCE AND ANGELA BASSETT.

THEY WEREN'T ONLY MENTORS BUT

WHEN I HAD TONS OF QUESTIONS

GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID

ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT THE INDUSTRY

IS, I WOULD SHIFT THAT NARRATIVE

A LITTLE BIT.

I DON'T THINK THAT THE INDUSTRY

IS NECESSARILY DIFFICULT.

I THINK YOU HAVE TO DECIDE VERY

EARLY DO YOU WANT TO BE FAMOUS

AND BE A STAR OR DO YOU WANT TO

BE A WORKING ARTIST.

THERE ARE TONS OF AVENUES.

THAT'S WHY I LOVE THE ARTS SO

MUCH.

I LOVE WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH

REELWORKS, BECAUSE IT GIVES A

YOUNG PERSON A SET OF SKILLS

THAT ARE ACTUALLY APPLICABLE IN

MANY DIFFERENT SPACES.

THAT'S WHY THE INDUSTRY IS

STARTING TO SEE MORE ARTISTS

WITH ALL THESE MULTIHYPHENATES

AS MAYA WILL BE.

FOR ME, I WORK PRIMARILY AS AN

ACTOR.

I'VE DONE TONS OF STUFF ON

BROADWAY.

BUT THAT SAME SKILL SET IS

TRANSLATED IN TELEVISION, FILM,

SPEAKING EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS I

DO IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL.

IT WASN'T UNTIL I ENCOUNTERED

REAL MENTORS THAT THEY COULD

TURN AROUND AND SAY, HEY, I KNOW

THIS NEXT HILL OF YOURS SEEMS

DIFFICULT.

I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT

HILL AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU

THE CLIMB MIGHT SEEM MORE

DIFFICULT THAN YOU THINK IT IS,

IT'S ALL DOWNHILL ONCE YOU GET

TO THE TOP.

ANOTHER THING THAT MAYA

MENTIONED THAT I THINK IS SO

BEAUTIFUL, MENTORS ARE A

COMMUNITY.

COVID HAS TAUGHT US TO

REEVALUATE WHAT SUCCESS IS AND

HAPPINESS IS.

I THINK THAT WE'RE LEARNING THAT

OUR FRIENDS, OUR FAMILY, THE

SUPPORT SYSTEMS, THE FAMILIES

THAT WE GET TO CHOOSE ARE JUST

AS MUCH OF VALUE, IF NOT MORE,

THAN KIND OF REACHING FOR THESE

THINGS WE WERE CALLING DEFECT.

I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY THAT

MAYA GETS TO BE A PART OF

BECAUSE SHE'S IN A COLLABORATIVE

ART.

IT'S SOMETHING I WISH I COULD

GIVE EVERY YOUNG PERSON BECAUSE

OFTENTIMES IN LIFE SOME OF THESE

CHAPTERS CAN BE VERY LONELY.

WHEN YOU WORK IN THEATER,

TELEVISION AND FILM, NOBODY DOES

IT BY THEMSELVES.

IT TAKES A TEAM TO CREATE EVERY

SINGLE THING AN AUDIENCE SEES.

IT'S THAT COLLABORATION THAT I

THINK MENTORS HELP A YOUNG

ARTIST NAVIGATE.

>> ALL OF US HAVE BEEN INVOLVED

IN THIS INDUSTRY AND ALWAYS SAY

TO PEOPLE, ARTISTS MIGHT BE THE

FACE THAT YOU SEE IN THE SCREEN,

BUT THERE ARE LITERALLY AND

FIGURATIVELY DOZENS, PERHAPS

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE

BEHIND US TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL

HAPPENS.

MAYA, HOW ABOUT THE IDEA OF

MENTORS FOR YOU?

WHAT HAS THE VALUE BEEN FOR YOU

OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID LET'S

TALK, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT IT,

HERE'S THE HILL, LET ME TELL YOU

HOW YOU GET UP THAT HILL AND

HOPEFULLY GET TO THE TOP OF IT.

WHAT'S THE VALUE BEEN FOR YOU?

>> HAVING A MENTOR IS SUCH A

GREAT EXPERIENCE.

I THINK IT HELPED ME CREATE MY

STORY.

MY MENTOR IS FRISCA EDWARDS.

HE'S BEEN WITH ME THROUGH THE

WHOLE WAY.

EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, SHE

STILL SUPPORTED ME.

>> IT'S GREAT TO KNOW YOU HAVE

SOMEBODY YOU CAN TALK TO.

JOHN AND STEPHANIE, MAYA

MENTIONED THE PANDEMIC PHASE.

IT SORT OF IMPACTED THAT PATH ON

THE WORK THAT YOU WERE DOING.

>> WELL, OF COURSE, LIKE

EVERYBODY, IT WAS TERRIFYING AT

FIRST.

FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE SERVING

YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN

COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN

DEVASTATED ACROSS NEW YORK BY

THIS DISEASE.

WHEN OUR CLASSES SHUT DOWN, WE

DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE WERE GOING TO

TEACH FILMMAKING ONLINE, BUT WE

KNEW WE NEEDED TO CONNECT TO OUR

YOUNG PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM A

SAFE SPACE AND COMMUNITY.

MANY OF THEM WERE SUFFERING FROM

ANXIETY, FAMILIES DEALING WITH

HEALTH AND FINANCIAL PRESSURES

AND FOOD INSECURITY AND HOUSING

INSECURITY.

THERE WAS SO MUCH GOING ON IN

THEIR LIVES, THE MINIMUM WE

COULD DO WAS OPEN UP A WINDOW

WHERE THEY COULD CONNECT WITH

THEIR FRIENDS.

EVENTUALLY WE LEARNED HOW TO

TEACH AND GET THROUGH FILMMAKING

AGAIN.

EVENTUALLY WE WERE GETTING THEM

INTERNSHIPS IN COMPANIES BUT

STILL WORKING FROM HOME.

OVER THE SUMMER WE HAD A TEAM OF

FILMMAKERS CREATE A FILM

ENTIRELY ONLINE DIRECTING ACTORS

THROUGH THIS INTERFACE, THROUGH

ZOOM AND CREATE AN ENTIRE MOVIE

BEGINNING TO END FILMED DURING

COVID ABOUT THE COVID

EXPERIENCE.

IT'S BEEN ULTIMATELY A

REMARKABLE RIDE, REMARKABLE

EXPERIENCE.

I FEEL LIKE WE'VE LEARNED NEW

SUPER POWERS OF HOW TO TEACH AND

NOW WE'RE TEACHING ACROSS THE

COUNTRY.

WE'RE TEACHING JOB TRAINING

PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

REELWORKS IS NO LONGER JUST A

BROOKLYN ORGANIZATION.

IRONICALLY SOME OF THAT IS HOW

WE ADAPTED TO THE COVID

PANDEMIC.

>> WITHOUT THE TEAMWORK THAT

HAPPENED, WE WERE WORKING WITH

OUR EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING

TEAMS.

THOSE GUYS HIT THE GROUND

RUNNING.

I HAVE TO SAY WE WERE JUST

TALKING ABOUT IT THIS MORNING,

THERE WAS NEVER A MOMENT, I

BELIEVE, WHERE WE FELT WE WOULD

NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE OUR

COMMUNITY.

WE ALL WERE -- EVERYBODY WAS

TAKEN BY SURPRISE, YOU KNOW?

SUDDENLY WE WERE ON LOCKDOWN.

I MEAN, I WAS SHOOTING A

DOCUMENTARY FOR REELWORKS WITH

STUDENTS, A FEATURE FILM WE'RE

DOING TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO

LOCKDOWN, NO MASKS, HANGING OUT

WITH HUNDREDS OF DANCERS IN A

DANCE STUDIO.

THERE WAS WORD OF THIS THING

COMING AND SUDDENLY, BOOM, TWO

WEEKS LATER ON LOCKDOWN.

I REMEMBER GETTING ON ZOOM WITH

MY STAFF AND SAYING, SO WHO'S

GOING TO THROW IN FIRST, WHAT

ARE WE GOING TO DO, HOW ARE WE

GOING TO HANDLE THIS?

THERE WAS NEVER ONE MOMENT WHERE

I FELT WE WEREN'T GOING TO PULL

THIS OFF.

I MEAN, IT TAKES GUTS AND

CREATIVITY AND ALSO A REAL

BELIEF IN THE PEOPLE YOU'RE

WORKING WITH TO KNOW THAT YOU

CAN DO THIS.

WE FUMBLED, WE FAILED AND THEN

WE ROSE.

SO IT WAS COOL IN A DEVASTATING

KIND OF WAY AT FIRST.

>> I REMEMBER MAYA WAS A REAL

LEADER IN THAT.

OUR FIRST VIRAL CHALLENGE, MAYA,

YOU LED THE WAY IN GETTING KIDS

CREATING A SERIES OF I MAY BE

HOME BOUND, BUT MY CREATIVITY IS

NOT.

I THINK THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL

IDEA, JUST TO GET KIDS FILMING

AT HOME.

YOU WERE ONE OF THE KIDS OUT OF

THE GATE.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> MAYA MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER

AT IT THAN THE REST OF US.

MAYA, YOU WERE THE LEADER GOING

THROUGH THIS.

ONE OF THE THINGS, STEPHANIE, IT

REENFORCES WHAT YOU SAID.

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT

THEATER AND PRODUCTION IS THE

SHOW MUST GO ON.

WE GO BACK TO THE OLD DAYS, THE

OLD MICKEY ROONEY FILMS ABOUT

PUTTING ON A SHOW NO MATTER WHAT

THE OBSTACLES ARE, WE HAVE TO

GET IT ON.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE

WERE SEEING WITH YOUR

ORGANIZATION.

BRIAN, TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE

BIT.

I MENTIONED THE 25th ANNIVERSARY

GALA AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE

THE GREAT HONOR AND PLEASURE TO

HOST IT.

WHAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT YOU

THINK WILL COME FROM THAT?

>> FOR ME, I THINK EVEN WHO

WE'RE HONORING TIES INTO A VERY

BIG MESSAGE.

NOT ONLY MUST THE SHOW GO ON,

BUT I THINK IT'S ABOUT

CREATIVITY.

WE'RE HONORING ISSA RAY.

WHAT'S SO AMAZING ABOUT HER IS

SHE CREATED A LANE IN THIS

INDUSTRY THAT SHE COMPLETELY

TRAIL BLAZED AND PIONEERED.

SHE WENT FROM CREATING WEB

SERIES ONLINE TO A HUGE, YOU

KNOW, PIONEERING SHOW ON HBO

"INSECURE."

ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS PLAYS

SECOND FIDDLE TO HER ON

"INSECURE."

SHE PLAYS HER BEST FRIEND MOLLY.

I DON'T THINK THAT

OVEREXAGGERATING WHEN I SAY THAT

I FEEL LIKE FILMMAKERS AND

ARTISTS SAVED OUR SANITY DURING

THIS PANDEMIC.

WE HAVE NEVER WATCHED SO MUCH

TELEVISION, WE HAVE NEVER

STREAMED SO MANY SHOWS, WE HAVE

NEVER READ SO MANY NOVELS.

IT'S STORY TELLERS THAT ARE

LEADING THE WAY.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE GALA IS

THAT IT'S HIGHLIGHTING

INDIVIDUALS NOT ONLY THAT ARE

STARTING THIS KIND OF WORK, BUT

ALSO PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO

ARE LEADING THE WAY.

>> ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

I THINK THEY HAVE BEEN OUR

SALVATION HERE AND MAYA IS GOING

TO BE THAT NEXT GENERATION OF

OUR SALVATION.

I'M OUT OF TIME HERE.

JUST A QUICK REMINDER IF YOU'RE

WATCHING THIS AND YOU WANT TO

HELP OUT, GO TO REELWORKS.ORG.

OUR THANKS TO BRIAN, ALWAYS A

PLEASURE TO SEE YOU HERE.

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON

STAGE.

MAYA, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU,

FABULOUS FILM YOU'VE DONE.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU.

ALL OF YOU STAY WELL.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANKS, JACK.

♪♪

>>"METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE

BY --

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III,

SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA

PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN

GANZ COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ,

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, THE

AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION AND

BY --

JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER, JODY AND

JOHN ARNHOLD, CHERYL AND PHILIP

MILSTEIN FAMILY, JUDY AND JOSH

WESTON, AND THE DR. ROBERT C.

AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION, THE

JPB FOUNDATION.