SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — EU Films will premiere the psychological drama, Led Astray, on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 6 and 8 p.m.
Led Astray tells the story of a young girl, Savannah Hart, who embarks on a mission to find her lost sister, Jackie, after an EMP explosion has left the country without electricity. After finding her sister, Savannah discovers that Jackie has joined a commune dominated by a charismatic man named Cedar.
“It’s a psychological drama,” said Blake Byers, senior, returning as the team’s director of photography for the second straight film. “There are definitely some thriller vibes from the movie, but the focus on the relationships between characters.”
Led Astray will show 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 showtime.
The cost of admission for adults is $2, students $1, and Evangel students with an ID get in free.
The creative process
The story was developed towards the end of the Fall semester. Once casting was finalized EU Films began shooting, spending weekends at a variety of locations, though primarily at a property in Ozark, Missouri.
Directing the film is Megan Rogers, a junior at Evangel. Rogers has used the experience gained during her role in last semester’s film, Uprooted, for which she was the assistant director.
“This semester we have an unusually long script, originally totaling 110 scenes,” said Rogers. “Trying to fit all these scenes into a schedule of only two months has been a huge challenge for us. Learning all the ins and outs of directing has been a hard challenge for me to face, but it’s definitely been a fun one.”
Rogers has been assisted by producer and screenwriter Holly Black, junior, and assistant director Josie Hewlett, junior. Additional film staff includes editor Jacob Smith senior, audio supervisor Luke Slater, senior, and assistant editor Salem Ware, sophomore.
Approximately 15-20 Evangel students are involved with the making of the film. Actors from around the Ozarks regularly participate in Evangel films. Lead actors featured in the film include Stacey Heishman, Caroline Kyle, Brendan Boyd Dalton, and Nate Schaefer.
Real world experience
EU Films is a student media organization located in the Communication Department at Evangel University. Each semester, the Film Workshop — a course connected with EU Films — produces a feature film of 45 to 60 minutes in length. Films are supervised by executive producer and adviser Dr. Cameron 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.
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.
More information can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EU-Films-1820869454852341/ or by contacting Dr. Cameron Pace at pacec@evangel.edu
Evangel University, with the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS), is a comprehensive Christian university committed to excellence in educating and equipping students to serve the church and society globally. Evangel and AGTS serve more than 2,100 students from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries, offering 65 undergraduate majors and 19 master’s and doctoral degrees.
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