Lance Hammer

Lance Hammer is a film director who premiered his feature directorial debut Ballast at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film explores a family falling apart in the Mississippi Delta after a suicide.

Fast Facts

1. Born in 1967
2. Studied architecture at the University of Southern California
3. Lives in Los Angeles
4. Was inspired by Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire
5. Won the directing award at Sundance 2008
6. Shot his first short in 2002 called Issaquena

The Making of Ballast

Hammer wrote the script for Ballast but opted to cast non-professional actors from the Mississippi area and discover their characters and dialogue through the rehearsal process. While shooting, the production was extremely spontaneous. Everything was shot handheld and if a new location was discovered or a flock of geese were in a field, the actors would improvise a scene in that environment. Due to this style of shooting, the film took a year and a half to edit.

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