As the film maker, my original vision for this film “Sandbars to Sanibel” was to be shot in sepia, with the intro and ending to be in color, similar to The Wizard of OZ. However, after shooting the first scene in the authentic wooden walled post office I could not bring myself to remove the deep and saturated tones of color from this film. The preserved interior of each historic building, one after the other, revealed a magical aura of dreamlike reds, yellows and browns. Add to that the time-era wardrobe and the intense commitment by each actor to participate at 100%; I was completely satisfied to have chosen to shoot this film 24 frames a second, a film-like look. This project has by far been my favorite edit scenario.
Producing a film about Sanibel’s history was embraced the moment I was asked, the hard part would be getting it right, that is, according to the acute memory of one Samuel Major Bailey., our history resource. Sam has never been shy when asked how a particular scene should be re-enacted, or what was said. Giving myself some breathing room, I quickly decided to put a spin on the storyline, a common thread lets say, which would tie all the eight buildings at the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village together.
Without knowing our team’s script writer Jody Brown, our first telephone conversation was a 30 minute swirling brainstorm of connectivity. We had begun what has now snowballed into fun yet passionate storytelling. The talented and experienced team of Debbie Gleason and Mary McLaughlin brought with them authentic props, wardrobe and a handful of clever ideas to this project.
This film walks you through the doors and into the very rooms of each building at our museum. Feel the frustration of mail person Webb Shanahan as he must deliver a letter to someone he does not know where to find. See the urgency the lighthouse keeper feels when an accident may hinder his ability to fuel the light in time for darkness, and witness what mayhem occurs when the school marm has lost her students respect. The viewer will absolutely experience the Island of Sanibel lived in the 1920’s. This film, “Sandbars to Sanibel” is filled with suspense, laughter and human emotion, and portrays a day in the life of our Island pioneers as they might have lived it. I am sure you will enjoy this journey as much as we have loved creating it.
Thank you, Rusty Farst Video Biography