From the Desk of: Hillbilly God

So, sometimes making movies is totally exhilarating and exciting, like during our first shooting weekend (see May 26 post). And there are also tons of administrative tasks and boring shoots. The last few days I've been making phone calls to shooting locations and typing out itineraries for the forthcoming trip to Seattle, where we'll shoot for two days in the wooded suburbs. It's laying good groundwork, but not nearly as much fun as being on set.

Today, Carter Soles (producer and DP) drove down to Brice Creek to pick up some important establishing shots, and "second unit" inserts. He came back with some golden footage that I can't wait to cut together. But I've promised myself that I cannot start editing Hillbilly God until I finish editing "The Tale of Persephone" (currently in post-production and slated for Jan 2011 release).

With that, I leave you with a snapshot of the location where we will most likely film one of our characters plummeting to his death. We will frame out the bridge, filming onto the rock below, and show "Foster" falling into the water. We'll cut to the rapids that are nearby.

First Shoot: Hillbilly God

“Mountain of the Hillbilly God” is a micro-budget suspense-thriller set in rural West Virginia, being shot in the Pacific Northwest, by Fleem Productions. The script was written by Kom Kunyosying, his sophomore screenplay. It's being produced by Carter Soles, who is also the Director of Photography and lighting designer. I am director and editor. Today was our first day of shooting, and the only one that will require everyone in the nine-person ensemble cast to be present.

Despite difficult weather (cold and wet), and even with the changing light conditions from intermittent cloud cover to brightly dappled sun, the footage looks great. I'm totally sold that this will be Fleem's most impressive movie yet.

One of the main reasons our footage looks so good is because of our cast. I hope to put up a photo page of characters bios so you can see how awesome they all look. And not only do they look fabulous, they were patient with the "hurry-up-and-wait" pace of this first shoot. I'm so grateful for that patience.

Another reason our footage looks so good is because our props and costuming are top notch, especially for a micro-budget digital movie. Family loaned us two great vehicles for the Sheriff’s truck and for Edgar and Oma Jean’s truck. We bought prop guns made out of real gun parts, and we invested in real badges and utility belts. at every turn, the production value is higher for this movie than our previous two. A big thanks to everyone who has contributed already!

Stay tuned for photo updates and future posts, and follow the filming of Fleem's third feature-length movie, "Mountain of the Hillbilly God."