Andy Lauer and The Tehuacan Project

Filmnut 207

Guest: Andy Lauer

Crew Position: Actor/Director/Writer

Project: The Tehuacan Project

Website: http://www.mexicoschoolforthedeaf.org/home.htm

Executive produced by Lauer’s college roommate Brad Pitt, The Tehuacan Project is a short documentary about a school in Mexico designed to help deaf children. A passion project for Lauer who appreciates the good fortune he has received and now revels in being involved in projects that make a difference. A perfect Thanksgiving eve guest!

Appropriately so, Lauer received some praise from the instant messages on the show tonight for covering this topic and for the good that it can do. Altruism aside, if you are a filmmaker, perhaps a less noble reason to consider such a path is that if you pick a topic you believe in and want to shed light on and find like minded people to work with and raise money from, you can make a documentary that makes a difference and show off your documentary or filmmaking skills. You may not make much money on it but again you can help a cause and maybe set yourself up for a future project.

I think a lot of filmmakers think the same way and shoot for the obvious — Ooo Horror is hot, so EVERYONE makes horror — The writers are on strike so everyone is pitching reality. You do not have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure these things out. Sarcasm aside, there is nothing wrong with that. But the heartfelt documentary is another viable way to go that offers rewards you may not imagine.

Some of you might recognize Lauer as he was a series regular on the 90’s hit NBC sitcom Caroline in The City starring Leah Thompson. With a ton of film and television credits and more to come, Lauer has also moved into directing.

Comments or questions on this show? Let me know here: http://www.thestream.tv/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1171

Thanks for checking us out!

Jeff Schubert
www.myspace.com/powerofnow

PS Next week’s guest is Anne Cecere- BMI, Associate Director