Tag Archives: movie

Hollywood Comes to the Outer Banks

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Hollywood Comes to the Outer Banks

Hollywood Comes to the Outer Banks

Did you know that over 2,000 films have been filmed (full or partially) in North Carolina? 2K?! That’s impressive.

NC is sort of the Kevin Bacon of movie locations…we fit into any role. :)

North Carolina as a whole has a very diverse, and beautiful landscape…not to mention the diverse and interesting cultures and residents.

I guess it makes sense; we all love the OBX, so why not Hollywood too?

From Wilmington (also known as “Hollywood East”) to Lenoir to the Outer Banks, the beautiful, pristine beaches and majestic mountains have been the settings for some noteworthy movies throughout the years. From the east to the west, the diverse landscape in North Carolina can fill in for just about any part of the world, in any time period.

Here are a few you may know…

Movies filmed in North Carolina:

  • Hannibal
  • Patch Adams
  • Nell
  • Forrest Gump
  • The Fugitive
  • Last of the Mohicans
  • Mr. Destiny
  • Dirty Dancing
  • Bull Durham
  • Days of Thunder
  • The Swan
  • Shallow Hal
  • The Green Mile
  • Blue Velvet
  • The Color Purple
  • Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
  • The Secret Life of Bees
  • Weekend at Bernie’s

The OBX specifically, has had a few films take place on the island, but not necessarily filmed here, and a couple that conducted filming right here…including some locals as extras. :) Nights in Rodanthe is the most recent, and arguably the most well known, and the filming of that movie was a very neat experience for a lot of local residents.

Movies filmed on the Outer Banks:

  1. Brainstorm (one scene filmed at The Wright Brothers National Monument)
  2. Nights in Rodanthe (filmed in the village of Rodanthe)

Movies filmed on North Carolina beaches:

  1. Message in a Bottle (filmed in Wilmington)

Movies set on North Carolina beaches:

  1. Dear John (set in Wilmington)
  2. Nights in Rodanthe (set in the village of Rodanthe)
  3. Message in a Bottle (set on the Outer Banks)

So, what are you waiting for? Come discover why Hollywood loves North Carolina (and the Outer Banks). After all, it’s not hard to see how our pristine coastline, southern charm, captivating history, and rich culture have captured the hearts of moviegoers everywhere.

First Movie in North Carolina Shot on the Outer Banks Tells the Story of the Lost Colony

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Old School Lost Colony Movie

Old School Lost Colony Movie

The staged performance of “The Lost Colony” will soon open (May 27th) for its 74th year on the Outer Banks – started in 1937! But before the curtain rises for opening night, a new tale is being discovered.

The News & Observer recently reported on another tale of The Lost Colony that is unfolding as a lost film of the famous drama is discovered. The film was found in “The Lost Colony” administrative offices and is thought to be the only surviving copy in good condition.

The film was actually the first movie ever shot in North Carolina, and it told the story of the Lost Colony using local OBX actors and Outer Banks sets.

When the movie was released in 1921, Outer Banks residents mobbed local theaters and its popularity forced the show to be played over and over again. It marked a time in history when the Outer Banks, cut off from the rest of the state, began to share the story of its early English colonists.

North Carolina’s state government spent $3,000 filming the story – whose idea came from Mabel Evans Jones, superintendent of Dare County Schools at the time. The movie’s original title was interesting to say the least: “The Earliest English Expeditions and Attempted Settlements in the Territory of What is Now the United States, 1584-1591.” A mouthful…kind of like the title of this blog post. :)

Produced with a single cameraman, there was a cast of about 300 people for the movie – pretty much the entire Manteo population. The film was quickly eclipsed by the popular staged, outdoor drama “The Lost Colony.”

A five-minute segment of the film, now digitized, will be shown during a lecture at East Carolina University. Backers hope to revive the entire 46-minute movie.

Outer Banks Wildlife & Nature Documentary

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Refuge Pea Island - Hurricane Bill Filming on the Outer Banks

Refuge Pea Island - Hurricane Bill Filming on the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks is home to an amazing amount of undisturbed nature and wildlife.  Mile upon mile of empty beaches and natural conservation land.  It seems like someone should make a movie about the abundance of OBX nature.

Bingo!

STRS Productions, a professional film development team based in North Carolina, released their newest documentary in late 2010, and the movie focuses on the wildlife available in Pea Island Refuge located on the southern portion of the Outer Banks.

From the STRS website:  The new release Refuge Pea Island is the third to be released of the series of films that will be covering our beautiful National Wildlife Refuges in eastern North Carolina. Refuge the series concentrates on the wonderful wildlife that can be seen while visiting one of these majestic places.

The trailer looks amazing, and I can guarantee any OBX lover will be hooked in seconds.  Here’s the description of the movie from the trailer:

“Witness wildlife as it was meant to be seen. Third in the “REFUGE” series, Pea Island lies off the coast of North Carolina where wildlife abounds and the environment is ever changing. Award winning film makers Blake and Emily Scott once again deliver. A year in the making, covering all four seasons, narrated by Denise Kelly, and filmed in High Definition completely without baiting, blinds, or staging. The power of the Atlantic Ocean is felt in dramatic footage of a hurricane and ‘noreasters battering the coastline, and full of astonishing shots of maritime wildlife that includes Finback Whales, Harbor Seals, Loggerhead Turtles and an incredible sampling of bird life. REFUGE – Pea Island captures all the drama and beauty that exists on this coastal treasure. To purchase a copy of this film on DVD go to www.refugewildlife.com.”

For more information about the filmmakers and the film-making process, here’s a great interview with Emily Scott, one of the husband-wife film-making team.

Surf Movie Premiere & Great Music on the OBX

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Timmy Curran at The Pit on Friday!

Timmy Curran is a professional surfer and a musician with a great mellow sound, and this Friday, the OBX is lucky enough to catch Timmy’s new surf movie and a live performance!

Premiere of new Timmy Curran surf movie, The Union Express from 10 to 11, then a tight set by Timmy Curran and his band from 11 to midnight! Tickets at www.pitsurf.com 

Film Honors Outer Banks Surfmen

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Outer Banks Surfmen

Outer Banks Surfmen

In addition to gorgeous beaches and miles of preserved coastline, the Outer Banks has a very rich history; historic lighthouses, the Wright Brothers, the Lost Colony, wild horses from Spain, and a wide array of shipwrecks.  Inevitably, the miles of coastline lead to dangerous coastal conditions, and these coastal conditions become a part of the OBX history. 

Violent storms and dangerous surf are an integral part of the OBX lore; lighthouses and shipwrecks are a direct result of dangerous conditions along the coast.  In addition to lighthouses dotting the shoreline to act as beacons for seafaring vessels, Lifesaving Stations have long been a part of the local culture and have played a significant role in limiting the effects of the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”  A tremendous story of this heroism along the Outer Banks is now coming to the big screen.    

Rescue Men: The Story of the Pea Island Surfmen tells the heroic tale of the all black surfmen crew that worked at The Pea Island Lifesaving Station in the late 1800s. Richard Etheridge, a former slave and soldier from Manteo, was appointed as the station’s keeper in 1880 and built an exceptional all-black crew around him. 

This crew was known for their unmatched bravery and countless rescues. In a hurricane in October 1896, two of the Pea Island crew tied themselves to each another with a line and, while clutching another line held by surfmen on the beach, plunged into wild surf to bring nine sailors safely to shore.

Allan Smith, the president of Dream Quest Productions, decided to make a movie about these men of valor.  After reading the book Fire on the Beach, a chronicle about the station written in 2001 by David Wright and David Zoby, Smith was instantly hooked.  

The film is to play on the History Channel and be shown at national and international film festivals.  The premiere is scheduled for next month on Roanoke Island.

Movie Being Filmed at Jockey’s Ridge

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Sol Movie  Sol Movie 3  Sol Movie 2

Filming for a new sci-fi movie began at Jockey’s Ridge State Park on October 8, 2009.

Obsidian Collective, a media production start-up company began shooting its first film. The company was founded with director Ben Carland and some other friends from the town of Hendersonville.  The company’s first film will be titled “Sol.”  It will be a Sci-fi drama that will have plenty of suspense in the mix.  Here’s a quick synopsis o f plot…

 When five young men become stranded on a desolate planet with meager resources, the potential for disaster seems unavoidable — to find out their fate, you’ll have to wait until the film hits the theaters.

 Carland is very optimistic about working on the Outer Banks. “Our hope is that having the blog will pull people in throughout the entire process and get them interested in it,” Huffman says. “You can watch this feature film unfold — and because we’re a hometown operation — you might have some relation to the people in it.” Carland will be keeping a blog updated during the time that they will be filming on the Outer Banks.  You can keep up with the project and watch the film as it unfolds at the “Sol” Development Blog.

Casting Call for Outer Banks Movie

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ClackerThis Casting Call filed in: Casting Calls in Washington, DC, Feature Film Auditions and Casting Calls

Casting notice for Feature Film “Vacation!”

Self Submission casting call for Actors

VACATION! is an existential beach party movie that mixes comedy and tragedy with an original style and subversive implications. Former college friends Sugar, Donna, Dee-dee and Lorelei take a weeklong excursion to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But it can’t all be dancing and hot tubs, and what starts off as a fun, leisurely getaway quickly gets more complicated. With a vibrant neon color palette and a sound track composed equally of ethereal electronic music and raw, grindy rock-n-roll, VACATION! is a provocative comedy unlike any other.

Please submit headshot and resume, and we will contact you to schedule an audition. At which time you will be given sides.
Auditions will be held on camera!

[SURFER]
Male, 27-35 years old, He comes off as a washed up party boy. But there is a sadness and loneliness underneath. He is an outer banks local who spends every day on the beach, surfing and drinking beer. RURAL NORTH CAROLINIAN ACCENT!

[YOUNG MOTHER]
Female, 19-25 years old, (preferably thin, tall and blonde, but we are flexible) She is a working class single mother who has taken a job working at a roadside attraction. Hopeful. RURAL NORTH CAROLINIAN ACCENT!

Sorry, no SAG!

Respond to Vacation.movie@gmail.com.

Auditions will be held in Downtown DC on the weekend of July 25th.
We will be shooting the film in the Outer Banks of NC for 2 weeks, from late September to Early October 2009.
All transportation will be organized and paid for by the LLC.

PROJECT: “VACATION!”

CASTING CALL CATEGORY: NON-UNION FEATURE FILM

LOCATION: WASHINGTON, DC

CONTACT: VACATION.MOVIE@GMAIL.COM

Arrrggghhh…It’s Pirate Week on the Outer Banks!

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  September brings the end of summer, the start of school, gorgeous fall weather, and hopefully some surf to the Outer Banks.  It also marks the start of a week long celebration of a short, but culturally and historically significant, period in Outer Banks history…the Pirate! 

 

The Outer Banks enjoys a rich history, and was once a favorite haunt for pirates.  The period from 1710 – 1718 was ruled by pirates on the Outer Banks, including the infamous Blackbeard.  During his career as a pirate, Blackbeard captured over 40 ships and was killed in battle at Oregon Inlet in 1718.

 

Blackbeard’s Pirate Festival – This week-long event kicks off on Monday September 15th and continues through Saturday September 20th.  The headquarters for the festival is Kitty Hawk Kites (MP 12.5, Nags Head), and community events are scheduled all week throughout the Outer Banks.

 

Enjoy Pirate history, storytelling, reenactments, shows. The culmination of a fun filled week of events will be on Saturday September 20th at the Kitty Hawk Kites Store, MP 12.5, Nags Head. Enjoy everything Pirate; entertainment, reenactments, get your picture taken with a Pirate, etc

 

Monday
Jack Sparrow visits Kitty Hawk Kites in Nags Head for a Treasure Hunt.
3pm-5pm

Tuesday
Sparrow travels south to Hatteras Island to visit Kitty Hawk Kites in Waves, Avon, and Hatteras Village. 10am – 3pm

Wednesday
Sparrow travels north the visit Kitty Hawk Kites in Corolla for a Treasure Hunt
2pm-4pm

Thursday
Pirate Invasion at the Jolly Roger – 6pm-8pm

Friday – “National Talk Like a Pirate Day”
12pm – Pirates invade Big Al’s in Manteo
2pm-5pm – Pirate Invasion at Roanoke Island Festival Park
8pm – Movie Night at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing in Nags Head – “Pirates of the Caribbean”

Saturday
10am-4pm – Pirate Invasion at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing in Nags Head
Blackbeard’s Crew, Captain Jack Sparrow and Blackburn perform impromptu skirmishes, games, amusement, and more!

Outer Banks Hits the Big Screen – “Nights in Rodanthe”

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A recent article by Catherine Kozak in the Virginia Pilot (http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/outer-banks-small-town-makes-debut-big-screen) points out that the Outer Banks is soon to get national and international attention. 

“Nights in Rodanthe,” a major motion picture version of Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling book of the same name, will hit theatres nationwide on September 26th and abroad in November. 

Outer Banks residents will have a pre-screening two days prior to the national release, and just two days after the premiere in New York City.  The pre-screening will be held at the R/C Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 on September 24th.  There will be about 210 seats available to residents who worked on the movie in someway while it was being filmed on the Outer Banks – extras, consultants, security, musicians, caterers, etc. 

Scenes from the movie will show a wide variety of footage from the Outer Banks, including; particular houses where scenes were set, the Hatteras Fishing Pier, the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry, Ocracoke Island, Manteo, gorgeous beaches, wild horses, and aerial footage of the Island(s). 

This is sure to be a great “date movie,” and a tremendous boost to exposure for the Outer Banks.