Meet Chris Bauer | Freelance producer & writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Bauer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Community. Every success I’ve had in the films I’ve produced have been due to a group of people who are passionate about the work they’re doing and, equally as important if not more so, like each other and spending time together outside work. I produced two films in LA with my production company, and I ascribe every success I’ve had to the incredible group of people I was fortunate enough to pull together. After spending some time in Chicago, I was able to introduce a bunch of people I knew from there to a bunch of people I went to college with at the University of Virginia. Although we’re now a little bit wider spread due to pandemic-related moves, everybody from the original group continues to work on projects together and spend time together. When I think of “my success,” I think less about films I’ve worked on and more of of all the collaboration and friendships that I was able to help create.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My personal creative passion is writing, especially fiction. I’ve been writing various sci-fi/fantasy stories since I was twelve years old, and I self-published a book when I was in Chicago. What I have learned along the journey from writing to performing comedy in Chicago to producing is that both individual creative work and collaborative creative work are important. When I think of the creative work I’m most proud of, it’s 50/50 working as a team with others to create films and writing fiction which I (mostly) haven’t shown others (yet.) I think for a lot of artists, there is a divide between the work you do which you create in view of others, and the work you do privately that sustains your soul. Both are so, so important.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Although I’ve moved back to Richmond, VA, I absolutely loved my time in LA. During my time in LA I lived first in Koreatown, then on Rampart Blvd just outside Koreatown. Some of my favorites: Yupdduk Olympic on the corner of Olympic and Harvard has some fantastic Korean food. I also always loved taking people to Koreatown Galleria on the corner of W Olympic Blvd and S. Western Ave. It has a fantastic food court, an amazing coffee shop, and the coolest slightly-hidden kitchen supply store I’ve been in, which sounds odd but it’s legitimately so fun. Also big shoutout to Woon Kitchen and Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers. LA is an incredible food city. In terms of my non-food favorites, House of Intuition is a great place to browse for crystals and incense. Finally, for my money, the best hike in the city is to the Old Zoo.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Further to my answer to the previous question, I want to dedicate this to the original group of collaborators who came together to create the first two films Rude Horse Productions created: Lauren Lukow, Emi Ellis, Julia Monahan, Jordan Williams, Josh Bressler, Richie Yau, Stephen Flowers, Chad Rietschel, Chase Omark, Brett Sheriff, Morgan Barbour, and Elizabeth Kovacich. Creatively, you are only as good as the people you work with, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate in that area.

Website: www.rudehorse.com

Instagram: @cjbauer8785

Image Credits
Photo credit to Aspen Miller (IG @aspen_like_colorado) and Haye Yukio (IG @haye_yukio)