BY: ANDREW COLTRIN

Speedway's Marty Ketola discusses the challenges of indie filmmaking, self-distribution, keeping an unpaid cast and crew motivated, and his most recent film, Marijuanos, now available on DVD.

Marty Ketola spends 40 hours a week in the music department at Speedway. He spends the rest of his life making movies. A veteran of Tucson’s public access cable scene, Marty has been compulsively and constantly involved in some sort of DIY video project since the late 1980s. According to the Tucson Weekly, his recently released DVD “Marijuanos” was among the top ten sellers at Toxic Ranch for the week of November 9, 2007.  

How long have you been making movies?

Since 2002, officially. 

How long did it take you to make "Marijuanos?"

It took two years to shoot, and another three and a half to get the proper editing equipment to finish it.  

There are a lot of the same names and faces involved in "Marijuanos" and your other movie, "Comic Book Diaries." Who are the core creative forces in Pondo Enterprises?

Pondo Enterprises consists of myself and Clif Campbell, co-writer and director. We've developed a troupe of actors that have been in both movies: Paul Navarro, Christian Hanabergh, David Hernandez, Chris Duncan, Mark Herman and Mike Kotas. 

Watch the "Marijuanos" trailer.

The story in "Marijuanos" is more of a journey, with a lot of different locations, while "C.B.D." is more tightly focused around the comic book shop. How did the film making experience differ between the two? How did those differences influence the final product?

"Marijuanos" was the more difficult shoot. We were running all around town trying to beat the sun going down. And we only shot once or twice a week at most. 

In order to make the "C.B.D." shoot easier and the story tighter, its story was created around the comic shop. We shot it in 15 consecutive days, which was a grind all its own. 

I think "Marijuanos" looks better, but "C.B.D." has a better story. 

A couple years ago you screened an earlier version of "Marijuanos" with the working title "Heading Down." How is this new version different?

"Marijuanos" has been digitally remastered, which improves the quality drastically over the last version. 

The retail market for media seems to be getting tighter and tighter these days. Have you come up with any good distribution angles?

What has worked for us best so far is getting the DVD into indie stores. We intend to branch out of Arizona this way. So far, the DVDs are in Bookmans and Zia. 

You have a website where people can buy your movies directly from Pondo Enterprises. Have you had a lot of hits?

A lot of traffic, and a few sales. It seems that if people can hold it in their hand, they'll be more likely to buy it. 

I understand that your cast and crew are there pretty much on a voluntary basis. Does it sometimes get difficult to keep them on set and motivated?

Very much so. That's what took two years to shoot "Marijuanos." On "C.B.D.," we fed and transported the cast and crew, and that helped. We intend to pay our help on movie #3. 

What's the biggest surprise you've encountered in making movies?

There are so many surprises on a daily basis that it's really hard to name just one. Charlie (of Charlie's Comics) agreeing to let us shoot "C.B.D." in his store is right up there, though. 

Is there more to come from Pondo Enterprises?

Our next movie is now in pre-production. We hope to shoot by Spring or Summer 2008.

ANDREW COLTRIN has several Nigerian pen pals, each of whom need his help in transferring several million dollars out of their country. When not busy with correspondence, he has been known to do some very time consuming things like parent a six-year old child and form an art collective. The child is, of course, a genius. The art collective, Look for Signage, has produced three ingenious issues of the literary journal Bony Landmarks (the latest issue of which can be found at the Speedway Bookmans store). Andrew lives in Tucson with his legally recognized life-partner Jessica.