Rapper, entrepreneur, and Cookies founder Berner joins Cannabis & Tech Today to discuss Splash City, his gritty new crime thriller set in San Francisco.
Berner explains how the Bay Area’s “bippin” scene inspired the film and takes us through the process of developing its characters, self-financing the production, co-directing, and securing a distribution partnership with Lionsgate. He also discusses the classic crime dramas that influenced the project, including Menace II Society, Boyz n the Hood, Juice, and Belly.
The conversation explores how Berner’s music career shaped the film’s soundtrack, why he decided to rescore much of the movie in four days, and how shooting on location allowed San Francisco to become a character of its own. He also shares how cannabis influences his creative process, why CBD played an unexpected role on set, and what he hopes audiences take away from the story.
For Berner, Splash City represents more than a first film. It is the beginning of an effort to bring edgy, culturally authentic crime movies back to the screen while shining a brighter light on Bay Area stories.
🔥 Topics Covered
• The inspiration behind Splash City
• Berner’s transition from music and cannabis into filmmaking
• Developing the characters and story
• Self-financing and retaining ownership of the film
• Partnering with Lionsgate
• Classic crime films that influenced Splash City
• Filming throughout San Francisco
• Creating the soundtrack and rescoring the movie
• Cannabis and Berner’s creative process
• Using CBD during smoking scenes
• Cameos and organic product placement
• The consequences of negative influences and small decisions
• Berner’s plans for future Bay Area films
• The film’s video-on-demand and streaming plans
👤 Guest
Berner, rapper, entrepreneur, Cookies founder, and co-director of Splash City
🌐 Learn More
Splash City:https://www.instagram.com/splashcitythemovie/
Berner:https://www.instagram.com/berner415/
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:18 The inspiration behind the film
00:36 Berner’s role in creating and directing the movie
01:32 Learning filmmaking from the ground up
01:48 Consistency, persistence, and creative entrepreneurship
02:22 Self-financing the film and partnering with Lionsgate
03:17 Building a movie for an established audience
03:55 The classic crime films that inspired Splash City
04:43 Reflecting on the finished film
05:19 Building the soundtrack
05:36 Rescoring the movie in four days
07:03 Drawing from Berner’s San Francisco experiences
07:35 Cameos and product placement
08:09 How CBD helped on set
08:42 Making San Francisco part of the story
08:57 Cannabis and Berner’s creative process
09:38 What audiences should take away from Splash City
10:32 Theatrical, video-on-demand, and streaming plans
11:10 Why audiences should support the film
💬 What do you think?
Can Splash City help bring gritty, authentic crime dramas back to the screen?
What other Bay Area stories would you like to see Berner tackle next?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
#Berner #SplashCity #Cookies #CannabisCulture #CannabisAndTechToday #BayArea #SanFrancisco #Lionsgate #CrimeThriller #Filmmaking
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