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Making Rain in the Mountains

In the summer of 2005, I left New York City to crew (for free!) on an independent film called Rain in the Mountains. Shot on location all over Washington state, the movie put to the test everything I learned in film school.

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The Story

Rain in the Mountains is about Eric Smallhouse, a Native American man who, thanks to the words of a Dead Man spirit he encounters when taking a new road home, believes it is his destiny to lead his people back to the old ways. The problem is, he was raised off the reservation and doesn't know the old ways. But he's not the kind of guy who will let that stop him. Against his wife Lindsay's objections, he teaches his 12-year-old son, Todd, various 'authentic' activities, failing miserably and learning the hard way that things weren't any easier back in the old days. In the process, he discovers that some old ways, such as love of family, are still attainable today. Of course, before he can apply that lesson, he must realize that the Dead Man is a trickster spirit and that the U.S. government is all too ready to call a protester a terrorist.

The script won a six-figure grant from NYU; it has a light comedic touch and strong, universal characters that will appeal to anyone who wants to honor the past without forgoing modern convenience.

The Key Players

Selected Crew
Joel Metlen - writer, co-director, cinematographer
Christine Sullivan - co-director, producer
Lillian Parker - AD, producer
John Ott - 1st AC, Farmer Earl, blogger

Selected Cast
Steve Pierre - Eric Smallhouse
Nick Erb - Todd Smallhouse
Audrey Seymour - Lindsay Smallhouse
Robert Satiacum - Deputy John
Joseph Heldman - Dead Man

Rain in the Mountains Archive

To follow the progress of the film, bookmark by right- or control-clicking on this link. It will take you right back here, the clearinghouse for all my posts from Rain in the Mountains.

• Cast & Crew: Forming a Family
• Location, Location, Location (includes location scouting tips)^*
• One-for-three on Permits
• Portents
• First Rehearsals
• Testing the Rig
• Mad Props (with tips on making fake road signs)
• The Perfect Hanging Tree
• The Virtues of Repetition
• Where the Buffalo Roam^*
• Equipment, Rented & Owned
• WANTED: DEAD OR DEAD
• Last Gasp
• Press Release #1
• Ill Communication, Meet the Press, Floating Mountains and the Mark of the Beast^*
• Day One and Done
• Day Two and Through
• Day Three: Minor Catastrophe
• Day Four: Reporters and Grown Man Tears
• Day Five: The Bee Whisperer
• We made the paper!
• Day Six: Good Dam^*
• Day Seven: Passing the Boom^*
• Day Eight & Nine: Going Fine
• Day Eleven: Fire!!!^* -- now with photos and a video clip!
• Day Thirteen But Not Unlucky
• Day Fourteen: Acting Between the Lines* - with tips for acting in indie movies!
• Day Fifteen: River Birthday
• Day Sixteen: Revenge of the Bees
• Day Seventeen: Film Food Chain - thoughts on the distribution of independent film
• Day Eighteen: Meet the Aaton XTR*
• Christine Sullivan Rocks!
• Day Nineteen: Film Centralia
• More Press, More Photos
• Day Twenty: A Handwritten Blog
• Day Twenty-one: Sicko
• Day Twenty-two: Digital Camera Roundup
• Day Twenty-three: River vs. Film Crew*
• Long Night's Journey* - updated with the full story of Steve's stroke!
• Day Twenty-five: Quick Update - Steve and Joe
• The Return of Joe Heldman
• Day Twenty-six: Eine Kleine Night Shoot
• Day Twenty-seven: It's a Wrap!
• Steve Update 8/24
• Poor Man's ADR - plus a word on the final transfer session
• Steve Update 8/25
• Steve Update 8/28
• Steve Update 8/30
• Poor Man's Foley - the recording of sound effects
• Good Title
• The Edit Begins - UPDATED!
• A Picture of the Edit Suite
• Final Cut Pro Woes
• New Title and Exciting Good News!
• 50 Minutes of Rough Cut Done
• Rough Cut Complete
• Rough Cut Rules!
• Joel Picks Up My Slack - links to Joel's post-production blog
• Steve Update 12/14
• Roundup of Joel's Post-production Blog
• Ready for the Conform
• Discs a-poppin!
• The Trailer! The Trailer!
• On Budget
• Equipment List
• Coming to a Festival Near You!*
• Best Comedy Award Winner at Buffalo Niagara Film Festival
• An Indie Film Goes Home Again
• More Good Festival News
• Now Available on DVD and HD-DVD*
• Distribution Down Under
• One More Festival

* denotes popular post

About J. Ott

John Ott is a writer, filmmaker and futurist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.