We have been blessed to connect with many many creative, artistic, gifted people over the years... and moving into this house has presented the opportunity for us to meet even more! One of our neighbors is an award-winning film and television producer, and he's currently working on a very remarkable project.
The story of how we came to know about it is pretty interesting...
One day last fall before we moved, we got a flier in the mail. It was for a new cafe in town with a killer 2-for-1 lunch deal, so we decided to go check it out. We pulled up to park, and saw a lot of activity across the street.... it was a film crew, with a big truck and some VERY impressive equipment,
shooting a scene on the old brick road that runs through old Stanwood.
We watched them film for a minute, and then went into the cafe.
Our window seat afforded us the opportunity to watch the filming underway, and we asked the server if she knew anything about it. She told us it was 'A Twilight-like TV pilot, all supernatural', and that it was being filmed locally with local actors, etc.
When we finished lunch, we headed back to the house and I jumped online... and an extensive search for 'Stanwood TV series film crew' led me to their
'Joshua Clay' facebook page. There, we found out what it was all about, that they were actually based here on Camano Island, and we agreed with their mission & purpose. We 'liked' their page and then visited their
www.SomethingsOutThere.com web site and
blog to get up to speed (to use a film term!) on their project.
We immediately wanted to support them in any way we could. We thought about offering our farm for them to film on if needed, but with the on again - off again sale process underway, it was too uncontrollable. So we thought that perhaps at some point in the future, we'd be able to do SOMETHING to help them reach their goals. But we'd have to wait and see just what that would be.
We never had any idea that 'something' was already working in exactly that direction...
We moved into our farmhouse in January. One of those evenings when we were painting, wearing grubby clothes splattered with paint, hair disheveled, and I had no makeup on (totally scary look), a knock at the door came. Bob opened the door to a literal MOB of people on our front porch!
We invited them in and this oh-so-polite family came just inside, on the tile entry, and introduced themselves to us. Michael, Shari, their passel of kids, and a horse & dog outside. ;0) They let us know that they lived across the valley from us, and along with a lovely plate of homemade muffins, they included a card with the names & ages of every person in their family. With nine kids (yes, you read that right) they knew we'd never remember them all! It was such a lovely way to be welcomed to the neighborhood!
They also handed us a
video and explained that it was the
Emmy-award-winning documentary film 'The Fire Below Us' that Michael made about his own experience during the Mt. St. Helens Eruption. I stood there holding the video case, listening to him talk about his production company, and a little light bulb went on over my head... and I asked, "
Are you..... 'The Joshua Project'?"
Smiles broke onto their faces as they all nodded yes. I looked at Bob and said 'We saw them filming in Stanwood that day....' and HIS eyes lit up. We had a great talk about how we had discovered them, their daughter let us know she had recognized us from facebook, and then they left and walked around the block to their farm across the valley.
And we stood there, smiling like idiots, thinking that the most amazing things happen in life when you just put it out there that you want to support something meaningful.
Two weeks later, they sent us a facebook message asking if we had any moving boxes left - they needed some for a scene they were filming. We did, so we filled up the truck and ran them over to their place. I knew there was a reason we didn't burn those things.....'cause I KNOW we aren't moving again!
Tonight (Friday, April 1) we were invited to attend a premiere screening of the 'almost complete' pilot episode of the TV series they are creating.
Check out the trailer:
Along with their family, friends, crew, staff, cast, and supporters, we joined with them in celebration of the dream they have realized, the mission they have accomplished, and the faith that has led them. As we listened to Michael and Shari talk about
the journey that their family has been on, and how filmmaking is not only a collaborative, community effort but a complete exercise in faith, we nudged each other.
We know how that goes - it's also applicable for vintage shows. ;0)
How encouraging it was to hear those words that apply to them, and realize that they also completely apply to us and to OUR dream. It was a message, a very TIMELY message, that we are not doing this alone. We are not 'out there' or wrong for having this goal, or for pursuing it in a way that no one else understands most of the time. We're just putting ourselves out there on faith, doing everything we can, with the knowledge that the vision we have has the possibility to make life better for a lot of people in a lot of ways. Most people have no idea what we are trying to create here.
We just live and work every day with one word in mind:
'Action!'
and then scene by scene it all unfolds,
and one day in the future, we'll be able to say
'That's a Wrap!'
Thank you,
Leinau Family, for letting us be part of your support team,
and for the blessing of your friendship and encouragement.
All images and video copyright SendRain Films 2010-11; All Rights Reserved.
