Jenna Whitmore originally was slated to carry a Glock 17, which was switched to the Beretta M9 featured in this early photo, but then was switched back to the Glock 17.
Changing Jenna’s Gun in Depleted: Day 419…
First weekend of Fight Training for Depleted: Day 419…
Fight choreographer, Jay Kerr (featured above), led the action players of Depleted: Day 419 through a rigorous first training for the dynamic action sequence featured in the film. Torrential rains flooded Central Kentucky during the choreography, but the hard work continued indoors.
In addition to an elaborate gunfight involving seven shooters, there is an elaborate knife fight between Nash Fitch (Eric Henninger) and James Rockland (David Haney). The knife fight features two custom blades created specially for the film by Jay Kerr, who’s also an accomplished knife smith, and by knifemaker, survivalist, and police officer, Gabe Kinderknecht. Fans of the film will have a chance to bid on these one of a kind mementos down the road after all principle photography is completed.
The Progression of Depleted
As we’ve progressed forward with Depleted, we’ve begun to flesh out the elements of a Depleted feature which we plan to shoot in May, 2011. Jeremy Hanke will be writing and directing it, as well. The film will follow Jenna Whitmore and her five companions as they make their way through the destroyed remnants of the United States of America to board the last ship. The feature will be packed with action and is currently slated to be shot with the RED Scarlet fixed lens and the Redrock Micro M2Encore system, provided the camera is available for use at that point. The Depleted: Day 419 film is slated to be shot in May, 2010 on the HVX200 with Redrock Micro M2Encore lens adapter setup. Casting will be done in April with a general casting call. Web designer Joel Robertson is kindly coming on to help with the website for the World of Depleted. Marketing specialist, Sheri Candler, is offering her expert help as we look forward to marketing both the feature and the World of Depleted itself.
The beautiful and talented Kat Carney is coming on board to portray Jenna Whitmore, both in the short and in the feature. Director Jeremy Hanke had directed her on Eric Henninger’s film, Collide, and had been extremely impressed with her presence and passion on that film. She also starred in Tom Stern’s film, Lives Left. (Tom Stern’s brilliant technical reviews have been frequent contributions to MFM throughout the years.)
The World of Depleted…
In 2010, Viking Productions and MicroFilmmaker Magazine started a project to unite the world. The concept was so high profile that it seemed utterly impossible. Attempting a massive film project in two of the most costly film genres in existence: science-fiction and action. Not only that, but we set out to get filmmakers from all over the globe to contribute short films, starting with hand selected, award-winning filmmakers and then opening the doors up to anyone who was interested.
The world we created was called “Depleted:” a world that is amazingly similar to our world, but with a major difference: everything has changed through our own hands. The world has become a dystopian and depopulated one after a series of terrorist attacks led to mass paranoia, government lockdown and civil war known simply as the Fall. It didn’t require a nuclear war or a zombie apocalypse. It just required mankind being what man is so often guilty of: bound to fear, hysteria, hate, and selfishness. In this dark world, people either follow a path of good or a path of evil. Because of the universality of this world, it’s been one that many filmmakers have been excited to get involved with. Additionally, it serves as a way for them to test their abilities with low-budget science fiction and action.
In the midst of this world, we at MFM and Viking are crafting a series of films, which will begin with Depleted: Day 419, written and directed by Jeremy Hanke. This film follows Jenna Whitmore, a beautiful and brilliant former undercover journalist, who now makes her living as a papers forger in a small river town in post-Fall Kentucky. In the course of this introductory film, she’ll have to discover who she can trust if she’s to get out of her current arrangement alive!