16/06/2025
A couple of days’ rest following the wrap on the production of “Chimera” has provided me with a new perspective. I was, of course, so pleased with the results of the 3-day shoot of Anne Lower’s gripping script, but upon reflection, it occurs to me that this was quite possibly the last production of this quality for me.
It’s been more than 20 years since I last produced a short narrative film. “Tainted Legacy” was a 2002 Oklahoma Film Institute project sponsored by the Delaware Nation in Anadarko, OK. While the process of filmmaking is basically the same, the tools used in that process have changed dramatically. But then again, everything I learned on in college is now in a museum.
I was honored that Anne would trust me with her precious yet gut wrenching story. She and I assembled a crew of freelancers who worked together beautifully. Some were quite experienced; others were gaining experience. No egos, no tantrums. Everyone was respectful and professional. It was a joyous set.
Assembling the cast was nothing short of serendipity. Upon reading the script, I felt strongly that my old college buddy and fellow Frontier City gunfighter Jim Beaver would be perfect for the part of Ben. He was. And he was going to be in OKC to appear at a fan convention for the TV show “Supernatural.” And he had the following week available! The timing was perfect.
I felt just as strongly that Kathy Kelly Christos would be ideal as Ben’s wife. Kathy was a member of my improv group, Rick Allen’s Perfect Fun, about 35 years ago, and we had worked together a few years back in a TV commercial.
When Carpenter Square Theatre presented Dial M for Murder last October, Keith Ferguson played Lesgate the assassin. When I first saw him, he reminded me of the young Jim Beaver I knew in college. I had even sent Jim a screenshot of Keith as a gentle nudge that should Jim ever need a younger version …
That left the role of 16-year old Paige. For her, I reached out to my friend Jonathan Beck Reed who said he had the perfect candidate. Lucy Castor was not only ideal, but Jim says her last name is from the French word for Beaver. How’s that for serendipity.
The film is now in the hands of Mike Stanislawski who was also the director of photography. He and Anne have worked together before; this should be another successful collaboration.
As for my role as producer, most of my work was done by the time we started shooting. Sharing that credit with Anne’s husband Don Shirey, our main functions on set were to run to stores to get things, keep the craft services table and ice chest full, and bribe the neighbors’ lawn guys to come back tomorrow. I also got to stand in for Jim a couple times while the crew was setting shots.
I had spent many years back in the 70s and 80s promoting the film industry in OKC. When Hollywood came to this town in the 90s, I was largely left behind. So I’m grateful to have a Hollywood writer/director seek me out so many years later to help bring her vision to life. I look forward to seeing the finished film!
