Austin Film Festival The Commissioner of Power marquee (photo by  Bryan Sansom)

THE COMMISSIONER OF POWER

World Premiere at the 2021 Austin Film Festival
 Writer/Director/Producer: Todd Sansom
 Re-recording Editor: Bryan Sansom
 
Cast: Terry Todd, Larry Pacifico, Mark Henry, Bill Kazmaier, Jan Todd, Lance Blanks, Connie Todd, Magnús Ver Magnússon, David Webster OBE, Bill Henniger, Brian Shaw, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Stephen Green-Armytage, Thomas Hunt, Tom Trimble, Odd Haugen, Bill Crawford, Bruce Evans

 

As a visionary and outlier, Terry Todd used his passion for writing, weight training, and history to shape the Iron Game and its influence on people worldwide. For many filmmakers having their film marquee in a film festival is a dream they long for. For the crew behind The Commissioner of Power, this marks the second time they have achieved this amazing feat in three years.
 

Terry Todd (photo courtesy of H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports)

DGM's own Bryan Sansom is the post-production sound mixer for both films and an accomplishment he is very proud to be a part of. Below are some thoughts on his journey from student to DGM faculty member.
 
"Never when I was a student at UVSC did I think one: I'd be an (Assistant) Professor at UVU and two: that I'd have the opportunity to work on two films that were shown and premiered at the Austin Film Festival. My professor (Mike Wisland) always encouraged us to reach for goals like this. He pushed me to do things that I didn't think I would achieve, like take up a position in radio announcing high school football games. 

I felt after my injury that all was done in sports for me. (Bryan played college football at SUU) here I am working with a team that creates films about the history of strength and why it's so important to modern-day athletics. This latest film revolves around the life and legacy of Terry Todd Ph.D. (The first senior powerlifter in the USA, a guy who is America's first strong man in competition. ) I've been to Iceland and many other fun places with this crew. As a student, I dreamed of getting Grammy Awards for albums I mixed- not having my work on television or on film. The thing is, my education at UVU/UVSC in the DGM program set the stage for my success in my professional career. 

For me, it is a matter of going beyond learning how to put up a microphone in front of something to make it sound good. But instead gaining an in-depth knowledge of the manipulation of sound. I hold the title Audio Engineer in high esteem. People may be confused by the title (often, he jokes that people think he installs car stereos). Still, I'm proud of the roots of this program, I was a student here, and I want my students in 10 years to come back and say, your teaching and vision helped shape me and helped me to win an award or have a film they worked on in a film festival or even beyond. 

I was working at a recording studio when someone asked me if I could mix a film. I said sure I could. That moment changed my life. My cousin, the director, was impressed with my work and started me working on some historical documentaries and commercials, and it's just been up up up since then. Not only do I do this, but I get to teach this stuff to my students and those light bulb moments; the moment a student understands a concept and can apply it, I live for those moments.
 
I'm thankful for my education, professional experiences, and mentors who helped me get here. It's been an awesome road, and I can't wait to see where it continues to go!
 
If asked what one thing would most benefit my students. Don't take anything you learn for granted. You never know how you will apply a skill one day."

Bryan at the 2021 Austin Film Festival (photo by Bryan Sansom)

Bryan is in his tenth year teaching Digital Audio at UVU in the Digital Media Department.
 
The Commissioner of Power is now available to view for free on Rogue Fitness' YouTube channel.