Wider Horizons asked George Gallant, Lethbridge College instructor and documentary filmmaker, to share a few words on the often complex course of movie-making, grassroots efforts and what it’s been like to bring a little bit of LA to L.A.
Gallant is one of the producers of Common Chord, an independent full-length feature that was shot in Lethbridge in June and that will debut next summer. The movie is a collaborative effort between the college and the University of Lethbridge and has involved students, artists, designers, writers and actors from throughout southern Alberta. For more information, go to commonchordmovie.com.
Wider Horizons: Where did the idea of Common Chord come from? GEORGE GALLANT: It started with the writer Trevor Carroll. He came up with the idea for a story about fatherhood, forgiveness and redemption. He brought it to a small group of us that developed the idea and the characters over many rewrites. We consulted with other writers and story editors, and eventually Deric Olsen was brought in to finish the script.
WH: How long has this movie been in the making? GG: Our group started the process seven years ago. Pre-production was ramped up a year ago to get ready to shoot in June.
WH: How many people have been involved in the project? GG: Since the beginning there have been hundreds of people involved in the Common Chord project. This includes all the professional crew, U of L and Lethbridge College students, the actors and the extras. There are also many people who have volunteered their time, money and resources to make this happen. Everyone with the exception of Jason Cermak is from southern Alberta (Jason’s family is in central Alberta but he now lives in Vancouver).
WH: This project gives students some incredible hands-on experience in movie-making. What other educational benefits have you seen come from this movie? GG: The students from the U of L will get hands-on experience making a film which is part of their program. The Lethbridge College students will get day-to-day experience putting together behind-the-scenes features on the people involved, which works well with the Communication Arts program.
WH: What are some unexpected perks of small-city filmmaking? GG: Community support. In larger centres everyone would expect to get paid for being involved in a film project. Here in Lethbridge, the support from volunteers and businesses who have given of their time, talents and resources has been heart-warming. I think people are looking for a reason to form a community, and whether it’s on our Facebook page or on the set, people want to connect with something that is important to them. Our story revolves around families and fathers which we can all relate to.
WH: What role does music play in the film? GG: The title says it all. It was Joshua Rueben Fritz’s music that helped to form our lead characters. Kyle is not just an out of control rocker, he plays emotional classical flamenco guitar, and Bill loves classical. The music is a metaphor for their relationship. They both want what’s best for Teigan, but don’t know how to work together to do that. Once they realize they are both playing the same song, they can create a common chord, and a harmonious family for Teigan.
WH: Was it difficult to cast this film? What were you looking for in the three main characters (a father, his six-year-old daughter, and her grandfather)? GG: Deric did a brilliant job casting the film. Jason is an up and coming actor with credits in Passchendaele and Heartland, and Peter Seadon is a Taber resident who has come to film acting later in life and brings a more mature, no-nonsense attitude to the project. Ashlin Malik is a gem. Finding a little girl to play Teigan was going to be our biggest challenge and we thought we would have to go to Calgary to find her. Our community is full of surprises and audiences will be charmed by this little ingénue.
WH: Navigating the path of multi-generational relationships can certainly be a challenge. What do you hope the audience takes away from this film when it comes to fathers and family? GG: We all have stories about our fathers, good and bad. We hope the audience can see the challenges these character overcome to be good fathers and create a strong family.
WH: What do you see as the formula for a memorable movie?
GG: Ordinary characters with personal flaws we can relate with are given extraordinary challenges to overcome. We all root for the underdog.
Gallant is one of the producers of Common Chord, an independent full-length feature that was shot in Lethbridge in June and that will debut next summer. The movie is a collaborative effort between the college and the University of Lethbridge and has involved students, artists, designers, writers and actors from throughout southern Alberta. For more information, go to commonchordmovie.com.
Wider Horizons: Where did the idea of Common Chord come from? GEORGE GALLANT: It started with the writer Trevor Carroll. He came up with the idea for a story about fatherhood, forgiveness and redemption. He brought it to a small group of us that developed the idea and the characters over many rewrites. We consulted with other writers and story editors, and eventually Deric Olsen was brought in to finish the script.
WH: How long has this movie been in the making? GG: Our group started the process seven years ago. Pre-production was ramped up a year ago to get ready to shoot in June.
WH: How many people have been involved in the project? GG: Since the beginning there have been hundreds of people involved in the Common Chord project. This includes all the professional crew, U of L and Lethbridge College students, the actors and the extras. There are also many people who have volunteered their time, money and resources to make this happen. Everyone with the exception of Jason Cermak is from southern Alberta (Jason’s family is in central Alberta but he now lives in Vancouver).
WH: This project gives students some incredible hands-on experience in movie-making. What other educational benefits have you seen come from this movie? GG: The students from the U of L will get hands-on experience making a film which is part of their program. The Lethbridge College students will get day-to-day experience putting together behind-the-scenes features on the people involved, which works well with the Communication Arts program.
WH: What are some unexpected perks of small-city filmmaking? GG: Community support. In larger centres everyone would expect to get paid for being involved in a film project. Here in Lethbridge, the support from volunteers and businesses who have given of their time, talents and resources has been heart-warming. I think people are looking for a reason to form a community, and whether it’s on our Facebook page or on the set, people want to connect with something that is important to them. Our story revolves around families and fathers which we can all relate to.
WH: What role does music play in the film? GG: The title says it all. It was Joshua Rueben Fritz’s music that helped to form our lead characters. Kyle is not just an out of control rocker, he plays emotional classical flamenco guitar, and Bill loves classical. The music is a metaphor for their relationship. They both want what’s best for Teigan, but don’t know how to work together to do that. Once they realize they are both playing the same song, they can create a common chord, and a harmonious family for Teigan.
WH: Was it difficult to cast this film? What were you looking for in the three main characters (a father, his six-year-old daughter, and her grandfather)? GG: Deric did a brilliant job casting the film. Jason is an up and coming actor with credits in Passchendaele and Heartland, and Peter Seadon is a Taber resident who has come to film acting later in life and brings a more mature, no-nonsense attitude to the project. Ashlin Malik is a gem. Finding a little girl to play Teigan was going to be our biggest challenge and we thought we would have to go to Calgary to find her. Our community is full of surprises and audiences will be charmed by this little ingénue.
WH: Navigating the path of multi-generational relationships can certainly be a challenge. What do you hope the audience takes away from this film when it comes to fathers and family? GG: We all have stories about our fathers, good and bad. We hope the audience can see the challenges these character overcome to be good fathers and create a strong family.
WH: What do you see as the formula for a memorable movie?
GG: Ordinary characters with personal flaws we can relate with are given extraordinary challenges to overcome. We all root for the underdog.
