THINK ALIKE PRODUCTIONS - DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY

A long, long, time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there once lived a small little green chap who gave birth to an inspiration that eventually became a living legend. Now if you want to know what else this green guy kind of gave birth to -- ish -- please check out the following interview I did with my great mate Ruben. Go on. Read on. And may the force be with you. 





1) What are your own origins, Ruben? Plus what path did you take in life prior to getting to where you are today?   I was born in Venezuela and moved to Miami, Florida, at the age of three. From the age of ten I was writing fan fiction for stuff like SeaQuest and Star Wars and reading comic books heavily. I was also a huge fan of different types of music. I was inspired by writers like John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, and rappers like Slick Rick and Jay-Z. I dabbled in music in my twenties and eventually took my writing aspirations over to screen plays and comic books.

2) What inspired you to form ‘Think Alike Productions’?   I saw what creative teams I really respected were doing (Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder) and was inspired to work with my wife and best friend. We all wanted to pursue our individual passions for writing and creating and thought what better way to push forward with our dreams than doing it together? We formed what eventually became Think Alike Productions in December, 2011.

3) Can you briefly tell us about some of the projects under your banner?   Our primary focus has been to produce​, ​sell, and travel to conventions nationwide promoting "The Agency". It's been three years in the making and we’ve definitely poured our blood, sweat and tears into this project, so it’s getting most of our attention right now. We’ve also been contracted to develop two graphic novels based on screenplays that are currently in pre-production. We’re excited to release more details about those projects soon.

4) What song would you say best represents your publishing house and why?   “With A Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles, because we’ve learned that business relationships, the situations we often find ourselves in as human beings and life itself, is not perfect. But, as cliché as it sounds, if we stick together and rely on each other to get one another through those trying moments, we can and will persevere. Think Alike Productions the establishment, at the tender age of three years old, has already been through so many obstacles. Yet we’ve learned to appreciate the value of sometimes having to put your pride to the side and say “I need your help” and sometimes having to put your differences to the side and say “Okay, how can I help you?”.

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   I discussed this with my team and we decided on J.K. Rowling. Not only did she write the most influential, highest selling piece of literature in human history, but she created an entire, magical world for her fans to explore, using only her imagination. Our dream is to follow in her footsteps, as daunting a task as that seems because we think Harry Potter was life changing, culture changing. When it comes to magic as a genre, there is nothing more relevant and important than the Harry Potter series and it would be amazing and incredibly humbling to hear her vouch for and promote our magic based property.

6) What have you learnt about yourself through this endeavor? And were there any unforeseen obstacles you had to contend with along the way?   I've personally learned that not everyone is going to like what you are doing or putting out there -- in fact, a lot of people aren't. We were turned down very early on by some major Indie publishers and had to roll with the punches, keep our spirits bright and push ourselves to learn from our mistakes rather than give up. I have to remind myself all the time that some people don’t like chocolate. I've also learned to value myself as a writer and that I am a lot more creative than I ever gave myself credit for. It's an amazing feeling to step back and look at something tangible that you created and say, “I made this!”. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing what was once an idea become a reality.

7) During your time in this field, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   My wife, my best friend and the simple thought that everything will work out the way that it’s supposed to as long as we keep working toward our goals. 

8) If 'Think Alike’ had a motto, what would it be?   We do have a motto and it comes from the wisest man from a galaxy far far away. "Do or do not; there is NO try."

So there you have it, dear readers. My mate Ruben and his great team over at 'Think Alike Productions'. When you have the time please check out their website, facebook page, and twitter stream for what they have in store for us next. Trust me. It'll be a blast.