Roland Cañamar is the founder and president of SDF Studios / Silver Dream Factory, a family-owned motion picture facility in Anaheim, California. A filmmaker, cinematographer and CSUN film alumnus, he brings firsthand experience with the creative, financial and logistical challenges of bringing an independent production to life.

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His passion for storytelling began at age ten with his father’s Kodak X30 Instamatic Camera. Roland created picture dramas by arranging toy soldiers and tanks on miniature battlefields (e.g., Figure 1) and suspending airplane models he had built from fishing line. He recorded dialogue and sound effects on a two-track cassette recorder, then played the soundtrack while flipping through the photographs—his first homemade movies.

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At thirteen, Roland and his best friend, John Amy, enrolled in Mrs. Johnson’s communications course, where he shot his first Super 8 movie, an "epic" war picture, and was immediately hooked. That Christmas, he found a Super 8 camera under the tree with his name on it.

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Throughout high school, Roland pursued filmmaking with a passion, producing and shooting short documentaries in place of written papers for most of his classes. By graduation, he had also made dozens of sketches and short films. He continued his education at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, before transferring to California State University, Northridge.

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His professional career began with hands-on work as a production assistant and grip, including the now-famous Life Alert commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” It was one of many productions on which he learned the craft and the practical demands of a working set.

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Soon afterward, Roland founded The Mini Mini Grip & Lighting

(e.g., Figure 2), serving productions throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. The work sharpened his lighting and camera skills, and in 1991 he served as cinematographer on the USA Network film The Elf Who Saved Christmas and The Elf and The Magic Key (Photo 3), "Warriors Of The Wasteland", 70mm short (Photo #4)

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By 2001, his grip and electric service had grown to two trucks, and he had several feature films to his credit. He formed Silver Dream Factory and secured a small stage in Laguna Niguel, California, pursuing his dream of creating a facility for filmmakers while producing and directing his own projects.

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As the studio grew, so did his vision. In 2010, Roland moved the operation to Anaheim, into a facility six times larger than his earlier space. The location kept the studio within the industry’s Thirty Mile Zone and gave him room to expand its standing sets for independent filmmakers.

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A longtime Orange County resident, Roland designed and built those sets around the practical needs of production: room to move the camera, connected environments and authentic settings where stories can unfold. Today, the 18,000-square-foot facility brings hospital, police, residential, aviation and backlot environments together in one location. His guiding idea is simple: help crews shoot more and move less.

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At SDF Studios, Roland has produced and directed short films, children’s programs and his feature film *A Joint Custody Christmas*. Under his leadership, the studio has served thousands of productions and grown into Orange County’s most prolific motion picture facility.

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Roland is now developing new feature productions, continuing the pursuit that began with toy soldiers, a cassette recorder and a stack of 4x6 photographs: creating stories that move the soul.