An independent oil and gas movie has been picked up by a major streaming network - Amazon Prime Video.
Pipe Nation, which began production in 2020, was originally meant to be a television series for Netflix, but was dropped at the midnight hour due to the controversy and political issues involving Climate Change and Oil and Gas Development
During the interview with Pipe Nation producer Raoul Bhatt and actor Mike Vickers, they explain how the film was repurposed to a short film for Amazon Prime Video after they expressed an interest in the film.
The film includes real-life stories of pipe liners and addresses issues such as mental health, drug use, and sex in the industry.
The importance of staying true to the industry's reality and the need for mental health support for family-owned businesses in the supply chain was emphasized.
Additionally, a film project about a single mother working in the industry was discussed.
The negative perception of the industry and workers, and the future of the industry were also examined. Overall, the film was praised for humanizing the industry through storytelling.
The plot: As an oil pipeline nears completion, a group of roughnecks clash with a rural township, cutthroat ecowarriors, and a vicious motorcycle gang to get the job done.
Hardwell is a fictional town near the border of two provinces at odds with each other. Meanwhile, the camp Ashley and Ty work at is called Kilometer 72.
They have just crossed over into a province whose energy values don't align with their own and run into protests and antipathy. A single, debt-ridden mother takes a job as a pipe labourer at a remote camp near the town of Hardwell.
As tensions grow between workers and neighboring communities, Ashley is challenged to protect the industry and her only source of income.
Forming an unlikely bond with a member of her crew, Ashley and Ty help one another navigate hostile working conditions and the complexities of an industry in transition. Pipe Nation is a fictional analysis of the historical, political and economic significance of pipelines.
It works to illuminate the unique relationships between individual citizens and the webs of steel which lie below.
Pipe Nation has won over 10 film festival awards.
Synopsis: As an oil pipeline nears completion, a group of Pipeliners clash with a rural township, cutthroat ecowarriors, and a vicious motorcycle gang to get the job done.
Starring: Mike Vickers, Gin Ford, Nat Gambler, Geoff Shangh, Patrick Lundeen, Dallas Soonias, Nels Lennarson, Alexis Mckenna, Georgina Lightning, Griffin Cork, Anna Primiani, Nimet Kanji, Steve Dhillon, John Warkentin, Jennifer Boudreau, Krishna Tailor, Shane Conneryvolk, Danger Cats
Produced by: Raoul Bhatt, Dan Svedberg, Krishna Tailor, Dylan Schiewe, Christian Adam
Below is the Artificial Intelligence Transcript, there may be some errors in spelling and names.
Jason Spiess
... Head over to the Zoom line where we've got Pipe Nation. We've got a couple of gentlemen, Mike Vickers and Bahat, is that right? Is Bahat? That's right. Awesome north of the border. Can Canada Canadian if you will, of course, are good friends. We, we usually say Terry Edom is Canada's greatest export. But a couple gentlemen, given Terry Edam a run for the money. How are you guys doing today?
Raoul Bhatt
Really good. Thanks for having
Jason Spiess
us. Hey, I appreciate you coming on the program and let's talk about the Pipe Nation. What is Pipe Nation? Is it a book? Is it a movie? Is it a movement? Is it all the above? Let's talk about it.
Raoul Bhatt
It's all the above. Um It uh it started with a story. It started with an idea and uh I was uh I was actually a big fan of Mike Vickers for, for about a year before I started this project and I reached out to him and I'm like, hey, I wanna tell a story about, you know, people I grew up with uh my friends and family in the energy sector and um you know that, that the the world loves to look at Alberta, um or let's say at the energy sector as kind of big and scary people, but they missed the, the, the
beautiful part of it is the big hearts and the camaraderie, the friendship and family. And uh so I pitched this to Mike and I know Mike has a huge network in a, in a big reach. And um so we went along this whole research process of um of, hey, let, let's let's figure this out.
And uh you know, Mike was a big supporter. We, we kept feeding each other ideas um and it, it turned into a feature film and, and now it's on uh a prime video and um it's been a three year journey but, but yeah, so it's, it's a feature
Jason Spiess
film, that's excellent prime video. So if I go to Amazon Prime right now type in Pipe Nation, I can, I can watch it or buy it or rent it or all the above or how does that work? Yes, that's right. Ok. Is it uh is it available to um purchase to rent or is it part of the prime included package?
Raoul Bhatt
Um So it's not part of the the subscription package but you can rent it. Um
Jason Spiess
like cocaine bear.
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, the same type of concept, but we prefer that you own it. Um And that way Pipe Nation stays with you for life.
Jason Spiess
Ok. And then, so it is available for purchase as well. Ok. Ok, so great. Uh talk to me a little bit about the process, by the way, this is a, a Raul that we're talking to. Uh Mike. Are you still on the line? Mike Vickers?
Raoul Bhatt
I think something an emergency happened. He had to go take that call.
Jason Spiess
Ok, no problem, no problem. That's fine. He'll probably jump back on. If not, we'll be just fine. Oh, I see a text coming in on something or another. So, multitasking folks, welcome to the 21st century. Uh
Raoul Bhatt
So I hope he's ok. But, but yeah, so yeah, Pipe Nation. Um it's, it's uh I'll give you a little summary of how we ended up on prime. So initially, we started this project um three years ago, um went from idea to, to story. Um and then from story, we took a year to develop this concept out and, and Mike and myself as well as our team. We met with um Mike is obviously in the energy sector but uh but we met with other real life pipe liners, uh people that work in the sector and really heard their
stories like really um we wanted to make this uh the story as authentic as possible, but it's also dramatized and it, it's a movie but, but we, we really um we essentially partied with uh uh friends and energy sector and, and collected stories in a very casual sense and then cherry picked the best ones that we wanted into this feature film. But we do have a backlog of enormous stories that uh that people have shared with us about their life and, and uh their, their journey of being just
a real person in, in the, in the sector, um the struggles, the, the, you know, the perseverance of what it takes to, to be, to be this person. And um so through those stories, we developed out a, a longer form story arc um into a drama, action, drama. Um and, and filled our, our 54 minutes full of some really good juicy stuff. Um And, and it's not for the faint of heart, it's, it's rated R. So there's lots of uh sex, uh drug use and nudity.
But, but through that there, there's an underlying story of, of, you know, the good people, the, the, the, the, the resilience and the, the, the camaraderie and the friendship and the family that the chemistry between everybody and, and Mike can speak on this. Uh because you almost create your own family being away from your family when you're in the sector.
Jason Spiess
You certainly do it. Oh, Mike. Are you back? ... No problem? No problem. Um Yeah, you definitely, it's almost like, you know, we do a lot of military comparisons in the, in, in America because whether it's housing or whether it's either even the logistics side of things you do create a brotherhood and a fox, you know,
foxhole type mentality. And nowadays, um it's a, it is there, there is certainly a family or a second family, if you will, that comes out of this Mike. Go ahead. Sorry about that.
Mike Vickers
Yeah. So that's one thing that I was approached with this project and uh I actually seen Rule post a job in one of my groups on Facebook. And that's what engaged me in the conversation was with a scriptwriter for this film. And
Raoul Bhatt
the genius
Mike Vickers
behind what he'd given me, gave me an opportunity to show the world basically what can be going on within our industry, put it on a global level and like you just hit on there, that family aspect. That's something that's often overlooked through the media. And that's the one thing that really got me involved in this is the showcase is the connection between our people that they, that they make. Uh it almost like first family or second family as
Jason Spiess
well. This is gonna sound, oh, go ahead. Sorry, I thought, I thought you paused it in radio. One second of uh dead air is like gives you, gives you a heart attack. So sorry about that. Go ahead. Continue.
Mike Vickers
Yeah, I know. It's like when you're spending half your life away with these people, time after time, month after month, it's a very unique connection that you make with them. Essentially, you're seeing these people more than you're seeing your own family.
It's a very family orientated industry and that's something that's hugely overlooked. And that's what I think pipe nation will actually bridge the gap in connecting those people outside of the industry. And showing that that family culture is actually
Jason Spiess
there talking with Raul Bahat and Bahat. Sorry. And um is it Bahat? Is that right Bahat? Is that how you pronounce it?
Raoul Bhatt
You know, it depends on the part of the world you're in. But
Jason Spiess
OK, OK. So for the folks listening there, I just had the pronunciation before we jumped on the air. So I do, I do apologize because some of this is from the hip a little bit because the, the way that this industry works is, you know, we've, we've been trying to schedule this interview for over two weeks and the first couple of times in technology and off the grid and satellites and just, well say it's the way the way the world works.
And that's the one thing about the oil and gas industry I found to be very forgiving about is, you know, hey, crap happens, you know, and I, we, we, we go on the radio with this so I don't want to drop an S bomb. But where I'm going with this is where when you brought up, you know, the sex drugs and rock and roll, if you will, about your particular program, what that told me is that, well, you're hitting, you're hitting the real button now.
So whether it's, you know, swearing or like that, like I just mentioned or whether it's the sex drugs and rock and roll part when it comes to that part of a program, generally, to me that says you're infusing something real into the program. And I think the oil and gas industry needs to stay real. I think people need to understand what the world is like.
Um I thought the same thing with the agriculture industry for a long time because I saw the way that the grocery store replaced the egg industry because pretty soon everybody got their meat from the grocery store and the farmers weren't human anymore. They were just gone completely. And I look at that with, with the oil and gas industry, especially to where it's almost like the light switch has replaced them.
So when I think about the passion that people put into the industry, it it it can get a little bit, you know, real at time. So um you mentioned that, you know, the the sex drugs and rock and roll if you will about the part of uh your uh movie, talk a little more about that because that would that kind of made my head turn a little bit if you will.
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah. So it's interesting as uh you know, pipe Nation is it when we created the story, we were, we were very sensitive to, although we're very supportive of the people. Um the human aspect of, of, of pipe nation of the people in the sector, we didn't want to come off as oil, raw, raw, one sided dimension. It's a very honest story that there, there is, you know, mental health struggle and with that there's drug use, right? There's escapism. Um, there is, you know, um, sex and affairs
that happen, um, away from home. It's real like this is, it, it, it's, it, it, it, this happens. Right. So, for us it was important not to shy away from that. And when we look at our real lives, um our real life is actually filled full of sex drugs and rock and roll it, you know, in, in any industry, especially this industry where, you know, where a lot of money is made. And um and it was important to showcase that, but if you were to decide, sorry, go ahead,
Jason Spiess
Jason. Well, I, I just wanna, you know, make sure the listeners know out there, you know, that sex drugs and rock and roll might be different in America because, you know, we don't have Brian Adams like you. So it's, you know, whole different thing. Sorry, I had to take a crack there at it. But um I, I wanted to just pause on the mental health part because that is exactly where I was gonna go with.
My next question was the mental health aspect and given, you know, this is mental health awareness Month and at least in America as I think it might be in, in Canada too. But that is a huge, huge issue right now being overlooked by the industry. And what I found to be the case down in the Permian Basin in the Bakken in the Midcontinent, in the uh DJ Brera.
In uh Colorado, the rocky mountain region was that there was two different kind of worlds being created with the, you know, kind of the executives and the oil companies. And then you had the supply chain and the supply chain was a lot of family and small businesses and man, they put their heart and soul, blood, sweat and tears their family everything into this.
And as we kind of went through the ups and the downs and everything, I saw a lot of mental health being created because these small companies that were really putting everything into it, they, they, they got treated very differently than I think they were used to. And um we're finding that's to be a big part of where the industry is at right now. Um Did you find any of that when you were going through pipe nation?
Because it's a pipes are just polarizing. Now, we got carbon pipelines being polarized in North Dakota. We had, you know, the the Dapple incident happen. So if you're, if you're talking about oil and gas and pipes, you got two polarizing type of uh topics that you're going at. Pal.
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah, Jason, you nailed it, I think uh whether you, you you're for against it, you, you're gonna talk about it, right? Um So that's, that's the, the nature of this industry and also especially pipelines as well, like man, this thing, it, it, it is always in the news. Um but yeah, regarding the, the mental health, mental health aspect and, but really this is about um a community coming together, community people um against the big corporate faceless machine that uh that where you
said there's a whole like, you know, small mom and pop shops, the supply chain, the the good people that are the workers. But then there's that faceless corporations that are just ruthless. And it's that, that the conflict between the two um that's shared within pipe nation as well. And it was important to showcase that because again, it's the truth and we're not here to hide the truth.
It, we're here to lay it all out for everyone to see wrapped in a beautiful story. And, and Mike is, are one of our main actors in there. And he comes from uh a beautiful, diverse culture of, of eastern Canada, of Cape Breton. And uh to just, just look at the guy, right? And you can't get more keep Britain than that. But the way he speaks there, there's a, there's a beauty to his, his dialect and his language. And it was important to show that in, in, in the film as well.
Um Along with each one of our other characters they all have unique backgrounds and, and that's what this sector is, is, is a diversity of, of people, of the way they speak it. There, there's a beauty in, in, in that language as well. Although there's a lot of profanity but it's, it's, you know, it, it, it's, it's, it's expression and, and we capture that in pipe nation.
Jason Spiess
Oh, I've had interviews with oil and gas professionals that if I actually did clean them up, I don't think there'd be any words left. I mean, some of these guys, there are just something. Well, if you're from Eastern Canada, you know, I, I guess I could say they could talk like a sailor because you're probably familiar with that Mike Vickers. But, but yeah, we
Mike Vickers
basically shot a scene down there when we were filming and they gave us creative speaking, I guess we'll call it. They said just go off and do your own thing. And I kind of led the front there and I dropped so many F bombs and words. So I don't want to say too much on here because we're live here. But they literally, I seen Jaws Drop and that is what's in the industry and that's what you'll see in Pipe Nation.
It's the true authentic behavior that we all have that we put into our characters when we were scripted into this. Uh my character was pretty much me. If you watch this, you'll see me go through talk the way I talk in the industry. And it's kind of depicting when I first came to Alberta, basically showcasing what I did, how I talk, who I was. And that was me.
Like he, he wrote me imperfectly. It was incredible. But that language is definitely there. It's authentic and then hitting back on the mental health aspect, it's huge what each character within pipe nation goes through internally. And I think that really is represented a lot within the show and showcased a lot through their characters.
Jason Spiess
So I wanna just bring up the mental health aspect uh one more time and then we'll transition back into Pipe Nation and more specifically, maybe even the plot line and, and that sort of thing. But um you know, again, May May is Mental health Awareness Month. We should be showcasing every month, but the interview is being conducted here on May 1st.
Uh uh gentlemen, go deliver your ma Mayday baskets, you know, a Dixie cup with a couple, uh a Dixie cup with a little flour and a couple of juicy fruit sticks will go a long way in the, in the points category anyway. Um So, uh you know, the mental health aspect of crude life, we've been a long supporter of mental health since really day one, whether it be uh extreme mental health and severe handicap where uh outfits like the Abel Inc out of Dickinson, North Dakota help the oil and gas
community by taking severe handicap Children in full time so that oil and gas workers can go spend time two weeks on a rig, et cetera. So we've showcased a lot of great organization Ronald mcdonald House, for example, some of the work that they've been doing, but we even got behind um Miss Teen North Dakota, uh Alexandra Garcia out of Watford City who championed mental health.
And here was from my perspective, it was a little bit tough because here's, you know, this Miss Teen North Dakota and she's really going through a lot of mental health issues. She makes it her kind of her platform. She wins and we couldn't get any oil and gas companies to get behind us. We uh put her up on stage at the Bakken barbecue. She gets enough courage, you know, she's actually from the Bakken out in the western North Dakota.
Uh We get the superintendent, uh Kirsten Basler who's just been fantastic with uh mental health issues in the state of North Dakota as well as uh Pat Beli up on stage in support of this m team, everything along those line, even though we didn't get support from the industry. Two weeks later, the Olympics happened. Simone Biles is international news about her mental health issues at the Olympics.
Pretty soon we see oil and gas companies spending money left and right about mental health issues. All I could think of was this poor girl in the, you know, her family is a family business out there and put their heart and soul into it. And then when you mention the faceless corporations, I'm thinking, man, boy, did you just hit the nail on the head?
Because now people are starting to see faces to these corporations a little bit. And so it hurts a little bit more. Um Talk to me a little bit about that side of things because you mentioned the faceless corporations, Mike, you reached out to me about the mental health aspect before. So this is a huge part of that movie I think, isn't it?
Mike Vickers
It is. Yeah. So like speaking of mental health and especially within the industry itself, it's something that is hugely overlooked throughout North America, globally, within the oil and gas sector. Uh We all put our tough faces on it there. And I mean, I, I went through a battle for the last 12 months personally, I actually lost a buddy that I worked with for the last four years to suicide.
He me and him were tight. Uh It's hard to go through but he literally chose a gun over continuing to go through his life. And as workers, we're like family. Uh we talk to each other a lot. We tell each other about our problems and all those things were missed with my buddy. And it's really sad that it happened roughly a year ago today too. But uh mental health is a real thing and I can stress it enough.
It, something I'm actually gonna be pushing very hard this month, uh gonna be doing some lives for my social media networks. But it's incredible the support we don't get from the oil and gas industry, the companies. Um Fortunately I'm lucky to work for one that supports it quite a bit. I'm actually working with them to support it more, but I'm hoping the entire industry in general can get on board with this. For example, we have first aid that's requirement uh for any kind of job
sites. Why isn't mental or mental health first aid a requirement. It's an actual two day course. You can take just like your regular general first aid. But these things are something that's overlooked or missed and our industry has to catch up because it's a growing epidemic and you gonna put my foot down personally to make sure something is done
Jason Spiess
about it and appreciate your courage for coming out and speaking on on this because this, this is a, is a very difficult topic because anytime you assess opinion on somebody's mental health, well, that's you're, you're starting off in the wrong foot, so to speak. I mean, it's really tough to walk in someone else's shoes. Uh Raul spin that back into the plot line a little bit you mentioned, you know that. So let's, you know, let's steer back on to the way mental health gets
integrated into the plot line. So Pipe nation, you mentioned, you know, the, the drama that's involved with the second families and, you know, that sort of thing and, and the sex drugs and the rock and roll that comes with, uh, just every industry in itself at all different levels. And we've got, you know, the difference of the, the, the corporations and, and the small businesses. What part of the mental health in the plot line do you see standing out the most, I guess?
Raoul Bhatt
Well, it's, we intertwined in every aspect and, and uh don't, don't let, uh you know, Mike, you know, be humble here. Like he went through six months of actor training for this. He went through fighting training. Uh we had professional stunt, stunt uh coordinators like, like we, we put Mike through a lot um as well as other actors as well. Um to really bring out the juice of, of everything like con conflict um to the love hate relationships, the, the chemistry, the mental health
aspect. Um One of the other characters tie uh played by Jeff Chang. So he, uh he's in love with the main character and although they just have a, a friendship relationship, um him and her, um he loves her. She is in love with Mike uh secretly uh she also just separated from her husband, you know, all very, very, very much, very fine line of what's happening in real life.
But, but this is dramatized. Um and then there's a very intense chemistry um in this, but through that there's so much heartbreak and pain and, and um which are other character masks with drug use, but the drug use mixed with heavy machinery is never never a good
Jason Spiess
idea. And what kind of drugs if I may ask? Is that, is that a spoiler at this point or?
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah, it's, it's opioids, it's a form but we haven't really uh put a label on exactly the time. Uh the, the type. Um But yeah, it's, it's an opioid ... um which is a huge issue. I was gonna
Jason Spiess
say, boy, you, you just, you just put another social issue right in there but you guys are attacking everything. I love it.
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah. And uh but you know, there, there's so many layers to this. Um But, but even the, the, the, the escapism of her main character where she has this pressure of a uh a child back at home that she never sees because she's working, you know, several days on and, and several days off, right? And she misses a lot of that uh the, the day to day interaction with her own child, but she has to work in this industry, but she's trying to support her family, right?
And then she, she, she also had um she also has this deadbeat husband that, that is, you know, mixed up in, in, in other things that he gets carried away. And, but, but the character that Mike plays is, is this main character's escape, like she goes to Mike uh as, as this um as this escape from, from the pressures of her real life that she's dealing with, the pressures from the corporation, pressures from being a single mom, pressures from uh you know, a deadbeat ex-husband and like
all this stuff is falling on her shoulders. Um And in some sense, Mike is her rock uh but also her, her greatest uh um factors. It's like a comfort that she goes to. But they, they have this very loving and toxic relationship as well. Um So it's very interesting to watch and uh and you'll get a lot of pleasure out of, of sitting back and, you know, popping some popcorn and, and, and, and enjoying what, what we pulled off because it's still a joke.
The, the, the machines and the, the experiences that we brought together in this is we have a $37 million air ambulance helicopter. We got, you know, million dollar machines and we actually dug up because we couldn't film on a real pipeline. Um We actually tore up the side of a um this, this mountain or this, this hill in a gravel pit and built the pipeline just so we could film on it like it, it was, it's, it's an epic ordeal. Um And I'd say one of the, the biggest independently funded
productions in Canada during COVID Times and um and with over 200 people involved in, in each scene like I i it's epic. Um So, so, um but yeah, coming back to that, we intertwined um everything from mental health to camaraderie, friendship, family, corporate to small town conflict. Um It is beautifully done in, in the best possible way we could tell the story. And as honestly as we can tell the story, we, we did it,
Jason Spiess
is it based in Canada?
Raoul Bhatt
So we, we, so this place is called Hardwell. And uh there's no waving Canada flags, but it could be anywhere from North Dakota to Canada or any oil and gas state. Uh We kept it neutral because we wanted to cover both cultures and below the the
Jason Spiess
borders, any town usa if you will. Yeah,
Raoul Bhatt
I think it
Mike Vickers
depicts a lot of North Dakota in all honesty,
Jason Spiess
Mike, what's your background? Uh talk about your background a little bit in the industry.
Mike Vickers
Yeah. So I basically started out in the oil and gas sector about 14 years ago. Uh service rigs, drilling rigs went fracking for a few years, became a wellhead service technician, uh worked all over Western Canada, installing wellhead dental tools, uh ran some equipment within the oil sands and now I'm back to the oil sands again and running operations up there.
Jason Spiess
They calm the oil sounds. Huh?
Mike Vickers
Yeah. The oil sands. Big bad word.
Jason Spiess
Yeah. Yeah. It was tar sands for a while and then I think it was the oil sands.
Mike Vickers
We'll keep it to San. Yeah.
Jason Spiess
Boy, it's funny how that, uh, how it changes. I was, I was wondering actually if they're gonna go back to the word tar sands or not. But no, that's still derogatory. Ok. Um, not derogatory but negative, I guess, might be the right words. Uh, so you've, you've, you come from a polarizing area than oil sands tar sands? Yeah. So you, you can experience getting, uh, the the slings of the mental health.
Uh I, I like to tell this story to people that um I was on um one of those dating apps Tinder for about six months and I actually had people um that would say swipe left if you work in oil and gas and there were people that wouldn't go on dates with me once they found out uh I covered oil and gas and um I'm serious. Yeah. So you know, you men, so you mentioned some of that part of it uh Before about to polarize it, I think boy, I would, would you start getting people on Tinder saying that man?
Uh Wait, what, what was your experience with the industry? You know, um You, you, you were there 14 years, you kind of, you know, the ups and downs and you know, you've had kind of the, I like to tell people that the old dusty roads lied. I've uh wined and dined with King and Queens and I've ate pork and beans so I've done it all. Uh You've kind of done it all too. What, um, what was your takeaway from this?
Mike Vickers
I think one of the biggest things that, like even watching the, the footage that we have now, uh getting back to one of the leads there, Ashley when she's going through the mentality of the separation with her daughter, uh, that resonated a lot with me. I know that resonated a lot with a lot of watchers already and something that really hits a lot of points mentally when we're separated from our kids for half of our life and our family that plays a lot within our mind and the struggles
that Ashley goes through this is next level. It's she's getting, I don't wanna ruin this for the listeners, but I strongly encourage and watch this for this reason. But uh the struggles that Ashley goes through, the separation from her child really hits home. And I mean, it was literally depicting life as we know it, it was in the industry.
Jason Spiess
You know, I'm really looking forward to that aspect of it because um that was one of the cross crossroads that I had to choose. And um looking back now, it's kind of weird, you know, I had a cancer battle and because I decided to go the route of fighting the cancer battle on my, on my own terms, um I also chose then to fight, you know, be a single parent and stay and, and be with my child every day and that sort of thing as opposed to go out and grow the industry through, you know, the
traditional conferences and social networking. And, you know, all those things you just mentioned that pulls you away from your child. And um i it, that was its own struggles. Let's put it that way that, that brought its own mental health issues, its own struggles. And um I'm gonna be curious to see the flip side of this because I've had long conversations with um single mothers, especially that have had to go on the road for a couple of weeks and that is not a fun thing to do because
you are, you, you, you, you are away from your child. It's, it's, it's a maternal thing and also you're wondering what's going on with my, who's raising it and, and what kind of values are being instilled in all kinds of different things. So I don't want to spoil people either but from uh or spoil it either. But from, from my standpoint, that's from my perspective is gonna be extremely uh interesting to absorb it in if you will.
Boy, I'm not sure that sentence made any sense here. It's been a long day guys, I've been up since three o'clock. So uh the, the parenting, the single parenting, the, the it takes a village to raise a family. You mentioned that the, the community aspect, you know, versus the, the big name corporation. To me, that's the big part of this is that so much of the, the, whether it be the mental health from the parenting part or the
community and family away from your family, man. That's a story that I'm glad you guys are telling because that is such an untold story in the industry. It really is. I think that's a
Mike Vickers
big selling point of this too. To be honest, like when you watch this, you'll see what I'm saying. It's the main character goes through a massive battle internally being away from her loved ones, a little girl. And when they, there's a scene, I again, I'm not gonna ruin this, but there's a scene that really showcases that and the separation that they have creates this struggle between mom and daughter.
And when you see that on film, it will almost bring tears to your eyes because so many people in our industry can relate to that one feeling alone. It's when you're away from your family so long, you're disconnected and it takes a whole lot of work to recreate that connection. And for our main character, it's, it's very hard we'll say.
But I strongly encourage the people of our industry and people outside of our industry to watch this just for that aspect alone. I think so many people can connect and really see that and it will showcase one of the biggest struggles our industry workers go through with the separation from their family.
Jason Spiess
Boy, that is so true because sometimes, you know, you try to cram £20 of potatoes in a £5 sack and to get back into the flow of things. Sometimes it even takes a couple of days just to bump with each other's routines until you can actually have a regular conversation. And in today's world it's so hard to have time. Let's just say it's just so hard to control your own time and have time and do all these different things. Wow, this is uh anyway, go ahead. Sorry. Yes.
Raoul Bhatt
Oh, you're so right. I think you nailed it right there. You speak from experience.
Jason Spiess
Yeah, I've had, I've lived a couple lives, that's for sure. Um You know, grateful every day I wake up, knock on wood. So it's available on Prime and are, are you looking at other outlets as well on uh Netflix, Paramount? Uh Peacock. Uh you know, um um was a fire stick? Is it, can you get it on the fire stick? That type of thing?
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah, so you can get it on fire stick because it's uh it's prime video. Amazon's prime video. Um So currently we're, we're looking at doing a theatrical run. Um Yeah, so we're gonna be starting June. So we do, we, we did things a little uh differently where it's such a global story. Um So we decided to go prime video first. Um specifically down in us UK and then we're working on some translations to bring it up to Canada for French Canadian.
Um So we're so that, that's almost done. Uh I uh primes reviewing that we're recording our theatrical run. Um So that's gonna be in June. Um So, yeah, it's very exciting. Lots, lots of movement over here. Um And uh but we really wanted to connect with the crude life and, and get your listeners to, to connect with this story because really it's about them and, and even if you haven't had a peek into this world, this pipe nation does give you uh a peek into the, the beautiful people of the
energy sector. Um, that, you know, they may look scary and big, but they're, they're really not, you know, they're, they're, they're human beings just like everyone else and it's easy to hate them. Um The world loves to hate the energy sector and oil and gas. But, you know, they forget to look at the, the people behind them are just people trying to support their families and they're good people just like everybody else.
Jason Spiess
What's going on in Canada with the oil and gas overall, I guess. Um Is it, uh is it being a little more accepted, is it going the way that we view it in a, in the United States or? I guess uh Trudeau hasn't been very friendly to oil and gas. Has he?
Mike Vickers
I don't even like using his word in a sentence or his name in a sentence. To be honest, he's the one thing that is destroying our energy industry. Uh Right now it's pretty stable, I guess we'll say in western Canada, uh Western Canada is basically separated from the east in terms of energy uh environment. Here is a lot different than as per Ottawa.
But yeah, if we had a different leader running this country, I know for a fact we would be a lot more higher up the energy superpower role. For sure. We have some of the greatest natural resources in the world, most some of the economical to get to and we're under tapping the entire industry and its potential
Jason Spiess
Mike. Are you gonna get your SAG card? Then your screen actors Guild card or how does that work?
Mike Vickers
I'm looking at a few things. I'm staying to the unions for now, but uh I'm gonna continue to work in this direction. I mean, I'll do anything that can really put a positive spin in my industry. That's why I partnered up with rule here. I, I fully believe in his vision. He presented this to me and I mean, it's truly incredible what I can do for industry. So I fully support that and like I said, anything I can do, I'm all in for it.
Jason Spiess
So what's next for this project? Um The theatrical release, we're, we're asking people to go to Amazon Prime and type in pipeline nation and rent it or buy it? I'm sorry, did I say pipeline? Yeah. Pipe Nation? Ok, sorry about that. Is Pipeline Nation? Is that a different movie, by the way?
Raoul Bhatt
No, no. Ok, so yeah, maybe the next one. Well,
Jason Spiess
you, you have to be careful in today's day and age, you know, with, with your words. I mean uh what was the movie that came out two weeks ago? How to blow up a pipeline was the movie that came out two weeks ago. Um which is a, some kind of new docu thriller or something along those lines. I can't even believe that was accepted and that came out of the Toronto Film Festival actually. Do you guys know about that?
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah, we heard about it.
Jason Spiess
Ok. Yeah, we don't want to get into that, but I just wanted to make sure. So your movie is called Pipe Nation, Pipe Nation available on Amazon Prime. And also of course the fire stick. I like to mention that fire stick as well because people, a lot of people have the fire stick a lot. I mean, millions, millions and millions and millions. So a lot of people can just access it right now if they want as I'm speaking,
Mike Vickers
and millions of people can access it
Jason Spiess
right now as, as we're talking about it, they can open up their Amazon fire stick and, and type in Pipe Nation and access it. Yes. Uh How, how long is the movie?
Raoul Bhatt
It's 54 minutes,
Jason Spiess
54 minutes. And how long did it take to, to make
Raoul Bhatt
uh so a year to write it 27 days to film it and a year to post production. So, um so it took some time but we did it right. Um And it's, it's a good 54 minutes. Juicy, good 54 minutes.
Jason Spiess
54 minutes. Ok. And took a year to write it. It took 27 days to film it and a year for post production. So this is kind of a lesson in media for those folks out there who want to just go out and do something. Is that um the actual act of doing it was uh about 5% of the work. And uh the, the before and the after is the most of the actual leg work in the, in the hard part if you will.
And um, you know, you, you had such great assets and such great support with the multimillion dollar equipment and the team and everything. What was your biggest, I guess takeaway that you learned from this? Because like I said, really, the, the, the shooting of it was only about 5% of the work. All the work seems to be on the front and the back end here pal,
Raoul Bhatt
hey, uh it's like any other business, you know, you, you got to have your preplan and then, and you know, then, then for us, it was like piecing the story together after, after we shot everything, right? And uh a lot of these scenes, we took 18 to 20 takes each scene, right? So it was picking the best one that tied in with the next scene. So it's, it's quite a, it's, it's quite an extensive process and we did it, we did it during COVID time.
So we couldn't pile all of us in one room and, and edit it all together and get everyone, get the collaboration. We did everything digitally, right? And um so that did add to the timelines. Um But we made it through and, and we were very resourceful, resourceful, like um sharing links and updates and getting digital feedback and our teams providing comments and, and us work building on those comments.
So it was very uh very innovative what we did um uh of how like modern productions are done now. But we did this, you know, during a time where we, we, no, we had no rules like we, we really didn't know how to do this intensely curl collaborative artistic project. Uh But we had to do it remotely in our own little silos and um but, but through perseverance, we, we never gave up and, and um here we are now, we're on prime video and uh which is a massive achievement.
There's, there's not many stories um specifically in this sector but of this caliber on prime video. And uh so it's quite an achievement for our team to get this level. There's probably in our province, bringing about three people that have really achieved this level of, of, of success with, with, you know, being associated with Prime Video. So it's, it's enormous um achievement for all of us and something that we should all be very proud of,
Jason Spiess
that is a outstanding achievement because now it's global and it's, it's global with the blessing of, of Prime. And uh just to give people an example of, of what I'm talking about here is, you know, there's certain ... media outlets that will censor oil and gas. Uh Facebook, for example, uh does something called shadow banning Instagram got busted for it as well to where they will either suppress oil and gas news or make you go through like an educational click before you can click on
to a story. Uh uh Rupert Murdoch, I'll never forget he, he did. He doesn't care what, what is on his networks as long as you pay him for it. Uh George George Carlin, he would often say that HBO has never censored his work and it was very surprised but he had a very good relationship with it. Whereas uh other places, you know, they, they'll write the script for you.
Your free speech is here, here's your script. Uh How was Prime was prime? OK. With, with the content of oil and gas given, you know, the, the rise of the controversy behind climate change and oil and gas and that whole thing.
Raoul Bhatt
Oh man, this is a whole another conversation. Yeah. Initially, we, when we started on this project, we got a letter of intent from Netflix and Netflix. Um So as soon as we got that letter, this is what set us on our path to, to create this film. Um But after we done production, Netflix pivoted and they, they refused. Um you know, because it was the subject of oil and gas, but I reassured them that it's about the people, you know, they happen to work in the energy sector, but look at the
people, right? But they didn't give a shit like I, I, you know, it was quite heartbreaking to see the amount of hate we got from these major streamers and I think I have nothing to hide. I think at this point, I was, you know, the way we were very mistreated by, by the, by the broadcasters and the, you know, let's say like Netflix and things that, that, you know, pushed us down this path, um set us down this path and then pivoted and uh and here we were, we had this incredible story, it was
finished product. And then, um but surprisingly, we sent it to uh uh Amazon's prime video and um they were like, yeah, we love it. Let's just take it as is. And um and that was it. So it was, it was just a matter of we, we uh I, I, I even went down to uh the Cannes Film Festival in, in France, the Band Film Festival. I met with um all the studio executives um pitched over 100 and 40 people and uh but it was prime video that said yes.
And um and they, they took Pig nation as is. But man, I tell you, it was an uphill battle uh because as soon as the subject of oil and gas came, it, it, it was something that they just wouldn't even give us a time of day and, but it's not about that. It's, it's about the chemistry, the camaraderie and the friendship family of people that happen to work in the sector.
Um And it's nor celebrating it and nor, you know, and nor anti oil. It's beautiful people that, that, that are part of this culture or part of this sector. Um And they need to see beyond that and, and prime video saw that and they saw that opportunity and, and that's how we're there. And um and as we're now that we're part of prime video, um obviously after we've done our major run, um there's up and coming streaming services like two B which are like the next Netflix, they're ad
supported, they're free um Fantastic networks um that we'll list on. Um So people that maybe can't afford that uh that, that uh you know, the cost to rent it or, or buy it, they can um you know, they can watch it for free. Right. And um and in turn our, our production team will get ad revenue, but again, it's at least people can enjoy what pipe nation is and, and doesn't matter your income level or demographic, whether you work in a sector
or whether you don't work in the sector. It's, it's important for us, for people to experience a story. And that's the reason we're gonna be going around the world like this
Jason Spiess
free is that owned by Amazon Prime.
Raoul Bhatt
Uh Yep. So uh so after we're done our, our Prime video run, uh then we're gonna look at services like these like freebie, it's competitive to two B, they're fantastic, really, really great service. That's
Jason Spiess
what made me think of it. You mentioned tube and I'm going well, I think free is owned by Amazon Prime. So that seems like the next logical step. But uh if you can get into to be good for you, man.
Raoul Bhatt
Yeah, for sure. It's a, it's a big achievement for sure. Um So yeah, it's an interesting process, but there's also we've had interest of people um having it dubbed in, in Spanish, uh dubbed in Arabic uh for other parts of the world so they can enjoy it in their native language. Um But see the culture and everything that the beauty of what pipe nation has to offer.
Mike Vickers
I think there's a huge opportunity here for actually uh Amazon's Prime video like of all the streaming giants out there. I'm totally anti Netflix. At this point, I'll make that very apparent. But I started to see some of their content reflecting as oil and gas being bad guys. That's when I cancel my subscription encourage pretty much everyone else in the industry to do the same uh Amazon Prime video though, for example, they actually created two new oil and gas shows.
It shows they're trying to target that demographic. I give them total props for doing that. I think it's a really big industry that's totally not being reached out to for this. There's no content being generated for this. So there's a major opportunity here for prime video to actually pick this up, create more, grow this and really approach the industry as a whole.
You look at what happened with Yellowstone, for example, they targeted our industry, they targeted construction, they targeted farmers and cowboys. It's huge demographic, an industry like this can tap into. Uh I strongly think it, it will grow and really take off with prime video.
Jason Spiess
I think so too. And I, I think that uh Prime is kind of going that, you know, free more of the free speech model. And uh like I said that that was kind of the Rupert Murdoch uh Fox model. Um Whether and I'm not talking Fox News, I'm just talking Fox in general. Um That's why Rupert Murdoch has access to. What was it? 80% of the eyeballs on the planet or 85% or something like that.
Um Because he, he doesn't really try to censor, he just kind of just lets lets countries and states and organizations kind of kind of take care of themselves because he's just a conduit if you will. He's the, he's the distribution channel uh of this. You, you guys, uh uh the two of you mentioned uh bad guys, you know that Netflix didn't want anything to do with you because I've mentioned this before that uh the oil and gas industry is kind of replaced the cigarette industry.
Oops, sorry about that. The cigarette industry as the state sponsored shaming the, it's OK to shame the oil and gas industry. It was 20 years ago. It was the cigar cigarette industry 10 years ago. It was the coal industry and now it's the oil and gas industry because you know, they're always has I call it the modern day leper also as well. Um I, I, I see where that's coming from but at the same time you get the two of you see the same thing that crude life saw, which is the beauty of the
industry, which is the human element, which is the, the mind, body and soul that people are putting into their innovations and their new ideas and the way that they can help the industry with all these individuals trying to help the industry. There is a little bit of kind of internal struggling going on because it seems like the bad guys are winning within the industry because we see a lot of the good people. You see a lot of the good people.
Why are the bad guys getting all the press? I'm not sure if I phrased it in the right way because this is a hot button issue and I'm trying not to trigger anybody on this. But I know the two of you know what I'm talking about, help me wade through this a little bit how the industry internally can get along. So we stop having the bad agents or the bad actors internally because every industry has them regardless of who they are.
Mike Vickers
Yeah, I think like right now in our industry, people have to come together and see the whole over all of this. You're looking at two strides of a struggle right now, the environmental aspect side and the pro oil and gas side and there's almost like a disconnect that's happening now. Like people don't want to get involved with their name or their reputation because of this.
I was like, I can bring them, but we're being approached now in different times where everybody wants to go green. The biggest thing they don't understand is we're still going to maintain the oil and gas industry to create the byproducts that are gonna use, be used for the green products. We're so intertwined globally. It, our industry can't go away and until people get on board with that concept, we're gonna keep having these issues.
We have to acknowledge that the oil and gas industry is needed and we have to acknowledge that and continue to move forward. Instead of working against us, work with us, come up with greener technologies within the industry that will help us get to better carbon emissions instead of trying to the industry entirely.
Jason Spiess
You know, we say that renewables ain't doable without fossil fuels because yeah, and, and the coal industry is not going to go anywhere. In fact, I think the coal industry is gonna probably save our uh our salt water, fresh water crisis problem in the future. So it's just gonna be reinvented. Uh, the oil and gas industry is going to be reinvented to create products that are going to make energy more green and in some aspects, it is gonna be greener oil and gas because the ground is
going to continue to see it. 90% of the oil that we find in the ocean comes because it's just seeping out of the land. And before the Beverly Hillbillies came along with Jed Clampett, it used to seep out of the earth too. So it, the, the, the oil is gonna stay, whether we like it or not, it's gonna be here and, and how we do it and use it. Well, that's a different story and we are going to invent itself, Raul how much of the that is in your movie, the climate change, the, the internal struggle
within the industry of, hey, we, we want to stay the same. No, we want to bring in these new, innovative ideas to make the industry better because, you know, internally there's a little bit of a, you know, struggle too. But, um, I'm not sure if that can fit into the 50 54 minutes because that's a whole other series in itself. You know, that's right.
Raoul Bhatt
Well, you know where we want to take it. Um you know, we want every one of your listeners to, to watch Pipe Nation because what happens is that, that, that drives metrics that uh that gets um like that gets prime video to see that, you know, there's interest in this, in this story, right? And if through that interest, there's more support to develop the story further.
So there's more like we can create uh series, create. Uh we did plant the seed with uh with protesters that start off at the beginning um that are funded by the, the green energy companies. But you have to understand that, you know, we have this kind of like let say scary corporations that, that, that operate oil and gas, but there's also the corporations that run green energy and it as, as green as they look, they're not, you know, it's still business, right?
And you know, there there's shit going on, there's payoffs happening, there's things that happen that and this is the reality of business. It, it's, you know, a as you could, you, you pick one over another, but you have the lesser of two evils. But then you also, you can't take things at face value. Uh And, and that's really the under underlying story where we're taking pipe nation as well.
Um Whether green energy comes in, you have to understand who's running that business. Where does the money come from? How does it all flow? What's the, what's the, the, the government ties and all this stuff? Um So we're supportive of innovation um where the characters will go. But, uh but it's important to show both aspects. So I, I'll never take it where it's like green energies.
This is all it is and it's all those face value. There's, there's no, let's, let's peel back the layers, let, let's start looking deeper and that's where the juice, that's where the drama is. And it's, it's important to expose all that. Um And let the viewer decide uh of what's, what, what's right or wrong or, or it's good, but it also comes with the bad as well.
Um And where I wanted to say you had this previous question about um the, the future of our, of oil and gas. It is innovation. But you have to understand uh the oil produced in North America here it is actually quite regulated. The people are treated well. Um The, the, you know, the way that the land is, is, is, is cared for after remediated, all this stuff is, uh, I, I, it's an incredible thing where we, we are gonna, we still rely on fossil fuels and we are going to rely on fossil fuels for
a while. But you have to understand, do we choose one part of the world where it's, it's produced by, you know, by, by a human labor that isn't treated well or treated fairly or paid, paid well or is it produced by, you know, people where people can support their families over here and, and you know, they're, they're not killed or they, they, they don't die or just doing their job. Right. So that's where I look at it as well.
It's the lesser, um, I hate using the word lesser of two evils because it's not evil. But it's, you know, we go with the regulation where the community support happens where the money is put back into the community. It, it goes to the workers and, and that's where the oil produced here is, is actually a good thing for our economy and, and for the people as well. Uh, that do work to support their families ...
Jason Spiess
still there. Ok. Great, great, sorry, just hiccup there for a second. And your lesser of two evils got me thinking there for a second because I've heard that my whole life with the American election process, you know, adults saying, well, I'm voting for this person, lesser of two evils. That means I've been living in an evil system my whole life.
It's the lesser of two evils, but it's still an evil system. Ok. Great. Now that explains the, uh, why America is in the, uh, state it's in all right. So, uh, Mike, uh, kind of partied thoughts here a little bit as I'm kind of looking at the clock, uh, you've, um, oil and gas background now you got a media background. Uh, what's next on your plate?
Mike Vickers
I'm gonna stick to this. I mean, I want to really produce more content within pipe nation. I really hope this gets picked up to a complete series. I think there's huge value in doing so for our industry. Uh, after that I got a few more left years left in the industry and then it's gonna be a politics front half, somewhere within Alberta, I think after that. Oh, you
Jason Spiess
got your ad aspirations in politics, huh?
Mike Vickers
Yeah, I know there's six years left in my career and then it's flipping the switch and then hopefully bringing the change that's needed.
Jason Spiess
Wow. And it'll be a, it'll be a quite different world by then, I would imagine. Um, you know, one of the, one of the things with the crude life, you know, we've been nonpolitical for, for a long time and we've tried to stick with the human stories and the innovation and, and a lot of these, mostly because by the way, because there was no one else doing it.
10 years ago, everyone was so political. You couldn't even turn on Sports Center without them telling you how to feel about the national anthem. And then you'd click over to the view and you got four ladies telling you how to feel about the national anthem too. And it's like, what, what, what's going on here. I just wanted some sports scores and all of a sudden people are telling me how to feel what's going on.
And anyway, so, um you know, the industry is changing from an uh uh automation standpoint too, with artificial intelligence. You know, when you take a look at coal, coal used to have, you know, 30 people mining a mountain now they're down to six and the oil and gas industry is going that way as well with a lot of the different automation uh part of it.
So in six years, man, who knows what you're gonna be looking at with, with, with an industry, you know. So, uh have you guys thought about that as far as the, the future of oil and gas? Because I, I think you guys are on the right page by humanizing it. And that's the one thing I believe the industry has failed at in the last 10 years, I think with the amount of money that's been spent on public relations and, and conferences and, and swag and everything else.
Um Telling the stories humanizing the industry. I bring up the example all the time of the college bowl games. I, I don't think there's, there has not been an oil and gas company outside of Valero in San Diego. Uh, I'm sorry, in San Antonio where they're home based out of, they haven't sponsored a bowl. And that, that boy, that sponsoring college football is a great way to transcend uh, uh demographics if you will.
It's kind of like why people do Super Bowl ads because everybody's watching the game. It's, it's, it's, it's accepted things. So, um where do you guys see that going with the industry through automation and through everything else? As long as we have you on here for a few more minutes,
Mike Vickers
uh jumping into like the whole humanizing industry, that's something like that hasn't been done. And literally when I talked to rule for the first time, that's what I thought that he could bridge the gap with. The idea of pipe nation is genius. It's literally humanizing the industry. You're connecting with the people, you're seeing the struggles.
It's the first step on a long road to do this and the more content we can pump out, the more viewers we can get to see this. I think that'll help us bridge that gap. Uh in terms of automation, it's our industry is not being automated in different ways daily now, like I work at a site up in and in the mine for all the mining equipment, all the haul trucks now are run by A I, it's all run by machines.
There's no being in the trucks anymore. We're getting to a point where we're gonna see multiple pieces of equipment being run with no humans on there. It's literally proving to be more economical. It's more safer. It's just the way the industry is shifting now.
Jason Spiess
Yeah. The jobs and people need to understand is that the jobs aren't going away, they're just shifting, they're transitioning. And so, uh when, when I mentioned, you know that uh the, the coal industry went from 30 down to six while the software industry that supplies that and the tech companies that supply that uh company they grew. And so that's the, what's happening in a lot of different areas and a lot of this is happening because of safety, to be honest and, and people need to
understand that a lot of these jobs are being replaced for safety reasons. Um What, what do you make about the future of the industry? Whether it be from the storytelling aspect because you, hey, taking the bull by the horns, man, you're putting your money where the mouth is. So obviously you think the industry needs to tell the stories. Um Anybody listening out there from Peacock, if you want to pick up a series on oil and gas, I'm sure these two gentlemen will be more than happy to
steer that. Um We do have a couple of subscribers from the Peacock Network through my W W E connections. World wrestling entertainment. My cousin used to train him out of Minneapolis. So we have a few, few of the peacock people. But, uh, what's, what's the future for you in that? Um, whether, whether it be the human telling, uh, the humanizing of the industry or, you know, from the flip side, the artificial intelligence that seems to be encroaching.
Raoul Bhatt
Mhm I think uh I want to incorporate all that stuff and uh like the, the uh um the innovations happening in there, like for example, like and this isn't exactly innovation in the industry. But uh but one aspect we, we had an opportunity to work with Harley Davidson on um they have these new electric bikes coming out, right? These new electric car and coming up topic.
Yeah, I'm gonna bring it back. But um so, so new electric bikes, right? And uh the typical classic sons of anarchy um scene when the hit man comes up to you, you can hear him from a mile away, right? He comes up and you wax, you, you can hear his like brutal bike. It's very scary. Um But the interesting thing with these Harley, these new electric Harley is that now you can't hear your enemy when they come after you.
So let's say if you're walking down the street um and this conflict has happened in this drama scene, this you know, environmentalist, you know, comes whipping by on a silent electric bike, this badass look Harley Davidson and wack you, right. And you now you can't hear your enemy coming, right? Like that's even more sinister even though it's a positive green energy bike.
So this is where we could take, you know, stories of A I and, and, and different things and, and, and tell the truth, but also dramatize it and peel back the layers like what's more behind going on this A I. Um So, so this is the, the, the, the beauty of where we're the artistic form of how we're telling the story of pipe nation is that it's neither here nor there, but our job is to present everything. But let the viewer decide, right?
What, what's, what's good or what's bad, right? Um And coming back to Harley, those electric Harleys, like they're beautiful bikes. Um But is having quiet bikes a good thing and you're on the flip side of that bad guy or so, so you decide as a viewer. And so there's many ways once peacock and any of those guys pick us up, um you know, we can develop the story in, in so many entertaining ways.
Jason Spiess
Well, I know for a fact there are extremely interesting stories happening in the oil and gas industry and I mean that versus other industries, some of the more uh interesting stories and real life dramas are coming out of the oil and gas industry. For number one, you've got the emerging and the changing technologies. And number two, you've just got the sheer, just ruggedness that comes with the industry and the, you know, modern marvels of the machines and et cetera, et cetera.
And, and you know, the, the contrast of the black and the white literal with the, you know, the, the dirt and the grease and, and, and the clothes and, and everything else. But then, you know, you also have the internal struggles within the industry because you've got people hang out. I, I went through this in the media where the newspaper industry did not want to get rid of those printing presses.
They had so much money invested into it. They had buildings invested into housing temperature controlled for printing presses. They had specific departments that would maintenance the printing presses and we would talk to these newspapers when I was doing media consulting and I'd say the elephant in the room is, how do you reinvent the printing press?
Because that's where most of your money is being sunk into and they wouldn't want to hear it. You know, they'd escort you right out. Well, now they're down to a couple of days a week and relying on the internet and, you know, that was what was called a paradigm shift. A paradigm shift in the newspaper industry meant they had to reinvent how they do business, that's what's happening in the oil and gas industry right now is that they need to reinvent how they do business because it ain't
going anywhere. It's not gonna go anywhere. It might level out and shrink and find its purpose a little bit more because we're starting to bring in new energies. You know? Thank goodness we don't need whale oil anymore. Can't believe we ever lived in a time when whale oil was our main source of energy here. So, thank you oil and gas and coal for taking us off whale oil.
And by the way, that's, that's gonna what's gonna save the planet, by the way is, is a whale poop is like one of the biggest uh absorbers of carbon out in the world. So it's just kinda, it's some things we're finding out, but what's your guys' takeaway? Just kind of last word kinda, you know, we'll plug how to get to uh once again.
But with the way the paradigm shift is happening, the storytelling, the innovations, you know, the, the modern day leopard of the oil and gas industry, you know, what, what, what do you guys want people to take away from this uh very layered, very complex. But yet in my view, very positive in interview,
Mike Vickers
I personally, I think uh the like we talked about that humanizing aspect of the industry needs to happen and personally acting in pipe nation being a part of it and then literally watching it. That's what I think can happen. I, I think Pipe Nation could be the first aspect of helping this change. You'll connect with the characters. You'll see the struggles we go through. You'll see the opposition we get on multiple different fronts within the industry, all within 54 minutes.
The rest from that, the future that could happen, the more shooting we could do could literally showcase everything we go through within the industry. There's a huge opportunity here but it, it started to watching these 54 minutes to connect with us and to really showcase to the world, what we go through.
Jason Spiess
How about you, what's, what's your takeaway that you kind of want people to walk away from?
Raoul Bhatt
I think the, I think the, the takeaway from this is that the interesting thing about these um these innovations over these machines or, you know, the things in the energy sector. Um I like to see them as almost characters as themselves. So we have our main characters like Mike Vickers and um Natalie Gamble and, and Jeff Shang and all these character actors that came in there.
But you bring in a machine that's a character in itself, or you bring in some innovation, that's a character in itself and how these characters interact with that, that's important to showcase as we evolve it and, and bring in A I and robotics and you know, these incredible larger than life machines, they are a character and it's important to celebrate that. And and showcase that and that's only what pipe nation can do. Like we pulled off things to bring in amazing equipment and
scenes and, and we're not gonna stop as we evolve this, it's, there's gonna be more incredible characters and we're gonna fill it and these are our human being, character is gonna interact with these, you know, nonhuman characters. And, and so that's the innovation of, you know, tying all this into the show and, and letting other people that work in the sector and don't work in the sector experience this ...
Jason Spiess
pipe nation available on Amazon Prime as well as your fire stick. A lot of people forget that those two are connected. And uh gentlemen, thank you for your time today. And um any last thoughts, words as we exit ...
Raoul Bhatt
such an honor. Thank you for your time.
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Award winning interviewer and broadcast journalist Jason Spiess and Content Correspondents engage with the industry’s best thinkers, writers, politicians, business leaders, scientists, entertainers, community leaders, cafe owners and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and round table discussions.
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The Crude Life Podcast: Pipe Nation Now Available on Amazon Prime