Page 32 - Flathead Beacon // 3.23.16

BUSINESS IS PERSONAL 33 TRANSACTIONS 33 Business
Flathead Valley Filmmakers Ready for Their Close-Up
As technology becomes more a ordable and widespread, the movie-making scene in the Flathead continues to grow
WBY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
HEN ANDREW WIEST FIRST started making movies about 12 years ago, the Wyoming
native was faced with a quandary.
In 2004, when he dipped into the industry, the road to success ran through Los Angeles or New York City, two of the movie business’ major hubs. Both cities are full of actors, producers, directors, screenwriters, and all the people you would need to build a lm, Wiest said, but they were also just that: full of people. “I’d go to Los Angeles for a week for meetings and that’s about all I could take,” Wiest, who now lives in Montana, said. “I made a decision that I’m going to make movies where I live. I love it. I love
Montana.”
Wiest now has his fth feature lm
under his belt, and each movie he’s made has either been partially or entirely shot in Montana, speci cally the Flathead. The latest lm, “The Forlorned,” is the brainchild of Kalispell author Angela Townsend, and is turning heads in Hollywood.
“I’m making it here,” Wiest said of his career. “It’s very important for me to do that. I’ve been lucky enough to have a career doing it that way.”
Montana has taken center stage for several major lm projects in the last year, including the Oscar-nominated powerhouse “The Revenant,” and the upcoming drama “Certain Women,” based on short stories by Maile Meloy, starring Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart, and written and directed by Kelly Reichardt.
According to the Montana Film O ce,
Phil Jambor, left, and Josh Pipolo, right, act in a scene from “Flower in the Dirt,” lmed last year in the Flathead. COURTESY PHOTO
small- to mid-level checkbooks.
Ric Ellingson, who serves as the writer, producer, director, cinematographer, and music director for the lm “Flower in the Dirt,” said he decided to the lm in the Flathead because it was a better way of getting his other screenplays noticed. This way, instead of just asking a studio to read his work, he can show them a solid
production as well.
“That’s why everyone’s making mov-
ies now, because you can,” Ellingson said. “You couldn’t a few years ago, because the cost was prohibitive.”
He estimates that he spent about $4,000 making the movie, which he self- nanced. Wiest said he also self- - nanced his rst two productions in order to gain attention and nancing for future projects.
Filming in Montana has other advan- tages over Hollywood, Wiest said.
“It’s cheaper, and I think the other advantage you have is you work with peo- ple who really want to come to Montana,” he said. “Especially people in California, Montana’s like the Promised Land to them.”
The Flathead is also a great place to search for talent and help, Ellingson said. “It wasn’t too hard to come up with people around here who want to do this,”
he said. “They’re hungry for it.”
Once the movie is made, the next step is nding someone to distribute it. Townsend, the author behind “The For- lorned,” said having a good attorney in the industry has helped her immensely, but she’s also gotten creative with her e orts to catch the eyes of the studio big
wigs.
Townsend hired a few people locally to
there were approximately 110 produc- tions shot in the state in 2015, including at least six feature lms. It’s a consid- erable jump from 2013 and 2014, when there were 80 productions shot here.
Film O ce spokesperson Rachel Gregg said Montana’s recognition as a lm-friendly state is increasing, and her o ce is currently helping three feature lms interested in shooting here.
And while major Hollywood projects are always courted, due to the amount of money they bring to the local economies, independent movies from local lmmak- ers are gaining ground.
Issues that would have presented roadblocks 10 years ago aren’t even in the conversation anymore, thanks to the pro- liferation of technology and digital com- munication, Wiest said.
For starters, the camera he used to make his rst lm, “Dead Noon,” which was distributed through Lions Gate, wouldn’t pass muster these days.
“It’s changed so much,” he said. “Now- adays those cameras would be considered completely cruddy. They’re shooting con- siderably cruddier lm than iPhones.”
Now, private citizens can buy high-quality cameras, such as those shooting 4K high-de nition digital video, for less than $1,000, and can choose from a variety of editing software.
“I couldn’t imagine when I was start- ing out having this sort of gear,” Wiest said.
Having a massive budget would cer- tainly help local lmmakers with their projects, but with help from other ave- nues, they’re learning to make it with
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