New Year Update

January is a very exciting month for the Beyond the Mask project. Our main objectives are to (1) secure investments for the production budget, and (2) complete the final draft of the screenplay. Depending on how fundraising progresses, we will make final plans to begin shooting late spring or early fall of this year. Currently, Chad (in Champagne, IL) and Aaron (north of Detroit, MI) are meeting with potential investors in their areas; later in the month they will be visiting other major cities, including Colorado Springs and Washington DC, as we look to connect with people who will partner with us to create this Christ-centered action-adventure film.

Characterization of Charles Kemp

Characterization of the story’s heroine, Charlotte Holloway

In the mean time, pre-production development continues, as our creative team expands across the country. This week, production designer Nick Burns is in Michigan working on the design and construction of the top-secret final set piece. In addition, he’s meeting with lead costume designer Marilyn Burns to discuss big-picture ideas for the Main Characters’ costuming. In New York, our visual effects supervisor (Ethan Ledden) is working on test renders of an experimental 3D model of one of our major sets. Down in Ohio, Gabe Everson, our extras’ costumer, is designing and creating sample costumes. Philip Smith (a gunsmith and colonial craftsman in Florida) has begun the construction of a 18th century sniper rifle.

More picture and details to follow soon! Please keep us in your prayers.

Chestnut Street

One of the main projects that our crew has been constructing this week is a Philadelphia street front.  Thanks to all of you who donated through Kickstarter, Aaron and Nick took a trip to the hardware store and completely filled the trailer with materials.  This set is historically accurate, based on houses from colonial Philadelphia.  The entire structure is impressively large, extending ninety feet in length and standing over twelve feet high.  We built the street in two forty-five foot chunks inside our largest pole barn.  The outline of the buildings are complete, but the foam siding is currently in progress.  We have a large team creating artificial bricks, siding, and stone to cover the exterior of all the walls.  It’s inspiring to stand next to the set and imagine how it will look in the film.

The Construction Begins

This week marks the official beginning of set construction for Beyond the Mask. After all of the planning, it’s incredibly exciting to finally be working hands-on. The crew has been busy building two awesome sets. The first is a Philadelphia city street which is being erected inside one of the pole barns. Although it is only a two-dimensional façade, the windows and doors are designed to be fully functional. The other set is a Delaware River dockyard. Building outside, the team has been creatively using recycled wood from pallets, decks, and barns which will give a beautifully weathered look for the docks. It is thrilling to watch the sets grow, but it is even more exciting to see the Lord bringing together all the wonderful people who have volunteered to make this week possible. These people have been a great blessing with their eagerness and enthusiasm to be a part of something bigger than themselves. We would love to have you come out to help!

Welcome to the Beyond the Mask pre-production blog!

It is amazing to be stepping out once again to begin a new movie project! As pre-production starts for Beyond the Mask, we are excited to be the ones keeping you informed about the latest events and stories. On this blog, you will be able to watch the film’s progress as we find awesome locations, build period sets, create stunning costumes, and cast actors whose names you will recognize. It will be a fun mixture of news updates, interviews with pre-production artists, reflections from spiritual leaders on the film’s theme, and answers to fun questions that our fans send in.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Burns family, Sara is Chad’s sister and Shannon is Aaron’s sister. We are cousins to each other and best friends. On our family’s last film project, Pendragon, we were the set photographers, bloggers, and the authors of the book Pendragon: Journey Behind the Scenes. Pendragon has been translated into three languages, and through it our families and the many others who were involved have been able to touch tens of thousands of people all over the world. We are excited about the impact that God has already allowed this new project to have and we want to invite you to join with us in changing lives as we make Beyond the Mask a reality.