Gregory Bayne: The Journey of “Lil’ Evil”

Now that Gregory Bayne has gotten to know Jens Pulver quite well, he can see why fans of “Lil’ Evil” are some of the most passionate and loyal in all of mixed martial arts.

“He’s Jens and he’s genuine,” said Bayne to Hector Castro and Pete Sumulong on the Ground N Pound on the MMA Diehards Radio Network. “Sometimes with celebrities or athletic stars you always wonder if it’s a little bit of a show with their persona, but there’s none of that with Jens. It’s great, and it’s obviously what makes people love him.”

During his career as one of the pioneers of MMA, Pulver has been known as a man that will put it all on the line every time he enters the cage. But there’s more to Pulver than just being an entertaining fighter, and that is what he and Bayne are hoping to show audiences in the coming year.

Bayne produced and directed the recently released documentary Jens Pulver – DRIVEN: The Story of a Man Who Fought to Change His Name. It chronicles the story of Pulver from his hellish upbringing in Washington State to his days as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first lightweight champion to his recent run in World Extreme Cagefighting. The intimate feature documentary is real and dramatic, and showcases the highs and lows of Pulver’s life in brilliant fashion. Pulver’s story is unique, and Bayne is able to show viewers why.

Just as there is more than meets the eye regarding Pulver, the film isn’t quite conventional, either. Fans played a huge role in DRIVEN, as the film is 100 percent fan-funded with people chipping in anywhere from $1 to $1,000.

That’s how much Pulver means to his fans.

“It has been a really interesting project in terms of being able to have a fan base going into it and being able to build steam,” Bayne said. “It’s been incredible. I don’t know if (fan support) would have continued if the film didn’t make it to the finish line or if it hadn’t turned out as well as it did, but I think now people can look at it and feel proud that they were involved in it. It’s been astounding, shocking, awe-inspiring and very humbling at the same time.”

Having the film’s funding come from fan donations and putting it out through his own production company, LovelyMachine, was a challenge for Bayne, but also enabled him to be more personal with his work.

“Doing everything in-house, I like it because it’s much more flexible,” Bayne said. “Being able to connect with people directly was important. This wasn’t a film that could be delivered cold. It’s not just, ‘I make the film and people go watch it’. There’s an interaction. I email with the audience and people that contributed, and there is something valuable in that.

“It’s been difficult in a lot of ways, but I think that us pushing forward and doing a lot of things ourselves in the end will pay off for Jens and myself, and grab the attention of other folks that want to hop on board and help get it out in a bigger way.”

When Bayne outlined a plan for the documentary, he knew he wanted to explain Pulver’s turbulent childhood that stemmed from a severely abusive father. The perfect counter to that was the way Pulver battled through what would have been insurmountable odds for most people to become a three-time world champion. It’s an emotional roller coaster that should have a line stretching all the way back to the popcorn machine.

“In terms of the process I think I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to do in the beginning,” Bayne said. “I always knew it would be very focused on that period of time and on Jens telling his perspective. The way he tells it is so much more interesting than anybody else could tell it.”

Bayne and Pulver closely worked together, and the result was a film that moved and informed all in one.

“There was a lot of back and forth between us, and it was nice because when we sat down and watched the film it was emotional,” Bayne said. “You have to find those emotional parts and time them and tease them out, but with Jens it was just there.”

Fans of MMA and, of course, Pulver, probably won’t need much convincing to pick up a copy of DRIVEN, but the best part about the documentary is that a potential viewer doesn’t need to know the difference between an arm bar and an arm chair to feel a connection. Pulver’s childhood struggles, rise to stardom and comeback journey can be understood by people from all walks of life.

“A lot of people that got behind the film early were fans of MMA and fans of Jens, but what I found was they maybe surprised themselves seeing how relatable Jens and his struggles are,” Bayne said. “His story is so universal; that sort of struggle to overcome the odds and transcend loss to become the champion he became. The MMA aspect is in there, and we understand why he’s doing it, but it’s focused on the man and the journey, so it does cross over quite well.”

The film is currently available to purchase as a download on www.jenspulverdriven.com, and the DVD can be ordered from the website, as well. In 2011, Bayne said they will be “putting on a full-court press” in regards to getting festival, retail, theatrical and broadcast releases. Bayne and Pulver are also looking to set up a screening tour in which fans can watch the movie and then participate in a question and answer session with Pulver and the filmmakers. On December 17, Bayne and Pulver had a screening in Boise, Idaho, where Bayne is based out of and Pulver attended college.

“Being a community endeavor up to this point, why not go forth with that in mind,” Bayne explained. “People really connect with the film when they see it, and if we can do enough of these screenings we can build a bigger audience for this film and get Jens’ story out. And that is the most important thing.”