Behind the Scenes

Making a Bigfoot Comedy in Rural WA State

The Bigfoot Killed My Wife movie script from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions

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…

Location shot of "Justin's property" in Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions
Norm Mays, Isley Rae, and Hallie Shepherd try to stay warm between fliming scenes in Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: Sarah Whitehead
 Crew member Stuart Lamirand positions a light on the set of Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions
 The cast and crew of Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions film a scene inside the historic WWI-era barn  at Grand Prairie Designs in Winlock. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
In Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions, actors Trey Miller, Robert G. Colley, and Ryan Colley film a scene... with a body bag!  Photo credit: Lorie Campolo/Beaux Arts Studio

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.

R

barns

R

Cows

R

Plastic Flamingos

Adam Elliott Davis as "Rusty" spots something big (maybe Bigfoot himself?) in Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
Filmmakers and lead actors Eric Colley and Hallie Shepherd are happy to be on the set of Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: Lorie Campolo/Beaux Arts Studio
Cast and crew get ready to film the next scene in Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions outside a historic WWI-era barn at Grand Prairie Designs in Winlock. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com
Norm Mays as "Norm" in Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions appreciates plastic flamingos. Photo credit: JC Campos/Whispered Films Productions
One of the cows checks out filming of Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: Sarah Whitehead
Eric Colley as "Justin" is alarmed in Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions. Photo credit: Linda Shepherd/indieStills.com

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.

In the Covid era, cast and crew return safely to set to finish filming Bigfoot Killed My Wife from Fireshoe Productions: 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

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