Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 23

Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 23 - Index

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There are a lot of variables to consider
when choosing the locations to shoot a film,
and with advances in CGI that can transform
a soundstage into the lost city of Atlantis,
there really isn’t much necessity in actually
shooting a film where it takes place.
But what if the location is so distinct, that
no matter how costly or difficult it would be
to shoot there, no other location will do?
Such is the case with “The Dock Porter,”
a new film in the works by brothers and
Michigan natives Dave and Scott McVeigh of
Incue Productions.
The film, written by Dave McVeigh (and
to be co-directed by Scott), is based on his
experiences spending his childhood summers
on Northern Michigan’s Mackinac Island. No
cars are allowed on the island, so when visitors
arrive, dock porters haul their luggage in the
front baskets of bicycles.
“I grew up watching these dock porters,
and I was absolutely amazed by it,” says Dave.
“Then when I got older, I became a dock porter
myself. I always thought it would be a great
setting and a great world to set a movie in.”
The island’s semi-remoteness and lack of
vehicles will add some serious challenges to
the production end, but for Dave, shooting on
Mackinac is the only choice.
“It’s a really romantic, beautiful spot,” he
says, “and I think a big, big part of the film is
that Mackinac Island is not just a backdrop, it’s
a character in the movie.”
Production of the film has been stalled a
few times due to scheduling conflicts, but at
press time, the McVeigh brothers had raised
an estimated one-third to one-half of the total
budget and are aiming to begin production in
August 2008.
“The challenge we’ve had is it’s a very
narrow window that we can shoot, and the
window has closed on me a couple of times
now,” says Dave.
“It’s pretty much June, July, August, September,
and even September is a little iffy.”
But, weather and scheduling conflicts
aside, not bringing the film to Michigan is
out of the question.
“If a movie comes out about Mackinac
that idealizes it the way it should be,” says
Dave, “people are going to want to go
there. And people are going to want to go
to Northern Michigan. I’m interested in
drawing attention to the state of Michigan
as a really beautiful, cool place.”
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