BUCK
A FILM BY CINDY MEEHL
FILM FESTIVALS
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2011 – WINNER U.S. DOCUMENTARY AUDIENCE AWARD
SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2011
TRUE/FASLE FILM FESTIVAL 2011
88 MINUTES / PANASONIC VARICAM & PANASONIC HVX-300 (P2)/ EXHIBITED ON: HD-CAM
DISTRIBUTION CONTACT: NY/ LA PUBLICITY:
LAUREN SCHWARTZ CHANELLE JAMES
KIM BARRETT ELENA ZILBERMAN
SUNDANCE SELECTS MIKE RAU
PUBLICITY/MARKETING 42 WEST
T: 646.273.7214/ 917.542.6330 T: 212.277.7555/ 424.901.8726
lmschwartz@ifcfilms.com Chanelle.James@42west.net
kbarrett@ifcfilms.com Elena.Zilberman@42west.net
Mike.Rau@42west.net
For images please visit our extranet: www.ifcfilmsextranet.com
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SYNOPSIS
THE HORSE WHISPERER may be the stuff of Hollywood legend but the charismatic horseman who inspired the novel and the film is very real. For Buck Brannaman - a true cowboy who is also part guru and part philosopher - horses are a mirror of the human soul.
BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his unusual approach to horse-training. Eschewing the violence of his past, he teaches people to communicate with horses through instinct, not punishment. He possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his understanding, compassion and respect. In the film, the animal-human relationship becomes a perfect metaphor for meeting the challenges of daily life. A truly American story about an unsung hero: an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.
"Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes you will." - Buck Brannaman
“A lot of times, rather than helping people with horse problems, I’m helping horses with people problems.” So says Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems.
BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows living legend Buck Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenal success as a real life Horse Whisperer. For this true cowboy, horses are a mirror of the human soul. Reared by an abusive father, Buck eschews violence. By teaching people to communicate with horses through instinct, not punishment, he frees the spirit of the horse and its human comrade. Crisscrossing the world with Zen-like wisdom, Buck promulgates grace in the bond between man and horse. The animal-human relationship becomes a perfect metaphor for meeting the challenges of daily life, whether they consist of raising kids, running a business, or finding your flow with a dance partner.
Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his understanding, compassion and respect. Full of sage wisdom and wit, he reminds us “You allow a horse to make mistakes. The horse will learn from mistakes no different than the human. But you can’t get him to where he dreads making mistakes for fear of what’s gonna happen after he does.”
What is extraordinary about Buck Brannaman, the man, leaps off the screen in this strikingly cinematic film by first-time director Cindy Meehl. Part guru, part psychologist, the adult Buck, who was once a beaten kid, has now beaten the odds. Buck Brannaman can transform your troubled horse. Buck the movie will transform your soul.
A truly American story about an unsung hero, BUCK is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.
Q&A WITH FILMMAKER CINDY MEEHL
What prompted the idea for your film and how did it evolve?
I met Buck at one of his clinics about 8 years ago, and he made a profound impression on me. Coming from a different discipline entirely, I didn’t think there was much I could learn from a cowboy. I was astounded to realize that no one had ever taught me as much about a horse as he did in those four days. However, there was also something even more compelling about him that was hard to explain. While his techniques are spectacular, it’s the life lessons he slips into his teachings that really seep into your soul. One of his big messages is, “If it’s not working, change it!” He doesn’t want excuses. He doesn’t let you be a victim. He makes you tougher.
Ialso read his book and discovered the powerful story of how he overcame his incredibly terrifying and violent childhood and now dedicates his life to helping people and horses. I had never made a film before, but it seemed the only way to share this man and his philosophy. I approached Buck at a clinic and asked him if he would be interested in making a documentary. He said he thought it was a good idea, and I said I’d like to do it. It was a brief conversation of about two minutes, and that was the beginning of well over two years of work that created BUCK.
Elaborate a bit on your approach to making the film.
I started by just filming Buck at his clinics. He is a born orator and is very entertaining and amusing when he is trying to tell you about horses. I also realized there was a lot more to his story than just riding and training horses. We traveled around the country filming Buck at work and met the people who are drawn to his clinics. We also met, and interviewed, Buck’s inner circle, his friends, his wife and daughters, and his remarkable foster mother. We were able to film frequently enough to gather a great deal of intimate footage.
I was well aware that in order for this story to be told, I would need to make a film about this very specific subject that would be accessible to a wide audience. It was producer Julie Goldman and our creative consultant Andrea Meditch who were able to see my vision and make it a reality. They were very brave to go the distance with me knowing I had not made a film before. The dedicated team that Julie and our Line Producer Alice Henty brought together was amazing.
What were your biggest challenges in developing the project?
The biggest challenge was taking 300 hours of footage and cutting it down to 88 minutes. We had so many wonderful interviews with amazing people and so much of Buck on the subject of life as well as horses that editing the film was a difficult process. It was extremely hard to lose great scenes and stick to our story arc. I had an incredibly gifted editor, Toby Shimin, who is a master craftswoman and was tireless in cutting and re-cutting until we got it right.
What was the biggest surprise associated with the making of your movie?
What I have found most surprising about my film BUCK is how it appears to affect people in so many different ways. As I started this journey to tell Buck’s story, I thought it would be about changing people’s perceptions about how they treat and train horses, as well as how to deal with life’s difficulties with a bit of cowboy wisdom. However, as the film was completed and we started test screening it for a wide cross-section of friends and associates, I was pleasantly surprised that we had achieved my original intention, and more. The strong reactions that I received made all of the blood, sweat and tears that it took to make BUCK well worth the effort.
I had people who had no interest in horses calling and telling me that they could not stop thinking about Buck. A director of a major theater company in NYC said it made her rethink how she worked with and directed her actors. Another friend told me that the description of Buck’s violent childhood really resonated with her in an intense and hopeful way, as she herself came from an abusive childhood, and was thankful for the hope that it delivered to victims of such horrific pasts. Another man said that after seeing the film he would say to himself, “How would Buck handle this?” when dealing with his two young children.
Having so many people come to me in tears after the screening has made this whole experience extremely moving and gratifying. Knowing that a subject that I had such a passion for was truly resonating with others, too, makes me feel like I achieved what I set out to do - - touch people’s lives with a film about hope and inspiration. And certainly, if someone does have a horse, they will leave with a new understanding of how magnificent that creature is and how to live with them in harmony. As Buck say, “Horses and life, it’s all the same to me.”
What do you want audiences to learn from BUCK?
I hope the audience comes away from the film with a renewed sense of hope and inspiration. I think Buck’s story has a freshness that can be very moving, especially in a time when the world is looking for direction. I think that Buck has a unique way of encouraging people to do and see things that they thought were impossible. He will also make you see things in your own life that you may or may not want to see. He’s pretty straightforward in a tough cowboy kind of way, but maybe that’s what we all need right now. I am pretty hard to impress, so I thought if someone could inspire me that much, then they would probably inspire others, too.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
I met Buck at one of his clinics eight years ago. In four days, he taught me more about horses than anyone ever had in all the decades I’d been dealing with them. Even more compelling was watching how he could instill the feeling of power in someone when they were afraid and had given up hope, whether it was about their horse or their life. Buck’s personal story, as I came to know it, also deeply resonated with me. How he rose above the violence of his childhood, and applied the hard-learned lessons to training horses humanely and respectfully was profoundly inspirational. Buck has a unique ability to help people reconfigure the way they perceive both horses and humans, and the principles he teaches can become life altering. How he treats and works with these animals reverberates beyond the round pen and the arena. Overcoming a horse’s fear and earning its trust has a lot in common with raising a child or sustaining a relationship.
I was inspired to make a film because I felt it was the best way to introduce this charismatic cowboy to the general public and not just “horse people.” It was a huge leap of faith, as I had never made a film before. However, I have always loved John Burroughs’s saying, “Leap, and the net will appear.” It did.
It has been a joy and tremendous life lesson to have connected with Buck Brannaman’s unique world; it runs at a different pace and embodies the most fundamental of human values. With my film BUCK, I hope I can share a fraction of what this experience has given to me.
- Cindy Meehl
ABOUT THE SUBJECT/CREW
BUCK BRANNAMAN (Subject)
Buck Brannamanis a prominent advocate of natural horsemanship. He's a widely respected horse gentler whose approach to training a horse has inspired and revolutionized the equestrian world. He travels extensively throughout the US and the world.
A mix of mentor, legend and folk hero to the thousands who attend his colt-starting and horsemanship clinics each year, Buck is the inspiration for the novel and feature-film,THE HORSE WHISPERER. Employing techniques learned from Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, Buck gets riders to understand as much about their horses as possible. He teaches people to understand the horse and where he's coming from and is able, almost instinctually, to inspire trust in both the horse and rider. Buck has co-authored two books, FARAWAY HORSES and BELIEVE.
CINDY MEEHL (Director)
Cindy Meehl met Buck Brannaman at one of his horse clinics in 2003.
His horsemanship and skills were exceptional, and once Cindy learned about Buck’s life, she was inspired to make her first documentary to tell his story and share his unique approach to horses and people.
She founded Cedar Creek Productions, LLC in 2008 in order to make this film.
Cindy’s background is in fashion and art. She created and ran her own label, “Sasha, Cindy and Phil”, as well as “Cindy Hughes Designs”. She has designed couture eveningwear that sold across the country. Her clothes have been showcased in the windows of Bergdorf Goodman and featured in film and television as well as magazines and print campaigns. Cindy studied art at Marymount Manhattan College and the National Academy of Art in NYC. In the 1990s, she began fine art painting, which led to her interest in photography and film.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, writer Brian Meehl, 2 daughters, 4 dogs and 2 horses.
JULIE GOLDMAN (Producer)
Julie Goldmanhas produced a wide range of award-winning documentaries, working with a line-up of talented and acclaimed filmmakers. Her documentaries have been featured at the most prestigious film festivals around the world, including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca and London. She has recently been nominated for the PGA Producer of the Year Award.
Julie had several films premiere in 2009, including SERGIO, based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power, and directed by Greg Barker. The film won the Sundance Film Festival Editing Award and was shortlisted for the 2010 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. She was a consultant on the Academy Award-winning THE COVE directed by Louis Psihoyos and Matt Tyrnauer’s acclaimed VALENTINO THE LAST EMPEROR. Julie was also Executive Producer of the Sundance Audience Award winner, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, which was released by THINKFilm.
Julie recently started Motto Pictures, which specializes in producing and executive producing documentary features. Motto secures financing, builds distribution strategies and creatively develops films with an eye toward maximizing each project’s position in the domestic and international markets. Among Motto’s completed films are SONS OF PERDITION, which will premiere on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011, and BUCK, which was selected for the US Documentary Competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Julie’s current slate includes several films that are already in production: HUNGRY IN AMERICA directed by Lori Silverbush and Kristi Jacobson, 1971 directed by Johanna Hamilton, and a new film with Greg Barker and John Battsek for HBO.
During her tenure as founding partner of Cactus Three, Julie executive produced a wide and varied slate of acclaimed, award-winning feature documentaries, including: ONCE IN A LIFETIME (Miramax/Pathe/BBC); Sydney Pollack’s SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY (Sony Pictures Classics/PBS); THREE OF HEARTS (THINKFilm/NBC-Bravo); BAFTA-nominated BLACK SUN; Emmy-nominated WHAT REMAINS (HBO/BBC); Emmy-winning HANK WILLIAMS: HONKY TONK BLUES (PBS/BBC); SXSW Audience Award winner CAT DANCERS (HBO/Channel4); OFFICE TIGERS (Sundance Channel/BBC).
Julie was Senior Vice President of Original Production and Co-production at Wellspring, where she executive produced such celebrated films as DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND (co-produced with HBO/Channel 4), MAMA AFRICA hosted by Queen Latifah (PBS) and Grammy-nominated MUDDY WATERS CAN’T BE SATISFIED (PBS American Masters/Channel 4).
ANDREA MEDITCH (Creative Consultant)
ANDREA MEDITCHis an award-winning documentary film producer and creative advisor for media companies, universities, filmmakers and festivals. In 2009 she executive produced both Academy Award winner MAN ON WIREand Academy Award-nominated ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
She is president of Back Allie Entertainment, which is in production on several documentaries, including BUCK, and is an advisor to Michigan State University’s College of Communication, where she is working to build a Center for Creativity in Storytelling. Previously she spent fifteen years at Discovery Communications, where she launched and built Discovery Films, the theatrical arm of the company, overseeing the development, production and distribution of numerous documentary films, including Werner Herzog's GRIZZLY MAN, which won the Alfred P. Sloan award at Sundance in 2005. She also executive-produced IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, which won the 2007 World Documentary Audience Award at Sundance, as well as the Emmy-nominated THE KILLER WITHIN, a documentary about one man's devastating secret, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Other film credits include DOUBLETIMEand SNOWBLIND. The Primetime Emmy-nominatedTHE FLIGHT THAT FOUGHT BACK, which Meditch helped develop and executive produce, documented the heroism of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 on the morning of September 11th. It remains the third-highest rated show in Discovery's history.
Meditch was at Discovery from 1995 until June 2008 where, prior to Discovery Films, she was head of development for the Discovery Channel. There she brought in such hit series as MYTHBUSTERS, and such international special events as THE REAL EVE. Until 1999, she was editorial director for Discovery.com, which garnered numerous awards and accolades and pioneered a number of events that are now web staples, including science reporting from the field and "critter cams." Previously, she worked at National Geographic Society managing a project that lead to the multi-media EARTH ATLAS.
She serves on several industry advisory boards, including Cinema Eye and IFP, and is a Trustee for the International Documentary Association. She has juried numerous film festivals, including most recently Silverdocs and Sundance.
Meditch holds a Ph.D. in anthropology with a concentration in mass media from the University of Texas and a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Northwestern University.
TOBY SHIMIN (Editor)
Toby Shimin began her film career as a sound editor, where she worked on such projects as FIRE FROM THE MOUNTAINand WORKING GIRLS, which won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. She switched to picture editing in 1988 when she cut THE CHILDREN'S STOREFRONT, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject Documentary. Since then, she has cut numerous films that have been accepted at Sundance, including A LEAP OF FAITH, MARTHA AND ETHEL, and OUT OF THE PAST, which won an Audience Award. She has cut several diverse projects for PBS, including AIDS WARRIORS for the 2003 season of Wide Angle and two projects for American Experience: MISS AMERICA, which premiered at Sundance in 2002; and SEABISCUIT, for which she was nominated for an Emmy in 2003. More recently she edited episode two of the Emmy-nominated REPORTING AMERICA AT WAR; THREE OF HEARTS: A POST-MODERN FAMILY, which premiered in September 2004 at the Toronto Film Festival; and TWO SQUARE MILES, which was part of the 2006 Independent Lens series on PBS, EVERYTHING'S COOL, and premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Her latest project, A SEA CHANGE has won several festival awards and is currently screening internationally and broadcast nationally. Toby is a principal of Dovetail Films, a production and editing company she co-founded with Dina Guttmann in 2001. She studied film at Hampshire College, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts.
ALICE HENTY (Line Producer)
Alice Hentyis a Brit who began her career working with Danny Boyle and Andrew Macdonald on films including TRAINSPOTTING and A LIFE LESS ORDINARY. She has been a Line Producer on feature documentaries for over ten years, beginning with the Oscar- and Emmy-winning ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by John Battsek. She went on to produce various documentaries for British television including Sean McAllister projects, HULL’S ANGELfor Channel 4 and SETTLERSfor the BBC.
She moved to New York in 2001 and worked for Teale-Edwards Productions as their in-house Supervising Producer, developing programming for Discovery, Bravo, A&E and National Geographic as well as Line Producing the award-winning HACKING DEMOCRACY (HBO), FIRST PERSON KILLERS(A&E) and ROBYN HITCHCOCK(Sundance Channel).
She was reunited with John Battsek in 2008 when he brought her in to Line Produce THE TILLMAN STORY, directed by Amir Bar-Lev. THE TILLMAN STORY (A&E Indie Films) premiered in the Documentary Competition at Sundance 2010 and secured theatrical distributed with The Weinstein Company. It has been shortlisted for a 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It has also been nominated for a PGA Award.
SOFIA SANTANA (Associate Producer)
Sofia Santanabegan working in film as a coordinator at Arts Engine's Media that Matters Film Festival, which showcases short films dealing with social justice issues. She was a researcher on several award-winning programs for Deep Dish TV and Al Jazeera TV. Sofia was the Associate Producer of the television broadcast of WINTER SOLDIER 2008. She was the Associate Producer of THE TILLMAN STORY, the acclaimed feature documentary directed by Amir Bar-Lev. THE TILLMAN STORY premiered in the Documentary Competition at Sundance 2010, was released theatrically by The Weinstein Company and was recently shortlisted for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Sofia is currently working on a new documentary about the legendary drummer, Ginger Baker.
Sofia attended Columbia University in New York, where she majored in History. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn.
GUY MOSSMAN (Cinematographer)
Guy Mossmanbegan making documentaries in 2000 in the verdant jungles of Paraguay. There he produced and directed short documentaries for the Peace Corps and the United Nations Development Program. Since Guy's return to the US in 2003, he was a Park Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, founded 10th Muse Films, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to producing documentaries, and lived in New York City where for three years he produced and shot non-fiction for a variety of award-winning directors.
Guy has shot in India, Nepal, Paraguay, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil, and his work has appeared on IFC, HBO, PBS, Sundance Channel, Discovery Channel, TLC, MTV, and Versus Network. Now based in Los Angeles, Guy continues to DP internationally for both feature documentaries and commercial productions.
His recent work includes Morgan Spurlock's upcoming documentary COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE and Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg's release, JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK that was nominated for the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Guy is currently shooting the feature documentary MARIACHI HIGH directed by Ilana Trachtman and Kim Connell.
When Guy is not filming feature documentaries, he runs Vox Pop Films, a production company he founded with his wife, Lisa Hepner, in 2007. VPF produces TV commercials and web-content for creative agencies and clients nationwide. In 2009, VPF was awarded four Telly Awards for its work with USC.
LUKE GEISSBÜHLER (Cinematographer)
Raised by two Swiss graphic designers, Luke Geissbühler was shown the balance of color, shape and contrast early in life. Educated at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, he would regularly scurry off to work at a Bolex camera shop taking apart spring wound cameras between classes. A fascination with mechanics, beauty and psychology guided him to an inescapable love of filmmaking. Luke's work as a cinematographer ranges widely from the exacting compositions of HELVETICA to the comic timing of BORAT, the technical know-how of filming THE MUPPETSto the high altitude challenges of SPACE BALLOON. Regularly alternating between narrative and documentary features, Luke is able to merge his fluidity in both disciplines to visually tell a story in a beautiful and compelling way. Ever interested in environmental filmmaking techniques he has become a leader in electronic cinema, natural lighting and a smaller production footprint. His steady hand has been trusted behind the camera by such greats as Barry Levinson, Barbara Kopple, Adam McKay, Jay Roach, Larry Charles, Will Ferrell, Doug Liman, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Luke has recently wrapped an HBO pilot for Kathryn Bigelow and is now busy traveling to five continents to film URBANIZED, the third film of the Helvetica design series.
DAVID ROBBINS (Composer)
David Robbinsis a film composer, songwriter, performer and producer who has been immersed in music all his life. Son of a folk singer, David was raised in Greenwich Village, NY, and influenced by many of the artists and performers of all stripes who lived and worked there in the 60's and early 70's. David currently enjoys an active career in film, writing scores for feature films, including WAR INC., KING OF CALIFORNIA, DEAD MAN WALKING, SAVIOR, CRADLE WILL ROCK, BOB ROBERTS, andTHE DAY MY GOD DIED, to name a few. David has also worked extensively in theater as composer, music performer and sound designer in Los Angeles and New York. He continues to be active with the renowned "Actors Gang" of Los Angeles for which he contributed his talents for several of their award-winning, politically and socially evocative productions, including BREAK THE WHIP. 1984, TARTUFFE, EMBEDDED, CARNAGE: A COMEDY, MAYHEM: THE INVASION, and THE EXONERATED. David considers himself fortunate to have collaborated on so many successful productions and projects with their tireless creators, and enjoys the freedom they allow him to explore, create and push the envelope in so many styles.
DIRECTOR
Cindy Meehl
PRODUCER
Julie Goldman
EDITOR
Toby Shimin
CREATIVE CONSULTANT
Andrea Meditch
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Cindy Meehl
LINE PRODUCER
Alice Henty
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Sofia Santana
CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Guy Mossman
Luke Geissbühler
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Joy E. Reed
2nd ASSISTANT EDITOR
Jennifer Stamps
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
W. Wilder Knight, II
PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE
Gwen Maynard
CREW MONTANA
PRODUCTION MANAGER Nicole L. Karczewski
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Becky Di Lallo
CAMERA OPERATORS Charles Debold, Chris Clements
ASSISTANT CAMERA Rob Curtin
2nd ASSISTANT CAMERA Ezra Olson
AUDIO MIXER Andrew Day
2nd AUDIO MIXER Joe Savastano
HELICOPTER PILOT Jerry Mamuzich
GRIP Dicky Deats
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER Emily Knight
CREW TEXAS
JIB OPERATOR Vance Holmes
JIB TECHNICIAN Joseph Brown
AUDIO MIXER Ben Lowry
ASSISTANT CAMERA Derek Gildersleeve
CREW NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
GAFFER Mark Eveslage
GRIP Darren King
AUDIO MIXER Jim Choi
CREW RED BLUFF/CHICO, CALIFORNIA
FIELD PRODUCER/DIRECTOR Lisa Hepner
PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacey Offman
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jill Landaker
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Matt Baker
CREW RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA
CINEMATOGRAPHER Dyanna Taylor
ASSISTANT CAMERA Paul Marbury
AUDIO MIXER JoseAraujo
CREW FRANCE, NORTH CAROLINA,
WASHINGTON& WYOMING
FIELD PRODUCER Kate Andrews
CAMERA Rob Rainey, Skip Branson
AUDIO MIXER Don Hooper
PHOTO ENHANCEMENTS
Joy E. Reed
PHOTO ANIMATION
Anthony Kraus, Noisy Neighbor
TITLE DESIGN
Allison Moore
ILLUSTRATIONS
Rose Lowry
ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT EDITING
Dina Guttmann
DIGITIZING
Jimmy Choi
Anthony Fitzgerald
Drew Oberholtzer
Chris Pecoraro
ADDITIONAL ORIGINAL SCORE
Peter Rundquist
MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Liz Gallacher
ASSISTANT MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Kathleen Hasay
ONLINE EDITOR
Owen Rucker
DI COLORIST
Will Cox
ONLINE SERVICES
Final Frame
SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR
Jacob Ribicoff
RE-RECORDING MIXER
Lee Dichter
POST PRODUCTION SOUND FACILITY
Sound One Corp
ASSISTANTS TO DIRECTOR
Gwen Maynard
Lesley Gibson
LEGAL COUNSEL
W. Wilder Knight, II
Anne S. Atkinson
Stephen B. Rodner
F. Robert Stein
Joshua Zuckerberg
of Pryor Cashman LLP
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANTS
Rogger Lopez
Nancy Adams
INSURANCE SERVICES
Kathy England
Tammy Soto
Taylor & Taylor
WEBSITE
Terry Laslo
Wingcat Web Design
TRANSCRIBERS
Jonathan Argudo
Michael Debach
Libertad Gills
Rebecca Israel
Traci Lawson
Brenda Longstreth
Jordana Marie
Brian McMorrow
Ariel Poster
Stacy Ring
Carlye Rubin
Michael Trainor
Louis Zwiebel
FOOTAGE COURTESY OF
Fremantle Media North America
Leo Burnett
Carolyn Hunt
The WPA Film Library
Thought Equity Motion
VISIONS OF GRACE:
ROBERT REDFORD AND THE HORSE WHISPERER
Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
THE HORSE WHISPERER
Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
STILL IMAGES COURTESY OF
Kim Bolewine
Cora Blomberg
Mary Brannaman
W. T. Bruce
Margaret Dorrance
Charles Henry
Carolyn Hunt
David Middleton
Nancy O’Brien
Ezra Olson
William C. Reynolds
Betsy Shirley
Lindy Smith
Sharon Thomas
Annette Venteicher
Tracey Westbury
Ted Wood
Cindy Meehl
Heiko Rodde
3 Gems Tack
Fast Tracker Kennels
Mountain Meadow Ranch
Corbis Corporation
EverettCollection
Getty Images
Still from THE HORSE WHISPERER
Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
VERY SPECIAL THANKS
Buck Brannaman
Mary Brannaman
Reata Brannaman
Betsy Shirley
Shayne & Jo-Anne Jackson
Betty & Craig Staley
Robert Redford
Bibb Frazier
Gwynn TurnbullWeaver
Annette Venteicher
NevadaWatt
Gary Myers & Family
Johnny France & Family
Tina Cornish
Dan Gunter
Paige Morris
Bill Seaton
Britt Long
Julie Hueftle
Brian Meehl
Sandra Gray
Rebel, Arc and Charro
THANKS
MUSIC
www.buckthefilm.com
CEDAR CREEK LOGO
Produced by Cedar Creek Productions, LLC
Produced in Association with Motto Pictures and Back Allie Productions
© 2011. All Rights Reserved.
A FILM BY CINDY MEEHL
FILM FESTIVALS
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2011 – WINNER U.S. DOCUMENTARY AUDIENCE AWARD
SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2011
TRUE/FASLE FILM FESTIVAL 2011
88 MINUTES / PANASONIC VARICAM & PANASONIC HVX-300 (P2)/ EXHIBITED ON: HD-CAM
DISTRIBUTION CONTACT: NY/ LA PUBLICITY:
LAUREN SCHWARTZ CHANELLE JAMES
KIM BARRETT ELENA ZILBERMAN
SUNDANCE SELECTS MIKE RAU
PUBLICITY/MARKETING 42 WEST
T: 646.273.7214/ 917.542.6330 T: 212.277.7555/ 424.901.8726
lmschwartz@ifcfilms.com Chanelle.James@42west.net
kbarrett@ifcfilms.com Elena.Zilberman@42west.net
Mike.Rau@42west.net
For images please visit our extranet: www.ifcfilmsextranet.com
(login: ifcguest01, password: kubrick; select “BUCK” from the drop-down bar)
SYNOPSIS
THE HORSE WHISPERER may be the stuff of Hollywood legend but the charismatic horseman who inspired the novel and the film is very real. For Buck Brannaman - a true cowboy who is also part guru and part philosopher - horses are a mirror of the human soul.
BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his unusual approach to horse-training. Eschewing the violence of his past, he teaches people to communicate with horses through instinct, not punishment. He possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his understanding, compassion and respect. In the film, the animal-human relationship becomes a perfect metaphor for meeting the challenges of daily life. A truly American story about an unsung hero: an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.
"Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes you will." - Buck Brannaman
“A lot of times, rather than helping people with horse problems, I’m helping horses with people problems.” So says Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems.
BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows living legend Buck Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenal success as a real life Horse Whisperer. For this true cowboy, horses are a mirror of the human soul. Reared by an abusive father, Buck eschews violence. By teaching people to communicate with horses through instinct, not punishment, he frees the spirit of the horse and its human comrade. Crisscrossing the world with Zen-like wisdom, Buck promulgates grace in the bond between man and horse. The animal-human relationship becomes a perfect metaphor for meeting the challenges of daily life, whether they consist of raising kids, running a business, or finding your flow with a dance partner.
Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his understanding, compassion and respect. Full of sage wisdom and wit, he reminds us “You allow a horse to make mistakes. The horse will learn from mistakes no different than the human. But you can’t get him to where he dreads making mistakes for fear of what’s gonna happen after he does.”
What is extraordinary about Buck Brannaman, the man, leaps off the screen in this strikingly cinematic film by first-time director Cindy Meehl. Part guru, part psychologist, the adult Buck, who was once a beaten kid, has now beaten the odds. Buck Brannaman can transform your troubled horse. Buck the movie will transform your soul.
A truly American story about an unsung hero, BUCK is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.
Q&A WITH FILMMAKER CINDY MEEHL
What prompted the idea for your film and how did it evolve?
I met Buck at one of his clinics about 8 years ago, and he made a profound impression on me. Coming from a different discipline entirely, I didn’t think there was much I could learn from a cowboy. I was astounded to realize that no one had ever taught me as much about a horse as he did in those four days. However, there was also something even more compelling about him that was hard to explain. While his techniques are spectacular, it’s the life lessons he slips into his teachings that really seep into your soul. One of his big messages is, “If it’s not working, change it!” He doesn’t want excuses. He doesn’t let you be a victim. He makes you tougher.
Ialso read his book and discovered the powerful story of how he overcame his incredibly terrifying and violent childhood and now dedicates his life to helping people and horses. I had never made a film before, but it seemed the only way to share this man and his philosophy. I approached Buck at a clinic and asked him if he would be interested in making a documentary. He said he thought it was a good idea, and I said I’d like to do it. It was a brief conversation of about two minutes, and that was the beginning of well over two years of work that created BUCK.
Elaborate a bit on your approach to making the film.
I started by just filming Buck at his clinics. He is a born orator and is very entertaining and amusing when he is trying to tell you about horses. I also realized there was a lot more to his story than just riding and training horses. We traveled around the country filming Buck at work and met the people who are drawn to his clinics. We also met, and interviewed, Buck’s inner circle, his friends, his wife and daughters, and his remarkable foster mother. We were able to film frequently enough to gather a great deal of intimate footage.
I was well aware that in order for this story to be told, I would need to make a film about this very specific subject that would be accessible to a wide audience. It was producer Julie Goldman and our creative consultant Andrea Meditch who were able to see my vision and make it a reality. They were very brave to go the distance with me knowing I had not made a film before. The dedicated team that Julie and our Line Producer Alice Henty brought together was amazing.
What were your biggest challenges in developing the project?
The biggest challenge was taking 300 hours of footage and cutting it down to 88 minutes. We had so many wonderful interviews with amazing people and so much of Buck on the subject of life as well as horses that editing the film was a difficult process. It was extremely hard to lose great scenes and stick to our story arc. I had an incredibly gifted editor, Toby Shimin, who is a master craftswoman and was tireless in cutting and re-cutting until we got it right.
What was the biggest surprise associated with the making of your movie?
What I have found most surprising about my film BUCK is how it appears to affect people in so many different ways. As I started this journey to tell Buck’s story, I thought it would be about changing people’s perceptions about how they treat and train horses, as well as how to deal with life’s difficulties with a bit of cowboy wisdom. However, as the film was completed and we started test screening it for a wide cross-section of friends and associates, I was pleasantly surprised that we had achieved my original intention, and more. The strong reactions that I received made all of the blood, sweat and tears that it took to make BUCK well worth the effort.
I had people who had no interest in horses calling and telling me that they could not stop thinking about Buck. A director of a major theater company in NYC said it made her rethink how she worked with and directed her actors. Another friend told me that the description of Buck’s violent childhood really resonated with her in an intense and hopeful way, as she herself came from an abusive childhood, and was thankful for the hope that it delivered to victims of such horrific pasts. Another man said that after seeing the film he would say to himself, “How would Buck handle this?” when dealing with his two young children.
Having so many people come to me in tears after the screening has made this whole experience extremely moving and gratifying. Knowing that a subject that I had such a passion for was truly resonating with others, too, makes me feel like I achieved what I set out to do - - touch people’s lives with a film about hope and inspiration. And certainly, if someone does have a horse, they will leave with a new understanding of how magnificent that creature is and how to live with them in harmony. As Buck say, “Horses and life, it’s all the same to me.”
What do you want audiences to learn from BUCK?
I hope the audience comes away from the film with a renewed sense of hope and inspiration. I think Buck’s story has a freshness that can be very moving, especially in a time when the world is looking for direction. I think that Buck has a unique way of encouraging people to do and see things that they thought were impossible. He will also make you see things in your own life that you may or may not want to see. He’s pretty straightforward in a tough cowboy kind of way, but maybe that’s what we all need right now. I am pretty hard to impress, so I thought if someone could inspire me that much, then they would probably inspire others, too.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
I met Buck at one of his clinics eight years ago. In four days, he taught me more about horses than anyone ever had in all the decades I’d been dealing with them. Even more compelling was watching how he could instill the feeling of power in someone when they were afraid and had given up hope, whether it was about their horse or their life. Buck’s personal story, as I came to know it, also deeply resonated with me. How he rose above the violence of his childhood, and applied the hard-learned lessons to training horses humanely and respectfully was profoundly inspirational. Buck has a unique ability to help people reconfigure the way they perceive both horses and humans, and the principles he teaches can become life altering. How he treats and works with these animals reverberates beyond the round pen and the arena. Overcoming a horse’s fear and earning its trust has a lot in common with raising a child or sustaining a relationship.
I was inspired to make a film because I felt it was the best way to introduce this charismatic cowboy to the general public and not just “horse people.” It was a huge leap of faith, as I had never made a film before. However, I have always loved John Burroughs’s saying, “Leap, and the net will appear.” It did.
It has been a joy and tremendous life lesson to have connected with Buck Brannaman’s unique world; it runs at a different pace and embodies the most fundamental of human values. With my film BUCK, I hope I can share a fraction of what this experience has given to me.
- Cindy Meehl
ABOUT THE SUBJECT/CREW
BUCK BRANNAMAN (Subject)
Buck Brannamanis a prominent advocate of natural horsemanship. He's a widely respected horse gentler whose approach to training a horse has inspired and revolutionized the equestrian world. He travels extensively throughout the US and the world.
A mix of mentor, legend and folk hero to the thousands who attend his colt-starting and horsemanship clinics each year, Buck is the inspiration for the novel and feature-film,THE HORSE WHISPERER. Employing techniques learned from Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, Buck gets riders to understand as much about their horses as possible. He teaches people to understand the horse and where he's coming from and is able, almost instinctually, to inspire trust in both the horse and rider. Buck has co-authored two books, FARAWAY HORSES and BELIEVE.
CINDY MEEHL (Director)
Cindy Meehl met Buck Brannaman at one of his horse clinics in 2003.
His horsemanship and skills were exceptional, and once Cindy learned about Buck’s life, she was inspired to make her first documentary to tell his story and share his unique approach to horses and people.
She founded Cedar Creek Productions, LLC in 2008 in order to make this film.
Cindy’s background is in fashion and art. She created and ran her own label, “Sasha, Cindy and Phil”, as well as “Cindy Hughes Designs”. She has designed couture eveningwear that sold across the country. Her clothes have been showcased in the windows of Bergdorf Goodman and featured in film and television as well as magazines and print campaigns. Cindy studied art at Marymount Manhattan College and the National Academy of Art in NYC. In the 1990s, she began fine art painting, which led to her interest in photography and film.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, writer Brian Meehl, 2 daughters, 4 dogs and 2 horses.
JULIE GOLDMAN (Producer)
Julie Goldmanhas produced a wide range of award-winning documentaries, working with a line-up of talented and acclaimed filmmakers. Her documentaries have been featured at the most prestigious film festivals around the world, including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca and London. She has recently been nominated for the PGA Producer of the Year Award.
Julie had several films premiere in 2009, including SERGIO, based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power, and directed by Greg Barker. The film won the Sundance Film Festival Editing Award and was shortlisted for the 2010 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. She was a consultant on the Academy Award-winning THE COVE directed by Louis Psihoyos and Matt Tyrnauer’s acclaimed VALENTINO THE LAST EMPEROR. Julie was also Executive Producer of the Sundance Audience Award winner, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, which was released by THINKFilm.
Julie recently started Motto Pictures, which specializes in producing and executive producing documentary features. Motto secures financing, builds distribution strategies and creatively develops films with an eye toward maximizing each project’s position in the domestic and international markets. Among Motto’s completed films are SONS OF PERDITION, which will premiere on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011, and BUCK, which was selected for the US Documentary Competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Julie’s current slate includes several films that are already in production: HUNGRY IN AMERICA directed by Lori Silverbush and Kristi Jacobson, 1971 directed by Johanna Hamilton, and a new film with Greg Barker and John Battsek for HBO.
During her tenure as founding partner of Cactus Three, Julie executive produced a wide and varied slate of acclaimed, award-winning feature documentaries, including: ONCE IN A LIFETIME (Miramax/Pathe/BBC); Sydney Pollack’s SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY (Sony Pictures Classics/PBS); THREE OF HEARTS (THINKFilm/NBC-Bravo); BAFTA-nominated BLACK SUN; Emmy-nominated WHAT REMAINS (HBO/BBC); Emmy-winning HANK WILLIAMS: HONKY TONK BLUES (PBS/BBC); SXSW Audience Award winner CAT DANCERS (HBO/Channel4); OFFICE TIGERS (Sundance Channel/BBC).
Julie was Senior Vice President of Original Production and Co-production at Wellspring, where she executive produced such celebrated films as DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND (co-produced with HBO/Channel 4), MAMA AFRICA hosted by Queen Latifah (PBS) and Grammy-nominated MUDDY WATERS CAN’T BE SATISFIED (PBS American Masters/Channel 4).
ANDREA MEDITCH (Creative Consultant)
ANDREA MEDITCHis an award-winning documentary film producer and creative advisor for media companies, universities, filmmakers and festivals. In 2009 she executive produced both Academy Award winner MAN ON WIREand Academy Award-nominated ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
She is president of Back Allie Entertainment, which is in production on several documentaries, including BUCK, and is an advisor to Michigan State University’s College of Communication, where she is working to build a Center for Creativity in Storytelling. Previously she spent fifteen years at Discovery Communications, where she launched and built Discovery Films, the theatrical arm of the company, overseeing the development, production and distribution of numerous documentary films, including Werner Herzog's GRIZZLY MAN, which won the Alfred P. Sloan award at Sundance in 2005. She also executive-produced IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, which won the 2007 World Documentary Audience Award at Sundance, as well as the Emmy-nominated THE KILLER WITHIN, a documentary about one man's devastating secret, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Other film credits include DOUBLETIMEand SNOWBLIND. The Primetime Emmy-nominatedTHE FLIGHT THAT FOUGHT BACK, which Meditch helped develop and executive produce, documented the heroism of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 on the morning of September 11th. It remains the third-highest rated show in Discovery's history.
Meditch was at Discovery from 1995 until June 2008 where, prior to Discovery Films, she was head of development for the Discovery Channel. There she brought in such hit series as MYTHBUSTERS, and such international special events as THE REAL EVE. Until 1999, she was editorial director for Discovery.com, which garnered numerous awards and accolades and pioneered a number of events that are now web staples, including science reporting from the field and "critter cams." Previously, she worked at National Geographic Society managing a project that lead to the multi-media EARTH ATLAS.
She serves on several industry advisory boards, including Cinema Eye and IFP, and is a Trustee for the International Documentary Association. She has juried numerous film festivals, including most recently Silverdocs and Sundance.
Meditch holds a Ph.D. in anthropology with a concentration in mass media from the University of Texas and a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Northwestern University.
TOBY SHIMIN (Editor)
Toby Shimin began her film career as a sound editor, where she worked on such projects as FIRE FROM THE MOUNTAINand WORKING GIRLS, which won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. She switched to picture editing in 1988 when she cut THE CHILDREN'S STOREFRONT, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject Documentary. Since then, she has cut numerous films that have been accepted at Sundance, including A LEAP OF FAITH, MARTHA AND ETHEL, and OUT OF THE PAST, which won an Audience Award. She has cut several diverse projects for PBS, including AIDS WARRIORS for the 2003 season of Wide Angle and two projects for American Experience: MISS AMERICA, which premiered at Sundance in 2002; and SEABISCUIT, for which she was nominated for an Emmy in 2003. More recently she edited episode two of the Emmy-nominated REPORTING AMERICA AT WAR; THREE OF HEARTS: A POST-MODERN FAMILY, which premiered in September 2004 at the Toronto Film Festival; and TWO SQUARE MILES, which was part of the 2006 Independent Lens series on PBS, EVERYTHING'S COOL, and premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Her latest project, A SEA CHANGE has won several festival awards and is currently screening internationally and broadcast nationally. Toby is a principal of Dovetail Films, a production and editing company she co-founded with Dina Guttmann in 2001. She studied film at Hampshire College, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts.
ALICE HENTY (Line Producer)
Alice Hentyis a Brit who began her career working with Danny Boyle and Andrew Macdonald on films including TRAINSPOTTING and A LIFE LESS ORDINARY. She has been a Line Producer on feature documentaries for over ten years, beginning with the Oscar- and Emmy-winning ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by John Battsek. She went on to produce various documentaries for British television including Sean McAllister projects, HULL’S ANGELfor Channel 4 and SETTLERSfor the BBC.
She moved to New York in 2001 and worked for Teale-Edwards Productions as their in-house Supervising Producer, developing programming for Discovery, Bravo, A&E and National Geographic as well as Line Producing the award-winning HACKING DEMOCRACY (HBO), FIRST PERSON KILLERS(A&E) and ROBYN HITCHCOCK(Sundance Channel).
She was reunited with John Battsek in 2008 when he brought her in to Line Produce THE TILLMAN STORY, directed by Amir Bar-Lev. THE TILLMAN STORY (A&E Indie Films) premiered in the Documentary Competition at Sundance 2010 and secured theatrical distributed with The Weinstein Company. It has been shortlisted for a 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It has also been nominated for a PGA Award.
SOFIA SANTANA (Associate Producer)
Sofia Santanabegan working in film as a coordinator at Arts Engine's Media that Matters Film Festival, which showcases short films dealing with social justice issues. She was a researcher on several award-winning programs for Deep Dish TV and Al Jazeera TV. Sofia was the Associate Producer of the television broadcast of WINTER SOLDIER 2008. She was the Associate Producer of THE TILLMAN STORY, the acclaimed feature documentary directed by Amir Bar-Lev. THE TILLMAN STORY premiered in the Documentary Competition at Sundance 2010, was released theatrically by The Weinstein Company and was recently shortlisted for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Sofia is currently working on a new documentary about the legendary drummer, Ginger Baker.
Sofia attended Columbia University in New York, where she majored in History. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn.
GUY MOSSMAN (Cinematographer)
Guy Mossmanbegan making documentaries in 2000 in the verdant jungles of Paraguay. There he produced and directed short documentaries for the Peace Corps and the United Nations Development Program. Since Guy's return to the US in 2003, he was a Park Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, founded 10th Muse Films, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to producing documentaries, and lived in New York City where for three years he produced and shot non-fiction for a variety of award-winning directors.
Guy has shot in India, Nepal, Paraguay, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil, and his work has appeared on IFC, HBO, PBS, Sundance Channel, Discovery Channel, TLC, MTV, and Versus Network. Now based in Los Angeles, Guy continues to DP internationally for both feature documentaries and commercial productions.
His recent work includes Morgan Spurlock's upcoming documentary COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE and Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg's release, JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK that was nominated for the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Guy is currently shooting the feature documentary MARIACHI HIGH directed by Ilana Trachtman and Kim Connell.
When Guy is not filming feature documentaries, he runs Vox Pop Films, a production company he founded with his wife, Lisa Hepner, in 2007. VPF produces TV commercials and web-content for creative agencies and clients nationwide. In 2009, VPF was awarded four Telly Awards for its work with USC.
LUKE GEISSBÜHLER (Cinematographer)
Raised by two Swiss graphic designers, Luke Geissbühler was shown the balance of color, shape and contrast early in life. Educated at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, he would regularly scurry off to work at a Bolex camera shop taking apart spring wound cameras between classes. A fascination with mechanics, beauty and psychology guided him to an inescapable love of filmmaking. Luke's work as a cinematographer ranges widely from the exacting compositions of HELVETICA to the comic timing of BORAT, the technical know-how of filming THE MUPPETSto the high altitude challenges of SPACE BALLOON. Regularly alternating between narrative and documentary features, Luke is able to merge his fluidity in both disciplines to visually tell a story in a beautiful and compelling way. Ever interested in environmental filmmaking techniques he has become a leader in electronic cinema, natural lighting and a smaller production footprint. His steady hand has been trusted behind the camera by such greats as Barry Levinson, Barbara Kopple, Adam McKay, Jay Roach, Larry Charles, Will Ferrell, Doug Liman, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Luke has recently wrapped an HBO pilot for Kathryn Bigelow and is now busy traveling to five continents to film URBANIZED, the third film of the Helvetica design series.
DAVID ROBBINS (Composer)
David Robbinsis a film composer, songwriter, performer and producer who has been immersed in music all his life. Son of a folk singer, David was raised in Greenwich Village, NY, and influenced by many of the artists and performers of all stripes who lived and worked there in the 60's and early 70's. David currently enjoys an active career in film, writing scores for feature films, including WAR INC., KING OF CALIFORNIA, DEAD MAN WALKING, SAVIOR, CRADLE WILL ROCK, BOB ROBERTS, andTHE DAY MY GOD DIED, to name a few. David has also worked extensively in theater as composer, music performer and sound designer in Los Angeles and New York. He continues to be active with the renowned "Actors Gang" of Los Angeles for which he contributed his talents for several of their award-winning, politically and socially evocative productions, including BREAK THE WHIP. 1984, TARTUFFE, EMBEDDED, CARNAGE: A COMEDY, MAYHEM: THE INVASION, and THE EXONERATED. David considers himself fortunate to have collaborated on so many successful productions and projects with their tireless creators, and enjoys the freedom they allow him to explore, create and push the envelope in so many styles.
BUCK CREDITS
DIRECTOR
Cindy Meehl
PRODUCER
Julie Goldman
EDITOR
Toby Shimin
CREATIVE CONSULTANT
Andrea Meditch
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Cindy Meehl
LINE PRODUCER
Alice Henty
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Sofia Santana
CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Guy Mossman
Luke Geissbühler
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY
David Robbins
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Joy E. Reed
2nd ASSISTANT EDITOR
Jennifer Stamps
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
W. Wilder Knight, II
PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE
Gwen Maynard
CREW MONTANA
PRODUCTION MANAGER Nicole L. Karczewski
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Becky Di Lallo
CAMERA OPERATORS Charles Debold, Chris Clements
ASSISTANT CAMERA Rob Curtin
2nd ASSISTANT CAMERA Ezra Olson
AUDIO MIXER Andrew Day
2nd AUDIO MIXER Joe Savastano
HELICOPTER PILOT Jerry Mamuzich
GRIP Dicky Deats
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER Emily Knight
CREW TEXAS
JIB OPERATOR Vance Holmes
JIB TECHNICIAN Joseph Brown
AUDIO MIXER Ben Lowry
ASSISTANT CAMERA Derek Gildersleeve
CREW NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
GAFFER Mark Eveslage
GRIP Darren King
AUDIO MIXER Jim Choi
CREW RED BLUFF/CHICO, CALIFORNIA
FIELD PRODUCER/DIRECTOR Lisa Hepner
PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacey Offman
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jill Landaker
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Matt Baker
CREW RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA
CINEMATOGRAPHER Dyanna Taylor
ASSISTANT CAMERA Paul Marbury
AUDIO MIXER JoseAraujo
CREW FRANCE, NORTH CAROLINA,
WASHINGTON& WYOMING
FIELD PRODUCER Kate Andrews
CAMERA Rob Rainey, Skip Branson
AUDIO MIXER Don Hooper
PHOTO ENHANCEMENTS
Joy E. Reed
PHOTO ANIMATION
Anthony Kraus, Noisy Neighbor
TITLE DESIGN
Allison Moore
ILLUSTRATIONS
Rose Lowry
ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT EDITING
Dina Guttmann
DIGITIZING
Jimmy Choi
Anthony Fitzgerald
Drew Oberholtzer
Chris Pecoraro
ADDITIONAL ORIGINAL SCORE
Peter Rundquist
MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Liz Gallacher
ASSISTANT MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Kathleen Hasay
ONLINE EDITOR
Owen Rucker
DI COLORIST
Will Cox
ONLINE SERVICES
Final Frame
SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR
Jacob Ribicoff
RE-RECORDING MIXER
Lee Dichter
POST PRODUCTION SOUND FACILITY
Sound One Corp
ASSISTANTS TO DIRECTOR
Gwen Maynard
Lesley Gibson
LEGAL COUNSEL
W. Wilder Knight, II
Anne S. Atkinson
Stephen B. Rodner
F. Robert Stein
Joshua Zuckerberg
of Pryor Cashman LLP
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANTS
Rogger Lopez
Nancy Adams
INSURANCE SERVICES
Kathy England
Tammy Soto
Taylor & Taylor
WEBSITE
Terry Laslo
Wingcat Web Design
TRANSCRIBERS
Jonathan Argudo
Michael Debach
Libertad Gills
Rebecca Israel
Traci Lawson
Brenda Longstreth
Jordana Marie
Brian McMorrow
Ariel Poster
Stacy Ring
Carlye Rubin
Michael Trainor
Louis Zwiebel
FOOTAGE COURTESY OF
Fremantle Media North America
Leo Burnett
Carolyn Hunt
The WPA Film Library
Thought Equity Motion
VISIONS OF GRACE:
ROBERT REDFORD AND THE HORSE WHISPERER
Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
THE HORSE WHISPERER
Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
STILL IMAGES COURTESY OF
Kim Bolewine
Cora Blomberg
Mary Brannaman
W. T. Bruce
Margaret Dorrance
Charles Henry
Carolyn Hunt
David Middleton
Nancy O’Brien
Ezra Olson
William C. Reynolds
Betsy Shirley
Lindy Smith
Sharon Thomas
Annette Venteicher
Tracey Westbury
Ted Wood
Cindy Meehl
Heiko Rodde
3 Gems Tack
Fast Tracker Kennels
Mountain Meadow Ranch
Corbis Corporation
EverettCollection
Getty Images
Still from THE HORSE WHISPERER
Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
VERY SPECIAL THANKS
Buck Brannaman
Mary Brannaman
Reata Brannaman
Betsy Shirley
Shayne & Jo-Anne Jackson
Betty & Craig Staley
Robert Redford
Bibb Frazier
Gwynn TurnbullWeaver
Annette Venteicher
NevadaWatt
Gary Myers & Family
Johnny France & Family
Tina Cornish
Dan Gunter
Paige Morris
Bill Seaton
Britt Long
Julie Hueftle
Brian Meehl
Sandra Gray
Rebel, Arc and Charro
THANKS
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Steve & Bettie Carroll, Sullivan Farm The Staff at McGinnis Meadows Ranch: |
Ali & Noah Cornish Norm & Debbie Witt, Saddle Creek Ranch |
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Randy & Dori Bock, Brianna Heilig, Wes Ferrazzi, Danica Hile, Kathy Rosenbohn, C.J. Jackson, Britteny Gilstrap |
Dan & Brenda Hughes, Vivian Long and the staff at Charco Ranch The Staff at Double Diamond Halters |
| Sharon & Peter Melniker | The Lodge at Shorty’s Place |
| HITSDesert Horse Park | Billy & Sherrie Flynn |
| Mary & Mark Wood | Patti Hall-Strassguth |
| Cathi Bauer | Susan Hopkins |
| Katherine Orloff | Dr John Wilson |
| Tommy Wayman | Kim Connell |
| Neda Armian | William C. Reynolds |
| Mary Tobler | Natalie Bruner |
| Smokie Brannaman | Margaret Dorrance |
| Carolyn Hunt | Rob Peschko |
| Vern Smith | Patrick Markey |
| Barry & Diana Levinson | Ron Shechtman |
| Robert Kern | Lynne Meadow |
| Jim Frame | Tony Legner |
| Andrea Eastman | Jay Rubin |
| Brianna McKinney | Mike Woolf |
| Caitlin Tartaro | Jonathan Pearlstein at Technicolor LA |
| Charles Herzfeld at Technicolor NY | Judy Hyman & Jeff Claus |
| Roger Faille Jr | Cora Blomberg |
| Katherine Pack | Sharon & Mike Thomas |
| Martha & Dan Northway | Carolyn Hepburn |
| Lesli Klainberg | Jenny Evans |
| Orchard Films | Linda Boston |
| Laura Cooney | Frank and Sophia Ortega |
| Penny Falk | Barry Tyerman |
| Paul McGuire | Donna Kail |
| Dennis Aig | Connie Wethington |
| Paula Potter | Morgan Neville |
| Scarlett Johansson | Marcel Pariseau at True Public Relations |
| Sam Neill | Ann Churchill Brown at Shanahan Mgmt. |
| Cherry Jones | David Kalodner at Endeavour |
| Kristin Scott Thomas | Chris Andrews at Creative Arts |
| Emily Kuper | Jill McCormick |
| Chris Clements | Eddie Vedder |
| Kelly Curtis | Holly Robin Meehl |
| Kip Fladland | Kendall Meehl |
| Xochil Guzman | Sylvana Smith |
| Robbie & Dudley Hughes | Deborah Brandt |
| Hal Coker | Patrick, Henri & Estelle Laurent |
| Karen Miller | Terry Flatley |
| Nancy Pokrywka | Alexandra M. Goodwin |
| Jessica Lee | Alayne Ihle |
| Lauren Swenson | Kristin Swenson |
MUSIC
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“NUMBERS 1 TO 4” Written by Simon Jeffes Performed by Penguin Café Orchestra Licensed by Arrangement with Editions Penguin Café Limited Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd. Under license from EMI Film & Television Music |
“PRELUDE AND YODEL” Written by Simon Jeffes Performed by Penguin Café Orchestra Licensed by Arrangement with Editions Penguin Café Limited Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd. Under license from EMI Film & Television Music |
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“DRONE/BED #8” Composed by Joel Goodman (ASCAP) Published by Idnar Music (ASCAP) Courtesy of Hi-Fi Productions |
“FRIENDS & FOES” Written & Performed by Stephen Katz Licensed by Arrangement with Stephen Katz |
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“THE BOAT” Written by Judy Hyman Performed by The Horse Flies Licensed by Arrangement with Pest Control Music (BMI) |
“NICKEL MOUNTAIN” Written by Mark Orton Performed by Mark Orton and Megan Orton Licensed by Arrangement with Camp Watertown Music (ASCAP) Courtesy of Hans Wendl Produktion |
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“WHAT AWAITS” Composed by David Bramfitt (ASCAP) Published by Idnar Music (ASCAP) Courtesy of Hi-Fi Productions |
“THE KILLER IS CAUGHT” Written by Gideon Freudmann Performed by Gideon Freudmann Licensed by Arrangement with CelloBop Music Courtesy of Octagon Records |
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“THE KISS” Written by Peter Dodge, Jeff Claus and Judy Hyman Performed by The Horse Flies Licensed by Arrangement with Pest Control Music (BMI) |
“WARMTH OF YOUR LOVE” Written by Richard Stearns Performed by The Horse Flies Licensed by Arrangement with Pest Control Music (BMI) |
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“OPEN TRAIL” Composed by Joel Goodman (ASCAP) Published by Idnar Music (ASCAP) Courtesy of Hi-Fi Productions |
“BUILD A HOUSE AND BURN IT DOWN” Written by Jeff Claus, Judy Hyman and Richard Stearns Performed by The Horse Flies Licensed by Arrangement with Pest Control Music (BMI) |
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“BILL” Written by Mark Orton Performed by Mark Orton and Megan Orton Licensed by Arrangement with Camp Watertown Music (ASCAP) Courtesy of Hans Wendl Produktion |
“CLAIRE ARRIVES” Written by Jeff Claus and Judy Hyman Performed by The Horse Flies Licensed by Arrangement with Pest Control Music (BMI) |
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“THE WOODS” Written by Judy Hyman Performed by The Horse Flies Licensed by Arrangement with Pest Control Music (BMI) |
“CUTTING THE TREES” Written by Jeff Claus Performed by The Horse Flies Licensed by Arrangement with Pest Control Music (BMI) |
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“FOUND PEACE” Composed by Joel Goodman (ASCAP) Published by Idnar Music (ASCAP) Courtesy of Hi-Fi Productions |
“FAR FROM HOME” Composed by Joel Goodman (ASCAP) Published by Idnar Music (ASCAP) Courtesy of Hi-Fi Productions |
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“SHEEP DIP” Written by Simon Jeffes and Geoffrey Richardson Performed by Penguin Café Orchestra Licensed by Arrangement with Editions Penguin Café Limited Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd. Under license from EMI Film & Television Music |
“JUST BREATHE” Written by Eddie Vedder Published by Innocent Bystander(ASCAP) Performed by Pearl Jam |
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Produced by Cedar Creek Productions, LLC
Produced in Association with Motto Pictures and Back Allie Productions
© 2011. All Rights Reserved.
