Director's Statement
Any film about an artist (particularly one who is no longer living) presents its own rewards and its own challenges. In the case of visionary painter and sculptor Paul Lehr, the rewards are obvious: A nearly endless cornucopia of insanely beautiful alien visions that graced the covers of literally thousands of science fiction novels from the 1960’s through the 80’s. The challenge is entering Paul’s mind and searching for that elusive spark that inspired him to embark upon his extraordinary journey as both a man and an artist.
In the end, my search led to perhaps the most obvious place: Lehr’s own exceptional body of work and his own words, specifically one short video-taped lecture at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania in 1996 and interviews during an exhibition of his work in 1997 (just a year before his untimely death). By framing the narrative around these lectures, filming additional source interviews, and taking a visual and conceptual DEEP DIVE into Lehr’s own paintings and sculptures, my hope is to come as close as possible to capturing the living, breathing, essence of an artist pursuing his vision. After many discussions with Producers Diana Lehr, John Davis, and Pamela Lubell it is clear we must go all-in creating Lehr’s inner world, filming stylistic re-creations and utilizing motion-graphic techniques to take the audience on a spectacular visual ride into the creative mind and obsessive life of an artist.
As a filmmaker who has spent the vast majority of his career in non-narrative and documentary filmmaking, the opportunity to use one’s entire bag of story-telling tricks, while collaborating with other visual professionals to create an artist’s world, is a rare and precious one. I’m looking forward to taking the audience on a sensual journey of imagination as well as completing my own personal artistic trek to come to an understanding of Paul Lehr, the man and the artist.
--BV
Brad Vanderburg
Director, Writer
Brad Vanderburg has had a 35 year film career as a Writer, Director, Producer, and Editor primarily in the documentary and motion picture marketing realm. After attending USC Film School in the 1980's, his career began working for the legendary "King of The B-Movies", Roger Corman where he nurtured countless trailers, featurettes, and long-form documentaries for Hollywood studios.
In 1994 Vanderburg directed his first documentary feature, LIVE WITH THIS-Adrift In America, depicting the hand to mouth existence of a touring indie punk rock. The film toured film festivals worldwide.
BLOODHAG - The Faster You Go Deaf The More Time You Have To Read, his short about "Edu-Core" heavy metal band BLOODHAG, played the South By Southwest Film Festival, won best documentary at the San Francisco Noise Pop Festival, and was picked up for distribution by HYPNOTIC.
From 2006 to 2017 he worked in documentary television, helping create the hit Emmy-nominated A&E series HOARDERS, as well as other series for major networks.
In 2017 he co-founded the Seattle-based production company IKEDA / VANDERBURG, where he continues to perfect his skills for a bevy of corporate and non-profit clients.
Diana Lehr
Executive Producer, Narrator, Daughter of Paul Lehr
Diana Lehr is a visual artist who lives and works in Hawaii and Pennsylvania.
She is a multi disciplinary artist who is known for her paintings, video installations and work with light.
Lehr's work has been exhibited in galleries, alternative spaces, film festivals and museums across the US, including New Orleans, San Diego, Philadelphia, Seattle, NYC, Los Angeles and Honolulu.
In 2017 a clip from her video, Midsummer Night's Dream, went viral on multiple platforms -aired/posted by ABC News, GMA, Telegraph UK, The Australian, Bioluga TV, Unilad, Green Renaissance and others, garnering upwards of 100 million views.
In January 2020, her video installation "Surfing Beneath the Surface" opened at the Flat Iron Prow Artspace in Manhattan. This exhibit was featured in Untapped New York's January art guide as the #2 public art installation not to miss and featured again in their February art guide.
John A. Davis
Producer, Animator
John is an Oscar and Emmy nominated Writer, Director, Producer, and Animator working in television and feature film. Davis is the original creator of Jimmy Neutron. Begun as a short film in 1995, he later wrote, directed, and produced the feature film, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Geniusfor Paramount Pictures, earning him an Academy Award Nomination in the new Animated Feature category in 2002. Davis also created and produced the hit television spin-off series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius for Nickelodeon.
In 2006, Davis completed work on the 3D animated feature film entitled The Ant Bully. John served as Writer, Director, and Producer (along with producer Tom Hanks). The film was produced for Hank's Playtone Productions and Warner Brothers.
John's other writing assignments include the live-action script adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's The Star Beast for Warner Brothers in 2006-2007.
Perpetually a fan of science fiction literature and imagery, John and his wife Kim have amassed one of the largest collections of vintage and contemporary science fiction illustration art in the country.
Pamela Lubell
Producer
Pamela Lubell is a film/theater producer. She began her career at Miramax Films as an Executive in the art department. Within 8 years, she produced over 100 film campaigns. Some included The Piano, Kids, Trainspotting, Pulp Fiction, Clerks, The Crow, Strictly Ballroom, The Crying Game, to name a few.
In 2010, Pamela produced the multimedia theater adaptation of Haruki Murakami's The Wind Up Bird Chronicle (www.windupbc.com). The production was lauded at the prestigious 2011 Edinburgh International Performing and the 2012 Singapore International Performing Arts Festival. Pamela produced the feature documentary Danny Says, a Magnolia Pictures worldwide release (dannysaysfilm.com). It received critical acclaim at the 2016 Critic's Choice Awards. She then worked on the Broadway production of The Prom which was nominated for 7 Tony Awards.
In 2019, Pamela produced the documentary 80-200 which filmed at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flat Speed Trials. It's focuses on the legendary racer James Hammond, who is expected to break the world record at the ripe age of 82. Pamela works there as longtime starter.
Pamela is an avid street art collector/artist. She lives in NYC with her partner James and has two beautiful daughters, Sage and Piper and a cranky cat Kai.