Panelists at this weekend’s Black Hills Film Festival say movies are both a collaborative artform and a communal experience. The festival celebrated the artform and featured creatives from across the state and country.
Rapid City’s Journey Museum theater featured panel discussions and film screenings all weekend. Community members brought their popcorn – and questions – for filmmakers.
Filmmakers like Zeke Hanson, who says something collective is lost when we only interact with film at home.
“There’s a very visceral reality in immersive group," Hanson said. "As an audience member, whether people are weeping next to you or laughing next to you, that’s a shared experience. In your own home or a friend’s house you’re more guarded. But in a dark room with the screen in front of you and a popcorn and a coke, you get to appreciate the moment.”
There are many jobs in the industry that cater to many skillsets. Film producer Ryan Hall said his job is to be a mover and shaker on set.
“The secret, if you want to get into it, is to find someone also wants to make a movie," Hall said. "Ultimately, production is about making things happen. It’s about moving a crew, making sure they’re fed, it’s about making sure all the pieces are in place when they need to be in place and that the ship is on time.”
South Dakota filmmaker Finn Kane is from Dell Rapids. He said when working on a project, there are moments of pure inspiration that remind him why he fell in love with the art form years ago.
“I don’t know, it’s just, there are moments when I’m screaming at my computer for sure, but there’s also just a deep satisfaction when it clicks," Kane said. "When it comes together like a puzzle. You watch it back like ‘oh, I get it now.’ I think that’s really exciting.”
All three of these filmmakers agree: for both documentary and narrative film, South Dakota is a widely untapped market for creators, and they hope to encourage more filmmaking in the state.