{"id":37867,"date":"2017-02-13T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T14:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=37867"},"modified":"2017-02-09T13:34:57","modified_gmt":"2017-02-09T19:34:57","slug":"filming-firemax-an-oxford-community-film-debuts-february-15-at-the-powerhouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/filming-firemax-an-oxford-community-film-debuts-february-15-at-the-powerhouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Filming FireMax: An Oxford Community Film Debuts February 15 at The Powerhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Oxford Film Festival<\/strong> is, at this point, a staple of the town. What started as a completely volunteer-organized event spread across three screens has grown into a city-wide operation requiring year-round attention. Part of the tradition of the film festival is the yearly community film.<\/span>
\nThis year\u2019s community film, Firemax, a story of what happens when a super hero has no crime to fight, was written and directed by Rory Ledbetter<\/strong>.<\/span>
\n\u201cI asked Melanie [Addington, producer] if she had anyone lined up to direct the film,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cShe said no and I told her I wanted to write and direct it.\u201d<\/span>
\nJust like that the community film had a writer and director. The initial idea was to tell the story of a local legend.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe wanted it to be really about Oxford,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cSo we reached out for people to submit stories about themselves or their grandparents, just something that happened to them that was quintessentially Oxford. We got nothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nFortunately inspiration came while Ledbetter and Addington were having drinks with friends at The Coop celebrating their friend Michael Ewing<\/strong>\u2019s birthday.<\/span>
\n\u201cThe idea evolved over drinks Michael, who is in the film, mentioned that he could lift his entire body up [with his fingertips] and demonstrated it,\u201d said Addington. \u201cWe were impressed and recalled our friend Max could breathe fire and thought we might have the makings of a film.\u201d<\/span>
\nFrom there it was a matter carving out a story for Firemax.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe thought, okay he\u2019s a super hero that breathes fire,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cBut Oxford doesn\u2019t have any crime.\u201d<\/span>
\nThe two then realized that the movie was about what a super hero would do without any crime.<\/span>
\nWith the film\u2019s idea fully formed, it was time to get the community involved.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe knew we wanted to use as much of the community as possible,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cThe very first community film, The Hanging of Big Todd Wade, had tons of community and lots of cameo lines. We wanted to recreate that.\u201d<\/span>
\nWhat better way to get everyone involved than to make them superheroes?<\/span>
\n\u201cWe reached out on Facebook and asked what your Oxford superpower would be,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cNot gifted ones like Spiderman, things that you can do or your friends can do that blow your mind.\u201d<\/span>
\nAmong the list of brainstormed super powers were getting a tooth pick to stick to the roof in Ajax, always being able to find a meter on the Square with money already in it, or successfully navigate the roundabout on Old Taylor Road.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe auditioned everyone that wanted to be a part of it, and part of the audition was to improvise a super villain,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cAfter the auditions Melanie I decided to try to make roles for everyone that auditioned. We knew it might not happen but we were going to try.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jesse<\/a>
Max McDonaldson is FireMax; Photo by Jesse Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That decision made the script, they decided there would be a secret organization of super villains and they were going to blow up the courthouse and frame Firemax for it.<\/span>
\nFilming took place in several locations across Oxford. <\/span>
\n\u201cBottle Tree Bakery graciously donated their space and Shelter let us treat it as a staging area,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cOne of the scenes had Firemax inside the courthouse\u2014we had the permit to film\u2014and no one showed up to let us in.\u201d<\/span>
\nThe crew began reaching out to everyone they could think of who had access to somewhere that would look like the inside of a courthouse.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe finally found Southside Gallery that has this really cool upstairs,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cWill, I believe he is the curating manager, said we could use it but if anyone comes up to look at the paintings we had to stop so that they could look at the paintings.\u201d<\/span>
\nLedbetter agreed without hesitation and the manager assured them Sunday rarely brought people to the gallery.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe\u2019re down to the wire filming and filming and filming and a couple comes up, so we stop,\u201d said Ledbetter. \u201cThen two more people came up . . . in total I think we had to stop about seven times.\u201d<\/span>
\nDespite locked doors and art enthusiasts looking to enjoy their Sunday, Firemax is shot, edited, and ready to debut.<\/span>
\n\u201cI was proud to watch Rory Ledbetter, Derek Brown, and Taproot Audio Design put the finishing touches on the fillm,\u201d said Addington. \u201cWhile I know [Ledbetter] is impressive in the theater world, film may be his calling too!<\/span>\u201d \"The<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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