TOB_Magazine

[ 96 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ MAY / JUNE | 18 ] How have you been promoting the documentary so far? gherebean : We haven’t. At least not outside of social media or hangouts in cigar lounges. We went to IPCPR in 2016 and just shook hands and kissed babies, so to speak. We knew nobody in the industry and just walked around introducing ourselves and the project. We had created a mock trailer, which wasn’t yet on Facebook, that we were showing to people to get a sense of whether or not people liked the idea. We launched our Facebook page right before IPCPR and had about 30 followers, all of whom were our friends. After IPCPR, we put this trailer on Facebook. I believe it was the Friday of that week. It had no views. We didn’t market it. We didn’t even share it on our own personal pages. I get a call on Sunday from Jesse saying, “Dude, our trailer has like 10,000 views on Facebook!” I couldn’t believe it. I’m not sure what started the chain reaction, but eventually Carlito Fuente had shared it on his personal page and it just blew up overnight. We couldn’t believe our eyes! Since then, we’ve been using social media exclusively as a tool for reaching out to new people and interacting with our followers. What was the most challenging part of completing the documentary? mariut : When we first started filming in Nicaragua, we only had one interview set, and that was with Nick Perdomo. We were planning on knocking on doors from factory to factory and asking manufacturers if they remembered us from IPCPR and if they would do a quick interview. As the days went on, more and more manufacturers that Pete [ Johnson] had talked to, or that remembered us from IPCPR, invited us in and would then talk to other manufacturers for us. So interviews became easier and easier to get. From that very start and all the way to our very last interview in Cuba last week, Steve and I have constantly said to each other, “We have no business being here with this person,” or, “How the hell did we get here?” Like many of our interviewees have said to us, cigars are the great unifier. It doesn’t matter where you come from or who you are—just enjoy the cigar and the conversation that comes with it. To flip that statement on its head, how does Hand Rolled bring the cigar industry together? mariut : Through education. A lot of consumers have a general knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes in the making of their favorite cigars, but we hope our film will reveal a lot they don’t know about yet and create a whole new love and passion for the leaf. While the audience is sure to learn something new about cigars after watching the documentary, what have you learned while filming and producing it? gherebean : This film taught us the importance of having a plan. Because we’ve been working with shoestring budgets, we haven’t had the luxuries that many filmmakers get. Both Jesse and I have worn every hat—from director, to grip, to personal assistant, to fundraiser. Having a strategy for every meeting and interaction helps you stay focused in the midst of all the chaos. When and where can people view the Hand Rolled film? gherebean : We’re hoping to do our first private screening at IPCPR 2018. Once the film is completed, we’ll begin negotiations with various streaming and traditional distributors. How will you evaluate the overall success or return on investment for this project? gherebean : A big fat check would be nice, but I don’t see that happening, so I’ll settle with people watching and loving our film and giving us the opportunity as filmmakers to tell more stories. To hear people in cigar lounges, coffee shops, restaurants or on social media talk about our film and say things like, “You need to check out Hand Rolled ,” or “I know you don’t smoke, but this documentary is still a must-see”— this would equate to success in my mind. What are your tips for other entrepreneurs who want to take on a project the scale of what you did with Hand Rolled ? mariut : Don’t be too cocky to admit you can’t do something or don’t know enough about a specific thing. Know your strengths and your weaknesses, and bring on people that will work well with you and help make your project the best that it can be. Anything less than your best is a felony, so just make better mistakes tomorrow. TB Sound Advice Continued