Equinox Production Group, LLC (EPGfilm), located in Thurmont MD, is finishing shooting its newest production, “BoBo,” a short film about a circus clown and his life in the early 1900s, at its Gettysburg studio lot.
The film, directed by Jake Waybright and George Liu, with a story by Liu, is currently being filmed at EPGfilm’s studio lot in Gettysburg.
According to the production team, the film is “breaking the barriers in the independent film industry by filming BoBo with a mixture of modern and old-style filming techniques used in the early 1920s.”
Liu said the film, which has a budget of about $1,600, is being shot using a Black Magic Pocket 4K and other 4K digital cameras. “Everyone is volunteering their time,” he said.
Co-Director Jake Waybright said the movie follows the life of BoBo, a character based on the classic Pierrot of French film, starting with his birth in 1910. “It starts off with BoBo as a child, his participation in World War I, and follows through as he gets married and eventually finds a job at the circus,” said Waybright. “BoBo finds his voice by joining the circus.”
Waybright said the film’s cinematography changes as BoBo ages. “We’re using techniques of filming that were done 100 years ago, starting with black and white and adding colors and other effects as the film progresses. The movie shows the historical progression of film along with the story.”
Waybright said early scenes were shot using a painted matte glass technique, but that by the end of the film, the crew is using greenscreens and digitized backgrounds. “It takes everything to a whole different level,” he said.
Gettysburg resident Gus Zucco, the veteran actor who plays BoBo, said the part was challenging. “There are lots of things that go into preparation. I have no lines. I’m just emoting feelings from watching what the other actors are doing,”
“I got some ideas from people who studied mime. I’m using my body as an instrument to convey a message with expressions. It’s a challenge from an acting point of view,” he said.
EPGfilm specializes in animation and graphic design as well as film. BoBo is their second short. The company has already filmed a full-length feature movie, “The Mortician,” and has rights to two other films.
“I really embrace the independent film people we have in this area,” said Liu. “Today for a couple of thousand dollars you can make a product that looks good. A product that people can enjoy.”
The crew said the shooting was almost complete, and that in editing the goal was to get the running length to 27 minutes. Waybright said the team hoped to finish editing in early 2024 and that the film would then be submitted to film festivals. A goal is to get it into Sundance or Tribeca, said Liu.
The self-distributed film, begun in 2021, is expected to be available for streaming in October 2024.
The company generally uses local actors in their productions. Other actors in BoBo include Carey Bibb, Andy Vineberg, Eric Hurd, and Hillary Styer-Zucco. Makeup is by Hillary Styer-Zucco, Visual Effects/Matte Painter is by Brit Roth, and Music Score is by Kyla Eryka de Guia. Ethan Styer brings his camera talents to this film as camera operator, working alongside Director of Photography Davy Lantz Jr.
Bobo is produced by Cori Coulter, Davy Lantz Jr, Jake Waybright, George Liu, and Josue Salinas. The Associate Producer is Austin Bitikofer.
To stay up to date with the progress of this film you can follow EPGfilm and BoBo: A Short Film on Facebook as well as subscribing to EPG Network on YouTube.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.