Film production is a lot like planting a garden. You put the seeds in the soil, and for a while, you can’t really see that anything is happening. But down there, under the surface, those seeds are absorbing moisture, and those embryonic plants are beginning to grow. Eventually the corn and beans break through the crusty topsoil, and you can almost measure their growth hour by hour.
Well, at UNUSUAL FILMS, the seeds of the new 1920s Baseball Film are in the soil, and a lot has been going on under the surface. Here’s just a sampling.
Researching. As Christian filmmakers it behooves us to strive for excellence in every aspect of production. And just as that principle holds true for camera, sound, and lighting, it applies to the accurate representation of the time and location where our story takes place. So the UNUSUAL FILMS staff, assisted by the students in the Department of Cinema and Video Production, has studied the clothing, hair styles, vehicles, architecture, home décor and furnishings, and textile baseball leagues of the 1920s. They’ve gathered hundreds of period photographs, books, magazine and journal articles, attended conferences, visited museums, and interviewed experts on the subject.
Traveling. In particular, their investigation led them to the only period mill still operating in North America–at a museum in Lowell, Massachusetts. It also led them to the other end of the East Coast, to Deerfield Beach, Florida, where a costume house with one of the largest inventories in the country has its headquarters. Another costume rental outlet–one that specializes in historic baseball uniforms and equipment–was discovered on the West Coast. They’ve also discovered an intact baseball stadium, where the textile teams actually played, and visited a number of mills, which, though no longer in operation, can be used for exteriors as well as interior shots of stairwells and entryways.
Creating. Since many things that were commonplace during the 1920s are no longer readily available, the staff and students are busy making props–those small personal items that the actors are called upon to handle. One example is the lunch buckets that the mill workers typically carried. Another is the hundreds of items that would appear in a general store of the period, complete with historical label designs.
Costuming. In connection with the staff of the Costume, Makeup and Wig Department at Rodeheaver Auditorium, a number of garments have been designed and created for the film. Like the props above, these items are not readily available, or are in limited supply through rental outlets, so they need to be made–or what garments are available must be modified to depict 1920s fashion. This includes everything from period undergarments, to knickers, to “newsboy” style hats for men and cloche hats for ladies.
Casting. Nearly six hundred volunteers were interviewed, photographed, and measured for costumes during the two major cast calls in the summer and fall. Screen tests are being conducted for the major roles in the film, and they will continue over the next several weeks.
Procuring. UNUSUAL FILMS was able to purchase a reproduction Model T Ford truck, and plans are in place to modify it so that it can be used in several scenes to represent more than one vehicle. A new jib boom and doorway dolly are now available for the camera department’s use. A number of antique dealers have been approached about loaning furniture and other items to the department when it is time to decorate sets on the sound stage.
Praying. Without the Lord’s blessing upon our efforts, all our work–no matter how excellent or well-planned or thoroughly researched it is–would be in vain. We want to produce a vehicle that opens men’s hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are earnestly praying that the final product will be something God can use in the lives of real people, real souls, who “will live somewhere forever,” as the University’s Founder, Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say.
Yes, a lot of preparation work is taking place around the UNUSUAL FILMS Studio, and, like the seedlings in the farmer’s garden, the much anticipated sprouts–the actual shooting of scenes–will soon appear. Then comes the harvest, setting the table, and finally the banquet–showing the final product to audiences around the country. Please join us in prayer that the fruit of our labor will feed souls for the Kingdom of God.