Maine may not be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of film production, but those making films locally say the state provides some great locations, and making movies close to home allows you to draw on local resources.
Saco resident Kate Scamman worked as the casting coordinator for extras and in the production office as an assistant last summer on “Anatomy of the Tide,” filmed in Rockland, and is currently working on a Web series she’s written, “And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth.”
Scamman said Saco and Biddeford have a lot to offer as far as locations ”“ two downtowns, beaches and rural areas.
“Within a 10-mile radius you have a lot of sets and locations that can give you a good story,” said Scamman.
And then there are the mill buildings, which offer a lot of opportunities for filming.
“The mills are just amazing,” she said.
Karen True of Saco has been a casting agent for more than 25 years and has worked on Hollywood feature films, commercials, small independent films and music videos. Recently casting projects in Maine, she worked on “Anatomy of the Tide,” “How to Make Movies at Home” and a Taylor Swift music video.
“Most of my work is national, but my heart is in Maine, and I do whatever necessary to encourage more movies being made here,” she said.
Like Scamman, she spoke of the diverse settings in Maine, and she said, there’s the “ease of getting everywhere.” Traffic here is a lot lighter than places like Los Angeles, and crew time does not have to be wasted in traffic jams when traveling from one location to another.
Also, said True, there’s the people in Maine, who have good work ethic.
“We have the best crew in Maine,” said True. “They know how to hustle, they work hard.”
And she said, there is amazing talent in Maine, which film companies from out of state are often surprised to find.
Morgan Nichols, a Kennebunk native now living in Brooklyn, N.Y., and working as an editor for MTV, wrote, directed and produced “How to Make Movies at Home.” He came back to his native Maine to film the movie last year in Biddeford, and he is now in the process of editing the film.
“I just have a great love for the state,” said Nichols. “It’s hard to get it out of your system.”
The film, as described in promotional material, is about a young woman named Jonah and her band of rock and roll filmmakers who come face to face with a Hollywood production that wants to film in their town.
Nichols said it made sense to film the movie in Maine, where he began making movies, as the film is about “backyard film making.”
There’s so much beauty in the state, and, he, like others, said there are many great location opportunities.
Nichols said in Maine, there’s a lot of space for movie making, “not just physically” he said, but “space in people’s lives.” It’s not as hectic here in Maine than other places such as Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, if people are stuck in traffic and they see a movie being made downtown, they’re not impressed, he said. In Maine, people are receptive to film making and are excited when one is being made in their community. In Biddeford, city officials were enthusiastic about having a movie filmed in the city, and the film crew and the city had a great working relationship.
Buxton couple Dana Packard and Jennifer Porter, have been making movies since 1998. Their newest film, “40 West,” was shown recently at The Nickelodeon theater in Portland. The two also run a theater company called The Originals. Packard said he and Porter did only theater for many years, and when they decided to branch out and also do movies, they wanted “to keep it sane and do it on our own terms” and decided it was easier to do it where they lived. They have been able to draw from local resources.
“We’ve had amazing support from our community,” said Packard. “It’s a lot more economically feasible to do it here.”
Often times, friends, neighbors and community members pitch in and give someone a place to stay or provide food, and they have been able to get some great talent to work on their projects.
“Everyone wants to be in a movie,” said Packard. “There are always actors that want to be involved.”
“Something about the movie industry makes people think you need to be in L.A.,” said Packard. “That’s not true. Movies can be made anywhere.” It’s no different, he said from writing a book or painting a picture in Maine.
Portland actor Erik Moody, a Saco native, has appeared in a number of Maine productions including “How to Make Movies at Home,” the dramatic Web series, “Ragged Isle,” and the movie “Up Up Down Down.” Moody lived in Los Angeles for a short time, and decided to move back to his native state. In Los Angeles, he saw many projects “burn out” before they went into fruition.
Moody said, in Maine, he’s seen many of what he calls “passion projects,” being made by people who really believe in what they’re doing and work hard to see it come to fruition. When you’re working with someone who really believes in what they’re doing, the enthusiasm is contagious, he said.
There’s a lot of great talent in the state, and technology has become more accessible in recent years, he said, and it’s amazing to see the quality of the work being done here, he said. If you take away the competitiveness that’s often associated in this industry, and have a good support system, “some really great stuff happens,” said Moody.
Biddeford Economic Development Director Daniel Stevenson said the people from “How to Make Movies at Home” were “super fun to work with.”
“I really can’t say enough good things about them,” he said.
The project, he said, gave the city positive press when it was mentioned in articles about the movie. As well, it brought people into town as patrons at local businesses, he said.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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