THE STORY

Nearing the end of his life, Adolph Gasser looks back on a seventy year career as a camera repairman, WWII veteran, best friend of Ansel Adams, contributing developer of the first Nikon camera and a sales/rental/camera repair store owner who empowered other Bay Area visual artists and inventors to succeed.  As eminent domain, the internet and changing technologies threaten everything he has built, he struggles to find a way to keep moving forward.  Inspired by Adolph’s unique stories and abilities, filmmaker and professor John C. Aliano follows him and his employees over the course of several years and reflects on his own career trajectory.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

With the passage of more than 20 years since filming began we are able to have a better perspective on the life and legacy of Adolph Gasser, his company, family and influence in society.  Many articles have been written about his various achievements and challenges, however, no all encompassing arc of his life has been created.  Until now.

In 1998 I started working at Adolph Gasser Inc..  My fellow employees would excitedly tell me how Adolph was best friends with Ansel Adams and had his second marriage at Ansel’s home in Carmel, California where Ansel was the best man.  They would tell me how Adolph volunteered for WWII and ended up in the 509th composite group on Tinian island and was instrumental in helping to capture the photos of the atomic bombs being denoted over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  How Adolph was consulted about the new Nikon camera being introduced to America and how he helped make it work, thereby facilitating the success of Nikon and changing attitudes towards Japanese products following the war.  With these and many more stories I was convinced a film needed to be made.

It took two years for Adolph to allow me to film a major interview and follow him around for the next couple of years.  During this time eminent domain was threatening the very existence of Adolph Gasser Inc. as well as many other stores in the neighborhood and a vigorous fight to challenge it was underway.  I also captured interviews with past and current employees who readily shared their thoughts and experiences with this complex person who influenced so many lives.  Prior to starting the documentary Adolph allowed me to run my own cinematography and filmmaking workshops that successfully ran for almost a decade.  I would soon learn other people’s career trajectories had been heavily impacted through Adolph Gasser Inc.  The ripple effect of Adolph’s life is still being felt throughout the industry, the arts and in education.

WHERE YOUR SUPPORT GOES

Our goal is to raise $53,650 to support closing costs and marketing of the feature documentary.  We intend to see this shown at numerous film festivals throughout 2025 (we will let contributors know which ones they are in so you can attend) and ultimately achieve wide distribution on streaming services.  This film has been entirely self funded, making it a completely independent project.  Most of the film production is complete and editing is in the advanced stages, however, critical work remains.  Our costs include:

MEET THE TEAM

The completion of this project could not have been possible without the key support of a group of creative individuals who all met at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas.  Everyone brought a fresh perspective to the unique story of a person that influenced Bay Area art, culture, history, and life lessons that still resonate today.

Professor John C. Aliano | Producer/Director/Cinematographer

John C. Aliano is an award-winning producer, director and cinematographer who has taught film production classes at Loyola Marymount University, Academy of Art University, City College of San Francisco, Art Institute of San Francisco, Cogswell Polytechnical College, Pixar Animation Studios, College of Santa Fe and the College of Southern Nevada. Educational distinctions include three-time NISOD Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, two-time Distinguished Faculty of the Year Award and professor/facilitator for students who have been nominated for 123 Student Production Emmy Awards and won 63 NATAS PSW Student Production Emmys in the last 10 years.  This is the highest record in the Emmy Chapter, in the State and one of the best records in the United States.

Professor Aliano worked at Adolph Gasser Inc. in the late 1990’s as manager of the Motion Picture Department, as well as cinematography and filmmaking instructor.  He was inspired by what he learned about the life of company founder and store owner Adolph Gasser.  In 2003 Mr. Gasser agreed to be the primary subject of this documentary and over a three year period was recorded for the film, as well as numerous employees.  Adolph Gasser passed away in 2006 at the age of 94.  The film spans a 20 plus year period since the start of the documentary to include additional location footage and interviews showing the arc of Mr. Gasser’s life and legacy.  This is Professor Aliano’s second feature documentary as a producer and first feature as a director.

Arianna Martinez | Associate Producer & Archival Researcher

Arianna Martinez is associate producer and archival researcher for “Being Adolph Gasser” and an independent filmmaker based in Las Vegas, NV.  She works on local independent film productions as a Producer and Unit Production Manager and is also a Senior Intake Specialist at a National law firm.  Speaking with people from all walks of life sparks inspiration for ideas for stories and characters in her films.  She is currently a full-time student at the College of Southern Nevada and set to graduate in 2026.  She directed a narrative drama short film, “Catharsis”, in 2022, which garnered her four regional NATAS PSW Student Production Emmy awards and won Best Film at the CSN Short Film Showcase.  In 2024 she won three Student Production Emmy awards for her documentary, “My Biggest Teacher”, and is currently making its rounds in the film festival circuit.  Arianna is early in her career, building her body of work as a director and producer.

Don Smith | Editor

Navy Veteran and outdoor enthusiast turned filmmaker Don Smith has been blazing the trails around the Southwestern United States for over a decade.  Through his experience and love for nature, he tries to bring awareness to environmental issues in his documentaries.  In his short time as a filmmaker, his films have garnered him multiple awards including two time Best Film at the College of Southern Nevada Short Film Showcase, four NATAS PSW Student Production Emmy Awards, Best Student Film Award at the Dam Short Film Festival and reached the Semifinals at the Student Academy Awards.  He recently completed his bachelors degree at Nevada State University.  Don is the editor for the feature documentary “Being Adolph Gasser”.

Erika Belanich | Web & Graphic Designer

Erika is the web and graphic designer behind “Being Adolph Gasser,” based in Las Vegas, NV, and a graduate of College of Southern Nevada.  For the past six years, she has been working at a casino-focused tech company, specializing in a wide range of graphic design tasks, including UI/UX product enhancements, client campaign creation and management, and creating branded materials for sales demos.  Additionally, she does freelance work for a local print shop, and is a small business owner of a 1970 VW Bus converted into a photo booth.

FOLLOW ALONG

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/beingadolphgasser
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/beingadolphgasser
X – https://x.com/BeingAdolphFilm

VISIT THE WEBSITE

https://www.beingadolphgasser.com/