Welcome back FORTituders. My name is JW Wilson and to my right is obviously the handsomest fella in Fort Worth. One Brinton Payne. Thank you. Thank you. Today’s show is a good one. Before we get to this special guest, I was digging around in the in Jay Fitzgerald’s office just the other day and looking for some audio equipment and I found these Yeah, he talks them neatly tucked away beside his computer. Do you have any idea what what was responsible for this?

 

Well, all I know is one time I tried to eat a cookie in his office he like came in out of nowhere and said Do not open them because he likes to bring the like fresh, I guess sealed bag home J the company’s on to you now we know where the cookies are. I wish we had a camera for that.

 

I know. We’ll get to that more later on. Also, this week, we had a very sad death. Not to change topics really quickly. But Eddie Robinson, he was the oldest living Major League Baseball player retired at the time, but he passed away this week Brinton. Are you familiar with Eddie Robinson? Vaguely? Well, Eddie, so he died. This past Monday. He was born December 15 1920. That’s quite a few years ago. Right. One of the cool things about Eddie he spent 60 years as a player and exec a coach and a scout in the game of baseball. He was in around Fort Worth. He died I believe in his ranch in just just outside of Austin. I believe Bastrop maybe one of the cool things about Eddie in 1948 when Babe Ruth, you didn’t who Babe Ruth

 

 

Right nailed it. When Babe Ruth walked to the home plate for his retirement his ceremonial retirement he was there’s a very famous photo of him leaning on a bat. The picture that was taken of him retiring won the Pulitzer Prize that year. That bat was given to him in the dugout by Eddie Robinson which is really a cool tie but he was a really great dude really well respected in footwear people love this guy. So I’m

 

gonna ask you about musicians or something some time and I was just put you out there like you do with me every time

 

Oh, wait, your weight your challenge. Okay, getting on past that. If you guys care about this show. There’s a few of you or moms we know you do, too. You can find us on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, at fortitude, FW so please check us out. Tell us how ridiculous we are. Ask Britain some hard sports questions like who is Michael Jordan that might really Trump stump him this this time. But look for us and contact us at fortitude, FW podcast@gmail.com. And our website is fortitude fw.com. So that all that out all the way we can get on to our guest today. And we have a good one. Today’s guest is the greatness of one Jessi Sheldon. Welcome to So Jesse.

 

Thank you so much for Yeah, yes. Sound effects.

 

Yes, of course.

 

Before you started in too heavily, the mayor sat in the seat where you were last just last week and she is currently in COVID. Quarantine perfectly deliver this just let us know Britain’s already sprayed my mouth in my drink. So I’m tasting it the whole show. It’s like my Menaka great app. So again, welcome to the show. Jesse. We’re honored to have you your story is fantastic. We look forward to talking about it with you. First off you were born and raised in Tulsa. Oklahoma, correct.

 

That’s correct. High School. I would have gone to Jenks High School.

 

Yes. Guys from there. They’re known for some things. One thing particular football.

 

Baseball, right? Yeah. Pretty much all sports really?

 

Known for soccer. Yeah,

 

it’s a good program there.

 

Yeah. Did you realize you were a soccer player that have substantial talent?

 

Probably when I stopped growing, and I couldn’t really do basketball as well. No, I mean, I start playing soccer a little bit later than a lot of people do. I was almost eight, which doesn’t sound like so old. But yeah, most kids start playing soccer in there like three for sure. Yeah. And so yeah, so I was eight and played a couple years of rec soccer and then kind of started up early on with some competitive soccer and just

 

to learn from the Select teams then

 

Exactly, yep.

 

So you ended up moving to the metroplex? Colleyville specifically where you attended Colleyville Heritage High School there. You your soccer prowess was so much so that you won the the school’s first team state championship, correct?

 

Yes. That was in 1999 1999 Very good.

 

Party like was 1999 everyone you know we did yeah.

 

Tell us how do we celebrate this victory? This championship?

 

I mean, we it was actually was a really, really fun team to be part of we went undefeated. And it I think we have you remember how many but we gave up no goals during playoffs like it was a very, very good team. But more than anything, we just really enjoyed each other, we had so much fun. And probably on paper, we weren’t the best team that there ever was. But we really just play for each other. It was a family. And yeah, it’s just one of my my favorite favorite experiences.

 

And as this is the one sport, my partner does know a little bit about soccer. So you’re going on the right path with this interview. So from there, you had some offers to play in college, you’re not going to Mississippi State, and then ultimately transferred to TCU. Or you became part of the Fort Worth crowd, so to speak. Tell us about your time at TCU if you don’t mind.

 

Yeah, so yeah, like I said, I started out at Michigan State and love my soccer experience there. And but I was really the kind of looking to get into film. And there weren’t a lot of film opportunities in in Starkville or Stark Vegas, as we like to call it. So I went ahead and looked I was looking at different schools and different programs. And I got some inferred interest from TCU in high school, but I hadn’t really decided that that was like a film thing that I wanted to do or anything like that. I was just kind of like, Oh, I’m gonna go play soccer gonna go do this. And then eventually, after, you know, you’re 1920, you’re like, Okay, I’m going to figure out what to do with the rest of my life, not just like focus on the sport. And so I started kind of calling around and my coach, MSP state was really great. And he’s like, I’ll call any program, I’ll give you a release. You know, I know, this is something that you want to do and you want to pursue. So I called up TCU. I knew that they had a really great film program and came and visited the film program first, and really enjoyed it and really liked it, and then talked with the soccer program. And yeah, we made it work to where I can transfer in

 

coach Rubinson. Yep. Very good.

 

It was a junior year. Yes, it was my junior year. Yeah.

 

So you become a radio, TV film major. Was it the biography, Bob Schieffer School at the time? Or is it prior to being named that?

 

Yeah, it was, yeah, it was a College of Communication then. And I think now it’s like film, TV, digital media or something like that. But yeah, it was Radio TV film at the

 

time. And you discovered that you love this industry? What What made you become a lover of the film, TV industry.

 

I mean, I always just really enjoyed just watching movies watching shows just the passion and, and even more that I realized, like, at first I was like, Okay, well, maybe I want to do in front of the camera and kind of be interested in that. And then the more I started just doing stuff, like student we do a lot of student films together. And once we got on campus, and it just really kind of met this great group of people that would just hang out on weekends and making movies and it’s like, Oh, I really enjoyed this the behind the scenes Yeah, like that. It was really something different something that you know, you just don’t really know you’re not really exposed to as much that hadn’t been my world. I had just been pretty much sports and school and that’s what it was. And I never really went to the you know, the acting camps are definitely no kind of filmmaking, anything like that. And it’s, you know, things are different now everybody can go and shoot a movie with their iPhone now. And yeah, it just really wasn’t the case back whenever

 

wanting to be a film star, like my partner here be on camera all the time.

 

Not not too much. I’ve dabbled a little bit with little little things here and there. But yeah, definitely prefer behind the camera. What,

 

um, what was your favorite show at that time? Or movie? Like, what were some that like, right around that time when you came? You kind of knew you want to do it that inspired you?

 

Um, that’s always a great question. I, I really enjoyed. I just watched movies over and over again, whenever I was at Mississippi State. I remember just like, kind of, it sounds crazy, but just like kind of locking myself in the room and just trying to watch a bunch of, you know, different classics and anything from like, you know, mean streets to, you know, stuff in the 70s 80s to just different genres. And I pretty much liked all the genres. I did not care for horror movies. But other than that,

 

guys, like I don’t have stem word that evil they get that, like the ideas for that, you know, no, it’s crazy to me the stuff they met, you know, but I mean, as dark as I am, like, I would not like that stuff is crazy how they make and to raise money and to actually be able to put it out and still there’s clearly an audience out there. That’s really into it. Yeah,

 

it just wasn’t for me, but yeah, I you know, I really got into like, improv comedies like Best in Show when that kind of stuff came out when I was in college and I just really got

 

a blockbuster thing though. Were you were you running? No streaming, right? Like no

 

time or no, so it was when I was at Mississippi State. It wasn’t even blockbuster because Starkville we did not even have blockbuster. So it was like a little Yeah, exactly. But then by the time I transferred TCU like Netflix was just kind of coming out but it was with like the envelopes and the mail and all that kind of thing. So I was like, Oh, this is pretty cool. I’m gonna get this and yeah, and then blockbuster didn’t really think that that was anything and I kind of missed out.

 

Yeah. So you get your degree from the from the The Bob Schieffer School and you go to work for a company called sports studio. They wanted what were you doing for sports studio?

 

So I basically moved out to LA right after I graduated college. So I was in summer school, finished on a Friday I packed up my car and drove it out on Sunday kind of thing. No job, no apartment. No, nothing. You just hear that I figure it out. You know, I’m

 

envisioning Axl Rose. Good enough that Boston Welcome to the Jungle video. Yeah, like that.

 

Pretty much. Yeah, yeah. Except, yeah. Don’t 22 year old kid in a Mustang just driving across

 

the tent. Just like, I’m gonna get into this. I’m gonna, I’m just gonna do this. Yeah,

 

I mean, I figured that I would, you know, kind of figure something out. We had, again, with like, our RTBF program, we had a lot of different friends and students and stuff that we’re getting ready to move out. And we were just like, Okay, well, I’ll run with you. I’ll run with this. And so I started out on a couch and knew that we aren’t we find an apartment and figure it out. And yeah, wow. Looking back now. I’m like, What was I thinking? But yeah, that’s what you do. And so just kind of Yeah, took that leap of faith. And so before I started sports studio, I did all the usual things. I mean, I started I did extra work on TV shows, and I poured coffee at Starbucks, I worked in a restaurant, it was a server. I worked in the post production accounting department for Fox where basically I just called people asking for W nines all the time, which was just terrible. Like, all day, that was exactly yeah. Did you try etc? It was actually like, no, just actually had to call. And yeah, and then you and they, they fax them in? And yeah, so did that. And then a coach, a little bit of high school soccer at a private school. That’s good. And then eventually, no joke, I answered an ad on Craigslist for an internship at sports studio, and start working with a guy named Mark Ellis, and started as an intern and just kind of add like about 10 hours a week and then realize this was something I just absolutely had to do. And I remember calling my parents I’m like, okay, like, I may need help, because this I’m just I need to quit everything and just throw myself into this. And I didn’t even know something like this existed, like, this is the coolest thing.

 

Or podcast. Yeah, absolutely.

 

I think was a good decision.

 

Thank you.

 

So yeah, so I started with sports studio, and just like a few commercials here and there and just kind of starting out. And then my first big feature film that I did behind the scenes was the tooth fairy.

 

Oh, wow. What a small start for you. Yes. With the with the rock and the watch that like five times with my kids back in the day.

 

This is what sports studio. Correct. Okay.

 

Yeah. So that was in Vancouver.

 

So how come that’s called sports? Do I mean, because you’re getting like former athlete. I mean, or do they? It’s just the name. It didn’t really have anything to do with?

 

Yeah, I mean, it was just a name is the idea that yeah, it’s, you know, just specifically focusing on sports movies. Yeah. Yeah.

 

So what did you do on that film?

 

So what I do and what our company does in general, which is no longer sport studios, no game changing films, but we’ll get to that. But um, we cast and choreograph the action for sports movies. So say, for that example, for hockey movie, we come in, we break down the script, see how many plays there are, see how many games there are. Then we hold a casting call where we find real hockey players that, you know, we don’t fake it. We find real hockey players. We also train the actor. So you know, it was finding a local coach that can train the rock to skate, and wow,

 

how did that go? Like, that’s got to be a difficult endeavor. Yeah.

 

He wasn’t too interested in really trying to learn how to skate I think it was, you went out there and kind of fell on his butt one time. And he’s like, Yeah, this this isn’t gonna work.

 

Like in a serious way. Like, not so much. Like, all kidding aside. I

 

mean, it was kind of like one of those where he was laughing, but it was like, Yeah, okay. Yeah, we need to figure something else out. Yeah. So

 

in that case, you have to pull in a stunt double to do the actual skating sequences for him. Yeah,

 

so we actually had two doubles for him. We did a little bit of face replacement that was whenever it was just kind of starting out. And then we also built this rig that would go on the ice and you would sit there with his stick and just go back like the

 

car behind that. Like yeah, they’re driving. Same kind of thing was that first rig of its kind was that

 

probably on ice at least for sure. You just had like grips that knew how to see and we’re again filming in Canada so pretty much all the crew knew how to skate and all that stuff. So you had a bunch of grips that were just they get a running start and just take off with

 

we talked to somebody before Amanda one of our guests and she said the reason she loved like the movie stuff was because you just did stuff just like that. Like it’s like we need it. So we’re not going to go and like Google Search to go fight like we’re going to actually build it and just do it is it is that kind of been a thing for you to like, yeah, that’s the way it just like spontaneously just comes about.

 

It’s one of my favorite things about filmmaking is that it’s all problem solving. Yes, it’s just in coming up with the most random things. Yeah, I was talking actually, with, we’re filming a movie here in Fort Worth right now. And I was talking with Rob Corddry, who’s on it. And he was talking about that how he’s like, it’s like, I’ve met so many crew members that have just come up with amazing stuff. And then they’ve like, gone out and marketed it to the world of just like, and it just has found a place just in other people and other lives and what everybody else is doing and just know

 

we’re gonna, we’re gonna get there. So for years at sports studio, then you’ve you’re in love, you’ve learned the business backwards and forwards what happens next in that sequence.

 

So then we I had been working with a woman named Amy McDaniel for a long time during that time, and we felt like we could maybe just try to venture out and start our own thing. And so Amy played basketball at Pepperdine. And so she had been working with Mark and was sports studio for a long time. She’d started out on miracle. And another smash start. Yes. The hockey movies it worked out. Well, for sure.

 

So was she Canadian?

 

She was not no. Yeah, no. So So yeah, so we launched game changing films is one of those words like, alright, we decided to do this and just locked ourselves in a room and just said, Okay, what are we going to do? Let’s, let’s come up with a title. And we just came up with the name of the company. And we walked out. And then we asked a couple of our fellow crew members that were working with us at the time, including my future husband was not my husband at the time, Mike Sheldon. And I said what we’re like, Okay, we’re gonna do this. We’re gonna leave sports studio, and we’re gonna start this company game changing films like you guys in there, like, are okay, yeah, that sounds good. And we’re like, Alright, great. Let’s sit up happy hour, and let’s come up with a plan. And so yeah, the rest is history. Were there

 

any issues at sports studio that were leading these peatling? All these people, including your husband to want to leave? Because that’s obviously a step out for some of these folks?

 

Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I think there were some differences in kind of with management issues and stuff like that. And we decided that we were kind of going in a different direction. And you’re kind

 

of doing a niche out from there, because they were doing like the whole films, right. And you guys were like, No, we were doing this part. Like we’re good at this part.

 

I mean, they were doing, they also did sports. He also did like a bunch of wardrobe and uniforms and stuff like that. And, and we just decided that we were kind of thinking things in a different way, and just honestly felt like we could do it better and more efficiently. And then eventually, a few years later, we actually started doing uniforms and equipment as well.

 

What in a typical film is like the number like, is there an average number of choreographed like sports choreographed scenes?

 

Yeah, so it totally depends, like, you know, we’ll we’ll call them, you know, each individual plays. And so we will choreograph a play. You know, I would say, like an uncle Drew, for example, we had probably about 25, choreograph plays. Whereas, I think probably in miracle it was probably closer to like, 65. Yeah, well, so that’s obviously a very heavy sports movie, whereas uncle Drew was like a little bit more of a comedy and a lot more, we knew a lot more stuff would be improvised. And we could do a lot more what we call free play with, you know, guys like Tyrion, yeah, check ins.

 

So when those guys are when you’re working with them, do you have to go and kind of prep them for the scene beforehand, like go work a day with them? And then then you’ll actually shoot the scene? And then you’ll go on to the next one? That kind of things that

 

way. Exactly. Yeah. So a lot of times, we’ll do like an actual training camp. And so we will, we’ll bring the the players and athletes in and we’ll rehearse all the plays and choreograph everything. So then when once we get into filming, we’re ready to go. It’s like Alright, guys, we’re, we’re, this is Game three, play to remember this one. This is the toss, sweep. Yeah, to the left. And there. We know, you know, everybody knows what it is.

 

And all moments in the movie, the game winning goal or the game when it ends against the team, the Russian team that you guys are choreographing and filming that particular piece.

 

Yeah. So yeah, all of that has been choreographed. And everything has been, you know, figured out exactly. You know what to do. And, you know, sometimes crazy things happen, and you do get lucky and just something nuts happened, especially hockey is so. So I mean, so hard to do a deflection, for example. Yeah. Something like that. Like that’s so specific. And so sometimes you do to kind of just have to kind of go with it and just go with a free play. But there’s always a blueprint there. And to kind of, you know,

 

is there a ballpark period of time for each of these moments you’re filming? Is it weeks, days, months? For each one, you’d say you did 60 ish, right?

 

Yeah. So, I mean, it depends, obviously depends on the budget of the movie. It depends on how many days they kind of have budgeted to shoot the action. In general, depending on the sport, you can usually get about three to four plays of action a day. especially for football or something like that. Yeah. And then again, it also depends on how much crowd reaction there are. If if there’s a bunch of actors in the stands and on the sidelines and all that stuff, then you also have to include that with kind of with each plays, depending on choreographed that dough to do you, it depends on what it is, you know, especially like the sidelines, we usually do help with that, you know, you know, choreography and teaching the coach or coaches or trainers or whomever is on the sidelines, like, Okay, this is where you would be standing. This a lot of times, we’re also helping them with dialogue. This is, you know, kind of filler of what you would be saying in this moment. Yes, yeah. Because usually in a script, it’s like, okay, and then the winning team scores a touchdown. And sometimes that’s all it says, yeah. And so a lot of it is trying to figure out okay, well, what is that exactly? What play is that? Is that going to be, you know, a slant across the middle? Is it going to be basketball is going to be an alley? Is it? You know, how are you? How are you doing that? And so,

 

so you start game changing films, what’s the first project?

 

Gosh, I think we were still doing a TV show called Necessary Roughness. It was, yeah, it was on USA Network. And it was very sports based. And so we had done the first two seasons, kind of under the sports studio umbrella. And then season three we did with with Game Changing films and, and that one was really fun, because we were able to do a bunch of different sports that season. And so we ended up doing like, women’s tennis and track and boxing and baseball and basketball. And we did pretty good at football, obviously football, the football was a big part of the show. And so it was really good to kind of try to figure out okay, this casting side of it is we not only just kind of venturing out just kind of mainly from like the major sports, but then you’re also able to kind of build our little bit more. Yeah, experience with the other

 

ones are taking off quickly. For you guys. It sounds like Yes. What happens to sports studio?

 

Um, well,

 

first question. Yeah. So

 

just recently, in about about three or four months ago, sports video became no longer. And we were contacted by the former or the owners, the former owner, really, that it kind of defaulted back to and asked if we wanted to purchase their inventory. Like I said, we I mentioned that we had started a uniform and gear company as well and game changing gear. And so they asked if we wanted to go ahead and purchase their inventory, which included a huge warehouse of about 20,000 square feet. Wow, of uniforms and equipment in Did you guys have fun? Yeah, we sure did. Yeah. Yes. So we did. So yes, it was a we are still as we’re saying, like, you know, building the plane while we fly it. Yeah. And you know,

 

it’s kind of like a fuselage and that kind of, yes, nailed it. And it

 

was a very, very quick transaction. And we had to basically get all the stuff packed up and moved out and a new warehouse and about a week. And so we had just called a bunch of our athletes that had just wrapped on season three of all American. And they wrapped that Friday before and I texted all of them. I said, Guys, I need you to show up on Monday morning. Where are your athletic clothes? Bring some water and let’s get after it.

 

It’s out in LA like it was so he had one warehouse to another warehouse in LA. Yes. Okay. Yeah. One day,

 

we’d like to come look through that. I’m sure we can. Oh, for sure. I still have a captain outfit for this guy. Yes. So you see some of the films you’re you’ve been involved with, obviously some before at some at some current some after? These are these are things you’ve been very involved with on on the sports side of it. What exactly would you how would you describe game changing films his role if there’s Is there a, like a mission statement of some sort? Yeah, I

 

mean, basically, it’s Yeah, to to cast and coordinate. You know, actually sports action TV, movies, commercials. And we’re trying to make it authentic as possible. That’s a big thing is authentic, as well as you know, safe, you know, keeping all the athletes and actors safe. And but making sure that the director’s vision is coming to life. And

 

what do you lend to on authenticity with something like the Dark Knight?

 

Well, so it was actually it was Dark Knight Rises. So we did the scene where Bane blows up the field.

 

That’s the name Jay. I was thinking I couldn’t think of the bad guy’s name. I only knew the mask thing. Yes. Yeah.

 

Yeah, so Bane blows up Heinz Field and so for that particular scene, yeah, it was it was pretty freakin amazing. Yeah, we had cast all the players and everybody and then we had rehearse the day before. And on that day to the on the filming day, you know, you had like some of the actual real Steelers came in and we had Hines Ward out there was returning the kick. And we had a double for him as well. And it basically just we rehearsed it and I mean, you have things fall it literally falling down and jumping into holes and all that stuff. And we obviously they did a lot of stuff with CGI as well, but it was and then they came to us. This is always one where you’re like you just kind of Go with it or like, okay, they came to us we’d rehearse everything. And on filming day, they came to us and said, Hey, so the mayor wants to do the kickoff. And we said, I’m sorry. What? Like, yeah, no, like the mayor of Pittsburgh. He wants he wants to do the kick. Like he’s in the football outfit, like, yes. Kick like, and I don’t know if you know, but like kickoffs aren’t easy, right? And it’s a very

 

well, relatively speaking. I’m kidding. Yes.

 

It’s a very specific thing. And it’s only one play. It’s a kickoff. That’s it. So like, oh, well, could he just do like the national anthem? Like we have that piece? Right. Like, would that be a good thing? Yeah. But no, no, he really wants to the cake. Like, he kicked a little bit. We’re like, okay, thankfully, he really did kick like he kicked in college, and he did a great job. But that’s one of those where you’re like, Okay, well, that’s, that’s what, okay, that’s what Christopher Nolan has said. And there you go.

 

Straight in The Dark Knight Rises. The mayor of Pittsburgh is kicking the kickoff. 100% That’s great. That is unbelievable. Yeah, choreographed by these guys.

 

Probably. You know, yeah.

 

Is that a known known that? And in fact, I

 

don’t know if it’s all that well known or not? I don’t know. Yeah,

 

hold it off. Apparently. So. But none of the stadium or the field is actually getting destroyed. No, you didn’t blow it up. But are you digging holes in the turf? Or Is any of that stuff happening? Is that all CGI?

 

Um, no. I mean, there were like actual some holes and stuff in there. And like it was

 

just you know, where they were when they were filming kind of thing? Yeah.

 

So because the guys had to have somewhere like, the football players, and some guys heads have to go somewhere to fall.

 

Oh, yeah.

 

What are you doing during all this? It’s happening. It’s a stadium where you?

 

So I was standing at the end of the endzone, just hoping and praying that one, we didn’t fumble the kickoff that we didn’t Moffitt. And yeah, just making sure that everybody dropped the ball ever does. He? He doesn’t. But you know, it’s in a way it’s a little bit different, like there are but the good news is, and that’s also think why athletes do so well in sports movies, like they’re used to pressure they’re used to that they’re used to everybody looking at them that you know, it’s their time to shine. And so they can they can do pretty well with that. So enough, obviously, he did well

 

with it. You ever have an athlete, though, where you’re like, he’s not going to or she’s not going to get here? Like, I mean, we’re just, we’re working with it, and we’re trying to get Jia to this place, but this just not happening.

 

Um, as far as athletes, it’s more on like the side of the acting thing. Yeah. Where they’re just you’re just like, Oh, you are really stiff? And yeah, and yeah, we’re trying but oh, man, this is not good. Yeah. And then obviously, there’s a lot of actors that are not athletes.

 

Oh, yeah. So you can see that probably almost immediately and showing up, right? Yes. The way they move, just

 

the way they walk, you can tell for sure. Right away how they carry themselves. Just I noticed

 

that with JW. Right off the bat.

 

There was an angle there somewhere. I met some of your favorite celebrities, actors that you’ve come across during your time that you really, like.

 

That’s a good question. I would say. I mean, honestly, Dwayne was amazing. And he is amazing. Like, there’s a reason that he is who he is like, he is just his personality is so great. He’s gained for whatever. This was, I didn’t work on this movies before my time, but movie called the gameplan. And in it, when they were prepping, he tore his Achilles. And that was in just a routine play. Like just he was in rehearsal like they weren’t. They’re just kind of like warming up, basically. And he just rolled out and it popped. Oh, wow. And so they had to shut down production for six weeks. And then yeah, he went and rehabbed a little bit and then brought it back or maybe was six months, I don’t even know it was it was a long time. And then they then started back up and obviously he was not doing as much as the action as they had had anticipated. So again, you just kind of have to roll with the punches and go with it. But yeah, Dwayne’s great I you know, I to fair is my first one and then we did ballers and by the time we were doing ballers though, yeah, he was he was really he’s big time then, you know, he was he was really Dwayne and he had his notice

 

and everything demeanor changing from 230 to ballers,

 

not his demeanor, he was still just fun and all that stuff, but he was definitely busier. Yeah, yes. Did

 

he remember like you guys D kind of remember like, is there a familiarity like oh, yeah, kind of thing.

 

Yeah. And then yeah, exactly. And then you know, same idea with like, Adam Sandler like he is legitimately a really a good athlete. Like he’s a really good basketball player. Yeah. And he takes his job very seriously all the comedies he takes seriously and that’s one of the things that’s really I enjoy about him and but he also just enjoys just having fun with his friends too. And

 

it’s interesting when the thought that with another comedian like he’s been for his whole career, but he does take it very serious. He

 

takes it very seriously. Yeah, and he’ll kind of snap at the guys like it did grownups with him and You know, when the guys were kind of playing the basketball game and stuff. And so whenever they were kind of going off the rails a little bit, you kind of snap back. Yeah, so he’s it was like a team leader. Oh, yeah,

 

that’s good. So game changing films is in season four of all all American as we split as we sit. So what’s going on right now? You guys filming right now? Are you guys? What’s what’s, where do you sit right now that we are

 

so we are filming all American in Los Angeles right now, we are just about to start on episode 406. And I think we actually I think it starts airing in about a week, maybe 10 days ending on the 25th. And so this, the show has been really, really great. We were there from the pilots from the very, very beginning. And, you know, I remember seeing these, the players and the actors just kind of walking for the first time and us meeting them. And, you know, Daniel, the lead who plays the main guy, Spencer, he is he’s British, and had never played football before. But his athletic overall, but the difference between him from when we met him on the pilot versus now is just it’s night and day. I mean, he worked has worked so hard on training and trying to get better and, and all that. And so it’s really like the show’s really become a family like we we really genuinely enjoy the actors. We enjoy the crew. And it’s been pretty much the same crew from the beginning. And so it’s really it’s a good one. And we’re now actually you’re doing the spin off as well. All American homecoming, right? So, so that kind of features some baseball and tennis. And so it’s fun to Yeah, and female tennis. And so it’s it’s fun to work with some female athletes now too. So

 

that’s incredible. What’s the hardest part of of your job doing these things?

 

Um, I would probably the hours. It’s yeah, it’s a lot of a lot of work long hours. Very short turnaround when we’re on a job. You know, my husband and I, we have two small kids. And so when we’re like really filming on a job and stuff, it’s almost like we just kind of have to have the kids away because we we never see them. We’re gone before they wake up and we’re home after they’re asleep. And so that, you know, that’s probably like the toughest thing about the industry and about the business. And actually, it’s should be interesting there. There’s a possible strike happening within the film industry a while kind of based on that idea that just hours are so so crazy. But you know, at the end of the day, too, we still we still get to make movies and shows and it’s a lot a lot of hard work, but it is a lot of fun, too. Yeah.

 

What does Mr. Sheldon do for a living?

 

He also works with Game Changing films. So he told me that he came along with you guys. Yeah. So he, yeah, so he’s a coordinator. So he’s more on the field or on the court? Kind of really specifically working with camera and making sure that the choreography is correct. And

 

is he good at what he does? He’s very good at what he does. Would it be safe to say you’re his boss?

 

Yes, I would say on paper. Yes. I’m

 

currently you’re in town. You live in LA, though? Correct.

 

I live in Austin. I lived in an apartment in LA. Okay,

 

currently working on a film called The SR. We’re filming right now. Tell us about that, please. So

 

yeah, so it’s, it’s based on a true story about a 59 year old football player that had played in the 70s. And then went back to his alma mater, he had one year of eligibility left. And so he went back at 59 years old to play linebacker at Seoul Ross state. And this is a true story. It’s yeah, it’s a true story as we

 

knew the member of the Texas Wesleyan guy, same thing.

 

Britain’s getting some ideas. Yeah. Be careful.

 

Yeah. So so yeah. So Michael Chiklis from the shield. And Fantastic Four is playing Mike Flint is the the character name and yeah, so it’s one of those where this story has been around Hollywood for years. I remember we broke down the script I think maybe like in 2013 14 Something like that. And so that was when we first thought it was going to spin various different actors attached and finally it’s it’s finally making its way and so it’s it’s a it’s a good one and march ERD who is a big time sports producer he’s you know, did all he did miracle and the rookie and all that and he’s he’s one of the producers on that.

 

Are you doing the entire movie or just the sports scenes from the movie?

 

So just the sports Yeah, just the

 

football specific uniforms to you like the empty Yep, that big warehouse full of stuff?

 

We sure do. Yep. Very good. So yeah, we make custom uniforms for the old 70 stuff. And then for a lot of the opponents we just add stuff from our warehouse and

 

if you need a couple of washed out old dudes to you know, stand in for, you know, to hold up. Somebody else? Yeah, we’re here for you. Good thing. Yes. Yeah,

 

that’s what I want to get a quick thing. Yes. Thank

 

you. Good. What, what’s the best day in filming? You’ve had the Have any really amazing stories and you mean crazy stories that have happened to you?

 

One of my favorites and it was such like a little thing and it’s a movie that hardly anybody. Probably not a lot of people saw, but it’s it’s called MacFarlane USA. And yeah, Kevin Costner is, is in it. And

 

wait, is that the one with the kids with running? Yeah. Oh, I saw this country. Yeah, at the movie theater. Oh, wow. Yeah, it was a good movie. Yeah.

 

That was one where we had been training with those kids. Like actually running with them for like six weeks. And so we were like, they were like our, our little brothers and that kind of thing. And, and on the first day said, we had heard maybe that Costner was difficult. And so we didn’t really know what to expect. So on the first day of set was in there, and it was like, just kind of a non action team. Like they’re doing, like little weightlifting or something. And Kevin’s there, and he’s, you know, filming the scene with them. And the, one of the kids 16 year old, like one of the youngest ones stepped on one of his lines, which you know, you don’t do and

 

I seen your line.

 

No. So like he had when Kevin had a line, he’s basically spoke over him.

 

Like I do the whole show. Exactly. You don’t do this in the movies.

 

It’s frowned upon a little bit. Kevin Costner? Yeah. So it was one of those where everybody kind of like, held their breath for a second. And Kevin just kind of took him aside and said, he’s like, Hey, remember, he’s like, you know, you have to wait until I asked you the question, you know, before, you know, before you, you know, free answer. And he’s like, Oh, yes, sir. He’s like, he’s like, yeah, no, we got this will be fine. You know, and I was like, right, then he took on that kind of like, coach role. And you know, and he’s an athlete himself, like, he was a baseball player. And so it was like, Oh, this is gonna be great. Like, this is really, you know, there’s gonna be nice. And so by the end of the movie, it’s like, they all have to run up. I don’t hate spoilers yet, but they have to run up that big hill. Yeah. And we had one of the main actors who was a little bit bigger. And Weren’t you looking at me directly? And you said,

 

doing that? I really appreciate Yeah.

 

I was hoping you didn’t notice.

 

Editing floor.

 

So yeah, so the, the guy has to make it up the big hill. And it was one of those where it’s like, he didn’t know if he did and he you friggin did it. And we all like the whole crew lost it. Like everybody was just cheering and going nuts. And Kevin was going nuts at monitor and just it was really it was like, same thing. It’s like that family atmosphere and something special to be part of it. That’s awesome. So

 

Costers a good looking human. And he’s a nice guy who would have thought well

 

on some sets. I would you know, yeah, for sure. There’s probably moments on all sets that are not like that.

 

Yeah. What’s the what’s the worst thing has happened to you in this business? Hmm. The good ones it right now. By the way, what do you make of our set since you’re involved in sets? Does this set really stand out to you in a special way?

 

I like it. I think it’s I think it has some potential. It’s it’s not a full blown you know, studio budget. But you know, we’re getting there. You know, maybe like a mid major like your let me have a

 

small warehouse ourselves. Here

 

with You. called our closet. But yes, we have uniforms. Yeah, yeah. You got a very cool story. Thank you for sharing with us. Anything else? Sweet? How can people find you guys?

 

So yeah, so we are on the normal social medias? Yeah, we’ve got Instagram and Facebook at Game Changing films. And then Twitter at Game Changing Flm because you couldn’t go the whole way with Game Changing films on Twitter. And then our website, you can actually create a free profile if you’re interested in being an athlete. Movies. Yeah. So you can create a preferred free profile on their game changing films calm and yeah, we post casting calls on there all the time. And

 

so Brenton could literally sign up for you to be in a movie. Probably not a sports movie, but potentially that’s great to do. But

 

does it help if we know you? Like Could I just in my description say and yes, we you know, we did meet you and

 

yeah, absolutely. Yeah. It’s all about who you know, right. It’s all sure it’s yeah,

 

we saved a little surprise for you. This little. You remember these days?

 

Yeah, it was a couple kids ago. Right? Yeah. So yeah, no, that was when I was out in LA. Yeah, it was a little like, promotional model. Shoot thing. Yeah, yeah. What

 

position were you in soccer as a forward forward very good. Okay. Well, we appreciate you being here. One last question for us. We always ask our guests what’s the best day of your whole life aside? Familial affairs, husband, kids, what’s the best day of your whole life?

 

Um, I would say one of the coolest things and this is also in our film world was we did the movie save Dee and we filmed at the halftime of a Clemson football game. And so we had our guys we had been rehearsing and we’d rehearse the week before. And but you never really sure what’s going to happen. And we thought, okay, it was a blowout game like Clemson was already winning by like four touchdowns at halftime against Charlotte, I think. And so we’re like, Okay, well, everybody’s gonna leave at halftime, like, there, we have eight minutes to do everything that we need to do. And everybody stayed and they went nuts. We had our team like all up at the top of the hill. And seeing our guys like run down the hill at halftime have got you know, players that we had cast and and then come on the field. And we had like nine cameras out there to capture all the action. And we just knocked it out. And like that eight minutes, and it was just cool.

 

It was recreated like you actually created that energy. Yeah. And I

 

mean, there were 80,000 screaming fans like That’s because you know, most movies that we do, it’s like, Alright, you got like 250 extras at most, and then they just repopulate it with CGI, but so I’ve never experienced anything like that. Like where you’re just there’s so many screaming fans,

 

done some great projects and great films and we wish you well. Yes, very nice to meet you. You’re very lovely person. So thank you. Absolutely. Should you very much. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you