While filming a promotional video for Winnebago 20 years ago, during 14 days of blistering summer heat, Jack Rebney’s frustration led to a series of expletive-filled tirades that stand in perfect contrast to the relaxation the Winnebago promises. But Rebney doesn’t know the outtakes have made him famous. Copies of the tapes were leaked, and Rebney became an underground bootleg video sensation. Initially passed around by hand and known only to a few, Rebney’s hilarious rantings and ravings were eventually posted on the Internet, making him one of the most popular viral-video stars in the world. Unbeknownst to Rebney, people everywhere gleefully watch him vent his frustration at his film crew, the Winnebago and the ubiquitous flies on set. Rebney’s outbursts capture an elemental frustration, and expressions such as “Will you do me a kindness?”; “My mind is just a piece of #$! this morning”; “#$%! #$% son of a @#$!” and a full arsenal of other colorful curses have become catch phrases among his fans. Director Ben Steinbauer tracks down Rebney to find out who he really is. The former pitchman has effectively closed himself off from society and lives a hermit’s life on a California mountaintop with his dog, Buddha. Though vaguely aware of his fame, Rebney cares little about Internet stardom. Instead he reads and writes voluminously about the world’s problems and deals with the initial stages of glaucoma. In a rare kind of social alchemy, Steinbauer connects the cantankerous Rebney with his eager, captivated fans and waits to see the results.

Filmmaker Q&A

Introduce yourself:

My name is Ben Steinbauer. I live in Austin, TX, make documentary films, and I once played Saint Francis of Assisi in a school play, much to the dismay of my Grammy—a devout Kansas Presbyterian.


What inspired this film?
How did you find your subjects?
A few years ago, I was intrigued by the popularity of viral videos, and started to wonder about the effect of their popularity on the people who appear in them. My favorite viral video was the infamous WINNEBAGO MAN- which I received as a VHS bootleg tape years before YouTube. The tape was three minutes of beautifully edited outtakes of a man name Jack Rebney, blowing his lines while shooting a Winnebago industrial video in 1989. After the shoot, the crew had cut together Jack’s rants and circulated the tape—and it immediately caught fire amongst tape traders. Nearly twenty years later, millions of people all over the world have seen the clip on the Internet and Jack Rebney has became a cult phenomenon, and yet no one knows a thing about him. So I set out to track him down and to explore the impact of this new medium.

What were some of the biggest challenges/surprises?

Finishing the film was a never-ending challenge. But if I had to choose one surprise—I would say that it’s the friendship I’ve formed with Jack. He and I talk on the phone almost every day. That's something I could have never imagined 3 years ago. And having Jack as a friend remains challenging and surprising.
 


Who are some of your favorite filmmakers?

Les Blank, David Lynch, Preston Sturgis, Paul Stekler, The Coen Brothers, Alan Berliner, John Hughes, Ross McElwee, Doug Pray, PT Anderson, Hal Ashby, Wes Anderson and Chris Marker... plus many more I’m leaving out.



What is your all time favorite documentary?

It’s hard to say, but I think if I had to choose strictly based on numbers, I've seen NOBODY’S BUSINESS by Alan Berliner more than any other documentary.  It’s hilarious, poignant and inspiring all at once.

What other projects are in the pipeline?

I’m working on three projects: a documentary about a French imposter, a doc about Native American re-enactors and a project about other viral video stars that might be another feature, a TV show or maybe DVD extras.

Why did you become a filmmaker?

I had a creative writing professor in college tell me that I was a terrible novelist and that maybe I should try film classes. A month later I made my first documentary and I’ve been doing it ever since.


What are some of your creative influences?

Music. My grandfather is a professor of piano and my dad was a jazz bass player, so I’ve always been very inspired by music.


Did you go to film school?

I’m in film school right now. Literally. I teach a film class at the University of Texas and I’m answering your questions while my students are taking their final. Does that count?


 
What do you shoot on?

HD, Super 16, Super 8 and Mini-DV.

What has been the most unexpected thing to happen since taking the film on the festival circuit?

I never expected any of the following to happen:


 Introducing my Mother to Jack Rebney
 
Watching Jack Rebney tear up during the Q&A at the premiereSqueezing more than 50 people into a Winnebago for a late night party.
  
Showing the film to 800 screaming fans in Toronto

Why did you want to screen your film at SILVERDOCS?

I want to screen WINNEBAGO MAN at SILVERDOCS because it is one of the premiere documentary festivals in the world. And I’m secretly hoping President Obama will come to a screening.