Brett Stern’s documentary “Road to Park City” is a comedy about how to make a movie that is also a great instructional video. John Viener is a first-time filmmaker and the first thing he needs to be a filmmaker is a hat, which he quickly secures to his head. He arrives home to announce to his girlfriend that he quit his job and that he is going to make a film. After telling him he needs actors and a script and investors, she leaves him. John now embarks on a quest to learn how to make an independent film and we are along for the ride. It’s difficult to make discussions about things like plot points, a negative cut, insurance, permits, deliverables, HMIs, C-47s, and C-clamps interesting to the non-filmmaker, but somehow Stern manages to do it. R2PC (Road to Park City) entertains as it teaches basic concepts about both the artistic and technical aspects of filmmaking. This is the film that must be shown to every filmmaking 101 class on the first day. R2PC offers a realistic view of the challenges facing every indie filmmaker while sneaking in a load of laughs. The lead actor really carries the film sneaking in laughs into every scene.
While the comedy grows a little tired even after its short running time of 73 minutes, the film entertains and educates. It’s the Dorf on Golf of indie film.
