10/06/2026
Behind every frame is a story. Behind every story is a process.
These images are a mix of moments from The Song of the Hammer and the journey of bringing it to life.
For a few days, we stepped into Wayne Schmidt’s world — a place where 17th-century blacksmithing techniques are still alive, where steel is shaped by hand, and where every strike of the hammer carries decades of experience.
What started as a documentary about craftsmanship quickly became a story about something deeper.
Patience.
Purpose.
Dedication.
What fascinated me most was watching Wayne work.
As the forge heats and the hammer begins to fall, he enters a state of complete focus. A kind of zen. Time seems to stop. The outside world disappears, and all that remains is the rhythm of the hammer, the glow of the steel, and the next strike.
The way Wayne spoke about his craft, combined with that rhythm, became the inspiration behind the title The Song of the Hammer.
As filmmakers, we’re often chasing the next project, the next deadline, the next deliverable.
Wayne reminded us of something different.
To slow down.
To focus on the process.
To find meaning in repetition.
The sparks from the forge.
The quiet moments between takes.
The conversations around craftsmanship.
Those moments became just as important as the film itself.
Shot on the Blackmagic PYXIS 12K using XEEN CF cinema lenses and brought to life through editing and colour grading in DaVinci Resolve.
