In the News

The following article originally appeared in the Davis County Clipper, Friday, May 31, 2002.  It has been reprinted here with minor factual corrections.  You can also read the same article as it appeared in the Clipper.

Movie uses 'Star Wars' technology, Davis site

BY BRETT TAYLOR
Clipper Correspondent

KAYSVILLE NATIVE Michelle Wright, former Miss Utah and actress, co-stars in locally filmed "Days of Defense," the latest film aimed at the LDS market.

Just down the street at an apartment next to the parking lot of Viewmont High School is not where one would expect to find the latest Star Wars technology. A local film company, NuWorlds Productions, is in its final day of filming on a Lucas Film High Definition Camera, the same used to film the latest episode of Star Wars. Associate producer Jim Westwood explains how the big movie look can be achieved by this small production crew made up of almost all intern volunteers, many of whom are students at the U of U and BYU. "Our director of photography, a student at the University of Utah, gets to handle a $200,000 camera, a piece of equipment that most in the industry would not get to use in an entire career. We could not afford to make this film with our budget on 16mm film." According to Westwood, it is the technology that is making it possible for smaller segment audiences such as the LDS-themed movies to be made and distributed into the mainstream markets of the industry. Shot in only 18 days, the drama looks at a small midwest town that will not issue a permit to the missionaries to publicly preach and does not recognize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a Christian ministry. When the two elders stand up for their rights, the relationships, beliefs and traditions of an entire town are put to the test. One such relationship is the marriage of Public Defender Thomas Bryant and his wife, played by Michelle Wright of Kaysvillle. A seasoned Hollywood actor, Michelle is happy to be back in Utah where she grew up and doing what she loves. "This is a screenplay that I read and really got excited about," said Wright. Getting a last minute touch-up on her make-up, Wright contrasts a life long ago in Hollywood with raising her family here in Davis County. Nowhere to be found are fancy trailers, buffets or even a director's chair for the actors. Instead, two dozen or so creative individuals scurry about setting up the next scene. The director calls to roll the cameras and the crew falls silent. Two or three shots later it's a wrap. the crew cheers and hopes that there is no need to return to production to re-shoot scenes. Set to premier this fall, the film will be released here in Utah and as far away as Australia. "The look of the film is amazing," said Westwood. "It is amazing the quality achieved using the Lucascam. The film will be digitized for editing and stylizing and then transferred onto film for general release. "I can't believe we have got so much done in just 18 days."

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