A few months ago, I met Bill Lancaster at a local Bigfoot event. At the time Bill was filming for an upcoming film titled "Cultured Bigfoot". I got to know Bill a little bit at that event and later was interviewed at another event for his film. Well, the film is getting much closer to being released and recently an official trailer was released. I thought it would be good to do some Q & A with Bill about the film and his interest in the Bigfoot phenomenon.
Here is our interview and the official trailer for Cultured Bigfoot.
TM: What got you interested in Bigfoot?
BL: I got interested in Bigfoot from watching shows with my dad like "In search of" with Leonard Nimoy. I think the Bigfoot episode was the first time I learned about Bigfoot. Then watching the Six Million Dollar man fight a Bigfoot. From there I, in grade school, I would get my weekly reader order mini magazine, if you know what I am talking about...I was the kid that would order the Loch Ness Monster books, and UFO books and of course Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole Peanuts gang.
TM: What gave you the idea of doing the film, Cultured Bigfoot?
BL: As part of getting to know my wife before she was my wife, we found we shared a lot of neat common interest, and one of them was Bigfoot. I was also thru her urging continuing to develop my photography skills and entering local Photo contest. I have always loved movies and really get into documentaries...I like to learn while I watch. I needed to upgrade cameras and decided I wanted something that could also shot broadcast quality videos. I knew I wanted to try and film little shorts and play around with stuff that I could see and share on social media, a pacifier if you will for the film bug. As me and my wife listened to more Bigfoot related podcast and shows like Coast to Coast AM, and watch more videos on YouTube and similar platforms, we said I can do that...I think I can make something that good or better. So we went to our first Bigfoot convention in Virginia last year, and ahead of time I got permission to film the 2 days conference, and said I would put it up and share what I filmed with everyone. That was where it got started, we were getting involved in the Bigfoot Community and meeting a bunch of new folks who would become friends with similar interest, and I was scratching that film bug itch. I began to connect and network with a lot of folks in the Bigfoot community thru social networking, and then that lead to phone calls, and meeting. I had already been working on my first documentary and soon to be released film about a local author called "Write of Passage: An Authors Journey". So I had my feet wet in how to kinda put a film together, shots, questions, interviewing, sound, lighting, the whole nine yards, and I had been slowly accumulating and upgrading equipment to make some sharp looking and sounding well edited footage. I ask my wife Amy, the other half of Bilco Productions if she would help me write a documentary about Bigfoot, that I had made a lot of connections within the community and think we could make something neat. Amy asked what do you want to do, the run around in the woods stuff? I said no not really, we both decided we were fascinated by the community and culture that we had began to encounter the more we got involved in our armchair research and visits to conventions and seminars. So we decided to take a look at something we had not really seen addressed yet, but we wanted it to be serious, respectful and as sharp looking and well presented as we could make it. The rest is an ever evolving history, we are probably 3/4's the way thru interviews and filming, and are surprising ourselves with the content and participation we are getting from names with in the Bigfoot Community/Culture, big and small.
TM: How long have you been filming on this project?
BL: Since March of this year, we started in your neck of the woods at a Seminar that you attending in Harlan, KY, that was hosted by Michael Cook of Cook Cryptid Research.
TM: What are your thoughts on the Bigfoot Community as a whole?
BL: My thoughts on the Bigfoot Community as a whole are, I have meet so many awesome genuine people that I believe are honest folks, that have had either genuine encounters or just simple share the same interest in learning more about this elusive creature. I have meet folks that I have become good friends with. I have been amazed at the wide demographic of folks from all walks of life, background, education, beliefs, and professions. Where else would a Professor, a Salesman, a lawyer, a PhD, a custodian, a small business owner, actually sit down and have something in common to talk about, but that's what I have found at these conferences and seminars and thru social media. I have also found out that the community is much smaller then you think. It is definitely a minority community. One bad thing I have found besides the obvious non-productive hoaxing, is the bickering, name calling, slamming each others work, or group, the Bigfoot Drama...that part is alive and well. When I first got into this, I got blocked from a group because I was filming for this group, then I got blocked by that group because I was on that groups page. We are just trying to stay neutral, but everywhere you turn the silly Bigfoot Drama keeps creeping in. We've run into folks at conferences or on social media that want to tell you what you can sell, or what you can and cannot post because they don't want you to lead folks to check out another group, it's ridiculous...and we are just novices, newbies in the field if you will. I have to say this most emphatically for the little bit negativity we have encountered in this journey, the friends and relationships, we have built along with the learning, far out way any Bigfoot Drama...you got to share people, we, you are a minority within a minority community.
TM: Were you, or are you a believer in Bigfoot?
BL: I believe there is not enough proof to say that the creature does not exist. I have met way to many, what I consider credible people who have had encounters, that would seem to have no reason to lie or fabricate there story. Most of these folks get ridiculed about their story by the general public anyway, so why add to that by embellishing it. I think the fact that most of history and society today ignore the fact that Native Americans have 60 some odd names across numerous tribes spread across the country, that just accept it as part of there culture, and heritage. The stories and oral traditions that the Native Americans pass along prove to me that this is a flesh and blood a creature in the forest as a dear or a bear. I think the fact that our written history has chosen to ignore the encounters of folks that hit these shores long before Columbus, and they speak of large hairy giants, and the numerous accounts in early America papers of finding giant skeletons, that manage to disappear and seem to be purposely wiped away from written history and memory is unsettling. Yes I believe there is something out there, I think it is something between man and ape, but maybe its own species, and maybe not entirely without some supernatural aspect's.
TM: When do you think the film Cultured Bigfoot will be releases?
BL: We wrap up shooting in September, and hope to have it released starting with Amazon and across multiple platforms Winter 2017. You can keep up with new trailers and progress on Facebook at Bilco Productions, and YouTube channel at darthbill68, and on the channels show Bigfoot B.S.(with Bill & Sam)
Well, Bill, thanks for doing the short interview and good luck with the film. I'm glad I was able to have a small part in it.
Here is a look at the trailer for Cultured Bigfoot.
Thanks
Tom
This post by Thomas Marcum, Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as The Crypto Crew. Over 20 years experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and poet.
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