Other Worlds Austin - Closer Than We Think
A documentary about the life and art of futurist illustrator Arthur Radebaugh.
Interview with Director/Producer Brett Ryan Bonowicz
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I had looked at Arthur Radebaugh’s work for inclusion in another film of mine called The Perfect 46. We wanted to blow it up large and hang some of it in the main character’s office. Ultimately we decided against it but I loved the artwork so much, I wanted to know more about the artist. Sadly, I couldn’t find very much online about him and that’s really how the film started.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
To learn about the greatest era of futurism we’ve had in our history. In the wake of the end of World War II people were searching everywhere for purpose and reason. Artists like Arthur Radebaugh gave people coming out of that awful time something to look forward to.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Looking at a period in history can be overwhelming and abstract; what we’ve tried to do with the film is to zero in on Arthur Radebaugh and look at the themes of success and failure, not only in Arthur’s predictions about the future but in his career and artwork.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When we filmed the first interview I wasn’t sure if the film was going to be a short or a feature…or nothing at all. I wrote up a brief outline of what I thought we could do but I didn’t realize that with each day of research and each new participant there would be another stone to overturn and another contact to interview. We ended up with hours of interviews and previously unseen artwork. The final film actually still follows that original outline pretty closely, we simply expanded the amount of time and the amount of detail to each section.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The screening at Other Worlds Austin was incredibly positive. I spoke to a number of people after the film that told me how much they enjoyed experiencing or re-experiencing that moment in time and hearing Arthur’s story.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Finding a wider audience. So far we’ve targeting science fiction audiences and fans of retrofuturism but we believe the film has a much broader appeal.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We’re currently submitting to other genre festivals but ultimately we’re looking to find the right distributor to get the film out far and wide. Any person who has ever invested heavily in their craft will empathize with Arthur’s life story and there’s a lot of inspiration to be found in his dedication to his art.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Personally I’d like to see Radebaugh’s work rediscovered in a new way. I think Closer Than We Think has really been lost to time in many ways and I can’t think of an equivalent today. I’d love to see a retrospective of Arthur’s work in a Michigan museum; that’s something I’d really like to see happen. His work deserves that kind of showcase.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What do you think the future will be like?
Would you like to add anything else?
We made this film with an incredibly small team during production and I’d like to thank each of them for helping me in realizing this project. Marco Cordero, Reid Nicewonder, Ashley Hooker, and Jason Kupfer. Thank you. I look forward to working with each of them again soon.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’ve just filmed a series of shorts called Artist Depiction. We’ll be interviewing artists who have done work for NASA and delve into their techniques and careers.
Interview: December 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Closer Than We Think
Length: 85 Minutes
Director: Brett Ryan Bonowicz
Producer: Brett Ryan Bonowicz, Thomas Campbell Jackson
About the writer, director and producer:
Brett Ryan Bonowicz is the director of Closer Than We Think. His production company, Clindar, is focused on producing science factual films based on cutting edge science and technology.
Key cast: Syd Mead, Rick Guidice, Aubrey de Grey, Matt Novak
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): distributors, film Festival directors, journalists.
Social media handles:
Facebook: facebook.com/closerthanwethink facebook.com/clindar
Twitter: @closerthanthink @artistdepiction
Funders: Indiegogo
Where will the film screen in the next month?
Other Worlds Austin Sci-Fi Film Festival