"HappyMart" movie
by Anonymous

'Happy Mart' indie flick to be filmed locally

Far from the Ferraris, silicone and big-studio lots of Hollywood, a filmmaking venture has come to Harrisonburg, providing a unique opportunity for JMU students as the film's producers are seeking out local talent for all areas of production.

"Happy Mart," a spoof about working in a Wal-Mart-type setting, to be filmed in the Valley at the beginning of the summer, is getting enormous Internet hype and calls from major Hollywood production companies that want to take over the project.

"It's really a great opportunity for anyone who wants to be discovered," said Marvin Pedigo, owner of the Alpha Impressions 2155 production company in Mt. Jackson and producer of the film. "We want, more than anything, to use this as a vehicle for new, undiscovered talent on both sides of the camera. We've been contacted by big players out in Hollywood who want to take over and add name stars in the mix, but that's not our focus. We want to bring the industry to the Valley."

Screenwriter and co-producer Jessica Mathis said, "We really want to jump-start the careers of everyone working on the project." Mathis noted the similarities between this and the low-budget indie cult classic "The Blair Witch Project." " I think it'll be bigger than ‘Blair Witch,'" she said, "because everyone can relate to Wal-Mart and the fact that there's a lot of humor to be found in everyday life." "If you've ever been to one of these types of stores, you know someone needed to make a movie about it," Mathis said. "This project is going to be big for everyone involved."

Mathis approached Pedigo with the idea for the film after Alpha Impressions' plans fell through on another project due to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The two kept in touch over the Internet while Mathis completed a script. The project took off in November 2001 and is now the final phases of pre-production. The makers of "Happy Mart" plan on entering the flick into several film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and eventually push towards a nationwide release.

So where does the JMU community get in on the "Happy Mart" action? "We are looking for anyone that wants to be involved in a variety of ways," said director Joeseph Pedigo, Marvin's son. "We'd like to make this as much about the Valley as possible, so we need people who really know this area." Producers are looking for interns to work as production assistants, students with experience and those who just want to get started.
A common day at the studio, during the pre-production phase, can find anywhere from two to 20 people, banging heads on ideas, and creating. The atmosphere is so think with creative energy, you could cut it with a knife.
Our web-site has develope a cult like following and is getting over 100 hits per day, says Pedigo. You may visit it at: http://www.happymartmovie.com




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