Met Carl Reid

We recently connected with Carl Reid and have shared our conversation below.

Carl , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I was lucky. I fell in love with filmmaking when I was around four years old. I was at a party my parents were attending. It was a grown up gathering, and there wasn’t too much for me to do. So, I wandered into the basement, where “Return of the Jedi” was playing on TV. My eyes grew large as I watched Luke Skywalker launch an attack on Jabba’s sail barge. I’d never seen anything like it.

I grabbed my mother and asked where what I was watching took place. I desperately wanted to go to the planet with music-playing aliens and laser swords. She told me it wasn’t a real place, but that all of it was part of a movie that various people had worked to put together. It all looked so convincing that I couldn’t believe artists had fabricated the entire thing. “You mean, that’s someone’s job?!” – I asked incredulously. My mom confirmed that dreaming up entire worlds was actually someone’s occupation. I told her, “that’s what I wanna do.” And that was it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I guess the simplest way I would describe myself would be as a storyteller. I primarily work in film and TV, either writing, directing, or producing…oftentimes, it’s a combination of the three. I’m a development executive at the independent production company, WorthenBrooks, which does a lot of work with Hulu in the genre space. I also have my own production company, Redbird Entertainment, which focuses on telling fresh stories from unique perspectives. And I have a sales company called Dept. H, which endeavors to give independent filmmakers more of a voice when it comes to getting their films to market.

I recently produced a documentary called “MAMA!” which is about the journey of three mothers who lost their sons to law enforcement violence as they go from mourners to activists. I have a superhero comedy I showran during quarantine called, “Grounded” out on Tubi and other platforms. And I recently worked on the films, “Jagged Mind,” “Appendage,” and “The Mill,” which are out now on Hulu.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say patience, the ability to learn on the fly, and a strong belief in my abilities got me where I currently am. When pursuing anything worthwhile, especially a career as difficult to find success in as entertainment, I believe that patience is the number one virtue. We all have to pay our dues and learn what we don’t know when attempting something new. There aren’t typically shortcuts, and sometimes, you have to put a lot of time, effort, and sweat equity in before things start paying off. But they will if you persist and prove yourself to those open to giving you opportunities. Sometimes, it takes a while to make those connections.

And when those opportunities arise, since they are so rare, you have to be ready for them. Sometimes that means agreeing to take on challenges you haven’t faced before, but being confident enough in yourself that you can step up and figure things out. When I was starting out, I got thrown a lot of crazy deadlines and work that was very heavy on multitasking. They were the types of jobs most people weren’t up for or that seemed impossible by conventional standards. But if you can push yourself to embrace those challenges and see them as chances to show what you can do, you’ll find that taking the leap can oftentimes open up a lot of doors. Confidence in your purpose and a willingness to pick up new skills can go a long way, no matter what field you’re looking to break into.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I think the number one challenge my industry is facing is the over-saturation of media. Box office receipts are being choked by streaming services, while streamers are struggling to provide theater-level entertainment at a much smaller price point. Therefore, the subscription fees of streamers continue to rise, all while new streamers pop up every quarter to make the competition greater and greater and give consumers an overwhelming supply of things to watch. And sometimes, the quality suffers when you’re trying to compete and keep up with an endless demand.

So, clearly, there are a lot of changes happening in the way that we tell stories, and with these changes come great challenges. But at the same time, there’s a lot of opportunity, with the rise of new platforms, for creators who otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to have their work distributed. When the demand for content is this high, you need more artists to fill the void, and what I love about this moment is that it’s never been easier to find a home for something you’ve made.

And though we might not have the budgets we once did when streaming first started, access to technology like commercial 4k cameras and editing software have leveled the playing field for filmmakers. You can make something that looks just as good as an expensive movie from a studio if you learn how to use those tools. The challenge now, though, is being creative enough to dream up new, powerful stories that haven’t been seen before and that stand out from the overstuffed crowd. New ideas don’t cost anything to think up, and sometimes having constraints on what you can practically do can unlock creative solutions that haven’t been tried before. In other words, you might not have the money for a huge special effect, but maybe that means you can spend more time on character building. From a creative standpoint, these are the kinds of obstacles that I enjoy finding solutions for.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jeff Berg

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