One of the most common questions of any artist is “Where did that idea come from?”— often closely followed by “What does it mean?” Like many of my films, Into the South started as a small inspiration but gradually attracted other ideas to it, changing and morphing and growing like a great snowball rolled down a hill, picking up sticks and dirt and grass along the way. This report is a reflection of my preparations and experiences making the 35mm short film Into the South. It is weighted more heavily toward development and pre-production, with a few memorable moments and musings interspersed, mostly for my own benefit. But I will do my best to explain to the University where this idea came from, and what does it mean. / text