Holiday Delay
Current mood: calm

LIGHTS, CAMERA …Wait a Moment?
November 17th, 2008

The movie "Wild Michigan" described as an 1800's period thriller can also be called one of the first MID-westerns. This next feature from Lansing-based Collective Development Inc. (CDI) will be filmed entirely in the greater Lansing area. Pre-production follows on the heels of Lionsgate's Oct. 28 nationwide release of "Dean Teaster's Ghost Town," CDI's last project, a Smoky Mountain western.

"Dean Teaster's Ghost Town" was ranked as the Top Rented Western DVD by Rentrak for the week ending Nov 2nd, 2008. The DVD also features a pass ($30 value) to Ghost Town in the Sky (www.ghosttowninthesky.com), the theme park in Maggie Valley, N.C. where the film was shot. Various ON DEMAND companies nationwide are starting to carry this unique take on the western genre. It has not popped up on the radar in Michigan as of yet but that could happen soon.

All this has created opportunity and expectation on CDI. The company was clawing their way up in the industry way before the new tax incentives made Michigan a hotbed. They are proud as a company to finally shoot something right in their own back yard.

The art department has the locations dressed and ready to shoot. The CGI (Computer Generated Images) fx company met with all department heads to pre-visualize how the period train will be imposed with the camera work. Daily production meetings with department heads and producers have been underway for 3 weeks now.

However, facing delays both with casting and scheduling, the production has decided to put everything in storage and break for the holiday. Production folks will return in January to brush off the snow and gear up for a Feb. 2009 shoot. Producers cite the holidays as a primary reason for the push in schedule.

The few extra weeks will also help with casting as Hollywood agencies such as William Morris Agency, Endeavor and Innovative Artists work with production to cast up the film. Producers are in talks with William Forsythe ("Southern Gothic", Rob Zombie's "Halloween"), Tobin Bell ("SAW" films, "Quick & the Dead") and several name actresses for their lead female. Also joining the cast will be Dan "Grizzly Adams" Haggerty and Lana Wood ("Grey Eagle", "Diamonds Are Forever").

"It was about taking our time and doing this right. The eyes of Hollywood are upon us after the great numbers on Ghost Town started rolling in." said DJ Perry, CEO of CDI who also co-stars in the film as mountain man Rugged Bill.

The two locations, Woldumar Nature Center and Meridian Historic Village, have been wonderful in this entire process. Many members of the pre-production team who have been in town such as Myke Michaels, the A list make up department head ("Master and Commander", "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull") in from Los Angeles, love the people here and share in the excitement for Michigan.

Director Jeff Kennedy and producers Anthony Hornus, Dean Teaster and Johnny Demarco have had nothing but support from the community and all want this project to be a fine reflection on Michigan, but more importantly on the capital city of Lansing. Several student interns will be coming from Michigan State University and will be given the opportunity to work side by side with seasoned professionals.

Much of the hard work has been done, so this will allow crews to go enjoy the holidays with their families as production finishes casting. After the ball drops and the champagne is finished it will be time to gear up for a shoot in the snow. The world will get a nice welcome to "Wild Michigan."