Man-Sung Son of SMS Productions said the 35mm feature he’s producing, “Missed It,” could shoot here or in Columbus next January.
Director Brian Southers has secured locations in Columbus, but “I always want to shoot in Chicago,” said Son, who has long helped emerging filmmakers with development, shooting and post. “If I can come up with locations here on the same budget then possibly we can shoot here.”
Son and Southers are self-financing “Missed It” through Southers’ Columbus-based photo studio Emulsion Films. SMS is supplying the camera package.
Son declined to state the budget, but did say that the film is likely to operate under the SAG Limited Exhibition Agreement, which covers budgets from $75,000 to $200,000.
“We want to show how you can work on so small a budget and still produce quality work,” Son said. “If this one is successful we want to shoot a bigger one with a full union crew.”
The screenplay, written by Laura Heine of The Screenwriters Group from a story by Southers, follows a high school basketball prodigy confronting a dark family secret
Three weeks of principal photography are scheduled to begin Jan. 10, followed by a week of second unit.
Son produced Southers’ 2003 HD short “The Gift that Never Made Fruition.” Southers initially approached Son for advice on shooting format, and Son found himself increasingly drawn into the project.
“I was quite impressed with his talent ? he’s very strong in visual creativity,” Son said. “He’s so organized, and I’ve never seen such a hardworking filmmaker. When we were making the short, we planned to do a feature film as our second project together.”
Southers has run Emulsion Films for the past five years since graduating from the University of Toledo film school. “I want to bring a lot of techniques, that still photographers use to make things visually pleasing, to bear within the film architecture,” Southers said.
Southers said he plans to submit “Missed It” and “The Gift that Never Made Fruition” to festivals simultaneously. He’s developing another high school dramatic feature, a running story called “Rhythm.” He also directed the 1999 short “Can You Feel Me?”
Son also produced the seven-years-in-the-making 2003 martial arts pic “The Book of Swords.”
His SMS professional rental equipment business celebrated its 20th anniversary last month. He is also a founder of the Chicago Academy of Visual Arts, which presents intense weekend classes, workshops and seminars with noted professionals in every facet of production.
SMS is located at 676 N. LaSalle; phone, Son at 312/440-8963. See www.smsprod.com or www.emulsionfilm.com.
? by Ed M. Koziarski, edk@homesickblues.com
