EU films will be presenting the film comedy Actress for Hire on April 27, 2018. The film is about a struggling actress named Sarah who is down on her luck. Her luck changes when she is asked to play a real-life CEO who suddenly goes on vacation, leaving her company in a lurch.
“The film is a comedy, but the story is also about how people represent themselves to one another. People are acting all the time in real life. The film explores what it means to be real with other people,” said producer Samantha Wiles, senior film & broadcasting major at Evangel.
Actress for Hire will premiere on April 27, with shows at 6 and 8 p.m. in the Barnett Fine Arts Center at Evangel University. Barnett is located just south of the Robert H. Spence Chapel, facing Glenstone Ave. Doors open 20 minutes before show time.
The film is open to the public — tickets are $1 for students and $2 general admission at the door. The film is approximately 57 minutes in length, and some short films will be shown prior to the feature at each showing.
There are hints of romance as well for Sarah, who is played by local actor Blaire Bilton.
Local actors Colin Jones plays potential love-interest Zach; Alexandra Ross plays Melissa, Sarah’s roommate; and Jacob Brower plays the part of Brandon, an executive who gets Sarah started in her new career. Chris Grieg plays Larry, with Elaine Jenkins as Larry’s mother and Jim Ellis as Larry’s father.
Director Holly Black, sophomore film major, said, “I mainly work with the cast, but also with the crew in deciding what shots to get. I work very closely with the director of photography to figure out the look and feel of the film. It’s been a very busy semester.”
Other EU Films staff positions include Evangel students Daniel Lee, sophomore, as director of photography; Jayce McQueen, junior, as editor; Kathryn Barbaglia, senior, as sound supervisor; and Faith Grahlman, senior, as assistant director.
“Producing a comedy is harder than most people realize,” says Dr. Cameron Pace, executive producer. “It takes work to make a script funny, work to plan out the action, work by the actors to perform in a comedic way, and work to edit the scenes for proper timing. It makes for a good lesson in filmmaking, so we try to do one every few semesters.”
Real world experience
EU Films is a student media organization located in the Communication Department at Evangel University. Each semester, the Film Workshop — a workshop course connected with EU Films — produces a feature film of 45 to 60 minutes in length.
The Actress for Hire story was developed during the spring semester. Casting was completed in January. Principal photography began in late January and continued through mid-April.
Approximately 15 to 25 Evangel students are involved with the making of each film, with actors from around the Ozarks participate in Evangel films regularly.
EU Film productions are photographed using professional 4K and HD digital film-style cameras. Visuals are edited using Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and DaVinci Resolve software.
“The Film Workshop class is an essential part of EU Films, where students earn credit while working on the film,” added Pace.
Films produced at Evangel are shown at the end of each semester, and then uploaded to the website Crusadermedia.com for public viewing at a later date.
Evangel’s cable station, EUTV, also airs the films approximately three to four months after the public viewing.
For more information, contact Dr. Cameron Pace at pacec@evangel.edu
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