Filmmaker Tanner Beard stops by on Close-Up Culture to talk about his new short film, Radio Telescope.
Set in 1984, the film follows a former NASA Scientist and his young son as they make a discovery in his make-shift laboratory located in the garage.
Hi Tanner, welcome to Close-Up Culture. What was your starting point for writing Radio Telescope?
It was smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, I found myself in Mammoth Lakes, California where I do the Mammoth Film Festival every February and with the entertainment industry somewhat coming to halt I sat down at my computer and began writing the first thing that came to me.
Can you tell us more about the film and what you wanted to explore?
I hadn’t written or directed anything in quite sometime and I was looking to get back to it and to do something that would be a challenge, so I wanted to explore something maybe set in the 1980s and also was reminiscent of movies I grew up with and maybe had a touch of sci fi mystery.
You recently debuted the film at the Dallas International Film Festival. What was that experience like?
I love the DiFF, that festival has always been so good to me as a Texas born filmmaker and I feel like I got my start there as it was the place I premiered my first movie I made, “Legend of Hell’s Gate”. It’s feels like a nice home coming.
What do you hope audiences take away from Radio Telescope?
I hope they popcorn up, have a seat and get ready for a ride they didn’t know they were on.
You’ve worked on some big projects, and with some big names over the years, is there any cherished moment from those experiences that stand out to you?
Oh, so many but I think the first time I got to meet Terrence Malick and conversate with him about things not related to film was a very cherished moment. Along with meeting Christian Bale for the first time but I don’t think anything holds a candle to getting to put most of my entire family in my first movie, we can always go back and look at that as somewhat of a yearbook.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career?
A big challenge for this industry is any type of routine or consistency. The movie and TV industry seems to constantly be changing so it’s hard to feel like you’ve ever really found your place, but if you can find solace in the wanderlust of that, it’s wild with adventure.
What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?
Silver Sail Entertainment is my production company and we have several projects slated for the next year or two. I’m personally acting in some upcoming projects, my team and I plan on bring some projects to Texas to shoot at our ranch La Roca Range and my cousin Russell Quinn are working with some family members these days Janice Beard and Lexie Beard, my mom and sister. So just doing our best to stay busy before the AI Robots take over the world, lol!