Marion County resident Michael Mitchell, left, on the set of one of his movies.
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
A Marion County filmmaker is making a name for himself in the movie industry and could put Columbia on the silver screen.
Michael Mitchell of Kokomo is currently directing and producing his next film called “Scarecrow’s Last Dance” that will be filmed in Mississippi and Washington State, and he has some heavy hitters in the movie business backing the project.
This is not Mitchell’s first foray into filmmaking, having produced his first movie three years ago at Pearl River Community College where he was a student studying business, marketing and film. He is now the owner of Kokomo-based Light Productions and works at Wal-Mart to make money for his film projects.
Mitchell, left, works with an actor.
“Scarecrow’s Last Dance” is about the power of love, said Mitchell, noting that the plot deals with a band of thugs kidnapping a husband and wife and taking them out in the woods to torture and kill them. After the husband is killed he comes back to gain retribution.
One of Mitchell’s colleagues, Evan Marquisee from Costa Rica, wrote the screenplay, and Mitchell expects that some of the movie will be shot around Columbia and Hattiesburg when production begins in September. It will cost around $5,000 to produce “Scarecrow’s Last Dance,” Mitchell said, adding that the film will probably be released next summer.
According to Mitchell, Lance Nichols, who was in the blockbuster film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and is also on the HBO series “Treme,” will play Mr. Granger, the leader of band of thugs. The lead role of the husband is played by Erik Williams of Missouri.
Filmmaker Michael Mitchell
The producer of “Scarecrow’s Last Dance” is Josh Hodgins, who was the creator of the FOX TV show “Jackson Horn” and worked with R.W. Goodwin, the creator of X-Files. Brandon Russell, director of photography on “Scarecrow’s Last Dance,” worked on “Volcano” and “Anaconda,” said Mitchell. “Scarecrow’s Last Dance” has already been offered theatrical distribution and is a sci-fi/thriller, Mitchell added.
Several roles in the film have yet to be cast, including the lead female part and the band of thugs. Anyone interested in being considered for the roles should submit an application online at the Light Productions Web site, www.lightfilmsproduction.webs.com.
Mitchell, who has lived in Marion County since he was 5-years-old, said he hopes to draw local acting talent in future films he shoots here. Another movie he is making, “The Cigarette,” will star Columbia native Amanda Bishop, who will portray a 22-year-old fifth-year community college student with a dead-end job.
An advantage to shooting movies in a rural area like Marion County is that there is no traffic to contend with when trying to film scenes, said Mitchell. But there are also drawbacks such as a lack of production equipment that would be available in Hollywood, said Mitchell, who attended West Marion High School but graduated home school.
Mitchell made contacts in the film industry by traveling to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to volunteer on movies productions by helping with set design and other jobs. One of the first contacts he made in the industry was New Orleans casting director Jeremy Evan Kerr. While working on his film thesis project at PRCC, Mitchell e-mailed Kerr for advice.
New Orleans, which Mitchell said is No. 3 in the country for movie making, has been a great asset for him, and he has now been a part of about 40 productions in one way or another.
Since he was a child watching TV programs such as the “Cosby Show,” Mitchell has had an interest in film. He just finished shooting a movie called “Man in the Maze” in Alabama that he said is scheduled to be released in theatres this fall in the United States, Nepal and India. On that movie Mitchell served as the first assistant director, screenwriter and second unit director.
He also recently finished a film called “Recupero” which he wrote, directed and produced. Mitchell said the film is scheduled to be released on DVD next summer and stars Ashton Leigh and Shaun Grant, who was in the film “Blood Out” with Val Kilmer.
i think this will be great for marion county…way to go
This will be AWESOME for Marion Co and MS!!!
Michael is going to do great things… one of which, I believe, is going to be remembering where he comes from. I’m already a fan! Congrats and good luck!
Many good wishes for much success to Michael on his film!
This would be great! its time people realize that we have the garden spot of the world. I’m all for it, make us proud!!!!!!!!
I’m available for a small but well-paying extra!!!
I am so proud to call Michael my best friend and partner in crime
he truly is an amazing filmmaker and person. I am so honored to have had his help and Insight with my own aspiring film career. I am so proud of you Michael!! I have never known anyone so dedicated, hard working, and talented. Michael is a man of many many talents and has such a bright, successful future ahead of him!
Awesome! Great! Wonderful! More! We more of this and more people doing such as this! I have always believed downtown Columbia visually lends itself well to film. They should have filmed “In the Heat of the Night” here among so many other movies. Why is Columbia and Marion County not listed on the Mississippi State Film Commission website advertising places for movie companies to come and film? Columbia is a yet discovered gem for movies set in the deep south……
Its so good to read about a young black man doing something POSITIVE!! Stay focused and may God continue to bless you!!
“Band of thugs” isn’t cast yet? They’ll be sure to find casting in Columbia.
Way to go Michael good luck with the project!
Way to go! wishing you the very best of luck!!
You have a really awesome crew, man. Please, keep us posted on audition and the production schedule. I would love to be a part.
Mike is the most determined and creative person i know. he will make something of himself
Husband and wife kidnapped tortured and killed by thugs in Marion Conty? Which thugs?
Then there are the stories which involve kidnapping,murder, and extortion by political game players of personal greed in Marion County which never make the screen. In those stories the murdered stay dead in hopes of reserection and judgment longing to live in God’s kingdom free of such.
Best of Luck Mike!
Care to elaborate on these cases involving Marion County politicians? Or is this just baseless accusation because you have an alleged axe to grind with MS?
I backed this film financially at kickstarter. Please do the same.
Good luck on your project! What is kickstarter?
@Ann, http://www.kickerstarter.com is a valuable website that allows independent artist of all genres to post their projects online and gain investments via “Pledges” in hopes of raising funding for their projects budgeted goal.
I have placed a link for scarecrow on http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1406650520/scarecrows-last-dance as well as additional and more detailed information on the film can be found at: http://lightfilmsproduction.webs.com/alookatthescarecrow.htm
We are accepting investments/pledges of any amount!
Thanks once again Columbia for all of your support!
Congratulations to you, Michael.
Why can’t Marion County allocate some grant money to exceptional talent like this guy? Why isn’t this plastered all over the MCDP website, I wonder?
I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your support! I am shocked from all the congrats I have received simply walking down the street and the many emails of thanks and appreciation!
@Formerly known as confused, I am meeting with the MCDP on this very thing today
Once again, thank you very much for all of your support, and I will do my best to make you very proud!
Too cool. Hope you remind them how much they spent on “image enhancement” in past years.
Very cool, Michael! I’m so proud of all your achievements so far and look for more in the future. I know you will go far with this. (But, you know you still owe me for an autograph you failed to get for me…Transporter style.)
Was wondering how the meeting with MCDP went, Michael? Can you give an update on here about how much grant money you were able to secure? Thanks.
They’ve been extremely helpful in pointing me to the right direction with everything.
to FKAC: I am impressed that you are keeping up with the progress of this request to the MCDP. That’s the way to stay informed! I, too, am curious as to what Mr. Mitchell asked for vs. what they were willing to do for him, and also who made the decision down there at MCDP. He only says they’ve been extremely helpful in pointing the direction, so I’m not sure just how far they were willing to go. What do you think? Best of luck to you, Mr. Mitchell. I’ll be following your progress.