Carl Ballou (Film Maker) – Q&A Interview

Carl

What made you decide to shoot in Detroit, MI & how did you get linked up with Nick Speed?

I was born in Pontiac, Michigan a suburb of Metro Detroit and spend a lot of my time in the city. I lived there for about 3 years. I ran into Speed in an alley in Eastern Market (Detroit). He saw me holding a camera and we started talking.

Are you a Hip Hop fan yourself?

Of course, my first hip hop CD and cassette tapes in grade school were mostly east coast NY groups such as De la Soul, Tribe, Nas and Wu-tang, but I also listened to Detroit artists such as Slum Village, D-12 and even Binary Star which Speed was affiliated with then.

How many days did it take to film & edit this Hip Hop documentary?

One day to film because we were restricted by the “One Day on Earth” campaign, but many days to edit. I think I had about 8-10 hours of footage that I cut down to 20 minutes. I had to cut a few scenes including one at the Red Bull House of Art, near Eastern Market in Detroit.

What inspired you to get involved in making Hip Hop documentaries?

Originally I linked up with Speed to shoot music videos, which we still have plans to do – but our plans shifted toward a documentary. Be on the lookout for a feature-length film showcasing his first major debut record as an artist and producer, as well as a few other short docs. The next one dropping will be an inside look at his collaboration on 2 albums with Detroit-based artist, Seven the General.

Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?

Underground hip hop is everything that commercial and mainstream radio artists are not. They have the freedom to express themselves without being restricted by record labels and corporations.

What kind of camera did you shoot the project with?, and did you have a crew or was it just yourself?

I shot with a Canon 5D. The crew was just myself as this was produced
for a non-profit organization so the there was no budget.

What did you learn from shooting this project and hanging out with NICK SPEED?

I’ve spent a lot of time shooting with Speed before, so this was nothing really new for me. We even took a one week trip to NYC 2 years ago when filming for his feature-length documentary really started.

Are you ever planning on shooting a LA (Westcoast) documentary and if so, who would be the star MC/producer?

I am planning to shoot many more documentaries but can’t predict who will be next.

Most importantly what motivated you to get into film?

Film was always a hobby of mine from a very young age, but when people started paying me to do it I had to abandon everything else. I dropped out of college studying engineering and never looked back.

Any shout Outs?

I have a few shout outs on this project specifically, but you will have to watch the video and check those end credits.

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