 Chris Blanton grew up in Cleveland, Tennessee, a growing town just north of Chattanooga. At an early age, he became fascinated with the movies of his childhood. They were the staple classics of a kid born in the first half of the 80’s: StarWars, Indiana Jones, Superman, and the alike. Blanton started making home movies by the age of 12, but he spent most of his time studying John Williams, the composer of his favorite movies. “It became obvious that the music was a main character,” said Blanton, “pointing the actors in the right path of the story and directing the emotional level of the movie with a constant force.” By the time Chris Blanton graduated with honors from high school, he had spent several years composing music, playing in the high school band, won second place in an international song writing competition, won awards for drama competitions, used every class presentation as an opportunity to make a short film, and dived into a self-educated study of non-linear editing.
Before going to Middle Tennessee State University to study mass communications, Blanton spent his senior summer in a mentorship with Wells Smith, a 34 year veteran of the movie business who worked on films from Interview with the Vampire and True Lies to Déjà vu and The Mist. Upon arriving at MTSU, Blanton taught two weekend seminars to seniors on news package assessment and became the assistant production manager for Middle Tennessee Television. A year later, Blanton returned home and attended Lee University, where he studied history. “I was not interested in broadcasting,” pointed out Blanton, which was the main video program at MTSU, “and I could not afford film school. So, I went home to study history and get a safe, reliable plan into action before I tried to take on the world. I went home to get a backup degree.” Blanton still worked freelance on the side, but his video career was put on the back burner.
Two years later Chris Blanton received a phone call that would change his “safe, reliable plan” forever. “Some old friends from MTSU called and said they were doing this thing called the 48 Hour Film Project,” explained Blanton, a competition that branches out over more than 30 cities around the world, “I could have cared less about the competition. I just wanted to see my friends.” Blanton went to the regional Nashville 48 Hour Film Project with his friends. They made a Civil War piece and won 12 awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Overall Film.
“I realized something that day. I realized that I could do it. People always said how tuff and hard it is to make it in this business, and I bought into it. I believed I was being a dreamer. That day (the night of the awards ceremony), we did it. We beat the best independents in Nashville. We dreamed big, and we worked even harder to achieve it. I thank God for that day.” – Chris Blanton
The next year, Blanton returned to compete in the 48HFP, but this time as director. His 48HFP career highlights:
The Way It Happened
Best Cinematography
· Honorable Mention Best Director
PAYDAY
· Best Cinematography
· Best Overall Film
· Best Director
Shush
· 5th Place Internationally
Shortly thereafter, Chris Blanton started collaborating with writer/producer William Fain for his first feature film A Father’s Choice, An emotional character study on a father who had a child outside of wedlock and the battles he had to face, in and out of the courtroom, to protect his daughter. Blanton is credited for Director, Screenwriter, and Editor. Recently, Blanton just finished directing his second feature Amateurs written by Curt Willis and made once again under collaboration with William Fain Productions. Amateurs is a baseball comedy and a coming of age story of four guys in their thirties who learn there is more to life than baseball through the wild and crazy events that take place during their final season playing together. Amateurs is currently in post production.
“In the end, I will tell you this. I will never regret being a storyteller or taking a chance at the impossible.” –Chris Blanton
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