Local director finishes second film
By
Wading waist deep in a chilly northern Minnesota lake, a shirtless James Snapko moved forward with only camera in hand. His crew stood by and watched his patience in catching the sun glare off the moving water, his patience in becoming a full-time director.
Snapko has a career in filmmaking, but they are the 30-second films that sell products rather than the movies of his own writing. “Making commercials is my career, but do I see myself lasting another 30 years in that field?” said Snapko. “I doubt it.”
Making commercials is a way for Snapko to provide for his wife and three kids. Making his own films is a way for him to provide an outlet for his artistic vision.
Snapko, 35, was born into a family of four in Brooklyn Center. Watching films as a child, he would soon find himself hooked on them at at the University of Minnesota. He credits his freshman film professor Robert Yahnke for fueling his love of film and jumpstarting him to a Film Studies degree. “His passion and energy made all the difference,” said Snapko.
Snapko’s passion and energy in the classroom are having the same effect on his own students. Snapko began teaching film classes at the University of St. Thomas in the fall of 2002. His enthusiasm in the classroom has affected many “After taking a class with him you really can’t watch movies the same way,” said Colin Casper. “When I left the building I wanted to pick up a camera and start shooting movies; that’s the effect he had on a lot of us.”
In the classroom Snapko demands conversation among his students and tries to open their eyes to new films. “Jim Snapko first impressed me with the film selections he screened in his courses,” said Ryan Ellis. “Edgy yet classic, and with a sort of unique contempt for the mores on which the University of St. Thomas was founded.”
Snapko’s hair styles also opened some students’ eyes. Throughout his years as a professor he has been known to sport short hair, long shaggy hair, well-kept long hair, a pony tail, a clean cut face, and a long scraggly beard. “It wasn't a question of his ability as a teacher or his talent as a film revolutionary,” said Ellis with a chuckle. “What took time to understand was the creativity he exuded simply in his hairstyle.”
When working with virtually no budget, like he did on his first two full-length films, Snapko is always ready to show young filmmakers the ropes. Former student Dustin Nelson said the learning experience he received working on Snapko’s debut film Sucker Lake Park was invaluable.
Sucker Lake Park was Snapko’s first step in pursuing a career as an independent filmmaker. Snapko created Collision Pictures as a production company for his work in 2003. Around that same time he began co-writing the script with lead actor Adam Fielitz.
Snapko began to shoot the film in 2004 and would eventually take eight months to edit it. The entire making of Sucker Lake Park took about two and a half years at a cost of about $9,000.
For all of the time and effort put into the film, being successful in an independent market is difficult. While Sucker Lake Park did not turn a profit, it can still been seen as successful for a first-time film. The film was selected to be in the Cinequest Film Festival in 2006 and received positive reviews at the festival and also from City Pages.
According to Snapko, the film was also successful in getting his name out. In the independent film market name recognition is the key to success. Even though you need a good product to sell, “it is still very much an industry of who you know,” said Snapko. “The paradox is that you have an industry that is nepotistic, so it helps to have an in.”
When Snapko set out to make his second full length film, Further North, he brought another former student along for the ride. Jake Perron would end up becoming an integral part of Snapko’s team as the film’s producer. Perron said because of the small size of the crew he “was expected to learn rather quickly.” Perron also said Snapko helped him learn by allowing his crew to have some artistic freedom, “unless it was exceedingly astray from his fundamental vision.”
Snapko has no shortages of influences. From growing up watching movies in Brooklyn Center to viewing them in his classroom, he has seen the work of a number of directors. “Since I see a lot of different films I have a hard time pinpointing specific influences,” said Snapko. He added, however, they range from “Murnau to Hitchcock to Scorsese to Haneke to Chaplin.”
No matter what influences show up in Snapko’s work, his influence is already showing up in the work of his students. Perron has already started his own production company called Snapko Productions.