This week, several of our Kickstarter contributors were on-set for the filming of “Atlas Shrugged: Who is John Galt?” Our Students for Liberty interns sat down with them to find out more about their experience. This interview was conducted by Natalie De Lang.

Name: Andrew Brockmyre

Question 1: How did you hear about the Kickstarter campaign and what motivated you to contribute?

I heard of it on the radio - The Phil Valentine Show, a Nashville syndicated radio show. He had a guest to discuss the Kickstarter program. I went home, read about it online, and went for it.

Question 2: What has your experience on-set been like or what did you find most interesting being on set?

It was fun. It was different. It gave me a new appreciation for what people do in making films. Hopefully I get to see myself in the movie.

Question 3: How has Ayn Rand/ Atlas Shrugged influenced your life or thinking?

I already held [those beliefs] before I read the book, and it fine-tuned a lot of those beliefs. The way the book was written, I thought that it was fascinating. I have met other people who said that when they read the book they felt like it talked about their current times. I read it five years ago, and it certainly applies today. I thought that it’s a message that people hopefully can grasp and believe in.

Question 4: What, if anything, do you wish to see the film accomplish?

I don’t think the movie expresses [the message] well enough. I don’t think that the media is adequate to really tell the story of the book. What I would hope to happen is for people to see the movie and then be interested in reading the book. Be curious about it; be better informed.

Question 5: Do you believe that stopping the motor of the world, or a similar occurrence of innovators going on strike or “vanishing” must occur before the world you want to see is created?

No, I don’t think so at this point. I think there is still hope for society without having to go through that. But I think that the further we go on the ground that we’re on right now [with] people living off from the government, I think it will become harder and harder to go back. They are not motivated once they’re dependent on the government. That is why they are happy to be taken care of even though they don’t realize that their quality of life isn’t as good as it could be if they had tried to succeed.

We just need people to wake up. Wake up to see what is going on. Certainly there are people that live off government assistance and they absolutely need it, but there are many that don’t [need it]. I see this on a personal level every day with my patients. Some are disabled, living off [of] social security. They don’t see the harm they are doing to themselves. They think once they get their disability [check], their life is set. They [are] going to get payments from the government every month, and that they don’t have to work.

Question 6: Are your closest family members/ friends supportive of your decisions (or “in the know” of Ayn Rand philosophy) in taking a larger role in the financing and production of Atlas Shrugged Part III?

My closer family members and friends are very supportive. At least five family members have read my copy of the book. As for my closest family members, my wife absolutely agrees [with my beliefs] and supports [my decision]. My distant relatives, brothers, sisters, and many cousins, 90% [of them] think that it is horrible, selfishness is so bad, and the whole concept of the story and the message is awful. My closest family members that matter to me the most are in line with my thinking.