Volume 1, Issue 4 |
| Tim VandeSteeg |
IAE: Please tell us where you’re from and what inspired you to get into film?
TIM: I’m from Bloomington, Minnesota the home of the Minnesota Vikings. I’m a diehard Vikings fan and film
guy. When I was very young I saw, ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and the original ‘Time Machine,’ two
movies that made me want to do movies. When I was growing up I always wanted to make movies like a Rocky.
IAE: What was your first job in the film business and how did you get that job?
TIM: My first job was working as a Production Assistant (PA). I think being a PA is great because you get to
see all of the different aspects of a production and see where you fit. There’s more to a production than just
being a Director or a Producer; there are so many different positions. It made me hone in on what kind of
filmmaker I wanted to be. The only thing I didn’t like was the way people treated me. PA’s get so mistreated
sometimes. My perspective is that everyone should be treated with respect, regardless of their position.
Eventually, after working my butt off for this company I was the only PA left and they promoted me. Meanwhile,
I was also working on getting my own stuff going. I always say that making your first film is like losing your
virginity; you’re just happy to be there (laughs). When you get around to working on your second film, you
remember how good the first one was but you also remember all the stuff you messed up on.
IAE: Define what an indie filmmaker is.
TIM: Indie Filmmakers are like single parents. You have to do everything. You’re the mother, father, bill payer,
and cook. You must also be creative, find the story, secure the rights, build a business plan, and find your
investors. As a filmmaker, I want my films to live on, long after I’m gone. Just as parents want their kids to carry
on the family legacy.
IAE: You currently have a film project that is appearing at film festivals all over the country called,
‘My Run.’ Tell us about that project?
TIM: We’re very excited about ‘My Run’! It’s the inspirational story of Terry Hitchcock, a man who ran 75
consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days. He did this at the age of 57, and only 6 months after having a
heart attack. His purpose for embarking on this journey was to raise awareness about the struggles of a single
parent family. He became a single parent after his wife died of Breast Cancer. The documentary is narrated by
Billy Bob Thornton. We had the World Premiere of ‘My Run’ at Austin Film Festival and then we took the film to
Monmouth Film Festival, and at both events we took home the “Audience Award” for ‘Best Documentary.’ We’
are also being invited to several other film festivals over the next few months, which is very exciting.
IAE: How did you get Billy Bob Thornton to do the narration for My Run?
TIM: A buddy of mine works with Billy Bob (Thornton), so I sent him a copy of the rough draft of ‘My Run,’ and
asked if he’d look at it. I said, “If you like it, could you please present it to Billy Bob for me?” A few days later,
after my friend had watched the film, I got a text message from him saying, “This is fantastic, I will give it to Billy
Bob!!!!” For my friend to put all those exclamation points, it really meant something because he’s very laid
back and cool. Before I knew it, I had received an email from one of Billy Bob’s producers saying that he has
agreed to do the narration, and to give her (producer) a call. It was such a cool experience to work with Billy
Bob, and after he finished recording the narration we just sat there talking like filmmakers. During our
discussion, I had mentioned to Billy Bob that we needed a song for the end credits of ‘My Run,’ and I asked
him if his band the Boxmasters had a song that may work. He smiled and told me he has something that would
be perfect and then he played the perfect song. He was right, pretty awesome song, which is our end credit
song. I thought it was cool that he (Billy Bob) said it was a privilege that we asked him to be a part of this good
story.
IAE: What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of being a filmmaker?
TIM: Most people don’t take a look at the little things because they are so focused on the big things. So many
people want to do the big budget films and buy nice homes and cars. But when you think like that, and your
only focus is on the end goal, you miss out on the journey. Filmmaking is about the journey. Of course
filmmaking is hard, especially being an indie filmmaker, because it’s a constant process of pushing, pulling,
dragging, and pitching and then repeat. But once it’s all done and you receive that positive reaction from the
audience it’s a great feeling. At the Sedona Film Festival after ‘My Run’ screened, a man stood up and said
that our documentary inspired him to love his wife more… wow, what a powerful thing to say. That’s why I make
films.
To be successful in independent filmmaking you must be persistent, persistent and persistent!
IAE: If you could change one thing about the film business, what would it be and why?
TIM: There are a lot of things that I would like to change in independent filmmaking. But, I’d rather concentrate
on the positives than the negatives.
TIM: I’m from Bloomington, Minnesota the home of the Minnesota Vikings. I’m a diehard Vikings fan and film
guy. When I was very young I saw, ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and the original ‘Time Machine,’ two
movies that made me want to do movies. When I was growing up I always wanted to make movies like a Rocky.
IAE: What was your first job in the film business and how did you get that job?
TIM: My first job was working as a Production Assistant (PA). I think being a PA is great because you get to
see all of the different aspects of a production and see where you fit. There’s more to a production than just
being a Director or a Producer; there are so many different positions. It made me hone in on what kind of
filmmaker I wanted to be. The only thing I didn’t like was the way people treated me. PA’s get so mistreated
sometimes. My perspective is that everyone should be treated with respect, regardless of their position.
Eventually, after working my butt off for this company I was the only PA left and they promoted me. Meanwhile,
I was also working on getting my own stuff going. I always say that making your first film is like losing your
virginity; you’re just happy to be there (laughs). When you get around to working on your second film, you
remember how good the first one was but you also remember all the stuff you messed up on.
IAE: Define what an indie filmmaker is.
TIM: Indie Filmmakers are like single parents. You have to do everything. You’re the mother, father, bill payer,
and cook. You must also be creative, find the story, secure the rights, build a business plan, and find your
investors. As a filmmaker, I want my films to live on, long after I’m gone. Just as parents want their kids to carry
on the family legacy.
IAE: You currently have a film project that is appearing at film festivals all over the country called,
‘My Run.’ Tell us about that project?
TIM: We’re very excited about ‘My Run’! It’s the inspirational story of Terry Hitchcock, a man who ran 75
consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days. He did this at the age of 57, and only 6 months after having a
heart attack. His purpose for embarking on this journey was to raise awareness about the struggles of a single
parent family. He became a single parent after his wife died of Breast Cancer. The documentary is narrated by
Billy Bob Thornton. We had the World Premiere of ‘My Run’ at Austin Film Festival and then we took the film to
Monmouth Film Festival, and at both events we took home the “Audience Award” for ‘Best Documentary.’ We’
are also being invited to several other film festivals over the next few months, which is very exciting.
IAE: How did you get Billy Bob Thornton to do the narration for My Run?
TIM: A buddy of mine works with Billy Bob (Thornton), so I sent him a copy of the rough draft of ‘My Run,’ and
asked if he’d look at it. I said, “If you like it, could you please present it to Billy Bob for me?” A few days later,
after my friend had watched the film, I got a text message from him saying, “This is fantastic, I will give it to Billy
Bob!!!!” For my friend to put all those exclamation points, it really meant something because he’s very laid
back and cool. Before I knew it, I had received an email from one of Billy Bob’s producers saying that he has
agreed to do the narration, and to give her (producer) a call. It was such a cool experience to work with Billy
Bob, and after he finished recording the narration we just sat there talking like filmmakers. During our
discussion, I had mentioned to Billy Bob that we needed a song for the end credits of ‘My Run,’ and I asked
him if his band the Boxmasters had a song that may work. He smiled and told me he has something that would
be perfect and then he played the perfect song. He was right, pretty awesome song, which is our end credit
song. I thought it was cool that he (Billy Bob) said it was a privilege that we asked him to be a part of this good
story.
IAE: What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of being a filmmaker?
TIM: Most people don’t take a look at the little things because they are so focused on the big things. So many
people want to do the big budget films and buy nice homes and cars. But when you think like that, and your
only focus is on the end goal, you miss out on the journey. Filmmaking is about the journey. Of course
filmmaking is hard, especially being an indie filmmaker, because it’s a constant process of pushing, pulling,
dragging, and pitching and then repeat. But once it’s all done and you receive that positive reaction from the
audience it’s a great feeling. At the Sedona Film Festival after ‘My Run’ screened, a man stood up and said
that our documentary inspired him to love his wife more… wow, what a powerful thing to say. That’s why I make
films.
To be successful in independent filmmaking you must be persistent, persistent and persistent!
IAE: If you could change one thing about the film business, what would it be and why?
TIM: There are a lot of things that I would like to change in independent filmmaking. But, I’d rather concentrate
on the positives than the negatives.
| Tim VandeSteeg, Director/Producer behind successful indie film 'My Run' |
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