Production continues for Davis County Community Film Project
Community Film Project director Lucas McGraw films a promotional video.
Project volunteer Trevor Parker films a scene from the top of Francis Peak.
Community Film Project organizers stand in front of the Kaysville Theater in the project's pitch video.
A group of film-loving Davis County folks proposed an idea to their fellow residents this spring that, as far as they’re concerned, has never been done before.
“Let’s make a movie,” they said.
The goal is to create a feature film entirely filmed in Davis County, with cast and crew from the area as well.
“Think about just what it would be like to get a film off the ground at a local level,” said Rhett Wilkinson, Community Film Project volunteer and assistant script writer. “Local theater has been done but local film is something else entirely. That’s just unheard of, really.”
Now, the project is moving forward and will begin filming in August. A script was selected and written, and auditions were held just last week.
The project is looking to tell a “live-action Pixar,” Wilkinson said.
“That’s something that … has remained a very strong idea, tone and mood of the script, and the message of the story still remains true to that live Pixar idea,” he said.
According to the project’s website, the film, called “Before Your Time,” written by Kayla Anderson, tells the story of 17-year-old Dylan, who discovers his father’s uncompleted to-do list of adventures he and two friends made 20 years ago, the summer before they left for college. Without his father knowing, Dylan, his sister Abby and neighbor Peter use the summer to go on a crusade to complete the list.
It’s centered around family and family coming together, Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson said those involved with the project think it can do for Davis County what “Napoleon Dynamite” did for Preston, Idaho.
“Look at the business that were found in “Napoleon” — those businesses did well in terms of their bottom line — they were shot in Preston, and Preston businesses have benefited greatly,” he said.
“That’s what we do offer with this — that is what we have in common with “Napoleon,” that it was shot locally.”
One thing that CFP has a leg up on “Napoleon Dynamite” is that the actors will all be local. “Napoleon Dynamite” was sold to a larger studio and the actors weren’t plucked only from Preston, Wilkinson said.
“It’s really, really grassroots,” he said. “If we have our Jon Heder, he’s going to come from Davis County. That’s what makes it a phenomenon, is that it’s hyper-local.”
To move forward, CFP is focusing on receiving partnerships with individuals and businesses, along with community outreach, as an estimated $42,000 is needed to get the film in theaters, Wilkinson said.
“All you have to do for the outreach is to be able to get the word out,” he said, which can be done by handing out CFP fliers or sharing materials — such as the many promo videos the project has filmed and put on YouTube and Facebook — to social media.
Community outreach has already begun, as CFP had floats in the Syracuse city parade on June 27, the Kaysville parade on July 4 and the Clinton parade on July 11. To make the project’s message even more clear, a music video with Karlie McKinnon and Phil Stokes was being filmed from the float during the Kaysville parade.
Wilkinson said it was fun to see the reactions people had, and that many were excited at the thought of a movie being made right in their home of Davis County.
While auditions have already been held, callbacks will be soon and everyone is welcome to send in a YouTube audition via email to cfilmproject@gmail.com, as there will be many chances over the four months of filming to rotate roles with the crew and be a featured extra. For audition sides, visit http://www.communityfilmproject.com and click on “Auditions.”
“Before Your Time” is set for a hopeful April 2016 release.
Information on how to donate to the project, volunteer or get involved can also be found on the website. Like CFP on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cfilmproject.
Contact reporter Sonja Carlson at 801-625-4229 or scarlson@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter @sonjacSE and like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SonjaCarlsonSE.