A film about Jim Varney and Ernest P. Worrell.
See more at BeingErnestFilm.com
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Post-Production Begins!
over 2 years ago
– Thu, Feb 01, 2024 at 09:55:25 AM
It's 2024 somehow! Here's the latest on the IOBE documentary project...
Post-Production Kick-Off
After a busy end of year, we are excited to announce that we have begun post-production on the documentary!
What does this mean, exactly?
We've started reviewing and transcribing the footage of each interview to piece together the story of the film
We still have more interviews to shoot, although how many more will depend on the success of future fundraising
Despite all of this, there's still a long way to go to having a completed film or a firm release date
Fan Video Specs
Starting post-production also means that we finally have the long-awaited details on the "Submit a fan video" reward tier! If you supported our Kickstarter campaign at that level, keep an eye on your email inboxes. We'll be sending a separate message soon with info on what (and how) to submit!
Notorious DeLoreans
Thanks to a particularly viral photo of Jim Varney in his DeLorean, sales of "The Importance of Being Ernest" biography book shot through the roof, cracking the top 100 in the "Actor and Entertainer Biographies" category in Amazon. In the span of a week, Justin tripled his book sales — even outselling Bono!
This Saturday, David will be discussing the IOBE documentary on "Gwatney Unplugged with Scott Romine" on Central Arkansas' 103.7FM THE BUZZ. Local listeners can tune in to hear the interview at 9 AM CT. For everyone else, it will be posted at gwatneyunplugged.com soon after!
Coming Up
Our next documentary shoot is currently being planned for the spring. When that happens, we'll have more behind-the-scenes updates and photos to share.
As always, you can check out our FAQ for the latest answers, or message [email protected] with any questions. Thanks for your continued patience and support!
- David and the IOBE documentary team
A Kentucky Book Signing and a New York Interview
about 3 years ago
– Fri, Jul 14, 2023 at 10:06:09 AM
Ahoy, Ernest P. World! Here are a couple of quick updates from the IOBE documentary team...
Happening TOMORROW, 7/15, from 12PM to 3PM at Kentucky For Kentucky in Lexington, KY — it's a book signing with our very own Justin Lloyd!
Meanwhile, we picked up another interview here in NYC, where our documentary production is based! This one was with Gabe Bullard, a writer and journalist who has written extensively about nostalgia, regional identity, and (in at least one instance) Ernest P. Worrell.
Sitting down with Gabe Bullard.
The NYC crew (L-R): Valerie Champagne, David Pagano, Daniel Scarpati
More to come!
- David
IOBE Production Continues!
over 3 years ago
– Thu, Jun 15, 2023 at 07:40:41 PM
As we celebrate what would have been Jim Varney's 74th birthday, here are the latest IOBE documentary updates...
IOBE KY Interviews
Last month, we traveled to Jim's hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, to conduct interviews with a few of his friends and family members...
The IOBE team interviews Anne Lambert (longtime friend of Jim Varney)
Julieanne Pogue (longtime friend of Jim Varney) and Justin Lloyd
The IOBE team interviews Ed McChord (Jim Varney's cousin)
Director David Pagano and cinematographer Daniel Scarpati get serious about having fun.
Some appropriate set dressing.
The IOBE team interviews Andrea Lloyd (Jim Varney's niece) and Justin Lloyd
L-R: Daniel Scarpati, Andrea Lloyd, Justin Lloyd, and David Pagano discuss various pieces of Jim Varney memorabilia
A few Jim Varney VHS tapes in need of digitizing.
Ernest Day co-founder Phil Baker gets ready for his close-up.
Jim Varney's grave and some assorted mementos, circa 2023
Signing the guestbook of our Airbnb rental.
Ernest Day 2023
Even though we didn't film this year's Ernest Day event, we still got a few updates from our team members in attendance!
Fans show up en masse for the annual Ernest Look-alike Contest.
The Montgomery Bell State Park map and a legend for locating all of the Ernest Day activities.
You know the Ernest fandom is full force when two Billy "Boogie" Worrells and two Auntie Neldas show up (seen here with Ernest Day co-founder Phil Baker).
Dizney Coast to Coast interview
David Pagano made a recent appearance on the Dizney Coast to Coast podcast! David and host Jeff DePaoli discussed "Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain", the IOBE documentary, how Ernest inspired modern comedy filmmaking, the correct way to pronounce "Worrell", and more. You can take a listen to the full interview below!
That's all for this update! Happy birthday, Jim!
- David
Meanwhile, in Kentucky...
over 3 years ago
– Wed, May 31, 2023 at 03:45:16 PM
IOBE documentary filming continues in Jim Varney's hometown of Lexington, KY! More photos coming soon.
An Interview / Our FAQ / Rewards for You
over 3 years ago
– Tue, Jan 31, 2023 at 02:04:00 PM
Happy 2023, Ernest P. World! Here's what's been going on lately with the IOBE documentary project...
The IOBE "Frequently Asked Questions" page has been updated with information about projected reward fulfillment, our plans for the production, and more. You can find those (and other answers) here: https://www.beingernestfilm.com/faq/
If you've got a burning question that still needs to be addressed, feel free to send us an email!
Speaking of FAQs—one thing we've been asked about often are the physical rewards from the Kickstarter campaign: prints, books, original artwork, etc. We are planning to start shipping these very soon!
But before we can ship, we need to "lock" our current orders on BackerKit. Basically, this means we'll be getting final confirmation on all mailing addresses and charging credit cards for any additional items purchased.
(This doesn't mean that new orders can't be placed in the future, it just means that all existing pre-orders will be finalized and prepared for fulfillment.)
Anyway, we are planning to lock orders on FEBRUARY 13th of this year, and to charge credit cards later that week. So if you need to update your mailing address or payment information, now is the time!
Finally, Justin Lloyd and David Pagano made a recent appearance on 96.3 KKOB Radio in Albuquerque! Discussion topics included our inspiration for the documentary, things Jim Varney and "Breaking Bad" have in common, a recently unearthed Ernest ad for Blake's Lotaburger (above), and more.
Take a listen to the full interview here. Thanks to Brandon Vogt and AMarie Castillo for inviting us!
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