Filmmaking in the Heartland with Ken Spurgeon | Kansas on Screen

What does it take to bring Kansas history to life on the big screen? From dusty archives and reenactment camps to film sets across the prairie, history professor and filmmaker Ken Spurgeon has spent two decades mastering the art of visual storytelling rooted in the Great Plains. His latest feature, Sod and Stubble, filmed entirely in Kansas with a community that literally built a house for the production, represents both a love letter to pioneer resilience and a case study in what's possible when Kansans commit to telling their own stories.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ken's journey from construction worker to history professor to award-winning filmmaker

• How Civil War reenactments became the bridge between academia and cinema

• Working with Rance Howard (Ron Howard's father) and learning to direct seasoned actors

• The making of Sod and Stubble - filming in 95°+ Kansas heat with 100 crew members in Downs, Kansas

• Why the community built a replica pioneer house specifically for the film

• The challenges of independent film financing with 47 investors

• Why Kansas needs a film incentive bill to compete with Oklahoma, Texas, and Georgia

• The difference between documentaries and narrative features - and why "movies are made in the edit room"

• Balancing teaching history at Friends University with directing feature films

• Why Kansas filmmakers shouldn't fear outside competition or collaboration

CHAPTERS

[0:00] The Sourdough Journey - Sydney debates naming her sourdough starter

[2:14] Podcast Theme: Kansas Filmmaking Month

[3:20] Meet Ken Spurgeon - History professor and filmmaker

[4:02] Origins of a Historian - The Civil War weapon that sparked everything

[5:46] Finding the Teaching Path - Seven years away from school working construction

[8:51] Favorite Eras and Curiosities - Early America, Civil War, and the American West

[9:47] Reenactments to Film Sets - From living history to working on Gods and Generals

[11:20] First Documentary Breakthrough - Tackling Bleeding Kansas

[12:30] Lessons from Documentaries - Money, flexibility, and learning not to "over-speak"

[15:30] Why Film in Kansas - "I'm sticking my foot in the ground and filming here"

[18:17] Film Incentives and Financing - Why tax breaks matter and how 47 investors funded Sod and Stubble

[23:00] From Docs to Features - Winning the Wrangler Award and transitioning to narrative films

[24:08] Working with SAG and Rance Howard - The rehearsal moment that taught Ken to be a director

[30:20] On Set Reality Check - When the vision in your head meets reality

[31:21] Movies Made in Edit - The three versions of every film

[34:18] Sod and Stubble Origins - Filming the greatest pioneer story in American history

[36:24] Filming in Kansas Heat - Shooting outdoors, Monday-Friday, June through August

[38:18] Small Town Production Logistics - How Downs, Kansas fed 100 crew members

[41:07] Professor and Filmmaker Balance - Teaching history while making movies

[42:21] Kansas Film Future - Why we shouldn't fear freedom or outside filmmakers

[47:31] Post-Interview Reflections - Gus and Sydney discuss directorial styles

[48:49] Kansas Movie Trivia Game - Testing film knowledge with movies shot in Kansas

[55:48] Wrap Up and Subscribe

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Educational Institutions

• Friends University (Wichita, Kansas) - Where Ken teaches history and filmmaking

• Wichita State University - Where Ken completed his degrees under Dr. Craig Miner and Dr. Jay Price

Films & Projects

• Home on the Range - Ken's documentary that won the Western Heritage Award (Wrangler)

• Gods and Generals (2001) - Civil War film where Ken worked as a reenactor

• Road to Valhalla - Earlier Ken Spurgeon project featuring Buck Taylor

Books

• Sod and Stubble (2024) - Ken's feature film based on the 1930s Kansas pioneer memoir

Kansas Movies Mentioned in Trivia Segment

• The Wizard of Oz (1939) - Promotional footage filmed in Liberal, Kansas

• Picnic (1955) - Shot in Halstead, Hutchinson, Wichita, and Salina

• In Cold Blood (1967) - Filmed in Holcomb, Garden City, and Dodge City

• Up the Academy (1980) - Filmed at St. John's Military School in Salina

• Paper Moon (1973) - Shot in Hays, McCracken, and surrounding western Kansas towns

WHAT'S YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER'S NAME?

Sydney's looking for the perfect name for her sourdough starter! Drop your best pun or creative suggestion in the comments. The punier, the better!

Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com!

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net