{"id":1936,"date":"2021-12-22T22:08:14","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T22:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/?p=1936"},"modified":"2021-12-22T23:02:35","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T23:02:35","slug":"stepping-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/stepping-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Stepping up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"The
The Stairs promotional image<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When Wandering Dragon Productions set out to make a horror movie in 2019, founder Amanda Rae Jones, \u201901, knew the horror genre and community was ready for something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After two years of production and pandemic delays, \u201cThe Stairs\u201d premiered this summer in select theatres and on digital streaming platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not a typical horror film,\u201d Jones said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s got their ideas of what a horror film is, and this doesn’t fit into any specific categories. It\u2019s suspenseful and visceral because you feel like you\u2019re in it. There\u2019s this really beautiful throughline that centers around relationships and which relationships are important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She called it dramatic horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jones\u2019 day-to-day in her Seattle office is pretty far from Hollywood drama\u2014horrifying or otherwise. She left the world of finance to start Wandering Dragon Productions, and her role in the company focuses on the logistical, budgetary and business-minded aspects of filmmaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaking a movie is much like starting a business,\u201d she said. \u201cBut you have 5 to 7 months to get set up and make it happen, rather than 5 to 7 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She put together a pitch to raise money and reviewed the script to ensure the company could afford to cinematize the story they\u2019d written. They cast well-known actors and shot the movie. Post-production jobs like editing, coloring, sound and scoring happened during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Making a movie is much like starting a business, but you have 5 to 7 months to get set up and make it happen, rather than 5 to 7 years.”<\/p>– Amanda Rae Jones<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen we held it for six months because of COVID, and then we held it longer so we could release it in summer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Amanda
Amanda Rae Jones, ’01<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In January 2021 they decided to enter the festival market rather than keep waiting for theaters to open. \u201cThe Stairs\u201d was shown in 20 festivals, and to date has won 25 awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The path to success, though, is paved with patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat you see on the screen in those 94 minutes took us 20 days of filming, six months of writing and pre-production, then a year of post-production,\u201d Jones said. \u201cIt\u2019s a long process for an hour and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s seen a wide range of motivations that keep filmmakers committed to these long-term projects, but Jones does it out of a drive to inspire others to realize their dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverybody has their personal reason for getting into movies,\u201d she said. \u201cFor some it\u2019s the proximity to glitz and glamor, for some it’s the opportunities to advance and for some it\u2019s the creative process to make something you had imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real magic happens when all of those individual reasons come together. It took more than 200 people and businesses to make \u201cThe Stairs.\u201d From volunteers handing out coffee, to IT specialists, lawyers and bus drivers, Jones is adamant that it takes all types of people to make a movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFilm sets are the only working environment I\u2019ve seen where everybody comes from a different walk of life and they\u2019re working toward a common goal,\u201d she said. \u201cYou need music, wardrobe, makeup, people making food or making travel arrangements\u2014there\u2019s room for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jones goes a step further to ensure inclusion and equality in every Wandering Dragon Production project. Every movie they make guarantees 50-50 men and women in the crew, with a portion of the proceeds committed to a profit share. Specifically for The Stairs, 30% of the cast and crew were over 65 years old and 60% of employees were self-identified people of color. Additionally, everyone was paid the same day rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Behind the Scenes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fun facts from the making of “The Stairs”<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
  • Peter ‘Drago’ Tiemann made his directorial debut after a career in movies as a stunt coordinator. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    • Director Peter ‘Drago’ Tiemann was the burning body in the film. He\u2019s done over 1,000 body burns in his career. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      • Composer BC Smith, who wrote the music for \u201cSmoke Signals\u201d also wrote the music for \u201cThe Stairs.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
        \n
        • The music engineer for \u201cThe Stairs\u201d has also worked with Death Cab for Cutie, Nine Inch Nails, Throne Burner, and the \u201cBad\u201d album by Michael Jackson. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          • Sound designer for \u201cThe Stairs,\u201d Dave Ho runs the recording studio where the band Heart was founded.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

            Jones is acutely aware of the powerful role she plays in owning a media production company, and she wants her movies and film projects to be a beacon of equality and reflect the diversity of the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \u201cYou don\u2019t always see that in the film industry, and rarely do you see a woman in charge,\u201d she said. \u201cOf course you can sit outside of any industry and want change, but you can\u2019t make systemic change from the outside. You have to go in there and change things if you want it to be different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Wandering Dragon Productions has a slate of upcoming movies that will keep Jones busy for another 10 to 15 years. Before she dives into those, they\u2019re figuring out how to safely navigate the landscape while committing to safety on set during a pandemic and into the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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