Ballard filmmakers using Kickstarter to fundraise for ‘America’s Fighting Dinosaur’

A Ballard-based film group is currently trying to fund their new movie, “America’s Fighting Dinosaur,” throughKickstarter. The film is a, “short faux-documentary about the military career of Pvt. “Little” Sammy Vogel, a 7 ton, 40 foot long U.S. Army Infantryman and Tyrannosaurus Rex, who fought shoulder to kneecap with the Allied forces in Europe during the Second World War.” The campaign was launched on August 31, and they have until September 30 to reach their new goal of $20,000. (Their original goal of $10,000 was quickly surpassed.)

The goal of the film, according to the filmmakers, “is to make a convincing faux documentary that combines two of history’s most fascinating and dangerous subjects.” The film will use photos, archive footage and interviews with veterans and soldiers, to “shed some light on how America’s biggest soldier managed to go unheard of for so long.” Writer and director Steve Snoey says the response has been amazing so far. “I suspected I wasn’t the only one interested in this kind of mash up but I wasn’t expecting such an enthusiastic response.”

Snoey’s career in the video game industry started with character design and modeling for games such as Supreme Commander 1, Supreme Commander 2 and Demigod (Gas Powered Games) and Marvel Kapow and Whirleo (Smith + Tinker), according to a release.  “As much as I love video games, movies have always held an equally special place in my heart. I’m really excited at the level of talent that’s supporting me on my first film,” Snoey said in the release. According to the release, “Despite the sensational subject matter, the project strives to avoid downplaying or trivializing the sacrifice of the real veterans of WW2. Says Snoey, ‘It won’t be The Thin Red Linebut it also won’t be Operation Dumbo Drop.‘”