Albino Farm Legend

As with all legends there is always a modicum of truth. Whether veering into wild stories from that truth over time or twisting back to it in some form of reality, the Albino Farm legend continues to haunt the outskirts of Springfield, Missouri to this day.

The actual farm was built before the Civil War and with one family’s determination and hard work it later became the toast of the town – so popular that people came far and wide to admire the farming techniques and animal husbandry on display. The local townsfolk continually flocked to the site for picnics, horse races and had a grand time touring the huge horse barns and see the rare Jersey cattle. In the afternoon people would gravitate toward the stately manor house which became the gathering place to socialize into the evening.

Over time, and with several changes in ownership, the farm fell into disrepair and a series of personal setbacks fell hard on future owners. Reports came out that seemed to defy logic after two sisters, living out their remaining lives in the manor house as reclusive spinsters, spurned serious distrust to outsiders and took action to protect their privacy. Tales of suicide befalling their close family members and then hatchet murders and decapitations blamed on a lone albino caretaker spawned imaginations to run wild.

After speculation became fact to many and with others, creating myth or legend, the site never could live down its eventual existence. The sole albino caretaker was said to be from a colony of albino people held captive or a descendant from an outcast group sent from nearby towns at the turn of the century. Further talk made mention that these albinos were used for heinous medical experiments in an underground bunker secretly located deep into the woods but still on farm property.

After the last family member died, an auction was held at the farm and one hundred years worth of memories were carted off and the site eventually became abandoned. The manor house and other buildings were near derelict and finally succumbed to fire in early 1980 from an act of arson. The suspects were never caught but presumably thought to be from the myriad of teenagers and miscreants that used the site as a local hangout for mischief and misdeeds.

The ensuing years brought continual notoriety after strange occurrences spawned other stories of havoc. A nearby iron bridge, the site of the hatchet murders, is said to host paranormal activity which includes ghost sightings on the bridge and occurrences where cars parked in the middle of it would move on their own accord or not startup unless rolled completely off the bridge.

The old iron bridge may be gone (replaced by a new cement structure) and the farm site being slowly encroached by new housing tracts, but stone remains of the manor house and several out-buildings and towers can be seen through the woods. Its once grand entrance with stone pillars, skilled carvings on capstones and a beautifully constructed stone bridge are just off the main road but hidden under overgrowth and can only be found if stumbled upon. With decades of further neglect and the latest series of arrests of Goth kids running around the place, the once proud estate is but a shambles of its former glory. Further graffiti and acts of destruction speed up its eventual demise but new myths will follow the old, and in all of that, a truth is still somewhere to be found.

The Albino Squirrels of Marionville, Missouri

It was not without coincidence that the location shooting near the Ozark Mountains for “Albino Farm” took place in the small town of Marionville – one of only a few places in the United States with rare Albino Squirrels.

The directors won’t understate that claim – they did have a reverential eye toward them with a story point that is supportable for those who have read the script.  That the directors chose the site for filming was purposeful for reasons other than the squirrels, as a person close to them championed the use of the location knowing the squirrels were only a few of the interesting anomalies for possible use in the film.

It came as somewhat of a surprise to the cast and crew who were astounded to find out this fact while shooting the movie. Several actually came across the furry little creatures, took pictures and repeatedly asked the two directors if this was part of the movie’s concept, but they simply kept it to themselves.

As rare as these squirrels may be, it is not uncommon to spot them in the course of a day or by driving around the town’s small streets. Something of a tourist attraction, the town brought them notoriety after branding themselves “Home of the White Squirrel” with following pictures on the town seal, flag and official insignia.

In recent years, national and international interest for the story brought television crews, news and magazine reporters to the town so as to photograph them for scientific and human interest stories. Other than the genetic pigmentation similar to other animal species with albinism, the real story is their absolute rarity. It is estimated that the chance a squirrel will be born with albinism is over 100,000-to-1. Something not lost on the residents who take loving care of their residential rodents.

Founded in 1854 by early settlers who stumbled on fresh underground spring water, the town was quickly developed and became the largest concentration of apple orchards in Missouri. Named for James “Marion” Moore the once thriving community eventually came onto hard times after the demise of the apple business and the net result was a major loss of its residents. The only exception seemed to be the continuing strain of albino squirrels.

Now a bedroom community thirty miles south of Springfield, and with most of the downtown area abandoned, it was a perfect site for filming “Albino Farm.” Producers made a special arrangement with the Mayor and residents for a week of shooting and brought all four principal actors as well as WWE’s Chris Jericho into town for scenes that were shot in a café set built inside an existing store front, the town square gazebo, a church interior and a secluded site nearby. If you look closely, one of those shots may contain a cameo by the elusive Albino Squirrel.

There are a myriad of pictures and videos of Albino Squirrels on the internet. Albino Squirrel eating an apple: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1797712/an_albino_squirrel_eating_my_apples/

Synopsis

(Adventure/Horror) Backwoods Ozark Mountain town with century-old history of religious fanaticism inadvertently creates a modern sadistic society of in-bred misfits who prey on stray travelers. Four young college students lured into exploring the legend of the Albino Farm uncover the disturbing past and end up enduring a horrific night of which only one will survive.

Q&A With Joe And Sean

What Horror films inspired you?

McEwen: Definitely early John Carpenter, George Romero and the “holy grail of horror”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.

Anderson: As a young kid in the 60’s I was mesmerized by films with Lon Chaney and the Universal Pictures era of really old school horror films. “Cannibal Holocaust” got me later in life as did others of its ilk.

What was it like to co-direct your first feature?

McEwen: We were able to split up many of the responsibilities which gave us the opportunity to work in a much more streamlined fashioned.

Anderson: It was a unique situation as we never really stepped on each other’s toes during the shoot. We had a massive storyboard done in advance with our co-producer, Barry Curtis, so that helped a great deal when we would start the day with the actors and crew.

Your favorite scene?

McEwen: Loved shooting all of the stuff in the caves (Fantastic Caverns). It was a beautiful environment that could never be replicated on a soundstage and it brought an authenticity that definitely translates on film.

Anderson: If I had to pick one, it would be the scene where we first meet Levi (Chris Jericho) in the car where he lures Melody and Brian out to the farm site. To me, it’s flawless! Can I also mention there are some really great creature scenes in this movie as well?

Biggest challenge while shooting the movie?

McEwen: The weather. More than once we had to shoot around thunder and lightening storms. While those elements enhanced the tone for the actors and inevitably the story, they were a major production headache.

Anderson: Despite months of planning, things happen on set. You have to be able to throw the bathwater out but keep the baby intact. You also must trust your co-workers when the chips are down. Solutions come easier that way. Surrounding yourself with good people is a must!

What’s next for both of you?

McEwen: As they say, there are other irons in the fire and many more avenues to explore! I just scratched the surface with “Albino Farm” and look forward to bringing many more projects to the rabid horror fans out there! Stay tuned!

Anderson: Just as Sean said, there are many other stories to tell. The big trick, as of this writing, is that the business has changed and you really have to pay close attention to what an audience wants and you must have distribution in place for them. That is going to be the new determinant of what’s next for me. I would love to do another horror film and get deeper into the craft, that’s for sure, but we’ll see what happens soon, eh?

Joe Anderson Talks About The Producers and Crew

RACHELLE RYAN (producer)

I met Rachelle very early in the process, recognized her wisdom from the start and wanted to be in business with her for the long term.  As a manager of actors, writers and directors, as well having just produced the feature film “Spiral” – and owning several entertainment related businesses – she is well-versed in all facets of production.

Rachelle was able to guide a large part of the start-up process in working with Sean and me in the business dealings that would allow us to legally raise funds and proceed into production.  We also relied on her skills when it came to the casting process and she was able to help us cast two young up-and-comers in Nick Richey and Alicia Lagano as well as the balance of the show.

JASON STEWART (producer)

Jason came to us after an extensive search.  We had one heck of a time finding someone to spend our money!  We met a lot of Line Producers but their vibe was in telling us what can’t be done when we were more interested in what realistically can be done – despite a limited budget.  We also wanted a person that was ethical and honest and could tell it like it is.  It turns out that Jason had all of those qualities, could stretch a dollar something fierce and take the reigns of the production like it was his own baby. Refreshingly, he saw investor money as his own and treated it as such. A rarity at this budget level!

Primarily a Line Producer of multi-million dollar TV commercials and one of the youngest in Hollywood to ever achieve that position, Jason became more than a number-cruncher, he was also a creative producer and we relied on his experience to shape the show.

Sean, Rachelle and I were able to sit down with him and talk through every aspect of what we intended to do and he was able to work several vendors we had already chosen. Jason hit the ground running and within a few short weeks we were finalizing the budget and off to Missouri to make it all work.

BARRY CURTIS (co-producer)

As they say in Missouri, a good guy is a “good dog” and with Barry we had a jack-of-all-trades maestro working the angles for us during pre-production and while on location.

A college friend of Sean McEwen, he had just arrived in Los Angeles on an extended vacation after working for his cousin Grant Curtis who is a producer on Sam Raimi’s “Spider Man” features.  Barry initially saw Sean and me slaving in a hotel room trying to draw our terrible little stick figures for storyboards.  As we plotted out the shots Barry looked at us like we were morons and secretly wondered how we could ever assume to direct a movie if we couldn’t draw! After he took pencil in hand, he showed us how to work those angles. His passion was a grand one for this and as he worked he regaled us on everything “Star Wars” and “Spider Man.”  Sean and I decided to elevate him to Associate Producer and just prior to shooting we bumped him to Co-Producer status after he helped Jason Stewart arrange a whole host of things on location in Missouri.  If there are two words to describe him, it would be “galactic enthusiasm.”

RENE JUNG (director of photography) – www.jurifilm.com

When you work with a cinematographer you want someone that not only has the technical knowledge to shoot pretty pictures but to be a collaborator as well.  Rene was born and raised in Germany where he was classically trained as a cinematographer. His keen eye toward lighting is based on frugality and what quickly serves the story in terms of the overall look.  He’s not a flashy guy, has more of a circumspect approach, but one with precision at its core.  He’s unique to work with because he can change his mind and move right into another idea.  It’s shocking at first but you realize you’re getting more production value and there is no time lag in that final move.

It also must be said that he’s the hardest working guy I have ever seen.  Has more energy than most and is usually found shooting something while others are at lunch or wrapping for the day.  He’s the kind of guy who will drop all of the fun gadgets and simply drop down into the mud and get the shot. He’s also the perfect cross between the art and technical.  Two worlds almost opposed to each other but yet so completely intertwined.  Rene owns the shooting and post facility, JuriFilm, in Los Angeles and is the “go-to” guy for German television producers.

DAN O’BRIEN (editor)

As the chief editor at big-time commercials house, Blissium (Los Angeles), Dan has worked on hundreds of national TV campaigns as well as co-editing several features films with noted director Randall Miller (“Bottle Shock”, “Noble Son”).  Dan’s sensibilities allow him to take the story much further than imagined and he’s one of a few in the business that can tell you something won’t fly but do it without ruffling any feathers.  His creative skills are vast and he enjoys fruitful collaborations with everyone he works with and it was a major plus to have him as a trusted creative team member.

Our on-set video playback operator, Adam Sonnenfeld, was mentored by Dan over the summer of 2007 in the intricacies of several editing software programs and work as his assistant before heading back to his final year of college.  Adam was then able to come back to Los Angeles and step right into cutting low-budget features – most notably in the RED camera work-flow.  His skills earned through the generosity of Mr. O’Brien.

SCOTT ROCKENFIELD (composer) – www.scottrockenfield.com

I met Scott while in high school in Redmond, WA.  I never knew he had any interest in music, let along playing drums, until I was traveling in Australia and noticed the first album from his band Queensryche.  Years would go by before I got the idea I should contact him to create some music for a movie.  Little did I know, he had already done so and was composing for both film and television outside of his Queensryche duties.

Scott has a classical sense and is almost completely self-taught.  I can relate to that as it’s so much easier today with the digital equipment where creativity is at your fingertips on a whim.  Not to say that he doesn’t have his old-school sensibilities.  He mentioned composers of the past more so than his contemporaries and that told me all I needed to know that we would get a well-crafted work.  His score was both haunting and serene.  If you understand that half of the art of a film is the music, Scott served us well.  I look forward to working with him again on a project we are circling now.

JASON BARNETT (creature design / special effects makeup) – www.impfx.com

I had my wacky interest in make-up as a kid and though I never went any further with it I found it all coming back, and more, after I saw what Jason could do.  The creatures he and his team cooked up for “Albino Farm” are so first rate that, upon close inspection, you are hard-pressed to see where the appliances meet the actor wearing them.  His masterpiece for our shoot is surely the nasty pig-faced hag, Pig Bitch. A one-of-a-kind hot chick but with a nasty mug and a mean disposition.

Jason’s work is overwhelmingly technical and yet he is an artist with a precision that I have never seen before.  There is a mastery of a craft that most would find amazing even if not into horror films or make-up effects in general.  To be in his shop and watch him make casts from a person’s entire head and then go through the process of creating an appliance is pretty darn cool.

It should also be said that Jason has a deep interest in anatomy and has a database in his brain of pretty much every horror or sci-fi movie creature.  Since he has worked with most of the leading make-up effects leaders in the business – Dick Smith, Rick Baker – to name a few, it’s not hard to see where he gained his knowledge.

CAT CACCIATORE (production designer)

For a local Production Designer we really lucked out finding Cat through the hiring process of local Missouri crew.  She came to the project late in the game and in a matter of weeks we were shooting on her sets!  I was pretty impressed with her and despite a lack of a decent budget to work with, she rallied her troops and we never missed a day.

When I mention certain production jobs like this you should simply just let someone do their craft – which is what Cat did.  She picked up on so much more than was in the script and when we had to compromise on things, we let her have her way.  Those were the simple decisions but you have to trust that person in order to do this as well!

A case in point was the “bone tree.”  This tree is where the ancestors of the farm hang various bones of the deceased.  It’s not so much a hanging graveyard as it is a piece of art.  It’s also rather gruesome and acts as a warning to intruders not to venture further into the farm.  I had originally picked a tree that looked iconic but there were some logistical concerns as well as an overall lack of definition in dealing with it.  Cat made her case and even though I felt strongly against it, I realized the night we shot those scenes that we would’ve been up against and not seen the artifacts in the backlight.  Good lesson to learn from a person who takes their craft seriously!

A. JEFFREY SCHOENBERG (costume designer)

You would hardly think that the word “passion for detail” would be so consuming as to be used for what I regarded as “mere clothing.” Jeffrey, our costume designer, suffers no fools – including me!  I had no idea the magnitude of his job and the detail in which he would do it.

As this was the first film I worked on that had five to ten sets of clothing for each actor, I could see the daunting task Jeffrey had in front of him – but only now!  He created at least fifteen separate character’s costumes.  And among them were the various sets that were made for each successive day’s use in the timeline of the script.  The continuity he had to deal with was enormous and he was only budgeted a few assistants along the way.

When I went to his Burbank-based shop I saw hundreds of period costumes that he makes for various stage plays.  I found a new appreciation for a craft I knew nothing other than what the job description was.  Every last detail is looked at and figured out and there is a historical element that he works from as well.  Even in the face of all of the logistics of working with the actors and keeping track of everything, Jeffrey is an easy-going guy and a good chap to hang with.  To say I found a higher appreciation for his craft is an understatement!

BRET BOLTON (visual effects supervisor) – www.dv8fx.com

About halfway through the shoot Bret showed up for a few days to help us shoot some specialized effects sequences.   He was the visual effects supervisor and his job was to advise on the best way to position and shoot two sequences that had some creatures getting burned alive by an explosion in a cave, as well as the lead actress being blown out of the cave.

I remember we were far behind one night and Bret was there all day just waiting for his chance to work.  We brought him over and told him that we had only a half hour to shoot one shot and that we would not be able to do any specific separations to help him composite the characters in the fire effect.  I was miserable about it and could see his frustration but he did what he could and we got something of the shot.  A month later, we got an email from him containing a video snippet of the work he did on the sequence with CGI and his other tools.  He made the shot look so real that we were stunned beyond belief.  We thought we never got him anything to work with yet he came back to us with this shot, plus ten others, and made the movie look like we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars!

His work was the eye-opener of all the technical work that we dealt with on the show.  We then had him work other shots to create or disguise certain things in the tent revival scene where he used match-move and image distortion technology and made an entire sequence out of six or seven extras who had a facial or body feature to rearrange.  Computers are great toys for this but you do need the artist with the genius behind it!

Sean McEwen Talks About The Actors

CHRIS JERICHO (Levi) – www.chrisjericho.com

I was fortunate to meet Chris at a local news station in Tampa Florida. It happened to be about a week prior to Halloween and Chris and I began to talk about horror films – a mutual love of both of ours. I mentioned that I was putting together the pieces for a feature film, and Chris was kind enough to take a look at the script. He called immediately to express his interest in playing a part and it all “snow-balled” from there.

Chris was a dream to work with from the beginning. He had fantastic ideas on how to mold his character in such a way that added to the story and enhanced the entire dynamic of this integral part.

It was amazing to see how Chris “lost himself” in his character. While constantly keeping a professional demeanor throughout the shoot – Chris also managed to scare the hell out of us as soon as his makeup transformation took place. He truly “became” Levi and his commitment to his character set an indispensable tone for the entire shoot. I am constantly amazed how certain actors are so talented that they can give life to a persona and character that is truly not their own – and Chris was no exception to this. His god-given gift for the craft was awe-inspiring.

RICHARD CHRISTY (Caleb) – www.richardchristy.com

As a long time listener to the Sirius Satellite radio program, The Howard Stern Show, I was quite aware of Richard Christy and his affinity for the horror genre. However, while immersed in our pre-production, I was listening to the show one day and was shocked to find out that Richard had a direct connection with Springfield Missouri (where the actual legend is from). On a whim, I decided to take a chance and contacted Richard directly at the radio station. As luck would have it, we were able to connect. Our first conversation lasted literally 2 hours where we ran the gambit talking about all things horror films – from the genius of John Carpenter to the mastery of George Romero. Next thing you know, I convinced my new “comrade in macabre arms” to fly out to the hills of Missouri to join us in all the “horrific” fun.

Richard did a fantastic job portraying the part of Caleb. He had to endure many hours of prosthetic work which, when complete, transformed him in to the eerie prosthelytizing “bridge” between the town and frightening secrets of the farm.

TAMMIN SURSOK (Stacey)

One of the most important dynamics to our casting process was finding the perfect “Stacey”. She was constructed as the spine of the story – the character the audience would take its journey with. Stacey was written to be beautiful, likeable, funny and when pushed to her limits, heroic. We needed an actress whose core persona could embody all of those components.

From the moment Tammin walked in to the room for her first audition, she encapsulated all of those qualities – and more. She naturally possessed that “spark” that would make an audience member want to discover the horrible secrets of the “Albino Farm” with her.

Tammin was a joy to work with. She committed whole-heartedly to the extreme circumstances we, the filmmakers, thrust her in to – and she brought it every time. To say we lucked out in finding Tammin, is an understatement.

SUNKRISH BALA (Sanjay)

We were fortunate to find Sunkrish through a standard audition process. The moment he was introduced to me, co-director Joe Anderson and the other producers, were extremely impressed. At the time, Sunkrish was on a successful network sitcom and it was obvious he possessed the talent, affability and comic timing needed for the character of Sanjay. Sanjay was constructed within the script to give levity at crucial points when the story needed a little “tension release” – but would then swing to the other end of the spectrum when forced by the circumstances to become one of the stories true heroes.

Sunkrish was a pure joy to work with. In the thick of production – as things sometimes tend to drag on – Sunkrish was always there to lighten the mood with a well timed and delivered joke or anecdote (and let me tell you, with Sunkrish, his comic timing was always perfect). This definitely came in to play when the entire cast and crew were entrenched deep below the surface of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains as we shot multiple scenes in the caves and caverns necessary for the story. He was always a trooper and brought a quality to the characterization of Sanjay that was beyond what could have ever hoped for.

ALICIA LAGANO (Melody)

When we envisioned the character of Melody – a rock chick with pure spitfire and verve who ends up revealing her true insecure nature when her friend’s circumstances spin frighteningly out of control – we knew we needed a powerhouse actress. And with Alicia, that’s just what we got. Alicia was beyond moving in her portrayal. Her character essentially loses her mind and has what can only be called a pure emotional meltdown. Alicia delivered and brought a reality and empathy to the character that was crucial to the film and very much raised the bar for the entire production.

NICK RICHEY (Brian)

I knew we had something special with the casting of Nick Richey as Brian, when Nick showed up to the first rehearsal with a diary filled with notes of his character’s entire back-story. Fortunately, we were introduced to Nick via one of our producing partner’s and we were lucky to have him as part of the cast. Nick gave the perfect balance of levity and amusement the character needed while still driving the story. Nick is one of those “dream actors” who is constantly inventing bits even right there on the set – he always knew how to constantly keep his characterization fresh and relative to the action. Take special note of the scene where he tries to talk his friends in to grabbing some beers to scope out the “hicks” at the revival tent. Somehow, his character’s pants come off in the scene – and it totally worked! That is quintessential Nick!

KEVIN SPIRTAS (Preacher) – www.kevinspirtas.com

Ironically, I attended the same high school as Kevin but was not formally introduced to him until we met at an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the “Friday the 13th” movie franchise (of which Kevin has been a part of since playing the lead character in part 7 – considered by some to be the best in the series). Kevin has quite a following in the horror genre (due also to his portrayal as one of the lead characters in Wes Craven’s “The Hills Have Eyes 2”) and his dynamic persona seemed a natural fit for the core character of the story, The Preacher.

While shooting the denouement of the story – a revival tent scene shot late at night with the tent full of a hundred extras – Kevin came out in full prosthetics and literally “became” the character right before our eyes. He literally led the congregation as we shot some of the most intense scenes in the entire film. His presence and delivery at the culmination of the story brought the original ending we had intended to a whole new level.

DUANE WHITTAKER (Jeremiah) – www.duanewhitaker.com

We were blessed to have Duane as part of the cast. The first day of shooting is always the most challenging and definitely sets the tone for the days to come. Having a professional like Duane to kick-start the shoot was fantastic. Being a veteran of many classic Hollywood films – including some genre favorites – his presence added much and got us off to great start. He’s definitely one of those guys that can slip right in to a character and through look, dialect and intention, interpret something from page to screen that really knocks it out of the park.

BIANCA BARNETT (Pig Bitch) – www.biancabarnett.com

When we first envisioned the character of the Pig-Bitch, we knew it had to be a prosthetic centric character – which is always challenging. Not only does an actor have to “act” like a creature – mannerisms, body language, grunts and all – but they have to be comfortable wearing the heavy-duty makeup. Bianca truly was a trooper in conquering all of those elements. She took what at the start was an artistic concept and breathed life into it (literally) right before our eyes. The head piece of the mask almost completely obstructed her view – so much so that for practical purposes, she could only see through the snout of the Pig-Bitch mask. But as you’ll see through the fight scenes, the prosthetics truly became like a second skin to the actress – making the creature that much more believable and frighteningly real.

Production Notes

The journey to produce “Albino Farm” was a long, adventurous and ultimately triumphant one for the cast and crew. Making the movie on a low budget, with the intended scope it required, was not an easy task. Every shooting day brought a new problem to solve or work around and then there was the weather! When in Missouri they say; “wait fifteen minutes and it will change.”

The project was initiated five years ago after a cocktail conversation between Joe Anderson and Sean McEwen during a respite from a mutual friend’s bachelor party in Las Vegas. Anderson had co-produced several independent feature films and was in pursuit of a genre project among other mainstream fair. Mr. McEwen had a keen interest in horror films and while working as a Los Angeles-based actor and television host, was passionate about flexing his writing muscles. The two decided to collaborate and look for stories with the sole requirement that true human fear be the core principal to exploit.

After a few months mutually pitching each other stories, McEwen recalled a tale he heard while attending college in Springfield, Missouri. A Civil War-era farm had been used as an internment camp for unwanted citizens born with birth defects. After a half-century of isolation, the imprisoned inhabitants had raised several generations of inbred miscreants. Many were said to be physically horrendous beyond nature. The totality of the accounts will never be known as most fled deeper into the Ozark Mountains after the camp was discovered by government authorities in the 1930’s.

To this day, claims of missing persons in the region are blamed on these “mountain folk.” One recent story, involving four college students, remains unsolved despite the discovery of their vandalized vehicle and a vast search of the area. This story became the basis of the screenplay.

After several drafts, Anderson and McEwen partnered with producer/manager Rachelle Ryan to assist in seeking industry finance from various independent Hollywood production companies. Several companies offered to purchase the screenplay outright but the three were adamant about partnering with terms that gave them an ownership stake.

With heat already on the project from meeting those companies, they decided to seek maximum value and raise their own funds to produce the film. As is typical, the practicality of raising funds for a film budget was no easy task but they managed to secure nearly $1 million from private investors in combination with a loan backed by participating in the Missouri Film Commission’s rebate program. That program offered a 50% rebate on all in-State spending and created an opportunity to increase production value.

The search for a director proved a much harder task. Anderson, McEwen and Ryan interviewed candidates but felt none really had the necessary passion for the story or understood the technical needs to pull off a heavy make-up effects shoot on such a low budget.

Having consulted with special make-up effects wizard Jason Barnett (Industrial Monster & Props), who had already been commissioned to create drawings and mock-ups of several creatures, Anderson and McEwen understood the greater magnitude of the situation and felt that a close collaboration with Barnett was the only way to pull it all off. With Barnett already well-versed in the script and demonstrating the precision required, both Anderson and McEwen decided the best solution was to co-direct with the same spirit in which they wrote the screenplay.

Though both Anderson and McEwen would be working with Barnett along the way, they also decided to split their directorial duties into two distinct areas. Since McEwen worked the dialog into the script and knew the acting process, he would work with the actors and with Anderson’s strengths in scene structure, shot composition and equipment knowledge, he decided to lead the production crew.

To oversee the logistics of the actual shoot, line producer Jason Stewart came onboard and created the overall physical production plan that would see the film shoot for one month at twelve separate locations. Stewart took several scouting trips to Missouri with Anderson and McEwen, as well as the film’s co-producer, Barry Curtis. They locked locations in and around the small towns of Warrensburg and Marionville with the last location being the famous tourist destination, Fantastic Caverns, north of Springfield, Missouri.

Upon returning, Rachelle Ryan had the casting process in full swing in Los Angeles. Kimberly Lenae Foster and Chuck McCullom (Foster-McCullom Casting) lined up auditions for two of the four lead characters. Though actors Nick Richey and Alicia Lagano were previously cast for the roles of Brian and Melody by Ryan, the search for their counterparts in Stacey and Kenji saw 200 actors chosen to come in to read over a week’s time.

The character Kenji, originally written as a Japanese foreign exchange student, changed to Sanjay after seeing Sunkrish Bala (“Notes from the Underbelly”) audition. He had a really interesting take and a great characterization so Anderson and McEwen changed the ethnicity and welcomed Bala into the mix.
Australian actress/singer Tammin Sursok (Nickelodeon’s “Spectacular”, “The Young and the Restless” and Australian TV’s “Home and Away”) also had a great reading and came back to win her role after the mix and match process with Nick, Alicia and Sunkrish.
Great care was taken to engage her in the film as she had other offers that were conflicting with the start date. Those issues were eventually resolved and she came onboard just prior to shooting.

The balance of the supporting cast members were hired from Kansas and Missouri, with the inclusion of special performers to play deformed cave-dwelling creatures. Actors Paul Ford and Troy Dunkle answered that call and were amazing as they played the Old Dwarf and Pinhead, respectively.

Pre-production started in early May 2007 with an experienced crew base coming from Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. One of the greatest finds was production designer Cat Cacciatore and her team of set designers, construction crews and scenic artists who built the giant farm gate and rock wall as well as the guard tower, animal huts, bone tree and worked to dress all of the sets at practical locations.

Principal photography commenced later in the month with the first shooting day at an old 1930’s-era gas station with actor Duane Whitaker (“Pulp Fiction”, “Feast”) and continuing for two weeks in and around Warrensburg. The production got caught in several weather situations during night shoots and in one case had the entire crew waiting out an electrical storm so as to shoot the scenes with Brian and Melody as they come up to and go inside an old manor house.
After waiting for three hours in pouring rain, with everyone gathered under production tents, dressing room trailers and crew vans, the weather calmed just long enough for Director of Photography, Rene` Jung, with Gaffer, Hanuman Brown-Eagle, to light it and Steadicam operator, Dave Rutherford, to rush in and shoot six setups in an hour.

World Wrestling Entertainment veteran Chris Jericho flew into Kansas City for several scenes shot in Warrensburg where his character Levi drops off Melody and Brian at the Albino Farm gate. Chris was integral to creating a back-country vibe Levi. With his mannerisms and bits-of-business he brought life to scenes beyond the wandering eye gag that was created for him by a special contact lens. Though in character throughout the shoot, he enjoyed hanging with the crew and meeting many fans as word got out that he was in town.
Chris was later joined by Richard Christy, writer/on-air personality with The Howard Stern Show, who grew up in Missouri and was cast to do several scenes. Richard loved sitting in the make-up trailer as Jason Barnett applied make-up for his character of backwoods bumpkin, Caleb. Richard went so far as to say the time spent in the make-up chair was akin to going to a fancy destination spa resort! Something that other actors might take issue with?

Richard and Chris Jericho spent time off-camera talking about their mutual interests in horror films and music as Chris is the lead singer for the rock band FOZZY and Richard has been a drummer in a myriad of metal bands and continually plays on stage with many pals, including Mike Portnoy of DREAM THEATER.

The shoot drew to an end at Fantastic Caverns where the site was used for a creature lair. While inside the cave, another major lightening and rain storm kicked into gear with some lightening strikes hitting trees nearby. Two crew members inside of the cave complex, who were close to cables, received hurtful but non-lethal shocks. Over four long nights the crew battled through scene after scene in conditions that required having steady footing and enduring the cold and low ceilings of rock formations. The generosity of the Fantastic Caverns crew helped immensely in shuttling cast, crew and equipment into and out of the complex in specialized four-wheel drive vehicles.

The last day of shooting at the cave complex saw the entire cave floor flooded three feet deep by the heavy rain. The production wrapped just prior and avoided a major headache as all of he sets would’ve been wiped out.

Back in Los Angeles, editor Dan O’Brien worked concurrently during the shoot to piece together as rough cut. With the Los Angeles crew returning, O’Brien was putting the final touches on a first cut. There were several shots that were missed due to time constraints that he and others felt we needed to enhance the show. Joe Anderson and Rachelle Ryan agreed to the extra expense and a small crew went over to Jason Barnett’s IMP/FX studio and to a film location ranch in Agua Dulce in order to shot more inserts from various scenes. The horrendous arm-stitch gag, that is a first for any horror film, was recreated for better clarity in the studio as well as grabbing other shots that were required for scene transitions.

Color correction and other post-production work was arranged and overseen by producer Jason Stewart. Colorist Jeff Skinner of The Lobby, Inc. worked with Rene` Jung on the specific look of the film to create a constant lighting scheme. Special effects work was created by Kansas-based Bret Bolton of DV8FX. His work included the cave explosion sequence and various shots that utilized green screen or other compositing tricks.

After the picture was locked, Joe Anderson contacted his former high school classmate Scott Rockenfield to compose the original music score. Rockenfield, drummer for the Seattle-based progressive metal band Queensryche, had composed music for previous ventures and was seeking to work toward doing more feature films. When not touring with the band, he has worked on television shows and was nominated for a Grammy for composing on “Televoid.”
Rockenfield sat down with Anderson, McEwen and Jason Stewart for a spotting session at his Seattle studio so as to figure out what the needs were for the score. Though Rockenfield was in the midst of a world tour with Queensryche, he found time on the road to compose various sections and report back with what he had for a preview before he fully mixed them in his studio on return trips.

At the same time sound designer Jamey Scott of Burbank-based Dramatic Audio Post was putting together the myriad of tracks and sound effects he would use in combination with Rockenfield’s music. He also did ADR (looping) with all four lead actors to get clean grabs of several lines. A final mix session was arranged in LA with Rockenfield where all of the combinations of music and sound effects were laid back and married to the picture.

With “Albino Farm” completed and currently being sold by Arsenal Pictures in the foreign market, an upcoming limited theatrical and a DVD release through MTI Home Video, Anderson and McEwen commented recently that the culmination of their five-year adventure would never have been possible without any of the cast and crew that stuck with them through thick and thin. The reality that “Albino Farm” got to the point of sale is not lost on them in regards to the many people who helped along the way. With partner Rachelle Ryan, the production savvy of Jason Stewart, along with Barry Curtis, the creative collaboration of all the actors that trusted them, their DP Rene Jung, creature designer Jason Barnett, composer Scott Rockenfield, editor Dan O’Brien and all of the others, was a dream come true.

News Clipping

Dateline: Springfield, Missouri 2009

Missing Student’s Car Found

The recent discovery of the vehicle owned by a missing University of Central Missouri student has prompted authorities to renew their investigation after the initial search was called off three months ago. The green Ford Explorer, was found by hunters in the backwoods area near the old town of Shiloh in the Ozark Mountains. Law-enforcement would not explain the nature of their find other than saying the damage was vandalism with malicious intent.  They are asking the public to come forward if they have any information regarding this case.

Shiloh has not been without its controversy. Founded in 1830, it was once a thriving community but after the Civil War ended it became extremely isolated and succumbed to a peculiar home-grown religious fanaticism.  Born of fear and ignorance, a new faith banished those with birth defects and other human maladies and were forced to live their days at a secluded Manor Estate. The subsequent discovery and closure of what had become a de facto internment camp, came in 1920 but was never fully known to the public. Rumors were all that was left, even up to this day.

With the townsfolk notoriously private and loathing modern times, not much is ever heard about the area but the lore still lives on with wild claims that an “Albino Farm” remains and its lone inhabitants still seek vengeance.

Ghost Image at Dwarf Road

One of the strangest things that happened during production on “Albino Farm” was the appearance of a ghost image during an editing session where two shots were combined to create the illusion that actor Paul Ford (Old Dwarf) is nearly run over by an SUV on a rural road.  During the process of working with digital special effects mattes, a darkened but distinctive image of a face with sunken eyes can be seen hovering over Paul’s back as his character is kneeling down in the road.

To date, there has been no technical explanation as to how this image came about. Whether a coincidental case of shadows and artifacts or a captured image of an actual ghost, the undeniably freaky nature of it is quite unsettling.

What others have said:

The producers showed the image to several friends and crew members.  Two of which are from Missouri, live near the filming site and speculated that it could be a fallen Civil War soldier or a miner from the same era.  Another explanation came from a spiritual leader in Los Angeles who commented that remnants of a person’s soul may not be an anomaly – they are actually represented by the image embedded in the video signal during filming.

Facts regarding the filming of the scene:

The scene was shot with one of two Sony CineAlta F-900 High Definition digital video cameras owned by Los Angeles-based cinematographer Rene Jung.  The camera was placed directly on the road, low to the ground and with the Zeiss DigiZoom lens set on full telephoto, the foreground and background appear compressed and give the illusion that everything in the shot looks much closer in relationship to each other.  In other words, Paul’s body appears much closer to the SUV as it comes roaring over the hill.  Though a simple “in-camera trick” it still required two separate takes of the same shot – one with Paul in the road and a separate one with the SUV coming over the hill.  For safety sake, Paul could not actually be in the road when the SUV passes by at a high rate of speed.

To prepare for Paul’s shot, he was put in position on the road and precision driver Tom Graveman slowly inched the SUV up to the exact point where he needed to swerve and a placement mark was made for Paul.  Paul was then taken out of the road and Tom did a few practice runs at half speed so that Rene` and the directors could further determine the effect of the shot. Because there was no wind blowing through the trees or other movement in the shot, everyone knew the layering of the two shots in post-production would be fairly simple.

Actual shooting commenced when Paul Ford was placed back on the road in full wardrobe and Tom Graveman was standing by up the road ready to make his run.  With the camera fully locked-off (not able to move) Rene turned the camera on and “action” was called for Paul to do his bit-of-business in the road.  After thirty seconds, “cut” was called on Paul and the crew rushed in to take him away from to safety.  The camera was still rolling and a second “action” was called for Tom Gravemen to come barreling over the crest of the hill and hit the mark where Paul was previously placed.  Tom did so, locked the brakes up and swerved away amid plumes of tire smoke.  After that, Rene, along with the directors and producer, rolled the tape back in the camera and viewed both takes so that everyone was satisfied that the two elements would indeed be able to create a composite effect.

Once the project was in post-production back in Los Angeles, an assistant editor digitized the original HDCAM source tapes into Apple’s Final Cut Pro system.  Using various effects tools, the senior editor brought both shots of the SUV and Paul into a position to layer them together for the final effect that shows the near-miss.  It was during this process that the editor discovered the ghost image while using a “difference matte” to clean up some garbage between both shots.  He was perplexed by the image so he checked the original HDCAM source tapes frame by frame and there was no image on any of the shots. Those tapes were brand new so no other image could be on them anyway.  At that point it became technically unexplainable.

The following is an email from the assistant editor to his friends:

“About three nights ago we were working on a compositing shot and we were trying
to remove some garbage with a difference matte.  In the middle of this process 
we saw the image (attached to this email).  I assure you that no Photoshop work 
has been done, and this is with a difference matte between a locked-down shot
 with a dwarf and the same locked-down shot without that person.  What you’re seeing is a degraded image of the original, and I have no idea why this 
happened.
  
We shot with a Sony CineAlta F900 at 1080p 23.98fps on brand new Sony HDCAM
tapes and compressed to DV for an offline edit.  

Let me know what you think, it freaks me out every time I look at it.”

Actual Film Location:

The filming site is located north of Warrensburg, MO east of Hazel Hill Community Lake on NW 575th Rd, just before cresting the hill and coming toward NW 201st Rd heading north.  The camera angle was taken west to east toward the hill.  To the left is an open field and to the right is a wooded area that is fenced with barbed wire.  Visit the following URL for Wikimapia.com to find the aerial view of the location marked by the filmmakers. http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=38.8431129&lon=-93.7749195&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2

Further Research and Exploration:

One of the movie’s crewmembers, make-up artist Colleen May, happens to be a partner in a web site called Show Me Ghosts West (www.showmeghostswest.com) and will have her group do further research, explore the actual site and list their findings on their web site.  More inquiries are welcome.