Welcome to the "Trailerpark"

It is my distinct pleasure to introduce this new blog endeavor, which will track the production of the Ohio University student film project "Trailerpark" throughout winter quarter 2009.

This blog is being produced in conjunction with a class called Online Journalism Fundamentals (JOUR 314), which seems fitting given that "Trailerpark" is being produced as a part of a class in the School of Media Arts and Studies called Advanced Video Projects (MDIA 419). I know a lot of people rag on students because of their amateur rank, but I believe that students -- motivated students, at least -- have a sense of fresh energy that their adult peers might not possess. Under the direction of knowledgeable adults, students are quite capable of professional results. I've noticed that there is a sense of infectious energy among many of the students involved in "Trailerpark," and with as extensive as this project is, it is certain that there are adults -- such as MDIA 419 professor Frederick Lewis -- advising the filmmakers. Surprisingly, "Trailerpark" will be ready to view by the end of spring quarter 2009.

Enough with the mushy stuff, though -- this is journalism, for crying outloud! I'd like to tell you a bit about the project's background. "Trailerpark" in its literary form is a 1981 book of interrelated short stories by Russell Banks, the author of 19 books (as well as the official author of New York State from 2004-2008, according to his biography on his publisher's Web site -- who knew states had official authors?!). I'm told by crew members that Banks' book was optioned to HBO for a mini-series before he offered it up to OU for the MDIA 419 project. The curious little description of the book on the Harper Collins (its publisher) site reads as follows:

"Get to know the colorful cast of characters at the Granite State Trailerpark, where Flora in number 11 keeps more than a hundred guinea pigs andscreams at people to stay away from her babies, Claudel in number 5 thinks he is lucky until his wife burns down their trailer and runs off with Howie Leeke, and Noni in number 7 has telephone conversations with Jesus and tells the police about them. In this series of related short stories, Russell Banks offers gripping, realistic portrayals of individual Americans and paints a portrait of New England life that is at once dark, witty, and revealing."

So how exactly did this book of short stories about a New England trailerpark turn itself into a script? Students, of course. A small writing team -- comprised of several of the film's directors and producers -- gathered last spring quarter (EDIT: as far as winter break 2007 a script was in progress, co-director Patrick Muhlberger later told me) to adapt Banks' book into the script that is currently being used by the production, according to one of the film's assistant directors, Nick Knittel. Just for comparison's sake, let's take a gander at the film's plot description from the "Trailerpark" site:

"Trailerpark is a film centered around the lives of rural Ohioans who reside in a rundown trailer park. There is Flora Pease, the newest resident, who has a fondness for erratic behavior and small creatures; Merle Ring, the oldest resident, with a strange streak of luck and an even stranger sense of humor; Bruce Severance, the town hippie, who has a dangerous plan up his sleeve; and Terry Constant, the single black resident, who finds himself constantly out of place. There are other residents, each unique and interesting, and all living under the motherly eye of Marcelle, the owner of the park. Throughout the year the residents face conflicts with drug dealers, lottery winners, and guinea pigs, but, most of all they have to learn to live with and support each other."

Fall quarter was spent raising funds for the production, both through the encouragement of private donations and through organized crew fundraising efforts at locations including Cedar Point and King's Island, Knittel said. The crew also spent the quarter preparing for the film's production by casting actors and readying sets, most of which are located in Athens County near Lake Snowden. Additional scenes are being filmed in the snowy tundra of Michigan, near a frozen lake.

The first day of the film's production was several weeks ago, January 24 to be exact. According to the "Trailerpark" production blog, snow was brought in by the film's art department from Bird Arena. Between now and then, it has snowed and melted twice over, so it should be interesting to see how the set looks when I head to the "Trailerpark" set tomorrow to see the cast and crew hard at work, filming part of its climax fire scene. The film's coordinating producer, Conor Hogan, has warned me, though, about being "uber quiet" on set and "finding a producer before walking anywhere" so that I am not accidentally in a shot. This should be an adventure indeed!