By Amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer
It was the first time Plant City High School students Holly Turcich and Sarah Winter had ever been in a movie, but it wasn’t the first time the duo walked the streets of this particular movie set.
That’s because the independent film they are in, “Chu and Blossom,” was shot on location in Plant City.
“Chu and Blossom” is a comedy about a Korean exchange student who finds himself an oddball in a small U.S. town. A quirky performance artist befriends him.
The producers loved the historical feel of Plant City’s downtown for the film.
“It had the locations we were looking for,” Producer Caroline Connor says, describing Plant City as “quaint.”
Turcich, 16, and Winter, 17, heard about the chance to be extras in the film from their director at Plant City Entertainment. The young actresses are in the library scene, which was shot Aug. 27, at the Bruton Memorial Library, and a street scene shot Sept. 2, downtown.
“It wasn’t anything I expected it to be,” Turcich says. “I expected people to be rude and just sit us in the corner.”
The extras said they waited around for more than seven hours during three days of filming, waiting to see if they would be used in the film. They were surprised by the way movie-making differs from live performances, which they prefer. Still, movie-making holds a thrill for them.
“It’s neat to see everything that goes into it,” Winter says. “In person, (the actors) are so much more talented than how they’ll be in the final movie.”
Other extras from Tampa, St. Petersburg, Valrico, Lakeland and Mulberry filled the halls of the usually quiet Arcade of Shops on Reynolds Street Sept. 2. Suite 10, which is normally vacant, was buzzing with producers, actors and crew members mapping out logistics, organizing scenes and operating dollies, cameras and lighting equipment.
Hailey Sager, a University of Central Florida student and casting intern, was busy checking in all the extras and making sure they were fed and ready for shooting.
The night before the crew came to Plant City, they shot video in Ybor City.
“Being in Ybor City at night filming was scary,” Sager says. “But this is such a beautiful town. It’s different from where we’ve been filming, and it has the look they wanted for the film. It’s interesting being on location than in a studio.”
In addition to the library, three movie scenes were also shot at the intersection of Reynolds and Collins streets, at the bright red phone booth in front of The Whistle Stop Cafe and at the 1914 building.
Location scout Shellee Wells first contact Michael Karr, assistant to the city manager, about shooting in Plant City. Karr was excited about the prospect.
“It’s great,” Karr says. “It’s fun to see people who are interested in your town.”
When Karr and City Attorney Kenneth Buchman stopped by the Bruton Memorial Library on the first day of shooting, they had no idea they, too, would end up being extras as part of an audience in the 1914 building auditorium. Buchman even had a line, but he won’t share it because he doesn’t want to jinx its appearance in the final cut.
“It was a lot of fun,” Buchman says. “I got to meet a lot of members of the cast and crew. Everyone spoke very highly of Plant City.”
“It’s fun just to go out and watch,” Karr says. “You see the final product on the screen, but when you’re on set, you see all that went into it.”
Outside of Plant City, video shooting has taken place in Lakeland, Tampa and St. Petersburg.
“Chu and Blossom” stars Melanie Lynskey (“Up in the Air” and “Ever After: A Cinderella Story”), Alan Cumming (“X2” and “GoldenEye”), Annie Potts (“Designing Women,” “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2”). It is scheduled for a 2013 release.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
EXTRA!
What’s your favorite thing about acting?
“I like bringing out a different emotional side because you can find out what you can bring out of yourself.”
— Bailey Coats, 14, St Petersburg
“You can go into a different character and be someone you’re not.”
— Kayla David, 10, Tampa
“You get to be in another story.”
— Chloe Tomlinson, 9, Mulberry