Visit the OKC set of ‘Whaling’
Are the otters ready for their close-ups?
Cameras were rolling on the set of "Whaling," and it was time for the critters to shoot their scenes in Frontier City's parking lot. The Oklahoma City theme park was one of several locations hosting the upcoming film, which also visited Guthrie, Catoosa, Wynnewood and Tulsa during its dozen days of shooting.
But on Aug. 3, Oklahoma's Extreme Animals caretakers delivered a couple of otters to a vintage 1980s Winnebago RV, a perfect spot to escape the sizzling sun hanging over the makeshift back lot. The scene's a pivotal moment in the movie when siblings Brandon (Tom Felton, of Draco Malfoy and "Harry Potter" fame) and Star (Tammin Sursok, "Pretty Little Liars") pause their Midwest road trip short to help some animals in need. The film's plot revolves around the duo delivering the ashes of a family member to a final resting place, and a portion of the movie's set in Oklahoma.
Because crews were tucked away in the corner of a massive blacktop, you could enter the park without even noticing the camera crew. It was business as usual as screams roared from roller coaster rides. Inside of a trailer, I sat with Sursok while Okie makeup artist Sharon Tabb made some adjustments for the otter scene. The actress' eyes were closed, but she was quick to share her vision for "Whaling" and an appreciation for Oklahoma.
"At first glance, it can seem like a cowboy town, but it’s really not," she said. "There’s an underground pulse of art and artistic people. A culinary scene. A coffee scene. I didn’t know what I was going to expect. I’ve fallen in love with the people."
Los Angeles is so frenetic, and here you can breathe, she added. Felton was no stranger to Oklahoma City either. He visited R&J Supper Lounge and Supper Club and Saint's Pub in the Plaza District between shooting days. I saw many enthusiastic wizarding world fans share selfies with the actor online.
In addition to Felton and Sursok, the production's cast includes David Koechner (Champ Kind of “Anchorman”, “Twin Peaks”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs”, “Bridesmaids”) and Austin Swift (“Live by Night”, “I.T.”).
Sursok co-wrote the story alongside her husband and "Whaling" director Sean McEwen, who also found Oklahoma to be a fitting home for the production.
"First and foremost, we were looking for the right aesthetic," he told The Oklahoman during a lunch break. "... It seemed like such a natural fit. We had wonderful colleagues that had worked here and heard good things. We were told, 'Why don’t you guys look at Oklahoma?' We’ve been very pleased."
Inspiration from above
When McEwen boarded an airplane several years ago, he found the early inspiration for "Whaling."
"A young lady sat down next to me, and she was a character," McEwen said. "I didn’t meet her or talk to hear. I just observed . ... She dumped out a Thermos and all these random things from her purse."
She ordered a beer from a flight attendant and didn't waste time befriending other passengers. McEwen said he imagined telling this stranger's story, and
"Whaling" grew from there. The script developed slowly between Sursok and McEwen's TV and movie projects. After all these years, Sursok said the timing still felt right.
"It’s a universal theme of family and finding yourself," she said. "To understand things from another’s point of view. I think it’s relevant. Even in Sean and my's life because I’ve just become a mother. My character is a mother. When we wrote it, I wasn’t a
mother. I have a lot more to draw from now that I’ve had that experience of raising a child. It’s definitely solidified the role for me."
McEwen said the film would tour the film festival circuit once it's completed and mentioned Oklahoma's deadCenter Film Festival as a possibility.
Oklahoma hospitality
McEwen's Midwestern roots also drove the production to Oklahoma, a move that qualified the film for the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate. The incentive provides rebates to filmmakers amounting to roughly $1 for every $3 they spend on production in Oklahoma. The rebate now caps out at $4 million annually, which is $1 million less than last year. That reduction was signed into law in May.
McEwen said Oklahoma's rebate is helpful in offsetting the costs of shooting outside ofLos Angeles and supports the ability to make a film come alive.
"I actually grew in Missouri and had the opportunity to shoot a movie there years ago when they did have an incentive program, which no longer exists," McEwen said. "It’s really sad that I can’t take advantage of my home state and the wonderful people and crew there."
But Oklahoma's film community surprised McEwen, even after hearing positive word-ofmouth.
"Everything hasbeen a home run," he said. "Everything to the crews, the people and the hospitality. You hear about it but to actually see it manifested in front of you is incredible."
Earlier in the day, he was speaking with the Oklahoma Film and Music Office and mentioned a conversation he had with another producer based in Los Angeles.
"I told him, 'You guys have to stop everything and look at Oklahoma,' "he said. "That’s not just me saying that because I’m speaking to you. That’s the truth. They’re excited to consider it because Oklahoma has so much to offer."