“ReDavid breathes such life and character into what could have been a familiar story of American Revolution. It becomes deeply personal and intimate.”
This serene shot was taken after the horse Koda that is in the sizzle reel raced off with rider Emily Dugan and charged up the hill.
“The plot is filled with well-crafted action that moves the central character through an impressive arc that feels both epic and fascinating.
~ AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL”
The stars of the sizzle reel were Smarty, the pinto, and Koda, the palomino, which is what Molly rides in the screenplay. We filmed for a day at the historic 160-acre Newlin Grist Mills in Pennsylvania, where you can still take blacksmithing classes.
And the British came, cheeky devils. In fact, we filmed for several days on a horse farm owned by a British woman. We assured her we wouldn’t fire the cannon and she remarked, “If you’re bringing a cannon on my property, you better bloody well fire the damn thing!”
That's Koda showing off. He's workin' it to get a part in the actual film. He heard Molly rides a Palomino in the script.
Sizzle Reel Stunt Rider Emily Dugan gets tired, cranky and cold. That's her trying to make a point with Director Jon Barden. Don't worry, it ended peacefully and no one dies in the Sizzle Reel. The movie? Well, that might be a different story.
That's Koda auditioning. He got the job.
Director Jon Barden (left) and Associate Producer Brandon Scotland (center) horses around on the, yeah you guessed it, wooden horse they built for the sizzle reel actress to ride. She rides by a tree and sees ... nope, that would be a spoiler.
Of course there's a cannon. It is the Revolutionary War, after all. And someone has to fire it. But in those days, women were only brought along to cool the cannons. Women had to do what they were told and almost all of them followed directions well ... almost all of them. The thing is, could a determined woman succeed in this manly world?
The well-trained Brits from the First Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers, (a loyalist regiment) never broke rank while we filmed the sizzle reel, much to the surprise of the director, Jon Barden. We hope to see them again when we film the movie, Molly.