Private Project

The Neon Struggle

A family fights to keep their neon sign business alive as the light of the industry fades away. The process of creating these delicate signs is beautifully photographed to capture the intricacy of this populist American art form. Interviews with neon historians and experts are interspersed with vintage neon signs from across the United States.

  • John C. Brown
    Director
    88 Days in the Mother Lode, Quiet Elegance, Mid-Century Moderns
  • Bert Simonis
    Director
    88 Days in the Mother Lode
  • John C. Brown
    Writer
    88 Days in the Mother Lode, Quiet Elegance, Mid-Century Moderns, The Last First Comic
  • Bert Simonis
    Writer
    88 Days in the Mother Lode, Quiet Elegance, Mid-Century Moderns
  • John C. Brown
    Producer
  • Bert Simonis
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Art, History, Family, Americana
  • Runtime:
    38 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 12, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digitital HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • L.A. Feedback Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    April 6, 2017
    Best Film
Director Biography - John C. Brown, Bert Simonis

John C. began his career as a news intern with WMUR-TV in his home state of New Hampshire. He attended the University of NH and holds a B.A. in Television/Film Production from the Communications Department.

While a student at UNH, he worked for NH Public TV, most notably as Associate Producer for Ciao Italia, a cooking series seen nationally on PBS. He continued with NHPTV as a producer/editor after graduation and his work on the locally broadcast NH Crossroads earned him two Telly Awards.

This 'n That Films was born in 2002 after John moved to Los Angeles from New York. His first award-winning, feature length documentary The Last First Comic brought him back to New York. For 'Tis The Season, This 'n That's latest film, John returned once more to Los Angeles. He freelances as an editor, videographer and educator.

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Director Statement

When we saw a Jumbotron screen in Las Vegas projecting the image of a neon sign, something clicked. It was as though the image was adding insult to injury. As we dug into the history of making neon for commercial use, we discovered that there are a series of "Mom and Pop" shops around the country that make neon signs for the local businesses. Many of these shops are now going the way of the family farm, as large industries are providing LED and Jumbotron signs that can be instantly customized to display anything.
When we found Rio Score III, working quietly in a small shop in the Inland Empire, we struck gold. Rio was taught the trade by his grandfather who started out in Los Angeles, and whose shop working on many studio films. As business slowed, Rio moved his family out of L.A. to fill a void in Riverside County. Now, as business is slowing again, he is examining the future of his trade, his family and the legacy of generations of "tube benders".
We hope you will enjoy meeting Rio, learning about his craft and will take a different look at the next neon sign that you see.

John C. Brown and Bert Simonis