Three California architects, their radical clients and a postwar building experiment were the vanguard of Modernism in America
OUR FILM
On the Edge of Tomorrow is a television documentary that brings to life these extraordinary people and the buildings they created. We examine not only history but the context of time, place and thought.
Our method interweaves live and drone cinematography, rare archival images and extended interviews with scholars, critics, curators and the descendants of the owners and architects. All speaking with their distinctive voices, without a scripted narration. We trust viewers to interpret the source material and assess for themselves its relevance to our own society and culture.
THE STORY
Southern California has always considered itself a place apart. A haven for exiles from America in search of health, opportunity or reinvention. From the 1910’s to the 1920’s, it was a laboratory for modern ways of living.
“You could come to Southern California and realize a house that is not only an expression of your ideas about architecture and design, but is also a home in which you can explore your ideals about how to live, how to work within a community, and how to creatively express yourself.”
Migrants, foreign immigrants, independent women, social reformers, political radicals and avant garde artists made a vibrant social culture. Financial prosperity, a mild climate and inexpensive land created an environment for risk-taking. Clean industries developed advanced technology, new materials and efficient production methods.
Modern architects sought innovative approaches to design and construction. Their unconventional clients wanted houses that reflected their progressive ideals and healthful lifestyles.
Despite today’s harsh realities, their vision continues to shape our present society, culture and identity.
THE CHARACTERS
In the early twentieth century, Eastern transplant Irving Gill and two Viennese exiles, R M Schindler and Richard Neutra, began their careers in Southern California. They were thrust to the forefront of design for modern living by their clients, philanthropist Ellen Scripps, heiress Aline Barnsdall, social activist Pauline Schindler and health advocate Philip Lovell.
Magazine editor John Entenza commissioned postwar architects including Rafael Soriano, Craig Ellwood and Pierre Koenig to test Case Study prototypes for standardized production using newly-developed materials and industrial methods. Photographer Julius Shulman captured the images that made them icons of American Modernism.
OUR PROGRESS
We have filmed interviews, conducted pre-interviews and shot footage of 5 buildings to compile a 4-minute test clip (view it above). We are currently filming additional interviews and buildings for an expanded video sample to demonstrate the film’s scope, quality and presentation style to potential donors and viewers.
We continue to research and obtain rights for archival images from libraries, foundations and private collections, including the Getty Research Institute, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, USC and California Historical Society, as well as the architects’ professional archives and the personal mementos of the clients’ descendants.
If funded in time, a 30-minute First Cut will be shown at the AIA Convention in in Los Angeles in mid-May, and then made available exclusively to Kickstarter supporters for download – one year before the 90-minute program is scheduled for broadcast in Spring, 2021.
YOUR SUPPORT
We are seeking seed funding to support program research and development and a continuously evolving video sample to prove the concept. We will use this preview to solicit major funding from corporations, institutions and professional firms.
We must show potential major sponsors there is a real audience that understands our concept, is enthusiastic about the subject matter and actively supports the program.
MATCHING FUNDS
We have been fortunate to receive a $10K Research and Development Grant from Cal Humanities. But it must be matched with equal contributions for us to receive the funds, and qualify for a follow-up Production Grant and funding from other sources.
Every dollar you contribute will be leveraged to twice its value.
WHO WE ARE
We have assembled an exceptionally talented team of filmmakers and advisors, together with an experienced production staff.
Director Tom Piper is an award-winning filmmaker who specializes in art and architecture documentaries. He has made more than 30 films about contemporary artists and architects, both independently and as Director of Production for Checkerboard Film Foundation.
His film subjects include: the Guggenheim Museum, the HIgh Line, architects Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, Studio Gang, Thom Mayne, Steven Holl, Peter Eisenman, Kieran Timberlake, artist Ellsworth Kelly, architectural historian Vincent Scully, and most recently a feature documentary Five Seasons, about landscape architect Piet Oudolf.
Creator and producer Bill Versaci is California architect. He has been a Visiting Critic at the University of California and California College of Art, an editor of Perspecta, the Yale Architectural Journal, and a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome.
Our principal advisors include architectural historians Thomas Hines and Richard Longstreth, writer and critic Michael Webb and documentary film producer Mitchell Block.
TAX DEDUCTION
Your donation is tax deductible. On the Edge of Tomorrow is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions in support of On the Edge of Tomorrow are paid to IDA and are tax deductible, less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services being offered is noted under each donation level.
MAXIMIZE YOUR CONTRIBUTION
If you would like to credit your entire donation to the success of our project, you have the option of making a “Pledge Without Reward”. 100% of your contribution would be tax deductible. Note that we must pay approximately 15% for administrative fees. Please consider adding this amount to your contribution to ensure we receive its full, intended benefit.
For pledges over $1,000 you should contact us directly about alternative ways of contributing and receiving recognition.
Thank you for supporting our project.
REWARDS
Since this film is about fading personal memories as much as static buildings, our greatest challenge has been to locate the living descendants of the participants. Because we are trying to avoid familiar, textbook images, we must research private and personal collections that are not normally accessible. Our academic advisors and professional connections have been invaluable in gaining unique access to these people and resources. We have benefited from endorsement by leading national professional and preservation organizations and institutions including: the National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Building Museum, American Institute of Architects, Society of Architectural Historians and Los Angeles Conservancy. This program is made possible by Cal Humanities, and is fiscally sponsored by the International Documentary Association.