ON GUARD: Q-C-based movie studio premiering new movie ‘Buddy Guard’ next weekend
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By David Burke | Friday, January 11, 2008 |
At age 25, David Clevenger has worked in film production for 11 years.
Randy and Sheila Stalsberg were filmmaking novices, taking an early buyout from the Rock Island Arsenal with the intention of making movies clean enough for the entire family.
The three combined forces as 3 Stones Studios, and the finished product of their first endeavor will be on the big screen next weekend at Showcase Cinemas 53 in Davenport.
They are presenting “Buddy Guard” in 14 showings as part of the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau’s “Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard” effort the weekend of Jan. 18-21.
“Buddy Guard” is a Christian-based movie in which bodyguard Steven Rike (played by Clevenger) is hired by a U.S. senator to watch over Buddy McKenney (St. Charles, Mo., actor Eric Barfield-Vox), a man with limited mental capacities, after an assassination attempt.
“It’s really about childlike faith and how his childlike faith helps my character overcome his past and the things he’s dealing with,” said Clevenger, who also wrote the film’s script and composed the score.
There are comedic moments — many stemming from the 1-foot height difference between the two actors — but Clevenger said the movie is mainly an action-adventure, a genre generally absent from Christian-based films.
“It’s not a preachy film, not a film about church or religious denomination,” he said. “It’s a film about how Buddy’s faith helps Steven overcome himself.”
The movie was shot over 3 1/2 months in St. Charles (a St. Louis suburb where Clevenger formerly lived) and the Quad-Cities, concluding in December.
Clevenger said he wanted to make a Christian movie with higher production values than many that have had nationwide exposure.
“We don’t want to be that low-budget, shot-on-a-home-video-camera type of movie,” he said.
Other Christian movies, he said, become too focused on the message and not on the quality of the production.
“People are tired of the same-old, same-old,” he said. “We want to give something new to that audience.”
Clevenger said it’s the goal of 3 Stones to shoot four movies a year in the Quad-City area. Another will begin this spring, although the subject matter is being kept under wraps.
“We want this to be kind of a springboard in the industry, in the community, to say this is the kind of stuff that we can do,” he said.
Accompanying the production were several “film camps” for youth in Iowa, Illinois and Michigan. The camps were used to teach those 12 years and older about filmmaking with the prospect of making their own family movies.
“We knew that we wanted to work with youth and we wanted to create family content,” Randy Stalsberg said. “We were more business people where David was the creative person.”
The Stalsbergs said they wanted to get into filmmaking after going to see a supposed family film that was awash with nudity and profanity.
“We decided to take action instead of complaining about it,” Randy said.
He and Sheila took an early retirement offer in September 2006, after 30 years with the Arsenal. When they met Clevenger, they knew a partnership could be forged.
The Stalsbergs said they were inspired by children who, by age 12, were ready to grow up to become filmmakers.
“Not only are we enjoying it, but the kids are developing their skill level sets for their careers,” she said.
David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
IF YOU GO
What: “Buddy Guard”
Where: Showcase Cinemas 53, Davenport
When: 6:15 and 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18; 12:45, 3:30, 6:15 and 9 p.m. Saturday-Monday, Jan. 19-21
How much: $9.25 adults and $6.50 students and senior citizens for nighttime shows; $6.50 all tickets before 6 p.m.
Information: 3stonestudio.com on the Web
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