Making Movies From Anywhere

Truly democratized filmmaking means that aspiring writers and directors don’t have to move to Hollywood anymore. And there’s no better example to prove the point than Steve Balderson, a filmmaker who studied at the California Institute of the Arts before returning to his small hometown of Wamego, Kansas, where he set out to make movies. And good movies too. Balderson’s Firecracker, produced with his father and friends, made it onto Roger Ebert’s list of favorite films for 2005. (I bought the DVD and loved it.) But perhaps more to the point for the digital revolutionary, Balderson also made a documentary, Wamego:Making Movies From Anywhere, which chronicles his experience financing and shooting a feature film from a small American town, including a few brushes with Hollywood heavyweights like Dennis Hopper. He’s selling the doc for “free + $15 shipping,” which seems quite reasonable to me. While Balderson shoots on 35mm, his underlying philosophy is distinctly DIY and an inspiration to any digital filmmaker. And while a film released a year ago might seem like “old news” to all of us used to worldwide marketing blitzes from the majors, it sometimes takes a bit more time for self-distributed fare to gain market momentum. I wager you’ll be hearing more about Steve Balderson in the months and years to come.