CCU students, professor act in thriller on FMU campus
Some Coastal Carolina University students, alumni and faculty are getting a crash course in the behind-the-scenes aspects of film production this summer.
The chilling tale of Jake Helgren’s “The Suicide Note” is being brought to life at Francis Marion University in Florence. The feature film is being produced by DAVED Productions -- an independent company based both in Los Angeles and South Carolina. Its projects target the teen market, and its motto is “to entertain.”
The close proximity of the project’s film location has allowed Coastal Carolina University students and faculty to join in on the action.
“I play the role of Ted,” says Steve Earnest, professor of theatre at CCU. “My character is the security guard, and he’s in the same area as Emma, who commits suicide.”
CCU students Alexandra Morris, Sommer Tarabek, Vanesa Lovado and Chandler Parnell served as “extras” in the film and were housed in a common room in the Fine Arts building at FMU between scenes.
“A director would occasionally come in and select a group of us, sometimes all of us, to participate in the next scene,” says Morris.
The film's plot takes place on a college campus. For the environment to look natural, the film needed to have college-age people act natural in the background. Extras filled this role.
Making a film requires a huge commitment. Actors are usually on set for a minimum of 12 hours a day. They must be prepared to expect anything on set to change -- direction, wardrobe, location and dozens of other facets that are part of the filmmaker's process. But the experience and the final product make it worthwhile.
“True, the commitment is only generally two to three weeks at a time,” says Earnest. “But you must be fully committed. That’s just the reality of the film industry, and that’s why it's a valuable experience for students interested in media caeers."
Tarabek, who graduated from CCU in may with many honors, is planning a career as a specialist in film post production. She is entering the film program at the Savannah College of Art and Design in the fall. Morris, also a May 2015 graduate, is also interested in a media career. She interned as a video producation assistant in CCU's Office of University Communication.
Earnest has worked on three other films with DAVED Productions. The company's films usually go directly to DVD to be distributed internationally.
In the future, more production companies may be looking to South Carolina to film their projects. The new tax incentive package in the state, along with the growth of the film industry in the southeast, is attracting producers.
Other prominent actors are involved in the production, including Kirby Bliss Blanton from “Project X,” Brant Daugherty from “Army Wives,” Stephen Colleti from “One Tree Hill” and Gabrielle Carteris from “Bevely Hills, 90210.”
“The Suicide Note” will finish filming by the end of May and will be available to audiences later this year.
“I am excited for the future of the film industry in South Carolina,” says Earnest. “It allows many of us at CCU to do what we love.”
