Action film shot in Red Oak, but the rest is a mystery

RED OAK – I am a reporter/writer who lived in Los Angeles and worked as an indie producer of feature films for 10 years.

So, when I saw the letter in my mailbox about a film shooting at the park next to my house where I run well, I made some calls.

The location manager was cool, the producer got back to me and was nice. She was not ready to tell me anything about the film.

So last week when I came home from a trip, I saw in front of one of the buildings a block from my home, black smoke billowing into the air and something on fire.

Of course, most residents knew this was just the film shoot. More questions – no answers!

On Halloween I heard “The Addam’s Family” theme song coming from the shooting location. When I told my colleague it was just a film being shot up the street she didn’t believe it at first.

Oh yes, just a film.

I know this film is being shot in Lancaster and Red Oak and I know it is titled “Shelter.”

Being produced by a company called Cinestate LLC, this company is located, at least in part, in Dallas.

As the president of the North Texas Film Critics Association, and working with a company here in Dallas part-time in film distribution, this little local film makes me smile.

I came all the way from Los Angeles to Dallas and here the film is right at my doorstep.

When my park was closed the letter had stated in part, “The film will begin shooting each morning at 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. with a 50-person crew. Neighborhoods near the park will also be subject to talent parking on area streets.

“Both Live Oak and Waller Avenue in Red Oak are being closed during the duration of the film shoot at the parks.”

Fortunately, I was in India during most of the shooting at the park, so I did not have to deal with the chaos. The letter that went out to residents by the film crew also indicated special effects teams and stunt crew would be “managing some controlled stunts and effects. You may see smoke; you may hear loud noises like gunfire, but it is not actual gunfire.”

While there was no response as to the particulars of the film, and I did call that producer back for more details to no avail. I do know it is an action film or it could be an action drama.

I also deducted from the casting calls that extras needed included high school students, swat team members, ambulance crews, cops and news crews.

And finally, producers are Dallas Sonnier, Amanda Presmyk, Adam Donaghey/ Writer-Director Kyle Rankin and the local & extras casting director is Katrina Cook Katz Kasting.

And for all you wondering if it’s real or just that movie shoot, the casting call says the extras are committing to a five week shoot – at least in Red Oak and the area – that ends the week of Nov. 22.