ARTS & CULTURE

KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, OCT. 15, 2015

HOROSCOPES
WHATS YOUR SIGN?
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Keep it simple. Push for
what you believe, with Mars
trine Pluto. Your team can
help. Consistent steady
pressure works... avoid
forcing an issue. The more
you put in, the more you
get out.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

More work leads to more
benefits. Ask for what
youve been promised. Try
a new recipe or restaurant.
Share something tasty with
your partner. Eat well, rest
well and pour energy into
your collaboration.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Massive effort pays off
(especially over the long
haul), with Mars trine Pluto.
Now is the time for big
ideas. Take advantage of a
lucky break. Harness your
creative fire. Get expert
coaching, and keep practicing.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Give a big push. A rush job
could lead to long-term
benefit (with Mars trine
Pluto). Build the passion
level. You know what to
say to motivate your crew.
Get necessary equipment.
Negotiate, rather than
demanding.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Slow and steady gets it
right the first time. Abundance is available. Stick
close to home. Strengthen
your infrastructure for longterm support. Keep your
workspace clear. Listen to
family feedback. Kids have
the best ideas.

Donning (fake) blood for Zombie Walk

SAMANTHA SEXTON
@Sambiscuit

In advance of Halloween, students and local residents will

dress like zombies and meet at
South Park on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m.
for the ninth annual Lawrence
Zombie Walk. For one University student, the walk has become an annual tradition.
Its just so much fun, said
Annika Wooten, a senior from
Richmond, Va. This will be my
third time doing the Zombie
Walk, and what makes it better
is that its for a good cause.
The walk, which is sponsored
by the Lawrence Humane Society, encourages participants to
donate anything from canned
goods to a few dollars, which
will go to the Lawrence Humane Society. Though Wooten
said she enjoys the charity, her
real passion for the event comes
from experiencing zombie culture.
This is honestly the pinnacle of my year, Wooten said.
I plan for my costume all year
long. The only downside is how
much money I end up spending
on my costume and makeup.
While trying to find the perfect outfit, Wooten was discouraged when she saw the price
tags for the costume pieces she
had in mind. Instead, Wooten
found a blousy top from her
mother, an old vest she had in
her closet, and various bits and
bobs to complete the look. The

hardest part, she says, is making the death wounds realistic.

I had to make my hat from
scratch, but most of what I
needed I got from either a
thrift shop or I just had it lying
around, Wooten said. I have
this vision in my head about
how the Mad Hatter died, so
Im hoping to have shards of tea
cups sticking out of my neck
and brain.
Wooten says that her costume, with the fake blood and
wounds, can cost somewhere
close to $100.
Wooten is still putting the
coup de grace on her costume,
but says that when shes done,
shell be a terrifying Mad Hatter from Lewis Carrolls Alice
in Wonderland.
Wooten said her favorite part
about making her costumes is
coming up with a creative death
for her character so that every
wound has a story.
If someone asks me how I
died and became a zombie I
want to be able to entertain
them, Wooten said.
Being a participant of the
zombie walk doesnt always
require so much razzle dazzle,
however. Wooten said a handful of people will show up with
ripped jeans and T-shirts covered in ketchup.
Were all there to be part of
the charity and to be with people who find the zombie culture
exciting like I do, Wooten said.
Wooten said that over the past

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Senior Annika Wooton in makeup for the Lawrence Zombie Walk.

three years the walk has grown

from a couple dozen to over a
hundred walkers.
I love how many people are
showing up, Wooten said. I
dont know if its a raise in zombie culture appreciation or a

tighter community, but its still

my favorite time of the year.
Walkers dont require any
special training or rehearsal.
Wooten encourages anyone
who may be interested to show
up at South Park to walk with

the rest of the zombies.

We show up, get bloody, and
do a lot of moaning and groaning at one another, Wooten
said. I wouldnt miss it for anything.
Edited by Derek Skillett

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Persistent communications
get through. Patiently keep
in action. Steady moves
work better than impulsive
ones. Imagine positive outcomes. Sell stuff you dont
need. Engage in a conversation and energize it for a
shared goal.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
The more you study, the
more your team wins. Heed
a warning. Use confidential
information to advance.
Try something completely
new and unexplored. Draw
on resources youve been
saving for a special occasion. Develop your natural
talents.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Finish a job before its due.
Youre energized ... take
advantage to power ahead.
Friends are there for you.
Go public with your plan.
Share your enthusiasm.
Long-term benefit comes
from short-term coordinated action now.
Sagittarius(Nov.22-Dec.21)
Feed your inspiration by
making reminders of what
you love and posting them
where you can see them.
Maintain optimism about a
new leadership role. Friends
give you a boost. Youre
gaining respect.
Capricorn(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Your partner can get farther than you can now. Find
a safe place for your money. Offer guidance. Get your
partner involved. Success
is your reward. Follow the
logic trail. Lively music sets
the tone.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Keep up a steady rhythm.
Let a partner take the lead
sometimes. Career choices
expand naturally. Finish a
project and devote yourself
to the process. Keep an
open mind. Commit to bold
action, once youve chosen
direction.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
our career situation takes a
mega leap. Act quickly and
make a good impression.
Put in extra effort. Focus on
your work. Your conscientiousness makes you look
stronger. Pay attention,
smile and give it everything
youve got.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
From left, characters Blaze, Butch, Chanel and Jessie from Hell town.

Indie film director Steve Balderson returns

to Kansas to make his latest film, Hell Town
CAMERON MCGOUGH
@cammcgough

Since shooting the 1998 film

Pep Squad in his hometown
of Wamego, Steve Balderson
has proved to be the embodiment of an independent filmmaker.
With films shot in London,
Hong Kong, Italy, and most recently Mexico for El Ganzo,
Balderson has practiced his
craft all over the world, garnering numerous awards. For
one of his most recent projects,
Hell Town, he decided to film
where his life and his career
began: Kansas.
After graduating from Manhattan High School a semester
early in 1992, he headed to Los
Angeles to pursue his passion
for filmmaking at the California Institute of the Arts, which
has produced many industry
veterans like Tim Burton and
John Lasseter.
One day in the spring semester of his third year, Balderson
said he woke up, sat down
at his computer and wrote
the script for what would become his very first film, Pep
Squad. Without telling his

friends, family or professors,

he dropped everything and
headed back to Kansas without
a diploma to start his career as
a filmmaker.
After Pep Squad was
Baldersons second film, Firecracker," with Karen Black, an
Academy Award-nominated
actress. The film garnered an
outstanding reaction from
critics, screening to sold-out
crowds during its premiere at
the Raindance Film Festival in
London, where it also received
the Jury Prize nomination for
Best Picture.
One of the most celebrated
film critics of all time, Roger
Ebert, gave Firecracker a 3.5
out of 4 rating. He said the film
was original and peculiar,
and described one scene as
Hitchcockian, alluding to the
great filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock.
After Firecracker, Balderson continued his work filming across the United States
and eventually across the
world. When it came time to
begin filming Hell Town,
he decided to return to Kansas. With filming locations
in Wamego and Manhattan,
Balderson wanted Hell Town

to build upon the style he used

in "Pep Squad."
I thought it would be really funny to revisit the type of
really sick humor that was in
my first film, he said. Only
what I wanted to do is sort of
take Pep Squad and then give
it crack. I wanted to use that
small town Americana thing,
which Wamego has plenty of.
When he isnt filming in Kansas, Balderson is often attending film festivals and working
on projects outside the United
States. One month after finishing the rough cut of Hell
Town, Balderson headed to
Mexico to begin shooting "El
Ganzo," and while at a film
festival in Italy a couple weeks
ago, he met a filmmaker from
India who wanted to collaborate.
Despite his success as an independent filmmaker, Balderson has also faced some difficulties. Balderson said he
believes one of the biggest
struggles he's encountered
throughout his career takes
root in Kansas soil.
Being taken seriously in
Kansas [is a major struggle],
he said. For instance, the week
after Roger Ebert had a huge

review of my film Firecracker

in the Chicago Sun-Times it
was basically a love letter
there were some people that
were a part of the independent
film world of Kansas that just
completely belittled it.
Balderson said people probably spoke poorly of his film
because he has rarely reached
out to the Kansas independent
film community.
Aside from the critics,
Balderson has successfully
networked through the business, connecting with filmmakers from all over the country. Wherever his projects take
him, he sees it as his duty to
bring undiscovered talent on
board.
There is talent everywhere.
And sometimes people, especially in the Midwest, dont
have the opportunities that
people on the coasts have,"
he said. "So if you are going
to make a movie some place,
I think its responsible to look
around."
In addition to posting casting
calls for his films, Balderson
helps aspiring filmmakers in
another way. As a former film
school student, Balderson said
he understands the value of

hands-on experience.
When I went to film school,
I sort of expected to leave with
a piece of work, he said. For
some reason, I got it in my
mind that they would teach
me how to write a script, direct
a movie, and then edit it and
market it and sell it, and then
Id come home with a finished
movie
He added: "I dont think
theres a program like that in
the world that offers that exact
setup, and so I started actually
teaching that to people.
Balderson started the Maverick Filmmaking Mentorship
Program in order to impart on
young filmmakers the knowledge he has gained over his
career. Baldersons mission is
to teach filmmakers the skills
they need to succeed in the
business while not incurring
gratuitous amounts of student
debt.
For Balderson, the mindset
required to achieve success is
simple, and its the mindset he
teaches his students.
Anything is possible," he
said. "I simply ask myself,
'How can I do that? Theres
going to be a way.