HC Universal Network

In this episode of the Talking Sound podcast host Christopher Jordan welcomes Brian Elder director and producer of the new series Death and Compromise by Elder Films to discuss the inception and creation of this period series.

What does it take to write, produce and direct a period series? How does a project of this scope begin? How did Brian find his love for being both on and behind the camera? When did he begin to envision a career in film and how did he begin pursuing it?

Join the Talking Sound podcast as we sit back and talk film and career path with actor, director and producer for Edler Films, Brian Elder and discuss the creation of his fantastic project Death and Compromise!

The Talking Sound Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the official app for the HC Universal Network family of podcasts available for Android and coming soon for iDevices to get all the great stuff from the Talking Sound Podcast and More!

This episode of Rebecca Sounds Reveille, host Rebecca L. Mahan, talks with guest Sam Kwasman who has been an icon throughout the film industry. He is a veteran actor and voice over artist who is known for being a professional dancer in the movie Mame with Lucille Ball and even on stage in the  musicals like Hello Dolly with Martha Raye.  He earned an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance on Bob Newhart and has also appeared on the tv show Family Ties along with many others. He has also been been known for his vocals, as he is the voice of Little Quacker for the new Tom and Jerry Show. You can find him  appearing at the Geffen Theater in the new hit show Letters From a Nut by Ted L. Nancy. Letters From a Nut was produced Jerry Seinfeld.

This episode features guest Teniecka Drake who is a dynamic woman that dedicates her life to making an impact on the world. Her message is so important that she has hosted her own radio show and founded Loving Arms for Families (LAFF). Her message has been getting noticed and she was recently featured in Voyage LA magazine. Teniecka is a veteran, domestic violence survivor, and mother of an autistic child. She has worked as an Eligibility Reviewer and has volunteered for the American Red Cross. 

Loving Arms for Families is an organization that incorporates the arts in order to assist Veteran families. What sets this organization apart from others who serve veterans is that this one helps those who are affected by domestic violence and also have children who have been diagnosed with autism. Many organizations have tools to help with the trauma people face from these types of concerns, but the LAFF strategy is committed to providing arts which allows for the expression and coping skills to work through the trauma of violence and the challenges of caring for a child with a developmental disability. LAFF is resolute on providing support groups and community resources.

Rebecca L. Mahan brings actor Scott Schwartz to the show and the duo talk about his lengthy legendary time on screen. Many of you know him for his role as Flick (think of the one who stuck his tongue on the flag pole) in A Christmas Story because this iconic movie is part of almost every American household family's Christmas holiday tradition. Scott also co-starred opposite Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in the movie The Toy  and in that same year he was also in Kidco.  Rebecca and Scott also talk about how the societal climate has changed and some of the things that were and are meaningful staples to life. In addition, Scott shares how he created celebrity-based trading cards and his personal involvement in helping his cast-mate (extended-type)  family in raising proceeds to assist with the death of Corey Haim.

This double header starts with guest Sam McElRoy , PYSD, NSSA, who is partner and founder of @financial. He and his firm uses a "client focused" approach and tailors solutions to both businesses and individuals from a holistic perspective. Sam graduated from Hampton University, magna cum laude, holds a Doctorate in Psychology, as well as, several financial licenses. He has been the recipient of several Humanitarian and Achievement awards, has contributed research examining social dynamics and methods for optimizing cooperation and efficiency in team, group, and work settings, and has been exploring unique insights with respect to the psychology of personal finance. On the show, we talk about how finance influences the way in which we react to things within our individual worlds, including towards ourselves. We also talk about how there must be an intentional change towards what we are doing with our finances if we want to see a different outcome and ultimately this is true if applied in most of the other areas of our life. There is much more valuable information in this episode that will positively make a difference in a number areas of life if you take the key points and use them.  

 http://www.atfinancial.com

 http://www.atfinancial.com/management

 https://youtu.be/dQJqn4JDSYs   

http://youtu.be/dQJqn4JDSYs    

 This episode is a riveting with fun starring guest Eric James Morris, an Air Force veteran and an actor, known for Reap It , MacGyver (2016) and Edge of Town! He streams the interview from his laptop while sitting in a Dunkin Donuts parking lot; you can hear the pitch of police sirens roar in the background! In all seriousness, Eric has at least 25 role credits to his name and has recently completed a couple of films, with others he has worked on now in post production, and even one in pre-production. One role he has currently been working is The Bounty Hunter. Eric details this independent film background, along with what the film is about, and what his role in it is. The film is based on factual events and is presented by BWC Films, a veteran organization,with the director who is a real life war veteran.    

  Eric started his journey in the entertainment industry as a young teenager, playing guitar and singing whenever someone would give him the chance. You will be surprised at what he played and his journey leading him to where he is in this arena on the show! He discovered his passion for acting and film production through a number of things along life's highways, one of which included his son.  In addition to his acting career, he has his own company, Morris Environmental, most recently changed to Morris Enviro, a waterproofing company in Atlanta Georgia.

 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8252717

 https://www.facebook.com/ericjamesmorris

 https://www.facebook.com/eric.morris2  

https://www.instagram.com/ericjamesmorris/?fbclid=IwAR3WLxzpHCuIPEimOIYPQtIKMpktpadkM6WuvSB-ATdxRpLx-bR2OVU9L8Q

On the first of this dual episode, Rebecca talks with actor and model Baker Halleran who was a star high school athlete and lover of theater and acting. Both of these things pushed this young man into a very colorful life. Going from Oklahoma to Massachusetts to Milan, Italy, to Los Angeles, California, he took his university major in Investment Banking and followed his passion.  

  His journey had also led him to model in Milan, Italy not long before chauffeuring him to the scene in Los Angeles, where many hit the hub to stardom. As a current bar tender and manager of one of the nation's most popular night clubs, Baker Halleran pursues his love in acting. He known for his roles in Whitey, Street Smarts, and most recently on Fox's 9-1-1 as an LAPD officer. He has also played the role as an police officer on a show that broadcasted on FX. 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7171586 

  On the second episode, Rebecca speaks with Brad Williams, President of Brad Williams Financial Services who has over 25 years of addressing the financial concerns of retirees and business owners. He is able to simplify and explain in everyday language even the most complex concepts and alternatives. His reputation for unquestioned integrity is far more important to him than any fee or commission.  

 Brad inspires many having worked his way up the corporate ladder from an operations manager position in Birmingham, AL to eventually forming his financial services company.  By the age of 29 he had made enough money to seek advice from a financial advisor about his long-term financial goals and he found a mentor that believed in him.

http://askbradwilliams.com 

https://www.facebook.com/askbradwilliams

Reba Merrill is an Emmy award-winning journalist, author, and speaker. She has traveled the world interviewing nearly a thousand Hollywood royalties, such as, legendaries Jimmy Stewart and Jack Lemmon to Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood to Hollywood's hot new comers of the time like Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks. Her in-depth interviews have been syndicated in over 60 countries.

Reba hosted four talk shows: two in Phoenix - Reba, a once a week show, followed by the daily- Good Morning Arizona, both on ABC.  She then moved up and hosted two in San Diego, Sunup San Diego on CBS and That's Life on COX Cable. She won an Emmy for her work as a talk show host. 

Reba has chronicled her life as celebrity interviewer in a personal memoir Nearly Famous: tales from the hollywood trenches. She was elected to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and The Reba Merrill Collection is now part of the Motion Picture Academy archives. Night Flight airs her interviews every Friday night and have been featured on The Official Hollywood Walk of Fame App. Reba is on the leadership council for AIDS Project Los Angeles. 

http://www.rebamerrill.com/

This is a packed double feature episode starring two amazing and accomplished entertainers. The first stars Actor, Director, and Top World-Class Acting Coach, Barry Papick will engage you and leave you with the drive to move now! He has been in many films and you may know him from epic television shows such as, "Swans Crossing," and more recently, "Shameless." Barry has recently appeared in "Labor Pains" with Lindsey Lohan, "Lake Effects" on The Hallmark Channel, and has guest-starred on the CBS show "Without A Trace." He is can be seen in Howard Stern's "Private Parts,"Andrew Nicol's "Simone," the feature film "Rejourer," and the television show "The Mason Twins" for NBC. He is currently the voice of GNC's advertising campaign "Beat Average."

Barry is one of thee top Acting Coaches in the world and has been teaching and coaching actors for approximately 23 years. He has recently worked as the On-set Acting Coach for Dan Pritzker's soon to be released "Bolden," where he worked with the icon Dick Gregory. He is also known for coaching Dennis Quaid, Charles Dutton, Rob Brown, Sean Connery, Rob Brown, Anna Paquin, and Darrin Dewitt Henson, also to mention he was the On-Set Coach for Gus VanSant's "Finding Forrester." Last year alone, he was the On-set Coach for 3 feature films. Barry has coached Actors for television shows such as The West Wing, The Wire, Malcolm in the Middle, Body of Proof, Brothers and Sisters, Burn Notice, The Originals and many, many more. Barry has also been the personal On-set coach for Gus VanSant and Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions. Barry has written the comedy pilot "Pearl" and the stage play "Ruby's Arms." - IMDb Mini Biography By: Barry Papick

https://www.facebook.com/bpapick

https://www.facebook.com/BP-Acting-Studio-by-Barry-Papick-153137628218121/

https://www.barrypapick.com/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003596/

The second episode stars Canada's Top Notch Entertainer and Comedian, Joe Crawford who will draw you in right when the show starts! Joe has been entertaining audiences across the North American Wide for nearly 20 years and has appeared on “Live with Kelly and Regis” and has sung on stage with Regis Philbin at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada.

In 2007, Joe Crawford was the only Canadian in an online comedy competition and placed 3rd out of 256 other contestants from around the world. Joe has been in radio for at least 10 years and after 3 years in terrestrial radio, he ventured out, creating the well-known radio wave of his own, “The Joe Show.” He has also hosted his own, “The Joe Show TV Talk Show.”

In addition to performing and talking across the air and video waves, Joe Crawford performs live all across North America with his “Singing Comedy Shows” and impersonations of Elvis, Dolly Parton, Sonny & Cher, Tina Turner, and many others.

Now that you know about the guest stars appearing on this double feature, you'll have to tune-in to see and hear more insight and make a connection with them. Both Barry and Joe have a wealth of information to give you that you can use right after the show!!!

http://joecrawfordlive.com/the-joe-show/

http://omtimes.com/iom/hosts/joe-crawford/

https://www.youtube.com/user/JoeShowLiveTV

https://www.facebook.com/JoeShowLive/

https://www.facebook.com/pg/JoeCrawfordLive/posts/

This dynamic episode allows us to go back in time with a man who crossed the airwaves and spent hours in many of our homes on some of the most popular television shows! Are you one who has watched shows with household value, those that were the staple-hood of television? Guest Lee Paul, an Air Force veteran who was an officer in King Soloman, Alaska, grew in Brooklyn, New York and followed his own "yellow brick" road of interest in science and arts, taking him to the dreamland of many...Hollywood. He has spent over 25 years of performing, more than 75 on-camera appearances, 30 plus commercials, along with 53 credits in filmography, some of which are iconic, such as: The Van Dyke Show, Matlock, Falcon Crest,Simon & Simon, The Fall Guy, Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues, B.J. and the Bear, ChiPs, Wonder Woman, Adam-12,Cannon, Mannix, Happy Days, and The Sting.

On the show, he talks about what originally brought him to the drama department (a girl he was chasing) and how it wasn't the girl he fell in love with that ultimately led him to stardom. He also talks about some of the roles he played (the one in The Sting being the most significant), what his father equipped him with to fulfill these roles, and how it was cyclical in his life. This is an amazing story in itself!

Lee shared in-depth about how the illusion of having an easy life as a movie star is not as easy as it seems and how there is a misconception as to royalties actors receive from the movies they have appeared in. He talks about the low percentage of actors that qualify for pension and health benefits, specifically he is 1 of 2.5% of 3-400,000 actors, that do. He even talks about his .07 cent and .01 residuals!

There are some very good points Lee makes about having a good background and craft along with what it takes to make it in "Hollywood." However, this philosophy is something that can be applied to anything one would like to achieve in life!

This is a double feature starring Rodney Damon Collins and Lester Greene. On the first of this two-part feature, Rebecca and Rodney talk about Rodney's venture as an American actor and author. He is also a director and motivational speaker. Rodney is graduate of Bowling Green State University and has pursued his passion for the arts through modeling for American Greetings, local print ads, several independent films and theater projects in Cleveland, Ohio.

This episode really allows you to connect with Rodney in a way that maybe not too many have heard and really should. The details he shares on the show affect so many people not only in America, but around the world who are struggling and need hope. Not only does he provide the inspiration on the show, but offers to share some of his personal story. The story, his story, led him to write and publish, Shattered: A Journey Through the Pieces, available now on Kindle and soon to be released March 14, 2019 in print. https://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Journey-Rodney-Damon-Collins-ebook/dp/B07MQPCV7M/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=rodney+damon+collins&qid=1550800464&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

Rodney is also a contributor to The Father Effect by John Finch https://www.thefathereffect.com/single-post/2018/08/17/The-Present-Father

(you can also see his contribution at this link)

For More information about Rodney Damon Collins, click the links below

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7928242/

https://www.facebook.com/rodneydamoncollins25

https://twitter.com/rodneydamoncoll

This second episode brings a bursting new actor on the horizon, who if you are following, will find is constantly on the move and in the groove, Lester Greene. He is talented in so many areas that if you haven't discovered his work, now is the time! He can not only be heard through the music he writes, produces, and sings, but he has also authored an inspirational book (more below), and can be seen on camera starring in films, as well as, producing them.

Lester witnessed a shooting that caused him to rethink his entire existence, leading him to write about it. He was so inspired that he then chose to follow his older brother down the path of becoming a rapper and went on to produce four rap albums before calling it quits.

Greene had a friend named Henry who suggested that he pursue acting, considering he already had a stage presence from his rapping days. Greene began doing background work until he saw Larenz Tate up close and personal. Tate's acting had inspired him to the point that Greene knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Act! While pursuing his acting career, Greene drives a bus to support his passion.

Lester Greene's second act is now in full swing having already worked with 50 Cent (50 Central) and Omari Hardwick (Power). He has studied with the likes of Alec Baldwin (Southampton Theatre), Peter Miner (Terry Schreiber Studios), Matt Newton, and Mary Boyer. He landed several speaking roles on television shows like Gotham, Jon Glaser Loves Gear, and Rachael Ray. He has also landed speaking roles in commercials for Chase, Rogaine, AAO, FYI, Amazon, MTB Bank, Citizen Watch, Peeps Delights, Buzzfeed, Boost Mobile, We The Internet TV, Crown Royal, Brooks and many more. Greene won best actor for his role in Driving Force at the Atlantic City Cinefest Downbeach Film Festival, and he won the Actors' Showdown Monologue Competition at the Las Vegas Black Film Festival.

Independently, Greene has starred in and produced six short films, two of which aired on CBS through the African American Short Films program. He even wrote and published a book that is now available on Amazon called, "Act Like You Love Yourself." The sky is the limit for this young budding star. It's only a matter of time before he hits superstardom. Greene is producing two series shows, one of which will...