Hello and welcome to a very special episode of our series beating all odds all these weeks We have been bringing to you agency heads have been discussing with us What marketers should do in these times of crisis today's episode is particularly special because we have a marketer himself Telling us how he's managing his business in these in this over 19 let's lock down And the marketer we have is also a very renowned one someone who's very difficult to get hold of someone who has walked away with most Marketer of the Year Awards and with me today is Mr. Ravi Santhanam Chief Marketing Officer HDFC Bank. Thank you to the Welcome to the show sir and thank you so much for doing this for us. Oh, thanks a ton. Thanks for your kind words. Also I hope you are safe. I always check my facts so so Yours is a sector that is kind of essential services You have to run your business irrespective of lockdown over 19 or whatever. So, how are you managing your your business from home? First, I would like to thank all our employees Big stuff which in spite of whatever be the situation on the ground Have the courage to actually go and open 5,500 branches day in and day out And all the back office staff which ensure the cash reaches the ATM and all the checks are cleared and in their bank Continues to work. It's a hell a lot of a job and lots of our colleagues are Doing it day in and day out in spite of what the situation on the ground is and This is an opportunity for me to thank them And I'm sure almost everybody who watches this show and whereas they're in the world along with the medical staff along with other people Along with the police and the law enforcement authorities the bankers are also doing a great service to the country And this is a time for me to first acknowledge their contribution not only from htfc bank from all the other Banking industry person. I think that's where we'll start off with and as we started in this Maybe around March 15th or so. We would we were very clear that things are not going to be the same because in various states and in various countries to start with we have seen that happen and So we were a little bit Prepared that yes, this is going to happen and we need to be aware of what we need to do So the first thing which we all did together was how to take care of employee safety And how to make sure that if the branches are going to be operational, which we were sure that it would be operational majority of the time Unless one or two days it will be not operational. Maybe Otherwise it is going to be operational. So how do I make sure that the entire missionary works? So the company kicked off its business continuity planning framework and A lot of people in the bank came together to make sure Employee safety is given the top most priority employee communication is given the top most priority and That's what we have no incidents so far in spite of the fact that we have been operational for the last 25 days And I hope it stays that way not only for us and the whole country it stays that way And that's where we are and it's a lot of hard work And the first and foremost thing that we have put is employee safety employee safety employee safety We learned on the way. It's not as if like everything was known to everybody on day one And on a daily basis our admin teams and our Improved structure teams learned a lot in terms of trying to figure out where to source mask where to source sanitizers and and almost everybody was learning Reacting to what is the new fresh information that's made available And we also reached out to some of our counterparts in other countries to know what they have done because some of these people like in Italy they had taken a little bit of They had a little bit of a head start in terms of this incident that happened So we'll also call them up. We also learned them alone from them in terms of what they had done to take care of it and Very many stuff as a bank we have done and All for the service of the nation and without compromising on employees So can you tell me some things certain things that you have done as in what you learn from IT experiences? What actually has been done on ground? Like for example, the first thing is like ordering sanitizers And having the logistics to reach the sanitizers at least in all the branches This is not something because it's a normal thing. It happens But suddenly when there is a lockdown and it doesn't move How do we actually make sure giving the empowerment to the branch managers to make sure that they can do it and procure it chosen locally and Ordering for masks How do I make sure the masks are available and training the people on what is the right behavior? So that they don't behave on the basis of what I need in a newspaper or Other places So there's a hundreds of small small things and I have to give a lot of credit to my admin team They did a phenomenal job of making sure that all these things are done The HR team swung into action to train all the people the branch banking team took the lead in terms of getting the message And putting it together and making sure that there is one source of information to the end employee Because we don't want to bombard the employees with hundreds of communication also So there was a channelization of all communication from one source So that they are all aware of what needs to be done And the multiple conference calls multiple zoom calls multiple blue jeans calls or multiple other WhatsApp calls Make sure that everybody's on the same page with respect to what needs to be done We also took some conscious call into the most interesting thing for us was how do I handle teller cash Because we found that one of the biggest areas where you actually touch and feel a lot is the handling of money So how do I actually make the teller counters a little bit more? In terms of protected was one of the big discussions and debates with the branch banking team the admin team We took some help of some of those Big doctors in the country to figure out what else we can do So extra sensitive gloves extra sensitive all those stuff We did manage to get to ensure that there are plus row string of employees because the bank does not operate Just on the basis of one person there has to be a maker and a checker So lots of logistical things that we all need to overcome to understand the branch continues to operate So we have to make sure that when the part of the stuff is available, but still the bank can operate So that it one day Monday somebody comes Tuesday somebody comes. So even if there is an incident There are protocols to be set for example One is our one employee is falling sick The other is a customer that we Here later was a covid positive has visited the brand. What do we do? What do we do? And if I know that the visit happened on Monday, then I can quarantine people on Monday So all these things we have to think learn and keep continuously working on the ground and Do everything to make sure that things work smoothly and yes so far so good and we hope and pray that it stays the same way I'm sure you'll you'll continue to do well. I mean we've almost worked Three weeks or more than four weeks now into it So you have also recently launched campaign a safety grid campaign Which is about You know what to do in the sense that you've used your logo to maintain social distancing. What do you want to talk more about it? Yeah, this is some very interesting concept and before that I'll give you the context of where we started off See as a bank we were looking at what we can do at this stage of Whatever situation that we are passing through and for many of us at least in my lifetime This is the first time I've seen situation like this. Otherwise, we all have seen One financial crisis in 2007 a dot-com bust in 2000 and before that these are all Crises which we were sure We're coming to that stage and then we also know the world will come over many of these crises It's not a problem. But this is the first time that all of us are seeing I think many of us working professionals right on top to bottom Would have been seeing the first health crisis as such So none of us are prepared for any of this That's a reality and we all are learning across the world on the fly in terms of how to go and respond to this As a bank, we have done a lot of things for our customers. First is Yes, the branches are operational To make sure that if you still need to go to the branch and do something. Yes, you can go ahead and do it Luckily, we had invested in advance on the digital technology and our platform So most of the things that you would be on a regular basis, whether it is a fund transfer or whether it is a bill payment Most of the things are even investments and FDRD mutual fund direct equity you can do on our digital platforms So we made sure that our digital platform is strengthened further if people cannot come into the branches Who are wants to do they should be able to do on the digital platforms The third thing is we have more than 13,000 ATMs We have made sure that all these ATMs are functional cash is loaded on a daily basis and we keep continuously watching it Our ATMs are doing a great job In terms of taking the cash out from the cash test and then going into various ATMs across the country and managing to make sure the ATMs work without any hassle and We also started the mobile ATMs So across Bombay, for example, it started today And and when you're talking about containment zones, which are being brought in by the municipal authorities across various places and people from the containment zone Cannot get out but they still have to pay for Their groceries and vegetables and medicines and all this stuff. So where do they get the cash from? So we have mobile ATM bands now Clearly started whether it is in Chandigarhi started We have started in Kainbaturi started in Bombay and in many more places we will start it and these mobile ATMs are going into the Societies and going into many places for people to withdraw cash in addition to our fixed ATMs operational We are also ensuring that there is a lot more mobile ATMs, whichever we can engage and put it on the ground We're doing it. The third thing we have done is we have made sure that on any ATMs you can withdraw cash without any charges So that also we have done so that in the lockdown period You don't have to walk Maybe one kilometer two kilometer to find a nearest HTFC bank ATM If you think that there is any other bank ATM go ahead and withdraw cash We will not charge you for this The fourth thing we have done is we have removed minimum balance Requirements for this three month period. So up to June, we're not going to charge for anybody if they're not holding minimum balances with us The fifth thing we have done is we have ensured the RBA mandated moratorium that we have RBA had announced we have extended to all our customers across corporate SMB as well as on the retail side across all customers across all facilities We have launched it and we are the first ones to make sure The opt-in of that particular moratorium is relatively easy to the web enable for the digital So they don't have to run around on how to lock in or write an email to us or walking to our branches or anything like that So you've done a lot of things on the financial side To make sure that the consumers whether it is the retail or the corporate consumers are taken care of during this period But we're also thinking what else we can do outside of the financial services schools and We are thinking what is it that we have as assets that we can leverage on And one of the thoughts that our agency came out with is hey, Ravi You are known as HDFC Bank. That's the most trusted for the last 25 years and people trust you with their money You are the number one bank in terms of market capitalization by far And you have the highest number of highest amount of retail assets and everything and The whole thing is a social the whole thing is a health issue How can this brand be relevant and empathetic to what is happening on the ground? We will say everything is done digitally but for the purpose of buying a grocery now, you still have to go out You still have to go to your medicine. You have to walk. You have to still go out and buy vegetables So what is it that we can do? Yes, we can enable digital payments But people are still going and there is a risk involved in when you're going into these kind of places in this lockdown Okay, you don't know who you're going to meet. You don't know what is happening So at this point of time, everybody was talking about social distancing also Saying that please maintain social distance and you always saw a lot of these circles coming up in many places Suddenly somebody in the agency had a brilliant idea. Why can't this circle be our logo? If the standing in that circle is all about feeling safe and if HDFC Bank's logo Which is our grid is all about safety. Why can't we put the two together? So obviously, they were very Worried when they came and approached us with that kind of an idea because the first reaction anybody will have Which I also had is what we want us to put the brand on the streets and people going to stamp on it I sure that you have thought about it Then lots of debates. So Started thinking about it. We said, okay, we'll sleep over it. We'll come back and We also started talking to a lot of other seniors within the bank in terms of what's your view? What are the pros and cons of this? There's a huge sensitivity when it comes to these kind of things, particularly from the employees Because many of these employees are the ones who are given their Blood and sweat to build up the bank in the last 20 minutes And there are lots of lots of sensitivities many consumers will have because they love HDFC Bank as a brand And they may not want a brand and they've never seen a brand on the ground where you can stand You can stand on it The other school of thought was like no brand is bigger than the society in which it operates Okay, so we are operating in a society and This society is having a health issue and my brand stands for safety and security And if there is a way in which I can take what my brand stands for which is safety and security To another sphere, which is a social social sphere and hell Society overcome or at least manage this problem a little bit better. Why not? And that thought actually we'll all like yes We are not bigger than our consumers We're not bigger than the society in which we are operating Society does this is going through a problem and we can do something about it And since any way people are Going to the grocery shops vegetable shops and pharmacies Why not we put our logo on the ground where with social distancing people can stand on them and feel the same sense of security that they feel with their money Big big decision. We finally decided yes This is something worth doing because it is for our consumers It is for the country in which we are living in and if you are going to help in social distancing And for that our brand has to go under the feet of our customers and Indians So be it we will do it because it is for the good of the country It is good for the society. It is good for our consumers also So on that basis when we went ahead and did it we did a pilot and we also because when we started actually deploying this and Doing this as a pilot in Calcutta first The first thing is like who will actually go down on the ground because there is a lockdown We're not allowed to go out and do all these stuff in the lockdown period So we have to approach the local authorities and we approach the police there and they were very kicked about the idea And they said yes, we will send people with you To actually do the implementation on the ground And we got a lot of cooperation from all the places across eight cities. We are doing it now And in all the eight cities we started doing it and we have completed almost in five six cities And we will cover four thousand outlets across eight cities to start with and we're getting a great cooperation from the police In actually helping our teams Go and do it on the ground They are sending people along because they are helping us making sure with all the passes And they are giving us very clear numbers to call if somebody is stopping us And even if the local authorities wherever we are doing it may not be aware of when they see the concert they say wow This is very good. Go ahead And so we are very happy with the response that we are getting from All the people and they are also happy that in our small way We're also aiding social distancing as it is required for the family So you in coming days, you may replicate it into more than eight cities, right? Yeah, yeah, we will we'll keep seeing how the response is and we'll keep moving It's also a question of getting the logistic right for us Yeah, yeah, that's also one more day of looking at it. I don't have to replicate and the virus is gone You've taken a lot of initiatives as an hdfc Cmo you're doing a lot about marketing and other things What in general would you want to advise to other marketers maybe younger than you? new into the domain who who are little Because this is a very unique situation where The consumption has gone up. I think this is I think this is one of those situations Where I don't think you should listen to anybody because nobody has seen this So everybody is learning on the fly Everybody is learning on the fly and everybody is trying to see how And what they can do. Yes consumption is found. There is no point in trying to communicate at this point of time But what is also important is the consumers are available the consumers are there and It is the time for us to be empathetic to our consumers I'm sure everybody is sitting at home Some people are on the ground. Some people are working Some people many people are sitting at home. Many people are working from home And the entire whole thing is a new norm and that's the policy cliche word now But that's what is happening. So this is the time for you to engage with your customers There's a time for you to actually Get to connect right with your customers and like for example, when we started thinking we said, okay People are going to spend a little bit more time on social media people are going to spend a little bit more time on the consumption of stay for example platform OTT platform. So Using this opportunity. What can we talk to them from our perspective? It is all about digital security Because at the point of time when it all started many people would go back into digital mode for transactions And we wanted to make sure our consumers are safely doing the digital transactions. So we continuously invested in Ensuring there is enough social media campaigns around and we reached a lot of customers to talk about what And what should not be done during this period of time Because of the fact that you are sitting at home and you might be doing it for the first time You might be doing some new transaction for the first time which have always gone back to the same branch or something So we did a lot of effort. We did a lot of work on making sure people Understand well what to do and what not to do on the digital media So that's one thing which we thought is relevant from a bank's perspective So if you extend it to any other industry, that's what I will try and ask everybody to think and do it And one definite answer for me is Don't listen to anybody because nobody has seen this in their life So everybody is going and thinking about what is best for them from their brand perspective What does brand stand for for the consumers and how they can communicate with their consumer And how they can be empathetic and relevant to that consumer. So for your brand For your consumer how you can be relevant and what you can show at this point of time What empathy you can show think about it and do it as no one the mantra There is no there's no hard and fast rule that you can do this I don't think anybody has that view You spoke a lot about what the safety measures that you have taken for your employees But these are also very gloomy times, you know people are feeling very anxious people are feeling very low They do not know there's so much uncertainty around Are there other other kind of initiatives that you guys are doing with your employees, you know speaking to them or So we we we have a very clear Directional view on Where we are going what we are going to do on a daily basis like for example We start with a daily video call and this I think is a cadence across x2fc band And one of the things is see we are a widespread organization. We operate almost in 3 000 cities And we would not be in a position to get in touch with every employee across the entire 3 000 cities So the first and the foremost thing as I started talking about communication is we said every employee should do at least Talk to on a video call using whatever mediums which people have on their personal Stuff whether it is a zoom or a blue jeans or a whatsapp or an iphone pacetime or any other skype or whatever it is We said starting from top to bottom. Please do that So we have a cadence like for example every day in the morning at 10 o'clock I have my call video call and people have to come and show their face on the video Initially it was tougher a lot of people But then they said no the idea is to make sure that everybody sees and in the same way All my team members directly do within their team members on a appointed period of time So that we all see each other at least once so entire htfc bank is seen by somebody who's Sitting as their team member or supervisor and that goes up all the way So we are sure that at least somebody from the bank has gotten in touch with you as another colleague And if there is anything that you can be asking for looking for we can be of help So that's one thing that we have learned Yes, other things we are learning in terms of how to use this medium because too many times You are actually sitting in front of the screen to see a person Which you've never done in your life. You never sit in front of a screen to see another person So this is the first time we are also learning work to home certain functions certain Are relatively easy for us to do and certain other functions and areas are relatively Finding it difficult for the first time because we're using it for the first time Some data as a bank we cannot access them outside. We have to go back to the branch We have to go back to offices to do so those that need a lot of data related work Yes, we struggle But most of the people we have been able to get a lot more VPN access a lot more Movement in this work to home direct thing and compared to where we started off Maybe march 15 to where we are in april 15 I think we have progressed a lot as a bank in terms of enabling more people to work Now we're kind of settled into this lockdown We don't like it. We don't want it Because nobody wants it now. I mean initially it was fine, but now it's too much for everyone So before we close, I would want to know that one thing that these unprecedented times that nobody had seen before has taught you as a professional or as a person As a person don't take anything for granted Okay, I think the biggest learning for me as an individual has been that This is one thing which I never thought will happen With this kind of science and technology that we have I never thought we are going to be Countdown by some unknown threat like this because we have seen and I personally gone through swine flu In terms of having a sun intact with swine flu in 2009 when we were in Pune And we never had this kind of massive Pain and all because we had swine flu somebody say tummy flu You have to be isolated and quarantined We were isolated and quarantined My son and my daughter were given the tummy flu and that's it one week later. We are back to normal So it was not a kind of first thing that we talk about it You don't see it much And all the doomsday scenarios that people have been talking about at least in my lifetime HAV 8 so many people will get it and all those stuff finally at the end of the day Whatever they said in one year will happen in 35 years. It does not happen So we have seen that and we never believe that this thing can happen So first time you are seeing that wow don't take everything for granted Don't take life for granted Don't take life's things And you are also figuring out a lot more on a personal level There are many things which you can live without So there are lots of things that you are thinking from a personal level And it's also a great time to reflect in terms of what one has done In their career, in their life, in their work And a lot of time to reflect And I think that's what we have encouraged people to do Saying that be in touch and use your to re-skill yourself Upskill yourself And I see a lot of my team members doing a lot of interesting and innovating stuff Upskilling themselves And I think the respect for women have gone up That's one thing which I should definitely agree in this call That is we all were saying a lot of stuff but we never did it Now I know that I will never buy a house which I can't sweep myself I'll never buy a flat which I can't sweep for myself That's all learnings because once you do it one day it's fine But then you have to do it repeatedly When you see the pain that you have to go through Can you see the pain on my face? Yeah, yeah, yeah I am short for every working male Who has been doing some household work during this time The respect for the working women would have increased in norm And I think that would be great if that continues And my wife works so I really feel good if people are going to go Sorry? We can go on So that's one thing which I strongly believe would happen But the personal level if that happens And people understand the trouble women go through In managing both house and many women are also managing both And that would be a great learning for all of us Thank you so much for talking to us This is really an inspiring session And I am sure not just marketers even in people like me Who are not in this domain will have learned a lot from this So thank you again for joining us And stay at home and stay safe Yes, you also stay home, stay safe Thank you for watching this, listening to this, stay home, stay safe Thanks a lot sir, thank you very much


So I don't I I want to open it up entirely. I have just one question. I have a whole bunch of questions, but You want to see my DGA card my director's guild card? No Actually I have two questions one is a technical question and the other is is not I'll tell you both first is the technical question Is how did you do the chicken in the in the chicken suit in the crossing the road in the car thing because I was I was concerned Oh, yeah, and the non-technical question is Was that a happy ending? All right, I'll go for the first one first that's easier I think That was kind of the biggest Production of the whole movie. It was pretty incredible the there are all these meetings that took place I was a part of some of them and we showed up and these guys had built it basically was a Truck with these two long things that came out that could control the The cart and we pretty much drove it down the hill and let it fly You know with a camera in there and we actually I actually use my own camera For that for fear of I didn't want to wreck the red cameras are very expensive The actual thing and we then toss it up in the air and so forth But there's yeah, there's sort of a cut hidden You know when he gets in there's a sort of a cut that gets hidden then it turns just to there's no people in there In terms of production of my own stuff the car that Arthur that dank was throwing rocks. That was also my car And I Think it is meant to be a version of the happy ending strangely. I think it's I think I mean, you know again If you like it better as a sad ending then it's a sad I think the idea is that somehow this This worked his plan somehow worked when that Pullman thing comes up I think that's what it's meant to be but at the same time It's the greatest executive producer punchline in movie history. Yeah, I'm safe and saying I'll tell you an interesting thing about that is it took Tremendous amount of phone calls and waivers from the director's guild because there's all these union regulations of what credits can come up Where so I had to explain to them that that wasn't a real he wasn't actually an executive producer He was a joke executive producer, which is why when the actual credits start We had to then put we made this movie to sort of separate it all of this But it was it was actually there was a moment in time where I just thought well the whole punchline of our movies Possible because of the DGA, but they in the end they let us do it. Well, I'm glad they did so You have the director co-writer producer The only actors that had done anything really LeBron the main guy he's He actually I think was on like a Disney series when he was younger I don't know which one it was and he had done some TV work. He had done some guest spots on shows Michael Roman who played Smitty What it has been a child actor and has been in a lot of commercials, but nothing Nothing that you know no no real series work In fact, we wanted to do the movie as a non-screen actors guild movie But once you get one sag member then the whole movie comes sag and I Believe only RJ LeBron was a member of sag He was the last one we cast and all the other ones had to get their sad cards to be in the movie And I think they're quite good. I Arthur Who played dank is now since become a writer on the Jimmy Fallon show and he appears occasionally doing sketches and stuff there I think he's Enormously talented and Michael Roman. I think it's a huge talent. Also Smitty as is RJ Sarah really a lot of them. I think will Have real careers. I Hope yes, sir So this movie cost a million dollars in the end that's a little bit To be clear it cost about a million three in production But the state of Connecticut gives you a $300,000 tax rebate because they so want production So if you it's actually very scary if you spend a million dollars over a million dollars They give you a 30 percent rebate and under a million dollars that give you a 15 percent rebate and literally When you're like 980 you like Because they come in and audit and for example the day with Pullman was shot in New York So that doesn't count for them. So you have to make sure you get over because it's not great It's literally like the next dollar everything becomes 30 percent so that's that's pretty much what the movie cost a million dollars out of pocket and You know revenue Right now we're on iTunes And a lot of other VOD formats Amazon I don't know Google Play. Oh, it's not a place on all many other things and then I think it moves to Hulu at some point and sort of more prescription prescription subscription prescription depending on subscription Stuff there and then you know who knows maybe maybe Television at some point down the road. It's really a work in progress You know how we make our money back on this, but the good thing is that it's a it's a relatively small Investment as movie going it goes out again. We spent nothing on marketing. There's no this is this is the marketing plan so So move this movie. Yes It's all up to you Actually, I think that's why those people left they went to start Now we didn't we know what we we submitted a very early cut of the movie to Sundance and I don't know how much you know about Sundance, but it's it's it's very difficult to get a movie in there Especially a movie a comedy is really hard and a movie like this is particularly hard So I never thought we had much of a chance and this is something I would do over again Actually, I think if I had to do it again, so we submitted a really rough early cut of the movie We were kind of told oh, that's okay they you know and the movies changed quite a bit since then and Amazingly when we submitted to Sundance, I kind of just wrote it off My agency is CAA creative artists agency and they have they represent I think that represents Sundance and they know all you know over there and suddenly we I got a call that it looked like we were going to get into Sundance and I just thought this was Amazing to me. There's three people there And the two of the guys love the movie the two young guys But then there's one guy who's the real guy John Cooper and I think he was just like have you lost your mind? We're not putting this in our festival. So we so we ended up not getting in there And that's right around when we decided to kind of go this other way with snag and so forth and really Festivals are fantastic the real reason to be in a festival ultimately is to get theatrical distribution and You can be really successful if that's I'm not poo-pooing them like my next movie I for sure would put in a festival if I can get in But that's really not after what you said about Cooper. You're not getting in But anyway, so that was our little history with festivals We kind of went another direction so we thought even if we got into a festival ultimately What it would end up being in the best case would be a small theatrical release and by then we kind of had decided Oh, let's try this differently, so Here we are everything Do it all or just buy a hundred thousand copies of the movie yourself on that's I'm fine with that too You can reach any of us So just for the for the webcast You're saying that people can reach Robbing you through Facebook and we made this movie comm That's pretty easy to remember Okay, there's a promise you may be sorry you made Yes Well, you know, it's funny is the DVD extras of this movie were shot by my daughter Sydney Lucy and Most of the back all the behind the screen behind the scenes footage from that press reel was shot by them So there literally was a point when I'm looking up and I see the freshman actors like this And then behind them I see my daughters like this and my head was gonna just explode Yeah, there might be actually I think that it's possible. You actually have this in front of him But there we go Yes, so We'll put information up on the website on Facebook when it when it's available But we hope to get an early version out or at least the pre-orders for Christmas and then the beginning of the year It should be generally available I'll tell you one little little behind-the-scenes story from this movie that is is touching It's apropos of nothing, but I just thought of it so Michael Roman who played Smitty originally auditioned for the part of LeBron and We loved him. He was hilarious in the audition He really cracked us up, but we didn't think he was quite right for the lead He kind of had a sort of sarcastic snarky attitude and he he left and John Beckerman I said, oh, you know what he'd be great for Smitty. He is Smitty. He's perfect for that so we called him up and Amazingly he lives in Albany and Buckstown is fictionally set in upstate New York So that was already a little weird and we called him up and we said I'm sorry. You didn't get the part for LeBron, but we'd like you to be Smitty and he And and we explained to him what the part is and you know He's kind of this sarcastic guy But you know then you find out that he you know He's taking care of his sick mother and there's just silence on the other end of the phone And I think is it possible that this kid who's never really acted anything is turning down the non-lead part for the movie I that can't be and finally he kind of comes out and says I'm sorry. I'm thrilled. Thank you so much But it's a little strange because I Have just I just returned home to take care of my sick mother Who passed away? I think three or four months before the movie Started and they were very close She was with him on all of his auditions when they were a kid they would go to New York City So it was this crazy parallel story so One of the strange things I think in in the marketing of this movie and in the making of this movie is you know There's very disparate tones. You know you have Chicken with a boner and then you've got you know a funeral scene and sometimes You know you were shooting that stuff on the same day and you really just thought as you were doing it This will this we may be making the worst movie ever because you're like How can you shoot this and that and put it in the same movie? We thought well if there's a way to make this work in it might be a nice little movie during the funeral scene Michael The little piece of paper that he reads from his speech was actually the Letter the last letter that his mother his actual mother wrote to him. So it was extremely Touching for us shooting this. It was really emotional to sort of see him Kind of get through this And one of my favorite extras in the movie my wife right over there Now to put it in perspective. She more or less can cry at anything. She's probably gonna cry now. It's possible She's tearing up, but I said to her before we shy said, you know if you could squeak out a tear that would be Be kind of good. Well my she knew, you know, we all became great friends with these actors They in order they lived with me for they lived with us for a week before the movie started We wanted them all to be friends So we had them all move into our house and we became very close with them and they're still, you know Very good friends of ours. So when Michael started doing this It was really tough for all of us and I look over and poor Eunice literally was crying to the point of Dehydration and in the shooting of the movie and at one point we then were done with that shooting this way now We're shooting this way and I look over she's not on camera anymore And she's just still bawling for for like an hour. I said honey, you could stop crying and she said no But anyway, it was it was really it was a very touching Part of it. I thought Michael did a he did an amazing job with that. I thought all things considered Yes, sir Steve Garfield He's a pioneering video blogger, I might say No, nothing, nothing, I'm not messing with you go ahead You're scary But only if we can get three people video eight and you videoing them doing them So what I'll do is I'll Can everyone just say they like it the movie the guy invented video blogging don't Everybody it's Steve Garfield from Steve Garfield calm and we're here at Harvard and we just saw a Movie it's called we made this movie and we happen to have one of the producers of the movie Rob Barnett here And if you could tell us about the movie real quick, that'd be great Well, interestingly, we actually shot the movie on an iPhone. So this is very a very comfortable The movie is available on iTunes that's we made this movie and I think well, you know, it asked the group they saw This performance right here, they're all in my next movie Great, thank you. Thanks everybody. Thank you Steve Thank you so much appreciate that Oh The web makes everything odd We don't have to have a rating actually do we have I mean it's a rate we call it we say it's rated R Just for language for language, but I don't know like the MPAA Doesn't turn on okay, it's not rated on iTunes But interestingly enough when snag films puts up clips if there's if there's any language in it Then they have to put an age qualifier What does a chicken boner qualify as? That's PG-13 or R No age requirement I'll tell you If you're shooting with chickens, you need a lot more chickens than you think that's why In the script, it's you know a sea of yellow Pouring out of the and I remember having this production meeting and so it's so rare in life when there's just a right and a wrong And even rarer when I'm right and we have the production meeting and they say We're gonna get a hundred chickens and I go I don't know chickens, but that just it doesn't feel like enough chickens to the hundred chickens I think we need more chickens. Well, they're expensive.  They'd like they just they bunch up and I'm like, where's the sea? But no chickens were hurt in this movie and my 16 year old daughter now doesn't eat chicken So they save chickens making the movie on top of it. So that's good Scott Great, I think YouTube has become a to a huge tool for for Stand-ups, you know now they they can send their set, you know that they did on the road Everyone it used to be a big deal for people to put together a reel You know to make a promotional run now everyone does it and they put it up on YouTube. I think SNL Cast someone off of YouTube. I could be wrong about that But I think they actually got a cast member from from a guy that was just doing impressions off of YouTube. So We don't we're not really cast at the late show. We're mostly looking for writers. So You know, we're not we don't really cast actors We don't really have a need for actors. So that process is that is pretty similar, you know It was always, you know, send us so it's email now instead of a letter, but it's that's pretty similar but We definitely In casting the movie before we settled on these actors we looked or we poked around YouTube a lot And I I do think I think there are people that are gaining prominence on YouTube that get real looks From people I think there's lots of examples of it that exist that I in television now I think there are people that that came up through YouTube. I think it's happening for sure another question Or two perhaps You know, I guess it ultimately depends on you know on how successful they are, you know, I mean in my television world What's happened is a very Nice pie that was cut in large pieces has been not only cut into smaller pieces But we're less put through a blender and is now being served in tiny little paper cups. So the these This is a whole other, you know You thought that remember the good old days in 2008 when you had this in 2012 when you had this much now Now it could be even less and you know, ultimately and I don't know anything about this stuff But I ultimately feel like where all of this heads and I know more about television that I do movies but Movies included ultimately it's got to all settle into some version of you have to pay for content somehow You know what I mean? And somehow it's going to be Everything will be on demand. You know what I mean? So these YouTube channels I guess my ultimate feeling is as an aggregator of content that is where they will rise or fall meaning if They have a show as good as breaking bad on their YouTube channel, then that'll be great. And if they don't Then it won't because I what I think is wearing off frankly is the novelty of all of this You know, it used to be like, oh my god, look what that 16 year old kid made well now It's like great But I only want to watch if it's better than what some guy that is a professional can make Sometimes it can be and if it is great, you know what I mean? And I think the distribution will ultimately somehow sort itself out in ways that I don't understand Yeah, well, I mean I think celebrities have never been more God kill me for saying this celebrities have never been more valuable than they are right now because You know, so much of things is is branding and getting recognition. I mean funny or die is Largely, I think where it is because of celebrity is participating in it. It's a great concept, right? Oh, we put up videos and people vote on them and the funny ones that but without the giant celebrities drawing you to those things I don't think that exists Right, right exactly And again, if you think of Adult swim you're talking about children's hospital. Yeah, so if you talk about adult swim there You what you have in my opinion all of this now comes down to curation, right? And what adult swim has done has managed to narrow cast and very specific to a very specific audience Which I am one of I know what I get when I go to adult swim And I like many of the things there some of the things are too Comedically hip even for me. I should be younger, but what's that? Have you seen robot chicken? But uh, no, I actually love robot chicken But you know, I mean, and I think ultimately that will be the task of YouTube channels and everything else You know what I mean is oh Here's the YouTube channel for this thing and you know what you're gonna get and if you can start going to places The way you used to go to say HBA or the way used to go to MTV for music videos You know, I mean these places are all struggling for right for identity And I think the net will have the same struggles as network television as cable is all every distribution out Yeah, definitely so I'm I Want to raise the possibility and I have no idea this will actually pan out But there's seems to me to be continuing in fact increasing say steam So there's an old metaphor increasing steam behind do it yourself entertainment mean culture that a lot of the net outside of funny or die and our Us entertaining ourselves and frequently doing so in a way that is purposefully Hand-drawn and amateur Xkcd, which is arguably You know dunes berry for the internet generation. It's certainly that quality It's stick figures and it's the stick figures. I think sort of on purpose because it's sort of a thumb in the eye the The use of meme you know photographs with the same same photograph different punch lines that seems to be actually Increasing and it's in the election the campaign that stuff seem to be increasing in importance It is a reaction against a professional A professional culture, but it it may have its own life So I don't know you would think that it would die that it would go away I think a version of it will well There's there's something interesting to me about this it has a version of its own life And it depends what it is and I one area that is particularly fascinating to me is What is so I work at the late show we have a writing staff of you know ten Very good comedy writers who are churning out material every day How do they compare with the 300 million? Comedy writers out in the country that can can write stuff, you know any one of them I don't think would survive in our writing room, but as a giant group if curated possible It's pretty tough. It's fine. You know I had this experience just just a little while a week ago The day before the election.  But the result of this was that then people started tweeting me Rom Neuroni Hundreds of these things and it really stuck with me because honestly, you know We do these top ten lists at the late show and I talked about this up at work It's not unusual for us to we could have done this as a topic, you know as a silly topic you know You know if Rom Neuroni diner or a few you know some version of that and and if I'm honest about it that mass of Tweets that I got was pretty much what our list would have been. Do you know what I mean?  Don't worry. We're in this together, but occasionally they can come up with a funny joke Lehman Brothers, I'm kidding but But I interviewed so it is this strange Thing from it from an artistic standpoint. You're like well, what is it almost starts to approach the old You know if there's a thousand monkeys banging typewriter when they create Shakespeare in a way It's like what relationship does and a tour or someone that considers themselves a professional that does this Consistently does that mean anything versus the giant group that if they all kind of do it together But I don't think a group like that could ever make a movie really. I think that they can sounds like a challenge to me Stay back just write funny captions Yeah, it's it's interesting for sure One last question then we will wrap up Thank you Well, yeah, I don't have a lot of experience with documentaries and you may be able to speak better to that but I in general And everyone has their own sort of sensibility but for my sensibility and my writing partner John Beckerman sensibility is everything is driven by reality and and once you Things can get very extreme and things can get very silly But but once you veer from reality in a way I think that snaps something with you in the audience like once, you know For a certain kind of movie and if you're watching a Marx Brothers movie or you know, you're watching the hangover Then reality is not so important. You're just there to laugh and it all exists on a certain level But I don't think those movies would satisfy what you're looking for I think to me what's important is always Keeping things as close to reality as possible and constantly asking yourself Questions of would someone actually do this? You know they mean and not and I think this could probably apply to documentaries as well as that when you're creating a narrative be it in Fiction or documentaries You I think probably had sometimes haven't urged to kind of push your story in a certain way And I think you have to do that very artfully and I think if you do that too forcefully You're telling your story in a way that doesn't feel real. I think that's when the audience breaks from you and they will What you do they will not Feel what you want them to feel that that's just my own Theory on it, you know what I mean and and I think the more the other part of that I think is the more the more details you can you can have I mean that's really what people Respond to is I think specifics rather than generalizations That's the same question I mean I'm not sure what you're working on what the material is if it's if it's a promotional piece It's harder to get that humanity in reality because a lot of it is set up but I mean just from the work I'm inspired by the the work that is real and Has the elements that you know really pull at your heartstrings is the stuff that sort of happens when you think the camera should stop rolling So it's those it's those scenes where you're watching things play out and then someone says something and it's awkward But you hold that shot because they give the camera a look or you would look and then they say that something else That really makes that scene and so I think that as a Documentary filmmaker the biggest thing that I use to my advantage is awkwardness So that that horrible feeling where someone's like why do you still have the camera on me? But they do something that that is very tell it tells you a lot about their personality So that's the only thing I can say I told you her answer would be better than mine And the people want to know more about hollow. What's the URL? Follow the film calm Yep But when we launch it'll be project hollow.org. So it's hollow the films the temporary site So unfortunately, we need to bring it to a close but if you want to contact Rob or Genie Come up business cards or other ways of other you know ways that they can get in touch with it would be very welcome So thank thank you all. Thank you so much for watching By the way, we also want to really thank the Berkman Center you guys were amazing. Thank you so much. It's totally our pleasure


Alright guys, what is going on? We are at day 7. I thought today would be a good day to vlog. Today's work day is from 10 in the morning till 8 at night. It's about quarter to 8 in the morning right now and I'm still waking up. This morning pre-workout and first meal was coffee. I'm actually training faster this morning. I purposely ate or carb-loaded last night after I trained because I knew that I'd have a couple of hours this morning before work to go and smash a workout and continue on with my day and have my first meal after I trained before I go to work. So with that being said guys, last night was a chest, was meant to be a push workout. Chest, shoulders and triceps. I was in a little bit of a rush so I only got through my compound movements for chest and I got through my side delt movements for shoulders. So what I've still got to do is isolation movements for chest, so some fly sort of movements as well as pressing movements for shoulders and triceps. So this morning I'm not rushed. I've got at least an hour and a half. I'm going to start off with some shoulder press.  So with that being said guys, I'm not going to film anything in the gym. I'm just going to go in there and smash it out.  I don't normally hit chest again the day after. I mean chest is something that puts a lot of strain on your shoulders. I tend to you know think about longevity in the sport whereas a few people that I know don't. They smash heavy weight every single session and I'm not sure how I'm going to get out of my door now because these guys are quite close but I'll see you guys after a workout. Alright guys what is going on post workout. The workout was great. I feel absolutely fantastic. I'm feeling very very satisfied knowing that I went back this morning and finished off what I didn't do last night. So now shoulders and chest are completely done. I can now move on to the next muscle group which I'll most probably do tonight. I'm really feeling like I want to hit deadlifts again.  You know if my lower back really is giving me strife I'll go for rack pulls because you know that that extra movement just down to the floor puts so much extra stress on your your spine and your lower back but it's up to you what you guys do. But anyways post workout what I'm looking for is 50 grams of protein and 100 grams of carbs as well as I'm going to put some creatine in there too. So first things first I'm going to get a shake going and then after that I'm going to get a couple of meals to take to work with me. Everyone complains about how hard it is to keep your food up when you're trying to bulk. You've just got to think ahead man it's not hard.  Rich Piano bought out something called real food which is apparently using real food that kind of product I would agree with as far as a mascarada that's packed full of sugar and you know full of shit proprietary blends who knows what the fuck it is stay away from that shit it's not going to give you the nutrients you need from real food so with that being said if I'm going to make a shake I'm going to use all real food ingredients I'm going to use protein powder egg whites banana mixed berries and oats and it tastes absolutely fantastic you've got two sources of protein three sources of carbs and it's absolutely what I need so with that being said I'm going to get into it so we've got two scoops now what I'm going to do I'm going to make enough for a shake now and also I'm going to take one to work it's going to be one of my meals so I'm going to put I'm going for 100 grams of protein and 200 grams of carbs total split up into two so two scoops of protein powder that's 50 grams of protein and the other 50 is going to come from no fuck no egg whites oh well that's something I'm going to get scratch that we're going four scoops of protein powder now I wouldn't recommend getting you know so much protein from protein powder I'd rather food but like I just said I didn't realize I had no egg whites so 100 grams of protein right there I'm going to put in two bananas the way I usually see it is a banana is about 25 to 30 grams of carbs per banana depending on the size so I'd say these are about I'd say 30 so that's 60 grams of carbs I'm going to want to put um I want 100 grams of carbs from oats so we're going with around about 180 to 200 grams so with that being said I'm going to guesstimate about that much what we got we got 160 carb 170 carb there's five grams per scoop in the protein powder 100 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbs from mixed berries so uh we're looking at around about 400 grams whole things 500 so you know what fuck it it's going we're going for bulk today now there's so much flavor in here you don't need milk whatsoever so I use water Jesus Christ it's going to be a big shake that's what we want all right more water now look at this thing all right guys so here it is one one serve is going in here to take to work with me and I'm going to drink some honestly tastes so good I wish I didn't have to rush but I do it's like I'm going to have to take it in two so right two shakes I'm going to skull the rest of this honestly probably shouldn't have put so many berries in there because that's what I was using to make the volume bigger when I was cutting now that I'm bulking I think I'll leave the berries out because all they do is just make it really fucking big okay now as well as that I'm going to take a thing of rice which is 450 grams we've got a total of about 130 grams of carbs and three cents of tuna as well as that I'm taking a kg of kangaroo mince if I do get the chance to cook it it'll be a great meal if not I'll just put the tuna with the rice and bring this home and cook it later in fact I can't see myself getting a chance to cook it so I am going to just chuck that back in the fridge now as far as protein goes obviously I've only got a small amount of tuna and most of my protein throughout the day is coming from shakes not ideal but it's what I'm going to have to deal with today if I do get a chance to maybe buy like a subway or something like that I might but total macros for today that I'm aiming for 450 to 500 grams of carbs 80 grams of fat and 200 to 250 grams of protein I'm not exactly sure but all of this total should be around about 150 grams of protein around about 330 grams of carbs and fat is extremely minimal so we're on the right track I'm going to pack all this shit up get changed and head to work and I'll see you guys later on in the day peace I'm from uh let me torch all right guys we're just chilling at secured care this is my this is my place of work I um if you didn't know I look after uh intellectually disabled men and this is my mate Kerry who's Michael Jackson in an Aboriginal man's body show us some Michael Jackson moves bro dancing dancing Billie Jean he's the man anyways we're about to go out he's going swimming and um I'll check in with you guys later you're right bro bro what do you got there old cake you got cake guess what I'm gonna cook you that's even better sorry mate guys it's times like this it's times like this when we have staff morning teas that I really really thank myself for going back into a surplus because I can have things like this and it's all going to the games man it's going to games I fucking train hard this morning and last night any food I'm ingesting right now is just going to go straight to the games telling you here's my other man Lassie what's up lass you're on camera now mate he's doing his morning routine morning job feeding some chickens because if he doesn't do that he doesn't go out to town he's learning slowly and I must say guys what an absolute stunner of a day but that is exactly what you get every single day around here guys no filter no fucking filter needed I'm telling you beautiful weather every single day it's one of the main reasons why why I'm still here all right guys quick update it's about three in the afternoon I'm absolutely exhausted we haven't had an ideal day here at work but that's what happens in this job you just got to roll with it and and go with the flow so anyways three o'clock I've finished in about five hours I've had all three of those shakes well I had the one this morning and I had the two shakes that I bought to work really really glad I did that had made it extremely easy to continue taking in the nutrition I need to stay in a surplus so with that being said I've got three tins of tuna and the 450 gram thing of rice so I'm about to head back into town right now pick up a client bring them back when I do come back probably about five o'clock and I'm planning on having half of that rice as well as all of the tuna and then come eight o'clock we'll see how I feel if I feel like I need some more carbs feel a bit empty I'll have the remainder of the rice but if not that will be my nutrition for the day before I work out it's going to be legs tonight I'm going to hit back really hard tomorrow so I'm going to make sure I get legs out of the way before I do that because if I try and hit legs after I do dead lifts it's a no-go so that is the plan guys I hope you're having a great day the weather's beautiful you can't beat it I'm in a good mood let's continue on with the work day all right everybody pre-workout meal three tins of tuna with about two-thirds of this container so we've got around about 300 grams cooked weight of rice and three tins of tuna which is about I don't know 250 grams total so perfect pre-workout meal I've had to I've been forced to push this meal back because I didn't have time to eat before so you know I don't want to eat the whole thing I mean that's probably a bit too much it's about seven o'clock right now so I've got another hour of work then I'll be going home grabbing a pre-workout of my choice which is basically a caffeinated beverage because that's really the only ingredient that I I tend to look for in a pre-workout and that'll be it so I'm going to get through this those cookies you saw me eat this morning I had three so I've counted them as a the equivalent of a chocolate bar each which means they're around about 200 to 250 calories each so I've counted for them as far as the total macros for the day I'll let you guys know what they are when I know but what I do know is that this is going down legs are going down tonight and following that is going to be a fucking awesome post-workout meal which I'll show you when we get there but let me get into this and I'll see you guys soon hi guys what is going on post leg training what a fucking session I'll tell you what 300 grams of rice makes for a good session I never actually have rice I might I might do that more often but either way started off with box squats went on to goblet squats and finished with leg extensions so awesome pump I'm going to go home now and make a pre-work out post-workout meal for the ages it's going to be a real feast so I'm going to show you guys exactly what I have and someone's talking to me so let me see what they say what's up no they're gone so I'll see you guys at home peace all right guys what is going on looking at exactly what I've had today I've actually had quite a bit so you know the the um the three shakes I had one before I went to work I had two at work were made up of two bananas 160 grams of oats four scoops of protein powder which I don't normally use that much protein powder as I said but I didn't have any egg whites this morning and I still wanted a good amount to last me throughout the day a good amount of protein so at the end of the day MTS way is extremely high quality the amino profile is great I trust Mark Lowe gliner and you know he's the man so I support the brand and the taste is amazing so you can't go wrong with that but anyways that means it two bananas 160 grams oh it's four scoops protein powder and 500 grams of frozen berries so that was the three smoothies that I had the 300 grams of white rice three tins of tuna and those three cookies that I had at work well I actually showed you guys one cookie I ended up having three so what I did was I entered those into my fitness pal as two fun size Snickers bars each so they came out to be about 500 calories total so I added that on of course so at the end of the day right now post workout we're sitting at 185 grams of protein 391 grams of carbs and 69 grams of fat for a total of 2955 calories which really you know some people for some people that would be a surplus amount of calories after my competition last year in October I made a series called dirty bulk well it wasn't called dirty bulk at the time but now I've renamed it dirty bulk so I've got one one video for weeks one to three one video for weeks four and five and one video for weeks six to eight because after my show I pretty much slammed my body with a whole heap of food I sort of had in my the back of my mind an excuse to do that because I wanted to make the most of the antibiotic rebound all that happened was I just was taking in way too much food I tracked everything meticulously for those eight weeks even though I was dirty bulking as such and it worked out to be around about 4800 calories a day I was taking in and I was putting on around about a kg per week so if we look at it like that you know obviously if you're putting on around about a kg a week uh you know fuck all of it there's going to be muscle but regardless of that if you're putting on a kg a week that means you're in a surplus of around about a thousand calories a day so if you think of it like that if I was on 4800 calories and I was in a surplus of a thousand calories a day bring it back to 3800 you know I reckon training hard pretty much every day and you know having a job where I walk around a little bit I would be probably at maintenance at around about 35 to 3800 so with that being said I am aiming for around about 4 000 calories a day because post workout meal is going to be some kangaroo mints I'm going to cook up well I'm going to cook up the whole kg I'll probably use around about a serve and a half which would be about 220 or 250 grams worth which will give me like 50 grams of protein no carbs no fat we've got a wrap which I'm going to use to put the mints in and as I said before I'm going to use the remaining rice so we're going to make some sort of burrito chipotle thing wrap it's going to be good kangaroo mints rice and satay sauce by fountain which is my all-time favorite so far if you know of a satay sauce available in Australian supermarkets that I can get that you think is good let me know because satay is my favorite flavor so rice kangaroo satay wrap and we'll see where we're at when I'm done so we're done what we have one rat 250 grams kangaroo 150 grams white rice 40 mils of satay sauce we got 66 grams of protein 84 grams of carbs and 19 grams of fat with a total calorie count of 789 right so obviously that brings me to around about you know 3700 calories I do still have rooms moved so I am going to have a second post workout meal probably just before I go to bed which is going to be nice and I will tell you guys exactly what I have when I know but that being said guys I'm probably not going to wrap this up because there's way too much shit here so I'm just going to eat it with a fork but yeah it doesn't look like you know it's not that appetizing it doesn't look that appetizing but it's exactly what my body needs post workout and honestly it looks appetizing to me so I'm going to suck in and I'll see you guys at the next meal all right guys meal number five is it for the day six maybe I don't know either way I am actually still hungry it's only been about an hour since I ate that wrap and I'm about to have my last meal of the day although I don't want it to be to be honest I want to eat more but I don't want to push it too far so we've got the trusty whiteboard out again this is what I had pre workout this is what I had post workout and right now before I go to bed I'm going to have this meal here which is 80 grams of oats 250 grams 250 mils of skim milk and one banana as well as some maple flavoured syrup which is the shit and I will continue to use because it sweetens my food without adding too many calories so with that being said guys with that being said the totals are 4214 calories 271 grams of protein 562 grams of carbs and 98 grams of fat so honestly guys honestly on a normal day where I train you know really intensely and I do probably about 10,000 12,000 steps in a day I think that's probably around about perfect to be fair you know protein I don't think you should be pushing it you know 1.5 grams per pound of body weight but at least you know if you're going to be trying to put on muscle I think you'd want at least a gram per pound of body weight and in saying that you want to use the value of the weight that you want to get to to calculate your macros too so let's say I want to get to 220 pounds I'm going to calculate it at from 1 gram to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight so that's you know from 220 up to you know 260 270 honestly yeah 270 does sound really really high especially for a natural I don't know if I'm going to be using it all but at the end of the day I don't want to be taking in too little yeah I don't know I think I might do a bit more research on that but as far as you know fats go I do believe that from 80 to 100 grams is going to be perfect for me the mistake I've made in the past with bulks is to add too much fat into my diet I don't know man anyways I'm going to get into this meal here we have it hope you guys can see it is as I said 80 grams of oats a cup of milk and one banana with some maple flavoured syrup and it's delicious and once again exactly what I need before I go to bed I want want to put myself in an anabolic state which is so funny because literally a week ago I felt the complete opposite now if I wake up and I'm hungry in the mornings I'm like sweet first meal boom let's go you know but insane that I think I am going to use intermittent fasting in the future if I overeat the night before you know I have no problem with fasting up until two three o'clock in the afternoon and if and if I'm not training until that night and I've eaten a shitload of calories the night before where I know I've just gone completely overboard and blown out I'm not going to eat first thing that morning I'm just going to write it out and intermittent fast a little bit until I feel good enough to eat again so with that being said guys that's going to wrap up my first full day of eating I think I've ever done next video I'm not sure what day it'll be but I really hope you guys are enjoying it's keeping me motivated I'm extremely motivated right now to make gains you know those extra sets in the gym that I wouldn't have done before when I knew I was in the deficit because in the back of my mind I'm always thinking I'm not going to grow from this workout you know because I'm not giving my body the fucking food it needs so now that I am you know those sets are getting done they're getting done with intensity if I need to take more rest time I will you know I'm probably spending more time in the gym now than I ever have I'm loving it so until next time guys I hope you have a great day or a great night wherever you are in the world thank you very much for watching I hope you're enjoying the series as I said extremely motivated right now I wish you guys all the best and keep following along to see how many games I can make in one year I'm going to go to bed so peace


Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to today's ceremony for the transfer of authority over the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility from Joint Task Force Red Hill to the Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill. Today Joint Task Force Red Hill officially completes its mission to safely remove 104.7 million gallons of fuel from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. JTF Red Hill will transfer authority to Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill. In so doing, Navy Closure Task Force assumes responsibility for safety and security of the facility and lead efforts for the Department of Defense to execute the permanent closure and long-term remediation of the site. To distinguish the importance of this ceremony, we are honored to have Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, and Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet as our presiding officers. We are joined by a number of civilian and military distinguished guests to include Governor and Mrs. Green, Senator Hirono and Mr. Oshima, the Honorable Del Toro, and so many others. A warm welcome to you all. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the entrance of the official party and remain standing for the posting of the colors, singing of the National Anthem and Hawaii Ponoi, and the invocation. Parade the colors. Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming Like its red glum's bursting that our flare Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave Retire the colors. Kumohina will now give a traditional invocation to our ancestors. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave kia analunui akea mo ananui akea wa ike aho ike ananui oka iini kanuue kuliama oei oo ho haliakunai lewi kamakaninui kamakaniki kamakani hea hea au makua naki a iokopome kiao noo kana au aou kana au ha ha ha kana au pono kana au mae mae kana au aloha ke aloho naku puna noo lunapau mai Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Welcome Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Aquilino. Okay, this is a great day. I want to thank the Governor for coming. I want to thank the Governor for all of his support as we work through this incredibly challenging event. Senator Hirono, you are always a tremendous advocate to both of you for your mentorship and guidance. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Is the speaker here? Mr. Speaker, did you make it? Okay, I want to especially call out the speaker because as we took this mission on, I spent a lot of time with him as it applied to getting his guidance on how to take this incredibly difficult mission on and do it in a way that would be recognized from the United States military through the lens of respect for this amazing state, respect for the land, respect for the water, respect for the people, and from our perspective, for those of us in uniform who live here to make sure that all understood that we too are a part of this community and its respect for all of our members in the Department of Defense as well. Those were foundational efforts and guidance that we started with. To both the Kyos, thanks for being with us, both of you, for this entire journey. We thank you for the blessings, and we thank you for being a part of this incredible ceremony. Okay, a couple of key thanks. First, to the Joint Task Force and to the Joint Force. When the Secretary assigned this mission, we took it incredibly seriously, but we pulled in everyone. So for the component commanders, thank you for the immediate donation of forces and for the incredible professionalism that all have taken on. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the Navy as a big part of the Joint Task Force. This has been a team effort from minute one, which is why this transition is so important because it is nothing more than a continuity and a continuation of the same difficult mission that will be designed and executed flawlessly. So, first, Amal Wade. As my single-handed pick to take this on, there were none better, and you talk about an incredibly well-planned event executed flawlessly. Okay, to my brother, Amal Paparo, who picked it up all along the way, provided the forces and directed the continued flawless execution. To Amal Barnett, who has taken it on and been side-by-side with Amal Wade for the entire way. That team linkage and that teamwork is what gives me the confidence as we transition now to Task Force, Navy, we all know what Wright looks like. We're all prepared to execute, again, continued flawless execution is what we have to do here. So, Mr. Secretary, I know Amal Paparo and I have spoken to you about this. We've both briefed the Secretary of Defense and recommended transition. All conditions have been met. Everyone knows what Wright looks like, and I have complete confidence the Navy Task Force will pick up and finish the rest of the job through the lens of deconstruction, closure, and remediation. To Ms. Ho, did she make it? Ms. Kathy, thank you for the partnership with the State of Hawaii. To our EPA teammates, thank you for the partnership through the federal government. But again, I think what we've built here is a model of how to do this right in Hawaii. And ultimately, we hope that the community has increased trust in the Department of Defense. And that's what it's about, okay? This is about teamwork, to do the right things, and to do the right things right. So, thank you very much for all your hard work. To the Joint Force, you continue to impress me. And again, I am in awe of what you do each and every day for our nation, for the State of Hawaii, and for our service members. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Joint Task Force Red Hill Commander Vice Admiral John Wade. Governor Green, Senator Hirono, Mr. Oshima, Secretary Del Toro, Admiral Mrs. Aquilino, Secretary Berger, Admiral Paparo, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon, and aloha. Following the unfortunate events of 2021, the Secretary of Defense and Admiral Aquilino established Joint Task Force Red Hill, and they directed me to lead an effort to safely and expeditiously defuel the Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility and to also rebuild trust with the people of Hawaii and our military families. To prepare for this critical and no-fail mission, I immediately met with several impacted military families, community members, and elected officials to better understand their concerns. And simultaneously, I conducted self-study. I read books, visited museums, talked story with many wonderful people to absorb as much as I could about the culture, the history, the tradition of this great place and its people. And over the last 18 months, I've continued to learn more and I'd like to briefly share with you two items, their significance and how they tie in to the defueling mission. The first is Kapokaki. It's the traditional name for the ridge over my right-hand shoulder where the Red Hill facility lies across the harbor. For over 1,000 years, Native Hawaiians have come to this area to get their water, their food, to worship, to bury their dead. And in the Native Hawaiian culture, there is a spiritual connection between all things, people, land, water, vegetation, and wildlife, along with a sacred responsibility to be good stewards of the environment. The other is Aloha Spirit. It's actually codified in law in the state of Hawaii, which is the coordination of heart and mind. It's the obligation to serve others for the greater good, to respect and emote good feelings to all, everybody, and then to work hard to fulfill your duties and your responsibilities. So my headquarters is right over there on Fort Island and at the start of every morning for the last 18 months, I've looked at Kapokaki. I've reflected about all those who have been impacted from the 21 mishaps. The central relationship and the connections between all, the importance to serve others with Aloha and the commitment to work tirelessly.  The removal of the majority of fuel from above the aquifer, over 104 million gallons on an accelerated timeline, took a whole of government and a team of teams approach. I am grateful to so many. First, to all those that provided the resources and support necessary to execute the mission. Congress, specifically the Hawaii delegation, Senators Hirono, Shots, Representatives Case and Takuta, along with my bosses, the Secretary of Defense, and Amalakalino, plus all the service components and their staffs. And then next, my team joined Task Force Redhill, those who planned, trained for, and then executed the mission, composed of incredible and dedicated men and women from all services, active duty, reserve, guard, and government civilians, plus hundreds of multiple industry sector personnel, both consultants and hired contractors from the fuel, environment, safety, and repair sectors.  Governor Green, Mayor Blanchiardi and their staffs, they provided exceptional support, not only to me, but also to my team and opened doors and avenues with cities, state, county officials, and organizations that were necessary for our safe execution. Federal and state oversight bodies, most notably Congress, the Governor's Water Committee, and the Hawaii House Special Committee on Redhill, asked challenging questions and provided exceptional feedback. I'm also grateful to the volunteers of numerous information sharing groups who were incredibly helpful, most notably the DeFueling Information Sharing Forum, a combination of elected officials, functional, technical, and cultural experts who provided invaluable advice and feedback. I also want to acknowledge the media. They asked tough but fair questions, but importantly, they also served as an information conduit that helped us explain what we were doing and why for greater transparency. And then finally, to our military families, civic groups, and the general public, the questions and feedback we received provided us an understanding of their concerns. It gave us purpose and meaning for all that we had to do. I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart, it drove us to work harder, and honestly, it made us safer. To all of you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Although we have safely removed over 104 million gallons from above the aquifer, there is still so much more to do with respect to the Red Hill problem set. There will be new challenges. There will be new risks. But I've known Abel Barnett for years. I know him both personally and I know him professionally. He and his closure task force understand the enormity and the importance of their mission to safely and expeditiously close and permanently decommission the facility to ensure clean water and to conduct the necessary long-term environmental remediation. And likewise, the Defense Health Agency understands their obligation to continue to address health issues of those impacted. Ladies and gentlemen, while I sincerely wish the circumstances were different, I want you to know that it has been a privilege to serve the people of Hawaii and our military families and to do something important for the environment. My sincere hope is that what we were able to do and while we're still not finished that allows all of us, us collectively, everybody here to move forward and to continue the important healing process. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, mahalo, and God bless. Thank you very much. Please rise for the Joint Task Force Red Hill Relinquishment of Authority. Attention orders. Joint Task Force Red Hill at Fort Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii is relinquishing authority for the Red Hill Joint Operating Area effective 28 March 2024. Authority, Department of Defense letter dated 27 March 2024. Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill will now assume authority. Execute order issued 8 January 2024 directed commander United States Pacific Fleet to establish Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill. Upon completion of defueling by Joint Task Force Red Hill, Navy Closure Task Force will assume command and control of all Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility related operations to execute the permanent closure of the facility in long-term environmental remediation. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated and welcome the Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro. Good afternoon, everyone. Aloha. Before I begin my formal comments, I'd like to ask that you just indulge me for one moment and bow your heads in silence for all the brave men who fought on this courageous ship, the mighty Mo, throughout the war. And I also ask you at the same time to keep in your hearts and prayers the many men and women who today serve in the United States Navy and Marine Corps around the globe. 30,000 Marines deployed all over the world, third of our fleet deployed, and many of them serving in the Red Sea where for the past four months they have courageously battled daily attacks on the part of the Houthis. Please bow your heads for just one moment. Thank you. So, let me begin with a warm welcome and aloha to our Governor Josh Green. We are honored to have you here, Governor, and I'm appreciative of you taking the time to join us at the delicious Duke Bistro for dinner last night as well, too. We had wonderful conversation about the many challenges that lie ahead. We are grateful for the support that you have given us in the past and confident of the support that we will together journey together on this path moving forward in the future. Also, aloha and welcome to our dear Senator Maisie Hirono, who works tirelessly, both here and back in Washington, D.C., to advance the priorities of the people of Hawaii alongside her husband, Layton. Thank you both. I also want to extend, although she is not here right now, thanks to Congressman Jill Takuta, who represents Hawaii's second district and serves as yet another stalwart leader of this great state. These leaders, alongside Senator Brian Schatz and Congressman Ed Case, fight all day in and day out to continue moving the aloha state forward. Throughout my lifetime, I have always had and held a special fondness for Hawaii, especially its people and its long-held traditions. My wife, Betty and I, honeymooned here, and we were just 21 years old, mere babies. Later, we frequently brought our children here throughout my years in the military and later when I served in the private sector as well. I know that I might not live here, but in many ways I consider Hawaii home as well. We shared with our children the love we have always held in our hearts to the people in the land. And so I am truly honored to be with you all here today, representing the President, the Secretary of Defense, and Chairman and Joint Chiefs of Staff. Admiral Arcolino, Admiral Paparo, thank you for your leadership and teamwork. Does the Navy and the Joint Force work together to tackle this challenge? I also want to thank Kahu, Kikoa, and Kumohina for blessing us in this event with your presence and your participation. We are also honored to have our esteemed elders, Uncle Bruce and Auntie Kay Hill, who I was blessed to spend the day with yesterday at that beautiful fish pond. And I'm so thankful for the vision of our leadership here in the Navy to participate with the community of Hawaii, to clear that fish pond, to bring it back to life, and to be able to share it with future generations of both service members and the people of Hawaii so that we can always respect the traditions and the many stories that have been told there and many stories that are yet to be told. Vice Admiral Wade, thank you for your leadership of the Joint Task Force to safely defuel the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and prepare it for permanent closure. Your stewardship of this team as the Navy's operational commander has truly set the standard for the Navy's consistent and continued commitment to doing right by our service member and the people of Hawaii. I will always be honored to know that I nominated you to the Secretary of Defense to lead this special mission, and I am truly pleased that both you and your wife, Kathleen, have contributed so much to this effort. Rear Admiral Barnett, thank you for the time and work you also dedicate to Hawaii as Commander Navy Region Hawaii and for all that you have already contributed to efforts to defuel and close Red Hill. And importantly, thank you for the commitment you have made to the work that you're about to begin as you lead Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill. I know that you are ready for this task. Please know that you have the same focused attention and support of the entire Department of the Navy that Vice Admiral Wade has had as you now lead the efforts to thoroughly clean, permanently decommission, and ultimately close this facility. For more than a century, the military has been honored to call Hawaii home. Our work here helps us understand and value the environment, the air, the soil, the water, and most importantly, the people of Hawaii. We recognize our solemn responsibility to protect Hawaii's environment and natural resources. Collectively, we all bear responsibility and commitment to care for and protect this beautiful place. As we all know too well, the original fuel spill that led to the eventual contamination of the Red Hill well took place in May of 2021. Shortly after the second spill in November, I as then the new Secretary immediately directed all operations to cease at Red Hill. Secretary Austin then stood up, Joint Task Force Red Hill to defuel and then close, permanently close, Red Hill. And the team here, Navy Region Hawaii, the Joint Task Force, federal, state, local officials, communities, families, native Hawaiians all came together to make things right. Together as a community, we worked hard because it was our responsibility to do so for the benefit of all Hawaiians. And for all our service members, and for all the future generations of those who will call Hawaii their home. Today, we are marking the transfer of authority of Red Hill. But more importantly, we are pledging continued collective commitment because there is still much work to be done, as has been said before. Seamlessly, from Commander Joint Task Force to Commander Navy Closure Task Force, we transfer the charge of the task and with it the responsibility to always be laser focused on the health and safety of the people, the community and the environment. For Admiral Barnett, you have our continued trust and confidence to lead Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill in the months and years ahead. And as we move forward, the Department of Navy remains steadfast in our commitment to the people of Hawaii. We recognize the deep ties that bind us to this beautiful land and its people. And I am proud that we are strongly building back the trust that is essential to us moving forward together. And we remain dedicated to engaging with the community in respectful ways throughout the rest of this process. Ensuring that all stakeholders remain informed and involved. Together we will build a stronger future, one that safeguards national security, our communities and the beautiful environment of Hawaii. In closing, I ask God to grant our nation, our Navy and the people of Hawaii fur winds and following seas in all these endeavors. Mahalo nilo ah. Thank you. Please welcome the Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, Admiral Paparo. Aloha, my dear friends. So much work has brought us to this day and I must recognize this. In the United States Navy, the very highest compliment that can be given to a unit is Bravo Zulu. Short, concise to the point, recognizing that the mission has been accomplished. Many hundreds of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, civilians and senior NCOs and flag officers have brought us to this day right now. Your work has typified professionalism, intellect, but most of all the heart to do what is right and what is just. And in passing this Bravo Zulu, we give you the very highest compliment. To my dear friend, Steve Barnett and Navy Closure Task Force Redhill, you have got the nearly impossible task of improving upon perfection, but that you will. Steve Barnett, you have been handpicked for this moment. 33 years of service as an engineer, as a leader, has brought you to this moment right now. But you won't do so alone. You'll do so with the experience of many of the members of Joint Task Force Redhill. You'll do so with your deep friendship with John Wade, another leader, I revere. And you will do so with the teamwork of all of the sailors and all of the civilians that you'll execute your task. You won't be alone. Our eyes are clear. Our hearts are full. Our duty is sacred. And we all draw from the deep wellspring of aloha, of goodwill and of the help of everyone in the community.  And together we'll improve upon the exceptional work of JTF Redhill. And we will do what is right, what is just, what is our kuleana. Mahalo to all. Navy Closure Task Force Commander, we're Admiral Barnett. Aloha and good afternoon. Governor Green, Senator, SecNAV, ASN, Abrils, friends, family, distinguished and distinguished guests, especially to my Navy Closure Task Force. Thank you for being here. Safe, deliberate, engaged, committed. Safe, deliberate, engaged, committed. This is our motto. Every morning when I wake up, I recite it. When I discuss our mission with everyone, whether it's my staff, elected officials, the community, our motto is based on the principles that we as a Navy Task Force will operate on. Vice Admiral Wade, my friend, Mahalo to you and to the JTF Redhill team. You did a great job de-fueling over 104 million gallons of fuel from the facility. You did it safely, removing the most pressing threat to the aquifer. And you set the conditions for the Navy Closure Task Force to close, like you said, to immediate the facility and more importantly to continue the healing process. Our participation with you since your initial operating capability in this transition period has allowed us to learn, to learn from the experts, to learn from the whole Joint Task Force. Like everyone has said, you've established high standards for us to maintain. But I'm confident, I'm confident that the Navy Closure Task Force is prepared to take this responsibility and the momentous effort to decommission the facility. As you know, for more than 80 years, the facility has kept our ship sailing, it's kept our aircraft flying, it's enabled the United States of America to safeguard our nation and its most important assets, our people. But right now, today, it's time for us to move to the next phase. To do this, Navy Closure Task Force, we will safely and we will expeditiously decommission this facility. We will continue the long-term environmental remediation of the Red Hill and the Aquifer to protect Hawaii's most important resource, the water. Make no mistake about it, this will take a tremendous amount of hard work, it's going to take a tremendous amount of dedication and just as much commitment. But we're ready. At each step, we'll continue to work with our state and federal partners. The Hawaii Department of Health, thank you for being here. The US EPA, thank you for your help. The engagements and the partnerships that we have with our stakeholders, the elders, our Kapuna, the community, our military and civilian families, and our workforce. You're all vital to ensure our mission success. I want you to hear this from me right now and let me assure you, your voices will be heard. I've been told and I've learned that when the Hawaiian community speaks about making things right and getting things back into alignment, we should come from a place of truth. This is something that I take to heart because alignment and truth are key to the healing process. As a task force, we will be aligned with our Navy Corps values of honor, courage and commitment. This will make us make the right decisions that positively impact our environment, our Ohana, our country and our Navy. Our intentions and our actions must be congruent for true alignment. As our North Star for Truth, we will heed the great words of the poet Greenville Kleiser. He said it best, our desire for the truth must transcend all minor considerations. We must be honest and severe in our self-appraisal. We must realize our own needs and we must learn the art of learning. Navy Closure Task Force. My command philosophy remains the same from Navy Region Hawaii. We will do the right thing, we will be loyal to ourselves, we'll be loyal to our family, we'll be loyal to the community and we'll be loyal to the team. Just as importantly, we will take care of a holistic well-being. As the late John Lewis said, don't give up, don't give in, keep the faith and keep your eyes on the prize. We know what that is. I thank everyone for attending today's ceremony. I wish you the very best. I thank you in advance for your support and your guidance. Mahalo. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise as Kahukukua gives us the benediction. Aloha, kiaikaku, aloha. Instead of looking at me, would I encourage you guys, you can bow your heads if you'd like to, but I'd like you to look at the mountains. We've been looking at this whole time. There's more mountains this direction. And our land is very important for us as people of Hawaii and we're going to continue to ask God in this transfer authority ceremony to just be ponno. I would love for each one of you to think about wherever you live and we're born and raised and the importance of that is and who helps you take care of your land. And for us, we just want to have a say in our land and the current military are doing exactly that. Just helping us to understand we're all in this together. Maybe we could write a song about that. So I'm going to ask Kahukua, I'm going to ask the Lord's blessings upon us in what we do as we move forward in this transition. Let's pray together, please. Let's pray together, please. Kahukua, as we look to the land around us, it's a very special place for all of us who are here in Hawaii. Kahukua, not just because there's not much of it, but it's a very prized part as we have heard of our past, of our present and into our future. So Kahukua, we want to make sure that we give you all that is important to us and that is those who have come before us, that is for us today and into our legacy, our children. So today, Kapuka ki, we mahalo, what today we have known as Red Hill. This space has helped us divide our makupuni in its jurisdiction but it unites us in a situation such as this, no matter who we are. So Kahukua, we ask that you will give your divine strength, your guidance, your encouragement to this Navy Closure Task Force, Red Hill. Help us to continue to heal our land, to remind us all that we all have kuleana, we all have responsibility and to do it with honor and courage and commitment, whatever role we play here in Hawaii. So today, we pono and mahalo, Admiral John Wade and our Joint Task Force, Red Hill, as they have completed a great mission and Kumuhina and I were asked to pray when we did this original blessing. Kahukua, we were asked to be sure that we could ask your guidance, Kahukua, in moving all of that fuel out of Red Hill and now, Kahukua, we come to ask once again for that your health, your strength, your guidance will now be with Admiral Steve Barnett and our Navy Closure Task Force, Red Hill. And so we pule this blessing. Kahukua, we will be remiss to we want to honor, respect and honor those who were truly affected by this, whether it was sickness or health challenges or family disagreements, whatever it was, Kahukua, today we ask for forgiveness so that we can move forward to the completeness of this task. We pule this blessing with much aloha. Amen. Amen. Amen. Mahalo. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's ceremony. Please take a piece of fruit and some water with you as you leave and thank you all for coming.