Erman Baradi is a Filipino-American writer, producer, and “a top networker in Hollywood”, according to The Huffington Post. He is the co-founder of the Hollywood event series MixKnowledgy (formerly The Rel/event) in LA, NYC, Chicago, Virginia, Miami, and London, as well as The Film Empire Hollywood mentorship contest. The Occhi Team know he’s a very busy man who continues to be involved in several humanitarian projects including the Equal Justice Initiative and Innocence Project. Further to our 2018 article, we had another chance to speak to him about his career and current projects.
Hi Erman, thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on the success so far. Firstly, particularly for the benefit of our new readers, how did you get involved in the entertainment industry?
It’s a long story really! But I’ll fill you in on the basics. I went to film school like most people in film, but I honestly didn’t get the experience I was hoping for. But I’ll take part of that responsibility because I was really shy in a way and didn’t want to speak up, thinking my ideas were dumb. After college, I had an internship at a local radio station where I was an assistant to a radio host for his local music festival. I leveraged that to acquire an internship in Hollywood at Mosaic Media Group in the fall of 2012. When that wrapped up I used social media to create a name for myself. By no means am I an “influencer” but I like to be influential. Through social media, I landed gigs with film/screenwriting organizations, flew to LA a few times a year for events and meetings. It was constant back and forth crashing on couches and eating pizza and ramen, as cliche as it sounds. Then I started putting on my own industry events, all the while making connections within the industry. My mantra was “helping others while helping myself.” In organizing these events, I’d connect people to names in the business, and that, in turn, got me connected. Here I am in 2020, and I think I’m finally gaining traction with my material thanks to meetings being lined up. I’m not going to lie to you and say I’m established. The ball’s really starting to roll and I’m excited about that.
Your first gig in the entertainment industry was working with No Malice of Grammy-nominated rap duo Clipse, along with Pusha T. Please share your experience working with them and how it shaped your career.
Yeah, so I was connected to No Malice (who was originally Malice) through my friend TuanAnh Vu, who is a musician based in the DMV area. At the time they were looking for someone to assist Malice in a few promotional materials such as vlogs, producing some content, etc. So I’d round up the troops for some of these, gather cameramen, a few extras – whoever I had at my disposal! I wasn’t starstruck per se, but it was amazing to work alongside someone prominent in the music industry who just happened to be from my area. We are brothers in Christ so knowing that eased me into working with him because faith is a big thing to have in common with someone. I never used his name to get something I wanted because that relationship turned out to be more personal than anything. He has such a great spirit to him.
You’re a driven and focused individual. Who have been the personal and professional influencers in your life?
I don’t think anyone can answer this question without mentioning family! Whether consciously or subconsciously, we all wish to provide better lives for our loved ones. All it’ll take is that one life-changing gig. On a professional level, how can you not be inspired by The Rock? I am a lifelong wrestling fan so to see him navigate Hollywood as he does is astonishing. He is involved in humanitarian efforts as well, but he doesn’t do the whole photo op thing that many do. Also, I started watching a show on Netflix called “The Kindness Diaries” where Leon Logothetis goes on a road trip and meets people along the way who he rewards for showing him kindness. It’s a premise I had in mind but he beat me to it! Ultimately, I wish to use my platform for more than just creating art. My followers on my Instagram like my stories because I post things that the mainstream media or audience doesn’t share. We have a world bigger than what’s within our peripheral vision. People like how I’m a free thinker. Ask me a question and I won’t give you the pre-written cookie-cutter Hollywood answer. I enjoy things that go beyond expectations. I could just make movies and television shows in my future, or I can do all that plus save the world in a variety of ways. There are issues around the world that are beneath the surface which need to be fixed. A lot of it, I think, can be fixed if we changed the way we think and uplifted ourselves and others.
You have an extensive resume in producing film, television, and music industry events across the globe. To date, which event has been the most satisfying and why?
I can name any one of them more for several reasons, but one that sticks out to me has to be Toronto summer 2018. In terms of scope, it was a tiny room I rented out that could maybe fit only 40 people tops. So, why would I not mention the other events held at prestigious, well-known venues with hundreds of people in attendance? The Toronto trip stuck out to me because it showed that impact can be global. I flew in from LA for it to hang out with strangers all wanting the same goals in life, and we went out for the evening afterward. I love connecting with people from other countries, engaging with them, learning their ways of life. I was able to touch lives across the border. And, I got a trip out of it! It was a work-ation.
You have a proven level of professional success but what has been your greatest challenge and how have you overcome it?
From the outside looking in, people may think that just because I’m well connected in the entertainment industry that things are handed to me just like that. I still have to work just like everyone else to get a project going. Right now, my management at Emagine Content is taking general meetings with the major networks and studios and pitching me. Luckily, a number of these executives he is speaking with are people I know! Still, the work has to show. They may read something of mine that just isn’t a fit for them. It can feel like rejection, but all it takes is that one yes to get the ball rolling. It comes down to mentality. We can feel defeated, and that’s the easiest route. But we have to view life differently. You can’t get to a million dollars without getting to one first, right? You roll losses off the shoulder. The way I see it, being human is the career. Existing and experiencing life, that’s the career. The things that make us money, the content we create, that’s the fun stuff, that’s the side hustle. When I started seeing it that way, the sting of professional losses doesn’t feel as personal.
You would like to be known as ‘a voice for Asian Americans in cinema.’ In the wake of a series of high profiled scandals and campaigns, has representation, inclusion, and diversity improved in the industry in recent years?
Thank God for “Crazy Rich Asians,” right? It was a great look for us. Of course, that’s just one aspect of it, what we physically see on the screen. Now we have to look at what’s going on behind the scenes. I am a firm believer in bringing diversity to a workplace but also it has to be balanced with credentials. Look, you can’t just give an Asian American a position for the sake of checking off a box. So how do you ensure he or she is also eligible? You allow them an opportunity in which they can hone their skills and eventually become an amazing executive or director or writer. I think the diversity initiatives are a fantastic idea to stimulate that. I happen to know a number of individuals in the industry who are Asian American and they’re killing it. Has it improved? I’d say so. Could it be better? Anything can always be better.
You’re involved in several humanitarian projects including the Equal Justice Initiative and Innocence Project. Please tell our readers more about your projects and how they can help.
Think what you want about Kim K. and Donald Trump, but facts are facts. Separately and collectively, they’ve been involved in the pardons, exonerations, and granting of clemencies to individuals, and among them are women of color. In recent years I’ve developed an interest in criminal reform and prison reform. Admittedly, I’m no expert but I’ve been doing more research on the subject. I reached out to the Equal Justice Initiative to host virtual events that raise money for it a bit before I even saw “Just Mercy,” which is based on EJI’s founder Bryan Stevenson. By pure coincidence, I came across the Innocence Project on the internet the same weekend I stumbled on “The Innocence Files” on Netflix! After seeing the doc series on Netflix I was hooked. I’ve been doing a few virtual fundraisers for both organizations with my entertainment industry community. Please visit eji.org and innocenceproject.org. I’ll be hosting more third party events and other endeavors to give back to them. On the phone with a representative at the Innocence Project, it opened my eyes to the power we have in helping the wrongfully convicted. People donate to help exonerees post-release as they rebuild lives. Can you imagine being imprisoned twenty years for a crime you did not commit? We have the honor of interviewing Huwe Burton at a recent virtual event, a man imprisoned as a teen for almost a full two decades for a murder he did not commit. But you can see how joyous he was just to be free. It was so powerful.
Pandemic allowing, what other initiatives should we look forward to seeing you involved in?
I’ve always been interested in tackling human trafficking. A good friend of mine, Jennelle Gordon, founded the non-profit Beyond Freedom. It’s something you should look into. I know immigration is always a hot button topic, but we often forget the factor of human trafficking across borders. Fingers crossed, I am also in chats with Our Rescue, so we’ll see if something clicks on that front. I am a new Justice Ambassador for Prison Fellowship, an organization that serves all those impacted by crime and incarceration and restores lives and communities in and out of prison. I believe returning citizens should have a second chance at contributing to society and to be seen as human again. Every month, my platform makes a donation to Inner City Arts in Los Angeles. Hopefully, I can do more with them in the future.
Where will we find out more information about you?
Find me on social media at @ermanbaradi and @ermantourage and also another company I co-founded, The Film Empire. Visit ermantourage.com and ermanbaradiofficial.com.
We wish Erman the best with all his endeavors!
Images, courtesy of Erman Baradi
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