Creative Frontiers
Joseph Naman pursuing multiple passions
By Paul Natinsky
To say Joseph Naman wears many hats would be an understatement. The 25-year-old Wayne State University graduate has a degree in finance, but soon found himself bored crunching numbers all day, so he branched out into podcasting, filmmaking and standup comedy.
Naman says his family supports his goals and dreams. In return he has helped his father and uncle, both physicians, promote their multi-location primary care practice by producing podcasts and other promotional projects. He quickly turned the help into a full-time marketing role with the practice.
Partnerships with local groups, including Focus Hope, whose CEO appeared as a guest on the practice’s podcast, are an important part of the marketing program, which Naman shares wherever possible. He regularly links and loads material onto spaces such as Spotify, YouTube, Linked In, Instagram and Tik Tok.
Naman’s work with his family’s medical practice is only the tip of the iceberg. The finance major minored in film, where he learned editing and production. “In college, I started making short films and sketches with friends. Around the same time, I got into standup comedy and podcasting,” said Naman.
Last year, when podcasting and comedy began to intersect with his filmmaking efforts, Naman formed Paradiso Films. The company serves as an umbrella company to house and organize his various interests. He says Paradiso handles, “anything video production-wise.”
Naman used Paradiso to create two films that he intends to submit to various film festivals, with the hope that they will be chosen and played on the big screen for festivalgoers. Naman says he targets the large festivals, such as South by Southwest, Tribeca, and the Toronto International Film Festival.
“These larger ones are hard to get into, but I’d rather spend time submitting to these larger ones. You get better views at the larger ones,” says Naman. Films are submitted via festival websites. They are then voted on.
“If they like it, it’s included in the festival. You get to come and watch it on the big screen. A bunch of big producers and famous people come to these festivals. Sometimes the studios will purchase independent films and put them out,” says Naman.
He’s gotten into some of the local ones in the past with his previous short films and says it’s a lot of fun. “You meet others in the area who are into filmmaking. But it’s not super impactful.”
Monk, a five-minute thriller-comedy short (about which Naman would reveal little) and a 30-minute documentary about a couple in their 80s who do spoofs of popular songs using spent paper towel rolls and call themselves—of course—The Cardboard Tubes are Naman’s current hopefuls.
The new company also houses a weekly podcast that features several of Naman’s friends and collaborators as well as comedians who roll through town. Chaldean funnyman Paul Elia dropped by a show Naman produced (I checked Elia out on YouTube, he’s very funny and knows how to read a room).
Naman’s podcast has done very well. He has been at it three years and has about 2,000 subscribers. He says he had only about 150 a year-and-a-half ago. Constant sharing and linking as well as Naman’s ubiquitous presence in the Detroit comedy community have fueled Naman’s rising profile.
Naman tries to keep his networking and production endeavors large and expansive and his costs low. To that end, he uses friends as actors in his films and accumulates podcasting and filmmaking equipment one piece at a time.
As he continues to flow among big comedy clubs like Mark Ridley’s and Detroit House of Comedy and “random bars, restaurants and theaters open comedy nights,” he says there is “more opportunity than ever before.”
While Naman would like to see how far he can take his comedic endeavors, he has no intention of giving short shrift to his other interests. “They’re all hobbies and skills I’ve developed through the years. The past few years, I’ve been trying to make a name for myself in all those areas.”
Joseph Naman’s diverse pursuits and multifaceted career reflect his relentless drive to explore and expand his creative boundaries. From finance to filmmaking, standup comedy, and podcasting, Naman continues to balance his passions with his family’s medical practice, always seeking new opportunities to grow and connect with others.
Through Paradiso Films, his expanding podcast audience, and his goal to break into major film festivals, Naman is steadily carving out a unique niche for himself in both the creative and professional worlds. As he continues to pursue his diverse passions, his journey exemplifies the power of following one’s interests, embracing collaboration, and leveraging new platforms to bring creative ideas to life.