Hope Behind the Lens with Joey Travolta

Jen Lansink: The first question out of Joey Travolta's mouth was, 

Joey Travolta: How's my girl? 

JL: 'How's my girl doing' that just shows you all you need to know about Joey Travolta, a very genuine man. Joey met Teal in Lodi, California earlier this year and as usual, her magic created an opportunity for us to learn about a very unique company from a very unique man. Joey Travolta joins us today to introduce his company Inclusion Films. A phenomenal organization started in 2007 to teach filmmaking to individuals with developmental disabilities in six dedicated production studios throughout California. I know you'll be intrigued by what his company is doing. His heartfelt stories of brilliance and the amazing people working within it but I think you'll also really be touched by our conversation. I am so happy to say I am not the only one who cried in this episode. Yes, Joe, you and I both share some tears and much laughter. If you have a child that may be aging out of the system or you worry at night about what's next what's what's next for my son or daughter. Take a listen and then go do some research to learn more about how this world is full of hope. And it can come from behind the camera. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think. 

JL: Born into a show business family. Joey began his career as a performer in 1978 as a recording artist with Casa Blanca records and starred in the feature film 'Sunnyside' in 1979. Joey has directed and produced over 20 films including the critically acclaimed enemies of laughter in 2000. Before he made it on the big screen, Joey worked as a special education teacher in New Jersey. In 2005 Joey produced the documentary 'Normal People Scare Me' while mentoring a 15 year old boy with autism who directed the film inspired by that experience. Joey developed the curriculum for Inclusion Films, a program that has served hundreds of aspiring neurodiverse filmmakers. Inclusion Films has a mission of inclusion to train people with different abilities in the art of filmmaking, helping to create a shift in employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. The soft skills learned in the training program can be applied to other jobs and all aspects of their life. When asked what drives his passion for inclusion, Travolta shared, "My father raised us in an environment of inclusivity family was important. Kindness was important. Everyone was equal, and everyone was welcome. That's what first led me to being a special education educator. Partnering that passion for equity with filmmaking has become my life's work. I want everyone to have that sense of belonging when they are trained by us come to our camps or work with us on a film. That sense of belonging brings out the best in everyone and has allowed for an environment for Inclusion Films talented diverse team to work on projects ranging from an award winning feature film to PSAs, and documentaries for organizations around the country." Joey, thank you so much for joining us. 

JT: Oh, my pleasure. My pleasure. 

JL: I know an obvious question, but do you missed your father?

JT: I'm looking at him right here. In the blue jacket. That's my dad. 

JL: Oh, he was a... 

JT: Yea he was a hat guy. I just happened to be there. And that's my brother, John and Sammy and my brother in law Jack who was an actor so you can see him with the ball there. He was on the Lou Grant Show. We were on a little vacation. That's, that's gonna be 1993... 1994 Something like that.

JL: Well he sounds like a pretty amazing man. 

JT: Yeah, here's is the best is the best. 

JL: My mom still talks to me about, you know, everyone's equal. Like I was raised as like a six or seven year old knowing the janitors names as much as I knew actors names. 

JT: You should. Yea, thats good. 

JL: It's a life lesson that I wish more parents taught their children 

JT: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. 

JL: Well, I want to go to that first moment that I met you and it really wasn't me meeting you. It was you meeting Teal. So I just want to bring that up just how we met because it's it really it did bring me to tears. I'm gonna try not to cry but I didn't warn you that I might cry. So we were in Lodi Teal and I, having some neuromovement training with Andrea and you were waiting for the elevator. And you looked right at Teal. And you addressed her. And you said hi. And you know what's your name and I cannot thank you enough for doing that. And if anyone that's listening that does not have a child with special needs or an adult with special abilities in their life. Just please know that you addressing my child made all the difference. I was like I love you. I didn't know you were I didn't you know, we're just like I love you. Thank you. So much for doing that. So first of all, I just want to say thank you for that.

JT: My pleasure. That was a great moment meeting her. And you know, it's funny because even kids that meet other kids with special needs, it's normally the parents that it's not polite to stare not... what what's wrong with you? This is boom, it's gone. It's over. You know, it's all the stigma that's involved with we're all human beings. We're all you know, on this earth together and but that's the way I was brought up.

JL: I was I was in Yosemite last Mother's Day with to and our family and these two little kids were completely staring at Teal. She's easy to stare at I mean she's pretty beautiful shes got the eyes and the smile and they were staring at her and I just said would you like to ask her a question and they said, 'Yeah, what's her favorite color?' It just was like, a slap in the face for me to be like, stop assuming that you know that. You know, the kids are wondering what's wrong in quotes. What's wrong with her? Yeah, it's so true. So true. So first off, thank you. Why do you think people talk down to individuals that are different than them? 

JT: Well, I think some people just aren't comfortable. That takes practice. And that takes a lifetime of being trained that way. But when you're around that you see it all the time, it just becomes second nature. I don't even think about that. Just think everybody should think that way. But it's the unknown with people. And when they take the time to get to know somebody or that changes, then you're comfortable. It's creating that comfort level and it's like when we do our film camps. I'll take 50 kids on the autism spectrum or other disabilities that don't know each other. First thing I say is quiet on the set. Filmmakering is about collaboration. We can't understand each other when we're talking on top of each other and we're like a train that leaves the station. I say we're going to be split into three groups. Each group is going to be responsible for making a film. You're going to have your teachers I'm going to interview you're gonna pitch me a boom that train takes off. In all the years now I've been doing it since it's 2006 was the first big camp 1000s of kids would probably have to ask maybe one to leave. And it was just like an unbelievable. You know, the people that I hire to work with me. They have to be good people and good heart. There's a simpatico that goes along with that the film stuff I can teach, but heart that's something you don't teach. That's something that's a natural thing to get like the guy Dale or Brandy that runs Bakersfield for me. He's an actor magician, but the greatest people person just loves everybody. You know, this guy would be the perfect candidate to run a program for me and I brought him on to do the camps. And then when we opened our first facility in Bakersfield, he moved to Bakersfield to run that program. You know? And then, you know, he's in love with the town. He loves the country parlor there and he's been there since like 2007... 2008. Most of my time now is  was concentrating on getting work for our folks and doing the camps a little bit, you know, here and there, but it's really creating jobs like the workshop that you saw.

JL: I'm going to interupt you for a second. So let's back up. So what were you doing in Lodi? Let's go there.

JT: So Lodi. We were doing 'Fights, Camera, Friendship'. And basically what that is, is we took eight male adults on the spectrum and eight females on the spectrum, and it was about navigating the system, making friendships. We did dance lessons. We did a scavenger hunt downtown. It was bringing the city into... It's called 'Lights, Camera, Friendship' Lodi because it becomes about the town and them opening up their doors to our folks and being accepting and the restaurants and all of that. We gave them... they got a fee plus they got credit cards to use. A lot of them had never used credit cards before. So it was managing the money. So it's like the show 'Love On The Spectrum' but the difference is you need certain skills before you go into that relationship love type thing. So what had happened was my partner in this his son through Autism Speaks, came to me and was interested in becoming a filmmaker. I'm digressing here, but it will all makes sense. He wanted to be a filmmaker right? So I set up a Zoom meeting with him. His name was John, and the father was on the call. I had never met either one of them before. And the first thing I said to him I said, John, I said, I understand that you want to be a writer. Okay, you got one minute to pitch your best story starting now. 

JL: Oh my gosh, I got nervous thinking about that. 

JT: And he pitched this story. And it was it was beautiful. It was like he... and the father was like, what was that if you want to be a writer, and you want to work with me, tell me about yourself. Tell me tell me your best story. You know, and from there. So he came to a camp in Lodi, because they all do testimonies at the end. And John's was this was the best two weeks of my life. You know, that's like what I want them we know we're doing our job and yeah, so anyway, several months later, the father calls me and he says, 'hey, my son doesn't have a lot of friends. He doesn't know how to make friends and keep friends. You know, let alone asking someone on a date. What can we do? What do you think would work to do something like that?' And I thought about it and said, 'Well, why don't we take the camp concept and instead of having 50 Kids, we have a smaller group. And they can stay at the hotel and they'll get per diem and they'll get their their stipend and they'll get the credit card. And let's just experiment with that. We cast it first. And then you know, it was it's a work in progress. We did the first one. Now I know what I would do differently and all the above but it's coming out quite nicely. So we're looking at doing another one in Georgia very soon. But I mean, that's how it all started. But the cool thing about it, crew of 16, 10 more on the spectrum. All of the participants were on the spectrum in the post four editors, three of the four on the spectrum. So we're employing all these people, and it's not coming from the state and it's not coming from Department of Rehab or anything like that. It's an outside source that sees the value of what we're doing. So that's my thing is to create work opportunities. So I liken what I do to the minor leagues in baseball, so the minor league baseball, they're all pros, but they have a place to go where you know, they can cut their teeth and if they make a mistake, it's not a big deal. This is what Inclusion Films has become not only a training program, but then the production company. And the cool thing now is that the entities that fund us which are the regional centers are hiring us now to do videos, which makes sense because why hire somebody is going to charge you 10 times as much and nobody gets employed. So...

JL: We talked a little about this prior to recording that whole concept of inclusion and I feel like it's kind of a buzzword now that people just throw around a little bit yeah I don't know if they're necessarily living it. Tell me about the public service announcement, the PSA that you were contacted about and how you shifted their whole approach to inclusion.

JT: Well, this is how I met Robert Varnado and John Varnado. I met them through delivering jobs and what had happened was... usually if there's like some kind of prodigy or someone in the autism committee that's doing something, they'll usually come to me like, 'Love on the Spectrum' came to me. "Can you help us out? This we're doing? We're casting when you look at it?" Yeah, absolutely. You know, no problem. Actually, we had a couple of our folks working on that too, as well. But anyway, so Autism Speaks, Best Buddies and Special Olympics had gotten together, they created this thing called 'Delivering Jobs'. They were all set to make this PSA about a utopian world where people with disability just fit in, whether it's a barista or whether it's someone at a gallery or whatever the job is, it's just a natural thing to be a part of the population like we all are. So I get a call and I took a meeting with them and they were like we're doing this job and we want to walk the walk and talk the talk. We'd like to hire crew members. It was a big union shoot at 20th Century Fox and it had this big director involved and the song "Celebrate! Celebrate!" you know that whole you know, beautiful song as the thing and everything and so we had a meeting and they said 'we want to hire crew' like okay, 'what do you need?' 'well we need grip' I said 'check' 'we need somebody to help the camera' 'check' we need someone on soundcheck' so before you know it, they were hiring like, you know, five of our folks craft service to do all that stuff. So we had all these people working alongside union workers, skilled positions, and holding their own and being there and they got their $300 a day which was a really great rate and I said to them, 'so who's doing it behind the scenes?' And they said, 'Well, nobody, we're not doing behind the scenes.' I said, 'Okay, let me back this up now, you are showing a commercial that you're creating. That is this utopian world of people fitting it, which is great. Okay, I love it. But you have the utopian world because you're hiring people that were trained in this field to work with it. You should be interviewing all the actors all my crew everybody and use that as an introduction tool.' So they hired us to do it and they got millions and millions and millions of dollars of advertising a lot from not only PSA but the behind the scenes explaining what it is. The next year S.H.R.M. Anyway, they're a very big HR company. They've now since hired us to do four different jobs in Chicago, in New York, in Colorado, so our guys are getting to go and work. It's all connecting the dots and you know youve got the work that you deliver, it's got to be good. They're getting that plus they're developing the workforce. This is all workforce development.

JL: That's what's really amazing. I know there are a lot of families that worry about the whole aging out of the system concepts and you aren't trained in certain things but you are training these people to take on big jobs and all they have to do so. And I think what you said in your intro or what I read your intro was this is a life skills that they're learning that can transfer to all sorts different jobs. So you're giving them an opportunity to come to a camp, to learn, and then what's the next step so they come to a camp for two weeks. 

JT: Well, the camp is for the younger... the adult program goes year round.

JL: Okay, tell me more about it. 

JT: Okay. So we basically it's a practical film workshop, seeing the two week camp, you can't really teach them camera, you can't teach them editing, you introduce everything. It's more fun, but it's still setting up for that mindset. But the adult program, they take camera, they take lighting, they take writing, they take directing, they take acting, anything that goes into filmmaking, everything that goes into filmmaking goes into everyday life. Whether it's accounting, whether it's food, whether it's carpentry. And these are the things that aren't like producer, director, actor, legal, all these are craftsmen, service, all  these things they're, you know, there are jobs out there, especially in California and then other states that have like the tax credits and stuff like that, and they need the workforce for a lot of places. So we usually do it like 20 week periods. During that 20 week period, they develop a short film, then the short film becomes a lesson plan. It's very simple. It's how I learned filmmaking. I didn't know anything about producing or directing and I didn't go to school for it. But when I got on the set of 'Sunnyside' and I was the star of the movie. So I had the luxury of being there every day, but I wasn't in every scene. I was in most of them. I got to meet the grips and meet the electricians and meet the accounts. And it just was fascinating to me that they take 60 people and together as a team, they make this and all the moving parts, the stunts the all that so I was like a sponge, absorbing that. And, you know, that's how I thought well, if someone could learn the way I learned by being there and seeing what everybody does, but how cool would it be to be able to physically be involved in different departments when you do it? 

JL: I wanna go!

JT: Then they do art department. Did I ever send you one of the films? 

JL: No. 

JT: Oh, I'll send you one of the films. Okay, so now it's special, especially the interviews. 

JL: So you sent me the trailer for 'Lights Camera friendship, Lodi', and I just gonna watch it and it's so cool. It just looks like yes, yes. It just makes my heart sing.

JT: Then the best is when you should do it in the summer. And then they have a red carpet screening and all their family's come. And they come in limos and tuxedos and it's pretty cool because everyone's always looking for outcomes. Well this is an outcome. What we do in less than 50 hours is it's pretty incredible. 

JL: That's really cool. Well, you tell me about 'Carol of the Bells'. Yes what would you like to know about 'Carol of the Bells'. Well, first of all, I watched the trailer on 'your website' and balled. Now I'm an emotional person anyway, but and everybody listens knows that. But I was so moved by the trailer for that movie. It is what it was not based on a true story. But now you're finding out that there is a true story. There is a woman in Sacramento which is fantastic. 

JT: I just found that out. 

JL: Yeah, tell me about the story.

JT: There's a Bentonville Film Festival and Bentonville Film Festival. I don't know if you know, it's the home for Walmart. And the Walmart in Bentonville is like Whole Foods out here. That's how high end it is. So we had done a camp in Arkansas, and we screened at the film festival, right which we did it like a week and edit it and then we premiered it at the film festival. We did that for three years but the last year I said you know it's time that we do a feature. Let me put some feelers out. And Gail Williamson who is the head she was the head of the Down Syndrome Society and in Los Angeles, but also an agent for people with disabilities, right? I said I'm looking for the central characters got to be someone with a disability. And I'm looking for, you know, a sweet story. So she said, Well, I have something for you. So I get the script and I'm you know, I'm on I'm on the plane reading the script. And I'm like, sobbing, reading the script. And the stewardess said 'excuse me, sir, are you okay?' 'You dont understand I'm reading this script and it's beautiful.'

JL: Youre like you should read this!

JT: I know but it was just one of those. One of those things. So we ended up making the film and unfortunately came out the day the pandemic started, but it's a beautiful film It won Critics Choice Award in San Diego. It premiered in Bentonville and was a part of that film festival, and then talking about delivering jobs. I'm sitting there and I'm interviewing and the one young lady who I think she has Down syndrome, she said she wanted to be writer. I said oh well I said that's great. I said what kind of writer she was like journalism like you know, reviewed, I tell you, I'm gonna do I'm gonna pay you to look at 'Carol of the Bells' and write an article about it, and I'll pay you so now you'll be a professional and she did and it was beautiful. Again, I'm at a bar watching a football game. And she sent it to me... 

JL: You're crying at a bar! Youre crying now which I love!

JT: I'm crying in my beer and again, the bar tender says "You okay?" "No you don't understand." But when my daughter was what we used to take her to...

JL: We're both crying right now. You cant see this but we're both balling. 

JT: ...we would go to a Disney movie. And I would be I'd be here and my daughter would be next to me. And she'd look over at me and she would go "mom, dads crying'. 

JL: At a Disney movie. 

JT: Well, they've set it up. I mean, they killed the mothers every first scene of a Disney movie. It's terrible. 

JL: They've gotten a little bit better now, but yes. 

JT: Just kill everybody.

JL: Oh goodness. Well, the story is really touching and I definitely encourage people to go check it out. But a lot of what you do is touching and I wanted to go back to something you said earlier about. You hire people that have hearts. You hire people that are genuine, you hire people that I'm putting word in your mouth, but that are true human beings, you know, are spiritual beings having a human experience and you manifest that though you attract that because that is who you are. That's why all of this grows is because it starts with what your father taught you and how you were raised and about just this heart that you have and it just. I told my mom was like, Who are you interviewing? And I'm like, oh God about that. And I'm really excited about the interview and she was like why is it because he's such a nice guy. Like, yes, Inclusion Films is really amazing. I'm really just excited to talk to him because he's such a nice gentleman and... 

JT: Well thank you.

JL: It is really important and you know, the industry of filmmaking and Hollywood and all of that doesn't always on the outside, right? I'm not part of the inside you are we don't always see that out here. And so I just really want you to know as someone from looking in it's really it's really just beautiful for what you're doing and...

JT: Well one of the cooler things because you know, they obviously it was a SAG film and we had some names in there and like Donna Pescow and Donna Mills and RJ Mitte and all that and the cool thing was 70% of the crew was made up of the folks the we trained for them to say this is the best set that we've ever been on is really cool.

JL: Yeah. Well, RJ Mitte was in Breaking Bad. And he has CP, I mean, so you have one that mean the main mother has Down Syndrome and your main actor has CP I mean and 70% of the crew. I just you're giving so much hope to people that are listening right now.

JT: Well, that's what I mean. You know, again, we it was was a partnership between two of my other partners that we made the film we shot it in Bakersfield at our studio hosted it but I wanted to prove that I can train this group of people and make something of value and the value of not only being the piece of content, but the way the piece of content was made. That's where the value is.

JL: I love it. I'll put the information in the show notes so that people can can find it. It's really really good. Outside of obviously 'Carol of the Bells' because I would imagine that's a really project that you're very proud of. Like when you look back on what you're doing either currently or in your past like what what are you most proud of like what makes your heart sing?

JT: Well, seeing our folks work, this was just in Lodi we did a pickup and we were going the following week to Arkansas to do another camp. And when I do the camps, I bring six of our folks that we train crews twelve... Six of them no matter what I was talking to the one who also worked on 'Lights, camera, friendship'. And I said "Are you excited about coming to Arkansas?" And he said yeah, he goes "you know, it's my first time being on a plane" and I'm like, I go oh, that's really cool. And then I started thinking about it. Over the course of the year I started counting back at least 15 of these folks that never been on a plane before. And I said well how cool is that not only do they get to see the world and navigate the system and go to cool places. You know because we just got Jersey and Pittsburgh before the pandemic, we'd have five or six cities we go to. And it was the best tool. All my best workers are the ones that got the experience of going on the road and managing your money and managing your time and meeting people and just you know when the hotels say, "Hey, you got a great crew up there." Everybody's respectful and you got to show the way it all starts. Like I said with Dale and that's why you have to hire people that get it. What I said get it and understand...

JL: There's a lot of fear and you know, speaking as a parent that has a child with special needs. We just said we're going we're living Teal was in 13 countries before she was two we are a traveling family we you know our work took us places and so we would extend and have family experiences and I believe that part of her joy in just what she lives and how she is, is because she has been exposed to all sorts of different things and we as parents need to just say it's okay, if other people stare It's okay if you have an accident on the plane, you know, it's okay. And it's... sorry... if other people judge you because of that, that's their own thats their own crap. You know, and I think that. I just want more parents to hear like there are so many things that we can do. And there's companies like Inclusion Films, but it is so true to give these beautiful human beings this opportunity to shine and you know, I talk all the time about how when someone looks at Teal or anyone with a challenge of any kind with pity. It's so stupid because Teal is a miracle. And if you're not seeing the miracle, then that's on you. Because I believe all of these people are here Teal, anyone that you're bringing forward they are here to raise our vibration. They are here to challenge us to challenge us on how we see the world. And so you're just doing a beautiful, a beautiful thing. Thank you.

JT: I have to tell you one other story about Eric just I mean this is to show you the kind of character these young people have. He's the one in the trailer that you saw that. He says "friendship is a gift that doesn't cost a penny." I mean, you can't write that you can't write that. And this is why I love this guy so much. So when they come on the road, they get per diem. They get their hotel pay for expenses, and they get paid. And he was with us for six weeks and the last day of camp and he said, "Joey, I'd like to talk to you. You know, when you gave me $1,400 for food and things like that. Well, I have $720 left, and I'd like to know what it's like to give it back." "Well that's your money you do..." you know that's just we just did an interview when they interviewed him.

JL: This is such a bipolar recording right now.

JT: The interviewer says, you know, Eric, you said, I saw your performance and you're like a movie star now. He said, How does it make you feel and he goes, "Well, I feel like Shirley Temple" I'm dying ooh Shirley Temple where did that come from? Yeah. Oh, my very cute. 

JL: Oh thats so fantastic. Yeah. 

JT: If people saw what I see, and what you know, it's like Dale in Bakersfield. He's so dedicated to our fun. It'll be like, I'll get a call and I go, "Hey," and he goes "hey, it's karaoke night Inclusion Films karaoke." I said oh I didn't know that. "Yeah, we do that, you know..." "Hey, it's the softball team. We have a team." I go "oh, I didn't know we had a team. Really?" Oh, and it would be you know, it's bowling night. He just and it's all on his own. The problem is that he doesn't want anybody to leave you know because he loves them so much right. So that's the only thing you know, because I want to get them working and out. And being...

JL: ambassadors.

JT: I mean, totally on their own  you know, 

JL: Be ambassadors yea thats...

JT: You just can't buy that kind of passion. 

JL: Yea thank you. So how can people find Inclusion Films and learn more about the camps. 

JT: If they go to inclusionfilms.com they can find out about Inclusion Films in Bakersfield and other stuff that we're doing but we do PSAs, we do promotional videos, we do all kinds of work like that. And the nice thing about it is you get in the pros, but you're also employing people that are neuro diverse.

JL: so awesome. And I'll put all that in the show notes. And I did want to give a shout out to Bakersfield because one of my best friends is from bakersfield and so I don't want her are listening and being like 'Jen!"' So no Bakersfield is great and it makes great people.

JT: It was a great community, very big in the disabilities community. There's a lot of support there. So..

JL: Well, our final question is, and this might be extremely tricky for you. What is one magical moment you've had with an individual with special needs?

JT: Oh, I think I just told oh, God, you know, I think I just told the story. Thats magical. You know what's really cool is when years later, like last year, we used to do this camp at St. Mary's College in in Moraga. It was a very, very successful camp and, and a couple of the kids that were there were major pain when they were little. The camp became their safe haven. Every year. They look forward to it. And when we had the last screening, two of them that have aged out and went off to college, we wanted to come back into the screening and kind of see how everybody was and that's kind of cool. That's really cool. That they 

JL: You're creating community. 

JT: Yeah, exactly. And a lot of them went on to the adult program there as well. So you know, it's cool to have campers that work for me now. So it's that's pretty cool.

JL: You're doing pretty cool stuff. So I truly appreciate you sharing your story with us but also just what you're doing and...

JT: My pleasure. My pleasure. My honor. 

JL: I look forward to hearing more. Thank you very much and you have a wonderful day Joey.

JT: My pleasure. All right, well you take care and uh great interview. Great personality. You cry a little bit too much but...

JL: Takes one to know one dude.