Courtesy of Dale Godboldo
Godboldo is best known for his work as Dream Team attorney Carl E. Douglas on the award-winning FX series The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. He was also a member of the popular 90’s cult classic show The ‘All-New’ Mickey Mouse Club alongside Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell, and Ryan Gosling. With the support of his fellow former Mouseketeers, he founded Always in the Club Foundation, which supports arts education and mentorship. The mission of AITCF is to raise funding and support other organizations focused on education, arts, mentorship, and entrepreneurship. He is also an executive producer of the upcoming Mickey Mouse Club Reunion, which will reunite cast members and fans to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary. The highly-anticipated event will take place in Orlando in May 2019 and you can see more information here.
Staying true to his roots, Godboldo will next be seen with a recurring role in the Adaptive Studios series Palomino & Swissy as a bonafide badass character named Darius who is smart, ruthless, and runs an illegal enterprise. He is also set to star as Detective Sica in 88, a pilot presentation for ITV.
Hi, Dale! Thank you for the opportunity to interview you. We have quite a few questions, so we’ll get started. So much has changed in the film industry. Filming with smartphones is becoming extremely popular. What are your thoughts?
I love the fact that filmmaking has opened up to anyone with a passion to tell stories. The internet has changed the way we consume content, so the way content is created has also evolved. The barriers to entry are gone, so I’m particularly excited about the opportunities to explore diverse content across the various platforms available.
With so many new tools to create a film, how does one choose the best tool for their project? (e.g. Black Magic, RED, or smartphone).
I’m partial to the RED, however, there’s some amazing stuff being created with smartphones. I really think it’s about the eye of the filmmaker and the story he/she wants to tell.
We know it’s important to have a strong team to support a film. For those on a limited budget (e.g. Raman noodles and snicker bars type budget), should they invest more in the script, editing, or cinematography?
I think most people will say that it really all does start with the script. A script will inspire the right people to work with you at a budget that you can handle. Just as importantly, if not more so, is the Director. In fact, a great Director can be instrumental in ensuring the script is right. I’ve known actors to overlook challenges with a script because they trust the director. I feel that the Director and Script combination are the most important elements in creating any piece of work.
We are a firm believer in keeping your expectations in check. With that said, what advice would you give film students on how to create the best and most relevant content in today’s industry?
It’s my opinion that the idea of the project – what the project has to say – should be the thing that inspires anyone to take it on. It’s what drives the creative process and delivers inspiration for taking it to the next level. Whether it’s a low budget indie or a big budget popcorn movie, great storytelling is always rooted in emotions and theme. To be relevant to the audience simply means to speak to the basic human qualities in us all. Start there and add the explosions later.
Could you discuss the importance of a showreel/demo reel? We believe everyone in the film industry needs one, even if they are a makeup artist that works on film sets.
The showreel or demo reel will always be important to anyone starting out. There’s simply no other way to get a real sense of what an artist is capable of. I always encourage young artists to produce their own content for their reel if necessary.
Vimeo and YouTube are used by many filmmakers. We’ve noticed some prefer one medium over another. They both have their pros and cons. Do you believe a film student should utilize both outlets, to expand their reach?
I believe a film student should absolutely use both Vimeo and YouTube. YouTube really is great for promotions and organic views, while Vimeo works best for showcasing your work when pointing someone to it.
Speaking of teasers. Many film studios are releasing teasers before the official trailer. What is your opinion on this?
I love teasers, simply because I’m always chomping at the bit for the trailer. You have to give me something to tide me over until the trailer’s ready to drop.
Tell us about Always in the Club Foundation.
The Mickey Mouse Club was more than a show, it was art and entrepreneurship academy. As a Mouseketeer, I also learned the power (and responsibility) of media as an agent for promoting diversity and inclusivity. Inspired by my time on the show, and the mentorship I received, I created Always In The Club Foundation (www.AlwaysInTheClub.org) with the support of several fellow Mouseketeers, as a platform for promoting youth arts, education, and entrepreneurship. Our mission is to help other outstanding non-profits raise the funding they need to be effective. We’ve developed programs and partnerships with incredible organizations across the country including the Stan Lee Foundation (www.StanLeeFoundation.org) that uses comic books to help increase literacy. Arvada K-8 School (a Jeffco Public School) recently launched AITC’s Project: NOW Service Learning Program in Denver to help underprivileged students reach their full potential. The Project: NOW Initiative (www.ProjectNowInitiative.org) rapidly addresses the educational needs of at-risk youth in America, and promotes diversity and career advancement in corporate America. We were proud to recently make a donation to INROADS (www.INROADS.org) in support of their programs. See my blog post: https://projectnowinitiative.org/2018/05/26/projectnow-makes-donation-to-inroads-at-2018-benefit-gala/
You’re also an executive producer of the upcoming Mickey Mouse Club Reunion, which will reunite cast members and fans to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary. The highly-anticipated event will take place in Orlando in May 2019. What can fans expect?
We’ve been working on this event for almost a year, and we’re excited to share our own reunion with fans of the Mouse Club and Disney as a whole. Fans can expect Mouseketeers and memories, nostalgia, magic, music, surprises, and fun experiences. Joey Fatone grew up with us in Orlando, so we couldn’t think of anyone more perfect to take our fans on this ride with us. Joey’s a nut, so we know fans are going to have an amazing time. One of the things we’re most excited about is getting everyone on the same stage for some jam sessions. We really want this to be a once in a lifetime experience that fans will never forget.
What are your favorite 5 things you like to have on your film set?
- Black Tea
- A book
- My Tablet
- My cell phone
- My phone charger
If you choose the most important thing a film student should learn, what would it be?
The most important thing a film student can learn is to be professional. Many, many times that will trump skill. That means to be on time, willing to do virtually anything legal and ethical, and always professional. You will learn the craft on set if you’re paying attention. But once you’ve made a name for being unreliable, it’s incredibly difficult to come back from that.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
I’m excited about The Final Wish that I executive-produced for Jeffrey Reddick, the creator of the Final Destination franchise. It’s in theaters now. This film launches our Superstition Movies brand exploring various superstitions around the world, and across multiple platforms of media. Rarely done in the Horror genre, we scored an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score with critics. I couldn’t be more proud of Jeffrey and the Director – Timothy Woodward, Jr. Check out www.SuperstitionMovies.com
I’m also directing the 4th Annual City Summit & Gala (www.CitySummit.co) on the weekend of the Academy Awards, where we’re honoring Colin Farrell and Les Brown. Mario Lopez, Randy Jackson of American Idol, and Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank are speaking, as well. I’m thrilled to be having my brother Tony Lucca from Mickey Mouse Club and The Voice performing. It’s a world-class, socially conscious business acceleration experience with over 80 speakers and leaders in business sharing tools and techniques for success. We’ll also be fundraising over the weekend for our non-profit partners at City Gala on the evening of the Oscars Learn more at www.CityGala.org.
Complete this sentence, if I had the film budget of my dreams, I would create _______________.
The Sojourner Truth story… which my cousin is actually championing right now.
M.A.S.K. (based on the toys), which I think is finally getting made somewhere. I’ve been dreaming about that one since I was a kid.
My biggest passion is The Arthur Ashe Story, although it would not need to be a big budget.
Connect with Dale:
Twitter: @dalegodboldo
Instagram: @dalegodboldo
Featured Image Credit: Courtesy of Dale Godboldo.
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