Slamdance 2010: Walking in an Independent Winter Wonderland
by
Travis Richardson
Entrance to Slamdance.
The streets of Park City, Utah were packed full of filmmakers, actors, and film enthusiasts along with tourists gawking in windows for chance sightings of celebrities. Friday January 21, 2010 was the opening day of Sundance and its feisty little sibling, the Slamdance Film Festival - which turned a Sweet 16 to Sundance’s 32 years. Many enthusiasts, especially those traveling from the west (including this writer) were exhausted after arriving a day late from overnight stays in airports due to freakishly violent weather on Thursday. Though the high altitude and caffeine-induced dehydration (and probably alcohol too) wore down the already fatigued, spirits remained, well, high. In the day, snow melted into slush as plows pushed the excess off the street, while in the evening, a barrage of snow fell in massive clumps creating a magical and chaotic atmosphere. The Slamdance Film Festival resides at Treasure Mountain Inn, near the top of Main Street, just past the Egyptian, Park City’s lone theatre. In two screening rooms, the Main Screening Room and the Technicolor Gallery Screening Room, several narrative and documentary features along with blocks of shorts were presented over seven days.
Slamdance differentiates itself from Sundance in that its films’ budgets must be at or under a million (still an astronomical figure for a no/micro budget filmmaker, I know). Also, Slamdance filmmakers from previous years selected the festival’s 2010 slate of films. For many of the filmmakers who were presenting their films at Slamdance, this was their first time there, and the feeling of being nominated and watching their film in front of an audience was described as exciting, awesome, brilliant and amazing. Many of these filmmakers created their movies by working with friends, developing a community, begging for equipment and taking advantage of opportunities.
Slamdance bustles as people wait in line at the theater.
For directors (and also former Buffy the Vampire Slayer veterans) Amber Benson and Adam Busch of the comedy Drones, the availability of an empty office space for two weeks became the catalyst for the movie. They called on their friends Ben Acker and Ben Blacker – who run the comedy show the Thrilling Adventure and Supernatural Suspense Hour in Los Angeles - to write a screenplay in one week set exclusively in an office. They turned out a twisted and hilarious script where a workplace relationship nearly leads to the apocalypse. Next Amber and Adam tapped friends for the roles. Storyboarding and going over shot lists with the DP helped maximize the time. Adam says that if you are thinking of doing a film, “just do it now. You should be doing it. Work with your friends and work on only what you want. Make the movie you want and people will respond to it. ” Amber also advises putting films up on the internet, like the Dr. Horrible model. “If you create something, put it up so other people can find it… distribute it yourself.” They hope to take Drones to several cities for screenings in the immediate future.
