The horror of it all, Sacred Heart Catholic, I mean, Cultural Center is being used for a horror film? Good idea or bad? I report; you bloviate.
Scenes for horror movie being filmed at Sacred Heart
The downtown landmark will be filled with a 60-member film crew in Augusta shooting scenes for a small-budget horror flick that is expected to air next year on cable channel Chiller Network – a division of NBC Universal.
While most of the filming for Siren is taking place inside the former Catholic church, certain scenes, which incorporate police cars borrowed from Richmond County School Safety and Security office and actors portraying police officers, will be filmed Wednesday night outside the historic building on the corner of Greene and 13th streets and at the parking lot across the street, said Jennifer Bowen, vice president of destination development with the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Bowen said the filming in Augusta is closed to the public and that many aspects, including details of the movie plot, are confidential.
A posting on Chiller’s Web site summarizes the Siren plot as a bachelor party “that becomes a savage fight for survival when the groomsmen unleash a fabled predator upon the festivities.” The film is being produced by independent filmmaker David Bruckner, Bloody Disgusting founder Bard Miska, Collective Digital Studio and Blue Falcon.
Bowen said certain scenes in the film’s script called specifically for a Gothic-style building, which led producers to Sacred Heart.
“They’re shooing the majority of the film in Savannah, (Ga.), but they couldn’t find anything that was exactly like that in Savannah,” she said. “They were first given some pictures of Sacred Heart. Then they decided to come and take a look at it. They were pretty pleased with it.”
The crew has been in Augusta filming overnight since Sunday and will finish Thursday morning. The production is expected to generate more than $40,000 in visitor spending, according to the CVB.
In recent years, Georgia has become a powerhouse in the film industry as more production companies are flocking to the Peach State to take advantage of its attractive incentive program that was restructured in 2008. Marvel’s Ant-Man, released July 17, was the latest blockbuster produced in Georgia to hit theaters.
Last month, Gov. Nathan Deal said that feature films and TV productions shot in Georgia had an economic impact of more than $6 billion during the 2015 fiscal year.
According to Film L.A., a nonprofit that handles film permits in Los Angeles, Georgia ranked as the fifth best filming location in the world last year, following California, New York, the U.K. and Canada.
Augusta-Richmond County was among the earliest adopters of Georgia’s “Camera Ready” program, which serves as a liaison to the entertainment industry by providing resources and other services to attract film and TV production companies here.
Bowen said the film crew currently in town is the largest that her department has assisted but noted that two other productions were recently taped in Augusta. The Weather Channel shot a segment last November on the city’s “haunted pillar” for its series American Supernatural, and a paranormal team was at Sibley Mill in late March shooting material for Destination America’s Ghost Asylum. That episode has not yet aired.
“When a script calls for something in particular there is a very good chance that Augusta or the immediate surrounding area will have something that will meet those needs,” Bowen said. Right now, it’s all about do we have a specific site or a specific location that will meet those needs.
“Another thing that is very critical to getting more business is doing it well and right the first time. When a production company like this one is here and they are able to say, ‘we had a great experience in Augusta’ then that word of mouth travels very fast.”
While most of the filming for Siren is taking place inside the former Catholic church, certain scenes, which incorporate police cars borrowed from Richmond County School Safety and Security office and actors portraying police officers, will be filmed Wednesday night outside the historic building on the corner of Greene and 13th streets and at the parking lot across the street, said Jennifer Bowen, vice president of destination development with the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Bowen said the filming in Augusta is closed to the public and that many aspects, including details of the movie plot, are confidential.
A posting on Chiller’s Web site summarizes the Siren plot as a bachelor party “that becomes a savage fight for survival when the groomsmen unleash a fabled predator upon the festivities.” The film is being produced by independent filmmaker David Bruckner, Bloody Disgusting founder Bard Miska, Collective Digital Studio and Blue Falcon.
Bowen said certain scenes in the film’s script called specifically for a Gothic-style building, which led producers to Sacred Heart.
“They’re shooing the majority of the film in Savannah, (Ga.), but they couldn’t find anything that was exactly like that in Savannah,” she said. “They were first given some pictures of Sacred Heart. Then they decided to come and take a look at it. They were pretty pleased with it.”
The crew has been in Augusta filming overnight since Sunday and will finish Thursday morning. The production is expected to generate more than $40,000 in visitor spending, according to the CVB.
In recent years, Georgia has become a powerhouse in the film industry as more production companies are flocking to the Peach State to take advantage of its attractive incentive program that was restructured in 2008. Marvel’s Ant-Man, released July 17, was the latest blockbuster produced in Georgia to hit theaters.
Last month, Gov. Nathan Deal said that feature films and TV productions shot in Georgia had an economic impact of more than $6 billion during the 2015 fiscal year.
According to Film L.A., a nonprofit that handles film permits in Los Angeles, Georgia ranked as the fifth best filming location in the world last year, following California, New York, the U.K. and Canada.
Augusta-Richmond County was among the earliest adopters of Georgia’s “Camera Ready” program, which serves as a liaison to the entertainment industry by providing resources and other services to attract film and TV production companies here.
Bowen said the film crew currently in town is the largest that her department has assisted but noted that two other productions were recently taped in Augusta. The Weather Channel shot a segment last November on the city’s “haunted pillar” for its series American Supernatural, and a paranormal team was at Sibley Mill in late March shooting material for Destination America’s Ghost Asylum. That episode has not yet aired.
“When a script calls for something in particular there is a very good chance that Augusta or the immediate surrounding area will have something that will meet those needs,” Bowen said. Right now, it’s all about do we have a specific site or a specific location that will meet those needs.
“Another thing that is very critical to getting more business is doing it well and right the first time. When a production company like this one is here and they are able to say, ‘we had a great experience in Augusta’ then that word of mouth travels very fast.”
