THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406240205
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH: Medium
Glenn McClanan Jr., 25, a graduate film student at New York University, is finding that out every day as he directs his master thesis movie, ``Tribes,'' in his hometown. The film, set in old Princess Anne County in 1919, revolves around two farm families just after World War I.
{REST} Finding an isolated farmhouse to serve as one of the main sets was the first of McClanan's hurdles. Driving down Princess Anne Road, there appear to be plenty of 19th century farmhouses characteristic of agricultural life in the early 1900s. Not so.
``It's been a real challenge looking around for an old farmhouse,'' McClanan, a former valedictorian at Kellam High School, said. ``We needed one that was somewhat isolated in terms of looking out into the middle of nothing.''
Usually power lines were the first thing he saw. No power lines existed in old Princess Anne in 1919. So McClanan had to search for a house where he could at least shoot from an angle that would avoid the power lines.
He also had to worry about the scenery that could be seen in the distance. A single modern street light would throw off the accuracy of the setting, he said.
Then there was the noise factor. Not many cars rode the county roads in 1919.
McClanan spotted a few nice houses on Princess Anne Road. ``But there were too many road sounds,'' he said. ``A single car going by would make you have to do the scene all over again.''
And those weren't the only factors that made it difficult to settle on a historically accurate home. Many of the old houses had modern additions such as electric meters and new siding or roofing.
``A home I liked had aluminum siding,'' McClanan said. ``Ninety-nine percent of the people (watching the movie) wouldn't know or care, but it was more of my own feeling that it wouldn't be right.''
With the help of city Agriculture Department Director Louis Cullipher, McClanan settled on an unoccupied 19th century farmhouse on Indian Creek Road, owned by Ralph Frost, a Blackwater farmer. The remote house off Blackwater Road is away from the beaten path.
After settling on a house, McClanan had to search for historically accurate props. Frost loaned him a wonderful old two-wheel cart which the film family uses to carry their potatoes to market.
But finding a mule to draw the cart was another story.
``It's a real challenge to find a mule,'' McClanan said. ``Funny with films,'' he quipped, ``problems arise with things you don't think about.''
He had to settle for a horse.
Frost, a hog farmer, did provide a hog for one scene and the family promised not to mow the golden hay around the farmhouse until after McClanan had finished shooting.
``When you scout out a location, you have to go out at the right season,'' he said. ``I had no idea the wheat would be so beautiful against the green trees.''
Finding authentic settings and props were not the only obstacles McClanan faced in making a movie in old Princess Anne. Facilities such as rest rooms, telephones and restaurants for the cast and crew had to be found.
``And it's fair to say you can't buy 16-millimeter film at Munden's Grocery,'' he added.
While McClanan has to worry about historical accuracy for the set, the movie is fictional and does not focus on local history. The 40-minute short film, written by McClanan, is about what happens when a black soldier, a hero in World War I, returns home to Princess Anne County and his white neighbors feel threatened by his success.
Fellow students serve in roles such as lighting or costume director. Some students and some locals act in the movie.
When the film is completed, McClanan will spend several months editing it and then hopes to show it here sometime next winter. He has been awarded a fellowship from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which will assist with expenses. Although students offer their services free, costs mount for such items as food and housing.
Despite the challenges, McClanan has enjoyed making a movie in his hometown and would like to return here to work in films full time.
``It's a unique setting,'' he said. ``It's southern, but Virginia has a culture all its own.''
P.S. GUARDIANS OF THE BEACH, an exhibit of pictures and memorabilia of Virginia Beach lifeguards, will open Friday at the Life-Saving Museum of Virginia. The exhibit, on display through July 18, is free with admission to the museum. The museum, at 24th Street and Atlantic Avenue, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
by CNB