Forgotten Films of Enid, a division of Forgotten Ministries, has begun a pledge drive to raise money for the filming of the movie “Reckoning.”
Jared McClellan, spokesman for the film company, said all pledges will go directly to funding the movie. A complete rewrite of the screenplay recently was completed by a professional writer to make the film stronger, he said. The originally script was written by Phil Ester and McClellan. Ester is an air evacuation medic in Woodward.
“We’re trying to raise $500,000. Our goal is to get 250 pledges of $2,000. We have some distribution companies in Los Angeles who are interested,” McClellan said.
To date about $40,000 has been pledged. Funding will not be collected until the end of the year, he said.
Mark Marshall, who has worked on some of the “Harry Potter” movies and worked with Stephen Spielberg, is producing the movie, McClellan said.
“Reckoning” is based on the script by McClellan and Ester about a paramedic named Stellar who has committed his life to saving people, but cannot save himself. McClellan’s involvement came when Forgotten Ministries presented a program at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Ester offered to help with their program and write some scenes. A few weeks later, McClellan and board members of Forgotten Ministries considered producing a Christian movie and Ester began working on a script with McClellan.
“We got some funding early on and felt like the Lord was calling my wife and I to step out,” McClellan said.
The aim of the film is to go into full theatrical release, which is why Marshall is crucial, McClellan said. Ninety percent of the cast and crew are expected to be volunteers, many from local churches, on whom Forgotten Films entirely will rely. About 10 percent of the production crew will do film work and camera work, and the group plans to start with a key staff that can train and equip others.
The $500,000 goal is inexpensive in terms of Hollywood films, but costs are low mainly due to personnel costs, because Forgotten Films is a nonprofit ministry and whatever profits are earned go back into the community, McClellan said.
For information, go online to www.forgottenfilms.com.