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Film project 'Ohio,' a Hillsboro-based western

By
Sabrina Fawley-
Hillsboro, as we know, is a small town occupied by around 7,000 people according to the census taken in 2000. This is a town where everyone knows everyone; the people are easy going and willing to give a helping hand to their neighbors.

We are a close-knit community, but not exactly the type of town where you imagine a small-budget independent film being made by a group of college students.

The film project, “Ohio”, has been dreamed up by Cody Smith, a college student and the director/writer of the project.

“Ohio” has been in the process of filming in Hillsboro for the past several weeks with the help of the producer Gary Burns, and is starring Jacob Bice, Brad Fettro, and Joe Ames.

“Ohio” is an independent film that takes place in 1859, during a time period when the Midwest was the West.

They expect the film to be finished by February 2012, if all goes well and they get all the funding they need.

I talked with Gary Burns, the producer, and asked him how he’d describe the film. He explained, “The goal of the filmmaking team is to produce a high-quality action adventure western on a micro-independent budget.”

It seems to be quite a tall order for a group of college students to produce a feature film, not to mention any of the possible trials and tribulations they have encountered during filmmaking.

Despite any setbacks, Gary explains that so far the biggest obstacle holding them back at this point is proper funding.

Producing a film takes a lot of drive, effort, and time. Having a cast of 30 actors and myriad people helping them behind the scenes to handle equipment, build sets, and bring horses, helps them abundantly in the production process.

Gary expressed why everyone working on the film was so devoted to finishing this project.

“We're overwhelmed by the amount of support and generosity in Hillsboro," he said. "I think everyone is dedicated and excited because we're making a western, specifically. Because of this genre, it's uniquely fun to work on, act in, and shoot. Around this area, everyone has something they can contribute to a western.”

Hillsboro may be a small town, but it is a place where the unexpected can happen. You just may have to search for it a little harder.

Maybe small towns shouldn’t all be thrown into one class. They each have their unique little quirks and Hillsboro has its own, too, if you’re willing to look for them.

If you are interested to learn more about the film “Ohio,” would like to watch the trailer, or help with funding you can visit the filmmaking team’s Facebook page “OHIO-Feature Film.”

Sabrina Fawley is a resident of Hillsboro and a columnist for The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]

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