Professional Director and Producer Johnick Petry discussed his latest–and local–short film endeavor, on Wednesday, November 30, 2016, the day before the film premieres at Historic Dixon Theatre, 114 S. Galena Avenue, Dixon, IL. This Thursday, December 1, first showing of the movie will begin at 7:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30. There is no charge to the public. After the screening, mingle with the stars and production team of “Snowflakes and Diamonds.”
Sky Lantern Productions hosts the release, described as “a thought-provoking glimpse into the struggles of a young woman as she contemplates love, marriage, children, and family traditions, during Christmas past and present.” Although filming was done in locations throughout Whiteside, Carroll, and Ogle Counties, the film centers on scenes in Donnybrook Bakery Cafe, 203 W. Main Street, and Downtown Main Street, in Morrison, IL.
The film also will be shown Saturday, December 3, at the Crave Building, during Morrison’s Christmas Walk, at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30.
Petry, writer Lauren Lawson, and friend Nathan Tauch were on their way to a film festival in Texas in March 2015. The latter suggested a title for a possible film, “Snowflakes and Diamonds.” Lawson had no previous experience writing scripts designed for film at this time. But the title inspired her, and in a couple weeks she sent a script to Petry and Tauch. Both liked it.
When Petry read Lawson’s script, there were two blank pages at the end. “It leaves you thinking,” he said. “What now?” Initially, he admitted, he thought it would be a challenge for him, to create a film featuring a woman. That would be a new experience. He found it was not difficult, once the right woman was cast in the lead role.
However, the setting was a challenge; the team scoured towns in Northwest Illinois. “I wanted the town to have a sense that it had been there a long time. [The audience] would not be sure where it is, but [feel like] you want to go there.” He thought, “My home town looks like the vision we had. Why don’t we shoot it here? Morrison will get its big debut.”
Casting was completed by November 2015. Petry stated he knew most of the members already, but auditions were held in Morrison. Actors were sought online at acting websites and Facebook and through press announcements. Following is a cast roster.
- Lead Actress “Lisa” is Michaela (Rinker) Miller, 21, lived in Morrison during filming; now lives in Wisconsin.
- “Young Lisa” is Laura Fisher, 9, from Rock Falls, IL.
- “Lisa’s Father” is Zach Arbogast, 30, of Dixon, IL.
- “Maid of Honor” is Miranda Blankenbehler, 20, from Polo, IL.
- “Barista 1” is Andrew Rinker, 19, from Morrison.
- “Barista 2” is Riley Horton, 18, of Milledgeville, IL.
- “Coffee Shop Musician” is Lucas Chapman, 29, of Lisle, IL.
- “Little Boy” is Aiden Wolfgang Skindingsrude, 7, from Ingleside, IL.
Key Crew members include
- Johnick Petry: Director, Producer, 18, from Morrison.
- Lauren Lawson: Writer, 20, of Rockford, IL.
- Ivy Schexnayder: Director of Photography, 28, from Winslow, IL.
- Kayla Tenboer: Production Assistant, 23, lived in Morrison during production; now lives in Sycamore IL.
- Stuart Schexnayder: Boom Operator, 18, of Winslow.
- Dayton Hayes: Clapper/Slater who marks scene takes, 23, lived in Sterling, IL, during filming; now lives in Minnesota.
Shooting was set for the last two days in December 2015 into the third week of January 2016. The film begins in Ogle County, in the living room of the real-life Bacon family. This is the character Lisa’s childhood home. Later, Lisa walks along Main Street, from the East 200 block to the West 200 block, reaching the Donnybrook Bakery Cafe–ala a coffee shop–at dusk. The plot thickens as the sky darkens, and she eventually exits into the snowy night.
Without the option of special effects, “We were all praying for snow. We needed it, with one week left of shooting!” January weather reports predicted “a 50% chance of snow on Monday, but it looked like it was due to circle around Morrison.” They set up the equipment, “and it began to snow outside the Donnybrook!” That moment was captured as the film’s promotional poster.
Next came nine-and-a-half months of post-production crafting. He did the coloration and sound editing, eliminating background noise, conversations on sidewalks and street, and inside the Donnybrook. On Wednesday, November 1, 2016, work was finished and sent “off to the printers!” The DVD includes behind-the-scenes footage.
Petry submitted “Snowflakes and Diamonds” to 24 film festivals in the United States and Canada. It is too early to know how many will choose to feature it.
“Short films are a resume builder to promote people’s skills. We all like what we do. We just wanted to do [this project]. To get into feature films, you need to prove your skill set.”
“Thank you to everybody in Morrison and the Sauk Valley,” Petry said. “It’s been a real blessing to work with them.”
What is next for this young filmmaker? He will edit or direct a TV show. He “had seen a rough draft/teaser” of a project. Petry “made an improved trailer and returned it.” He was invited to work on the show, “maybe in 2017. I want to make a feature film. That is my next goal.”
Keep up-to-date with “Snowflakes and Diamonds” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowflakesanddiamonds/.