Join Kosta and his guest: Adam Drake, award-winning filmmaker, Owner and Founder of Drake Films and First Assistant Director of The Chosen, the first-ever multi-season series about the life of Christ and the largest crowdfunded television show of all time.
In this episode: Adam's journey in the entertainment industry, if The Chosen would exist if it wasn’t a fan-supported show and what has that freedom has allowed the show to accomplish, the balance between portraying biblical stories as they were depicted plainly in the text and making the story more relatable to a modern audiences and if The Chosen and its audience could represent the beginning of a new era in faith-based media and entertainment.
Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.
Find out more about Adam Drake and The Chosen:
https://www.angel.com/watch/the-chosen
Find out more about Kosta and all the ways we're better together:
http://kostayepifantsev.com/
Join Kosta and his guest: Adam Drake, award-winning filmmaker, Owner and Founder of Drake Films and First Assistant Director of The Chosen, the first-ever multi-season series about the life of Christ and the largest crowdfunded television show of all time.
In this episode: Adam's journey in the entertainment industry, if The Chosen would exist if it wasn’t a fan-supported show and what has that freedom has allowed the show to accomplish, the balance between portraying biblical stories as they were depicted plainly in the text and making the story more relatable to a modern audiences and if The Chosen and its audience could represent the beginning of a new era in faith-based media and entertainment.
Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.
Find out more about Adam Drake and The Chosen:
https://www.angel.com/watch/the-chosen
Find out more about Kosta and all the ways we're better together:
http://kostayepifantsev.com/
I always compare it to so this is a Christian version of Lost because I thought Lost was so good at like just diving in his characters and made me care about them and each one or hate this one or love this one or I want to see how their story develops. Well that's what the chosen is done, but with biblical characters, just making them so relatable and so authentic and going on while I relate to that character, like just like you would any other show. Welcome to
Morgan Franklin:Welcome to Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev, a podcast on parenting business and living life intentionally. We're here every week to bring you thoughtful conversation, making your own path to success, challenging the status quo, and finding all the ways we're better together. Here's your host, Kosta Yepifantsev.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Hey, y'all. This is Kosta. And today, I'm here with my guest, Adam Drake, award winning filmmaker, owner and founder of Drake films, and first assistant director of the chosen the first ever multi season series about the life of Christ and the largest crowdfunded television show of all time. Adam, I want to talk about your journey in filmmaking thus far, our audience might not know but you started in the entertainment industry as an actor. What inspired you to go off screen?
Adam Drake:Well, let's just say I haven't gotten fully off screen, I still do some acting nice fall into the side. For instance, I just finished a Mel Gibson movie where I was the first ad and I was doing a movie. And then the director is like, you know what, Adam, you're an actor once you fill this role, and he put me in, and I'm actually in the opening scene as a cop. And I have like two lines. So I still get a lot of those actually have like, I'm working on the film, and then the director or whoever's, like, oh, let's just put them in there. He's naturally can handle that. And we'll do a couple lines. So I still enjoy that too. That's a lot of fun. Just taking on like a little small role for sure.
Kosta Yepifantsev:How did you take the opportunity of being an assistant director on such a large show? How did that happen?
Adam Drake:Yeah. So I got into the business directing audition back in college products agency, I got an agent, I end up getting a modeling and acting agent. It was both my first job ever was for for breeze. Model breeze was my first job and just a bunch of pictures. It was kind of like fun and entertaining. And but I was like, Oh, this is awesome. Then I started getting on some music videos as an actor, because I was in Nashville. And so obviously, there's lots of country music videos, things like that. Any ones that we would know. I mean, sure. Oh, man, it's been a while I have to remember that. The problem is I don't listen to country music. So I forget. One of the first ones I did was actually with my wife. We just gotten married. And one of the first ones I did I think it's Jason Aldean. My agent reached out to me said you're married right? And said, Yes. I said, would your wife be interested in acting? I said, well, she's not an actor. But I mean, she's blond hair, blue eyes. She's gorgeous. She'd look right. And he was like, it's a music video. Like, yeah, they just want real authentic couples for the scene, because you're gonna be kissed. And I was like, I like that. We audition, we got the roll for the music video. And we're just making out in one of those country music videos. And that was like one of our first kids get them. We got paid several $100 Each to make out on screen and I was like, I'm in
Kosta Yepifantsev:now. You grew up in Sparta? Yes. And your wife grew up in Livingston, where both of you guys engaged in theater when you were in high school?
Adam Drake:You know, that's what's crazy. No. So my wife's definitely not that was like her one gig. Amazing. She's not in the business at all. Okay, I just wanted to clarify, she's full time model. We got five kids. So she's she's full time, mom. But yes, she's from Livingston and from Sparta. We were in Nashville for a bit and then we moved back to Cookeville to be closer family because we have five kids at home. So We're originally from the area. Yeah. And came back
Kosta Yepifantsev:when we were talking before the podcast. You said you had three kids in one year. So how did that process unfold? Because that's astounding. I mean, I had I have Irish twins. So I have guys that are 10 months apart. But man, three kids, and when you're What was your life like after that?
Adam Drake:Oh, yeah, it changes drastically, that's for sure. So it was we adopted twins, okay, and had a baby. And we were also in the process of moving from Nashville back to Cookeville. And I was on a movie in Virginia. So my wife basically did it by herself.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So when we were talking, you said that you're not the director of the chosen, but you're the assistant director, can you kind of give me a brief description of what your job looks like?
Adam Drake:Yeah, so a lot of what I do these days for the chosen and for a lot of shows is that come on as a producer or first assistant director, the first assistant director is not what you think it is. It's not the director of the show. But if you were to walk onto a film set, you would instantly think I'm the director, nice. I'm running the show. I'm making sure everything happens and falls into place. Because there's 150 people on set, and actors and extras and everything. And I'm I'm the one yelling at everybody saying here's where everything needs to go. Here's what needs to happen to get this into the frame. My job starts with the schedule. Let's just use the chosen as an example, when Dallas and his two other riders with him. So there's three riders, once they finished the first draft of the script, they send it to me, and I take it and I start breaking it down. So it's just a script on paper. But I take and break down each scene and each character and all the props and all the different things sort of breaking out into pieces and going okay, well there's one scene in the synagogue and there's another scene here in the temple. And there's another scene over here in Simon's house. And so I start piecing those together go well, we can shoot all these scenes in this day and this day, it's certainly got a schedule for the whole season for all the episodes. Where did
Kosta Yepifantsev:you learn all of this from doing it? Okay. All right. So it's just one of those like trial and error, you just start and see what works and kind of build a business around it because you have a film business called Drake films is that the production company does great films, is that associated with the chosen?
Adam Drake:No, it's not the chosen is just hired me, okay. And Drake films was kind of, I used to do a lot more production stuff where I shoot, you know, commercial things for businesses and music videos for artists. I still do some of that. But that's kind of morphed into, it's just me, and I hire freelancers, other people to do what I do that need to if I need somebody that can do post, or I need somebody that can shoot or edit or all the different things I know I have all those connections. So it's just me and then I hire out other people that I need for those positions.
Kosta Yepifantsev:What type of projects have you worked on with regards to Drake films?
Adam Drake:As far as outside of movies? Yeah, well,
Kosta Yepifantsev:I mean, just any type of movies that we might know.
Adam Drake:I'm excited about the new one coming out with Mel Gibson, their trailer should be coming soon. It's called boys of summer. It's like a kid's action adventure, like a Goonies that that was really fun. But I've worked on mostly stayed in the faith based market, like I did case for Christ, which was a pretty good hit back in the day, and like, I'm not ashamed was actually filmed in Nashville, just about the Columbine shooting. I shot my own film here back in 2016. I think it was called Heaven bound. That's a Christian comedy that we shot here in Cookeville, and Sparta, and that one I produced and kind of put together with a team here. I love that. Yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So before we move on to the chosen, because I am just fascinated. And then I talked to Darby about this, when he was here on the show, what you're able to create with regards to the chosen, I feel like is breaking a lot of barriers for people to engage with media that is faith based. Because I'll tell you, when I watch TV, I don't see anything. I mean, like remember back in the 90s, they had like Touched by an Angel in seventh heaven. Those types of genres don't exist anymore. Right? And so now it's like sitcoms, comedies, you know, shows about cops. And that's about it. Right? Yeah. So I want to talk about the chosen. But before I do, you mentioned Mel Gibson a few times. And I know that he was the one that directed and I believe produced The Passion of the Christ. And so is there a relationship that, you know, has been built over the years? I'm curious.
Adam Drake:No, no, that just happened. That's his last film. I worked on that metal involved, but no, no connection to the chosen Israeli anything.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Have you ever talked to him about why he chose to create a movie like The Passion of the Christ? Yeah,
Adam Drake:actually on set, I'd asked him about it. He's an incredible storyteller, obviously proven that but just talking to him, too. It's like talking to your grandpa and hearing horror stories. I mean, the guy's a genius, an incredible storytellers. So you ask him a question, and you just expect to be blown away? Yeah. And yeah, I asked him about the passion. And he just talked about all the haters, and how everybody was saying, don't make it don't make it. And he was just set on making it. And it was like, This is gonna be a train wreck and how nobody would touch him. And nobody would touch his film. But he just had to do the work to get it out there himself, basically.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So tell me about the chosen. Tell me about your involvement, and did the Passion of the Christ that all influence the chosen being made?
Adam Drake:I don't think so. When Dallas talks about, you know, what's inspiring for the chosen, he does talk passionately talks like regular show, like any secular show you'd watch on television. Nice. The way the Chosun started was that Dallas made a lot of short films for His church. And he made a short film first church called the shepherd. It just went viral. And lots of people loved it. And he said, Well, I have an idea to turn this into a series about the life of Christ with the disciples, and they brought some other people on board, and it just kind of blew up from there. And so there was a following. But even when we started shooting, there still wasn't that big of a following that there is now today, of course, but there was enough people to kind of get started. And so I've been very blessed and fortunate enough to start from the beginning. Dallas called me actually the way I met him was that film that I filmed here, back in 2016, I was showing a film festival, but Dallas was showing his film, which was also a comedy. It's called Resurrection of Gavin stone. And he'll tell you, it's his greatest failure. So honestly, it's great movie. And there's nothing wrong with the movie, but he just failed horribly in the box office. Interesting. But because that movie failed so miserably that created the success of the chosen for Dallas. That's all on YouTube. And there's lots of great videos about Dallas and kind of how that worked. But I was able to meet him through a friend also from Sparta, Tennessee called Torrey Martin. He introduced me to him because he helped me make the film heaven bound. And he introduced me to him at the festival in Dallas, love the film, thought was funny. And we liked his films, we got to connect there. And so then eventually, when he got the chance to make the chosen, he called me and said, Hey, I'm looking for a first ad. My first idea on my last film was terrible. I need a new one. What do you think about doing so then? Yeah, he sent me the scripts. At the time, we were only funded for the first four. So we couldn't even shoot all four absent, right? This first four episodes. We didn't know if it was going to be successful.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I mean, producing the shows expensive, very expensive. When Morgan said that you were crowdfunded. I was like, that's like millions upon millions and 10s of millions of dollars.
Adam Drake:Yeah, just put it in perspective. The number one crowdfunded project before the chosen was Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Can you remember that show? No. It's like we're the weird guys watch the thing on
Kosta Yepifantsev:the on the movie. Conan the Barbarian time on TV
Adam Drake:and like sci fi movies. Musa in there. Oh, it's hilarious. I grew up watching that. I love that. Well, they raised 7 million, I think. And that was the number one crowdfunded project all time secular Christian doesn't matter. And for our first season, we raised over 10 million for the very first season. Wow. So we blew them out of the water. Yeah, for sure. And still kept going.
Kosta Yepifantsev:$10 million? How many episodes? Are you able to produce on that? eight episodes? Okay, so it's essentially it's close to a million dollars in episode. Yeah. Wow.
Adam Drake:So then we just finished season three. So we're now a multi season show, which is great. So we're about to start season four, and we are 40 million or 5 million in episodes. That's incredible.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Wow. Before we get into the technical details of you know, the crowd funded because I have so many questions about that. Can you tell us like what each season is about?
Adam Drake:Here's what's crazy, when you watch the first episode of the chosen, the very first episode 90% of the episode is not in the Bible, only the last 10% The last couple minutes of the show is the only part that's actually in the Bible. What we do beforehand is lead you up to that moment, what could have happened? Now, of course, that's very controversial, right, which it is, but what they do is I mean, they're studying it with theologians, and rabbis and everybody come together to go, what could have happened, what's the best chance scenario where these characters could have been before the situation that we do know is factual in the Bible? You know, what led us up to that. So actually, the first episode ends with Mary Magdalene, and him taking the demon out of Mary Magdalene. Okay. And that's it all leaving that you're just meeting characters. What Dallas talks about some of his favorite shows are the ones that are very character driven. When I read the first four episodes, and when we first started shooting, it always compared it to us that this is a Christian version of lost, because I thought loss was so good at like just diving in his characters and making me care about them. And each one or hate this one, I love this winner, I want to see how their story develops. Well, that's what the chosen has done. But with biblical characters, just making them so relatable, and so authentic, and going out why relate to that character, like just like you would any other show. So people turn off the religion part turn off the oh, what's Christian content, it's probably not that great. They can turn that off, because they watch it and go, like, I care so much about this character. And because I think the show is also developing so much in between that the Bible doesn't fill in. It's like, well, that's what could have happen. And it gets people excited about it. One of the best quotes I've heard from him, there's been lots of different quotes of people after they watch it what they say. But one person said, it's like, I went from reading my Bible in black and white to not yet color. Like that's what the chosen is done. It's amazing. It just brings it to life.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Do you think that this project would have been possible if it wasn't crowdfunded?
Adam Drake:That's hard to say? Probably not. Because it is crowdfunded? Dallas, and his team of who is created around him has full control. So yeah, because we haven't sold to Netflix or any of the big gurus out there. He's still got full control.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Have you had an opportunity to sell something like that? Yeah. So
Adam Drake:season one, actually is now on Netflix. Okay. UK, season one in fun, just really anywhere.
Kosta Yepifantsev:You know, when you're describing Dallas, his journey, specifically, and you know, he's created the shepherd, and it's for His church. He's from Cookeville.
Adam Drake:No, he's from, he was somewhere close to Chicago.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So he's in Chicago, he's going to a church, there's created the show called The shepherd. The amount of people that go to a church is not going to get you to a million dollars, and may not even get you to $100,000. How did you guys scale this endeavor, using these crowdfunded resources to make the chosen become as successful as it is now?
Adam Drake:Well, I do think it's like one of those things of just like, I mean, we're, I'd say, man on the god like, yeah, it is a phenomenon. So because already lots of other people have tried to do exactly what the Joseph did and have not been successful. There's that. And then there's also the fact that early on this company called Angel Studios, which is in Utah, got very excited about the pilot and the series, and they came on board, and they're the ones that kind of pushed the crowdfunding campaign. And so they're the ones that kind of had the ideas behind, okay, how can we do crowdfunding differently? And so they did it a little differently than, you know, the Indiegogo is and all the other things that were happening. So that was part of it, too. And then it's just people just got excited about it.
Kosta Yepifantsev:There's a show, I think, called the Bible, if I'm not mistaken, I think it's on Amazon. And I remember watching a few of the episodes, I'm fascinated by the Bible and religion in general. So I like to have as much knowledge as I can on the topic, but the fact that Dallas has this creative control, do you think that that's what's contributed to his success because everything that you're saying, and obviously being a part of this project as an assistant director, you guys are doing this in a complete one ad typical to how usual you know content that is based around religion and Christ is done and so what was the touchstone or the purpose behind rolling out this show, and doing it totally different than anything else?
Adam Drake:You Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, one of the main things that Dallas and the team always says is get used to different. That's a quote that Jesus says in the show says get used to different because everything's different. And so that's been our motto, the show was created from the very beginning differently started differently. And so we've just stayed to that and stayed true to that and just kind of gone without, you know,
Kosta Yepifantsev:how do you balance staying true to the biblical stories depicted in the chosen, while also making them relatable to a modern audience?
Adam Drake:What Dallas and the writing team has done so well is creating the characters right outside of what you know, in the Bible, because in the Bible, it's very, you know, it's not much on the disciples. It's pretty straightforward, strict. I know, for me, when I was reading the Bible, I always thought the disciples were perfect people. They never made any mistakes. And they're these great people. And it's like, no, if you really dive deep, it's like, no, they're screwed up, just like us. Yeah, making mistakes all the time. And most of them were low in society, and like, they were not successful people. And I think that, you know, they dive into that, like when when Jesus in the show also calls Simon Peter, for the first time, it's like, he's in the lowest place of his life, everything has gone wrong, before Jesus calls him to follow him. I mean, he just could not be worse, he cannot be in a worse spot. He's screwed up and made all the wrong decisions, right? So I think that seeing them in that moment, because you don't get that from reading the Bible, you're like, oh, that could have been. But when we actually depict it in the show, you're like, oh, man, that's where I was. When Jesus found me, I was nowhere I'd made all the horrible decisions. And then he picked me up. And so I think, for believers, people that do believe in the Bible, like it just makes it so much more real and authentic. And then we've had lots of people that watch the show that are not Christian that don't believe in it at all. And they say the same kind of thing. It's like just the characters, they love the characters. And they can relate to so many people, one of the biggest hits is the character, Matthew, and the guy who plays Matthew is depicted as he's on the spectrum, as like some OCD incident on the spectrum. Well, people never thought you don't think of that when you read your Bible that they would have those issues. So when you depicted on the screen, everybody loves the character of Matthew that watches the show, because they're like they are on Spectrum themselves, or they know someone's on the spectrum. So it just makes it so much more relatable to them. Just like any show you love at home, that it you love it because it relates
Kosta Yepifantsev:to anatomy. I think it's fascinating that you guys are such great storytellers. And you didn't allow yourself to be put in a box, you know, especially in a, you know, in a faith based show about Jesus, you know, where each wall is, right. And so the fact that you guys are using storytelling, and is it safe to say that you're connecting the dots, but it may be considered fictitious in terms of the narrative? Because like, where do you identify that Matthew may have been on the spectrum? Or how do you know, essentially, these gaps that you're feeling? Is that from history books? Yeah,
Adam Drake:I mean, you could argue, say, if you read the Bible, like Matthew's depiction, because he wrote a book in the Bible, Matthew is very detailed. So it's very kind of like OCD detail. Nice. So you could arguably be like, well, he was probably that way, then. Yeah, exactly. So and then Dallas himself, you know, how you riders relate it to themselves, which I think also gets people more interested, is Dallas himself has a daughter on the spectrum. So of course, all that's relatable to him personally. And then when he reads the Bible, he looks at and goes, well, Matthew is extremely detailed and OCD. He might have been on the spectrum or he might have been OCD. Yeah. Yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:What kind of impact do you think the chosen is having on the Christian community?
Adam Drake:Yeah, I mean, obviously, huge. I think what's what's been amazing is that it's not just been the Christian community, it's been outside of that, too, because other people are falling in love with the show that don't know anything about the Bible, or Christianity. And then on the Christian side of it, too, it is doing globally. So what's really cool because we've been outside the box, because we're crowdfunded. And we're not backed by any kind of studio. It's global. We're hitting places that normally can't watch a show, like Kenny watch any show. I mean, we're literally all over the world. And that's what the chosen is pushing towards to, and putting it in every language that's possible. I'm not sure how many languages are in right now. But it's bunch and they're just pushing for more. And the other thing is, it can be seen anywhere because it's free, no one has to pay for it. It's completely free. And all seven we're doing seven seasons, all seven seas amazing, free. It's almost like that Jesus project many years ago that was put out it was that was put up for free just so I could get to everyone to get to the masses. This is doing that on a much bigger budget scale, because people were behind it. And we're just pushing it globally. I think it's made the impact that way. And then I also think that as we talked about before, Christian content kind of being in a box and straight laced, and a lot of it not very good or cheesy. I think the chosen will open up the doors, the floodgates for more creatives to come into the Christian space, and make better content and make better shows and better movies.
Kosta Yepifantsev:And I have a lot of questions on that. But the overarching question that I have is, how important was it to create this type of content to reach millennials and Gen Z who are statistically not participating in any form of organized religion sort of changed the tide of people not being engaged with the church?
Adam Drake:It kind of goes back to your other question to of how We succeeded in the crowd fund. Yes, I think the other thing was timing. It was God's perfect timing of we started blowing up during COVID. In 2020. When everybody's staying home, they can't go anywhere. And production has stopped on all movies and shows there's nothing new coming out. That's when the chosen started pushing and really started pushing everything out. And that's what got it out there to the masses and got it out to the young people. So everybody's sitting at home does anything else to do that would not normally watch the show, started watching the show?
Kosta Yepifantsev:Do you think the fear of the unknown during the pandemic played into the success of the chosen?
Adam Drake:Oh, for sure. I saw a lot of things from the pandemic go it was either it seems like a lot of businesses in general either completely lost tanked, and we're gone. And she never made a comeback, or some boomed. Like I was telling about my buddy's business here in Cookeville. His also took off during COVID. You know, you had certain people that just kind of shut down and was like, Zack, this is the end, I don't want to do anything, or you had people start looking for religion looking for answers. Yeah, so some people, I think there was, unfortunately some people that just kind of like, gave up. But then I think there was also people that were hungry and looking for answers spiritually true. Also business true. I think businesses were successful, because during the pandemic, when there was like, oh, woe is me, and what was me? There were smart business people that were like, well, this is an opportunity. There was both sides, you know,
Kosta Yepifantsev:do you think that the chosen is the future of faith based media?
Adam Drake:You know, it's not the end all be all or anything like that. But I think that it will inspire more shows and things like that. Yeah. And that's the thing, too, is with the chosen already in the characters we've built, there's so much more you can do just specifically with the chosen. So we touched on earlier, but I didn't really get through it. But basically, the chosen is seven seasons. And it's only the three years of Jesus's ministry. So it's basically when Jesus shows up to start ministering, and then his crucifixion and resurrection. And then we're done with the seven seasons. So there's so much, we're barely touching the New Testament, you know, Paul comes along, and then the disciples in the X and how the church got started. And all that stuff is not in the show. So there's so much potential just for chosen spin offs in the future on top of people who are inspired by this that want to do it. What's funny is the first time I worked on the chosen the first four episodes, I think, was 2018. Since then, I've probably gotten at least five or six phone calls from a producer saying, Hey, we're doing a biblical show, or a biblical musical. Would you come on board? And I'm just like, what, I never got calls for those. And now all sudden, it's like, I keep getting calls for biblical things or, you know, stuff that period. Yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So are you ready for the controversial question?
Adam Drake:I guess? Sure.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So you're crowdfunded. There's no compensation for major media. When I think of religious base shows, I think of satire, like the righteous gemstones. It's a parody, like, honk for Jesus save your soul. You know, when I look at major media, I see negative connotations pointed towards the church and religion as a whole. As I was saying earlier, I don't see seventh heaven, I don't see Touched by an Angel, you know, those types of shows that were in the 90s? Why do you think that major media outlets aren't supporting the chosen and you have to turn to, you know, crowdfunding to have a show and make it successful?
Adam Drake:Yeah, that's a tough question. Because, you know, it's like, Hollywood execs and all those people. I don't know exactly. What drives them. Yeah, I know, money drives them, honestly, more than anything. There's already been interest in the chosen from some people in Hollywood, because they see the money behind it. You know, I'm really not sure why that stuff is not currently out there or why they're not because I've tried a little bit of it like, right, they tried to make Noah a few years ago with Russell Crowe, you know, huge budget, but it basically had nothing to do with the Bible. It was like the guy had an arc. And that was about it. It was not even. I mean, watch it. I don't know, I heard I heard. I've never even seen it. I haven't seen either, but I heard all the horrible things about what where's the Bible? And this is like, Noah and the ark was about it. Yeah, the faith based world has shook Hollywood a couple times, like passion did it with Mel Gibson. Yeah. And they're all like, Wait, there's money behind this.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Bruce Almighty. I think too, you know, from back in the day when we were kids like those types of movies were very successful and they were based on religion. You don't see those anymore though.
Adam Drake:In my opinion, this is just my opinion. Hollywood chases the money and back then good Christian wholesome family content made a lot of money and now they see that it doesn't I mean, but in fact it does, but it seems like because anytime it seems like something like that does come out it does do well yeah, I do think the chosen will be a movement of that again. Hollywood is not this steady you know line like this. It's it's up and downs of what they're after what there you know, the content was so cyclical. Yeah, I truly think there'll be another era of bringing shows back like that. Maybe a seven seven or something like that does come back show because although it goes Wait, people do sit around and watch the show. Yeah,
Kosta Yepifantsev:I mean, with my kids. Yeah. Well, it's
Adam Drake:funny I mean, I totally agree with you. It's like the the people that stay at home during the day whenever else is working, is usually the moms or you know that or people working from home. That's usually is the content they want, like they want good, wholesome, clean or even Christian content.
Kosta Yepifantsev:When they get daytime talk shows In soap operas like General Hospital, I think,
Adam Drake:yeah, the other thing too is we can we can somewhat control the outlet of that, and the media that and I think that we as Christians, for sure, and even non Christians that want good, more wholesome, clean content, you got to support those things. So if a movie like The chosen or like any of these good, wholesome movies that go support it, go to the movie theater, watch it, and Hollywood will answer you know, I think that they'll see the numbers and they go, oh, there is people that want this.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So you're on year four of year seven in the chosen. So you've got essentially another three years to go. Have you started planning for what comes next.
Adam Drake:So season three is out right now, Episode Six just came out last Sunday, seventh and eighth, which you would have some serious catching up to do. But seventh and eighth come into theaters February 3. This is also something nobody's done is they're going to release the last two episodes in theaters together. So Episode Seven and eight are going to be in theaters February 3. So now he's got a lot of episodes.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I mean, I couldn't listen, then just show I can binge a show
Adam Drake:and that and well that's another thing too is like we have shirts to say bins Jesus and like it's a very binge worthy show. And once you start it ends with a cliffhanger just like another show. And so a lot of people have watched 20 episodes in a row like they just go you know, because it is so good.
Kosta Yepifantsev:It's very fascinating the way you guys develop this show, I gotta be honest. Yeah,
Adam Drake:yeah. I mean, it's it's incredible people that have been behind it, and the great job they've done. So anyway, so seven and eight come out next month in theaters. And then we start filming Season Four, at the end of March. Dahl says let it by know that season six, we're going seven seasons, season six is the crucifixion. So we kind of know what to expect.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Okay, but have you started thinking about what you're going to do after the chosen? Yeah, it
Adam Drake:kind of touched on earlier, Dallas has not officially said anything, but he's hinted at spin off shows. Okay, you know, we could easily have spin off shows of once Jesus has died resurrected in the church kind of get started. You could follow Paul, you could call Simon Peter, you can call all these disciples that are going out to the masses and starting the church and doing the book of Acts. So
Kosta Yepifantsev:the next 10 to 20 years of your life is going to be some affiliation to the chosen. Whether it's spin off shows or you know, obviously, you've got three more seasons to go. I think that's great, man. God willing.
Adam Drake:Yeah, I think that it very well could be that you have no
Kosta Yepifantsev:desire to do anything and like, like secular media, or Yeah, so
Adam Drake:I do that the chosen doesn't take up every bit of my time. So like the film I was just telling you about boys a summer is a secular project. Nice. That's like a like says like Goonies. It's like my son, kids action adventure.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Do you have any desire to have the main role as an actor in like a major blockbuster? And the reason that I asked that? I'm just curious, like, in the mind of an actor who's very successful, do you want to be like on a billboard in LA? You know, like, super famous?
Adam Drake:Definitely. I was younger. That was that was it? Yeah. It's like, for sure. That's what I want. I want to be on a billboard, I want to be that as I've gotten older, I'm like, you know, I'm okay with just being a little fun supporting role, like a little comedy relief or something. Like, for instance, one of my favorite directors, and I love what he does. I take his role, I would just switch places with him would be the dream. Now John phosphoric, he did Ironman, but he also does comedies. And he's an actor. He did like, I thought was really funny. And he's in it. So he he directs and he'll he'll make a small appearance, but he also acts and other people's shows too. And he's always like a comedic relief or something like that. I love his role. Like, that'd be cool to like, be making my own content and then just kind of throw myself in there for like a fun little roll or something. Which, but dream roll when you're, you're saying if you could play anybody, I think it'd be James Bond. I love it. I was always that I was like, I love action. I'm like, I want to be the the James Bond with like, the Jason Statham. Yeah, actually gathering. Like, everybody's like, Wow, he's so cool. Yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Here's a big question. What do you think is the greatest mission that you see? And that you want the world to know?
Adam Drake:Yeah, because we didn't talk about how I got in to the business, that way of how I felt called into it. Yeah. But for me, originally, it felt like a mission field. Like I felt like the Lord was telling me like this is your mission field, instead of being a missionary overseas, or doing things like this is what I was gifted at and was good at. And the Lord was saying, go to Hollywood, our culture has been impacted by movies and television shows and things like that. And I felt called into that. So the chosen is obviously a huge part of what I want to do. It's exactly what I've feel called to do of, it's changing people globally. And then people are looking at the Bible differently, or even becoming a Christian because of the show. So I want to do that aspect of it too. And then I have this other part too, that I also want to work on the secular films and be a missionary to those people and to help change media so you can make the secular stuff more wholesome.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Yeah. So we always like to end the show on a high note, who is someone that makes you better when you're together?
Adam Drake:Honestly, I have a lot of people in my life like that. And so I'm very blessed to have like, I can name a lot of people like my mom and my dad and extended family, but the number one I should put it should and I do say is my wife for sure. My wife challenges me in the work that I do. And being a better father and being a better husband and like you know the core things that do matter at home as you know, I travel a lot for this work. It's a big transition leaving for amount of time and then coming home from Mountain Time and stepping back into the dad role of five kids and a husband and so she's huge support in that and is a saint for dealing with five kids when I've gone. So yeah, couldn't do without
Morgan Franklin:Thank you for joining us on this episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev. If you've enjoyed listening and you want to hear more, make sure you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. Leave us a review or better yet, share this episode with a friend. Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a Kosta Yepifantsev Production. Today's episode was written and produced by Morgan Franklin post production mixing and editing by Mike Franklin. Want to know more about Kosta visit us at kostayepifantsev.com We're better together.