Taylor Sharp of Blue Cup Productions sat down with Aarian Forman of The Normal to debate directing and producing the G League docuseries and the way The Normal continues to evolve by way of distinctive partnerships.
What’s it like filming for the NBA, you ask? We’re right here to provide the solutions with this unique behind-the-scenes interview with Taylor Sharp, founding father of Blue Cup Productions and director and producer of “The Break, offered by The Normal,” to debate all issues G League — from filming the docuseries, sharing distinctive tales of working with up-and-coming basketball gamers and stars of the previous, equivalent to Norris Cole and Shaquille O’Neal, and extra. Try the dialog under and make sure you give the entire earlier episodes of “The Break offered by The Normal” a watch right here.
Taylor Sharp of Blue Cup Productions interviewing Norris Cole, Level Guard of the Grand Rapids Gold
Aarian Forman: Let’s discuss a bit of bit about how this partnership got here to be. Inform us, how was it offered to you? How did you get related with the G League and The Normal?
Taylor Sharp: Properly, after all, I’m simply on the filmmaking facet of issues, so the credit score for the partnership with The Normal goes to the partnership groups on the NBA G League, for establishing the connection and dealing the docuseries in a central manner. I believe it was a extremely cool path that we have been on as a result of we had a relationship with the G League, and had some concepts about any such sequence; however it wasn’t till The Normal got here on board that “The Break” was born. For us, I believe it was simply realizing that there’s an abundance of tales within the G League that we needed to inform, and we had some artistic concepts about tips on how to do it that the G League shared. So there was form of an excellent synergy there, and luckily, an excellent companion like The Normal who got here on to assist make it doable.
Aarian Forman: To be sincere, I used to be actually excited whenever you first pitched it to us, the thought of “The Break,” and I believe what was so thrilling about it for me was the chance to uncover so many hidden tales. At The Normal, I believe that’s on the coronary heart of who we’re. We have now so many people who find themselves so superb that simply want the prospect to get the publicity and the sources that they should take off, and so, with “The Break”, what’s been the second thus far that you simply’ve been like, “yo, we’re actually doing this?”
Taylor Sharp: There have been loads of them actually. I imply from the start, after we have been ready to see who could be the central characters and gamers who we observe, you already know there’s so many thrilling gamers within the G League. Then three of essentially the most thrilling in our eyes have been the gamers we ended up working with. In order that was nice even earlier than we began rolling cameras. I used to be like “Wow! We’ve obtained some nice tales that we get to observe.”
Aarian Forman: Now, you already know I work at The Normal, so all people all the time asks me, “have you ever obtained to fulfill Shaq?” A variety of the crew doesn’t get to, however I’m lucky sufficient to have labored with Shaquille on occasion. How was the expertise whenever you set to work with Shaq on this undertaking?
Taylor Sharp: Properly, you already know, Shaq is Shaq… everybody loves him. And he’s a professional, for good motive, he’s so good at this. So, I knew he was gonna be good at narrating, proper? That is nothing new to him. However I used to be actually curious to see how he reacted to the story, how concerned he form of obtained creatively and emotionally, and what we had for him. He’s been a fan of Mac for a very long time. Once we have been doing the reads for the Mac episode, he was speaking about, “Oh, man, I can’t wait till this child will get a shot.” So it was enjoyable, Shaq is rooting on Mac identical to we’re. He’s seeing these actual video games identical to we’re.
Aarian Forman: Whereas filming, how does the opportunity of Mac or Scoot getting referred to as up affect your complete manufacturing? Like, it’s possible you’ll be filming a G League participant at some point, and the subsequent day you’re filming an NBA participant. Speak to us about how that influences issues, and in case you are enthusiastic about it?
Taylor Sharp: Yeah, I imply, that’s what I really like about documentary filmmaking and this model of storytelling. You possibly can have an thought about the place the story goes, however it’s nonetheless unfolding proper there in entrance of you. So you must be there to seize it the easiest way doable, and to remain malleable to what occurred. So I believe, on the story facet, to reply your query, the truth that we’re monitoring actual time narratives of prime G League gamers who may obtain their targets on digicam in entrance of us for all to see is super. What a present it’s to have the ability to be embedded into their seasons with real looking potentialities of them catching their break in the course of the sequence.
Taylor Sharp (continued): Scoot, after all, is proving himself every night time to solidify himself as one of many prime picks within the NBA draft this June. After which, Norris, you already know, preventing to get again to the NBA, the place he began and the place he was a champion, and Mac is attempting to get one other alternative on an NBA crew to point out that he belongs. In order that’s what the G League is all about – making it to the NBA and growing your whole skilled talent set at any age. So it’s nice that each one 3 gamers share these targets. You’ve such totally different paths of arriving there. After which on the manufacturing facet of issues, yeah, it’d make it tough. However that may be an excellent drawback to have, proper? You by no means know when Mac or Norris may get a 10-day contract and get referred to as as much as an NBA crew, and that may simply be on the, you already know, on a flip of a swap. We’d should, possibly get there, however that may be an excellent factor to do.
Aarian Forman: Taylor, to be sincere, I believe that the G League is the NBA’s not-so-hidden treasure. You realize, it’s the league the place they’re really doing the event, not simply on the court docket, however off the court docket. I believe it simply reveals that there’s a well-rounded strategy to creating some actually nice contributions to the golf equipment and the groups on the highest degree. So, I’ve gotta ask you, what has been your favourite second, or your craziest second filming “The Break offered by The Normal?”
Taylor Sharp: You realize, you talked about one thing about how everybody concerned on this sequence is form of doing their scribe work to doc these moments of historical past and within the basketball world, and within the NBA, and within the G League. We actually kicked it off in such an enormous manner, watching Scoot and Victor. There may be like this large David and Goliath storyline, resulting from their dimension, however they’re actually going to be two greats for thus a few years to return, and will each be within the NBA. I believe the truth that it ties again to the G League and episode one among this docuseries, what we’re doing actually felt large even within the second, and I simply felt like, wow!
Aarian Forman: It was nice speaking to you right this moment, we obtained some extra work to do. Ensure you go to the G League’s Youtube Channel to take a look at all of the episodes of “The Break offered by The Normal” which have been produced and directed by this man proper right here, Taylor, from Blue Cup Productions.
Episode 4 of “The Break, offered by The Normal,” drops Tuesday, January 31 at 11 AM ET. Previous and future episodes of the eight-part docuseries may be discovered on the G League’s YouTube channel.
The total dialog may be seen under: