Behind the Scenes
Making a Bigfoot Comedy in Rural WA State
Famous Last Words: “Let’s make a Bigfoot Comedy…”
Fireshoe owners Eric Colley and Hallie Shepherd were feeling a bit stir crazy when they decided to shoot a Bigfoot comedy. Past Fireshoe films have included very recognizable actors such as Richard Dreyfuss, Katharine McPhee, and Casper Van Dien, and those films involved elaborate financing. This time, Eric and Hallie were interested in moving forward very quickly on a new film. While on a vacation at the Washington coast, they decided to greenlight a new film. This decision was made as they were chilling in a hot tub overlooking the ocean (a recommended method for creativity). Eric and Hallie felt if they were going to shoot local and totally indie, they wanted it to be a comedy. As Pacific Northwest natives, their brainstorming naturally went to the famous creature that hails from this very area: BIGFOOT.
From there, a silly story was born…
Who Says You Can’t Go Home?
Hallie and Eric grew up in small towns in the Pacific Northwest, and they met as adults in Seattle at an indieClub.com networking meeting for filmmakers. Shooting Bigfoot Killed My Wife in and around their hometowns felt like the perfect setting for this story.
Winlock, WA
Most of the film is shot in Winlock where Hallie grew up. The location of “Justin’s House and Property” is Hallie’s childhood home, which is a log house surrounded by tall fir trees. The location of “Crazy Frank’s Barn and Property” is the family-owned arts collective Grand Prairie Designs. The historic barn was built during World War I. Additional filming took place in Castle Rock where co-producer and actor Norm Mays lives. The movie’s news footage was filmed in various locations, including Vader, Whidbey Island, Olympia, and Tacoma.
barns
Cows
Plastic Flamingos
Wait, Covid?
Production Shuts Down
Filming was in process, and the cast and crew were semi-isolated from the world when outside texts started making their way in through the weak Wifi connection: Tom and Rita Hanks have Covid, the NBA is shutting down, schools are closing! Wait, what? In a week’s time, Covid-19 had gone from a moderate concern to a huge crisis. Suddenly, reminding everyone on set to wash their hands before meals wasn’t enough. Production shut down, and the Bigfoot team discovered what the rest of the world already knew: the toilet paper was gone.
Back on Set, Finally!
With safety as a top priority, cast and crew reconvened under the new normal to finish filming the movie. After so many months of social distancing and time spent apart from friends, being back on set was a happy reunion for cast and crew.
How To See This Silly Movie
The post-production of Bigfoot Killed My Wife has just been completed, and the movie is not yet released.
In order to receive updates about the how, when, and where to watch the movie, go to our Contact page to find all of the links to our social media pages and to sign up for Fireshoe’s Mailing List.
Still photography credits top to bottom:
1. The movie script. Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions
2. Director/producer Eric Colley and writer/producer Hallie Shepherd discuss the shot as 1st AD Travis Waldroop looks on. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
3. Location shot (“Justin’s property”). Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions
4. Norm Mays, Isley Rae, and Hallie Shepherd try to stay warm between acting in scenes. Photo credit: Sarah Whitehead
5. Filming inside the historic WWI-era barn at Grand Prairie Designs in Winlock. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
6. Crew member Stuart Lamirand sets up a light. Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions
7. Actors Trey Miller, Robert G. Colley, and Ryan Colley film a scene. Photo credit: Lorie Campolo/Beaux Arts Studio
8. Filmmakers and lead actors Eric Colley and Hallie Shepherd. Photo credit: Lorie Campolo/Beaux Arts Studio
9. Adam Elliott Davis as Rusty. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
10. Filming outside the historic WWI-era barn at Grand Prairie Designs in Winlock. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
11. Norm Mays as “Norm” appreciates plastic flamingos. Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions
12. One of the cows checks out the filming. Photo credit: Sarah Whitehead
13. Eric Colley as “Justin” has many reasons to feel alarmed. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
14. Back on set to film in the Covid era with co-producer Joe Brockert, actor/co-producer Norm Mays, camera operator Billy Nicholson, crew member Trevor Lewis, and director of photography Jesse Cairnie. Photo credit: Hallie Shepherd