It'll Be Odd Not to See 'Warren Buffett Groupies' in Omaha This Weekend

One of our “spring traditions” in Omaha is the weekend that thousands of investment-minded folks from across the globe descend on our fair city to hear the words of the “Oracle of Omaha.”  

The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting has been described as “Woodstock for Capitalists.” 

That description seems quaintly antiquated in 2020. A more apropos moniker would be “Comic-Con for Stock Market Geeks.” 

Instead of dressing up as their favorite superheroes, the loyal denizens don business attire (with their credentials hanging proudly from lanyards) to partake in the weekend’s festivities. 

The master of ceremonies is billionaire investor — and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. CEO — Warren Buffett. His down-home charm is part of his mystique to investors. The 89-year-old Buffett learned many moons ago to follow the sage advice of investment guru Benjamin Graham in his book “The Intelligent Investor.” 

I had the opportunity to partake in some of the festivities for the first time last year. 

Like many lifelong Omahans, I’ve noticed the electricity in the city on “Berkshire Weekend.” I’ve seen people milling around Buffett’s inauspicious home on Farnam Street in Midtown, posing for pictures. 

You’ll see visitors eating at Buffett’s favorite haunts. Gorat’s Steak House (which is less than a mile from our home) is typically a popular choice. (Sadly, other local Buffett favorite restaurants like Petrow’s and Piccolo Pete’s have both closed within the last few years.)

Nebraska Furniture Mart (a Berkshire-owned company) offers “shareholder pricing” each year on furniture and electronic products sold in their store (every year I have friends on social media who offer use of their credentials to take advantage of the weekend discounts). 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting was cancelled and will be held virtually. Buffett will still address shareholders via livestream from Yahoo Finance. 

If you don’t live in Omaha, you don’t understand how important this event is in terms of economic impact. Thousands book hotel rooms, eat at restaurants, and shop at stores. 

According to Steve Jordan’s 2013 book “The Oracle & Omaha: How Warren Buffett and His Hometown Shaped Each Other” (which I purchased from The Bookworm booth at last year’s event) the economic impact helped Nebraska Furniture Mart tally weekend sales of $35.9 million in 2012. 

I decided to read Jordan’s book on Buffett this week. Even though I thought I knew quite a bit about the “Oracle,” I learned a lot as I flipped through the pages (which includes some nice photos, articles, and archival material from the Omaha World-Herald). 

Buffett refers to Omaha as “the cradle of capitalism.” 

“The Oracle & Omaha: How Warren Buffett and His Hometown Shaped Each Other” shows how many early Buffett partners have their fingers in major philanthropic projects in Omaha — particularly building projects at education institutions like UNO, UNL, and UNMC (notable names like Mammel, Truhlsen, and Holland have their names on a number of buildings in the city). 

You realize just how connected the “blue blooded” class in Omaha was back in the 1950s and 60s, and how Buffett’s patient style of buying undervalued stocks paid off for those who stuck with him. 

Much has been made of Buffett’s friendship with former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Buffett plans to leave most of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. I gained more insight into that relationship when I watched the Netflix series “Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates” last fall (read my review). 

As we walked through the exhibition hall at the CHI Health Center in 2019, I took some pictures of some of the booths (the businesses featured are Berkshire-owned brands). 

Typical of Buffett’s investments, many of the companies Berkshire owns are salt-of-the-earth brands featuring ubiquitous products we use each day.   

Coca-Cola set up a store complete with a Coca-Cola truck: 

See’s Candies had a long line (partly seen in the left of the photo). I took this picture while Bridget waited to buy a box of chocolates: 

I remember Garanimals when I was a kid, but haven’t thought much about them since the 1980s. It was fun to see that the brand is still around and was on display at the shareholder meeting:

I did not wait in line to tour the NetJet they had on display, but it looked like it would be fun to see: 

You’d think that I’d own a pair of Brooks athletic shoes, but I don’t. (Maybe I should have tried on a pair, I know people who love their running shoes.) 

A woman working the Kraft Heinz booth gave us a pins shaped like a pickle and took our picture with the giant Heinz Ketchup bottle: 

You could also pose with the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile: 

We both bought Dilly Bars at the Dairy Queen booth. We tried not to make a mess eating them as we sat in the CORT Furniture booth (my brother-in-law works for CORT): 

Of all the booths we saw a year ago, I thought the Duracell Inc. setup was nice. While a battery manufacturer might not seem exciting, it is the sort of business that epitomizes Buffett’s investing mindset:

It’s been reported that Warren Buffett is a fan of trains. The BNSF Railway Company had a large-scale model railroad setup in the exhibition hall:

The Wayne Pumps booth proved to be beneficial. The Wayne WaterBUG pump we purchased for Robin Hill Pool takes the water down to 1/6” from the pool floor. It is tough, sturdy, and was very beneficial when Bridget and I were emptying the pools at Robin Hill last summer:

I haven’t owned a pair of cowboy boots since 1979. I can’t imagine myself wearing them these days, but there were plenty of people trying them on at the Justin Brands booth: 

“People think it’s going to be flat, and they think it’s going to be uninteresting and some cow town or something like that, and they all come away feeling good about Omaha,” Buffet said about the shareholder meetings (from “The Oracle & Omaha: How Warren Buffett and His Hometown Shaped Each Other”). 

According to Forbes, Buffett is ranked fourth among the world’s billionaires (as of March 18, 2020). He turns 90 in August, and many wonder how long he’ll lead Berkshire Hathaway. 

Only time will tell. Whatever you might think of the billionaire investor (and there have been varying opinions over the years), you can’t deny his influence on the business community in Omaha. 

I hope we see the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting back in action in 2021. 

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Iger's "The Ride of a Lifetime" is a Memoir Wrapped in Business Self-Help

“It should be about the future, not the past.” — Bob Iger in “The Ride of a Lifetime” 

It seems somewhat surreal that I’m reviewing the new book by Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger (about his career as CEO of the Walt Disney Company) during a global pandemic that has shuttered the Mouse’s lucrative theme park and cruise line — along with its theatrical movie business. 

It was about a year ago that I visited Walt Disney World in Orlando for the first time. I can’t imagine what sort of financial losses this COVID-19 crisis might bring to the company that saw massive change under Iger’s reign as CEO. 

“The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as the CEO of the Walt Disney Company” finds Iger reminiscing about his early life in the hamlet of Oceanside (on New York’s Long Island), his nascent career with the ABC television network (he found his groove working for Roone Arledge in the sports division), and his eventual rise to become the leader of one of the world’s most beloved entertainment brands. 

IT IS NOT A MEMOIR 

Iger states in the first chapter of “The Ride of a Lifetime” that this is “not a memoir.” 

The book doesn’t employ the sort of cradle-to-grave structure seen in popular biographical works like Walter Isaacson’s “Steve Jobs.” It spends little time on Iger’s family life. 

Instead, Iger offers principles that he believes are “necessary to true leadership.” He uses examples from throughout his career (wisdom gleaned through experience) to illustrate his core business beliefs. 

DON’T FAKE IT IN BUSINESS 

Oftentimes in business you will hear the adage “fake it until you make it.” Iger advises to “not fake anything” in situations where one might be lacking experience. 

“There’s nothing less confidence-inspiring than a person faking a knowledge they don’t possess,” writes Iger. “True authority and true leadership come from knowing who you are and not pretending to be anything else.” 

I have owned and operated my own business for a little over 24 years now. Iger’s sentiments on this topic are appreciated. I always try to be honest with my clients — even if I might miss out on a paid gig as a result. 

MANAGING CREATIVITY 

Iger also talks about the creative process in “The Ride of a Lifetime.” One of the most interesting examples is the time at ABC when he greenlit the avant garde drama “Twin Peaks” (a show that started with promise, but sputtered when network executives interfered with creator David Lynch’s vision). 

“Managing the creative processes starts with the understanding that it’s not a science — everything is subjective; there is often no write or wrong. The passion it takes to create something is powerful, and most creators are understandably sensitive when their vision or execution is questioned,” he writes. 

Iger’s feelings regarding creativity — and the balance you have to strike when managing the process — is something we have to deal with in our marketing communications business. To someone on the outside, creating a brand identity package for a business (logos, websites, and collateral materials) might look like a fun job. In many respects, it is an enjoyable process. 

However, I’ve found it to be a humbling experience to sit in a meeting and have your work critiqued. In general, creative professionals pour a considerable amount of themselves into the things they design. In many cases, you are working to craft something special with very little initial guidance (even if you ask a considerable number of questions upfront). 

Some people love the work you do. Others don’t. The negative responses can be difficult to swallow, and can cause you to second guess yourself at every turn. 

Iger suggests you have to be “careful not to encroach on the creative processes in harmful and counterproductive ways. Empathy is a prerequisite to the sound management of creativity, and respect is critical.” 

MAJOR ACQUISITIONS 

I’ve often referred to Disney as the company that “owns everything we know and love.” Iger provides fascinating insight into the transformation of the company during his years at the helm. Notable acquisitions during his tenure as CEO include Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. 

Iger delves into those acquisitions and provides a number of interesting anecdotes. I particularly enjoyed his recollections of Apple/Pixar CEO Steve Jobs. 

THE ROAD TO REINVENTION

I also liked reading about Iger’s efforts to innovate at Disney. All too often, powerful executives will wrap the status quo around themselves like a warm blanket — avoiding business reinvention as they focus on the present. 

We happened to be staying at Disney World in 2019 when Iger & Co. unveiled details for Disney+ — the Mouse’s over-the-top streaming service. I remember listening to a webcast of that presentation as I walked laps around the paths at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (it was an incredibly “meta” experience). 

“Technological advancements will eventually make older business models obsolete,” writes Iger. “You can either bemoan that and try with all your might to protect the status quo, or you can work hard to understand and embrace it with more enthusiasm and creativity than your competitors.” 

Those sentiments rang true with me. 

Bridget and I often talk about how we’ve had “reinvent” our marketing communications business every five to seven years. 

The current “reinvention” of our business started in 2011 (developing recurring revenue streams with a subscription-based membership site for professional resume writers). When you first sow the seeds of change, establishing roots can feel like a long shot. That said, we knew we needed to stay committed to a different approach. 

As I type this, we’re in the midst of a global pandemic that has put the brakes on the economy, and a number of the “brick-and-mortar” businesses and organizations we work with are currently inoperative.

This is why those initial steps to redefine our business in 2011 were so vital. Having a direct-to-consumer membership site has given us a revenue stream the past 40+ days of self-isolation that wouldn’t have been there if we hadn’t had the foresight to make changes. 

Disney+ has proven itself to be a vital revenue stream for Disney during the global pandemic. It has also given the Mouse the technological infrastructure to distribute new content to consumers in new ways (since movie theaters are closed around the globe). 

“The decision to disrupt a business model that is working for you requires no small amount of courage,” Iger writes. “It means intentionally taking on short-term losses in the hope that a long-term risk will pay off. Routines and priorities get disrupted. Traditional ways of doing business get slowly marginalized and eroded — and start to lose money — as a new model takes over.” 

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE... 

In February, Iger stepped aside as Disney’s CEO (remaining as Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board) to make way for the transition to new leadership (Bob Chapek was named CEO). 

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Disney’s business has been immense. 

According to the New York Times, Iger has “effectively returned to running the company.” 

Iger — who has embraced reinvention — is said to be “intensely focused on remaking the company that will emerge, he believes, changed by the crisis.” 

The Times suggests we’ll see an incarnation of Disney with fewer employees as it figures out how to retool its entertainment and tourism businesses. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

It will be interesting to see what happens with the company moving forward, and the duration of Iger’s “renewed” involvement. 

If you’re curious to see what direction Iger might steer the company, I’d recommend you check out “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.” 

It will never be mistaken for a comprehensive memoir or biography, but it does provide readers with Iger’s guiding philosophy as a seasoned executive of one of the world’s most beloved companies. 

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A Quarantine Life: Random Thoughts on Life in a Crisis

Are you hanging in there?

I’ve been wanting to write some blog posts on the health crisis sweeping the globe. I wasn’t quite sure how I should approach the subject. I didn’t really know what to do. 

I thought, “Should I go with a forward-thinking, uber-positive ‘self help’ post for coping with the quarantine and ‘social distancing’…?” (Which might annoy the hell out of people!?!?)

Then I wondered, “Maybe I should write some sort of brooding essay about this being our ‘new normal’… and all the perils that entails.” (Which would leave everyone depressed.) 

In the end, I decided to simply write about how I’m living my life — and some of the things I’ve seen my friends doing — during the COVID-19 crisis.

I recently published my 300th blog post. It was a TV show review. I’ve written A LOT of reviews on this blog. Truth be told, that wasn’t my intention when I started out.  

When I started this blog in 2016, it wasn’t supposed to solely be a “review blog.” 

I wanted to write about daily life — the things I was doing, mixed with random observations about the state of our world. I mean, I love various facets of pop culture, and knew I’d talk about movies, books, and TV. 

But a number of the posts that seem to resonate with people are ones that are more down to earth and personal. I’d really like to include more of that sort of content going forward. 

SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WORKING AT HOME

Bridget and I have a marketing communications company that we started in 1996. We’ve done work for businesses and organizations as well as “personal branding” (in the form of career services) over the past 24 years. 

We’ve worked from home since 2004. 

We don’t have kids of our own, so we don’t have to worry about school assignments and the like (Bridget did oversee school lessons for our niece Scotland and nephew Blaise for one day early on during this crisis). As a result, the idea of hunkering in place for awhile isn’t all that jarring to our life. 

I tease Bridget that she trained me to be a good shut-in for global calamities such as this. 

Many of our clients have been scrambling to “reinvent” their businesses to generate revenue during this crisis. 

For example, we do a website for a company called ACasseroleToGo.com that sells casseroles online (along with quiches, sides, salads, and other dishes) as an adjunct to their catering and venue rental business. 

When local government restrictions were put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the casserole business suddenly became the priority (as it was the one aspect of the business that remained logistically “doable” during the crisis). 

In addition, I also received an e-mail from a client (who I hadn’t heard from in nearly a year) wanting me to update some printed pieces for an event they are hoping to hold this summer. It’s a hopeful feeling seeing businesses and organizations starting to think ahead.

The challenge to help as many of our clients “pivot” in an effort to sustain themselves has filled our days the past few weeks. 

One of the ways I stay focused is to go for a 45-minute walk each day around lunchtime (I walked 108 miles last month). It is something I started doing years ago when we worked at an office building. If you’re able to leave your home to get some exercise (while still social distancing), I’d recommend it. 

I typically listen to a podcast when I exercise, and have been enjoying the “Comm Majors Podcast” (centered on the discussion of movies) and “The CREW Reviews Podcast” (interviews with mystery/thriller writers each week).

HOW PEOPLE OCCUPY THEIR TIME

For many of my friends and relatives, working from home “full time” is a new experience. On top of that, they’re also having to oversee the education of their kids. That can be a lot to juggle at once. 

Others — who don’t have a job that can be done remotely at home — are fighting off boredom, monotony, and frustration.  

It’s been interesting to observe what people are doing to cope with a homebound life. Here are some of the trends that have developed over the past month: 

ZOOM MEETINGS: Who knew a major pandemic would make Zoom a household word? Welp, it has, as businesses and schools have turned to it (and other services) to stay connected. I heard last week that the Zoom videoconference service jumped from 10 million active users every month to ~200 million as social distancing has taken hold. 

Bridget gets paid to teach training sessions using Zoom to self-employed individuals trying to gain a foothold in the “gig economy,” so we’ve used it for a few years now. 

PUZZLE SOLVING: I’ve seen a significant number of my Facebook friends working on jigsaw puzzles. I like puzzles. They are good diversions and keep your mind engaged. That said, I haven’t worked one in ages. I’m worried if I spent too much time solving them I’d be one step closer to signing up for Medicare and Social Security. 

HOME OFFICE UPGRADES: Two couples Bridget and I are friends with purchased new desk chairs for their work-at-home setups. I’ve been thinking about replacing my 24-year-old office chair, and thought it was neat to see my friends upgrading their chairs (it also serves as research for my eventual chair replacement). 

In addition to a new chair, my buddy Mike also set up a “standing desk” for his wife Lindsay. He posted this picture of the setup on FB, and told me I could share it (the chair is from Nebraska Furniture Mart and looks very comfortable): 

SIDEWALK CHALK ART: I’m sure you’ve seen a number of chalk art pictures online during the past few weeks. A number of people have done “stained-glass designs” like this one by Lexi and Madi (the daughters of our friends Jason and Jolene): 

I also enjoyed seeing this sidewalk chalk art in front of St. Thomas More Church (in Omaha) when I was out walking by a couple weeks ago. One of our lifeguards at Robin Hill Pool — Anna — drew the inspiring message (we should all “Radiate Love & Positivity”) on the cement: 

BINGE WATCHING ENDLESSLY: It goes without saying that people are spending a lot of time watching movies and TV series during the quarantine. As of this writing, the most popular selections seem to be Netflix’s docuseries “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” and the Pixar movie “Onward” (which was released early for streaming on Disney+). 

I’ll be reviewing both of those soon, and hope to do a post about “binge-worthy” series that might not be on your radar.  

MAKING MASKS: It’s interesting to see people wearing masks in public. It’s not something you typically see in our culture during a health scare (let’s face it, we’ve never seen something like this in our lifetime). We were fortunate to have a few face masks leftover from when I redid the deck last summer.  

In recent days, our friend Jolene has been making homemade masks on her sewing machine. 

We were talking on our group texts about the fact that elastic is in short supply. If Kevin Costner ever reboots “Waterworld,” I guess they could always change the focus and call it “Elasticworld.” 

I must say, I really appreciate the creativity we’ve seen pop up all over the nation. It’s pretty inspiring to see all the effort people are putting in to make people smile during the quarantine. 

FEELINGS OF AWKWARDNESS

To be honest, most of the “social distancing” measures don’t seem particularly difficult when you’re sitting at home, avoiding social interaction in an effort to thwart the virus. 

But yesterday, our niece Scotland and nephew Blaise (along with their mom, dad, and brother Anson) dropped off an Easter basket on our front porch. 

It was exciting to see all of them. Under normal circumstances, we typically spend time together on multiple days each week, and go out to lunch each Sunday after church. 

It was awkward maintaining a 6-foot distance, knowing we couldn’t give them hugs. (I really, really wanted to.)

Our friend Tracy also left a couple of fun Easter baskets (full of all sorts of essential household cleaning items) on our porch. She is very thoughtful, and brings us gifts throughout the year (her candy cane cookies are an annual tradition we look forward to each Christmas). 

Normally, we sit down and chat when she comes over. I shouted “Hi” to her as she was walking toward her car. She had on pink bunny ears and a face mask. We exchanged greetings, but it just wasn’t the same. 

These are the difficult things to deal with, and “social distancing” goes against human nature. 

But we need to be smart. The sooner we get through this, the sooner life goes back to something closer to normal. 

LOOKING FORWARD

We know this won’t last forever, but it’s all sort of surreal right now. It’s been hard on a lot of people. Like all of you, I want nothing more than terms like “social distancing” and “flatten the curve” to be distant memories of the past. 

I’ve had to re-orient my brain to focus on the short term as much as possible. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. 

Whatever comes from 2020’s COVID-19 crisis, I hope people use it as an opportunity to approach life in a more thoughtful manner. 

Stay safe. Stay home. Be smart. Hang in there!

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Local Filmmaker Ryan Olsen Gives Insight on His Film “Say Goodbye, Grace”

When I have the opportunity, I like to write blog posts about people in Nebraska doing creative things. 

One such individual is Ryan Olsen. Olsen is a local filmmaker (based in Lincoln, NE) who is putting the final touches on his short film “Say Goodbye, Grace.” The film, according to the description on IMDB, is about a “tough-as-nails detective investigating the murder of an old friend. But can she accept the chilling, life-changing truth at the end?"

The reason I’m familiar with the project is because Bridget’s brother Sean (who died in 2017) will appear in the film (you can watch the embedded version of the film — that is on Olsen’s YouTube channel — at the end of this post). 

NIFP (Nebraska Independent Film Projects) recently hosted Olsen at their June meeting at Turbine Flats In Lincoln (building pictured below). The filmmaker discussed the “Say Goodbye, Grace” project — from the film’s early inspiration to the complexities of production. 

As a kid, Olsen loved “spectacle” in film. “Star Wars” and “Godzilla” were early influences (he still collects Godzilla movies — especially on VHS cassette). 

(Side note: I remember seeing some of those old Godzilla movies on Saturday mornings in the early 1980s at the now-defunct Park 4 in La Vista, NE.)

Olsen is drawn to movies that have movement. He likes action and color. He recalled drawing a re-creation of the “Return of the Jedi’s” climactic space battle on large sheets of newsprint (his parents bought him the paper on large rolls that he could tear off, instead of more traditional copier paper). 

The first film Olsen watched that “put him in his place” was Tim Burton’s quirky goth comedy “Beetlejuice.” He was enamored with the opening title sequence — something he mentioned that he watches time and again. The vivid imagery and movement in “Beetlejuice” was fun and exciting. 

The idea of movies that take place "in a community, in a city, in a state, in a world" appeals to the filmmaker. Olsen said he mimicked that feeling a bit in “Say Goodbye, Grace” — the world is not just a handful of people... it’s so much more. 

Creativity has been a constant in Olsen’s life. The Kearney native used to do a comic strip in his hometown paper called “Humor.” He shared with us a Godzilla film he made as a child featuring Play-Doh creatures and Party Poppers for effect. 

When Olsen saw the movie “American Beauty” before college, he was drawn to the notion that film didn’t have to be “extravagant or crazy.” He decided to go into film studies in college because he wanted to learn how good film was constructed — as opposed to just focusing on the mechanics of using film cameras, lighting, sound, etc. 

One of his earliest “pro gigs” was as a production assistant on the low-budget movie “Pirates of the Great Salt Lake” in 2004 — he made $200 for three weeks' work. In the intervening years, he has crafted a whole slew of promotional videos for small businesses and organizations in the Lincoln area — including this 2016 ad for a bar called “The Hot Mess”:

He showed us a YouTube clip of director James Cameron from a 2010 SBIFF panel discussion. Something Cameron said was particularly enlightening for Olsen: “Don’t waste a lot of time studying the problem by looking at how other directors did it. You’ve got to get out there and get busy. It’s that simple... you’re trying to inject yourself into a process that is ongoing — with or without you. So, grab a camera... make some stuff, make a film. Make a film, cut it together. The tools are here, readily available... put your name on it — now you’re a director, everything after that, you’re just negotiating price.”

This sentiment has inspired Olsen’s attitude regarding filmmaking. 

Olsen funded “Say Goodbye Grace” with a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1897002821/say-goodbye-grace

He was fortunate enough to find a man in Lincoln who had conducted a successful Kickstarter campaign for $40,000 to fund a board game. The man shared his secrets with Olsen — and instilled the notion that you had to present information on your Kickstarter page "as if it’s already in progress."

One-sheet poster artwork was commissioned early on to give his project a sense of legitimacy. Olsen created all the supporting graphics for Kickstarter and social media, created crew profiles, and sketched out storyboards. 

On the campaign page, he broke down how the money raised would be spent — including detailed pie charts and graphs. Olsen ended up raising more than $9,000 total from 124 “backers.” (Full disclosure: Bridget pledged $34 for “The Missing Citizen” level and will have her photo on a “Missing Person's” photo that appears somewhere in the film.)

One pro-tip from Olsen about Kickstarter: Try to raise 1/5 to 1/4 of your overall goal in first 24 hours — it shows prospective backers there are other people interested.

The board game creator also advised setting up appropriate “reward tiers” on Kickstarter — with emphasis on digital rewards over physical rewards (digital rewards are more cost-effective to fulfill). 

Olsen did five months of promotion before the Kickstarter campaign was launched. 

He put up ads everywhere, posted on social media, and made “Kick Cards” with information about the Kickstarter campaign. 

At this point, he says he was doing 90 percent of everything — location scouting, cast, crew, Kickstarter, rewards, and writing. He says, “I was 100 percent committed and slowly losing my mind.”

On April 2-3, 2016, Olsen held cast auditions at the Hilton in Downtown Omaha. My brother-in-law Sean was one of those who auditioned. Sean worked in various media capacities during his adult life, so acting was a new interest for him. 

Sean showed up at the auditions posing as a homeless man (he rolled around in some trash — illustrating a nascent “method actor” strategy for landing acting gigs). Someone escorted Sean on set — where he talked with Olsen about ideas to promote the film. 

Olsen said my brother-in-law was always there to help. 

“Say Goodbye, Grace” was primarily shot in the Lincoln area and at a container field in Omaha. Olsen also hired out people to film drone shots in the Pacific Northwest (where the film is set). 

The film was shot over nine nights in 2016.

Olsen said he’s very excited for the film to be all said and done. 

“Whenever I make a film, I’m all about the subtlety,” he says. “The sounds in the background — I am all about environment and atmosphere. I learned that from [director] David Lynch.”

He has infused his early love of color into the film. “I’m a big color guy,” he says. “Color needs to speak volumes.”

He also tried to add in different symbolic elements to “Say Goodbye, Grace.” Olsen analyzed a number of patterns and styles he saw in different films. He says, “a city during the day and a city at night are different things. In [the movie] ‘Alien,’ daytime is always rainy and nighttime is always windy. In Black Bay [the fictional location of ‘Say Goodbye, Grace’], it’s always foggy during the day and clear at night.”

As is the case with productions such as Olsen’s, everything didn’t go according to plan. He wasn’t able to film as many of the 23-page script’s pages per day as he had initially planned (despite a talented cast and crew). He ran out of money because of how meticulous his vision was — so he saved up money for his two reshoots.

He had a “scene premiere” at the 2017 Prairie Lights Film Festival (and hopes to enter the completed film this fall). 

Olsen likes to do his own editing. “I have to edit my own stuff,” he says. “There is something about taking it and putting it all together.”

(He noted that he and his editor, Drake Tucker, have gotten to know each other really well over the past two years.)

Olsen and the crew have been working on the sound engineering in recent weeks. Music will be recorded at the end of July, and the film will go out for color corrrection that month as well. 

“Sound and color are two more weapons you can used to assault your audience,” he says. 

Olsen told NIFP he’d be willing to make a repeat visit to a monthly meeting — once the film is complete — for a screening and discussion of “Say Goodbye, Grace.” 

He told Bridget and I after the presentation that he was still working on setting up a screening in Omaha.  

Ryan Olsen’s company is called POW! Productions. You can learn more about his business — and the film “Say Goodbye, Grace” — at his website at http://www.powproductionsllc.com.

Watch “Say Goodbye, Grace” on Olsen's YouTube channel here: 

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