Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Producer Michael Carbajal of Trendline Films Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
I really want to reach people who don’t currently have a connection to Hollywood, so that they will have a voice and an opportunity to reach their dreams here. We finally have the technology to make this a real possibility. I recently partnered with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and the World Bank to co-sponsor a series of Global Forums designed to promote the growth of edutainment programming around the world, uniting entertainment media with educational objectives.
As a part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Carbajal.
Born in White Plains, New York, Michael Carbajal is an award-winning producer who began his career in film and television at NASA headquarters, where he worked on documentaries and interactive features as Senior Content Producer. He was a member of the NASA Television production team that won the Primetime Emmy Award, recognizing television engineering excellence on the 40th anniversary of the televised Apollo moon landing. The team was also awarded the coveted Webby and Adobe MAX awards and was featured on CNN.
After NASA, Carbajal transitioned to the private sector as a content producer, specializing in unscripted documentaries and docuseries. From new findings at Machu Picchu to the latest advances in artificial intelligence, his interests remain fixed on discovering humanity’s potential, whether finding it in the past or speculating on the future. He also held positions at MTV Networks and Google.
Carbajal is currently collaborating with the World Bank and Hollywood Foreign Press Association on the development of “edutainment,” connecting Hollywood productions with sustainability goals and diversity initiatives. He also is actively involved in the cryptocurrency arena. Under the banner of his film company, Trendline Films, Carbajal is currently in production on the film “Split Decisions,” starring the late Kristoff St. John, Mia St. John, Sugar Ray Leonard, ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosely, and others.
Carbajal is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and has served on its awards and events committees. He is a Constellation Circle donor of the Motion Picture Academy Museum and a member of Mensa. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career?
Probably meeting my sports heroes during a documentary that I was producing. I had quite an entertaining interview with Flavor Flav. We discovered that we both hung out at some of the same places in New York, like Nathan’s.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
While working at NASA Headquarters, I met Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and many more legends. Hearing their stories firsthand was something I’ll never forget. I once had to find Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit from Apollo 11. It was in a secure warehouse, which had almost every space suit from the past, and they were stored as if in a morgue. When they pulled out Armstrong’s suit, it still had a little bit of moon dust on it. That was one of my favorite moments working at NASA.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
Nikolai Tesla, Ada Lovelace, Ben Franklin. I like people who are innovative and inventive. People who think way ahead of their time.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
I really want to reach people who don’t currently have a connection to Hollywood, so that they will have a voice and an opportunity to reach their dreams here. We finally have the technology to make this a real possibility. I recently partnered with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and the World Bank to co-sponsor a series of Global Forums designed to promote the growth of edutainment programming around the world, uniting entertainment media with educational objectives. I think with the HFPA/World Bank partnership, we can get one step closer to realizing this dream. The forum series is one of many concepts I have in mind.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
Having worked in Washington DC for so long, I had originally assumed that their world was completely different than that of Hollywood. And even though that’s still true in large part, I did notice that their goals were more aligned than I had previously thought. So, the ‘aha’ moment was when I saw a direct correlation between those goals.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I am hoping I can impact young people in developing countries. I have a number of initiatives planned in the near future, so we shall see.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
- Get involved/participate.
- Do your own research and think independently.
- Give feedback. I believe in always seeking to improve.
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 wait. When I was younger, people told me not to rush into things because I had “plenty of time.” But I realize now that there’s never enough time. So, if you’re young, go for your dreams as if you don’t have tomorrow.
- Think big. I used to think some projects were too big for me to take on. Later, I realized that anything is possible if you position yourself correctly.
- You can do what others are doing. I remember seeing a video of Steve Jobs where he said, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.” It’s always stayed in my mind since then.
- Work with brand names. I noticed early on in my career, which started at MTV, that people would take note of companies they’ve heard about before. For years, people would still ask me about MTV even when it was further down on my resume.
- “Eagles fly with eagles.” A mentor of mine told me this. It basically means that people of the same success level tend to stick with each other. Seems obvious now, but it was an eye opener when I first heard it.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Just to be open to different ideas and get things done quickly.
We are very blessed that many other Social Impact Heroes read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would like to collaborate with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
Me and half the world would probably say Elon Musk. He’s involved in some many diverse and interesting projects that he would be on the top of my list to work with.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Don’t wait. Don’t let people tell say, “you have plenty of time” or to procrastinate on a goal. As Ben Franklin said, “One today is worth two tomorrows.”
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.instagram.com/nasacalifornia/
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Producer Michael Carbajal of Trendline Films Is… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.