Interview with Hollywood Producer Marvin V. Acuna

Nick: So I just landed out here in LA and I had the opportunity to sit down with Marvin Acuna. He’s a producer here in Hollywood and he also runs the business of show institute. He was kind enough to sit down with me and do a quick interview. Here’s what we talked about. Thanks for watching. You’re watching becoming bold and today I’m here with Marvin Acuna and we've got, I'll let him introduce the mascot of the show today. I don’t know if you can see him in the...

Marvin: This is the mascot of my life Parker.

Nick: So before we get started I love to start interview with this question. Tell me one fun fact about you.

Marvin: I would say that I’m a marathoner. I love running. I ran a full marathon in Hawaii. That will be only marathon; the full marathon but I do about two to three half marathons a year. I love it because it’s something that I enjoy doing and it also brings me to a new destination and I get to see it from a really unique perspective.

Nick: Very cool. So for the people who aren’t familiar with you tell them a little about what you do.

Marvin: Sure. I’m a feature film and television producer. the most recent picture I completed was a feature film entitled the great buck Howard with John Malkovich, Tom Hanks, Emily Blunt, Colin Hanks and Steve Zahn and I’m currently developing a television series for Bravo entitled Hit Makers which is a reality series that is an elimination type competition in where we pit singer/songwriters against each other ultimately to win a prize. So that’s what I do.

Nick: Very cool. How’d you get your start in this business?

Marvin: From as early as I can remember I’ve just loved movies. I don’t think that there is anything I’ve ever wanted to do other than to make film and television. It’s always been a great way for me to escape personally and I just decided that that’s what I was going to do. moved out to Los Angeles, now going on almost 18 years, almost two decades and the way that I got started was I caught a documentary about a guy named Roger Corman who actually was honored with an academy award this year as a lifetime achievement and he was the first person I worked for and the way I started working for him is id watch a documentary about him and I said that’s what I’ve got to work for and I showed up to his office through a number of ways of getting to his office and said that I wanted to work and they said that he only retained at the time Stanford graduates and I said that I would work for free and I got a job.

Nick: That’s pretty bold. So there was some barriers you had to jump over to enter. Were there any more cause...

Marvin: Well you know the funny thing is I didn’t know anything about the entertainment industry. I just knew I wanted to be in it and I just figured I would find Roger Corman in the yellow pages or the internet wasn’t as prevalent. We weren’t using it in the way that were using it today and so I just kind of figures I was going to find him and call him, get an interview and get a job. It was very naive of course. when I ultimately did get my way in to calling him, I remember I called, I said to the receptionist I said I’d like to speak with Roger Corman and she transferred the call and I thought oh my God I’m actually going to speak to Roger and of course his assistant answered and his assistant said to me unfortunately we're not looking for anyone and roger only likes to work specifically in his office with Stanford graduates and it take me about I wouldn’t say a very long time but about, eight weeks to figure out how to get to Roger and I ultimately did find my way there and started working there for free.

Nick: That’s pretty bold. So how would you describe someone that’s bold in this industry?

Marvin: In this industry, in the entertainment industry I would describe someone that’s bold as someone who’s fearless. I always say that every door I’ve ever walked through I kick down first.

Nick: I like that.

Marvin: So I would say someone who’s fearless. Someone who’s not afraid of being told they can’t do it and who is completely comfortable with the idea that they may not get the support they need in any way, shape or form or other that they do really have to demonstrate that they want it so that people can eventually turn the corner and offer the support.

Nick: Right. Got you. So if people were to describe you as bold what would they be describing? Your physical abilities? Your personality? Your ideas or the whole package?

Marvin: I’d like to think the whole package but specifically I think that most people would simply say that I’m nothing if I’m not persistent but, but, but I’m also passionately persistent. Meaning that I don’t come across as someone who offends people or annoys people. I know how whether it’s instinctively or whether it’s something I developed over time to understand that a no doesn’t necessarily mean no in the sense of business. It simply means I’m that much closer to getting to a yes and I think as a result I’m completely comfortable with finding a path. There’s a great saying that says I don’t remember exactly who said it but they said well find a way or make one.

Nick: I like that. So your relationship with failure and success is a good one.

Marvin: I would absolutely say so.

Nick: Yeah so failure is not the end all be all or getting a no is not the end all or be all. That’s a huge takeaway.

Marvin: Not at all. I mean for me the fact that I have failed at something it simply, simply; simply, it simply means to me I just need to find a different way. That’s all it means. It doesn’t mean that I’m a failure because look I think that there’s enough examples in the world beginning with Thomas Edison to Babe Ruth to any major piece of talent. I mean if I think of just movies in particular to my industry, I mean Forrest Gump was a script that lay around for 15 years and then won the academy award.

Nick: Yeah. That’s impressive. In theory I have a saying that most people have a secret sauce. What would you say yours is?

Marvin: I would say that the secret sauce to my experience has simply been that I don’t allow or let me rephrase this I understand that I have a negative type of discussion going on in my mind. I’m aware of that and I’m aware that we all have this I can’t do it. It can’t be done going on. What I realized from that is that that’s okay. Its juts an aspect of me that is necessary so that I can recognize that I also have another voice in my head saying yes you can do it. There’s enough evidence in your life that you have done it so therefore it can happen again and I would say that I don’t allow that negative voice to get the better of me. Anthony Robbins actually I think says it perfectly and he says allow it to be your counsellor not your jailer.

Nick: I agree with that. That’s awesome, never heard that.

Marvin: So that I would say is the secret sauce. I don’t allow my negative talk, my negative self talk to prevent me from moving forward. As terrified as I may be I still take the step forward.

Nick: Got you. That’s a good pointer. So if you were to recommend three books that have changed your life what would they be?

Marvin: Three books that had an impact in my life is number one the power of now.

Nick: Why is that for the reader?

Marvin: I would say when I first read that book I’ll never forget...

Nick: How long ago?

Marvin: Gosh oh my God. It probably just come out. It just comes out in its first edition, first printing. I picked it up and I’ll never forget it. I was sitting in a just kind of a grassy knoll area. there was a bench, I was reading it and I was taken aback by this idea of just being present and then as I looked over there was this little boy playing with a balloon just chasing this balloon and I just began to cry. I was so emotionally moved by...

Nick: It’s an amazing book.

Marvin: Yeah and by really taking a moment and to realize that there are simple things in life, we complicate our life. in fact I was bowling one day and I said God I remember I used to love bowling and a friend of mine turned to me and he said well bowling is a simple game and you’ve just become a complicated person. So the power of now is a powerful book for me. the second book I think had a profound change of my life was Awaken the Giant Within from Anthony Robbins and then a third book which has really redefined how I even conduct business is The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.

Nick: Very cool. So this leads me to the question, I’m sure you adore Timothy Ferriss and what not. If you could spend one day with anyone in the world who would it be, dead or alive?

Marvin: I would have to say that I would really enjoy spending time with President Obama without diving into any kind of political view. I just feel that this is someone who truthfully from one presentation delivered at a major conference became the president of the United States but more importantly if I think about how influential he is within the network of people that he has surrounded himself with. I mean when I consider that I’m reading in the New York Times that he has a Sader at the White House which has not occurred before. Number one.

Nick: What is a Sader?

Marvin: Sader is a traditional Jewish dinner and it is a tradition not a religious belief that he again based on the information that I received from the new York times has been sharing with two guys that he has known pretty much his entire life and he walked in on them and said hey is this a Sader and it happened to be a Jewish guy and a Hindu guy and the three of them began this tradition that he’s carried on his entire life and now has brought into the white house. so it’s just for me it just says this is someone who has sought out interesting people, sought out interesting individuals and has taken on aspects that fulfil him without any judgment on where it originated from or any desire to communicate it to anyone and force anybody else to do it.

Nick: That’s a pretty admirable position to be in. so were out here in Hollywood, were in LA. Any tips you would give the viewers for making it big or anyone chasing that dream?

Marvin: Yeah I would say this. I would say that anyone who has made a decision to pursue a professional career in entertainment the first thing I would say is believe in yourself first. That is so essential and necessary. I have found that most of the people I have encountered in the entertainment industry when they arrived tend to be discouraged because they are seeking validation first. that someone else needs to tell them or better yet give them permission to succeed and I feel that if you just give yourself that permission then the world really opens up to you because no one is interested at all in working with anyone who is desperate, who is needy. I mean think about it from the perspective of just having a personal relationship with someone. You would not want your male or female counterpart to be someone who is dependent upon you, who needs you, who’s clingy and those who don’t have a self assurance and belief in themselves communicate that. Whether they communicate it verbally it’s an energy that people feel and...

Nick: Definitely pick up on it.

Marvin: Exactly and so I would say the first thing is really believe in yourself and the second thing is you need to make the decision literally from the get go that it doesn’t matter if you’re six feet under whether you attain whatever it is you’ve decided to attain and you have to define that for yourself you will continue to try and at the end of the day at least for me I made the conscious decision that my headstone on the last day of my existence as they put that last ounce of sand of my coffin, the headstone would say at least he tried.

Nick: I like it.

Marvin: So those are the two I believe key necessary engines to propel you in this particular profession.

Nick: Very cool. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Marvin: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Nick: So after this awesome first interview with Marvin Acuna I’m going to leave you with three things. The first is even though everyone has negative self talk remember you don’t have to listen to that. Second be persistent. If there’s something you want to go do or go to accomplish get out there and do it. There’s nothing stopping you. Third don’t be afraid to kick down those doors. Be fearless and to close out this spectacular first interview I’m going to leave you with Marvin’s favorite saying. Life is delicious.