Movie begins production in Gainesville

By DELANIA TRIGG, Register Staff Writer

One of the first scenes in the script for the movie “Rockabilly Baby” opens with a handsome young star talking to a reporter.

That’s what actor Denton Blane Everett , 31, was doing Tuesday afternoon in the 112-year-old downtown Gainesville building where the movie is being filmed.

Everett — who plays 1950s singing sensation Baby Boy Watkins — took a break to talk about his work in the movie.

In the script, Baby Boy recounts how he and his manager Dirty Dawkins, played by Todd Farr grew up in Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

Everett said he’s from Bethany, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City. His home life was apparently nothing like the tough life of the Rockabilly Baby characters.

But he uses some things from his life for inspiration.

“I am close to my mother, and I can relate with my character because he is a Momma’s boy,” Everett said.

Music was also a big influence.

“I grew up on 50s music. My dad was a huge Elvis fan,” he said.

His dad was so devoted to the King that Everett said he once got sent to his room for saying Elvis was dead.

One thing Everett said he likes about the part is that “I get to sing in it.”

Before “Rockabilly Baby,” Everett’s singing experience was limited to karaoke.

Everett said he was first introduced to the play about nine years ago.

He said he was drawn to the part and impressed by the quality of the script.

“The play was well-written and went perfectly from a play to a script,” he said.

Much of Leslie Jordan’s dialogue from the stage play remained intact, he said.

Watching Everett’s work via three high-definition cameras, director Ken Farmer had nothing but praise for Everett.

Everett is also apparently beginning to look the part of a 1950s rockabilly star.

Farmer said he noticed Monday that Everett, with his long, dark sideburns, “looked just like a young Elvis.”

The three simultaneous cameras allow the work to progress at a faster rate, said executive producer Buck Stienke.

Filming is set to go on for 12 to 13 days.

Farmer said he and the cast and crew like working in Gainesville. Things are less complicated here, he said.

Most of the actors were trained by Farmer — some such as Everett — for as many as nine years.

The set is closed to the public and few visitors are allowed in.

Everything must be silent when scenes are filmed.

Before each take everyone gets a brusque order from the cinematographer.

“Cell phones off!”

It is more than a suggestion.

Such strict discipline is necessary, Jim Colwell, another of the film’s producers said afterward.

“You wouldn’t want somebody to come in where you were working and start changing things and making noise, would you?” he said.

Besides, every minute on set has a dollar value and no one wants to waste time or money.

The movie is being filmed in a building Farmer — who graduated from Newsome Doughtery High School — said he used to own. He said he considered buying back the building that was once known as the White Elephant Saloon, but changed his mind.

And he gets a kick out of talking about the place.

“The saloon was here and the cribs were upstairs,” he said referring to the former brothel’s guest rooms.

Timber Creek Productions is leasing the site at bargain price, Farmer said.

The same type of building would fetch nearly three times the price in Dallas, he said.

Stienke said there will be three sets inside the historic building.

One set will be a dressing room inside the Jubilee in Nashville.

Technicians will repaint the walls and change the furniture around.

“An assistant does the set work,” Stienke said, adding that some of his family’s own rosewood furniture was used in the scenes.

The cast and crew plan to go through up to 10 pages of dialogue per day.

“It’s a time-intensive proposition,” Stienke admitted in a November interview. “Most of the stuff will be on location here.”

The final performance shoots are slated to take place on sound stages in Louisiana.

Original music for the film is being written by several artists.

“It will take a while to get the music assembled. Out of 25 songs, we’ll be picking seven performance songs for the movie. It will be all original rock and roll,” Stienke said.

Stienke and the others at Timber Creek have high hopes for their “Rockabilly Baby.”

“It’s a very strong story. It’s funny. It’s dramatic, and it’s heartbreaking,” he said.

The production company plans to screen the film in Dallas for about 450 invited guests.

“We’ll use the screening to gauge audience reaction and to let us know if we have a decent finished product,” Stienke said.

Following the release, the company plans to secure a contract for the theatrical release of “Rockabilly Baby.”

A compact disc of original music from the film is also planned.

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Timber Creek Productions is sending out another call for movie extras.

Those interested in being extras in “Rockabilly Baby” should come toTimber Creek Productions at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Timber Creek Products, LLC is located at 107 W. Broadway St. Gainesville, (940) 668-5956.

E-mail inquiries should be directed to rockabillymovie@yahoo.com.

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