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For each of the past eight years, students in MDIA 419 (Advanced Video Production) have dedicated considerable time and talent toward the creation of five 30-minute narrative films. As the quality and scale of these productions grew year by year, it was only matter of time until the 419 class produced its first feature-length project. That time has come with the production of Trailerpark.

“It has slowly been building towards this new format,” said Frederick Lewis, an Associate Professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies who has overseen the 419 class since 2001. “Because of past successes the class was ready for a film like this.”

419’s first feature-length film is based on a book of short stories written by best-selling author, Russell Banks. In 2005, Lewis met Banks at the Lake Placid Film Festival. Lewis was attending the festival to screen a documentary he had created based on the life of Rockwell Kent. Trailerpark had been a favorite of Lewis’ ever since he was in grad school at Brown University. That meeting would later result in Lewis, who is also the Executive Producer of Trailerpark, receiving restricted rights from Banks for the adaptation of the book.

Trailerpark weaves together the lives of a cast of characters who call a rundown trailer park in rural Ohio their home. Four students, Patrick Muhlberger, Jeffrey Bowers, Jonny Look and Nick Knittle were given the task of adapting the book of short stories into a script. From January to June of 2008 they met with Lewis weekly to complete the writing. The result, totaling to 95 pages, was 419’s first ever feature- length script. In spring of 2008, Lewis started accepting applications into the course. Positions to be filled by students included audio, art direction, producing, directing and lighting. In all, 70 Media School students are involved I the production. In addition, students in the EXCEL business club, theater professors, and VISCOM students complete a team that utilizes all the talents Ohio University has to offer.

The creation of the film is not an easy task. Coordinating Producer Conor Hogan dedicates more than thirty hours a week towards the making of Trailerpark. In order to make a trailer park, the crew rented eight trailers as well as eight campgrounds at Lake Snowden in Albany, Ohio. The class has also been working hard to raise money for their goal budget of $45,000 to make this film a reality. 419 students are also receiving experience with negotiating contracts with SAG actors for the film.

The creation of the film is not an easy task. Coordinating Producer Conor Hogan dedicates more than thirty hours a week towards the making of Trailerpark. In order to make a trailer park, the crew has recently rented eight trailers as well as eight campgrounds at Lake Snowden in Albany, Ohio. The class has also been working hard to raise money for their goal budget of $45,000 to make this film a reality. 419 students are also receiving experience with negotiating contracts with SAG actors for the film.

Hogan, who worked on the 419 short film The Dying Western last year said, “I was impressed by the pride of professionalism on set.” This pride of professionalism is something Hogan hopes that students can carry into, not only the making of Trailerpark, but into their future careers long after the filming is done. “If every student is willing to put time and effort into learning how important it is to respect all positions on set and learn professionalism on set, especially at a University level, then that is really something that we can take out of this experience,” said Hogan.

After being in pre-production for almost a year, the filming of Trailerpark began on January 24th. Trailerpark is scheduled to premiere on June 7th in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. It will also be featured at the Lake Placid Film Forum June 13th. In all, the movie will have taken about a year and a half to complete. “The stakes are very high, and so now more than ever before, it’s really simulating what its like to make a movie”, states Lewis.

For more information, or to learn how to make a donation for Trailerpark, visit Trailerparkmovie.com.

Photos taken by Sam Butt.

For more information about the School of Media Arts and Studies, please visit http://www.mediaschool.ohiou.edu.