Meet Rich Burns | Writer/Director/Producer

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

Hi Rich, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
When I first conceived of The Disappointments, my goal was to tell a story that felt personal, that resonated with me. I believed others might connect as well. Most adults, no matter what their background, have some of sense of disappointment in how their lives have turned out. In my case, the story revolved around three gay men, best friends in their late 50’s/early 60’s, who were in the midst of some serious existential crises. Their bank accounts were empty, their living situations not ideal, their credit cards were maxed, their careers were stalled, love lives in shambles, and with retirement age looming ahead they asked, a bit shell-shocked, “How is this my life?”

I wasn’t thinking about social impact at all when we made our first season of the show, but the response from viewers around the world has been illuminating and gratifying. The first season has been out for two years, and I still receive messages from people who live in countries where it’s illegal to be gay. These persecuted LGBTQ individuals convey in often deeply moving detail how much it means to them to see gay life portrayed as normal and open and accepted. The show gives them hope that someday they could live free in this way. I also continue to hear from older gay men and women who share very touching personal stories of their own struggles, and express what it means to them to see characters that they can relate to going through similar issues with humor and empathy. The comments I receive don’t come just from our LGBTQ viewers. Apparently there are a lot of cis-gendered men and women out there who can relate to a lifetime of personal disappointments. What I’ve learned is that our series has the ability to help people at the very least laugh at their problems — and even feel seen.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The project that I’m most excited about and proud of is The Disappointments, because it’s all me. I’ve written scripts for both live-action and animated series and films, some of which have actually been produced. Development notes from many sources are always a part of that process, and what may have started out as my idea shifts and morphs and often becomes something else, for better or worse. After one particularly unhappy writing situation, I happened to attend a screening of a web series four years ago with a friend. Watching that show (The New 30) opened my eyes to what had become possible: With the price of technology having come way down, creators could now write, produce and even distribute their own shows!

Still, the process was daunting. The writing was the easy part. Raising the money through crowdsource funding became a full time job all its own. The campaign had to make constant noise, through daily posts and clever videos on Instagram and Facebook and other social media platforms. It was exhausting work, but it paid off in the end with $30k raised to shoot the first season, thanks to hundreds of generous strangers from around the world. There were many other challenges moving into production. With an eye on keeping production value high and determined to make a quality show for very little money, favors were sought. It was months of wrangling free locations, props, equipment… but I pulled it off with the support of an incredible crew that believed in the show and worked for a fraction of their normal rate.

For this new second season, we were able to raise $100,000, once again donated from friends and strangers alike through our Indiegogo campaign. Viewers loved the first season and wanted to see more from these characters. I was much more ambitious for this new season, with expanded storylines, grander locations and a bigger, more diverse cast. I am very proud of everything I’ve accomplished with my team. We shot what will be eight 25 minute episodes of such quality that the series could easily fit onto any streaming platform or network. And we’re telling stories about average gay men and women experiencing life’s disappointments — a universal theme. Getting these stories out into the world today is important, especially during these polarized times.

And should the idea and themes of our series resonate with anyone reading this, know that we’re raising funds to finish post production! There’s a link in this article should you want to support this small, independent. Thank you!!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’d hit Golds Gym in Venice every morning, hike Los Liones in Pacific Palisades, hit restaurants in the West Adams neighborhood… probably a Tuesday or Wednesday night out at Trunks WeHo, and definitely a visit to Silverlake and a Saturday night at The Eagle. I’d also put them in an Uber, send them off to Universal Studios, and tell them to enjoy!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to every individual who contributed to our crowdsource fundraising campaigns on Indiegogo and Seed & Spark over the course of producing what is now two seasons. Without them believing in the promise of The Disappointments as a TV show and funding our efforts, this series would literally be a pile of unproduced scripts sitting on my desk.

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

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rich-burns-1416b

Youtube: The Disappointments Series Season One https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLKvJ_deH9k5gR0xwDSgtY7bu867nt-ja

Other: Indiegogo campaign to support The Disappointments Season 2 Post-Production https://bit.ly/3OTSpD8

Image Credits
Casey James Knight