Preview: Broke* at Wild Goose Creative

Tonight at Wild Goose Creative, musician and filmmaker, Will Gray will showcase his film, Broke*, as well as perform an acoustic hip-hop/R&B set with long-time friend and co-colaborator of The Renegade, Reva Williams. I had the opportunity to speak with Ryan Hoke, of Wild Goose Creative, about how he came to know Gray, as well as how this film, an official selection at the Philly Film Festival and CMJ Film Festival, landed in Columbus.

Hoke initially saw Gray perform at Rumba Cafe in 2009. Waiting for Gray to perform, Hoke, tired, considered going home. Luckily he stayed and says the show “blew our minds” and “I left with so much energy”. They kept in touch and Gray contacted Hoke about showcasing this film. The film also features commentary from John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, The Fray, among other artists. Below, Gray gives some insight into the film.

Briana Henry: What was your inspiration for this film, and how did it come about?

Will Gray: I started making the film wanting to know the answer to the question, “is it possible for an artist to break?” I wondered if we would ever have artists to reach the heights of U2, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Wonder etc… and I also wondered would those artist sustain?  So, I began interviewing friends and fellow musicians, and the project snowballed into a feature length documentary.

BH: How long did it take to make this film and compile all of the footage?

WG: The film took a little over two years to make, and the editing process was done in about 6 weeks.  We had an amazing team!  Jon Kofahl our director of photography, wore so many hats to help complete this project that nothing would have happened without his courage and commitment.  Our editor, Stacey Schroeder, pulled together over 300 hrs. of footage into one cohesive story in a very short amount of time.

BH: How long have you known/worked with Reva Williams?

WG: I’ve known Reva for about 10 yrs.  We’ve been involved in each other’s musical projects since day one, and Broke* captures a unique time in both of our lives.  After each screening of Broke*, Reva and I play songs from the duet EP, The Renegade, we recently released.  We hope to keep our musical endeavors intertwined for some time.

BH: Do you have any tour plans after the screening tour??

WG: We are planning new music releases and tours for the fall and spring.  The Broke* Screening Tour is hopefully just the beginning of long string of music projects and live events to come.

There will be a Q&A as well as a performance from Will Gray and Reva Williams following the film.

Ticket prices start from $10, but patrons are welcome to donate more, as the higher amount of donation will provide better download packages, as well as fund the continuation of this unique tour. For ticket information, CLICK HERE. Breaking in any industry is difficult, especially in the entertainment arena, but Hoke says Gray “is trying to create a bigger conversation”.