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| Lillian Rose Stewart, author of the "Demon White" screenplay See BlueMountainSkink.com for details on the script and kickstarter campaign. |
HEY LILLIAN, HOW'S IT GOING?
Well, you know, Jack, everything is going just fine. It's all starting to come together, the crew is all in place, I've auditioned or signed with three of the actors and we have just a few parts left for the sizzle reel. The musical score is being written and we're featuring the music of a local artist to be announced soon, and the cameras are ready to roll. We're ready to shoot and all we need is to fill in our shooting budget and we're on a go.
WHAT DOES GETTING THIS MOVIE MADE MEAN TO YOU?
Well, you know, it kind of began as a legacy to my grandchildren Emily and Eddie. They were born here in Tahoe. But it's mostly for the passengers that I've had on my bus over the years.
WHAT'S THE MOST ASKED QUESTION YOU'VE HAD?
{LAUGHS} I knew you were going to say that. The single most asked question I've had is "Where does this bus go?" But the second most asked question by literally tens of thousands of passengers over the years and many miles is "What is it like? What is it really like to live here in Tahoe?"
You know our visitors come here for the natural beauty, on vacation or for recreation or a lot of them come just to bring back the memories. A lot of them have told me that their relatives and their family used to bring them to Lake Tahoe and they're trying to recapture that memory or they're looking for a place to retire. And they want to know, first hand, from us what it's like. So, "Demon White" is my answer to that question.
YOU'VE EMBARKED ON A NEW CAREER LATE IN LIFE, HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THIS PATH?
Well, you know, Jack, since time began people have gathered around a campfire or in a teepee or down at the general store around the pot-bellied stove to hear the stories told by their elders. Stories of times gone by filled with laughter and wisdom, told by those who lived it. "Demon White" is my gather around the pot-bellied stove story - my "Passion Project" as they call it in Hollywood.
You know, I've had my fair share of those who think I've fallen off my rocker, you know "Why don't you just sit back and take it easy?" and that sort of thing. But, when you believe in something and you know your heart is in the right place you can't hear the nay-sayers. And, you know, I have to tell you the most support that I have received up to this date for "Demon White" has been from young people. Young professionals like yourself in this community.
And that gives me hope for the movie and great home for our future. It drives my courage and my determination on my mission to take "Demon White" from the page to reality. and I'm hoping the Tahoe community will recognize this opportunity to showcase our venue and see the value of telling this little Tahoe story with a big heart. -- Like the old adage, "with a little help from my friends"...
WHY A MOVIE?
Well, you know, film is a magical medium. What other art form can capture in time - freeze frame - things as they are? None other. All others can only be a reproduction or somebody's take on reality. That's why it's important to be to have this film shot entirely on location in Lake Tahoe. I can't immagine where you would go anywhere else to shoot a movie about Lake Tahoe except right here in Tahoe. The lake, the sky, the wind, the snow, all of these are characters in the movie.
IS THERE A THEME OR MESSAGE TO THE FILM?
"Demon White" is a full length feature film. It's purely entertainment. It's about change, and acceptance, and finding the hero that's there inside of each of us. It's about the beauty and the wonder of Lake Tahoe and the dangers inherent in living in the wilderness as well as the dangers we impose on that wilderness. "Demon White" is not a documentary - it is a tale of life in paradise as told through the storyline of the characters mixed in with the reality of Lake Tahoe and the high sierra. It is a story for the young and the old and my greatest wish is that you find something in the story. Something to take with you after seeing the movie. If that happens then I will consider the film "Demon White" to be a smashing success.
YOU'VE TAKEN ON A HUGE PROJECT, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A FEATURE FILM MADE.
Yes, I have. But, you know, this movie will happen. I know going in that it's not the most traditional Hollywood kind of a movie and a lot of people wouldn't want to make it, but that is my challenge. There's a long list of projects in Hollywood that nobody wanted to make, that didn't fit the Hollywood formula but which went on to be box office hits.
You know, the entertainment industry is changing. The way movies get made and are distributed is changing, and that is the purpose of the proof of concept short film that we're funding right now. It is the next big step to getting the movie made and that takes money. Not a lot of money, just enough to take that next little step in making the future. And that is your challenge.
This movie will get made if I have to shoot it myself on my iPhone. You know, I believe in the story. I think it's a story worth telling and I want it to be told in the best possible way, by the most skilled and adventurous filmmakers that I can find. And that's the road I'm traveling right now.
Please read the rewards included on this page: www.BlueMountainSkink.com and join us. And if you do, we'll throw you a party and if there's one thing we know how to do in Tahoe that's throw a party. Then, there's nothing left to do but the dance!
