Feature: Making Waves (p. 4)

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In addition to packing a micro-history of microradio and three station profiles into a single hour, Making Waves has simplified some some of the more complicated technical issues that are integral to understanding the microradio/LPFM debate. This is accomplished through the work of animator Steve Stwalley, who transformed Lahey's "crudely sketched drawings" into effective vignettes that do the pro-LPFM argument justice.

Ultimately, making Making Waves was not inexpensive: while Lahey self-financed the project to the tune of about $10,000, the budget (and quality) was significantly stretched at least ten-fold through all sorts of in-kind and donated production assistance from several film professionals. He is grateful for their self-sacrifice: "I was able to find several talented people who, after hearing about the topic and viewing the footage, joined the project and put in hours of work, along with donating equipment and editing facilities."

That combination of sheen and substance has brought critical reward. Making Waves won Best Feature Documentary at the 2004 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival and Best Documentary Feature at the Northern Lights Documentary Festival. Audiences get excited about the issues of microradio and its causes, and Lahey says that's an excellent reward in itself.

"I think that the original...LPFM proposal...goes a long way in helping give the airwaves back to the people," he wrote. "But...there will still be many areas where LPFM won't be legally available, and that's where I think city council members and concerned citizens need to step in to defend and support unlicensed stations...as long as these stations do not interfere with any other station."

If you're interested in purchasing a copy of Making Waves, please e-mail Michael Lahey directly at: info@jumpcutfilms.com.