skip to main |
skip to sidebar
In preparing for the film, cast and crew alike have understandably taken a greater interest in paranormal investigation. And as we've learned, it's one thing to watch the ghost hunting shows on TV, and quite another to participate. Spending the wee hours in darkened places that are believed to be legitimately haunted can be a little unnerving at times, even for skeptics.
Donnie and I recently tagged along with DCMAG for their investigation of the Howard County Historical Society—which just so happens to be housed in a former church. It's a wonderfully interesting place, but seriously—you try feeling completely comfortable sitting in an old church with the lights out, surrounded by historical artifacts, paintings, and yes—antique dolls.
So with that in mind, it was important that we made sure of one thing—that the houses and other locations where we're filming Ghosts Don't Exist are most certainly not haunted. In fact, they're quite cozy in real life. Whew.
We decided at the very outset to forgo the purist approach of filming in an authentic haunted house, because frankly, nobody really wanted to push our luck. (Especially not those of us who'll be using said houses for base camp and accommodations throughout the shoot.) Instead, we wanted a legitimate ghost-free zone to unwind after the rigorous schedule—and thankfully, that's what we've got. Most of us on the team are indeed superstitious, and/or believers in the paranormal to some degree. And while we're fascinated by haunted houses, we definitely had no desire to spend 15 days filming in them. ;)
But for those of you who do crave that kind of action, here's a handy checklist of reportedly haunted locations. You can plan your next vacation around 'em, if that's your thing.
Do you have any particularly interesting tales of haunted places you've experienced? If so, we'd love to hear about them! On a related note, stay tuned for some very cool upcoming features on ghostsdontexist.com. More to come soon...
Today was move-in day for key members of our production team, as they begin setting up shop at the "Travis Garner House" location, which plays a central part in the film. Here's your exclusive sneak peek at the 18th-century home in Leesburg, VA, which will also serve as base camp for the duration of the shoot. Much of our blogging will take place right here on the site.
We've toured the location numerous times in the past several weeks, and are thoroughly impressed with how well it complements the script. The exterior... the layout of the rooms... it's all very much what Eric had in mind when he wrote the story—and it's going to translate wonderfully to film.
It's worth mentioning that there were actually several viable options for the Travis Garner House, but this was our top choice from the moment we saw it.
There was another home that stood out to us—not so much for its physical characteristics or location, but for what was waiting for us inside. Only one item remained in the vacant, foreboding old manor—this antique wheelchair, resting in a kitchen corner. Is that the stuff of nightmares, or what?
1st AD Gavin Peretti and producer/2nd AD Richard Friend going over the days to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Another meeting of the minds-- cinematographer Kunitaro Ohi, Eric, and Gavin going over scenes at, you guessed it-- Starbucks.
Long before the film was even cast, we had the idea of asking the actors participate in an actual paranormal investigation. A ghost hunt, if you will, with our friends at DCMAG—who are also technical consultants on the film. In fact, we made it a point to ask all of our actors at the auditions if it's something they'd be willing to do; and all of them responded with an enthusiastic "yes."
John Warfield of DCMAG arranged a full day (and night) of Ghosthunting 101 for our cast and crew, who enjoyed a trip to Historic Jordan Springs—a site they've deemed the most active location they've investigated to date.
Aside from the investigation itself, a key purpose of the trip was to familiarize the actors with the tools and terminology of ghost hunting. DCMAG is providing most of the tools for the film—infrared cameras, K2 meters, EMF detectors, etc.—and we wanted them to make sure the cast knows how to use them.
After an informative crash course, Phillip, Devon, and Josh were practically part of the team—and amazingly, each had personal experiences throughout the investigation, which we'll share here soon. In fact, one of our own K2 meters went off several times in the middle of the presentation, to the amusement of all.
19W's Donnie Conty, who helped coordinate the event, documented the trip every step of the way. He'll be posting some very interesting video clips that you won't want to miss.
The producers, cast, and crew of 19th + Wilson's Ghosts Don't Exist are excited to launch this official blog—where we'll be sharing behind-the-scenes news throughout the production of the film!
Much has been happening since casting in March, and now we're less than a week away from shooting! With so much focus going into pre-production, updates to 19W.com and ghostsdontexist.com can't happen as frequently as we'd like. The blog, however, will allow us to stay in touch on a regular basis, and provide exclusive content long before it makes it onto the special features reel of the DVD!
We'll be updating live from the set, posting interviews with cast and crew, and much more. Watch the cast participate in an actual paranormal investigation with the DCMAG team, see rehearsals, outakes, and more!
Posts
