Lights, Camera, Fleischmanns!
Courtesy: Ben Fenton, River Run B&B
Reprinted from Belleayre Region Guide, winter 2005 edition

Several years ago, Fleischmanns was the backdrop for the movie “Julian Poe,” a film starring Christian Slater.  There are many scenes featuring the Main Street of the village.  Some locals were even used as actors and extras.  This past summer, Fleischmanns was once again home to the stars for the filming of a small, independent film called “Undone.”  An original horror/suspense screenplay written by Colin Paolo, the film is set in present day rural Massachusetts and stars Kassie DePaiva and Heather Tom, both of the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live.”  The film also stars Forbes March (also of “One Life to Live”), Robert Clohelly (most famously of “Hill Street Blues” and the HBO hit series “Oz”), Roy Thinnes (an impressive actor who most recently appeared in “The Eyes of Van Gogh” and “A Beautiful Mind”), Brad Bellamy (a guest star on many TV dramas) and Ken Triwash (who has appeared on “Law & Order” and the movie “Swim Fan”).  The film also featured actor/director Jim DePaiva, who played “Max” on “One Life to Live” for several years, and has directed episodes of “One Life to Live” and “As the World Turns.”  Jim and Kassie DePaiva are married and have 2 children together.  The film was produced by Spot Creative Productions of New York City.    

Several members of the crew were recent graduates of film school, many from New York University.  This was one of the first big projects for some of them, and they took their jobs very seriously.  But, not unlike new college graduates entering the workforce, many had future goals of becoming writers, producers and directors. 

The majority of the filming was done at a farm owned by Jim & Kassie DePavia, located just outside of the village of Fleischmanns.  There were, however, several scenes filmed at different locations around the area, including Belleayre Mountain.  In fact, a major climactic moment in the movie was filmed at the cross country ski area.  I had the privilege of being invited to the set for the filming of this scene.  It truly is amazing the amount of manpower and work involved in filming just a few minutes of dialogue.  In addition to the 5 actors on set that evening were an additional 35 people working on the crew.  From high profile jobs as the assistant director and director of photography, to folks that I never knew existed when creating a movie, such as the script supervisor and the production assistants.  This army of talent would move ceaselessly between takes, making sure that the set was right, costumes were clean (or bloody), sound was checked, light was adjusted, make-up was good, and the coffee was hot.   And just before they were ready to start filming again, everything had to be double checked to make sure it matches perfectly from when they stopped filming (everyone standing in the same spot, light the same, make up the same, costumes the same, props and backdrop the same, etc).  I realize this was a small, independent film.  However, the incredible amount of work involved in filming a movie is truly tremendous.    

Most of the cast and crew were in Fleischmanns for the month of August, staying at the Highlands Inn, the River Run Bed & Breakfast, the Catskill Ski House, and at the home of Kassie & Jim DePaiva.  The challenge for the innkeepers was keeping the cast and crew comfortable during their long stay in the area.  The Highlands Inn served as the “headquarters” for the film, housing the busy production office.  Phones rang, fax machines beeped, and laptops whirred and hummed almost non stop throughout the month.  The production staff had a difficult time adjusting to life in the country, having to call many places for unique specialty items needed for the producers.  The set designer also came to the innkeepers frequently with challenges to find specialized items for the movie.  Old sheets were needed to make fashion torches (thank goodness for the Margaretville Hospital Thrift Shop), and flowers and prepared foods were needed for a faux dinner party (The Flower Shop and A&P came in handy then).  Another request was for an old looking custom made metal belt/harness to hold a person to a tree (remember, it was a horror movie).  Many thanks were given to Fabulous Furniture in Boiceville for fashioning such an item.       

The Highlands Inn closed its’ restaurant for the month to serve as the meal center for the entire cast and crew.  Hungry actors and workers would gobble up enormous portions at every meal, since they had long, hard days of filming ahead of them.  The biggest meal challenge was when the filming took place overnight.  The crew would sleep for most of the day, and then would have breakfast at 9pm at the Highlands Inn, have lunch on-set at 2am, and then back to the Highlands for dinner at 6am.  It was a grueling schedule for the crew and innkeepers alike.   Everyone needed a rest by the end of the month.

So if you’re looking for a location for your next major motion picture, think Fleischmanns!