Hope Bridge - Day 4

Do you ever wonder why they keep making the same movies over and over? Whether it’s a government experiment gone wrong, which leads to a deadly virus that turns people into flesh-eating zombies or a group of teenagers who venture into a remote location only to be picked off by some deranged killer. Or perhaps you’ve seen the latest home invasion movie. I’m sure most people have seen these types of movies countless times. Perhaps, they ask themselves when is somebody going to make a movie worth seeing.

Well, that answer is Hope Bridge, a film currently being shot in and around Lawrenceburg, KY. It’s thrilling to be making a movie, and I’m sure the cast and crew would agree that it’s an added bonus to be involved with a movie that has an opportunity to impact lives, a movie about something that matters.

Most people who work in the movie business seldom get that opportunity. As I move around and chat with folks, I get a sense of purpose and vision from everybody involved in the production of this film. So thank you cast and crew for your dedication in making a movie that matters.

Moving on, today is our last day before four straight night shoots as in 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. So sleep is going to be in short supply. Today’s scenes mostly involved Kevin Sorbo and Booboo Stewart. The location was primarily centered around Lawrenceburg City Hall.

Sorbo plays Eric in the film as a mentor and counselor to Stewart’s character Jackson. Later in the week comes a dramatic scene at the bridge between Eric and Jackson. More on that later.

As I travel around the set, one thing that strikes me is how many people are involved in making a movie. There are a lot of people we probably never think about who perform vital roles. One area is craft. Stephanie Kruthaupt, a film graduate from Eastern Michigan University, oversees craft operations. It’s her job to feed and water the crew. She sees her role as vital and important to the overall health of cast and crew. She says, “Dinner time is a time to chill out, take a break from the stress, a bonding time.” Stephanie enjoys seeing a smile on their faces. She realizes good food goes a long way in achieving good production with effective output. Her view on craft is “You don’t think about it until it’s not working. It’s an important job.”

Craft is new to Stephanie. This is her first time. She’s having fun, and she wants to be in the moment. She says that she’s got something special planned in the days ahead. Her message to the crew is she encourages everyone to waste less so we can have better food options as the production continues. That’s good advice, indeed. 

I think everybody is going to find Hope Bridge refreshing because it’s original, different, and absolutely dramatic. I see that as a winning combination. That’s it for today. More to come. 

Day 2 - A tour of set - Hope Bridge

Hope Bridge - Day 2

Well, there’s no doubt about it. Hope Bridge is now in full production mode. We’ve moved from Wilmore to Lawrenceburg where a significant part of our film will be shot. Lawrenceburg is as Americana as it gets, especially its classic representation of “Main Street USA”. It is a perfect place to open our production office and get to work.

With that in mind, day 2 of production was a full day lasting well into the night and ending at 3:00 a.m. We upped our game and shot six and a half minutes of screen time. I’m sure the crew was exhausted, but there was a sense of satisfaction in our continued progress of making a movie that we can be proud of and that will undoubtedly make an impact on culture.

Our main location for the day was a downtown bar located on Main Street. Our art department had the responsibility of transforming the location into Jim’s Pool Hall. It’s really amazing when you walk into a location and you think “we’re really going to shoot here”.

Teresa Strebler is our production designer. Teresa and her team performed their magic by transforming the bar into a place that actually became a character in our film. It’s amazing watching them make the impossible possible.

Teresa said that they came in with a blank canvas, and three hours later she and her crew of three turned over the set to our director, Joshua Overbay. She went on to say that there were a number of logos that had to be covered up. “We produced 20 band posters to decorate the walls. We also used classic road signs and state license plates to give the place a finished look. The DP wanted to use the existing lights over the pool tables. So we had to make that work with fake covers over existing logos. Overall, I was happy with the results considering the time we had.”

I had a chance to see some of the footage, and all I can say is, “It looks impressive”. The smoke effect added a whole new dimension. Teresa is a graduate of Ohio University. She got interested in production design in college when she began to wonder why there wasn’t anything on the walls in the student films she was working on. She says, “What I do is not to look at things as they are but how they can be.” Her goal is to embellish each set to actually become a character in the story.

Usually, after a few days of preparation and a couple of days of actual production, you usually see a few cracks. To tell you the truth, I don’t see any signs of tension or conflict. There are good things going on in Lawrenceburg, and Hope Bridge looks like it’s shaping up to be something special.

Sunday is a day off, and I hope everybody gets some well-needed rest. There’s much more to come.

Hope Bridge Day 1

Production has begun. Day 1 of Hope Bridge is in the books. When you shoot a feature, you try to start off with a simple day. The goal is to get off on the right foot. You want to build teamwork and see how people are going to work together. It’s all about finding a rhythm.

Our goal was to shoot 2 scenes which would translate into about 3 and a half minutes of screen time. First you want to stay on schedule. All I can say is mission accomplished; however, we did have our challenges. It rained and continued to rain throughout the day. Let me correct that. It actually poured.

That would have been fine if we had been shooting indoors. But, by chance, our first day was scheduled for exterior shots. Somehow, the crew made it work. In fact, our director, Joshua Overbay, sorta welcomed the rain. He felt that the rain created the mood and the emotional impact that he was looking to achieve. Maybe we got lucky or, perhaps, it was a divine intervention.

For those who are not familiar with Hope Bridge, the movie stars Booboo Stewart, who is a teenager searching for answers about his father’s recent death and potential suicide. It’s a film that offers a powerful and compelling story.

I asked Isaac Stambaugh, who is the unit production manager, what he thought about the first day. “It was pretty good. We overcame several obstacles. We accomplished everything we wanted to and then some. We got what we needed. This says something about the character of the crew. We dealt with equipment problems, rain, vehicles that wouldn’t start, and a camera that accidentally got locked up. Maybe, it’s not time to spike the football, but we certainly had several first downs.”

For anybody who hasn’t been on a movie set, the days are long. Several of the crew members are here at 6 a.m. to set up. The final teardown wasn’t until 7:30 p.m. That’s a thirteen and a half day.

Hat’s off to the PAs who help to control traffic and had to stand out in the pouring rain for most of the day.

That’s it for Day 1.

Hope Bridge starts on July 5

Hope Bridge starts on Friday. It’s finally here. After months of preparations it all starts tomorrow with a 7 a.m. call time.

Over 50 cast and crew will be in action for the next 21 days to complete the feature film Hope Bridge. We spent the last three days in preparation. It looks like we are going to have to deal with rain. But the camera crew has found a way to deal with the inclement weather.

For me, it’s a dream come true. I’m serving as one of the film’s producers. I’ve been involved with the project for almost 2 years.

Hope Bridge is a joint partnership between the Cincinnati-based film company, Rebel Film Productions, and Asbury University in Wilmore, KY.

Tomorrow’s first day of production will take place in Wilmore; however, a significant part of the film will be shot in Lawrenceburg, KY and other Central KY locations.

The film stars Booboo Stewart who appeared as Seth in the Twilight and Breaking Dawn movies, along with Kevin Sorbo from TV’s Hercules, The Legendary Journeys.

The enthusiasm of the cast and crew is high. Everybody is pulling together, and I believe we’re going to have an outstanding movie as a result.

Asbury is the perfect partner. It’s a great opportunity for their students to work on a feature film.

It’s amazing how many small details have to come together in order for a movie to become a reality. It’s a lot of moving parts. It’s all about logistics and organization, moving people and resources to the right place and time.

I’ll keep you updated.

Christian Movie Connect Episode 79 - Erin Cottrell

Award winning actress, Erin Cottrell is best known for her portrayal as Missie LaHaye in the Michael Landon Jr. series, “Love Comes Softly”. As the daughter of a choreographer, Erin has performed in such great musicals as “Annie”, “The Sound of Music” and “The Nutcracker Ballet”. Erin has also appeared in a variety TV shows and films including “All My Children”, “Guiding Light”, “Ed”, “ER”, “Cold Case”, “CSI: NY”, “Faith of My Fathers”, and “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde” with Reese Witherspoon. Her newest film, “The Identical” is set for theatrical release in the fall of 2013.


In this interview, Cottrell talks with CMC host, Cheryl Ariaz Wicker, about how film can bring the message of hope and purpose to peoples’ lives.

“The Identical” is the story of twin brothers raised in different families struggling to find their purpose and destiny. Spanning five decades from the 1930′s through the 1970′s, this film is about the restoration and the reconciliation of a family broken apart by culture, creed and tradition.

So You Want to Make a Movie - NEVER pay retail!

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 8 The Second Re-evaluation

Did you raise the money you need? Congratulations if you hit your goal. But if you are like most filmmakers, you probably fell short. If you were aiming for $200,000 to $250,000 and did everything right through Step 7, you probably raised somewhere from $120,000 to $160,000. So what do you do now? You have several options. You could move forward and hope that additional resources will be found. But the truth is the money you have is the money you have. My advice is don’t expect more money to magically materialize. Moving forward without the proper resources can be dangerous. Your finances must not only get you through the production phase but also all the way through post production as well as promoting your film on the festival circuit, which is essential in getting a distribution deal.

Another option is to wait until you’ve raised all the money necessary to produce your movie. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. By waiting, you get to make the movie you want and are not forced to make difficult choices. In some cases, waiting may be a good decision; however, delaying your project has risks. Your investors may become anxious and pull their support. With no firm production schedule, key team members that you have already lined up may not be able to continue to commit to your film. Delays lasting longer than a year usually means you will never get your movie off the ground. Some people dream about making a movie, others talk about it, but filmmakers make movies.

So I suggest following the final option. Push on and make your movie with the money you have already raised. If you have reached 60% of your budget, there is a way to get your film produced. It is going to require you to do a second evaluation. Go back and look at your script and your budget in the harsh reality of daylight. What absolutely has to be there to make your story work? This might mean that you may have to rewrite portions of your script considering the amount of money you actually have to make the script work. But, trust me; it can be done if you are within striking distance of your budget. I realize that some things dear to your heart are going to have to go, but it’s time to get out the chopping block.

You cannot pay top dollar or pay everybody who works on your film. Your goal is to mix paid professionals who are working at a reduced rate along with volunteers who, in some cases, are not experienced. I realize it’s a balancing act, but it’s the only way you will get your movie made. As a producer, you have to become a dealmaker. Can you make deals? Are you diplomatic? Can you negotiate for the best prices? I’m sure most of the costs that are contained in your budget are probably retail. NEVER pay retail! Nobody ever gives you their lowest price. You’re going to have to work for it.

As a dealmaker and low-budget filmmaker, you have to be willing to give people a little piece of your movie. Be creative. For example, rewrite a scene in your movie that can be shot in a restaurant. Pick a location that you know will work in your film. Most owners will be more than happy to allow you to shoot in their business for free as long as you promote their business in your film. You job is to create partnerships which mutually benefit each party. Ask the restaurant owner to provide food for you cast and crew for the days you are shooting in his or her business. Go a step further and see if they would be willing to supply food for the entire length of the production. Of course, it might mean featuring them more prominently in your movie; but if you can make a deal and get something for free or at a reduced rate, you are going to be a little bit closer to closing that 40% gap.

If you reduce the number of days for production, it will help to stretch your money. Most feature films are shot on a 6 to 8 week schedule with a total of 36 to 48 production days. I realize that’s what the book says, but you don’t have that type of money to pay cast and crew members or to rent equipment for that length of time. As a low-budget filmmaker, you will need to shoot your film in 2 to 4 weeks with 12 to 24 production days. To have any chance of finishing your film, production days will need to range anywhere from 12 to 16 hours. The industry standard for shooting a movie is 3 to 4 pages of script per day. You will have to work much faster. The best case scenario is you will have to shoot five pages a day. The worst case scenario is you could have to shoot up to 10 pages per day. This can be done with the right attitude, crew, plan, and someone who knows how to schedule a tight production.

I’ve yet to talk about faith or how God fits into all of this. Considering the fact that you do not have the resources or the money to pull it off, I hope by now you have come to the realization that you cannot do this without God’s help, At this point, you have to make a decision. Have I been called to do this? Am I willing to take a leap of faith and move forward despite all of the obstacles I will face? The second re-evaluation is a good time to ask these questions to check your motives as well as your motivation and resolve. I think you will discover that if you are making a Christian or faith based movie, there will be a lot more people willing to help. A good place to look for support is in your church community. Give people opportunities to volunteer with their time, expertise, labor and materials.