Bogan's Film Screening a Success
By Sean Ely

Ryan Wylie films sculptor Louis Smart forming a wax model in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri for "Naked Bronze," a video by James Bogan. The half-hour documentary was viewed by 40 people at a special screening Thursday, August 9, at Mission Point Resort.

"You need to shorten the ending scene!" "Keep the original music!" "It would be best to switch a few of the scenes around!" "Hey Bogan, you're missing a necessary scene!"

These were some of the suggestions that film maker and summer cottager James Bogan heard from more than 40 people in the amphitheater at Mission Point Resort during a screening of his half-hour film, Naked Bronze, which explores the unique techniques of Louis Smart and the lost wax method of casting molten bronze figures. Mr. Bogan said he wanted the audience to critique his nearfinished film, and the audience didn't let him down.

Dozens of ideas were shouted at him all at once and audience members argued with each other about what he should do to make it better. This critiques, however, were not negative.

"The film has evolved a lot in the last two weeks and I am very happy with it," Mr. Bogan said. "The audience was fabulous because they really did give a lot of feedback. Everyone was just great."

Mr. Bogan realizes that many of his audience members felt a deer dancer scene toward the end of the film was not as good as he thought, but he enjoys that part, so he plans to leave it in. He was happy the crowd agreed with him on the music.

He notices tiny details that the audience may never catch, but knows they are necessary points to correct. He will change a colon in the title, add a scene with a wax tree of the sculptures after the lost wax technique, flip some scenes, shorten others, and cut certain scenes completely.

"I love the fact that he is preserving an art form that most people would never even know about," said Robin Spring, who had never met Mr. Bogan before, but came because Jim Lenfestey recommended it after his event at the Poetry Festival at Little Stone Church. "How would anybody know about this? And how many people do that? I definitely think it is PBS material."

She thoroughly enjoyed how much fun it was to help with the editing process, to help show Mr. Bogan other perspectives. She was impressed with how many decisions have to be made when putting a film together.

Others were impressed with Mr. Bogan's patience and ability to take criticism.

"It was incredible to listen to all the people give ideas," said audience member Sue Sisson. "He is so inviting and open to all different comments. People really voiced their opinions. You will go to a movie and see a film, but it is already finished and you cannot change it. With this, you could see how it all comes together, and that is very interesting to me."