THE SEVENTH EQUINOX book trailer went into production last weekend with film shoots in Staunton and Afton, VA. Darkstone Entertainment of Charlottesville and its fine network of actors did the hard work while I ran around pretending to be a director/screenwriter.

The cast included:

• David Harscheid, who’s been acting longer than I’ve been living. David is gregarious, personable man with talent oozing from every gray hair, all of which I credit to his lovely wife Ursula, who accompanied him. David was an extra in THE EXORCIST and Sir Anthony Hopkins’s body double in HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, also filmed here. He last acted for me in THE GOOD PARTS as gruff ole Mr. Putnam. His role in this trailer was Mayor Gordy Parkhurst.
• T. Eric Hart, a former Broadway actor who took time out from the set of a National Geographic documentary to play Richard Liscomb. Eric’s wife Amy acted for me in BLOOD BORN trailer #2 as a shrieking pregnant woman in the back of a car.
• Elle Clark, who recently was Sally Fields’s body double in the Stephen Spielberg film LINCOLN. She has amazing acting superpowers and brought a wonderful emotional depth to the role of Bessie Henderson.
• Sam Lukowski, a young actor from the Baltimore area who has starred in several independent horror films. We brought Sam on board mainly for his good looks because the role of Robin Goodfellow requires it. Thankfully, he can also act (and act well).
• Andrea Marie, who had the foresight to bring a maroon blazer for her role as the realtor.
• Terri Baltz and her husband Bubba, who trekked several hours to play a rape victim and a gang banger.
• Major thanks to writer Dave Simms and Sheamous Miller for turning out on a half hour’s notice to act in a fight scene when my other actors unexpectedly bailed.
• Thanks also to Chris and Crystal Graham for the use of their house as one of our locations.
• And thanks to Brian Wimer (Amoeba Films) and Jarod Kearney for the use of their equipment.
• Finally, thanks as always to John Johnson of Darkstone Entertainment for pulling all my shit together.

Filming continues in early April at Natural Chimneys in Mount Solon with what I’m sure will be awesome makeup effects from Bioduck FX.

The target length of the trailer is just 90 seconds. Yes, that’s a lot of work for just a minute and a half. But that’s the general length of a movie trailer, and I don’t think people want to watch a commercial that’s much longer.

Distribution will be online at places like Youtube and, if the money holds out, at local movie theaters before regular shows. (Because, you know, all writers are rich. Uh huh.)

Here are some photos from the weekend. Enjoy!

Click to enlarge: