Facebook campaign: Select Marion

A social media-based campaign is working to generate support for Marion’s selection as a movie location.

Ken Heath, the town’s director of economic development, is urging Facebook and e-mail users to show a spirit of welcome to Chinah Jewell, production coordinator for Life Out Loud Films, LLC, that is looking for places to film an adaptation of David Baldacci's book "Wish You Well."

A Facebook page has been set up in support of Marion’s selection: www.facebook.com/pages/Wish-You-Well/105652919467606 .

And Heath is asking the community to e-mail messages of support.

“Please take a few minutes and send a ‘welcome’ note of encouragement to Chinah Jewel,” Heath said. Her address is chinah@lifeoutloudfilms.com.

Heath began the campaign after he recently learned Marion remains a contender in the selection process.

“The company has narrowed the applications down to approximately six semi-finalists and are very interested in the assets that Smyth County has, such as the Lincoln Theatre, our historic buildings, old schoolhouses, courthouse, and the beauty of the farms and countryside,” he said.  “We have submitted additional information to Life Out Loud producers and expect to hear a response from them soon.”

Jewel confirmed Monday the company has “narrowed down our search and we are still considering Marion/Smyth County.”

Jewel declined to name the other five towns.

“We will make a public announcement of the top three once we have narrowed them down,” she said.

That announcement could come within the next two weeks, she said.

In December, Jewel said Marion was one of 15 localities that submitted a package as part of the film company’s Wish You Well location search.  

“The localities that have submitted are Alleghany Highlands, Bedford, Botetourt, Dickenson, Fauquier, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Greene, Radford, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Vinton, and Wytheville,” Jewell said. “We are still in the process of reviewing submissions at this point.  There is a lot of information and a lot of things to consider when searching for our shooting location.”

Marion’s “audition” began in early November when Heath ran across an online solicitation by the film company looking for places to shoot the film.

“Wish You Well is set in 1940, Southwest Virginia,” literature about the scouting effort said. “We are searching for a town that has the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains and farms as well as the quaint charm of a 1940’s small town. The town should have as many of the locations below as possible. We are aware that we may have to fill this need by shooting in 2 different towns but that are VERY close to each other.

The company said it is looking for a community with “enthusiasm, an interest in being involved in the filmmaking process,” and “passion for their community and the impact a film could bring to their area.”

It seeks a location “with Appalachian mountains, a farm with a house, barn, horse stable and lots of rolling land, an old courtroom, a courthouse, a one-room school house, an old train depot (or tracks at least),” and “main town area with older buildings (an old movie theatre is a PLUS).”

“The specifics were amazing,” Heath said in December. “Small town in the mountains of Virginia, 1940’s setting, farmhouse, period theater and train station optional, plus access to the interstate, hotel rooms, restaurants, hardware store, Walmart.  I drafted a quick email to the company, and posted the link with the info on my Facebook page, encouraging everyone to email and message the company to invite them to Marion and Smyth County.  Kristen Untiedt-Barnett at the Chamber was quick to jump on board, and she got info from Ron Thomason at Smyth County tourism, and we put together a packet of pictures, videos, and information.”

For the chosen community, Life Out Loud Films said the filming will be an opportunity to “showcase your town on the big screen, see your community members featured as extras in the film, get involved in the production process” with “volunteers, interns, and paid positions available, and promote tourism: the film can be used as a tool to help promote your area.”

The company said it “will not ask for money in exchange for this opportunity.  We will be guests in your town during production only, which will likely be 1-3 months.”

dkegley@wythenews.com