Category: Press Releases
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO MAKE A MOVIE
Producer Creates New Genre of Motion Picture
Natchitoches, Louisiana…In today’s times, it is quite an achievement to do something in the motion picture field that hasn’t been done before, but it appears that an attorney from Natchitoches, Louisiana has done just that. “Well, that’s what I keep hearing.� producer / director Payne Williams comments, “It didn’t start out that way, but I’m really proud of the movie that came out of everyone’s effort, and yes, it was my first time, too.�
As it turns out, it was everyone’s first time to act. Almost one hundred-fifty participates, and no one with any acting experience. “One cast member,� Williams continues, “Jaque Horton was a lighting stand-in for Dolly Pardon when Steel Magnolias was made here, and that was the most experienced actor we had. I cast The Garden Club from people I knew who were characters in their own right, people that I thought their personality would come through on camera.�
Based on a novel, The Garden Club is about the social status of small town Southern women and how greed and a thirst for power is just beneath the surface in all of us. The book was written by Natchitoches native Robert DeBlieux, who is now a member of the acting troupe Williams formed for the project. “The Cane Lake Players are just regular people who got together for this project because they believed they could do it. I will say this; acting is a lot harder than it looks.�
“I call it a Community Theater Motion Picture.� Daniel Graves, the director of photography for the project comments, “Payne has done something here that hasn’t been done before. Every town in America is full of faces and characters that would look great on camera, but they’ve never dreamed of actually being in a movie. In the atmosphere he created, Payne got these people to forget that they didn’t know what they were doing, and just go with it. A lot of pressure is forgotten when you’re not in front of an audience, and you know you can do another take if you flub your lines.�
Graves and Editor Dennis Murdock were the only people with industry experience on the project. “I’ve been producing documentaries for about twenty years and Dennis has been in the business for thirty.� Graves continues, “We were both amazed with some of the performances that were turned in by this group, and I think every audience that sees the picture will get a real kick out of it whether they’ve heard the actors names before or not.�
For more information and photos go to www.GardenClubMovie.com/press.htm
Or contact Payne Williams at 318-352-6695
