FILMING IN LAFAYETTE: A LOUISIANA DREAM
Laura Marano on location in Lafayette for A Sort of Homecoming.
STORY BY W. H. BOURNE PHOTOS COURTESY OF BELIEVE ENTERTAINMENT
or screenwriter and producer Lynn Reed, shooting her feature film A Sort of Homecoming was just that—a homecoming. The Lafayette native returned to her hometown to film the coming-of-age drama set in the world of high school speech and debate. The production just recently wrapped providing a great opportunity for both Reed and director Maria Burton to speak with Louisiana Film & Video about the project, women in film, and working in Lafayette.
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LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWO
“I had written a couple of scripts including a TV pilot spec script,” began Reed. “Then I went out to Hollywood to one of those pitch fests. It’s kind of like speed dating where you get eight minutes to go up to producers’ tables and pitch your ideas. It was exhilarating, but I also learned a lot about the realities of the business. I realized that those producers sitting in that room didn’t have huge pots of money either. They were looking for ideas that they could go to investors with and raise money for. That’s when it really clicked for me.” She continued, “If I was going to do this film about high school speech and debate, it was a pretty niche thing. I mean, we’re not talking about superheroes or zombies here. If all these other production companies were going to have to go out and find investors, well, then I could go do that myself. I worked in politics and campaigns; I was no stranger to having to raise money for large enterprises. I figured it was at least worth a shot to see if I could do it. I reconnected with Marcus
A Sort of Homecoming spent several days shooting in New Orleans.
DP Arlene Nelson on location in the French Quarter.