Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sleeves here with your senior pickleball report. Powered by TNC Network. Let's get it going.
Today we speak with Ashley Underwood. She is the director, producer, one of the creative minds behind the Hollywood produced Dream, a pickleball story. I happen to be in the film as one of the narrators, so we talk about all things professional pickleball, how the film was made, some of the challenges behind that, and a whole lot more. But before we get to that, if you like this channel and you like our content, consider subscribing and hitting the like button. Also, check out all the links below for discounts on equipment, from paddles and balls and nets to apparel to merch, check out our merch page. There's always some deal going on there. And hey, subscribe to our newsletter for everything going on in the pickle verse. All right, let's get to that interview with Ashley Underwood.
All right. We are with Ashley Underwood, director, producer, co creator of Dreambreaker, a pickleball story, a major Hollywood documentary. Welcome to the senior Pickleball report, Ashley.
[00:01:15] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you.
It's good to see you again. It's been a while. We had so much fun.
[00:01:22] Speaker A: Yeah. We met, I think, about two years ago, right about now, you gave me a call, a Zoom call, similar to this. And I was sitting at my folks house in Wisconsin, and you were talking about this documentary that you were going to make, and you were looking for people to be part of it. And that was, I believe, June of 2022. And so at that point, I was like, oh, this is pretty cool. I've been really only doing the channel for about four months. At that point, I think I had, like, 200 subscribers. So I was like, either aid or desperate or that's not untrue or whatever, but I was like, holy cow, this is pretty neat. And then, obviously, everything takes time. And here we are two years later with the finished product, and we'll talk about the film in a minute. But before we talk about that, obviously pickleball has been a part of your life prior to the film. And enough soda, you made a movie about it. So how did pickleball come into your life? Like, how did the game enter your world?
[00:02:28] Speaker B: I had a friend of mine who had started to play, and I was actually a tennis player, but she. I kept asking her to play tennis with me, and she was like, you have to try pickleball. And this was sort of during COVID And so actually, there's Memorial park down in Santa Monica. I guess it's a real scene. She kept saying, this place is amazing. You have people from all walks of life. She's like, you just have tv executives playing with firemen and just all types of people, older people, younger people, and she's just like, this is my happy place.
I love this sport.
Just makes me feel happy. And you're getting exercise, and you're getting to meet a bunch of interesting people. So that's kind of how I got started playing. And it was during COVID and then just kind of got a group together that we sort of would play regularly.
[00:03:21] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:22] Speaker B: And all of our husbands would play. It was like husbands and wives, like, playing together. I mean, usually it's like, you know, they're playing one sport and we're playing something different. Like, they're off golfing and we're playing tennis. And this was nice because it was something everybody could play together.
[00:03:37] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. Obviously a very inclusive game. All levels, all ages. Okay? So obviously, you know, like, most of us, myself included, you got involved during COVID But it's, you know, it's what I started a channel because of it. You decided you were going to make a film. So that's quite a leap from, you know, oh, I'm going to go play in Santa Monica and play with some friends to going, I'm going to make a major motion picture about this sport. So walk us through a little bit, kind of the process of how that came into your life, and you decided to kind of go for that.
[00:04:14] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I had a development job at the time, so I had, like, a little bit of money to explore, you know, to film, like sizzle reels. Like a proof of concept to it was the deal we had was with Apple, actually, at the time. So it was like, you know, we had this fund and a little bit of money to make these sizzle reels and then kind of present them. Like, is this something that you would want to make and hopefully get a fully finance?
So. And this is one of the first projects that I kind of pitched to them.
And so we got a little bit of money to make a sizzle wheel. And it was really like an executive producer on the film, Isabel Thomas. It was her idea. She wanted to make something about pickleball. So I was kind of going with her idea, but we didn't really have anything more than that. And I started doing some research.
I met Craig Coyne, who's my producing partner on the film, and he was writing, I think, one of the first pieces for Vanity Fair about Pickleball. And I always laugh because I, you know, there have been so many articles about pickleball, but he wrote really one of the first ones, and he had just done an incredible amount of research, and he kind of knew everybody, everybody in this sport, especially in the professional sport, and he was like, you know, you should really, you know, look into the professional side. I know that the rec side of the game is so popular, but he was just like, there's, we didn't want to just tell an overview of, like, a phenomenon we didn't want to show, like, oh, this is, you know, this is just widely popular. And like, here's a broad overview of why we really wanted to find a story, kind of like an insider story, and kind of share that with a wider audience. So when I started to talk to Craig, you know, he was just like, this is kind of a gold rush. Like there are these, you know, there are these professional leagues and these players who are just kind of these trailblazers in the professional game.
And it didn't take a lot of persuasion. I was just kind of immediately into the fact that there was kind of a story in place there that was happening.
Yeah.
[00:06:30] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, the story was, I think, you know, being part of the film myself, the story was developing constantly throughout the process of making and developing the film. So the challenge seemed to be like, what to put in, what to leave out where and ultimately where the story was going. Because it's one thing to tell about a season. Like you watch these sports documentaries and it's about the last tennis season or the last Formula one season, but it's another thing where you sort of have no idea where it's going and the challenge of that, plus, you know, getting access to people. So talk about some of the challenges, not only with the story continuing to develop as you were making the film, but gaining access to the people who were all of a sudden being introduced into the story and whether or not you could talk to them at all.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I think the access changed from when we started filming till, you know, at the end.
We know when we started out filming, it was, I think, back in 2021, it was still kind of like a folksy, like, community sport and had access to, well, actually, it was Craig that kind of knew all these people. I mean, that's like a documentary. Documentary filmmakers dream. It's like, you know, I joke, I'm like, oh, he was like the straight a kid in class, and, you know, I'm like, can I borrow your homework? Because he, he already had the relationships. He knew the story he had. People trusted him. And I was just like, this is, this is great.
And I had, most of my producing experience had been a lot with Sasha Baron Cohen, which is, it is scripted, but the script changes, like, a million times while we're filming something. So I was definitely used to this run and gun filming approach, which is unique, and I think it's definitely a very specific thing and can be kind of intimidating. And you have to, everybody in your crew, I feel like, has to understand that this isn't all going to be planned out ahead of time, and you have to really be willing to roll, you know, to just kind of roll, roll with it as it unfolds.
So that in and of itself, that was definitely challenging. And I know I relied on you for, like, a lot of, you know, like, story. You know, what's, there was. There were so many things happening, and the sport was, like, changing so fast, and then we had to kind of decide, you know, what do we want to spend money on? Like, what do we. What. What things do we want to fly out for with a film crew and put people up in hotels and sort of capture? And what things can we have? You know, somebody like, you do a video and maybe just like, a video diary, just so we have, you know, we can sort of just chronicle, like, these different moments that are happening in the sport in case we needed to use them. We also use, you know, some of the other podcasters in the pickleball space, like Jared from the kitchen or Rob Nunnery has a podcast, Tyler Long. Like those guys, there are a lot of different podcasts. And as we needed to fill holes in our story, you know, we would kind of grab from those, too. So there were other resources other than just, like, going there ourselves and filming.
But that, that made it challenging, but it also made it really fun and exciting. And the thing I think makes our film different than maybe other projects in the space is that I think we really captured, like, the birth of a professional sport, and it's a moment in time that can never be repeated, right? Yeah. So that makes it unique and in terms of access. So I was saying, you know, Craig initially had these relationships, but was very generous, and I developed my own relationships and sort of trust with players and league owners along the way. But like I said, in 2021, at that first major league pickleball event, people, we were the first camera crew, I think, to ever show up or take an interest. So everyone was gracious, and there was a real openness and willingness to participate.
And then that is kind of more money came in and celebrity came in, and, you know, I think the Tom Dundon entry into the sport kind of was this real marker for a shift.
Also, when LeBron James, like, bought a team, I think that was a marker that really kind of shifted attitudes about the game and just, I don't know, business attitudes, everybody's attitudes.
And that did make access more difficult because the leagues, I think, started to. They wanted to control their own narrative. They kind of wanted to control the media. I don't. We weren't as. I don't think they were. They were definitely. They were. They let us film. They were. They were pretty, I would say, reasonably accommodating throughout the process.
But I feel like there was definitely maybe a hesitation on their part just because there wasn't much creative control over what we were going to do. That was also important to me as a filmmaker. I didn't want to make branded content for elite.
[00:11:43] Speaker A: Right.
[00:11:44] Speaker B: And because that just, I know there are these drag to survive, these sort of formats that work for, like, a netflix or something that, where you have the thirties, but I really didn't want to make.
I just wanted the freedom to be able to. That creative freedom to tell the story that we wanted to tell. And I didn't really want league involvement, but I wanted their trust. I'm not, you know, sure, sure wasn't looking to do anything, you know, outrageous, just kind of really more be a fly on the wall and just capture what's. What was unfolding, you know, and I didn't want to put a sheen on it or try to, you know, control around it. So I think that that changed the leagues wanted to kind of control their narrative or at least participate maybe even in the monetary, like, part of, you know, any media filming that's being done in that space.
And also the agents entered the. During the time period that we were filming. So when we first started filming, there were no agents like Annalee Waters didn't have an agent, and then, you know, suddenly she did. And then that access became a little more difficult. And I think you can see in the beginning of the film, you know, we had, you know, really great access to her and her family, you know, and then, yeah, I think Ben Johns was strangely, like, so accessible. Like, maybe had the easiest access to him the whole time. He was very agreeable, kind of never said no to anything, was always an easy person to deal with.
But yes, players started to become more aware of their brand and their image. And I think there was just some nervousness maybe around, like, well, you know, who are you guys, what is this film?
And then there were, then there started to be so many projects in the space, and I would just, and some people would like to say to me, like, oh, there's, you know, you hope you get to market soon because, you know, there's another project, or, you know, or everybody had, people even have, you know, everybody's like, oh, I have my own pickleball, you know, documentary I'm doing, or have my own tv show I'm pitching. Like, there started to be a lot of that kind of stuff, but, yeah, I think, I think our film is pretty unique, and it's, you don't, you don't want to get in that headspace where you're thinking, you know, oh, these people are going to be first to market, or they're making this, like, you just steady and focus on what you set out to do, which is to chronicle the birth of a professional sport and kind of the ups and downs. Lee Whitwell said at one point, she was like, it's a sport and it's terrible, too. And I just thought, well, that's, that's what we kind of want to capture because it doesn't, it doesn't belong that often.
[00:14:38] Speaker A: Right.
[00:14:39] Speaker B: And it is that unique moment in time. So I feel like we, we captured that.
But, yeah, there were definitely challenges and things. Yeah, for sure.
[00:14:48] Speaker A: And I think, yeah, you were documenting. I think that's the problem is, like, what I've seen over the last, whatever, maybe decade or so with social media is the documentary has almost become this thing where now it's a branded commercial. You know, they see these, these docu series for NASCAR and for, you know, Formula one and for the ATP tour, and those are great, but they're really, to me, on some level, like long commercials, they're entertaining in their own right, but they're not documentaries. And I think the idea when people start to get agents and things like that, they lose sight of what this really is. We're the fly on the wall. We're documenting this. And obviously, you can participate or not participate in it, but in a sport that's growing, that's taking off, it's sort of one of those things that you like to be seen. And I think the thing I felt about this whole process when I was involved in it, I'd hear the same thing. There's other things coming up. There's other people making films. I'm like, well, at least the one I'm involved with, these are actually filmmakers. It's not some guy making it from his garage. You know, they're working with a studio that makes documentaries, and this is what they do. So my confidence in what y'all were doing in my participation in it was, was pretty, pretty high on that fact that, you know, these are professionals and this is what they do.
You know, they make films and they make documentaries and, you know, they're, they're in it for professional reason and not necessarily for self promotion. So that's, that's what I enjoyed about it.
[00:16:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I think, well, every time I screen the film, you're, I think you're always, you're just sort of universally like everyone's favorite part of the movie, including my own.
You're, I think you're, you know, you're so articulate, so knowledgeable about the sport, and you really have a fun way of getting information that's frankly, like, it's so, it's complex and it's confusing. So it is, you had a great way of, like, delivering that information and streamlining, you know, what the, you know, what the story is.
But, and I also, I mean, here's the other thing that's unique about pickleball because I know we decided to do the pro, focus on the pros. And I know, I think especially the feedback I got from, like, executives, like, they were just like, oh, we really, you know, I think people really wanted it to be in the rec space because you have all these characters and that's, and that's what people know. But once we decided to focus on this sport within, like, the professional space, I definitely wanted to include, you know, some of the culture and the people who are in that rec space. And we have just to make the film, like, a bit more colorful. And also, it's pretty unique. And pickleball is one of the only professional sports, like, you know, it's got, like a kind of a wacky, like, quirky side to it. And I wanted the film to have that tone, too. So it's like I want to honor the professionals and what they're trying to do. I mean, these people are real athletes, and so I want to honor that side of it. But it's like, you know, and when you go to the tournaments, what you see is you have pro players with the, you know, amateur or the recreational type. They are coexisting at tournaments. So, and that's pretty unique about this sport that those, that those two can sort of coexist, or at least for the moment.
But, yeah, I feel like I really wanted to add in the color and encompass kind of the quirkiness of the sport and some of the diversity and the things that have made the sport, frankly, so popular.
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[00:20:36] Speaker A: Right? Absolutely. And I think you did that. I mean, the first couple minutes of the film are fantastic with the sort of the introduction to what this culture is and how communal it is and how quirky and goofy it could be.
And so I really enjoyed the intro with Lee driving around and saying her stuff and really, really cool.
And that's the thing I think that you touched upon is it is the birth of a professional sport, but not in the sense of like anything we've seen before. You know, like, you know, again, a lot of these sports started, you know, a very long time ago, but, you know, the birth of the NFL, you know, or the birth of the NBA, you just didn't have these coexisting communities of rec players with professional players. And whether we like it or not, the professional game heavily influences the rec game from equipment to rules. You know, it just kind of works its way back down to, you know, the masses, whether we like it or not. You know, people are playing for particular paddles because they see pros playing those paddles. They're wearing, you know, particular shoes and sometimes the rules change because it fits the pro game, and then it works its way down to the amateur level. The same thing happened in beach volleyball, in sports that are, you know, have developed big time over the last few decades. So I think picking the pro game, much more storytelling. And as you experience, and I experienced an unbelievably complex story to tell, considering it's a wickle ball game. I couldn't believe once I got involved with this, all the moving parts, and I had no envy for the, who had to edit and make choices and draw storyboards because, like we mentioned earlier, it just changed daily. It not only changed it, your film changed daily, and it changed a lot near the end. I mean, I didn't get involved in the filming process coming out to see me until the last few months.
And by that point, things were changing literally daily. Like monumental things where you think you have an end to something and it's a beginning to another thing. So maybe talk about that, because I don't know how you slept.
[00:23:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:06] Speaker A: I really don't because. Holy cow.
[00:23:08] Speaker B: Yeah.
I mean, there were moments I do feel like this film does have now a very almost in kind of like a Hollywood formula. Like, does have a very clear, like, beginning, middle and end.
[00:23:20] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:23:22] Speaker B: Which is a little serendipitous because, you know, you run out of money at some point and you, you know, like, it's not as easy as doing a retrospective. Like, oh, this, this happened, you know, when they were trying to start.
[00:23:36] Speaker A: Right.
[00:23:37] Speaker B: So, yeah, it was. I, I mean, honestly, the, one of the bigger moments that we filmed, and I don't know if it comes off as dramatic, you know, in the movie. I think it does, was filming Steve Kuhn and Julio in their apartment in New York City. And they are. Steve has this moment where he's, you know, I guess the merger is off and he's going to try to get these players back, you know, and you're all, you're, you're, you're kind of rooting for him. I mean, I was.
That's a bold move. I don't know how this is going to unfold.
I don't have anybody. Wherever the PPA war room was, I don't know if they were in Kansas or somewhere, but I was like, I don't have anybody there, and I have a film. You know, one of our, my co director lived in New York. That's an easy place to just grab a camera, get somebody there.
Definitely not an easy thing to get access to.
[00:24:38] Speaker A: Right.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: So, you know, I was just like, oh, okay, well, at least we're going to know what the ending is like. I think we'll know pretty soon what's. There will be a big fallout from this and something. There will just be a clear winner after this, I feel like not winner, but you know what I mean?
And I didn't expect it to take the turn that it did. I don't think.
[00:25:03] Speaker A: I don't think anybody did.
[00:25:04] Speaker B: I don't think anybody did.
And then, you know, and I couldn't get an interview with Tom Dundon, like, the entire time that we were filming, you know, he didn't really want to participate. And his reasoning was always, you know, I want this to be about the players, not about the lead owners. It should be about them and whether it should be.
[00:25:26] Speaker A: And ours are two different things, you know?
[00:25:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
So, you know, that made sense to me. I'm not sure if that was actually the reason, but in the end, we were able. I was able to get an interview with him, and I really just had no money left to film anymore. I just went to Texas, like, one, I think just a local crew went by myself.
So I was really grateful to get that interview in the end because, you know, just because of how everything turned out. And he sort of emerged, you know, the PPA emerged as, you know, that's the group going forward. And it would have felt to me like an incomplete film if I didn't have that interview with him at the. At the end. But I'm just kind of. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride, you know, every day there was just some news that was totally different from what you believed, you know, the day before.
[00:26:30] Speaker A: Right, right, yeah. And I, you know, obviously those two scenes you just discussed, the war room scene, I think was monumental. To get that footage for the film, it really was great access. I mean, I was somewhat shocked that we got to see that in the way we got to see it. It really started to build the drama. And then I love the part, the choice of just showing the chair before Tom comes in because you're sort of waiting for this guy the entire film, sort of the man behind the curtain pulling the strings and da da da da. And finally he sits down and, you know, it's. It sort of kind of wraps that puts a bow on sort of what happened. You have those two scenes that are right there at the end that really sort of, because it was a sort of this feel good movie. Like you're rolling along and you're going along and then you're like, there's a couple whiplash moments there and you're like, what the heck just happened?
And I remember, you know, thinking about it myself and talking about it on camera, and I was like, where else could this possibly go.
[00:27:41] Speaker B: Right?
[00:27:42] Speaker A: I was almost thinking, like, can we just wrap before anything crazier happens than what happened with speed.
[00:27:48] Speaker B: Yeah, that Tom Dundon interview, that was like, I was like, okay, I'm out of money now. Like, nothing else can happen. Like, I'm just gonna, I don't know, like, do a voiceover.
Like, this is like, please, please don't.
[00:27:59] Speaker A: Let their Star wars scroll or something.
Yeah, but it was, I love that it somehow, like you said, serendipitous, it came to fruition at the end. No matter who you were rooting for, how that played out. The film had a moment where it, it ended. And you saw these relationships run their course on some level, and this storyline run its course on, on some level. And it had to be satisfying because it was touch and go there. Obviously, you know, you were worrying about a budget and, you know, what you, what's, what you could film still, what was, what choices you had to make on what to film, where to go to. And I think that's a misconception. I think people think, oh, you know, she's making a Hollywood movie. She's got, you know, tens of millions of dollars, and I'm like, no, it's a documentary.
It's not like, you know, fits in the film.
So I think that's another misconception. Like, people just have, like, oh, you know, you just, how much could it cost to go do this?
And, you know, I would, you know, when y'all, you know, would come and film me, it was like, I couldn't believe what it took on some level, you know, and I've worked in, I've worked in production stuff before, but I still was, like, blown away by the equipment that needed to be hauled there, the, you know, the team that needed to be put together and, and to do all those things. When you come see me off grid, that was not like you had.
[00:29:37] Speaker B: That was a real adventure. That was one of my favorite parts.
[00:29:40] Speaker A: Just plug into a wall that charged up all the time. So kudos to you all. And you handle it like chance, because where I live, not many people have been to, and when they see it, their first reaction is like, whoa, what is this? And then to actually have to do something at a professional level that is going to be seen by people and represent your work, your art.
I was, when I saw the film, I was relieved that I didn't get up.
[00:30:10] Speaker B: No, quite the opposite. Quite the opposite.
[00:30:13] Speaker A: I was like, oh, God.
[00:30:17] Speaker B: No.
[00:30:17] Speaker A: I think.
[00:30:20] Speaker B: It makes it really fun.
You don't want it to be dry and it's. And it's. It's a complicated stuff.
[00:30:26] Speaker A: Yeah, you know, what a boring documentary. We've seen that Ken burns stuff, and it's great, but at the end of the day, you want to be entertained.
[00:30:32] Speaker B: Like the opposite of Ken Burns. I really wanted it to be. To be entertaining and to be fun. I wanted it to have depth, but I also wanted it to have, you know, heart and most importantly, humor because, I don't know, that's my background. That's what I'm drawn to. I feel like anything that I do, it's probably going to be filtered a little bit through that lens because for me, that's what I find enjoyable.
So I think, yeah, I mean, I think this film is, it's kind of a story about, like, american ambition, and it's kind of a reflection of our culture and our society, like, you know, the people trying to cash in on something that's just become, you know, widely popular. And, and I think that there, you know, you can, you admire that at times about, you know, who we are, and then sometimes it's cringey, for sure. And then I think that there's an underlying, you know, humor to that, you know, kind of all along the way.
So, yeah, I hope that people like it. I hope the people who are in the film like it because I think we worked really hard as filmmakers to, you know, to write a love letter to the sport and everybody who is in it, because I think, you know, a lot of people have really poured, like, blood, sweat and tears into this.
Yeah. Yeah.
[00:32:10] Speaker A: That's why I was happy I didn't screw it up.
[00:32:12] Speaker B: Including us.
Including us.
So we were on a journey, too. Like, it was a different journey, but we were, like, on an adjacent sort of similar journey. So, yeah, the filmmakers who are also kind of suffering through it in our own right.
[00:32:31] Speaker A: Yeah. And that's what I was worried about, like, you know, when you all were going to come out and stuff like that, I was like, man, I hope they know what this is because I was not worried about, like, that you couldn't handle it. I was more worried about, like, you'd show up and go, this might have been a vocational air choice, but it worked out fine. It worked out fine. My buddy who is in film told me, he said the parts with the yurt Mike that was the ginger, it changed the taste of the film once in a while because he saw all this professionalism and stuff going on, and then they cut to rural New Mexico, and that kind of, you know, pulls you back to reality.
[00:33:13] Speaker B: Yeah, it's like a little palate cleanser. You're just like you. I, in fact, when I. When I watch it in a room full of people, like at that San Francisco dock fest where we, you know, we were sold out. We were the only film that sold out. I was very proud of that.
[00:33:29] Speaker A: Yeah, you should be.
[00:33:31] Speaker B: You know, I sat in the back row, and it was so fun to watch people experiencing the film kind of in the way that I would hope that people would experience the film. You know, like, you can hear the noises or the sounds people make when something is, you know, shocking or surprising.
I loved hearing people laugh at the places that I wanted them to laugh. And there's definitely this moment every time we kind of cut back to you. You can feel the whole room, like, the audience just really loving that they're getting to see. See you again and hear from you again in the film because. And they're looking forward to it throughout. You know, they know we're going to come back to you, and they know there's going to be, you know, just this little palate cleanser, if you will, or, you know, a moment of levity. Really?
[00:34:21] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:22] Speaker B: Yeah. So.
[00:34:23] Speaker A: And I needed somebody to point that out to me, and my buddy did, because I watched it with him and his partner and some friends, and him and his partner are both are in the film industry. And Karen and I, my wife were like, you know, I'm like, I was awesome. I'm glad my parts turned out, but my wife and I literally turned to each other and went, like, why was.
[00:34:45] Speaker B: I in the film?
[00:34:45] Speaker A: Like, did I need to be in the film? And he goes, absolutely. He was the one. He pointed out. He goes, you were the ginger. You changed the palette of the film. He goes, I've worked in this stuff before. He goes, without that in it, it's a different film. Doesn't mean it's a bad film or anything like that. It just changes sort of where the momentum of things and you get to take a breath or whatever he said it was. And so I felt better about that because I was like, this film is fine, absolutely great. And I enjoyed it without me, I really do.
But I felt like when he told me that, I'm like, he sort of justified it for me. I was like, okay, I don't know anything about obviously, you know, filmmaking on that level, so it made sense. And to hear you say it makes sense as well. So, yeah, I appreciate the compliments.
I truly do. Because, you know, when you watch yourself on screen, I'm like anybody else. I'm self critical. I don't like to see certain things, and I'm like, you see it? You go, oh, that's what I sound like, or, oh, that's what I really look like. But I was happy and very proud to be part of the film because I think it is. I think it's really well done. And, and I think it tells a very, believe it or not, people, a pickleball story is very complex, and I think it does a great job of telling it because there are so many moving parts and they were constantly moving. So kudos to you and your team because there's no way I could have made that film.
There's just no way.
[00:36:16] Speaker B: You did. You did what, you know, what you did do for the film is, I think, the best part of the film. And it really helps people understand the story. You know, I was screening it for people and they were just like, wait, I'm confused. Like, what's this league? What's that? Like, there are three leagues or two. And I just think that, you know, you. You're super articulate and you, you got the information across in a way that people could understand it, you know? And you're a colorful character and person and personality, and I just think that, I don't know, it definitely helped with the tone and the momentum of the entire movie. So I'm really glad that we got to work together and it was a lot of fun.
[00:37:03] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, if you would have told me two years ago when we were beating for the first time what it would have been, I would have been thrilled. And it's beyond what I expected it to ever be.
Thanks for the opportunity, and I am super, super proud of the film, and I'm looking forward to people getting to see it on a massive level. So when, when it starts to stream on a regular basis, we will let folks know. But for those of you that had a chance to see it, spread the word, it's a great film. It'll be out eventually for other folks to see and consume and enjoy and talk about.
And I appreciate your time. Anything before we go, Ashley, that you'd like to to sex.
[00:37:45] Speaker B: Just make sure. Say thank you to your friends who wrote the song at the end.
The song and the film. You guys, they were fantastic, too, and.
[00:37:57] Speaker A: That was a lot of fun. We co wrote a song that goes at the end of the film, and we were so very proud and fortunate to get into the film and lead it out.
Appreciate that. And super fun writing it and got to record it in a studio as well. So we got to feel like real musicians.
[00:38:20] Speaker B: It's great. We love it.
[00:38:22] Speaker A: Yeah. All right, Ashley, thanks for your time and looking forward to seeing it. Hopefully out sometime the summer of the fall and dream breaker, a pickleball story coming somewhere to you very shortly and check it out, watch it multiple times, share it with your friends and family. Thank you, Ashley. Hope you enjoyed our interview with Ashley Underwood. Hope to see the movie out en masse shortly. Dream Breaker, a pickleball story. Hopefully we can see it somewhere on some streaming service soon. Great film. I think you would enjoy it. Plenty to talk about. And, you know, when it comes out, I'll let you know and share it with friends and family as well. All right, folks, you know what to do at the end of the day. Hey, let's pickle.
