The BBF Interview- Writer/Director Steve Balderson

Independent filmmaker Steve Balderson arrived on
the scene in 1999 with Pep Squad, a pitch-black
high school comedy that anticipated (and was later squashed
in its release due to) the rash of school shootings. After the

controversy died down the film later enjoyed

a cult following on DVD.

He followed it up with 2005’s Firecracker, an intensely layered
drama which Roger Ebert placed on his Best Films list of 2005.
At this time, tiring with the wait of years between funding coming
through for expansive projects, Balderson and his company

Dikenga Films scaled down and refined its do-it-yourself

aesthetic, retaining complete control and distribution

on subsequent projects such as the avant-garde documentary

art installation Phone Sex, Underbelly, and his ongoing

WAMEGO documentary series chronicling and educating

on how movies can be made anywhere on your own terms.

Returning to traditional narrative, Balderson took on
subject matter that is anything but traditional: An adaptation
of Dr. Joseph Suglia's cult novel WATCH OUT, due to premiere
at London's Raindance Film Festival in October (with a
sneak tour screening at the Coney Island Film Festival this
Saturday September 27).

WATCH OUT is the story of Jonathan Barrows, a man
who falls in love with himself, literally. He is attracted to
his own body, carries out an erotic relationship with a
blow-up doll that resembles him, and takes pleasure in rejecting
the advances of his many admirers. He descends into a world
of carnivorous priests and Prozac-popping Polish prostitutes
and eventually assassinates the world's most popular pop-diva.
"You strange creatures," Barrows declares, "you are
nothing more to Me than a meal at the fast-food
restaurant of life." But who will end up being devoured?

Watch Out-teaser trailer




Adam Barnick: How did you become involved with
Watch Out?

Steve Balderson: Joseph Suglia had a lot of filmmakers
ask him for the film rights, and after he saw FIRECRACKER
he knew I was the one to do it. He called me up, then sent me
his book, I read it and that was it!

What attracted you most to this material?

When I first read the book I didn't understand how to do it.
I thought it was totally unfilmable. It took me nearly a year
before I figured out what it meant. Or, at least, what it
meant to me.

Once I had my personal translation of the material,
I fell in love with it. I think the strongest pull with WATCH OUT
was the idea that most people couldn't do a movie like this
even if they wanted to. Most financial backers wouldn't
allow it, or agents, or anyone. I knew it was so outrageous
that I was the only person who could do it. And, by that
I mean me and filmmakers like me - not just me literally.

Tell me about your methods of production. You tackled
this with the scaled-down DIY process you’d hoped to
undertake in order to get more films made, after years
working on Firecracker. What did that consist of
and how did that benefit the production?

The stripped-down method worked perfectly! But I do
have to admit I had a lot of fear going into it. I really didn't know
if we would pull it off. My other two narrative features had
40 people on the crew. This time, I was doing most of the work
and only had 4 people on a crew to help, and that was it.

But, once we started shooting I realized how fast we were moving
with less people. It was incredibly efficient. I can't imagine
going back to a 40-person crew again. It wouldn't make any sense.
Plus, with less people, there is less time to move around, less bodies
needing to have a bed, less mouths to feed... It was overwhelmingly
cost effective. And from a creative standpoint, having only 4 people
allowed me to do whatever I wanted without having to deal with a lot
of haughty professionals who might second-guess things.

Between the premise and the cast you’ve got a potential
cult film in the making.. Tell me about your actors
and what they brought to it.

Every single actor was perfect. I think WATCH OUT was
the first time I'd worked with performers who were so
easy-going. And, not only did they memorize huge and
ridiculously, impossibly long monologues, but they delivered
them sometimes in one take. And were spot on the whole time.
Editing this film was a dream come true.

What has the response to Watch Out been so far?
Even the trailers have gotten a crazy amount of attention.

I'm honored we were nominated for Best International Feature
at Raindance, but I'd have to say that my favorite thing
about this movie is that it confronts people and pushes them further,
and faster, than they've ever been pushed before. People either love it
or hate it. And, the kind of love or hate is extreme. Some people
get viciously angry at the movie and scream at it, while others are
cheering joyous rapture. It's been pretty intense. The best part
is that no one will leave indifferent to it. Everyone will have a
very strong opinion. And I love that!

Why should indie film lovers run to see Watch Out?

Because they've never seen anything like it. And I mean it.

Click here for Watch Out's website.
Click here for info on Watch Out's theatrical tour.

Watch Out trailer