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    Season 2 · Episode 13

    Making Movies for Legacy, Leaving Corporate & Cultural Influence

    ZADAN with Taylor Ri'chard

    · 1:07:40

    The conversation

    Recorded remotely a few weeks before the release of his second feature, Hallowed Be Thy Name, this conversation with Taylor Ri'chard starts with the title's roots in the Lord's Prayer, the story of a teenager who wanders into a cave haunted by the demon Koshmar, and a release plan that saves Netflix for last. Taylor explains how he writes from dreams jotted on a bedside notepad and why he reworks a story until nobody can poke holes in it.

    From there he traces the path: a family that pranks each other constantly, a grandmother who showed him horror films, an MBA and corporate jobs at AT&T and Blockbuster, then a 300 parody that relit the urge to make films. He talks about funding his first feature by knocking on doors, why horror was the affordable way in, his dream of a live-action He-Man universe, and building generational wealth for his family. ZADAN pitches marketing ideas and a remote green-screen horror shoot.

    Topics, with timestamps

    Pick a time to start listening right there.

    1. Why the film is called Hallowed Be Thy Name
    2. A haunted Louisiana cave and the demon Koshmar
    3. A release plan that saves Netflix for last
    4. Writing from dreams and editing yourself hard
    5. A family of pranksters and a horror-loving grandmother
    6. From film school and an MBA to a 300 parody
    7. Dream project: a live-action He-Man universe
    8. Writing without genre and the next three films
    9. Why horror endures and why receipts open doors
    10. Leaving corporate and finding an investor door to door
    11. Building generational wealth through film
    12. Creole roots and Louisiana culture in Atlanta
    13. Advice: be fearless and be your own champion
    14. Pitching a remote green-screen horror shoot

    Worth hearing

    • Taylor took the title Hallowed Be Thy Name from the Lord's Prayer because the film carries a lot of biblical references.
    • He keeps a notepad by his bed to catch scenes from dreams, then builds stories around details of people he has met.
    • His first feature, The Final Project, was a found-footage film made for under a million dollars, and years later it was still selling on DVD at major retailers.
    • After a distribution deal required funding for prints and advertising, he and his brother knocked on doors of big houses until one stranger read his business plan and invested.
    • One of his executive producers told him to aim for a base hit instead of a home run and climb his career step by step.
    • Taylor says he works to build generational wealth so the people who come after him can attend better schools with more opportunity.
    • He describes leadership as showing people a roadmap and backing their projects once they have backed his.

    ZADAN's original episode notes

    Taylor Ri'chard is a Writer, Director and Producer out of Atlanta, Georgia - making thriller films that represent his passion and Louisiana upbringing such as his upcoming feature film, Hallowed Be Thy Name, streaming everywhere beginning June 2nd!

    In this episode Taylor and I talk about his inspirations and where he draws from to create his features and short films, diving deep into the legacy behind the brand and why he does what he does. We talk about persistence, ultimate dream projects, and Taylor's history with a family of pranksters that inspired his style of writing. We also go into how he left the corporate world, and the degree that he went to college for, to pursue his true passion and creative call - and so many other awesome topics; so without further ado I give you, Taylor Ri'chard.