Marquette team shoots movie for national film challenge
Squatch Watch– Written, Shot and Edited in 72 hours as part of the 2009 National Film Challenge. The required elements were: Genre: Mocumentary; Character: Mark Shapiro- Unemployed; Prop: Book of Matches; Line of Dialog: This is like Deja vu all over again.
The Making of “Squatch Watch”
This post was contributed by Christina Henderson of Escanaba. Christina is currently director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance. You can follow her on Twitter at @ChrisQuick. Coincidentally, shortly after finishing up their film, author Lisa Shiel spoke about bigfoot in the Upper Peninsula.
With Michigan’s new tax incentives turning the state into a Hollywood production hub, it seems only natural that a group of NMU alumni would follow the siren call back to the Upper Peninsula for a wild weekend of competitive film-making.
NMU grad Dusan Harminc, owner of web design and video production company Stumptown Media, participated in the Madison 48 Hour Film Project three months ago. Held since 2002 in cities around the globe, the 48 Hour Film Project challenges teams to write, shoot, and edit a short film in just two days. Top entries are selected by a panel of judges and then posted online for voting. Winners receive cash prizes and a screening in Las Vegas at the end of the year.
The National Film Challenge, held October 23rd – 26th, extended the time limit to 72 hours and opened up competition to teams anywhere in the world – including the Upper Peninsula. Dusan chose the perfect location for his second contest film, a remote hunting camp owned by Escanaba residents Chris and Annette Brooks, nestled in the woods on a river near Marquette.
Tapping his own talents as Producer and Director of Photography, Dusan assembled a team with diverse zip codes and UP roots to join him in the challenge.
- Director Jesse Krank flew in from LA. Marquette.
- Artist Yvonne Lemire lent her creative talents as head writer.
- 1st AC/Gaffer Anthony Whitlock drove up from Detroit.
- Madison resident/Escanaba native Pete Ammel and myself (Christina Henderson, Escanaba) volunteered as actors.
- Chris Brooks wrote the music, flipped pancakes, and made cool props out of cast-offs around camp (Old yellow bike + TV antenna + duct tape = priceless).
On 7pm Friday night, an email arrived with the required elements.
Genre: mockumentary.
Character: Mark Shapiro, unemployed.
Prop: book of matches.
Line of dialog: “This is like deja vu all over again.”
We met at the Super One parking lot in Marquette, then made the trek over flooded mud roads to camp. The team settled and sat around the table until 2am brainstorming plot and character ideas. The concept we finally agreed on was a couple of sasquatch hunters holding their annual 72-hour marathon “Squatch Watch.” Pete would play the unemployed Dude-like character, Mark, and I would portray Dr. Tabitha Crow, an intense pseudo-scientist obsessed with bigfoot. We went to bed without a script. I was sure the whole thing was going to suck.
Luckily the next morning the sunrise brought inspiration. It rained and snowed on and off all day. Huge black flies buzzed in the light gels, messing with our sound. The five dogs at camp nearly knocked over the lights. But we persevered as a team and created a mockumentary about sasquatchers that beautifully captured the autumn colors of the Upper Peninsula and made us all laugh.
I wrapped up my part of the shoot Saturday evening. Pete finished his scenes Sunday morning. Then the crew parted ways and Dusan, Jesse, and Tony holed up the rest of Sunday and all day Monday to edit the film while Chris and Scott Breault of Escanaba produced the soundtrack at Dicky Dog Jingles. The finished product was mailed off to 48HFP headquarters late Monday afternoon.
185 teams participated in this year’s National Film Challenge. Hopefully next year we’ll see more teams from the UP take part in the fun. Whether “Squatch Watch” wins or not, Hollywood should pay attention – the UP is a fantastic place to make a movie!
