PIERSON TO PERSON

Brent Pierson
  • 4.9 (13)
  • Society & Culture

Longtime documentary and non-fiction TV producer Brent Pierson talks with a variety of colorful people about everything from living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment business and other interesting fields to creative expression, pursuing one's passion, and the many nuances of the human condition.

  1. COP TALK

    04/11/2020

    COP TALK

    BILL DUKE is a retired sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department. He spent 32 years "on the job" protecting and serving the citizens of LA -- a job that both fed his soul and satisfied the adrenaline junkie in him. Climb into the back seat of Bill's car as he drives Brent around Hollywood, DTLA and Chinatown and talks about his life on the beat. (1hr 6min)

    1h 6m

  2. 11/18/2018

    FOOD FOR THOUGHT

    JOHN T. LANG, Ph.D. is the chair of the Department of Sociology at Occidental College. Professor Lang devotes much of his academic research to the exploration of social relations surrounding the production and consumption of food. (EXTENDED EPISODE: 1hr 14min)   EPISODE NOTES:  Thanksgiving week is here and food takes center stage in America. So, too, on an extended episode of PIERSON TO PERSON as I talk with JOHN T. LANG, Ph.D. Professor Lang chairs the Department of Sociology at Occidental College and devotes much of his academic research to the exploration of social relations surrounding the production and consumption of food. Our wide-ranging conversation covers restaurant rivalries, fine dining, food trucks, small plates, family food budgets, meal kit delivery services, food TV, chain restaurants, the rise of Whole Foods, the fall of Fresh & Easy, the enduring cult of Trader Joe's, food worker wages, lobster, caviar, sushi, Pringles, Cheetos, "secret" off-menu items, Yelp, food rituals … and a problem we both have in common. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!   Many thanks to Lee Rosevere for the music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: 1. "As I Was Saying"  2. "Try Anything Once"  3. "4th Ave. Walkup" 4. "Curiosity" 5. "I'm Going for a Coffee" 6. "Southside" 7. "Keeping Stuff Together" 8. "Evening Glow" For more information on Lee Rosevere's music, please visit: leerosevere.bandcamp.com

    1h 14m

  3. 06/22/2018

    ORION THE ARTIST

    ANDY GINER kept his passion for rapping under wraps for several years before finding the courage to step forward as his hip-hop alter ego, ORION THE ARTIST. Andy is serious about finding a place for himself in the competitive rap world -- not for fame and fortune, but for a higher purpose. (44:13) EXPLICIT   EPISODE NOTES:    ANDY GINER is one of the best production sound engineers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I'd always seen Andy as a mild-mannered guy. Quiet and unassuming, but friendly. Then we became Facebook friends and I discovered, to my surprise, that Andy has a fast talking hip-hop alter ego he calls ORION THE ARTIST – a very different fella than the affable, low-key sound man I've been in the field with. Rapping, I've since learned, is a big part of Andy's life and he's serious about finding a place for himself in the competitive world of hip-hop. Not for fame and fortune, but for a higher purpose. For more information on ORION THE ARTIST and how to download his album IDENTITY LOST, please visit his website: oriontheartist.com Many thanks to Ryan Little for the opening/closing music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: "Falling Down" by Ryan Little - https://soundcloud.com/iamryanlittle

    44 min

  4. 05/19/2018

    MENSCHES and MENTORS and BABY BEARS, OH MY!

    DAN ARDEN is a veteran non-fiction television producer with a reputation of being a very nice guy to work for – some say too nice. But for Dan, creating a positive and enriching experience for his production team is equally rewarding, sometimes even more so, than producing the show itself. (43:37)     EPISODE NOTES: I've known and worked with a lot of nice and conscientious TV producers over the years, but DAN ARDEN is hands down the nicest and most conscientious. It's just who Dan is, and reflective of the way he leads his life. For nearly 40 years, Dan has belonged to Soka Gakkai International-USA, a Buddhist peace organization whose members are guided by the core principles of respecting the dignity of human life and the interconnect-edness of self and the environment. And whether he's producing a series or special for Discovery, Animal Planet, Nat Geo, HBO, NBC, AMC, Showtime, Fox or PBS, Dan strives to create a positive and enriching experience for the people on his production team: "There's the material, and the stories, and the outcome of the show you're working on, and that's really important. But equally, whether it's for six months, one season or if you're lucky enough to work on a show for years, it's almost like having this other family. And I think when you're producing, you're able to create that environment where friends are working together and where you learn from each other. That becomes equally rewarding, and sometimes even more so when you look back on a project, than the show itself." Many thanks to the composers of the music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: 1. "Airlift" by Poddington Bear - soundofpicture.com 2. "Bill Pickett" by Simon Mathewson 3. "True North" by Adam Selzer 4. "Associations" by Poddington Bear - soundofpicture.com

    44 min

  5. 04/20/2018

    GOTTA HAVE FAITH

    FAITH PRINCE won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Miss Adelaide in the 1992 Broadway revival of "Guys and Dolls." And while Faith was honored to be recognized for her performance, she says the baggage that came with the win messed her up for five years. (48:04) EXPLICIT     EPISODE NOTES: And the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical goes to … FAITH PRINCE. The year was 1992. The show was "Guys and Dolls." The role was Miss Adelaide. And while Faith was honored to be recognized for her performance, she did not expect the baggage that came with the win: "It kinda messes you up for awhile because it puts you in this league and then people go, 'Oh, you can't take that. That's not worthy of you.' Suddenly I went from being a character actress to being a leading lady. And it took me about five years to shake all that and go back to my old self and start picking things that I liked and wanted to do." FAITH PRINCE starred as Miss Adelaide opposite Nathan Lane in the 1992 Broadway revival of "Guys and Dolls." FAITH PRINCE won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in "Guys and Dolls." FAITH PRINCE stars as Della in the 2018 La Jolla Playhouse production of "The Cake" by Bekah Brunstetter.   Many thanks to the Blue Dot Sessions for the music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: 1. "The Zeppelin" - www.sessions.blue/sessions/ 2. "Heliotrope" - www.sessions.blue/sessions/

    48 min

  6. 03/23/2018

    MINDBODY AND SOUL

    BLAKE BELTRAM is co-founder of MINDBODY, the largest provider of cloud-based business management software to the boutique, beauty, health and wellness industry. The publicly traded company serves clients in over 130 countries worldwide. (52:42)     EPISODE NOTES: It's been 20 years since BLAKE BELTRAM sat in my living room tinkering with a software program that he had recently created to help yoga and pilates studios manage their daily business. I should have paid more attention. Turns out, Blake's nascent software was the seed that grew into a mighty oak called MINDBODY. The publicly traded company is now the largest provider of cloud-based business management software to the boutique beauty, health and wellness industry serving clients in over 130 countries worldwide. Headquartered in San Luis Obispo, MINDBODY was co-founded by high school friends Rick Stollmeyer and Blake Beltram.   Many thanks to the Blue Dot Sessions for the music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: 1. "The Zeppelin" - www.sessions.blue/sessions/ 2. "Cases to Rest" - www.sessions.blue/sessions/

    53 min

  7. 03/04/2018

    WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

    JEFF COPELAND is an author, screenwriter and non-fiction television producer whose close friendship with Andy Warhol superstar HOLLY WOODLAWN (immortalized in Lou Reed's biggest hit song "Walk On the Wild Side") dramatically impacted his professional and personal life in ways he never expected. (46:40) EXPLICIT     EPISODE NOTES: Andy Warhol made her famous. Lou Reed immortalized her in song. And JEFF COPELAND wrote the book that chronicles the extraordinary journey of a 15-year-old runaway who, as Reed croons, "shaved her legs and then he was a she." As Jeff tells me in his PIERSON TO PERSON episode WALK ON THE WILD SIDE, he distinctly remembers the first time he laid eyes on the drag queen who would so dramatically impact his professional and personal life. JEFF: "I spotted this androgynous being, and I couldn't figure out if this was a man or a woman. I turned to my friend and asked, 'Who is that?' And he said, 'Oh, that's Holly Woodlawn. She's an Andy Warhol superstar. Don't bother with her. She's a mess!' And I was intrigued. That night, as I tried to sleep, I couldn't get Holly Woodlawn out of my mind. She just haunted me." Jeff was a 25-year-old aspiring screenwriter at the time, and his fascination with Holly Woodlawn quickly turned into action. He found Holly, then 42, listed in the phone book, called her up and said he was writing a movie that she'd be perfect for. He invited her to dinner and the two hit it off immediately. (Jeff would later move into the apartment next to Holly's.) JEFF: "We were extremely close. She told me her secrets. I told her mine. We shared the same insecurities. We were both misfits trying to fit in." Jeff finished his script and started shopping it around with Holly Woodlawn attached. Nobody was interested. However, an intern at a literary agency fished the script out of the trashcan it had been thrown into – along with some biographical information and photos of Holly that Jeff had also submitted – and thought her story would make for a good book. The intern's intuition proved to be right. A LOW LIFE IN HIGH HEELS: THE HOLLY WOODLAWN STORY was published in 1991 – a collaboration between Holly and Jeff, with Jeff doing the heavy lifting. Although Jeff didn't really want to write a book, he agreed to do it with the understanding that if the movie rights were sold, he would write the screenplay. CUT TO: A year later, Jeff reads in Liz Smith's gossip column that Madonna is going to star in a film based on Holly Woodlawn's book and that actor/playwright Harvey Fierstein is going to write the screenplay. JEFF: "It was devastating. It was such a painful experience for me to have my best friend turn on me like that. She, essentially, stabbed me in the back. But I ended up thinking, 'You know, Holly Woodlawn has only one story. Jeff Copeland has a million he can whip up. So, Holly, you take your story and go with Harvey Fierstein. Go with Columbia Pictures.' I wasn't going to stand in the way." Eventually, the Madonna/Fierstein/Columbia deal fell through. And, despite the script being optioned a few more times by other producers, no movie about the life of Holly Woodlawn was ever made. But Holly never gave up hope that one day it would be – even on her deathbed. JEFF: "Holly was like Norma Desmond, clinging to that dream. And it was very tragic. Holly was an alcoholic and she just spiraled out of control. It really bothered me to see her decline physically because of her alcoholism. And when I saw her last, she was living in a convalescent home and I actually brought her some gingerbread from Starbucks, and tried to make peace. I never stopped caring about Holly or her wellbeing." Holly Woodlawn died on December 6, 2015 at the age of 69. Jeff Copeland is now writing a new book about his many wild experiences with her called: Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn. A LOW LIFE IN HIGH HEELS: THE HOLLY WOODLAWN STORY is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Holly-Woodlawn-Story-Life-Heels/dp/0312064292/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520148224&sr=8-1&keywords=holly+woodlawn   Many thanks to Poddington Bear for the opening music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: "On a Wing" by Poddington Bear - soundofpicture.com

    47 min

  8. 01/07/2018

    #ELIZABETHTOO

    ELIZABETH COOPER SMOKLER has spent 40 years working as a Hollywood makeup artist, primarily on TV sitcoms such as Roseanne, The Ellen Show, Reba, Blossom, The Larry Sanders Show and Who's the Boss? It's been a wonderful career – except, that is, for all the sexual harassment she's had to deal with in the process. (50:53)     EPISODE NOTES: Not long before allegations surrounding Harvey Weinstein jump-started an ongoing dialogue on sexual harassment in Hollywood, I talked with veteran TV makeup artist ELIZABETH COOPER SMOKLER about her experience working with lecherous celebrities. ELIZABETH: "These are people with a lot of power that nobody ever says 'no' to. Or, very rarely. And they're wealthy and entitled, and you're in their personal space. You're touching their face, touching their neck and so it can be a challenge at times because people take that as an opportunity to cross boundaries. That was a huge problem in my life." Elizabeth has spent 40 years making actors up, primarily for sitcoms (e.g. Roseanne, The Ellen Show, Reba, The Larry Sanders Show, The Naked Truth, The Geena Davis Show, Three Sisters, Blossom, Nurses, Who's the Boss?). And while she says most of the men who have sat in her makeup chair have been terrific, there are some men – and even a woman – she'll never forget because they made things extremely uncomfortable and difficult for her. ELIZABETH: "You know, it's progressive. People begin to harass you in a progressive way. It starts out light and joking, and then it segues slowly but surely into more pressure. And then when you turn them down, they start to get angry." On one particular show, things got so bad that Elizabeth's father came to a taping and sat in the makeup room while she made up the show's star: ELIZABETH: "I was so bothered by this one person that I told him about it. And he came in like he was coming to see the show. It was an audience show. But my father was thinking if he introduced himself to this actor, that the actor would recognize that this is the daughter of another man and that he should treat me with respect." Elizabeth and I also talk about the many positive aspects of her career, what she thinks the secret to her success is, as well as how her craft has changed over the years with the advent of high-definition television (HDTV). And be sure to check out the Bonus Material I've posted – a first for PIERSON TO PERSON. I recorded Elizabeth making me up as if I were going to appear on television (to better understand her craft) and, I have to admit, having all of one's facial imperfections pointed out and covered up is a little humbling. Not that Elizabeth wasn't nice about it. Quite the contrary. After all, she's a pro.   Many thanks to Lee Rosevere for the opening and closing music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: 1. "Southside" by Lee Rosevere - leerosevere.bandcamp.com 2. "As I Was Saying" by Lee Rosevere - leerosevere.bandcamp.com

    51 min
See All (32)

4.9
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Longtime documentary and non-fiction TV producer Brent Pierson talks with a variety of colorful people about everything from living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment business and other interesting fields to creative expression, pursuing one's passion, and the many nuances of the human condition.

Information

  • Creator
    Brent Pierson
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2020
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Brent Pierson
  • Show Website
    PIERSON TO PERSON