Really Good! Fresh Jerky

Directed & Produced by: Cami Buckman

Stage:
- Production
Location:
- California, United States
Updated: February 4, 2026
Project Type:
- Short
Project Style:
- Biographical,
- Essay film
Theme Subject:

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Logline

Gus loves three things: his family, his town, and his famous beef jerky. But a new highway threatens the legacy of all three.

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Synopsis

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Background

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Participants

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Participant

Gus

Meet Gus. The brains and the brand. Gus is the beloved patriarch whose unwavering humor and optimism shines through even in the face of life’s greatest challenges. Gus is the heart of this project.

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Participant

Nancy

Meet Nancy. As the youngest of Gus’ daughters, Nancy is the bold visionary fighting to keep her father’s dream alive. She’s forging her own path, and trying to save the town she loves in the process. Through her, we see Gus beyond the billboards, the family behind the famous jerky, and the deep roots that make this more than just a business. For Nancy, jerky is personal.

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Participant

Vasie and Terry

Meet The Neighbors, Vasie and Terry.
Vasie is a lifelong Olancha resident and Gus’s best friend. Vasie’s roots in the region run deep, his family has lived here for generations. He’s watched the town change and become shaped by state policies that few locals had a say in.
Terry is a retiree who arrived in Olancha more than a decade ago. He finds solace and community in the quiet desert town.
Together, Vasie and Terry’s perspectives offer a powerful window into California’s overlooked rural communities.

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Style & Tone

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Team

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Team

Cami Buckman

Director & Producer

Cami Buckman is an Emmy-award winning documentary producer with a background in print and broadcast journalism. She has produced for traditional newsrooms, network television, and popular digital platform shows. Her reporting and short-documentaries have been seen in VICE, HBO, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Youtube Originals. Her work blends humor, history, and people-centric storytelling. Cami was proudly born and raised in Los Angeles. When she's not working you might find her making homemade pizzas for friends or writing comedy sketches.

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Team

Chris Pieper

Director of Photography

Chris Pieper is a cinematographer and camera operator with a strong background in narrative, documentary, and commercial work. He was a participant in the prestigious ASC mentorship program under Michael Bonvillain. His short films have been recognized on the global stage, with screenings at the Cannes International Film Festival. His commercial portfolio includes work with clients like Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, A24, Google, and Spotify.

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Team

Sean Brandt

Editor

Sean is a director and editor whose body of work ranges throughout several narrative, documentary, and commercial projects. Sean’s work has screened on national television as well at the Cannes International Film Festival (with Chris!). Brands he’s worked with include Stanley 1913, CASETiFY, and Nike Air Jordan. But Sean’s favorite projects are ones with friends about small offbeat stories with a lot of heart and a lot of flavor.

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Team

Rita Carmona

Sound Designer

Rita is a skilled sound designer with a passion for crafting immersive audio experiences in both production and post-production. A graduate of UCSC with an MFA in Social Documentary, Rita has worked on numerous short documentaries and fiction films. Her background as an organizer in Chicago has shaped her approach to filmmaking, focusing on underrepresented stories and the power of community collaboration. She currently is freelancing as a sound designer and post production mixer.

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Our Ask

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Really Good! Fresh Jerky

Logline

Clips

Participants

Gus

Nancy

Vasie and Terry

Team

Cami Buckman

Chris Pieper

Sean Brandt

Rita Carmona

Stills

Our Ask