Lexington, KY - Recession? What recession? That's what local filmmakers are saying about making movies in tough economic times. Recently I checked in with two local Kentucky filmmakers I have covered in past columns - Charles Shouse, director of "Forever in Black Hills," and George Bonilla, the creative force behind such films as "Zombie Planet" and "The Edison Death Machine." I wondered how the downturn has affected their work.
Both directors say they have refused to let the economy slow them down one bit. They are still pursuing their dreams because they still firmly believe in the power of movies, in good times, and especially bad.
"During the Depression, the one thing that did boom was the movie industry. People have always been looking to get away from their woes. They look for escapism. For that reason, movies have always done well," Bonilla said.
If anything, tough times make the magic of the movies even more attractive to investors. "What's a safe investment any more?" Shouse asks. "It used to be a highly risky endeavor to invest in a film. But after people have lost in all these other so-called safe investments, movie investing doesn't look so bad. Hollywood still continues to turn in record numbers."
Shouse made his first film, "Forever in Black Hills," on a shoestring. But he planned to follow that up with a period drama about life in a coal-mining town at the turn of the century. But its $2-million budget became too big of an obstacle to overcome. So that project, along with a script for a big-budget war film, is temporarily on the back burner.
Since then, Shouse has turned to less financially ambitious undertakings. He's planning a character-driven story about a father and his estranged daughter titled "A Beautiful Darkness." He says it's an emotional drama set in Eastern Kentucky, highlighting damaged family relationships, forgiveness and growth. And he also just completed a pilot for a reality TV show.
When money is tight, Shouse has found that offering a cameo in a movie can be an added incentive to an investor. "It's helped me a lot letting investors play a small role in the movie."
That approach helped Shouse acquire some of the funding for a short feature he plans to shoot this summer or fall. He describes it as a "sci-fi, action, horror thriller film." It will involve ancient Egypt, cat creatures with mysterious powers, a bit of Indiana Jones and a dash of "National Treasure."
Meanwhile, his day job as director of digital media for an Eastern Kentucky nonprofit agency has kept Shouse busy. The agency has received a grant to produce a film aimed at educating young women on the issue of sexual assault. Production will begin in June, and the budget will enable Shouse to work with a professional crew and director of photography.
George Bonilla, who has established himself as central Kentucky's king of independent thriller films, has encountered fewer problems with funding. "We've been self-financed from the very beginning," he explains. Other than some scheduling difficulties with actors and crews related to the economy, Bonilla has kept a steady stream of pictures in the pipeline.
Bonilla followed up "Edison Death Machine" with the release of "Monstrosity" in 2007 (its tagline: "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but a sledgehammer does the job right"). Now he is ready to premiere his seventh picture, "Hell-ephone," in May. It's a story of a group of college students making prank calls to funeral homes pretending to be calling from the great beyond. But the prank goes awry when the college kids start turning up dead.
Bonilla's trademark enthusiasm for the business hasn't been dampened by the economy. At a recent convention, he saw someone selling t-shirts promoting a graphic novel entitled "Santa vs. the Zombies." That's all he needed to get his creative juices flowing. He got permission from its creators and, this fall, Bonilla will begin shooting a film based on that concept. "It will be a family movie that everyone can enjoy at Christmastime," he says. "There will be some good scares, good effects, but nothing gory, nothing over the top. It will be a funny, goofy story you can watch with a 10-year-old."
Despite the recent defeat of the film incentive bill in the state legislature, both directors remain bullish about making movies in Kentucky. They are optimistic that the independent film industry will come out of this period stronger than before and ultimately be a boon to our economy.
"We're all struggling," Shouse says. "But if we can help each other out on our projects, that's one way we can get things done without a lot of cash."
Bonilla agrees: "We're not in a competition. It's all for one, one for all in this. We try to help each other out as much as we can." He has gotten calls to help out other productions with rocket launchers, machine guns and fake blood. "I just hope the FBI isn't listening in on these conversations," he laughs.
Shouse advises: "People shouldn't get discouraged. If you've got a good idea, if you can get access to equipment, you should still go after it. Because all of this bad news will blow over. I just plan to push through it."
"In the meantime, we're not going broke," Bonilla adds. "We're having fun, and we're still making movies."
Lexington Film League
In April, local filmmakers met to launch the Lexington Film League. The goal of the new organization is to promote Lexington as a thriving center for the cinematic arts, provide networking opportunities for aspiring filmmakers, and offer screenings, workshops and education.
Founders Gina Willis, Kiley Lane and Ryan Rivard envision the film league will bring together all elements of the local film community and, in the process, create work opportunities for those wanting to get into the business.
Lane says her goal is that, in the future, young Lexington filmmakers will have no reason to move out of town to pursue their careers. "They won't want to leave because there will be a vibrant film community in Lexington. They can stay right here."
Membership is open to professionals in the film business, students and anyone interested in film. The organizers are looking for "creative minds and energetic personalities." If you weren't able to attend the kick-off meeting, but would like to get involved, you can contact Gina at gina@veslex.com or Kiley at lane@veslex.com.
World Independent Film Expo
A celebration of the independent filmmaker and a celebration of the motion picture fan - that's the billing for the World Independent Film Expo, to be held May 15 - 17 in Richmond at two screening locations. More than 50 features and short films will be screened, including the world premiere of George Bonilla's "Hell-ephone," and there will be seminars on lighting and stunt fighting, and roundtables with reality TV stars, celebrities, and local and national directors. Advance tickets are $6.50 a day, or an all-access pass for all three days is $20. For more info, go to www.wifeexpo.com.