Author: kylerboudreau

Reckoning Filming Continues in Highlands, North Carolina

Posted on by kylerboudreau

Highlands, NC Filming Continues

Production continues in Highlands, NC for Reckoning! We’re shooting in cold temperatures and incredible locations thanks to the generosity of local families. Pictured below is a setup with our young actress who plays Rose Lawson. We’re inside a chicken coop where she hides Cavalry gold in the film. And this was a functioning barn! So we had friendly (and noisy) goats along with curious chickens. It’s the world of independent film!

A lot of the shoot takes place in a nearby cabin which historically was a sharecroppers cabin. It’s beautiful inside and out and we are forever grateful to the Garcia family for their generosity to our film production. This shooting location made the movie possible. Ultimately, so many locations from generous people made Reckoning what it is, but we definitely cannot imagine the Rose Lawson cabin anywhere else but here!

Our Producer Joins Camera Crew

The days were cold and the nights even colder! But faithful friends and family made the production happen. I’m so grateful for each individual who helped with this movie possible. The shot below takes place towards the end of the film. Rose and the Cavalry soldier await the arrival of a notorious outlaw named Ghost. Sandi Boudreau is a producer on the film, but tonight she’s also 2nd AC. Only on independent films does a producer join the camera crew!

Overall, the production for Reckoning is moving along at a solid pace! It’s a lot of legwork and long hours with a skeleton crew. Yet the freedom of story telling outside the studio system also holds distinct advantages that often lend to less pressure and more creative freedom. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Elizabeth Wright Prince House Filming Begins

Posted on by kylerboudreau

Prince House Shoot Day One

We’re finally at Day 1 of our shoot at the historic landmark in downtown Highlands known as the Elizabeth Wright Prince House. Nothing will put actors in the 19th century mood more than this location!

We feel crazy blessed to shoot crucial scenes for our film here. Pictured below are Terri Crain Goodman and Journey Boudreau. They share an actress to actress moment during the shoot. Terri plays Addie Crain and Journey plays Rose Lawson in the film.

The Prince house serves as Addie’s home in the film. Addie runs the local post office and mercantile store and she receives a letter for Rose Lawson from the US Cavalry in response to Lawson’s report of stolen gold. The letter announces a Cavalry soldier will soon visit.

The pic below shows us during a take in the Prince House kitchen. Kyler Boudreau operates camera, Aniah McKim is 2nd Assistant Camera and Jehelena McKim is production sound mixer. A unique thing about this film production is local friends helped that had never been on a film set before! This film was done to show the Write & Direct film school model which empowers new directors to not be reliant on experienced crew when they don’t have the budget. We’re super grateful for Aniah, Jehelena and others who helped out on this project!

The Board Pays A Visit

It was super cool to have a visit from the head of the board during our shoot. They were probably stopping by to ensure we weren’t doing anything too 19th century crazy in this treasure of a home! In all seriousness, both Harry and Lance from the Highlands Historical Society were beyond kind and helpful with all aspects of this production. We will forever be in their debt.

We’re also grateful to the nearby Weichert Real Estate office for allowing us to use their facility for costuming and makeup. And of course any bathroom needs for cast and crew as a 19th century home is only equipped with bed pans!

We can’t say enough about this house and adjacent museum that allow visitors a glimpse into Highlands, NC history. You might be surprised at what this town used to be like! Thank you Highlands Historical Society—our film is complete with your generosity.

Production Begins for Reckoning!

Posted on by kylerboudreau

Day 1 – Sapphire, NC

There is nothing like day 1 of an independent film production. Day 1 of any film production is a big deal, but with indie filmmaking, a lot of responsibility rests on the director. In addition to normal director tasks, today it’s call times, craft services, transportation, camera operation and production sound mixing. ARGH. But it’s exhilarating.

Oddly day 1 of shooting is also page one of the script. Not normal, but just how it happened this round. At the beginning of Reckoning, two men stumble across an abandoned cabin that’s also the current hideout of an outlaw name GHOST. Unfortunately it doesn’t go well for one of these mountain men. But hush! No more spoilers.

Our two actors on horseback are Kayren Hinkle, owner of Whitewater Equestrian, and Rick Roepke, a family friend from Bowling Green, KY. Kayren not only allowed us to shoot for free on his property with his horses, but he was willing to be in the film! Rick and his wife Kathy drove down from Kentucky to participate. Both men did incredible!

Filmmaking Detail: Even though the opening of Reckoning happens in one physical location, we had to shoot the scene in three separate areas to get the cabins, horses and confrontation scene all the way they needed to be!

If you’re in the Highlands/Cashiers area and want to enjoy horses, nature and incredible guides, Whitewater Equestrian is the place! Check out their website. And when you get there, make sure Kayren gives you an autograph—He’s famous now!

Highlands Historical Society Greenlights Film

Posted on by kylerboudreau

Highlands, North Carolina

It’s not every day you stumble across an Appalachian town situated at over 4100 feet above sea level! But such is the case for Highlands, NC. At this elevation you escape the bugs and heat and enjoy a plethora of wildlife including bob cat, black bear, otter, fox, coyote and even the elusive black panther! Old journals from the 19th century speak of the panthers when their numbers were great. Now only the occasional fortunate individual happens across one in their path.

The Elizabeth Wright Prince House

The Prince house, located near the center of town at 524 N. 4th Street is a historic gem. It’s the oldest remaining house built in 1877. The Elizabeth Prince house is part of the Highlands Historical Society’s Historic Village and serves as a living history museum with period-appropriate furnishings with another museum located adjacent to the building.

The history on the Prince home is rich. You can visit the Highlands Historical Society website to get the detailed information and view photographs dating back to 1913! In brief summary, Frank and Annie Wright bought the house in 1913. Their second child, Amelia, was born in the home. Just three years later Frank died at the age 35 of typhoid fever from a contaminated well. Frank’s brother, Jim Wright, acquired the house in 1919. Elizabeth Wright Prince (sister of Jim) transformed the home into a boarding house in 1935.

Reckoning Granted Permission to Shoot

In 2022 Kyler Boudreau reached out to the Highlands Historical Society to inquire about shooting a few scenes of an independent film called Reckoning at the Elizabeth Prince House. Kyler and his wife Sandi moved to Highlands as full time residents in 2021. Their upcoming film is set in the 19th century North Carolina mountains and tells the story of a young girl who must stand up to an outlaw that killed her parents. More on Reckoning.

Kyler and two members of the Highlands Historical Society board met at Calders Coffee to discuss the details. The board graciously agreed to allow us to shoot at the Elizabeth Write Prince House! What an incredible gift that will transform the production value of our film.

A massive thank you to the Highlands Historical Society for granting access for our film. And thank you for preserving treasures locations like this for current and future residents to take an accurate, nostalgic view into the past. If you haven’t visited this museum, it’s time to change that! The Prince house is located directly across the street from the gas station and just down the road from First Citizens Bank.

When production ensures we’ll post an update here on the progress of the film!

Reckoning to Shoot at Whitewater Equestrian

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Sapphire, NC

The opening of Reckoning has two men on horseback investigating a couple loan cabins. We posted in the local Highlands, NC Facebook group to see if there were any kind souls with horses. What we didn’t expect was the generosity of Whitewater Equestrian!

Keryn not only agreed to the shoot, but graciously gave us a tour of his operation. Not only do they have horses and beautiful Appalachian trails and streams, but a cabin originally built by none other than Daniel Boone! Keryn also took us to an ancient path cut deep into the forest floor that bore the feet of traveling Seminole Indians. They would disfigure trees to point others in the right direction—some of these tree trunks still remain!

We’re blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people in Western, NC! And a final bit of good news: Keryn has also agreed to be in the film! We’ll put up a post during production to show him in action. Until then, if you have the hankering for a good time on horseback, you now know where to go.

Find out more about them at: https://www.funhorsebackriding.com/

Cashiers Historical Society Supports Local Film

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A crucial pre-production task for any film is location scouting. Reckoning is our first film to shoot in the Highlands/Cashiers area. We moved here as full time residents in the fall of 2021. Though it’s our first time to live in North Carolina, my grandfather was born near Marshall, NC. So in a way I’m returning to my roots. Not only do we love the area and the towns of Highlands and Cashiers, we’ve been blown away by the kindness of locals eager to help in our endeavor to shoot an independent film.

Reckoning is a 19th century tale set in the town of Little Cataloochee. Before moving to the area, location scouting was underway and the incredible Cashiers Historical Society was put on the hopeful list. The great news? We visited the location and spoke with Sandi Rogers who thrilled us with a “Yes, you can shoot here.” WOW! What an opportunity.

Sandi kindly showed us around. There are remarkable buildings on the property. The Zachary-Tolbert House, Colonel John’s Cabin, the School House…and more! The grounds are open to visitors all year with certain events like apple pie baking, summer camp and more!

There are also wooded walking trails that lead to points of interest like the Tolbert and Zachary Springs, the Tolbert Rock, and an early privy. They’ve even discovered pottery, square head nails and Civil War-era coins.

The grounds are beautiful and this place is hands-down worth a visit. Just grab a coffee at Bucks and then maybe 3 minutes down the road you’ll find yourself at this amazing place. Or check out their website for more info: https://www.cashiershistoricalsociety.org/

We’re so grateful! Reckoning will be all the better thanks to the Cashiers Historical Society.