If the "working title" that heads up this Blog smacks just a little bit of an "intuition" of what I feel will become the adventure of my lifetime, then my work is done! But by now, you all know I cannot let things go "unexplained" and there just may be one new reader who hasn't a clue as to what I am yakking about.
So...for the uninitiated, let me introduce the four young lads who live in the other important state in the Midwest, Illinois, and who have added more excitement to my days than any old bowling score of 244 at the local bowling alley! I am, as of this minute, in the movie-making business! How about that? Well, even if it is just in name-only, it's better than: spending my precious early childhood days cutting out paper clothes for a paper Shirley Temple doll in 1932 or tripping (well, if I had stuck my left leg out in the aisle of the studio where he was debuting with Dean Martin I could have) Jerry Lewis back in 1949 or causing Kris Kristofferson a near heart attack back in 1991: this is huge!
You've read about Rhoda in a previous Blog and you've also read about "Old Moll" her grandmother who has probably been more maligned than praised because of a lack of understanding amongst her neighbors, back in the late 1700's; both are distant Derry cousins and subjects of a film/documentary that is currently in the production phase heading toward a Fall filming session by "those boys...honestly!" Like I said: this is huge!
And now it's time for you to read the "back story" (an honest-to-goodness replay of the sacrifices, the toil, the fruits and the frustrations, the top-of-the-mountain joy) experienced by these four young film-makers who are making their own mark in the film industry via YouTube (which you will soon read about), and other venues where their efforts are shared with fellow film enthusiasts...no doubt about it, somewhere in this generation of professionals is another Steven Spielberg; indeed, one of the four you are about to meet?
In non-alphabetical order please meet Brandon Lamprecht, Darrin Ford, Bryan Wolford and Winston Whitten; and I shall stop short of calling them "characters" but, instead, "principals" of this particular scenario who have put together cast and crew to film "The Mysterious Rhoda Derry." As is the case with even Hollywood studio heads, funding is a key ingredient; and the search continues daily for sponsors and donations, a monumental task even for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. (You will get your opportunity to participate during the up-coming commercial break...)
In my script, I call them "Rhoda's Four Prince Charmings" for reasons known only to womankind: the challenge of filming Rhoda's "anything but a Fairy Tale" existence will be a daunting one but not an insurmountable one. Heroes are made, not born...pulled from the shelves of the Carnegie Library in Atlantic, the fanciful books of the famous Grimms Brothers taught me that early on!
Perhaps not all that daunting for the young man who chose a camera at the age when, for the ordinary little boy, a fireman or a policeman's cap was first choice. That would be Brandon. His early interests led him, after High School, to Illinois State University where he received a degree in Film and Video Art. Fellow collegian Darrin has a degree from Illinois State and one and a half years of graduate school from Columbia School of Art located in Chicago. So here we have two well-trained but yet to be employed potential nominees for "The Best Documentary Award," primed for some future stroll down Hollywood's famous Red Carpet, the latter part of that sentence my personal prophecy with, perhaps, a little help from "Old Moll!" Like I said before....this is my script!
The road to get them there has had its share of "unexpected curves," "potholes," and "No U-turns." With diploma in hand, Brandon headed with fiancee, Alex, to Ft. Myers, Florida, for employment filming automotive training videos for a time, and with the pay scale in upscale Florida less than desirable, Brandon became increasingly aware of his roots, and missing them, up north in Illinois. Darrin, until his job was eliminated in 2001 at "Blast T.V." when it went financially under, was gaining valued experience at the Spanish Television Station. And, again, here we have two accomplished young men and one fiancee coming to that proverbial "fork in the road." ... time to head back to the homeland, and they did.
As Brandon has said..."Nothing in life comes easy." And acknowledges that his true learning has come from just such patches of stretching. Because of the decline in employment in the year 2001, Brandon turned to a completely different type of vocation as did Darrin. Brandon qualified for his CDL and became a ready-mix driver in the concrete industry while Darrin tested the landscape business before becoming an installer of high-end home theater systems. These are jobs they still find gainful today; and since all my Fairy Tales must have a happy ending...the fellows reconnected in 2006 and started filming again...I am going to let Brandon tell you in his own words how that all came about!
"We purchased a small camcorder for about $300 and brought back to life an old Macintosh Computer that Darrin had used back in college to edit our films. Everything was so out of date and of very low quality,but thanks to YouTube, even the most amateur film-maker could get people to watch their videos. We did a lot of research on YouTube and found really boring videos about peoples' cats, or just people doing random blogs. For some reason many of these bland videos were becoming very popular. We decided to 'up the bar' on YouTube and provide better quality entertainment (at least in editing) to try to break out into the industry. Darrin and I have a very radical style of humor and tried to push the envelope with our rude, crude and sometimes very vulgar display of humor. In addition, we recruited my long time best friend, Winston Whitten as sound man, who also had a taste for similar humor. Together the Trio made all kinds of 'shock humor"'videos that made fun of everything.
"The idea was simply this, the more shocking, the better chance we had of 'getting in' with the Industry. The more shocking they were, the more people wanted to watch. Probably not the most respectable philosophy, but nonetheless we chose it. I, personally, have always tried to push the envelope on what is considered the norm due to being a self-proclaimed non-conformist. 'Normal never did me any good. I never liked normal...I simply do not know normal and if I ever met normal, I would probably slap it!' Honestly, those were very pure times for us, as crazy as some of our antics were, we really enjoyed making them. There was no pressure. We had only to hold ourselves accountable. The videos cost nearly nothing so we were not out any large expense. Yet after two years, and still in the same financial status, we knew we needed to do something more. We had finally matured at ages 33 and 31."
(Stuff you should know as you follow these Blogs: The many YouTube films which became a sensation among that website's followers were produced by Reality's End Film of which Brandon, director, writer and producer, and Darrin, cameraman, are the co-owners. Bryan serves as first assistant director and co-writer while Winston came on board as the all-important sound man. Any promotions or filming activity will be properly acknowledged in future Blogs or Facebook News Feeds...clicking on any of their names on Facebook will keep you up-to-date on Those Boys! ..and if you feel so inclined to support the Rhoda story, that would be welcomed gratefully, of course...)
How utterly charming is their truth! Honestly! No Burma Shave roadside signs to entertain them on their journey to an uncertain destination, the young men put their hopes and dreams into a film that, in a short 17 minutes of pure intensity, captured great attention on YouTube, that story called "Bookbinder." Production began in October, 2008, this black and white film that Brandon says was inspired by his own personal favorite, the original Twilight Zone. A. Manuel Bookbinder was a patient at the same Peoria State Hospital as Rhoda and was given the responsibility of digging graves of patients who passed away. Unknown is the legal name of the man who became known as "Bookbinder." What is known is his dedication to the funerals of all those who spent their last days in the Peoria State Hospital, and that would include our very own Rhoda. "Bookbinder" is a film that should be seen; my words are far too inadequate to describe the profoundness of the story, the acting, and I think that can be arranged...just ask!
Count it all a "great learning experience" this making of "Bookbinder." Brandon says there were tons of obstacles to overcome before filming: better equipment, actors, costumes, sets, lights, all in all it was like starting over again in order to get this 1906-1911 period film "in the can." A starting date of January 19, 2009 (not that long ago!) found The Boys in the office of Brandon's mother-in-law shooting takes of John Johnson (Winston's brother) a local actor from the "Barn II" dinner theater playing the part of Dr. George Zeller, and of whom Brandon says: "John stepped onto the set looking so much like Zeller, it was quite scary. He seemed to embody the character right away. Everything just seemed to fall right in place." High praise, indeed.
Filming the story of "Bookbinder" introduced the young film-makers to the tragic story of Rhoda.
During the production and filming period, Rhoda's story of a "bittersweet life" will, hopefully, prove to be another "great learning experience" for Brandon, Darrin, Bryan and Winston, the cast and the crew of "The Mysterious Rhoda Derry" and for those of us who have only lately learned of her days on this earth.
It will definitely be in Tribute to an extraordinary woman!
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