We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ben Steinbauer. Check out our conversation below.
Ben, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Since starting my new podcast, Doc Walks, I realize that I wasn’t publicly voicing the things that I love and am passionate about. It’s not that I was scared of what people might think, but it was that I didn’t prioritize taking the time to communicate my excitement and enthusiasm outside of my circle of friends and collaborators. As I’ve gotten older, I realize how important it is to recognize beauty in this world and to pass on and praise the things that I find inspiring. The ripple effects make a difference. You don’t know how or when, and you may never know, but you can trust that if you celebrate the things that matter to you then they will find an audience and go on to inspire the future generations. And that, to me, is the most important work that we can do.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Ben Steinbauer and I co-own the Emmy-winning, female run, commercial production company, The Bear. After almost 20 years as a business we have helped create campaigns, branded content, feature films, web series, podcasts, broadcast spots and more for iconic brands like Yeti, Capital One, Budweiser, Consumer Cellular, Southwest and Ram. We tell stories with humor and heart and have a great time doing it.
We have begun mentoring directors and photographers and have built a roster or incredible talent who are making ground breaking, beautiful work.
Currently we are shooting a new spot for Consumer Cellular, providing production services for a national broadcast campaign and producing a weekly podcast called Doc Walks, (Come shoot in Texas and let us help you take advantage of our new incentives!)
You may have seen that we went viral for one of our set signs. People thought the Hulu show was filming the new season in Austin. What are the odds that a show would come along with the exact same name as our production company? But because the show is good, we love the association and aren’t quick to correct restaurant employees when they give us a good table. Yes, Chef!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
I’ve had many mentors over my life that have taught me about work. When it comes to filmmaking one of my earliest mentors was a documentary production professor at The University of Kansas, Matt Jacobson. He pulled me aside and told me that I had talent and could make it as a filmmaker. At the end of our semester he gave a speech to the class that said that we would have rough times in production – up late, under slept and under appreciated, where we might feel a little hopeless. But that we should always remember that there is someone in our corner rooting for us. That was a pivotal moment for me.
After graduating I went to work with doc director, Bradley Beesley, who taught me the importance of making work with your friends and that the experience of filming something, how much fun you were having while doing it, would show up in the finished product. From there, Mike Woolf, Joel Heller, Paul Stekler, Katie Stoller and Elizabeth Spiva have all been major influences on my life and work. They gave me a helping hand and took time to develop my projects or my life, or often both, in incalculable ways. And it’s now my goal to pay that forward to young filmmakers.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
After the success of my first feature length documentary, Winnebago Man, I went on the typical Hollywood ride of getting agents and managers and being told that the sky was the limit. Instead of continuing to make funny documentaries with my friends as I had always done, I decided that I wanted to be a big budget narrative comedy director. So I moved to LA and started having lots of lunches and meeting, some with celebrities, most with executives who were telling me that they wanted to make my next project. After two years of projects almost getting the green light, I moved back to Austin. My production company needed me back and that was paying the bills. I got divorced, I broke up with my agents and I doubled down on making work with the people who had helped me be successful in the first place. And I’ve never looked back.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I have a personal project that I am committed to making a reality no matter how long it takes. It’s something that explores the idea of everyone having a story, like a documentary version of Humans of New York, but national. In the next few years, you’ll be hearing about it…
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’m very lucky to say that if I 10 years left, there isn’t much I would change. I get to spend a lot of time with my wife and kids and I run a business with my friends where I make work that I care about. I am extremely fortunate and very, very grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebear.us
- Instagram: thebear.us
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bear/about/?viewAsMember=true
- Twitter: https://x.com/TheBearUS
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebear.us
