Behind the Scenes

The creative process is orderly chaos. Austin independent filmmakers need a space to spread out, pull close, organize, disperse, dream, plan, and transmogrify it all into fictional reality (or sometimes reality that can seem unreal). For Todd Rohal, a kitchen table in his little purple house near the former Highland Mall suffices. He can expect a knock on the back door at any moment from fellow filmmaker Ben Steinbauer, who rents a tiny structure in the backyard. Lucy Kreutz sublets space in Miguel Alvarez's office in the Canopy complex on Springdale. Kat Candler and Clay Liford pass each other in the hallway of Arts+Labor and laugh. Nestled in a corner of East Austin near where horses are stabled, Karen Skloss writes in her living room and edits in a larger office in the back. Mario Troncoso's desk is in the rafters of a former bread factory. Separately and together a creative buzz emanates from these places, and Austin sparkles and glows in its light.

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[Editor's Note: Chronicle Editor Louis Black is a producer on both Karen Skloss' The Honor Farm and Clay Liford's Slash.]