Rich Brauer premiers new film

Dec. 26, 2007

On December 27, the Traverse City State Theatre will play host to its first film made by a local filmmaker. The world premiere of Mr. Art Critic starring Bronson Pinchot (Balki from Perfect Strangers), Interlochen alumnus Toni Trucks and Detroit Free Press 2003 Best Actor in Michigan winner John Lepard will be shown. The movie was filmed on location in Northern Michigan at the InsideOut Gallery and The Mercato at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons (State Hospital) in Traverse City and at several locations on Mackinac Island this past September.
The filmmaker? Richard “Rich” Brauer of Traverse City, who is celebrating his 30th anniversary of opening his commercial film production studio in Northern Michigan. His studio, now located in the Old Town District of Traverse City, has been home to many stars, including Tim Allen and Julie Kavner who recorded their voice-overs for the movies Toy Story and The Simpsons, respectively.

A DARING START
When Brauer arrived in Traverse City in 1977, he was a recent film school graduate, broke and probably a little nuts. After all, young burgeoning filmmakers headed to Hollywood or New York where all the action was; they didn’t go to Northern Michigan. But Brauer had something pulling him to Traverse City – a love of the Great Lakes and a gut feeling.
“Sure, going to L.A. was the practical thing from one perspective, but I would have been a small fish in a big ocean. Instead, I chose Northern Michigan, where I was the only fish in the lake,” said Brauer.
“When I pulled into town, I basically had a camera and an idea. I went to Les Biederman (broadcasting legend and founder of Northwestern Michigan College) and explained my concept. He gave me this look like I was crazy, but he leaned back in his chair and said ‘Who am I to tell someone they can’t do something.’ Essentially he was telling me that he, too, had gone against the grain several times in his career, achieving the unlikely.”

COMMERCIALS TO MOVIES
Brauer quickly built a name for himself producing high-quality television commercials and corporate/industrial presentations. He has built a client base that has consisted of both local and national companies including MTV, Eastman Kodak, Chrysler, Subway, Grand Traverse Resort, and the United States Coast Guard. He has worked with numerous celebrities such as Burt Reynolds, Julie Kavner (voice of Marge Simpson) Tim Allen, Jeff Daniels and Ernest Borgnine.
While he was enjoying success in television commercial production, Brauer wanted to make movies. He got his chance in 1988, when he directed the documentary The Wreck and Rescue of the J.H. Hartzell, based on the 1880 sinking of the Hartzell on Lake Michigan near Frankfort. A few years later he wrote, directed and produced his first full-length feature, Sleeping Bear, a film that taught Brauer a lesson he would take forward in his future works.
“I made that movie with talented local actors and friends from Northern Michigan. It doesn’t matter how talented they are; this industry works on name recognition,” said Brauer. “So the film didn’t live up to its potential. The first question distributors ask is, ‘Who’s in it?’ I vowed never to make another film unless I had at least one ‘named’ actor.”
Enter Academy Award winning best actor Ernest Borgnine. Brauer enlisted the veteran actor for The Lost Treasure of Sawtooth Island that was filmed on Lake Michigan.
“Ernest’s character died off early in the film because I couldn’t afford his rates for the full production,” said Brauer. “It is one of the challenges an independent filmmaker has - that being the money, especially when you are funding a project with a line of credit from the bank.”
Sawtooth Island, while not hitting the box offices, did make a Showtime run, and found its way into the DVD market, selling well. That success, coupled with being hired by Jeff Daniels to be the cinematographer on Daniels’ 2001-02 films Escanaba In Da Moonlight and Super Sucker, put Brauer in the position to finance a larger production in 2004’s Barn Red that also starred Borgnine. It was Barn Red that indirectly gave Brauer the concept for his current feature, Mr. Art Critic.

CHALLENGING IDEA
“Several years ago my sister, who was a stay-at-home-mom and took up painting as a hobby, had an exhibition of her work at a local gallery. The next day in the Grand Rapids Press, there was an article that ripped her work apart. Now, the standard the critic was using was that of a professional big city artist. I was pretty ticked, and felt like this guy just didn’t get what she was doing,” said Brauer.
“Then a few years later I had sent out advance copies of Barn Red to the media before the premiere in Grand Rapids,” he continued. “Well, the review came out in the Grand Rapids Press, and it just ripped the film apart. As I read the review, I wondered if the critic was watching the same film that I had made. I was so steamed that I wrote a letter to the editor. As I was rereading the letter, I noticed that the critic’s name was familiar - and it was the same critic that had slammed my sister.”
Brauer weighed whether or not to send the letter, but finally decided to go ahead because he felt there were so many inaccurate descriptions of his film.
“Well, the paper called to verify, and I asked if they were actually going to print it. They said yes, and that it was the first time that anyone had ever challenged their critic,” said Brauer.
“When the film premiered a few weeks later in Grand Rapids, it received a standing ovation, and at the after party, this guy walked up with this embarrassed look on his face and introduced himself as the critic. That is when the light turned on, and I started thinking this would make a good story for a film. After all, who are these critics that are not artists themselves, that just rip people apart? As I talked to others, they shared their stories of bad reviews from seemly-unqualified artists. I have no problem with someone not liking my work, but not liking and not understanding the work are two different things.”

INDUSTRY ETIQUETTE
The idea was put on hold, as Brauer had other productions in the works, including a remake of Sleeping Bear renamed That One Summer starring Borgnine, and Frozen Stupid (again starring Borginine) in 2006.
“I really have enjoyed working with Ernest. He is 90 and still as strong as an ox. I wanted to find a cameo for him in Mr. Art Critic, but the budget just was not there,” said Brauer. “When you are financing a film yourself you have to count every penny.”
Brauer said that his production costs for Mr. Art Critic weren’t in the millions like the Hollywood blockbusters, but he definitely has six-figures tied up in it.
“It is hard to quantify costs when you are doing everything in-house,” said Brauer. “The advancement in technology has helped so much in making this industry more accessible for independent filmmakers like myself, which is a good and bad thing.”
Brauer thinks it is great that more people have access to the art of filmmaking, but he is concerned that many don’t know the etiquette of the industry.
“I often am asked to come and speak to classes at film schools. My focus is on the etiquette of this industry. What I mean by this is too often independent filmmakers come into a community and don’t deliver what they promise to the community and the resources they are using. That leaves a bad taste in a community’s mouth, and then, when the next filmmaker comes in, they are told no,” said Brauer. “I have experienced this first hand. There is so much to making a film and leaving a community better than you found it; it is part of this business, an important part.”

A LOOK BACK
Brauer took an interest in filmmaking when he was in sixth grade when he attended the movie The Blue Max at the theater in Beulah.
“That was 40 years ago and I just remember walking out of that theater thinking, wow, it must have been a total riot making that movie,” said Brauer. “I knew then I wanted to make movies.”
Brauer, who grew up in Ann Arbor and summered on Crystal Lake in Benzie County, began making films in junior high school. He attended Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, where he was a grade ahead of Ken Burns, the now famous documentary filmmaker.
“Ken didn’t make movies in high school. We knew each other and we keep in touch today,” said Brauer. “He is a brilliant filmmaker, but at the time I was the guy in school making the movies. I was making full length features, from westerns to sci-fi, with equipment I bought from having one of the largest Ann Arbor News paper routes.”
While in high school, Brauer was engrossed in the art of making films, and contacted the local filmmaking guru Jon Choate in hopes of working on one of Choates’ productions.
“During the ’60s, he was the guy making films in Detroit. But he blew me off because I was a punk kid. Then it all changed when I won the Cranbrook Film Festival Best Film Award,” said Brauer. “He called me and asked me if I wanted to work on this production with him that he was filming in Ohio. Well, I was in 11th grade, and it meant missing a couple of weeks of school. When I asked my parents, they responded ‘What are you waiting for? Pack your bags.’ He became my mentor; sadly, he passed away last year.”

THANKS, MICHAEL
Brauer is excited to see the passion for good movies in Northern Michigan. He no longer feels alone and welcomes what Michael Moore has done in the community.
“Bob Bahle (Bay Theater in Suttons Bay), myself and a few others were carrying the torch, but it took someone like Michael to build the bonfire. It is so cool for me to see this community that I have made my home evolve the way it has over the past 30 years,” said Brauer. “Now because of Michael and the work of so many others, Mr. Art Critic is going to premiere in the State Theatre.”
Brauer said most of the stars would be in for Mr. Art Critic, but at press time he was unsure of Bronson Pinchot’s schedule and whether he would be able to attend. For Brauer, the premiere will serve as a screen test.
“When you show a film that mostly your friends and family are attending, it can be hard afterwards to elicit honest comments; but during the film I will be able to gauge the audience response,” said Brauer. “I still have the ability of tweaking a few things if necessary.”
While Rich Brauer is excited about the potential for Mr. Art Critic, he is already working on his next project.
“I have my next movie in mind, and plan to film it in Manistee,” said Brauer. “I love making movies up here.”

To enjoy a sneak peak of Mr. Art Critic, December 27. advance tickets are available at the State Theatre Box Office. A post viewing reception with Rich Brauer and the film’s stars will take place at Crema, and the $10.00 ticket includes both the film and reception. For additional details on Rich Brauer, his films and commercial production work, go to www.brauerproductions.com. To purchase tickets to Mr. Art Critic online, visit www.statetheatretc.org, or call the box office at 231-947-4800.