Local production shoots in Red River Gorge
By Lucy Jones
Of all the myriad reasons that downtown Lexington is a desirable locale for film shooting, one of the more rarely discussed is the relative absence of bear attacks. But, for a largely local film crew assembled in the Red River Gorge this summer, the unexpected salience of this point was fairly unavoidable.
On location to shoot a feature film for Lexington’s own Four B Films, the cast and crew of Red River Moon found themselves in an unanticipated position late this June. After a black bear attacked a hiker, the park was closed indefinitely and the crew found themselves cut off from access to their planned locations. The shoot was interrupted, and producers ultimately had no choice but to temporarily cease production.
Writer and Director Bruce Barnett, co-founder of Four B Films, took the interruption in stride. “The fact that the only Kentucky bear attack in modern history shut our production down for a couple of days tested our perseverance, but that is what filmmaking is, a test of perseverance.”
Kelsey Forren, Production Manager for the film, agrees: “Working in an environment that is unpredictable can sometimes create complications, so there was a lot of adjusting we had to do. It can be frustrating sometimes when Mother Nature works against you when all you are trying to do is glorify her in the film, but we did the best we could.”
Of course, what the Gorge taketh away, it giveth back tenfold. The production utilized some of the most beautiful and well-known sites in the Daniel Boone National Forest to weave the film’s tale of two little girls lost in the woods and trying to find their way. The exterior shots were richly crafted to showcase the unparalleled splendor of the area. Barnett had written the script for Red River Moon with just these natural assets in mind.
“I decided to write a feature in the Spring of 2007,” says Barnett. “I knew I wanted it to be set in what I consider to be the most beautiful location in the state, the Red River Gorge.” Barnett put to work his knowledge and experience in the Gorge to scout a series of locations that were maximized for their narrative potential. Scenes included shots of Natural Bridge, Laurel Ridge, Chimney Top, and Garfish Rock as well as lesser-traveled (but equally spectacular) areas of the Gorge.
Many of the crew members, including Forren and Assistant Director Kiley Lane, were also longtime visitors and Gorge enthusiasts who consequently understood and respected the balance of nature which exists in Kentucky’s parks.
As Lane explains: ”We should coexist and understand that a bear is a wild animal. If a bear was in my living room I’m sure I would not hesitate to use force to get rid of it; thus, if I were in its living room, metaphorically speaking, I suppose I would have to understand if it attacked me. The fact is, we want to have open space and parks preserved so that we can embrace nature. Part of that nature comes with wild animals.”
Barnett agrees: “For the record, I was always for the bear getting away. Long live the bears!”
Red River Moon is the second production for Barnett’s Four B Films which he formed in partnership with Lexington native Ben Burke. Four B’s first production, Nobody in Particular, was shot in Lexington in the summer of 2009 with Burke directing and Barnett producing. The two partners swapped roles for Red River Moon with Barnett at the helm and Burke serving as his co-producer. Nobody in Particular has completed post-production and is currently in the submission process for a number of film festivals.
When asked about the benefits of filming in Lexington, Barnett responds: “There is a growing community of people working in film. Programs like the one at Bluegrass Community Technical College continue to produce people with a variety of skill sets necessary in filmmaking. They just need projects to work on.”
Lane is heartened by the expanding number of productions, and regards it as part of a larger trend happening throughout the state. “In the last two years, Kentucky has made itself more appealing to larger budget films and productions through our tax incentives program, where films like Secretariat were shot on location instead of entirely in another state. The Louisville Film Society’s Flyover Film Festival produced a second year of outstanding films, and Danville has just announced their Lawn Chair Film Festival in September. Then, of course, we have the Paducah Film Society’s River’s Edge Film Festival in November to cap off our Kentucky Fall, and we should all be aware of the 40 plus years of Appalshop’s cinematic and arts dedication, which has put Kentucky on the map internationally.”
Barnett continues to contribute to Lexington’s growing film landscape with a number of projects that are currently in the pipeline, one of which is “a treatment…about an actor and a waitress who both are a part of an eclectic restaurant/music/theater venue called Natasha’s.”
Barnett is hopeful about Lexington’s ever expanding cinematic community, and lauds the technological advances that have made the medium more accessible to local filmmakers. ”With the continuing development of digital filmmaking, more and more independent productions continue to be shot in the area. Hopefully this trend will continue. I know I will.”
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