Mt. Juliet backdrop for inspirational movie
Movie Extra Roles Available:
Contact:
casting@elevatingentertainment.com
or extras@katzkasting.com
All Non-Speaking Parts, set in 1970s:
• Baseball Fans (for a kids little league team). All ages. All types.
• Families & Friends of the little league teams.
• Baseball Team Members (Boys that look ages 12-14) A little baseball experience helpful, not necessary.
• Church Members – All ages. All types for a small town Alabama church in the 70′s.
• School Kids – Middle School kids that look 10-14 for various school scenes
• Little League Coaches – Male, 30-60 to be the extra coaches for the additional teams. • Nurses – Background nurses at hospital
• Doctor – Background Dr at the hospital
• Patients / Visitors – Adults to be either patients or visitors in the hospital
• Ice Cream Parlor Patrons
• Townspeople
They need a number of pre-1975 Vehicles for a church scene on Friday, May 25. Contact Donna at 615.379.2121, x104 or email asom@elevatingentertainment.com
1970s prop items needed:
corded phones, webbed lawn chairs, old refrigerator or icebox (doesn't need to work), old hot plate
Contact Donna at 615.379.2121, x104 or email asom@elevatingentertainment.com
SUBMITTED
Dave, Josh and Rebecca Moody shot a scene for a movie they produced.
By LAURIE EVERETT
Managing Editor
This weekend in and around Mt. Juliet there will be a cast and crew of about 100 filming a movie based on the award winning novel and Christy Award Finalist "A Season of Miracles." The award winning movie producer who will oversee the entire production is Dave Moody of Mt. Juliet. Dave said they will film at the Mt. Juliet Little League Park, at a local restaurant, in backyards, Cooks United Methodist Church and many other places in Mt. Juliet and Lebanon. Dave even has a call out for extras to play towns people, a doctor, a coach and ice cream parlor patrons. In addition, he is in need of circa 1970s items (since the movie takes place in that time period) such as corded phones, webbed lawn chairs, old refrigerator or icebox (doesn't need to work), old hot plate and pre-1975 vehicles.
"It's going to be a lot of fun getting the community involved," said Dave, who started Elevating Entertainment about five years ago with his son Josh. Daughter Rebecca is also on the producing team. He's been in the music industry for years and five years ago he was involved in making a movie in Pittsburgh, Penn. and he was intrigued with the creative process.
"I think I learned in 12 days how not to make a movie," he said while laughing. "I came home and was inspired to make a movie."
They did. It is called "Praise Band the Movie; Much Ado About Middle School." It was also shot in and around Wilson County with local extras. They shot at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon. That movie is about a church choir director who changes lives. It is now available in iTunes and Walmart.com. It has won some distinguished awards.
Josh said that "A Season of Miracles" is an inspirational story originally written by Rusty Whitener. In 2010 it was honored with the Kairos Prize for best first time screen play.
"It is about a Little League baseball team that meets an autistic boy and through the process befriends him and how he changes lives," said Josh, who is the co-director/producer. "That boy's name is Rafer and the team ends up being a championship ball team and Rafer pulls them all together."
Another character, Zach, "comes of age" in the movie through his relationship with Rafer. Zach is raised by agnostic parents and through Rafer learns the value of life.
Grayson Russell, 14, joins the cast to play Rafer, which Dave Moody said is a demanding role.
"I've been a fan of Grayson's for a while now," said Dave. "He's a very talented actor and we're honored to have him join our cast. The role of Rafer is so important to our story. It will be a challenge that I'm sure Grayson is up to."
Grayson lives in Alabama and has already garnared an impressive list of film credits. He's perhaps best known for his role as Will Farrell's son "Texas Ranger in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and as Fregley in the" Diary of a Wimpy Kid" movies.
Also from Alabama, the lead role goes to Andrew Wilson Williams who will play Zach. He's the best player on the film's Robins team that always seems to finish third place behind their rivals, the Hawks. But in "Miracles," as the story unfolds through the eyes of this teenager, Zach learns there's so much more to life than a little league championship season as he wrestles with himself and his beliefs, said Josh. Andrew has been on many movie sets, and played Matthew McConaughey character's son in "We are Marshall".
"We really feel like Andrew is a great actor," said Josh. "And is up to the task of being on screen the entire movie."
According to this father, son and daughter team, John Schneider ("Dukes of Hazzard", "Smallville", "October Baby") will play the team's coach. Nancy Stafford ("Matlock", "Baywatch," "The Wager") will play nurse Barbara and of "The Notebook," and "The Shunning" fame, Sandra VanNatta will be Zach's mom Paulette. There are many other colorful characters in the film, but of note is Pastor White, who will be played by Wilson County native Jacob Armstrong who is pastor at Providence United Methodist Church.
"Of course!" said Dave Moody. "We wanted a home town pastor to play the part. We strive to get local flavor into this movie."
Beginning this coming Saturday, this film will be shot 99.9 percent in Wilson County. Shooting will finish on June 5. Friday, May 25, is an important day. Dave said he needs anyone with 1970s cars to come to Cooks United Methodist Church on Lebanon Road to be in a very important scene. He's also on the lookout for an abandoned house trailer. It is an essential element in the movie as one of the main characters lives in one.
This successful, local movie producer is thrilled to be shooting what might become a family iconic movie. He said he feels "blessed" to have moved to Mt. Juliet four years ago and is using his home turf as the background for such an inspirational movie. He hopes some of the local movie theatres will show the movie when it is available. He noted Elevating Entertainment speaks for itself. He produces enlightening and inspiring films. Son Josh graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in film making and history, daughter Rebecca is currently enrolled at Vanderbilt University.
The only departure for the movie set is when Daveand his team go to Guthrie, Ky. to film the "main street scene." He searched all over the Nashville area for the perfect, down home, somewhat abandoned main street flavor.
"Well, we shot nearly all in this area, I just really fell in love with that street in Guthrie," said Dave.
He's also in search of a "backyard" of a somewhat well to do home to shoot a picnic and baseball throwing scene.
"It's a hard location to find," he said with a smile. "We don't want the beautiful subdivision homes we have here. We need something that is a blast from the past! I'm just thrilled to be doing this film. It will be something great, and, we get to do it with our community."
Photo: SubmittedDave, Josh and Rebecca Moody shoot a scene for a movie they produced.