How Producer Sevier Crespo Is Helping to Make the Entertainment Industry More Diverse and Representative
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
I always try to work with as many diverse groups as possible, especially women in lead roles. I love getting their opinions and hearing their voices. I appreciate and respect them and tend to instinctively trust them.
As a part of my series about leaders helping to make the entertainment industry more diverse and representative, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Sevier Crespo.
Puerto Rican-born Sevier Crespo, p.g.a., is an award-winning film, television and commercial producer who has worked with such prominent figures as David Beckham, Kendrick Lamar, Kurt Russell, Ariana Grande, Mandy Moore and Demi Lovato. Some of Sevier’s film credits include the “Karen,” starring Taryn Manning, the comedy feature “Pendejo” starring Danny Trejo, Puerto-Rican shot “Deceived,” “The Culling” starring Johnathan Schaech, and “El Guardia” which premiered at Cannes 2019 — and his TV credits include a pilot for NBC with Mandy Moore, James Roday and Dulé Hill, as well as “Mack & Moxy” for Netflix, which won 2 awards for kids programming. In addition to developing and producing films and television shows, Crespo also produces global advertising campaigns and has worked with such iconic brands as Adidas, Rebook, UFC, Coca-Cola, Nike, NBA, NFL, NBC, Universal and Netflix.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I realized I wanted to be more in control of my career. Instead of working as an actor and then doing some other part-time job outside the industry when I was starting out, I wanted a job in the industry, which is what led to producing and line producing.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I was doing an independent film. We had a few locations. One was supposed to be a morgue and the other a prostitution house. When we got to the first location, there was a funeral service happening, and I glanced at the DP who looked like he just saw ghost. He told me, “We have a problem.” It turned out there were caskets lined up and open with bodies in them. Then the second location wound up being a full-blown prostitution facility. Imagine a storage unit that — I won’t actually get into all the unsavory details — but we had to set up base camp in one of these rooms. No one sat down or touched anything for 5 hours. It was so upsetting. Our ride back to town afterward was absolutely silent, since we were still recovering from the first location too. Then the Executive Producer at one point said, “Do we have the call sheet for tomorrow?” and the entire crew erupted into hysterical laughter.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I think it’s assuming that things were being done when they weren’t. One time I was shoot and someone was supposed to have gotten the permits for the street and the production vehicles. Apparently, the director said we didn’t need them, but I didn’t know anything about that. And then the morning of, there is nowhere to park our motorhomes at all, and we had several of them for hair and makeup, production, etc. So, I had to try to fix the problem. Long story short, we wound up finding some street parking and had to pay the meters all day. It was a disaster. What I learned from that was that from then on, no one was allowed to make a decision without me signing off on it.
Okay, thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our discussion. Can you describe how you are helping to make popular culture more representative of the US population?
I always try to work with as many diverse groups as possible, especially women in lead roles. I love getting their opinions and hearing their voices. I appreciate and respect them and tend to instinctively trust them.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by the work you are doing?
I do get a lot of young filmmakers who reach out to me with questions and ideas. I always try to respond back to them and give them my thoughts and help as much as I can.
As an insider, this might be obvious to you, but I think it’s instructive to articulate this for the public who might not have the same inside knowledge. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why it’s really important to have diversity represented in Entertainment and its potential effects on our culture?
It’s important because we’re learning more and more that people are different, cultures are different. Music, art, style — they come from different cultures, and you want that represented from their point of view. It increases the strength of humanity and bonds us as humans. After all, we’re all people sharing the same big rock. You can have money, clothes, whatever, but at the end of the day, you’re going to be remembered by what you did, by your contributions.
Can you recommend three things the community/society/the industry can do to help address the root of the diversity issues in the entertainment business?
Be a person. It’s so easy to judge others by what they look like, and it’s easier not to even get involved or interact. Sometimes people don’t want to be responsible for making a difference, but it doesn’t take much to do it. Talk to people, realize what they have to offer, their perspective, their point of view. Pay attention to the people around because to me that’s where the magic is. If you want to really be involved in life, you’ll find the real magic in other people.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Actions speak louder than words. I try to live by good actions and being a person of my word as well as treating people equally and showing respect. I demand of myself what I would expect from others, like keeping my word as much as I can and taking responsibility instead of pointing the finger or blaming someone else.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Don’t take it so seriously, it’s not personal. A “no” today can be a “yes” tomorrow. What I mean by that is, you can hear “no” a lot — more than you hear “yes.” But I’ve learned that a “no” or a “not for us” or a “we’re going to pass” does not actually carry a lot of weight. It just means you have to go back and figure out what you’re missing to make it a “yes.”
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Listen to others and remember three things about them.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Take the time to focus on how you view things versus letting society, the world, and others feed you how you should think and live your life.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Follow on Instagram @seviercrespo (https://www.instagram.com/seviercrespo/).
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
