From the Page to the Screen

Let’s say you want to document your family vacation like George Lucas, or maybe you have a small Mom and Pop business and you want to create a commercial that will compete with the big boys. What if you are interested in pursuing a new career path in videography?  Fairhope has long been known as an artistic community, and once again, our residents are stepping up to create a new venue for learning a new creative skill.

Bohemian LA Productions, LLC was formed this past year by film enthusiasts and friends Amelia C. Gilley and Pandora Jorgensen Heathcoe in order to promote and develop an interest in the creative arts in our area. “We recognize the schools have had to make cuts in their film programs, and there are so many new jobs opening up in and around Fairhope, we felt the need to provide hands-on experiences in that field” said Gilley.

Putting their heads together, the two friends were able to develop what is going to be an exciting series of workshops for the beginning filmmaker.

The upcoming workshops take place over a three Saturday period, and participants can attend all three or individual classes. “From the Page to the Screen” Emerging Filmaker’s Workshop Series will feature experienced filmmaker Gary Scovil from Scovil Productions as well as notable director and author John O’Melveny Woods who worked in the industry in Hollywood for years.

South Alabama has seen a huge increase in the number of films being made in our area, so crews are looking for people who know the industry. This is an exciting thing to have in our community and it’s wonderful how people like Amelia and Pandora have taken their passion for film and turned it into something they can give back to the city.

The courses will be taught at the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship and have a limited number of seats. The cost is only $30 for each Saturday workshop, so early registration is recommended.

“The workshops are intended for beginners, so there’s no pressure to know all the big terms or have your own major equipment” said  Heathcoe.

More details, including a full schedule and description of the courses can be found at their web site HERE.

The other big news is that Bohemian LA Productions is also spearheading a huge film event for our community on Friday, December 11th. “An Evening With Freddie” will feature a rare screening of the film, The Great Pretender, compiled by Richard Gray, which is the story of Queen lead-man Freddie Mercury. A book, written by Peter Freestone, who was Mercury’s personal assistant for more than 12 years, will be available for purchase and Freestone will be there to sign books and host a question and answer session with attendees. The event is sure to be a sell-out,  with tickets at just $50 and will benefit the AIDS Alabama South and the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

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So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a spot at the filmmaker’s workshops and get your tickets for The Great Pretender event. The film industry is certainly taking note of the new L.A. – “Lower Alabama.” Let’s get prepared!