Meet John Bonner | Filmmaker

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

Hi John, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
Reading “Rebel Without a Crew” by Robert Rodriguez was incredibly influential on me as a teenager, both as a burgeoning filmmaker (Rodriguez repeatedly advises against people calling themselves “ASPIRING filmmakers,” just go ahead and let yourself be a filmmaker) and as a Texan seeing another Texan break into the industry and continue to make such a wide cultural impact to this day. I think regardless of where you’re from and what generation you’re a part of, if you’re serious about filmmaking I’d highly recommend reading it because it’s a very inspiring example of how there’s more than one way to make a movie, and in fact you can have a lot of fun and save a lot of money by being creative with the people and resources already within your reach. Arguably thanks to digital filmmaking, the book is even more relevant now than it once was. And to top it off, Rodriguez not only made a great debut feature, but also launched both a franchise AND his own career! This is why we need to remember to be courageous and why this book’s story will forever be with me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Admittedly I’m still figuring out my work and what sets me apart from others, but with my short film THEY’RE COMING TONIGHT I’m very happy to find so many people responding so enthusiastically to us telling our story in a more “golden age” method that I felt really suited our tale. While it’s true that creators should continually strive to advance the art form in new and innovative ways, I also strongly feel that we’re sitting on a wealth of incredibly rich film history (and history in general) that needs to be studied, appreciated and often celebrated. When I gave a speech for the LA Crime and Horror Film Festival, I recommended to the audience two of the movies that inspired my short–1942’s “Cat People” and 1950’s “Gun Crazy”–to try and show others that they’re not only gorgeously made but also quite haunting and moving works, and those are only two examples from an ocean worth diving into. The past has many stories that are as vital and alive as anything you find today if you’re willing to look.

I’m very proud of what we accomplished with our short film and am eager for more people to see our work, which is why I’m also very excited to apply what I learned from this production into my upcoming projects (making your short film is the best film school of all!).

Every movie is a different challenge, and for me the two skills I learned I needed to improve upon are my planning and communication. I took advice and redrew my storyboards alongside the script and revised them again once we locked the location, which helped me greatly in knowing my movie at least well enough to explain my plan to others, and even to pivot as hurdles came our way. I’ve always struggled to communicate clearly and concisely as you can see but I also learned that replying PROMPTLY is key: the sooner you answer a question, the sooner the other person can act on your reply while you work on something else, meaning more progress is made overall. These sound straightforward but these were all lessons I needed to learn firsthand.

Along the way I’ve learned that no matter how well you try to explain or present an idea to others, sometimes people simply can’t understand or “see” something until you actually show it to them for real. Don’t let waiting on other people’s approval keep you from making your movie–if you believe in it and see a way to make it, just go ahead and make it and show it to everyone later. Your time is precious and so is your energy, passion and inspiration…protect these at all costs.

I want the world to know that THEY’RE COMING TONIGHT–our award-winning black and white retro horror-noir short film–is now playing on all of Omeleto’s platforms including YouTube, and it’d be a thrill to read what everyone thinks of it in the comment section. My goal is to continue to tell personal stories in (hopefully) exciting and suspenseful ways, to try to transport and entertain the audience, and I hope to continue to grow as a moviemaker in all ways. A kid from Texas can daydream, right?

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?
There are plenty of better tour guides than me but if it’s your first time in LA ever then you need to check out some of the iconic spots–the Getty, Santa Monica Pier, Musso and Franks, the Last Bookstore, etc.–but if you want to do something active then hit the beach for the waves and people-watching (lots of fun dogs too), check out Solvang if you need a refreshing European day-trip, and if you’re a movie-lover then visit Sideshow Books before renting movies at Cinefile Video or catching a screening at the NuArt Theatre next door, and don’t forget to swing into the nearby Nina’s Mexican Food for an amazing dinner. The touristy stuff is very fun here but also try to go as local as you can depending on your interests.

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?
There are far too many people to name, but I’ve always felt incredibly grateful to my family for supporting my creativity and insane desire to work in the TV/film industry despite the odds. They’ve even gone to see my short film screen in festivals despite horror not being their preferred genre, and all of these shows of support mean the world to me. I should also thank the late Beverly LaNoue who taught me Creative Writing in 7th grade at the Winston School in Dallas, as she opened my eyes to a hobby and passion I never realized I had until then, and honestly that class truly did start me on the road to ultimately realizing I wanted to become a filmmaker. My thanks also to my friends in Texas, college and in LA who’ve continued to support me (there are far too many of you to name), as well as my film history professor, Dr. Jefferson Hendricks, who expanded my palate by introducing me to movies that I’d never heard of and would add to my list of favorites, which later helped inspire the short film that brought me here today! Thank you all sincerely!

Website: https://www.johnbonnerfilms.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johntheadventure/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bonner-b6195043/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.bonner.391

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnbonnerlife

Other: THEY’RE COMING TONIGHT on Omeleto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJKsWCEOyvg&t=193s

Image Credits
Headshot by Jon Wong, set photos/BTS by Elise Gill