Expect “Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony” to be one of the highlights at the 2013 Kansas City Film Fest. (Photo courtesy of Michael Brockhoff)
By: Jacob Elyachar
When the Kansas City FilmFest starts in two weeks at the Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet, one of the highlights of the festival will be the screening of Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony.
I had the privilege to correspond with Bronies producer Michael Brockhoff. He talked about the filming of this documentary and the feedback that he has received from people who have seen this documentary.
Jacob Elyachar: How did you get into film?
Michael Brockhoff: I have always knows that I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. Right out of high school, I moved to Los Angeles and jumped right in at a television production company as an unpaid intern. I was hired on as a paid production assistant within two months.
JE: Who are your inspirations in the film industry? How did they shape your career?
MB: My inspirations have been producers the general public has probably never heard of. They are the hard-working behind the scenes people who get things done. They have inspired me to keep pushing to create the best product with the given resources.
JE: What attracted you to “Bronies”?
MB: Actor John de Lancie (Q, Star Trek) told me about voicing Discord for the cartoon My Little Pony. Like most, I assumed only little girls watched the show and like most, I was surprised to find out there was a huge following of adult males. I was intrigued and wanted to know more and knew that it would make for a fascinating feature-length documentary.
JE: As you were working on the documentary, what were some of the most surprising things that you learned about the Bronies?
MB: One thing that surprised us was that many Bronies came to the show through a friend who is a girl. So, while the males get most of the attention, there are a lot of female Bronies too. The other thing that I found interesting was how this started as an online phenomenon but is transitioning to the physical world though local meet-ups and regional conventions.
JE: What were some of the most difficult challenges that you faced while filming the documentary? How did you overcome them?
MB: The biggest challenge was when we decided to move forward, we were only a few months away from what was to be the largest Brony convention ever with over 4,000 people. We only had a short time to figure out what the film was, how to raise the funds and how to cover the event. The only way to overcome those kinds of challenges is to devote every waking hour to working though every aspect.
JE: What has been some of the feedback that you have received from critics and fans about “Bronies”?
MB: Some Bronies were expecting a documentary that covered every aspect of the history of My Little Pony and the fandom. Instead, what we did was use personal stories from individuals around the world to provide an insight into their world and love of the show. The feedback from those who are being introduced to the subject for the first time has been overwhelmingly positive.
JE: Are you willing to tackle any more fanboy related projects (i.e.: comic book fans, Star Wars fans, Trekkies, etc.)?
MB: I am absolutely open to tackling another project like this as long as there is a supportive fan base like the Bronies who want the world to know about their passion.
JE: Why should people go see “Bronies”?
MB: You should see this film if you are even slightly curious about why these guys are attracted to a cartoon intended for little girls and why are they willing to brave society’s ridicule for their love of the show. The revelations in the film are unexpected and give hope to the notion that Bronies might be on to something quite wonderful.
JE: If you had the chance to meet with aspiring filmmakers, what would be the advice that you would share with them?
MB: The best advice I can give is to find and then tell stories about individuals. Even when taking on a whole sub-culture like Bronies, we started with individuals in the hope that viewers will feel a connection, which would then in turn help them understand Bronies.
To watch the trailer of Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony, click here: http://youtu.be/ohnuyqJyEW0
To learn more about the Kansas City FilmFest, visit their website: http://kcfilmfest.org/
