THE MIND OF A SAVANT - BOULDER - USA
Alonzo Clemons is much more than a savant. He's a man compelled to sculpt. So much so, that during his days of forced institutionalization he would sneak tar scrapings from the parking lot into his room so he could have something to mold. Now he's a man with his own place to call home, the president of his own business, and he has a lot he'd like to say.
WHAT WE HAD IN MIND
We first heard Alonzo's story from a dear friend who had photographed him. We learned that much had been written or filmed about him, but he'd never had the chance to personally share his own story. We wanted to create something that would not only give Alonzo a voice, but also show that individuals who suffer from disabilities and mental health disorders can truly thrive under the right circumstances.
BEHIND THE LINE
Watching Alonzo sculpt was fascinating. He would take a lump of clay and turn it into a polished thoroughbred horse in under two minutes. It happened so quickly that we had to get him to resculpt three times just to capture the footage. Back at the studio, we reviewed his interview and became worried we'd have to add our own narration to bring the story together. We were hesitant to do so because we really wanted the piece to be entirely from Alonzo's voice. I developed the motion graphic subtitles you see in the film and it brought everything together.
THE IMPACT
Alonzo's story has been featured in several major media outlets and became part of a traveling film festival that raises awareness about developmental and cognitive disabilities. Kishi Bashi, the artist whose song we used in the film, had a surge of new interest in his music. Our favorite success story, however, is that shortly after the video's launch Alonzo's personal website crashed for a time because he was receiving so many visitors and inquiries for sculptures.
