Alice in Wasteland was the first opportunity for Pete Schuermann to make a “feature film”. That term is in quotations as, since the year 2000 or so, a “feature” has become much easier to produce than in years prior. Subsequently, whether released to the public or not, there has been an astronomical increase in the number of “features” produced in the years following.

The budget was incredibly small, the camera was a 24p NTSC prosumer camcorder and the crew was basically anyone we could grab at the time. It was quite fun to make.

Pete shared directing reigns with the very talented and young (at the time) Lasse Jarvi, who brought a very fresh creative sensibility to the project. It was his handheld style that helped overcome the budget and bring a sense of style to the proceedings.

Futhermore, this was to be the first of many collaborations with the incredibly skilled editor Dave Wruck. It was in post-production that Pete feels whatever value Alice in Wasteland has as a cinematic contribution was crafted with ingenuity, humor and again style. Quirky library music helps the framework.

Ultimately, Alice in Wasteland served Pete as a great stepping stone and educational platform.

It is available on Amazon now after a several year run on Netflix.