You’re Invited On Our Filmmaking Journey

Two years ago we created Faith Flix with the purpose of promoting independent Christian movies and providing a behind the scenes look at the people involved in their making. Since that time we’ve showcased hundreds of great films and talented filmmaking individuals. We’ve interviewed actors, writers, directors, and producers. We’ve featured new and old movies, and reviewed as many as we could. Now we’re going to deviate a little from the formula and take a more personal look at filmmaking. This weekend we begin filming Providence, our sixth feature film. So for the next two months, we’ll take you on a behind the scenes journey so you can see first hand all that goes into making an independent movie.

So before we go any further, let me bring you up to speed with what all has gone on previously to get us ready for the actual production period of the movie.

Providence timetable –

4-5 years ago our family was on the road traveling and we had this story idea of this couple who were supposed to be together, but one or both of them kept going astray. God kept working to bring them together and they kept not being where they were supposed to be until eventually late in life they ended up together. We brainstormed for awhile about how it would work to use it in a movie but finally decided it would be too complex to pull off. Throughout the years, we would bring it back up again, but would always dismiss it as being impractical.

August 2014 – Our daughter got married and we felt God telling it was time to do another movie. So I started on a sequel to The Good Book. Then somehow the sequel took some twists and turns and before I knew what was happening, I was writing the story we’d talked about all those years ago. Only this time it fell into place and practically wrote itself. The time was finally right for our movie about God’s perfect timing. And the story that was too complex to be done as a traditional movie, turned out to work perfectly as a silent film.

October 2014 – I completed the first draft.

November 2014 – We worked on tweaking the script and gave it a name – Providence.

December 2014 – We began the casting process, inviting actors to submit online. For the actors under consideration for the lead roles, we had them submit video auditions, creating original monologues as the characters. It turned out to be a helpful process both for us and them as it provided a deeper look into the characters.

January – March 2015 – We slowly accumulated an incredible cast of talented actors from all over the country. Whereas we’d planned on casting primarily local actors, we ended up with lead and supporting actors from Florida, West Virginia, New York, Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina, Kentucky, as well as other parts of Tennessee. We were blessed to find matching young, teen, and adult versions of the two lead characters.

     

 

 

  

As we’ve built up the cast list, we’ve also been stocking up on wardrobe and props. With a story that takes place over a forty year time span, we need costumes and props for the 70’s and 80’s as well as for present day.Our weekends have been busy haunting thrift stores and auctions. It’s quite a task finding just the right outfits in just the right size and just the right era and in just the right color scheme for each scene.

With any movie there are lots of logistics to work out. With a period movie and primarily out of town actors, the logistics get exponentially more complicated. One minor adjustment can have a domino effect.

April 2015 – Now comes the fun part, the actual filming. It’s hard work and exhausting, but it’s also the most satisfying because whereas all the pre-production work is done as individuals, production is when everyone comes together and truly forms a team. Friendships are formed. Relationships are bonded. Art is created.

So join us over the next two months as we work together with our team of cast and crew members to bring to life the story of Rachel Cartwight and Mitchell Little and their love that develops over a forty year period.