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The core of the cast of the full length feature film consists of volunteer professionals from Fairfield and Southeast Iowa, USA.
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by Livia Cole, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, The Review
3 June 2011
A series of three courses on film production currently being taught at Maharishi Univerisity of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, has the ambitious goal of shooting a full-length feature film by the end of June.
Filming of The Vindication of Ronald Clay, and Other Fables for a Rainy Day began May 15 in Fairfield using the state-of-the-art Red One digital camera purchased last year by the media and communications department.
Written and directed by faculty member Cullen Thomas, and produced by faculty Donald Revolinski, the film is a smart, stylistic dramedy about the lives of five patrons of a coffee shop.
Set in an alternate 1950, it follows five interwoven fables about lonely people looking for peace in their own way while caught in a whirlwind of events much larger than themselves.
The 10 students in class worked on preproduction in block 8, including securing locations and vehicles, collecting props and costumes, creating a shooting schedule, and working on special effects. Each student had a role such as locations manager, props master, wardrobe, set dresser, and first assistant director.
In blocks 9 and 10, the students are working on the set of the film in the same roles and taking on new ones such as assistant cameraman and script supervisor.
"The students in the program have shown remarkable growth in their knowledge of filmmaking," Mr. Revolinski said. "This course will allow our students to obtain a feature film credit on the Internet Movie Database as well as receive course credit towards their degree. The film industry does not typically hire people without experience, so this course will give everyonea foot in the door."
The core of the cast consists of volunteer professionals from Fairfield and Southeast Iowa, including David Murphy, Stephen White, Elizabeth Huebner, Myranda Stangeland, and Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy as the president of the United States.
"We've been pleased with the quality of talent, both in cast and in crew, that's available here in Iowa," Mr. Thomas said. "This state is abuzz with potential. We had every level of professional skill represented at our auditions, and we've put together a truly outstanding cast from a combination of industry hands and some untried but brilliant local talent."
The cast and crew are volunteers, with the rest of the production being financed by pre-sales of DVDs of the film.
© Copyright 2011 Maharishi University of Management
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