In the wake of the big-budget, studio-produced pictures that have been shot in our community in the past, it is easy to overlook smaller, independent productions that have been shot quietly here. Utilizing local talent and locations throughout Anderson, these films have relied on aid from local businesses and residents to ensure that the work has as much bang for the buck as their Hollywood counterparts.

In the past few weeks, Anderson County has played host to two new independent productions, Jayson Stamper’s “Highway Hunters” and Matt Green’s “Digging Up Graves.”

Any independent producer can attest that without community support, the production faces an uphill battle. But in Anderson, there is abundant support for the cinematic arts.

Anderson auteur Adam Minarovich knows this well. He has shot several motion pictures in his hometown.

“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to accomplish here in Anderson,” Minarovich said. “When working with a limited budget, it’s great to be able to count on support from local businesses and the people of Anderson County to help me ensure the shoot is a successful one.”

And it was that kind of community support that led Stamper to bring his production of “Highway Hunters” to Anderson. After hitting several roadblocks in other cities in the Carolinas, Stamper pulled up the stakes of his Charlotte-based picture and moved his production to Anderson.

“Without a doubt, Anderson is the independent film capital of South Carolina,” Stamper said. “I’ve lived in the Southeast almost my entire life, and I haven’t found a place that supports the arts more than this community.”

For example, Stamper said to look no further than Greg Shore of MedShore Ambulance Services. He provided an ambulance and drivers for a scene depicting the aftermath of a crime. It took only a few phone calls to nail down the location in Anderson and to enlist the help of MedShore.

Or Anderson resident Andy Carter, an avid supporter of independent film in the Upstate. He supplied locations and other services to the production of “Highway Hunters” for some of the film’s more elaborate set pieces. One SWAT team raid sequence required a fiery car explosion and massive gun battle, which included a helicopter swooping down on the event. Carter volunteered his time (and his home) to helping make this scene a reality.

“The support we found in Andy was incredible,” Stamper said. “Without his help, this film wouldn’t have gotten made.”

Members from two local fire departments came out to help with the car explosion scene. Volunteers from the Antreville Fire Department were on hand for the initial explosion and also donned costumes to play SWAT team members. Two days later, Flat Rock Bowen Chief Michael Hobbs and his team of firefighters came out to aid in setting the car ablaze again for a second scene and provided a barbecue lunch for the cast and crew.

“It’s not often that you see this kind of outpouring of support for a little film, but we are very appreciative of what these folks did for our production,” Stamper said of the firefighting crews.

With production members from all over the nation, the feature also employed several Andersonians as cast and crew.

“There’s a lot of talent to be found in Anderson, on both sides of the camera,” Stamper said. “Anderson is a filmmakers paradise, and I will never forget the wonderful experiences I had while on location there.”

The production has now moved to Dallas, where it will finish filming.

As “Highway Hunters” was finishing, another film was just beginning production in Anderson County. Cult director Matt Green chose Anderson as the location for his recent film, “Digging Up Graves.”

“I had worked with Adam Minarovich on a previous project, and he mentioned that Anderson would be perfect for my upcoming feature,” Green said. “He mentioned the people will help you with your production out of interest in the process and not the glamour. Also everything you could want is easily accessible and close by.”

Local stylist and makeup artist Donna Hathaway-Hulsey of Evergreen Spa performed double duty as makeup artist and handling all aspects of wardrobe.