Filmmaking | Interviews

Tread in Maine

1 Feb , 2007  

Written by Scott R. Caseley | Posted by:

Stonington, Maine resident and first-time filmmaker, John Steed talks about his documentary Tire Tracks: Marks of Hope, or Fear of Extinction? which is nominated for a Maine Academy Award.

John Steed graduated from Deer Isle-Stonington High School in 1996 and was a freelance journalist for the Island Ad-Vantages in 2003. During several town meetings at that time, one topic kept coming up — the need for the town selectmen to do something about the “kids making a bunch of noise and burning rubber in town."

People felt that these disturbances were destroying their “tranquil and idyllic community”.  Linda Nelson, a colleague of Steed’s at the Stonington Opera House was able to get him a $5,000 grant from The Maine Community Foundation’s Expansion Arts Fund to create the documentary. Previous to this project, Steed had no film experience save a role in a student film he acted in while an economics major at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Steed set out to dispel stereotypes of the activity; such as it being a young person’s vocation and really show it for what it really is. His ultimate goal was “highlighting the power of films to change people’s minds.”

Scott Caseley: Your film starts off with a mini montage showing tire tracks running over the yellow line contrasted with shots of the beautiful seascape of Deer Isle and Stonington. What do these two images say to your audience about the viewpoints of those who live in the area all their lives compared with the new people coming to town?

John Steed: I think with a lot of things — it’s what you’re familiar with. It’s home if you live here. And, for people who come here to play, it’s the fishing village theme park. A lot of people just enjoy it as a real, working town. First impression when you’re watching the film, isn’t that neat? What is that? I guess, it’s a study of isn’t that beautiful? These marks can be considered part of the beauty of the area.

SC: It seems that Chug Proper, a 50-something local construction foreman with a bit of a wild streak who participates in these acts that some see as vandalism has a point he’s making by participating. What kind of symbol do you feel he holds the tire tracks to be?

Steed: For him, it’s something he’s really proud of that he can do. And, that’s something he’s really known for. He’s the guy. When people found out that I was making the movie, they told me, he’s the one to go to.

SC: One critic, a cook at a local restaurant called this act “stupid” and felt that it was a waste of money. Why do you feel that so many people are engaging in an act that is destroying their vehicles by having to replace transmissions, motors, not to mention the scores of tires?

Steed: Like Melvin (owner of Marvelous Motors) says in the movie, it’s really fun. The one thing that I really noticed when I was editing; there’s so much laughter after the burning happens. There’s a lot of pride and laughter that goes into it. It’s fairly expensive. There are people here that hop down to NY for the weekend; it’s no more expensive than any other pricey hobby.

SC: You interviewed a student at DIS (Deer Isle-Stonington) High School who said, “Basically if you live on the island and have a vehicle, you’re going to burn the tires.”  If this is so, why is it brought up so often at town meetings as a disturbance to the peace and called vandalism by so many?

Steed: It’s something that a lot of people do.  But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t bother people when people do participate in it.

There’s a good example, a selectman from the area that used to do it quite a bit, and now that he’s older and people are doing it now in front of his house, it really bothers him.

SC: How do the people of Stonington view this art-form?

Steed: We had a summer screening which sold out in town. Had to turn away people for two screenings in one night. People were talking about it at a cocktail party. It did bother some people who see it as a nuisance to their community. They felt it gave the act some sort of cultural legitimacy. They didn’t like that their view of it was now the unpopular way to look at it.

SC: Is this something people do year round, or mainly during the summer months?

Steed: Mostly something people do during the summer, almost a sign of spring is coming, when you see fresh marks on the ground.

SC: Melting off the tire and making souvenirs out of the residue of the tires is called, “milking” by some of the participants in your project, however the skid marks themselves will be a permanent mark or statement to the community. What message do you think they are making with these “tire tracks”?

Steed: I don’t know if people are making a message with these tire tracks. I don’t think that it’s fair to say that is the point that it’s supposed to mean something or be art. It might amount to no more than, “Hey, look what I did.”

John Steed’s film, Tire Tracks has been nominated for a Maine Academy Award. For more information on the awards, visit http://www.miff.org. For more information on the film itself, please contact director, John Steed at JZSteed@gmail.com.

Related Image: Burning rubber in Maine.


John Steed’s film, Tire Tracks has been nominated for a Maine Academy Award. For more information on the awards, visit http://www.miff.org. For more information on the film itself, please contact director, John Steed at JZSteed@gmail.com.

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