Envisioning VISIONEERS – A post world premier chat with the Drake Brothers

Interview By Michael Ricciardi

Photos By Lou Sapienza

We met up at a boisterous MOE bar, just off Pike St. in the heart of Seattle’s famed  Capital Hill neighborhood (home to many cafes, theatres, clubs, and music rehearsal studios), to discuss their film VISIONEERS and thoughts, post premier (at the Egyptian Theatre, at Pine and Broadway).

With drinks in hand, I started off by saying that I enjoyed the film very much, congratulated them, and noted that there were (in my assessment) so many way they could have blown it, but didn’t--they pulled it off in fine form. “Thank you!” came the simultaneously response from the Brothers Drake.

“VISIONEERS is a very simple story,” director Jared Drake clarified, “but there are all these other (sub) plots ripping it apart…and they all had to come together…it was so difficult.” Brandon added: “We had all these ideas inspired by Brazil, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz…How do we pace it so it doesn’t flat-line…How do we keep the tone?”

It was clear that a lot of time, work, and love went into the script. Writer Brandon Drake recalled how they worked on the second draft of the script: “I would write, he would read, and that’s when the arc came together.”

Still, the two had no illusions about the challenge of making all the elements at play (and there are many) work as a whole. After the primary filming was done—all shot here in Washington State--the two even took a rough cut to LA where they did their fair share of ‘focus groups” to get feedback. They didn’t elaborate too much on this, but I sensed that the response was OK, perhaps a bit of confusion, but not quite what they were hoping for.

I inquired as to what, if anything, he had learned from the LA experience. “Nobody knows shit,” proclaimed the director, “and they all pretend they do!”

I sensed in this response from Jared a rebellious echo of a scene from the movie, in which a televised Public Service Announcement (responding to the epidemic of exploding employees) states ‘The Jeffers Corp. does not support the belief in dreams.’ Indy filmmakers can’t rely on the big (corporate) film industry (or its support structures) to make one’s dreams a reality, or to validate them.

Following their adventure in LA Land, the two returned to the Pacific Northwest (their home town of Issaquah, Washington) and decided to “get back to where the material came from.” And so, they drove up to a cabin at Steven’s Pass (with their editing software) to reconnect with the story, a story “born out of our backyard.” ‘

Not just born there, but also, partly filmed in their (parent’s) back yard.

Regarding the story, writer Brandon Drake noted one of his main concerns was that “George (the lead character) doesn’t speak (much) and I could only hope that the audience cares about him.” Based upon the audience’s response, I would say that they did indeed. ‘George’ is played by Zach Galifianakis, nearly dead-pan throughout the film, save for bursts of phrenetic smashing or trashing of props. Having seen the film, I think Brandon’s concern for the audience’s relatedness  to George was somewhat unfounded; Galifianakis’s portrayal of George is reminiscent of the greats of silent cinema—and masses of people connected and care for them in their day.

After weeks shut away in the remoteness of the Cascade Mountains, the brothers Drake regained their vision for VISIONEERS; a better edit was produced, the dramatic arc preserved, and the numerous sub-plots reworked harmoniously. The film making team felt revived and more confident in their product than ever. Recalling this time: “We realized that it was either going to be ‘spectacular’, or a spectacular flame-out!” recalled Brandon. Both brothers have an equal “investment” in the film, making it a truly shared enterprise. “We both had a higher responsibility,” said Jared.

In the film—in a final scene that evokes a twisted homage to The Wizard of Oz­—George is given a message that reads: kill the thing you love. Fortunately for us, in the case of the Brothers Drake (ever the rebels), they decided not to kill the thing they loved, but simply to re-work it.

The home town response to VISIONEERS was nothing short of jubilant. I wish them the best of luck in furthering this jubilation beyond the Northwest. Still, as far as where to stage one’s world premier…There’s no place like home.