PRINTLocation, location, location
Missouri Life contest seeks spots in Missouri to bring Hollywood to the Midwest
Kandi Bouma, Courtesy of the Missouri Film Commissions
Missouri Life contest winner Kandi Bouma’s photo features a dam worthy of Harrison Ford in “The Fugitive.”
May 27, 2009 | 12:00 p.m. CST
Find an interesting location: It could be a tree-lined trail, perfect for the “escape scene” of the next big horror flick, or a palatial mansion ordained with ornate detailing beautiful enough to inspire a film of its own. Snap a low-resolution picture and upload it onto the Missouri Life Web site. If it sounds simple, that’s because simple is exactly what the minds behind the Location Scout contest intended. The idea is to create a thick portfolio of locations that will help recruit big-time producers to all that Missouri has to offer.
The contest has been divided into four quarters with one winner chosen each quarter. A grand-prize winner will be determined at the end of the yearlong contest. The winner will be revealed October 15. Now, two winners deep into the virgin voyage of the contest, organizers are enthusiastic about participation levels and say they expect it to continue to pick up momentum as the contest gains exposure.
It’s no Hollywood, but the Show-Me State has been host to its fair share of the movie-making spotlight. We’ve pinned down a few of Missouri’s most notable. From the wacky to the weird, they’ll likely show you a side of Missouri you haven’t seen before.
1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Filmed: St. Louis
Released: Nov. 1987
Stars: Steve Martin and John Candy
2. Casino
About: Kansas City
Released: Nov. 1995
Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods
3. Mad Money
About: Kansas City
Released: Jan. 2008
Stars: Diane Keaton, Katie Holmes, and Ted Dansen
4. Up In The Air
Currently being filmed in St. Louis
Release date: TBA
Star: George Clooney
“It’s really easy,” says Lorah Steiner, President of the Missouri Motion Media Association. “Anything could be filmed — an old building — not just glamorous places, even blighted areas make great film locations.” Steiner came up with the idea about a year ago when brainstorming ways to make it easier for producers to scout locations across the state. “Our goal is to give the Missouri Film Commission a database of great photos as well as expose great locations,” Steiner says. Convenience is the ultimate goal for contest organizers, who are composed of parties from the Missouri Motion Media Association, Missouri Life, and the Missouri Film Commission. “It will make for an efficient way to share with Hollywood producers,” says Jerry Jones, director of the Missouri Film Commission. The database has already grown, with over 200 entries in the contest’s first year.
Missouri Life stepped forward to provide the necessary publicity to get the contest going. “We wanted to get involved because we have statewide coverage, and people who read our magazine are passionate about photos and were already cluing us into new scenery,” says Danita Allen, editor of Missouri Life.
Winners are chosen by representatives from the Missouri Film Commission. The next deadlines are for late spring-early summer on June 20 and late summer- early fall on September 20. Winners are announced ten days after the deadline. Kandi Bouma, from Ozark, won the first quarter of the contest with a photo of Life Line Air Medical Services out of St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. The second quarter’s winning image, shot by Mike McArthy of St. Charles, was of the fall color in Glade Top Trail, located in southwest Missouri.
“It’s a neat place to visit,” says McArthy, an outdoor photographer and writer who contributes to Missouri Life. “It’s rugged, there’s a long trail, flowers in spring, caves, road runners.” McArthy says he shot the trail because it had a multitude of different elements suitable for any type of film.
A complete list of rules can be found on MissouriLife.com, as can entry categories that range from landscapes to theme parks. “What’s amazing to me is that we’ve had very little duplication,” says Allen. The most popular category has been scenic locations, she says. The grand-prize winner will win a vacation to Branson, a yearlong subscription to Netflix and two passes to the 2010 True/False Film Festival.
Steiner’s vision involves what she calls “pumping up the volume” of the contest. She says she would like to see “mayors challenge each other and get communities involved.” No contest entries have served as locations yet, but the founders say they believe as time goes on and the photo catalog grows, Missouri will see plenty of movie magic.
Twitter
Facebook
