The Freelance Playbook

Shooting A Sports Feature Documentary with Lemar Griffin [Ep195]

• Ariel Martinez

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In this episode we sit down with Lemar Griffin as he talks about his experience shooting a feature documentary for the NFL. He also dives into how he did it as a one man band and the creative process behind his upcoming film.

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Ariel Martinez

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Lemar Griffen (00:00): 

It's been hard. Like, I, I want anyone listening to this podcast. I want you to know, like, it's not all like fun in games, like, oh, you're making a cool dock. You got all this cool gear. You have access to these cool people. Like every single step of the way has been hard. And there's been times where it's like, it's been painful, but you just push through that. And then yeah. Some it gets, it gets nice. Once you come out on the other side of the, yeah, but you gotta go through it. 

Ariel Martinez (00:27):
 Lamar Griffin, welcome to the ifilmmaker podcast. How are you buddy? 

Lemar Griffen (00:31):
 I'm good, man. How you doing man? 

Ariel Martinez (00:32):
 Good. Good. We finally were able to get this nailed in, get you in here to have a conversation. 

Lemar Griffen (00:41):
 I'm excited, man. I'm, I'm super excited. I'm I've been a big fan of the podcast. It's uh, it's crazy to 

actually be on here. I've listened to about every podcast that you've done. So it's, it's pretty cool, man. 

Ariel Martinez (00:51): 

That's awesome, man. And I appreciate you being a listener as I appreciate anybody listening to the show. I'm glad that the show is making an impact, not only to you, but to others or around. And I mean, honestly, it's really, it's a lot of fun doing it. I really love it. I get to meet new people, how I met you, how I met a lot of different people and uh, it's a lot, a lot of fun. Let's start off with documentary. You're working on a doc. I love it. I've seen snippets of it. Small of it. It's exciting. It's exciting. But before we get to that project, walk us really quickly. I'll say just a few minutes. Talk us on how you got into video production. 

Lemar Griffen (01:36): 

Yeah, man. I mean that, that story is always, I mean, I just always love like creating video. So I played, uh, football I'm from Lakeland, Florida, uh, home of, you know, countless NFL players, just the city that I'm from just breeds NFL talent. So when I went to college to play football, you know, my goal was to play in the NFL, but I ended up picking up a camera, just messing around, making music videos. Uh, I went to Arizona Western, so they had like a, a thing where we rent cameras and like use them. So we would always ring them and, you know, making little skits, I think that's back when like my space was around. So, oh man, we'd make a lot of stuff. I'm telling you, man back 

Ariel Martinez (02:12): Love it, 

Lemar Griffen (02:14): 

Dude, back in the day. But I just, I just always had a passion for it. And, and you know, as soon as I got done, uh, with junior college, then I went to play division three football. And that's when I, I realized, you know, when that time, when your athlete is like, I'm not going pro you know, it's, that's just not 

gonna happen. So I got my degree in political science, but I always stayed around the camera, always kept, you know, I love taking videos, love taking photos. And then long story short, I, you know, Craig Adams, I saw, I saw some wedding stuff and I started shooting weddings and everything took I'm there. I started with weddings. I still do weddings to this day. And you know, just really, I love the camera from the beginning, but I, you know, the goal was to play football and go to the NFL, which I kind of completed. I'm just not playing in the NFL, but I mean, Hey, I mean, if you, if you look at it half full half empty, I kind of 

Ariel Martinez (03:03): Mission that 

Lemar Griffen (03:03): Set get 

Ariel Martinez (03:06): That's so 

Lemar Griffen (03:06):
 Good. Just not getting hit by nobody in there, man. 

Ariel Martinez (03:09): 

That's awesome. Well, we shared that common goal or at least that previous common goal at one point, my goal was to make it to the NFL playing football. Um, I don't need, I don't even think I've shot not, well, I've been to an NFL game. I've been able to go there on assignment, not for the NFLs for something else, but it happened to, it had to be at a dolphins Patriots game, which is not a bad game to catch, but, um, yeah. 

Lemar Griffen (03:36):
 Was that when Brady was, was Brady the quarter Brady? 

Ariel Martinez (03:39): 

Yeah, this was, uh, a couple years ago. Two, three years ago, I think. Uh, yeah, Brady was a quarterback may have been his last year as a quarterback at, at, uh, in new England, but anyways, yeah, that was a goal of mine. And then, you know, you know, reality check came in and um, yeah, no, I, I, I, I fell in love with this world, this industry, I just loved it. So. All right. So now you're in video production. How many years now? 

Lemar Griffen (04:13): 

Six years, man. So I'm, I'm actually, uh, I'm actually the, the epitome of a hybrid shooter man. Uh, J Jason VG. I, I like his YouTube. Like he always like, I'm a hybrid shooter. Like that is me also to the T I mean, I do photo at the highest level for the NFL, different brands, different companies, commercial. Then I do video at the highest level for the NFL for different brands for different companies. So, I mean, I really do photo and video. I, I like to think at the same level for some of, you know, the biggest brands and companies in the world. 

Ariel Martinez (04:45): There you go. And 

Lemar Griffen (04:47): Trying, man, 

Ariel Martinez (04:47):
 You're working on a documentary right now for how many years. 

Lemar Griffen (04:52): 

So I've been working on this doc for three years, uh, man on a mission, uh, star Shakil Barrett and his wife Jordanna Barrett, uh, been, we've been working on it for about three years. Uh, we, you know, it's a, it's been a very fun ride cuz we didn't know when we first started it, it wasn't a documentary and that's the same thing I said when, uh, I talked to the NFL, we didn't set out to make this, uh, what it has become, but it it's turned into something that's really, really cool. 

Ariel Martinez (05:18):
 That's amazing. That's amazing. That actually reminds me of this, uh, documentary, making a murderer 

on Netflix. It's a docu series actually. Have you seen it or no, 

Lemar Griffen (05:29):
 I gotta check. No, I I about say I've, I've, I've scrolled past the previews when my wife never lets me 

watch anything that's remotely scary. 

Ariel Martinez (05:36): 

No it's I mean, it's, it's like a murder mystery type of documentary, but it's not like a mystery it's it's, it's really fascinating. It's really, really fascinating. Probably one of the best docus series I've ever seen in my life. Um, whoa. 

Lemar Griffen (05:52): Yeah, I gotta 

Ariel Martinez (05:52):
 Check it out. Yeah, docu-series docu-series um, 

Lemar Griffen (05:56): Gotcha. 

Ariel Martinez (05:56):
 And, and, and I saw was the one that got famous most recently down here in, uh, south Florida. Um, 

what's the guy with the CRO dos. I mean not with the CRO dos with the, with 

Lemar Griffen (06:09):
 The lions. Oh yeah. With the tiger. Tiger. Tiger. Tiger king. 

Ariel Martinez (06:11): Yes. Yeah. 

Lemar Griffen (06:13):
 My, I mean that thing was shot. You could, that thing was shot long time ago. 

Ariel Martinez (06:16): 

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So I've seen that one. I think making a murder personally is better. Um, but anyways, making a murderer started with a couple of college, uh, film students. They started filming it over the course of a very long time. Just capturing all this, you know. Can you imagine having to go skip, go through all that footage? I think, I don't know. I can't remember now I saw it years ago, but I, I wanna say they did like 10, 10 episodes, 10 episodes in this DACA series and oh, just incredible 

Lemar Griffen (06:50): Amount. Yeah. That 

Ariel Martinez (06:51): Just 

Lemar Griffen (06:52): Incredible. I gotta 

Ariel Martinez (06:52): 

Check incredible, incredible, highly recommended. But anyways, I'm saying it reminds me of sort of your path. You've been capturing this thing for three years. Have when you started this, you've been in the industry for three years, just a few years in and you just started shooting this story. 

Lemar Griffen (07:09): 

Yeah, man. So when I, when I actually me, when me and Shaq started working together, I didn't work for the NFL. I, me and Shaq, uh, formed a relationship and I was working for him, him directly. So capturing content, uh, he had just left the Denver Broncos. Uh, I live in Denver. This is where my wife is from, but of course I'm from Florida. So when he found out he was going to the Tampa bay Buccaneers, I reached out to him and you know, he, Shaq's not a flashy guy. Like he, he didn't want like pictures and videos. He like, he didn't want what I was trying to give him, but you know, I talk to him and told him how I could benefit him. And, and same thing with me. I told him up front, I'm still learning and figuring things out and getting better and growing. So he, he, you know, he pretty much took a chance on me and let me create with him. And you know, that led to, you know, where we are now. Now I work for the NFL in the Tampa market and in the Denver market with like actual NFL employee. But I still also run my business and some brand where I work with players individually. So it's definitely a transformed 

Ariel Martinez (08:04): 

That's fantastic man. And yeah, dude, that opportunities like that don't come around very often. And it's so cool that, yeah, not at all. You are able to be dialed in and notice when a good story is in front of you and really stick through it because to stick, to, to have the motivation, to have the encouragement and a desire to continue shooting something that you've been doing for three years, nobody has seen it. You 

haven't seen any return on this project that you don't even know if there is gonna be a return on this project. That exactly. 

Speaker 3 (08:35):
 To dude, exactly. To have, 

Ariel Martinez (08:37): 

You know, that, that I would say that's gut, see, that's risky. That is. And you know what, there's no other way to describe it. There really isn't any project that you take that is there's, it's an investment that you take in. Yeah. A big one. You don't know how this is gonna turn out, but it's a passion project slash I don't even know what else to describe it. That's awesome. 

Lemar Griffen (09:00): 

Yeah. Me, me, me neither, man. Me neither. I, I really couldn't have imagined myself. Like I said, I listen to your show and I listen to the people that are on here and the things that they've done and it inspires me. I know some people try to compare themselves to people and I'm like, there's no way you can do that. Cuz I'm, I'm not in, you know, like I listen to the show and I just try to take bits and pieces from everyone and, and learn. And even with me, if anyone listening to this, like I didn't start out to make a doc. And, and then, then I wanted to make a short doc, but now it's a feature doc. Like it just kept transforming, but I was dialed in. I learned every single, you know, piece of information and I watched every out and I actually went out and did it. 

Lemar Griffen (09:36): 

So it's really trial and error, but just really seeing it through and sticking with it and you know, making sure it got done the correct way. And you know, that's thanks to like, like your show, uh, classes that I watch. I, I was in mark bones, documentary, uh, film making course. Oh, amazing one. As soon as mark. Yeah, man. As soon as mark bone put that thing out and people were like, it's $500. I'm like, well, you gotta think if you pay $500 for, you know, his knowledge and learn anything, it's worth it. So sometimes you gotta pay money for things that are valuable. And you know, and like I said, I took, I took bits and pieces from that course and, and a lot of it, you know, I, I had already knew, but some of the bits and pieces right. Really helped get me to, to the next level. So I mean, that's really, all you can do is learn and try to keep growing and evolving. Yeah. 

Ariel Martinez (10:21):
 Big shout out to mark bone, the art of documentary. 

Lemar Griffen (10:24): Yeah, man, that 

Ariel Martinez (10:25):
 Course is fantastic. I purchased it myself. I actually, before he, I think it was like a week before he 

announced it. I was already interested, but I had him on my show. I had him on the podcast. Lemar Griffen (10:37): 

That's how I heard about it, dude. Like, I mean, this is coming full circle. I literally heard about, I didn't know who Mark Boone was until I, I listened to your podcast before I found mark, then I heard him on your show and that's how I, so, you know, mark, and you shout out to you. Like I literally, you know, 

Ariel Martinez (10:54): 

There you go. I gotta call mark and ask for commission or something. No, but no mark is putting out some fantastic stuff and he deserves everything. No, mark, I, I, I discovered his YouTube channel. I saw the amount of the incredible amount of knowledge that he's pouring out there. And I figured, man, if he's pouring this much knowledge, what can a course that you pay for? Have, you know, like if this is how much stuff is here, I can can't imagine how much stuff would be in his course. So that's, you know, I, I went in and I was one of the early birds as well. Um, I was there from when it started and uh, super awesome to see how it's grown and he's really like taken off with that. 

Lemar Griffen (11:33):
 Yeah, dude, he's the real deal, man. 

Ariel Martinez (11:35): 

Absolutely. And so your film, again, kudos to you for sticking through it and continuing to work hard on this project because that's rare, that's not normal. And people don't understand that this is not an overnight success type of deal. People catch these famous documentarians, these famous artists at the peak of their career or when they make it big, but they don't see all the work that has gone behind it. It's funny because I'll, I'll make a, uh, you know, I'll make a post and, you know, with the FX nine or whatever, you and I have spoken a lot about the FX nine. Um, and a lot of people would, would comment like, ah, I forgot what it was. I say something about like, I'll take your time positive about the camera. And then they'll come back and says, yeah, well, well when you have money, you can easily get afford to get stuff like that. I'm like, man, what were dude? What were you 10 years ago when I had nothing? You know? So 

Lemar Griffen (12:32): 

It's up, it's unreal man. And I got, I got a little story about that. Parker Parker Walback is someone that I learned a lot from on YouTube. And I, I, I haven't, I haven't got the chance to tell him, but I really want to tell him, I remember I used to watch his videos and, and I thought that in my mind, but he used to reiterate just how you just said, like, I didn't start with this. And most people can't like, they, they skipped that part. Like you J have said it too. I'm gonna say it the exact same way. Like I didn't start with the Sony, a one Sony FX, three Sony, a seven S three. And I still rent the FX nine, which me and you, like, I should have bought the FX nine, but I still like, I didn't start with all this stuff. It took years and years of working. And I think you said that on your podcast at one point, and there's been a lot of people said the same thing. If you can't grow in your business and get new gear and upgrade, then you're not doing business. Right. That's just a fact. 

Ariel Martinez (13:19): 

Oh, absolutely. Like it it's nonsense to think. Otherwise that's listen. That's just not forget about our industry. This is just economics 1 0 1. You gotta be able to grow. You have to be able to make a profit anyways. I think we're getting way out of subject. Uh, Hey, 

Lemar Griffen (13:35): 

We're rolling. Yeah, 

Ariel Martinez (13:36): 

No, no, no. We're rolling with this. But anyways, going back to your documentary, it's awesome that, you know, you, you were able to find this amazing story and it just turned out the way that it did. So walk me through that when I, I, I think you mentioned it, uh, briefly earlier when you got acquainted with Shaq, right? And you guys just started shooting to there and just the story that was unraveling before you was just unreal. When did you do so when did you determine you had gold here? 

Lemar Griffen (14:06): 

I not until not until, probably right after they won the super bowl. So me and SHA, we didn't decide to make this, the documentary until we both were on a boat after they won the super bowl on a boat parade during COVID, I kind of looked at him and he looked at me and was like, we should make that documentary. Cuz we had been talking about it before. And then just to go back to the beginning, the preface, it, we didn't know any of this was gonna happen. Cuz when me and Shaq started, he hadn't made the team yet. You try to think he had, uh, a chance to go to the Buccaneers, but you still have to make the actual roster like he was there, but you, you know, you gotta, they're not guaranteed. You're not guaranteed anything in the NFL man, no matter how much your contract is, no matter what the numbers say. 

Lemar Griffen (14:52): 

Um, you know, unless you have a guarantee on the contract, but you know, you could get hurt. And then all that changes. Shaq led the league in sax, in the NFL and was he got placed under what's called a franchise tag. So if you know anything about sports, anyone listening, uh, some pales like that, a lot of players don't cuz he had done enough to prove that he deserve to get, you know, paid some money for his family. And you know, it's really about providing security for his family. And he led the league in sax and didn't win defensive player of the year, which that's also another conversation we could have of, you know, but there were so many things where we weren't like, we weren't like let's make a doc about this. Like I didn't wanna make a doc about him leading the league in sax. 

Lemar Griffen (15:28): 

This story just kept unraveling. And then Tom Brady came. So it's like, okay, you know, that has nothing to do with Shaq's actual story. But it's like, well, when Tom came, people were like, can they win the super bowl? And I told my wife, I'm like, I think they can win it. Like no joke. And then they won the super bowl like that. I mean it's, it was unreal to think about it. And then we had a parade which was the second of its kind like a boat parade during COVID like everyone came out in Tampa and I was standing there with the FX six. I had just got the FX six, which it hadn't even been released. Sony sent it to me like to demo it. So I'm filming with the FX six and I'm just like, this footage is crazy. And then Shas just like, yeah man, you remember you're talking about that documentary. 

Lemar Griffen (16:07): 

Like we both just like were on the same page. And from that moment on that's when it really started, you know, that's when he made an investment SHA executive producer in the dock, that's when I went out and started getting some other people to invest. And that's really where all the hard work and you not hard work, but all the, the real structure, like getting a lawyer, making an LLC, like some of the things 

that once again, I had no clue how to do cause I hadn't made a dock before. That's when it all happened, we were on the boat, you know, know, celebrating the championship. 

Ariel Martinez (16:35):
 Wow. That's like a dream story to have telling to capturing that from before it happened. Um, 

Lemar Griffen (16:44): Yeah there, 

Ariel Martinez (16:45): 

How, how does it, I mean, I, in my experience when you're following the story, as opposed to telling the story that has already happened, that is done already, uh, in my experience, how do you know when to finish it? You know what, like, you know, you, when the story ends, do it win another one 

Lemar Griffen (17:06): And it, it still hasn't, 

Ariel Martinez (17:07): You know what I mean? 

Lemar Griffen (17:08): Hasn't I mean, 

Ariel Martinez (17:09):
 Have you thought about that? Like how is this story gonna end? Right. It oh's not over, so he's still going. 

Lemar Griffen (17:15): 

Oh, not at, not at all, man. He, he, he, he had an interception a couple games ago. I mean he had one, the first game he came out, he had one sec, second game. He had an interception, which he almost ran back for a touchdown. And then the documentary it's funny, give y'all a little tiny bit. He said I was gonna he's like, I wanna play good this year. I mean, if you start the season with a second and it, I think he's doing what he said he was actually gonna do. 

Ariel Martinez (17:37):
 So it looks like the story's still going. 

Lemar Griffen (17:39): 

Yeah, man. But we, we are finished with the doc. I can, I can tell you that we're finished with the doc we're in post-production. So the only thing we have to do now is, uh, color and sound and distribution. And then, uh, for anyone listening, if you don't know, uh, I don't, it's not easy to make a movie, right. It's not easy to do anything in our industry, but you can make a movie, but it's a lot harder to make a movie and then try to sell a movie to a, a big network or a Amazon prime or a Netflix or sell to anything when it, if we're being honest, like 

Ariel Martinez (18:09):
 Sure, sure. No, I can't imagine. Um, I've usually when I'm involved in a project like that, is somebody else 

doing it. It's not me doing it direct. 

Lemar Griffen (18:18): 

Yeah. But yeah, it it's on me, man. I'm a first time film director. So it's, uh, it, this journey's been, you know, I, I shot, I shot most of this by myself. I learned audio. I are enlighting. Like I really, you know, this project has been, like you said, it was, it is a passion project, but there's money invested into this thing. This is a real living, breathing creature that, you know, I have people that have given money for this that expect that money back. 

Ariel Martinez (18:43):
 How much pressure do you feel on that part? 

Lemar Griffen (18:46): 

You know, I, I, I don't feel that much. I really let, I, I let it, uh, I let it motivate me, but the story is amazing. And, and if I just stick to that, the story that we have, isn't gonna change no matter, you know, what Shaq does tomorrow, his story and Jordanna's story that we made in the doc is original. And I think it's something that people can, you know, hold onto. Yeah. And I did the best ability to, you know, I did the best a job I could do capturing that lighting wise sound wise. Then I have a, uh, my editor, his name's Riley Clinton. Okay. He won Emmy. Uh, he won an Emmy with a documentary he did with Tim Howard, legendary American, uh, goalkeeper. So I have, I have an amazing editor. He's also one of my, uh, one of my close friends, but he's a professional at the highest level. And you know, we're bringing in professionals and you know, we're just trying to do this the right way. But again, I'm a first time director trying to make the doc and sell the doc. So it's it. Hasn't been easy at all to say the least. 

Ariel Martinez (19:40): 

Gotcha. No, no, no. I can't imagine any, nothing is. Um, but dude, you're doing a phenomenal job. I love the passion behind the project. So, I mean, do you have any plans on what to do after? Let's say it's done, it's been released, it's been distributed, it's successful. Do you have any ideas of something to follow up that follow up with that or 

Lemar Griffen (20:02): 

I do, man. I actually have my, my second doc is, uh, so we're, we're actually trying to get funding for it. Now I'm gonna be going, uh, with team USA, bobsled, uh, an Olympic athlete here, her name is Asia Evans. We're gonna be following her story. She retired, uh, from being an Olympian. She had won, uh, a medal with the Olympics. She came back now she's going, she's going for gold this year and for the winter Olympics. So I'm gonna be following her story and we're gonna make a documentary about her story. And then you know, her, her chase for the gold and you know, a couple other little things that I don't wanna give away yet, but gotcha. The follow up doc is, you know, kind of in, in the works as well. 

Ariel Martinez (20:37): 

That's fantastic, man. So you're, you're, you're diving in head first in the world of documentary. So you you're in there, you 

Lemar Griffen (20:43): Know, it's did 

Ariel Martinez (20:43): You, did you 

Lemar Griffen (20:45): I'm I'm trying, was there 

Ariel Martinez (20:45):
 A moment where you you're like, how did I get into documentary? How did I become a documentarian 

Lemar Griffen (20:51): 

That moments now? Because I'm because, I mean, cuz you know, you guys listening, I still, I still work. I work part-time for the NFL. So, uh, I do content every Sunday. You know, this Sunday I'm shooting the Broncos versus the Ravens. I still shoot you weddings. Uh, me and my wife do weddings together. Okay. I I'm shooting a co I'm shooting a commercial Tuesday for uh, be Fred sports. Um, I, you know, I, I still do. You gotta pay bills, all these, yeah man, seriously, 

Ariel Martinez (21:20): 

You gotta pay bills. But the moment that you realize you could do documentary full time, when you have a nice, healthy budget that could pay for you, your family, whatever it is that you need, just focus on this one document, that'd 

Lemar Griffen (21:31): Be a good day. Yeah. 

Ariel Martinez (21:32):
 Two or three document. There's gonna be a time where you're gonna be working on two or three, four 

documentaries at once. And all you gotta do is show up. That'll 

Lemar Griffen (21:39): Be 

Ariel Martinez (21:39):
 Wild that you gotta, I've worked with people like that before I've worked with, uh, uh, uh, Billy Corbin, 

Billy Corbin. 

Lemar Griffen (21:47): Okay. 

Ariel Martinez (21:48): 

Uh, he's the director of, of cocaine, Cowboys, probably one of the, you know, that's probably one of his most famous works that he's done. Yeah. Um, I was the DP for his, uh, one of his docs for at least half of 

it. And then I had to sort of walk away, uh, for specific reasons. But anyways, I was able to work with him, him and I noticed he was working. I was just, that was just one of the, I think three documentaries that he was currently working on at the time. And all he did was show up. 

Lemar Griffen (22:16): That's nuts. 

Ariel Martinez (22:17): 

I had, I had to direct a small crew of about six people. Um, I was a DP. So all these, he was the director, obviously I was a DP, but like I was directing, you know, the gaffers, the grips, the AC or whatever. But, um, and uh, 

Lemar Griffen (22:33):
 I couldn't imagine. I, I, I just couldn't even imagine being able to, yeah. I mean, that's, that's the goal, 

right? You gotta set goals. You can't just dream about stuff. Yeah. 

Ariel Martinez (22:40): 

But I, I think it's easy if you get rid of the cameras, meaning you don't have to worry about yeah. Like, you know, you want to shoot, you expect that your DP knows what he's doing. Correct. So you don't have to worry about that. Hey, DP, we're shooting on FX nine S make it happen. I want shadow death, make it happen. That's it. That's all you gotta say. They handle the rest. Uh, and that's basically how he, how he handled that. And audio, obviously audio knows what they're doing. When you have a budget, a healthy budget to pay for the shoot days to pay for your style, to pay for everything. People are gonna hire you. All you got to worry about is a story, which is the most important aspect of any documentary. 

Lemar Griffen (23:18):
 I love it, man. But that's, you're totally right. And you're totally you totally right, man. And even like now, 

like think I'm, I'm all those people for this document. I am the DP. I am the lighting person, guys. The less 

Ariel Martinez (23:29): 

You have to do, the more you can focus your brain power on the story and you can see how that can. Now that's true. Now you have a good one or two days a day to work, to think about this story. Another couple days to think about the other story. And you, you can really wrap your head around story and less around gear and all that stuff. You know, you have an assistant to, to help you with all the travels, you know, Hey, we gotta be on this day, this place, this day on that place, that day, you make it all happen for you. You know? And I've, and I've love, love it. Seen. That's how he works. Love. That's how like these documentarians, that's how they work. And it's, it's a dream. It really, really is to worry about nothing but story because your stories are so good that people will pay you that much to, to create them. 

Lemar Griffen (24:14):
 That's the plan, man. I, I hope I can keep doing, I mean, not hope. I mean, I, I plan to keep doing this for 

a while.
 Ariel Martinez (24:19): 

My recommendation, 

Ariel Martinez (24:21): 

If you love it, if that's your passion, if that's what you want to do, just do it. Don't wait for them to pay you for that. That's gonna come, just do it because you know what let's say, this documentary that you're shooting right now, it, it, it brings no fruit. It brings nothing. Let's say you cut. Even everybody gets their money back, et cetera. Um, you know what? You gained a lot of knowledge. You gained a lot of experience. Exactly. Gains a lot of what not to do on your next one. Um, that think one of the most, uh, famous quotes, I don't know if it was Michael Jordan. I said it I'm pretty sure it was. I keep hearing it from him that you know how MJ MJ. Yeah, man, he, he counts. How many, how many, uh, times he's failed, right? Like, he's missed this many shots. Uh, he's been ch trusted to take the game winning shot like 50 times. And only like I, and, and I failed like 35 times and all this stuff. Yeah. He says, I continued to fail and fail and fail. And that's why I, I succeed. Cuz all he learned was how many times he not to do it. You know? So 

Lemar Griffen (25:25): 

Dude that the, that resonates with me a lot. Cause like, like we were like, we were talking uh, off camera before. Like it's been hard. Like I, I want anyone listening to this podcast. I want you to know like it's not all like fun in games. Like, oh you're making a cool doc, you got all this cool gear. You have access to these cool people. Like every single step of the way has been hard. And there's been times where it's like, it's been painful, but you just push through that. And then yeah. Some it gets, it gets nice once you come out on the other side of that. Yeah. But you gotta go through it. Yep. 

Ariel Martinez (25:53): 

Yep. Yep. No. And it's only until it bears fruit until you really see the amount of, I don't wanna say blood, but sweat and tears that went into all this stuff. I mean, unless you pricked your fingers or something on a tripod or something, but um, Hey, Hey, it happens. But no seriously love. I mean there's so much work that goes into this. It's not just point and shoot. It really is it? Yeah. Um, but Hey listen, you're doing an amazing job. Super proud of you. And I cannot wait to see the full edit. Did peace, uh, will definitely be promoting 

Lemar Griffen (26:32): 

It. Yeah. We gotta get you out to Tampa. We, we gotta get you. I gotta, when uh, whenever we, uh, hopefully they let me get theatrical rights, which you, uh, if you got this, these are all, there's all so many different ways. Like to be able to show my doc in a movie theater, there's things that you have to go through and fees and hopefully we can show it in Tampa. That's the plan for us to have a big premier, you know, invite some of the players out. Shaa come out and we all watch it 

Ariel Martinez (26:54): Together. 

Lemar Griffen (26:55): Borrowing 

Ariel Martinez (26:55): 

That's only a few hours. 

Lemar Griffen (26:56):
 I would love to have you there, man. We love, we love to have you and Chris there, man. Don't forget 

you, you bring Chris on that 

Ariel Martinez (27:02):
 Too. This with me too then. Awesome dude. Well, thanks for coming on the show. Let everybody know 

where they can find you. And I don't know if you have a website for the film yet. 

Lemar Griffen (27:14): 

No. Yeah. That, so we're work. We're working on all the marketing now, now that we got, now that we got the, the thing put together. Now the Instagram, the website, the, the pre like once again, all this is, you know, all this is coming now. So hopefully we can, we can get it all done. But if you guys wanna connect with me, my Instagram is Lamar Griffin films, Lamar with the E um, I, I get back to everyone. I, I started a Paton cuz so many people asked me for advice. So if you want to check that out, that's one thing. But if you DM me, I usually will get back to you. I just can't. I mean, as you guys know, I work part- time for NFL. I can't answer. How did you start working for the NFL? I get that 30 times a day. And it's like, there's no like straight answer. Like a lot of years of not, not being good. Then I finally got good. Yeah. 

Ariel Martinez (27:56): 

Yeah. Listen, when your work shows it they'll find you, you know? Yeah. I listen. Ally always recommend people. It's just put your stuff out there or man, just put it out. Worst thing that's gonna happen is the same thing that's happening right now. Nobody's calling you. So 

Lemar Griffen (28:12): Exactly's the worst 

Ariel Martinez (28:12): Things 

Lemar Griffen (28:12): 

That could happen. I'm telling you, but you learn, you learn, you keep going, man. I appreciate you having me on the show. Like I said, this was, uh, this was on my bucket list like a year ago. I, I didn't, I never told you that. 

Ariel Martinez (28:23): Oh nice. 

Lemar Griffen (28:23):
 It was on my can list. Yeah. To, to be on this show so I can scratch that off. Now 

Ariel Martinez (28:27): 

You can scratch that off. Perfect. We're gonna be putting all the links to your handle, to, uh, your website, your patron on in the show notes for this episode. Lamar. Thanks so much for coming on the show. 

Lemar Griffen (28:39):
 Appreciate you, man. You guys take care. 

People on this episode

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Ariel Martinez

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