In August of 2019, I got this incredible/crazy idea, to make a film in 10 different countries combining my love for travel and filmmaking.
The first film was to take place in October in Munich, German with the help of an actor, who I recently met, to secure for me locations and I would supply the script, equipment, and skills as a director. That project was heavily altered when the actor pulled out last minute and I was stranded doing the best I could with what little I had. The second film was to take place in Sydney, Australia in January 2020. But this time I had contacted a good friend who was from Sydney and he offered his house as one of our locations and home base. And, once again, I showed up with a script, my equipment, some crew, and together we scouted locations. So, the film continued, but our locations were hastily picked and we lost some locations due to the fires of 2020.
Which brings me to October of 2022, almost two years to the day, resuming the same dream of shooting films in different countries. However, this time I was better prepared and with a solid plan in place. The expenses of shooting abroad can be daunting and seemingly insurmountable. So, I came up with an idea that would target the biggest costs and minimise them. Travel, housing, and food seemed to be the big ticket items, not to mention crew, cast, and locations. This time my sights were set on the Republic of Ireland. I had a couple of very good friends that were citizens and inhabitants of the Emerald Isle, so I contacted them to see if they were game. They said they were and so it began. Around this time I had met, quite by accident, a couple of young Irish actors visiting the states and, when we sat around for a chat, I mentioned my crazy plan and that’s when the ball started rolling.
I had an idea for a horror/thriller story that took place in a small Irish village. One of the actors mentioned that their father knew of some locations that might fit the bill. Another meeting was had in which the father of the actor said to give him a list of the locations I wanted to use in the script. Before I knew it, I was on a plane to Ireland to discuss the possibility of finding the right locations and making a movie. Now much to my surprise, the enthusiasm that came from the families of the two actors matched my own. We travelled all over Dublin and County Kildare scouting and securing location after location. We also were able to secure housing and meals for me and my small production team for the duration of the shoot. In essence, the families and towns, business owners, and shoppe keepers were all ready to become producers of the film in order to help make this crazy idea come to life.The casting would take place in these towns, and additional crew, and transportation would all come from all involved in the production. In this case, it truly was taking a village, or two, to make a film. The only thing remaining is to come back early next spring and start rolling cameras. The making of any film is almost an impossible probability and yet they are made. In our case, little to no money being matched by the hearts and homes of ordinary folks that want to be part of something bigger is making all this possible.