No Limits No Refunds Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short documentary film No Limits No Refunds directed by Ben Strickland.

What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?

My film is called No Limits No Refunds. This is the Altenburg family motto that encompasses their motivation to achieve the daily goal with no hesitation. “No Refunds” came from an echo Gus used to say as an echo, a tic that he developed due to Autism. “No Limits” described the family’s parenting style to help Gus succeed every day. These two phrases eventually became one as their slogan for Gus when he was on the wrestling team.

Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.

Gus Altenburg was diagnosed with Autism as a toddler. His parents, Bethany and Joe Altenburg, worked hard to make sure Gus learned how to cope with his diagnosis and prepare him for the neurotypical world as best they could. With the support of his best friends, Gus joined the Lincoln High School wrestling team as a freshman. Gus faced unique challenges competing due to his struggles with Autism, but this didn’t stop his success. His senior year, he qualified for the Florida High School Athletic Association State Wrestling Tournament wrestling other kids 20 pounds heavier than him.

This story is very near and dear to my heart. I was Gus’s first friend in preschool, and with my brother Tyler, we grew up as an unbreakable trio. Gus was always more interested in technology and video games than he was in sports, so when I saw him succeed in wrestling, it made my time with my team that much more enjoyable, regardless of if I didn’t have as good of a record as he did. When I heard he would be competing in the Regional tournament, I made the trip from Valdosta, GA where I was going to college so I could watch him compete. It was an off-the-cuff decision to film all of his regional matches mat-side, and by doing so it gave me the best seat to watch his biggest success. Before the state tournament, I was reading a blog describing each qualifying wrestler, and I vividly remember the author saying Gus was “the most inspiring story in the tournament.” That was the moment I realized I had the opportunity to document that story with the skills I was learning in college as a Mass Media major.

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

There are no direct filmmakers that have inspired this film. During pre-production, I wanted to make this as close to my version of an ESPN 30-for-30 film as I could with the limited skill-set and equipment I had at my disposal.

What is the goal of the film for you?

I initially wanted this to be a sports documentary with a heart-warming backstory. I’m happy to say, the story has reversed my priorities: it’s now a mental-health documentary on a sports stage. Gus’s achievements gain its notoriety not from what he accomplished (which by itself is still a very respectable feat even for neurotypical people), but also the mental battle he faced every time he walked onto the mat. Gus shows that, while Autism makes the sociability- and physicality-heavy sport of wrestling super difficult, people like him can still succeed in spite of the barriers. I want everyone who watches this story, whether they are neurotypical or neurodivergent, that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to and to take it one day at a time.

What has the journey been like getting the film into production?

I recently graduated from Valdosta State University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Mass Media. This story was chosen as my senior capstone project idea. I’m privileged to be able to rent high quality equipment from the university to film all my school-related projects, including the Sony α7ii mirrorless camera that I used for all my interviews. The biggest challenge was the travel; for a college student that had 3 other classes, a job, and graduation looming in the next couple months, the traveling to interview every subject in person was daunting. However, I’m very thankful that I traveled the 1,000 total miles before gas prices spiked! The other big challenge I faced was having to do everything on my own: filming, interviewing, editing, the whole nine yards. My professor preferred students to work in pairs to lighten the load of the project. However, between wanting creative control over how my story is told, another student electing to film her project on her own as well, and not being able to recruit a partner for my project, I decided to take the whole production into my own hands. I won’t say that I regret going solo, but it did make for a large mountain to climb.

One thing you learned from this project?

Films are very time-intensive. As a kid watching YouTube videos, it’s very easy to think that you can set up a video idea, shoot it, and edit it all together within a day or two. However, the amount of time you put into a film is going to show through rushed editing, small visual mistakes, and important parts of the story left untold. I know my film probably doesn’t look the best visually compared to others, but it’s one of the cleanest videos I’ve made since coming to college.

How can folks find you and your film online?

I am in the process of submitting No Limits No Refunds to various film festivals happening in the next year or two. The film will then be made public on YouTube after the season is over. I am currently continuing my passion of working with the camera and taking on the next challenge of promoting myself through social media! I love to work with the camera, so I do photography as well as videography. My photography Instagram is “benstricklandphotography” and I will push myself to create more and more consistent content now that I’ve graduated.

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

The most important part of filmmaking is delivering a strong, comprehensive story. You don’t have to be a camera wiz or the Shakespeare of screenplays to create meaningful films. In my time at VSU, I’ve seen people who are dying to be in front of the camera, and I’ve seen others that would probably faint if the lens pointed too close in their direction, but they all had storytelling skills in their own way. Maybe you work well behind the computer piecing together all the shots as an editor, or maybe you have a knack in creating the best lighting set-up. Whatever it may be, there are so many ways to tell a story, so hone your skills and make one your viewers will never forget.

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