November 1, 2022
For a Making it Big first, we have a dynamic duo who first became friends while at Emerson. From Boylston Street to Sunset Boulevard, Dominique and Quinn’s decade-long friendship laid the foundation for their creative, working relationship, as they embark on making a travel-dating show together. The pair discuss inspiration versus comparison, how to keep your creative fire lit when it feels like the world is trying to snuff you out, and what it’s like to create work with your friends after honing your industry skills for 10 years. Recorded on August 4, 2022.
Find more of Dominique on Twitter @DominiqueBanas, IG @domnom and Quinn on IG @quinnifermarcus
More about Your Neighbor’s Backyard on Instagram @ynb_community
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu
Transcript: Season 5, Episode 4
Dominique Bañas and Quinn Marcus
Georgette Pierre:
What does it mean to make it big? Well, it depends on who you ask. And we did. Welcome to Making It Big in 30 Minutes, a podcast for, by and about the Emerson community. You're about to meet an Emersonian who's making it, making a living, making a difference, and sometimes making it up as they go. I'm your host and alum Georgette Pierre. If you like what you hear, subscribe, and share with your friends and meet me and other Emersonians over on Emerge, the only digital platform exclusive to the Emerson community. Go to emerge.emerson.edu for more.
And then there were two. My first guest do. It was nothing short of entertaining. First guest is Dominique Banas, a television and live event producer who currently works at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, producing guest interviews and comedy bits. She's also the co-founder of Non-Profit Organization, Your Neighbor's Backyard, an organization that produces live shows to raise awareness and funds for various causes.
My second guest Quinn Marcus is a writer, actress, and a comedian. She's hosted and appeared on a variety of shows including MTVU, MTV's Girl Code, and ABC Digital. She has also sold, created, written and star in pilots for Comedy Central and Pop TV. In short, Quinn got it going on.
Dominique and Quinn are friend in real life and are working on a new project together as well. Both of them join me to share more about their new show, how comedy became therapeutic for Quinn, and how Dominique's Emerson Connection led her to start her nonprofit. I welcome Dominique Banas and Quinn Marcus on Making It Together. I have Quinn Marcus and Dominique Banas. Hello. Hello.
Quinn Marcus:
Hey.
Dominique Banas:
Hey.
Georgette Pierre:
(laughing). You're singing, you're singing. This is my first duo, so I'm excited.
Dominique Banas:
Hey.
Quinn Marcus:
Hey.
Dominique Banas:
How'd we sound?
Georgette Pierre:
That was good (laughing). So in sync, pun intended, um, my first duo, so thank you both, um, for being here. So, first way I wanna start this off, and uh, Quinn I'll start with you 'cause you're on my left. Um, lighthearted or quirkiest way to describe your profession, um, and the collaboration that you and Dominique have.
Quinn Marcus:
Lighthearted and quirky is an interesting ... Okay. Um, lighthearted and quirky, I'm Dominique Bana's little bitch (laughing). But, um, serious, I'm a, like a, a show host, talk show host, interviewer, and a writer and a performer.
Georgette Pierre:
Nice.
Quinn Marcus:
But I prefer Dominic Bana's little bitch.
Dominique Banas:
Yeah (laughing).
Quinn Marcus:
Dominique, question to you as though.
Dominique Banas:
Yeah (laughing). I am Quinn Marcus's big ... No, I'm just kidding. I, um, I produce television, uh, interviews, um, of all, all facets and also live, um, events that I do, um, I used to do them in LA and I now do them in, uh, New York City.
Georgette Pierre:
What, what did you study at Emerson and then how did that lead you to having your own talk show? 'Cause I know you bounced around MTVU, I used to work at VH one when Girl Code existed. I was there when Geico came out. So how did you get into your career path from what you studied at Emerson?
Quinn Marcus:
Well, I actually went into Emerson, I applied as a political communications major and I tricked them. And then my first month, then I switched (laughs). And so, uh, I actually created my own major. I did the IDIP, so I did a comedy writing and performance. So I took classes in, um, a bunch of different majors, but like, you know, TV writing and acting. And, um, yeah.
And, uh, then actually Emerson is like the reason that I have a career because when I was in Boston, MTV came to Boston and they were looking for students to pitch shows. And I had been doing Quin interviews, which I had started doing in Atlanta in high school, but I, I kept doing it for Emerson channel, which was just like man on the street interviews. And so I just pitched with a friend, Drew Van Steinberg, and I pitched, um, Quin interviews to MTV and then like, it was just the beginning of like, you know, my, um, my whole thing. It was amazing.
Georgette Pierre:
I love that. Uh, same for you Dominique. You know, what did you study? I know I saw that you are, um, you work with the Steven, Steven Colbert show right?
Quinn Marcus:
Mm. Yeah.
Georgette Pierre:
... as associate producer. And so talk about your path from what you studied at Emerson to how you got to where you got to 'cause I think sometimes it's, it's very helpful to hear that a lot of times our paths aren't linear, right? Like, I thought I was going to be the biggest radio personality ever. By the time I left Emerson, I was like, mm. Went to New York, wanted to be a TV rep, you know, so it just, you know, curious about-
Dominique Banas:
Yeah.
Georgette Pierre:
... your story.
Dominique Banas:
Totally. I feel like we have similar paths in that way. I went to Emerson thinking I wanted to be, uh, an anchor on the Today Show. So I was a broadcast journalism major. I did all of the Emerson Channel, WBN, did all the trips to the Oscars and the Emmy's and, and did a lot of things on air. And then I took a produce TVB news producing class, which is part of our capstone. And that's when I realized that producing was more of my cup of tea.
I didn't really, I didn't really enjoy the being critiqued of how I looked and how my hair looked and what my jackets I had to wear. And like, I know that's part of the world and I give so much credit to the friends that I have that are still doing it, but I just knew that that wasn't where my heart and soul was in and I wanted to produce.
And so I started doing production internships, um, in all talk shows. I'm also like, the reason why I love television is through talk shows, I grew up watching Oprah and the Ellen Show and the Rosie O'Donnell show and you know, clearly watching way too much TV for a kid probably growing up-
Quinn Marcus:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
... but those are sort of my gateways gateway drugs into wanting to work in TV. And so I interned at the live with Kelly's show here in New York. Then when I went to LA and did the LA program, I intern at the Ellen Show, which is then where I worked for the, you know, my first four years outside of college, which then, you know, I kind of made my way into like the research, um, celebrity segment side of the, of those shows. And that's where I just felt, I didn't even realize you could get paid to watch YouTube videos and come up with questions and read magazines because I was like, "I do this anyways. Like I can actually get paid to do that. That's actually pretty cool."
So I kind of really rode that wave of wanting to do research and, and kind of supporting a lot of those teams. And, um, and then when I wanted to move back to New York, uh, Colbert had a researcher role open, which is exactly what I was doing at Ellen. And then I kind of like made my way, um, in that way.
Georgette Pierre:
I love that now. So with you, Dominique, and I'll go to Equin next, what surprises you most about the work you're doing now?
Dominique Banas:
Ooh. I think that like all of my experience of watching TV, studying it, being at the bottom of the totem pole to now being able to produce my own segments is like how special and amazing it is when you can create those authentic organic TV moments, you know, and how, like, to me, it's like a drug.
When I'm watching, when I'm standing side stage and all of the questions that I wrote are playing out the way that I knew that they were going to, and the moments that I preplanned, even though it's supposed to be organic, are playing out, I'm like, "This is so cool." Like, I didn't know ... I mean, especially as someone watching growing up, like you don't ever really realize how many people go into ... How many people you need to actually make those moments feel so organic, right?
And, um, I don't know. I guess that's, I feel that every time I'm, I'm out on stage and any time I produce something and, and it kind of like all falls into place the way that I planned, it's so, it's so cool. It's so exhilarating.
Georgette Pierre:
Quinn, what about you?
Quinn Marcus:
Um, I guess what surprises me most is that I am, I'm like able to, I mean just like do my favorite thing and make it into like, work, you know, like talking to people on the street and like making jokes and building story and jokes out of nothing with another human is like what I would do just for fun. And then being able to like, you know, like Dom and I working together right now and like, working with ...
And that also is so surprising is like, yeah, you meet someone as a friend in college and you know, you don't think you're building a co-working relationship, but all those, those, that 10, 12 years of friendship is like the basis of our working relationship. And that is so surprising that we were doing work when we didn't even know it. And we started this project like about eight months ago together and we had this foundation of like amazing communication and work ethic separately. And then it's like, oh wow, we were building this the whole time and we didn't know that.
So yeah, I'm just super grateful all every day that like, you know, we're on our way and we're really trying to like make a a, a career of doing what we love, love with who we love. And I'm telling, uh, you know, I'm speaking for Dom and I'm saying she loves me.
Georgette Pierre:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
Abso- retweet. Definitely, definitely (laughing).
Georgette Pierre:
Dominique, can you shed some light on what you and Quinn are working on together?
Dominique Banas:
Yes, we are working on a new, um, travel talk show, Think Anthony Bourdain, but instead of food, um, and travel, I mean instead of food, it's about dating and relationships and exploring different regions and how it changes.
Georgette Pierre:
So where would this, where will this show live? Was it a collaboration idea between both of you all? Did someone say, "Hey, I wanna do a travel show. Hey, I wanna do it about dating." So who was the brain child behind, uh, this travel show idea?
Quinn Marcus:
Mm-hmm. Um, where it will live is, um, HBO, knock on wood, um, (laughs). And then if that, if it doesn't go to HBO, then let's say Netflix. We'll just say all the networks and then you edit the one in that it goes to Showtime, Comedy Central, HBO, Paramount+, Hulu, um, YouTube, uh, the Taxicab, the Gas Station TV, Literally we're looking for anything (laughs).
Um, yeah, so I actually been like, you know, doing talk shows ever since Emerson days, uh, with MTV and then making pilots for Comedy Central and Pop and ABC Digital. And so I've been pitching talk shows my whole time in LA and I, I was really focused on like celebrity driven, um, talk shows. And then I just, uh, turned 30 and I was like, "Oh, what do I really want to put out in the world?" And so I actually connected with my friend, our friend, uh, Figs, Matt Figler from Emerson as well.
And I contacted him and I was like, I loved working with him on a couple short films he was a DPO, and I was like, "Dude, let's just like make something," 'Cause you know, when you go out to LA you, I mean for me, I lost my less little, my soul and-
Georgette Pierre:
Mm.
Quinn Marcus:
... I was making stuff for other people and I was just trying to, you know, make it big (laughs). I'm gonna quote your title, um, but without like the, the heart, you know. And so I, COVID happened, I made a pilot for Pop, they didn't pick it up and I was just like, "What do I, like, what do I want to actually wake up and do?" So I called Figs and we started building this idea and then we called Dom and the three of us, I mean, it was, it has been the best experience I've had working on something 'cause even with networks, I've never, I've never actually preproduced and developed something so intensely.
And I think the three of us, we, we each have been working in our own field for 10 years. Like Dom has been producing television for 10 years. Figs has been shooting beautiful for 10 years, I've been hosting for 10 years. And I think it just felt like the perfect time for all of us to be our own bosses and leaders and make a project.
And when you're your own boss, you really work harder than if someone's telling you what to do to do. I think. And the three of us just created this show and we shot the pilot in Atlanta and North Georgia and we're editing it right now. And I think it's the best thing I've ever done. Um, and if I say that about Dom, then I'm saying it's better than Stephen Colbert. So I will.
Dominique Banas:
(laughing).
Quinn Marcus:
But it's the definitely the best thing I've ever done. And I love working with my friends and I, I really hope it gets picked up because I think it, I think my, our, all of our hearts and were in the right place when making it. And I think that is much different than, you know, doing something just for the Hollywood of it all.
Georgette Pierre:
Mm-hmm. Oh, I love that you, you, you were really transparent about that. And so a two-prong question, but I'll start with the first part. Um, in Dominique throw to you first, what did you learn about yourself in this process of developing this pilot?
Dominique Banas:
I think I learned that I actually know more than I give myself credit for. And I think that I've worked in a lot of institutions in add- like before Colbert too, where maybe I was made out to feel like I didn't, and now with, you know, to, you know, Quinn's point, like we've been doing this for 10 years, maybe more with like internships and things like that, if you count that. Like I have really internalized a lot of what makes good television from also my own consumption.
And so then when I'm sitting there with my friends trying to create and develop something, I actually know what I'm talking about. And I think I really sur- it truly surprised me. I feel like I've journaled a lot about this that like, "Oh Dom, you're not as like ..." I dunno, maybe a lot of people in society made you feel like you didn't know what you were doing or that you were still paying your dues, but I think that's a lot of, a lot of institutions make you, um, make you feel like so you can keep working for them.
But you know, I think that was something that really, really surprised me and I feel like I've definitely grown as a creative person from working on this project and it has given me confidence in my own job and working in other outside things and, um, yeah, definitely, definitely surprised me.
Georgette Pierre:
Quinn, what about you? What surprised you? I mean, 'cause you're coming from the talent side of this too, right?
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah, so actually when I was making pilots in, in LA you know, you're very much a talent and I remember I was making a, a pilot that like had my name on it as in the title and I'm about to shoot the next week. And I remember talking to the producer of it and I was like, "All right, well what can I do?" And he said ... And he knew I, I like going to gym, but he, he was like, you know, "Just go to the gym." And I was like, "That can't be it, that can't be all that I could do to prep for me being on camera and like hosting a show."
And so this project was like, I had to do a lot of the hands on producing that I never had to do before. And at the beginning I was like a little bougie about it. Like, I was like, "Hmm, interesting, I'm having to do this." But actually the in product is so much better because it has my fingerprints on it from the beginning, you know? So I, I actually learn that, I think it's important if you're hosting a show to be there the whole time, which again is why I think this one is probably better than the other ones that I've done.
Georgette Pierre:
Makes sense. Makes absolute sense. Now, if you could go back in time to your Emerson self, what would you say? Start it with you Dominique (laughs).
Dominique Banas:
I would say the real world doesn't work as fast as Emerson makes you feel like it does. You go from freshman year, fall semester to so- spring semester, all of a sudden you're the EPO of a show, you know, sophomore year to junior year. All of a sudden you're the show runner of the, of the school-
Quinn Marcus:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
... and you're just like, that is not outta the real world. Add in like five years for each of those steps. And I think that like, it was a rude awakening for myself for a lot of friends that when we first moved out to LA that were like, "I am, how long do I have to pay my dues? Like what, like I thought I, I thought I would be, you know, an EP by now."
Quinn Marcus:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
And um, yeah, that was a, that was a rude awakening. And I think that if I told, I, I mean I would, I tell interns this or people in Emers- Emerson that wanna, you know, call for informational, it's like, "You gotta be patient." And that's just sort of the process and like falling in love with the process and sort of, I know it feels so draining to wait for things and, but at the same time, like, I don't know, finding community in that we're all kind of at the same spot, right?
Especially like when you're in your 20s, like we're all kind of struggling. We can all kind of like, I don't know. Yeah. Sit, I don't know, I don't wanna say misery love's company, but like that you all are kind of going through it together and that's just like part of the process.
Georgette Pierre:
You're, we're all brewing together (laughs).
Dominique Banas:
Yeah. Yeah. It's just, it is, it's part of it. And I think that like managing your expectations of how quickly things actually happen in the real world is, is a real thing that I would've told myself.
Georgette Pierre:
Quinn, what would you say to your Emerson self? (laughs).
Quinn Marcus:
Yes. Uh, I mean, pretty similar. I would just be like, "Check your ego dude. Like who do you think you are?" And I think when I was in my 20s I thought like it had to happen in my 20s. Like I thought I had to ... Am I gonna do it for the second time? I thought I had to make it big in my 20s (laughs).
Dominique Banas:
You love the title (laughs).
Quinn Marcus:
I love the title of the show. Um, you know, in my in I turned 30 and that is when I started making the best thing that I've made. And I thought I had failed already though, you know. And I think like the Emerson, like you're saying, like it's so helpful, it pushes you, but I think it's okay that you don't know everything. And I really thought I did. And, and that hurts the product 'cause you're like, "I can't learn anything, you can't teach me anything."
I remember moving to LA and people would say all these like, um, give advice. And I just remember like really being like in my head I was like, "That doesn't pertain to me, but, but I'm different." And it's like now I can look back at every piece of advice and be like, I was no different. I have the same stories as everybody else, but your ego really is a, a tricky little bitch.
Georgette Pierre:
You mentioned something Quinn that was very interesting because, so you just turned 30 and I'm in my, my late 30s-
Quinn Marcus:
31.
Georgette Pierre:
31. Okay.
Quinn Marcus:
(laughs).
Georgette Pierre:
... I'm in my late 30s on my, and so there are all these ideas around what-
Quinn Marcus:
Youth culture, youth, everyone thinks 20-
Georgette Pierre:
What you should have accomplished by now, the socializations that, that should exist, especially if you, you know, um, identify as a woman, why aren't you married with children, a house? I want a pet, a house. I don't want a house in a picket fence, but like a cat, a dog, a fish, an alligator. I'm like, "Well, who wants all of these things?" Right?
And so it's, I always as, as you said that it just feels affirming 'cause the stories I wanna tell is like, to be honest, life has started, has really started from me in my late 30s, right? Like, there were so many things I was so gripped on thinking like, "Oh my gosh, I don't have time, I don't have time." And then when you start to think about people's careers peaking, it happened in, they're like mid to late 30s like some people. And it's like slow down Georgette it is okay, right? And how you're coming to that realization for yourself too Quinn in your early 30s.
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah. And I love that when you talk about it, you mix like work and social life because it's so true. It's like you think you're supposed to have the right job and be married and have a kid all before you're 30 and it's like, wait, but when are you supposed to learn how to do anything?
Georgette Pierre:
Exactly. But I, I knew people that got married so young in their 20s that they got divorced before they even hit 30. And it was like, "Did y'all really get to live life?" So the the transparency I think is very, really important for people to hear. Okay. So Quinn, this one's for you. So from select comedians that I like to friends that are comedians most usually speak about comedy being therapeutic for them. Um, in what ways did comedy save you or satisfy you in a, in a way where it had parallels to some level of healing or just released for you?
Quinn Marcus:
Oh my gosh, yes. I could talk about this so long because, um, I think being in the closet creates, created my personality and like, I think my humor comes from just being gay in the South for like 20 years. And, um, so I think comedy where when I was in my 20s making like, just funny shows, I was, it was a form of therapy and now it's kind of elevated because this new show that we're making is, is funny still, but it's also more meaningful and we kind of talk about those subjects and um, it's really, I mean it's, it's really therapy.
Like I do feel like my comedy is just my personality and now I'm more open to being like, my interviews are longer and less hard comedy all the time. I feel a little more confident in my other parts of my brain. And so I think it's, yeah, I think I learn a lot. Like we're editing the pilot right now and I'm watching it and I'm, I'm like, "Yes." I'm having like honest revelations like on camera. So I think for me, like comedy is therapy in like the whole aspect of it.
Georgette Pierre:
You know, not to say that comedians are masochists right? But like there's some level of vulnerability that, or like a, a level of vulnerability that I think most comedians have to have then like normal human beings would want to have. I don't know if you agree, disagree, or like, you find some, some parallels to that.
Quinn Marcus:
Well it's interesting cause it's like at first you have to be vulnerable to think that way, but then you're like right away hiding the vulnerability, like masking it with comedy. So yeah, yeah, it's a really interesting mix. Like, I mean, I only know my own experience, but my comedy is definitely from a place of like, you know, closet is like pain. So it it is, it, it it's, for lack of a better term, it's funny that comedy is not so funny.
Georgette Pierre:
Right. That's so interesting 'cause I've never heard it put that way. Um, Dominique, so you have a non-profit organization that you were co-founder of called The Neighbor's Backyard. Can you tell us a little bit more about the initiatives, um, what that looks like and what led you to even being part or starting your own nonprofit?
Dominique Banas:
Yeah, I actually, um, shout out to another Emerson alum. I started it in, in Los Angeles with Lauren Cortizo, who was our same, uh, class, uh, class of 2013. She's based in LA right now. And, uh, Your Neighbor's Backyard is a love child of ours and kind of came from our love of going to house shows when we were growing up. And also, um, we both grew up on the east coast going to like gross, like shows in a basement.
And, and then we decided, you know, Lauren was running the Boston Marathon and needed to raise money and she actually had a backyard at the time at our place in LA and we said, Why don't we do that idea that we had about like doing the house shows, like you actually have the space. Like why don't we do that? And so we filled the bill with pretty much like all Emerson people that lived in LA that were doing music and comedy kind of on the side and just sort of like put showcased our, our friends and their talent to raise money for, um, this organization Girl Up that she was running the marathon for.
So we ended up having an incredible turnout, people were really into like this sort of intimate space and this sort of like openness of the audience because it was people trying out that like they've never played before or you know, bits out that they've never tried before. And so, um, creating this sort of like really engaged community and audience was something that we found so special. And then ever since then we've continued and now that I've moved to New York in 2017, I actually brought it to New York and so I've been doing it here like every, so like every season or so, like we, you know, four or five times a year.
Um, and we focus on raising awareness and money for different or organizations like something that's topical, something that fear feels near and dear to our hearts. Like this past May, I did one specifically for the API community, you know, with just everything that's been going on in New York and I'm myself am an Asian-American woman. And so I felt like being able to use Wine B as this, this sort of vehicle to kind of raise money and bring people together has just been an amazing thing to kind of put my energy into, you know, when I'm not making it big at work.
Quinn Marcus:
(laughing).
Dominique Banas:
I can feel like I'm making it big in my community. Oh, I did it twice too.
Quinn Marcus:
Do you think if we put our numbers together, like three, three mentions of the title, is that the most you've had from a guest?
Georgette Pierre:
Yes, it is (laughs).
Quinn Marcus:
Okay. We just wanna win.
Dominique Banas:
Wait, we wanna be the first duo. We wanna use the title the most. You know, we just, we just wanna win.
Georgette Pierre:
Check like y'all are like checking off a lot of firsts, right? (laughing) for the podcast. And is, I mean, is there a way that people can be involved with, um, the organization as far as like donating and collaborating with you all? I, I don't know what's like.
Dominique Banas:
Yeah. Totally, we're always looking for artists. I mean as of right now we're just based in LA and New York, but if you are a comedian or in artists or creative photographer, like we are looking for all types of visual artists. Like we wanna incorporate as much of different kinds of mediums of art in the shows.
Um, but if you live in any of those cities, feel free to follow us at YNB underscore community. And we're always, you know, looking for, um, new acts and also volunteers. And also we, you know, every year now we've been trying to raise money specifically for our, you know, the admin and like sort of upkeep of the non-profit, um, just because there's a lot of things that you have to pay for. So, um, yeah, follow us and uh, come hang out (laughs).
Georgette Pierre:
Yeah. Something that, so as I'm hearing you all speak about various things, the one thing I, I, I hear, especially as you were talking about the non-profit is a lot of these, these ideas and things that we fall into aren't really like masterminded, right? Like, it literally was like she had a backyard, y'all were like, let's just put this together.
So something that I've been feeling as far as like the theme of a lot of my conversations for season five has been what keeps your fire lit? Like, how do you keep going in moments where you sometimes get discouraged or not inspired or don't feel strong? How do you keep your momentum going when in moments when you're just like, f this shit? Right. You know?
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah. I think a big piece of advice that you hear all the time in LA is like, the ones who make it just stick it out and it's literally a, a waiting game.
Georgette Pierre:
Mm.
Quinn Marcus:
So that always is whenever I'm really, you know, hard on myself, I, I'm always just like, it's not really is just, just keep doing it 'cause I, you know, I don't think there's anything else I, I could do. Like literally. So, you know, just waiting, but, but also like, this is such a thir- in my 30s thing to say, but a walk can do wonders. I didn't know about this in my 20s, but walking is excellent (laughing).
Like, oh my God, people don't talk about it enough. I would be like stuck writing or something and I'm like staring at my computer and now I just stop staring at my computer and walk around and it's like, that does, like, moving your body and breathing oxygen is amazing.
Georgette Pierre:
And, and, and Dominique, what about you?
Dominique Banas:
I feel like I found this was especially important during, um, the pandemic and we were all stuck at home and working from home and I mean, for our show like was doing Zoom interviews, like, I mean, you know, just kind of nonstop for the, for the year and a half that we were at home.
But calling your, who are those people who are, who are in your tribe, your community, those people like, I don't know, I found that I would go on a walk and maybe call a friend who lived in LA that I hadn't talked to in a while and the moment I would like hear their voice and, and it's, you know, I don't know, it just like, it kind of put a lot of things into perspective and then also gave me the confidence to be like, no, yeah, I'm, I am a bad bitch. Like, I am gonna go back to work. Like I am gonna go produce that. Like I doubted myself, but like, not, not anymore.
Like, and it's feel like tapping into, I feel like because I was just with my partner the whole time. I mean, I love him and he's amazing. We're getting married in like less than three weeks, but he can't do all of that for me. Like he couldn't, I, I, he couldn't be my partner and like my roommate and my chef and also like fill my, fill my cup and fill my tank and I needed to call who those other people could be to vent 'cause a lot of us were going through the same stuff. A lot of us are feeling the same doubts.
Georgette Pierre:
Absolutely. Yeah. I know. And you know, I have to, I have this like terrible habit. I know some people may be able to relate to this is like, I know for me know, knowing that energy is really strong, I'll keep myself self-contained to not project or transfer my energy onto anybody else, especially if I'm feeling shitty, right?
Quinn Marcus:
Mm.
Georgette Pierre:
Um, but then what ends up happening is like, then I'll incubate for like days.
Quinn Marcus:
I think it's really interesting, like for me the, what I found is, and I don't know, I wonder for you like there's a fine line between finding inspiration and finding comparison.
Georgette Pierre:
Mm.
Quinn Marcus:
And I've had to, the older I get realize what if I wanna look at someone else's work, I, it's like there are, there are pieces of work or mediums that inspire me and then there are mediums that make me really hate myself.
Georgette Pierre:
Mm.
Quinn Marcus:
And it's weird because like I wanna make television, but I don't look there for inspiration and I like go to the movies alone and look at movies for inspiration because it's more of a vibe and less of a, um, A to A compar- like, you know, like if I'm making television, I don't look at other people's television because it makes me feel bad.
Georgette Pierre:
Mm-hmm.
Quinn Marcus:
But if I'm making television, I go to a movie and I'm like, "Look at that art, like look at that amazing creativity. Let me go make some TV."
Georgette Pierre:
That's interesting to ... right? Cause my, my brain could be very linear and rigid and that's the, the, the practice that I'm working on getting out of. But it's something to be said about finding inspiration in other places that are not just as obvious 'cause to your point, yes, like I am over here like, like she's making all these shows and I love what she's doing, blah, blah, blah. And I'm just like, "But I'm not there yet. Am I ever going to get there? What's gonna ..."
And so it's like, that's something to think about. Um, Thank you for sharing that point. Like, that's something to think about 'cause you know, they tell you to watch TV if you wanna make TV, but then they're, then you fall into the, the comparison standpoint.
Quinn Marcus:
Mm-hmm.
Georgette Pierre:
And I know I have been to the point where-
Quinn Marcus:
And then, and then I'll be like, "Oh, I'm just watching TV-
Georgette Pierre:
Yes.
Quinn Marcus:
... I'm not, I'm not making it." Like, and then I feel like a lazy person (laughing).
Georgette Pierre:
I was gonna say, and then I fall into the rut where I'm just like, "Well, I end up watching more TV and more TV but I'm not working on my own shit." And I'm just like, "Here we go, here we go." Capitalism will force you to want these things now and it has to happen now. And we continue to future trip. And I'm like, "Calm down Georgette." (laughs).
Quinn Marcus:
[inaudible 00:30:10]. I used to be writing a first draft of a script and then I would go read an Oscar winning script and my ex-girlfriend would always have to be like, "You're not understanding how you're yourself over right now. Like, don't read the Oscar winner-
Dominique Banas:
(laughs).
Quinn Marcus:
... on your first draft (laughs).
Georgette Pierre:
Fair enough. That is fair enough. Um, if you both had to switch careers right now, what would you do? Dominique, starting with you.
Dominique Banas:
Singer maybe I was singing.
Georgette Pierre:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
I am, I actually, I I grew up, you know, I'm, I'm Filipino so we, we did sing a lot. We have a lot of karaoke in our, in our family. So I think my little child dream was to be a pop star, but sometimes recently I'm like, "Should I have been a, can I be a florist?"
Quinn Marcus:
Oh.
Dominique Banas:
I'm really into, I'm really into that talk about something that's very therapeutic for me. I feel like I've really gotten into arranging flowers-
Quinn Marcus:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
... and filling my house with, with, with (laughs) flowers and-
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah.
Dominique Banas:
... I don't know.
Georgette Pierre:
With-
Dominique Banas:
I don't even, I think I would do that and then I would probably get bored. But I, I'd be like, "But then I have to make a documentary about how I'm, I'm a florist now," you know, it's just like Dom. Like I feel like the media part of my brain is never gonna leave me, but yeah, music of some kind. I, I feel we have a lot of music in our house 'cause my fiance is a musician and I love singing, but it's not really something that I can really, I have had the time to do recently. So maybe that.
Georgette Pierre:
I could relate to that. Go ahead. Quinn. Go. What, what about you?
Quinn Marcus:
Oh, I wanna be in Doms band.
Dominique Banas:
Yeah. She plays the drums. So we could sing.
Georgette Pierre:
[inaudible 00:31:43].
Quinn Marcus:
I think in another universe we'd still be working together. We would just be rock stars.
Dominique Banas:
Yeah. I mean that could be our, I said that I joked before when we plugged in the mic that we, that could be our second act.
Quinn Marcus:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
Our second act of life is that we're gonna have a, a duo band.
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah. Yeah. And honestly we don't even need to be successful.
Georgette Pierre:
Mm.
Quinn Marcus:
Like, I would love to just like jam with you like at a coffee house at like a 5:00 PM slot. Like the-
Dominique Banas:
Yeah.
Quinn Marcus:
... the worst slot (laughing).
Dominique Banas:
As people are getting off of work. They-
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah, like nobody has coffee at 5:00 PM so it's empty (laughs).
Dominique Banas:
I actually would really like to try being a DP (laughs).
Georgette Pierre:
Mm.
Quinn Marcus:
Cool.
Dominique Banas:
I thought, yeah, I've actually thought about that because I'm also sneakily very obsessed with like female DPs 'cause there's not that many or just like-
Georgette Pierre:
And can you tell people what DP stands for for those that are not in the industry?
Dominique Banas:
Oh yeah. Director of photography. So like the person that's holding the camera. I know I'm also, I know you can't tell from this Zoom, but I'm also 4'11", so I like, probably the camera would like overpower me, but I could figure it out. Like I'm pretty str I'm getting pretty strong, but I, I have like, I've gone really into shooting on film again, which I used to do when I was younger. And I feel like I have this sort of like, this desire to try it at some point in my creative life and I just haven't really gone to that point yet. But I want to at some point.
Georgette Pierre:
I love it. And, and you know, DPs, I mean like, they set the visual tone for films, for TV shows. I mean, it's a beautiful thing. So that's awesome.
Dominique Banas:
And I, I feel like following them on Instagra- like social medias of DPs is like my favorite weird niche thing on the internet because they have the coolest Instagrams 'cause-
Georgette Pierre:
Yes.
Dominique Banas:
... they have the best eyes. Like they have the best, like, you know what I mean? Like, it's like, why are we even on the same, uh, platform? Like you guys are like significantly, like much more, you know, good at this. But I mean, the DP that we're working on on our project, like, he's such an incredible, he has such an incredible eye and I feel like I've learned so much just like watching him work. And so that's been, that's been pretty cool. Um, but yeah.
Quinn Marcus:
Dude, if I like when our show gets picked up, season two-
Dominique Banas:
Mm-hmm.
Quinn Marcus:
... you're DPing an episode.
Dominique Banas:
Hmm. I'm down.
Quinn Marcus:
You're doing it.
Dominique Banas:
Yeah. Do it.
Georgette Pierre:
Quinn what about you? What, what, um, what would, what would you try and why haven't you tried? What haven't you done yet and why? Why? Wait a minute, let me run that back. Give me a sec. I was like, wait, what the fuck? (laughs) okay.
Quinn Marcus:
It sounds like, it sounds like personal. What haven't you tried that you're interested in trying? Well-
Georgette Pierre:
(laughing) what one thing, what's one thing you'd like to try next and why haven't you tried it yet?
Quinn Marcus:
Okay, We're talking about work, right? (laughs).
Georgette Pierre:
Um-
Quinn Marcus:
Oh, it could be, it could be personal, like anything.
Georgette Pierre:
Yeah.
Quinn Marcus:
No, I'm joking. I'm joking. Well, threesome.
Dominique Banas:
(laughs).
Quinn Marcus:
Just, just kidding, just kidding. Um, you know, like I have been writing for a really long time and I, I'm just slow. I'm like real slow. So I've written a few feature link scripts, but they're, they're not great. So I have this new one I'm working on that I'm gonna finish and like, I think my big thing is like finishing a movie that I'm proud of that I really think is like awesome. So yeah, I think screenwriting but doing it well (laughs).
Georgette Pierre:
Absolutely.
Quinn Marcus:
As opposed to what I've been doing with screenwriting-
Georgette Pierre:
Um-
Quinn Marcus:
... which is so important.
Georgette Pierre:
... so to put the cherry on top, what does it mean for you all to make it, and how will you know when you get there?
Quinn Marcus:
Okay. Truly making this pilot with my friends and editing it right now and being like, "Oh shit, this is really good." Feels like the beginnings of that moment.
Georgette Pierre:
Mm.
Quinn Marcus:
Like I truly feel that knock on all the wood, but man, it's like, it all feels right. It's the best content, it's the best feeling of the team. Like I, I've, I've never been more in just like in um, what's that called? When you're inflow? Yeah, like inflow with a group and it feels so right. So this to me-
Georgette Pierre:
That's energy.
Quinn Marcus:
... feels like yeah, this to me feels like this is it. So I think what that means to me is like making it, which I used to think making like, I, you know, getting a pilot picked up could have been, could have been that feeling, but it wasn't. And 'cause I was alone and it was my ego and it was all about me and it was like, "Oh, I'm funny. So I got a thing." But this is like, "Guys, we worked our asses off and we got ..."
If we get this, it's like we got something that we worked so hard for and it's not about one of us specifically, it's about us as a group and also it's about all the people we're interviewing and talking to and it, it just feels more whole and, and better because it's not about me as much.
Dominique Banas:
Yeah. Yeah. I think it's making stuff with no one, like with no bosses ar- I mean, I know that we're kind of like overseeing our own thing, but like, there's something like really, I feel like there's a lot of like culture about being like, "Be your own boss." But like that feeling of actually being your own boss and making something with no parameters that you're making from scratch is such an incredible ... Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm kind of echoing what Quinn said, but like, it's a really liberating and incredible feeling.
Georgette Pierre:
So it essentially sounds like you all connecting to making the stuff that you love to do and the money being attached to that in the way of being your own boss and being able to give other people opportunities within the framework of what you all are creating as well. So-
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah.
Georgette Pierre:
Amen. Ashay to that. Dominique and Quinn, thank you all so much. Y'all are so funny.
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah. Thank you.
Dominique Banas:
Thank you. This is so fun.
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah. And I love that we're, since we're sharing an ear thing, we had to be so close. And that's my favorite (laughs).
Dominique Banas:
Yeah, I know. We literally, we're really taking this duo thing to the next level.
Quinn Marcus:
(laughs).
Dominique Banas:
Let's see if your next duo does it like this (laughs).
Quinn Marcus:
Yeah. Call us and compare.
Georgette Pierre:
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