Screenwriter and stand-up comedian John E. Moyer informed us that his latest script, a feature comedy about home teachers, has been greenlit by HaleStorm Entertainment for production beginning in Summer 2003. Moyer is the writer of the hit LDS-themed feature film "The Singles Ward" (based loosely on his own life), and the upcoming comedy "The R.M." (opening on January 31st, 2003 in Utah). This latest script is described as "'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' meets home teaching on the very last day of the month." Kirby Heyborne and Michael J. Birkeland (both of whom had starring or supporting roles in "The Singles Ward" and "The R.M.") are tentatively attached to star.
[EXCERPT]
The producers of The Singles Ward are at it again. Their new movie, The R.M. will open at theatres in Utah on January 31...
Two other movies are in the works, The Home Teachers and Church Ball. The Home Teachers will begin filming in June and Church Ball won't be until 2004, Ivie said.
Open auditions will be held in Utah and Heyborne said he anticipates being in the next movie, The Home Teachers.
[EXCERPT]
The LDS film genre is still in its infantile stage, and though there is room for improvement, The RM is a good movie to see during the growing pains. We will see what other growing pains will be brought up when the movies Church Ball, The Home Teachers, The Work and the Story and others find their way to the big screen.
[EXCERPT:]
With the success of its first two films, HaleStorm has announced the production of two more films, The Home Teachers and Church Ball. The Home Teachers goes into production on July 14 and is slated for a January 9, 2004 release. Church Ball will be shot early next year.
...HaleStorm Corporate Bio... HaleStorm is currently in production on their third film, The Home Teachers...
A BYU-international-relations- graduate-turned-standup-comic will take the starring role in an upcoming film turned down by popular LDS actor Kirby Heyborne.
"We just all agreed that I wasn't right for the part," said Heyborne, the star of "The R.M." "The character is quite a bit older than me."
Pay was also a big factor, he said. The two parties couldn't come to agreeable terms, but Heyborne said that there are no hard feelings.
"It was a major blow," said Dave Hunter, the film's producer, regarding Heyborne's exit. "But we love the guy, we'll support him forever."
Jeff Birk, 37, of Orem, was tabbed to replace Heyborne as Nelson Parker in "The Hometeachers." The film will be the third comedy from Halestorm, the company that produced "The Singles Ward" and "The R.M."
"I had no idea they were doing another film," Birk said. "I knew Kurt (Hale, director) and Dave (Hunter) from a small part I did in 'Singles Ward,' but I hadn't even heard of this one."
Michael Burkeland, Birk's co-star and a Halestorm regular, said he's excited about working with Birk.
"I knew what they were looking for style-wise," Burkeland said. "I told them, 'You gotta see Jeff Birk.'"
At Birk's first audition the producers were sold on him.
Hunter was ranking the actors as they auditioned. After a few seconds of watching Birk, Hunter knew he was the right one for the part.
"He had us rolling. He was one of the funniest guys we'd seen in years," Hunter said. "He's perfect for the part."
Birk's roots are in standup comedy and he grew up as the class clown, he said.
"I was routinely being thrown out of Sunday School as a teen for making everybody crackup," said Birk. "Occasionally, though, the teacher would downgrade it to just heaving an eraser at my head."
Johnny B's Comedy Club in Provo became a frequent hangout for Birk, who decided to give "open mike night" a try in 1990. He was an instant hit. They brought him back to open for touring comics. Soon he was the headliner.
Over the past dozen years he has traveled the country performing his routine. He won the National Lampoon College Comedy Pop-off in 1991 and was handled by the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles.
Acting in films, if at all, has not been a career focus for Birk.
"At BYU, the extent of my acting experience was walking through the theater building as a shortcut to my car," Birk said.
He's taking time off from his "day job" as a corporate speaker and presenter to shoot the film.
"It'll be 20 days, 12 hours a day," said Birk, " but working with Michael (Burkeland, also a club comic), it'll be like 20 days of doing standup."
Heyborne, meanwhile, has signed on with an agent in Los Angeles and has his home up for sale. He hopes to move with his wife and two small children sometime this summer. He has three other LDS-themed films due for release this year.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Jeff Birk will play the lead role in "The Home Teachers." Filming starts July 14.
The makers of "The Singles Ward" and "The RM" try to capture the humor of the Mormon culture again with their newest film, "The Home Teachers."
"It's so important to find some sort of a thread or some life experience in the comedy to make them work," said director Kurt Hale. "'The Home Teachers' is about a guy that just kind of learns the value of home teaching after 12 hours of non-stop disasters. Our whole objective is to make people laugh."
Hale and Dave Hunter, both BYU film graduates, created Halestorm Entertainment in 2001 and have since produced two successful Mormon movies. They said they plan to continue creating as long as they have success, though this film will be different from its predecessors.
"I think 'The Home Teachers' has an ability to hit a broader audience," said Michael Birkeland, who plays Greg, a laid-back church member. "Home teaching is a situational comedy, so it's more like a 'Tommy Boy' kind of a movie -- it's a buddy comedy. You don't necessarily have to have gone home teaching to get this one."
Though this is his first leading role, Birkeland played Hyrum in "The Singles Ward" and Dooey in "The RM."
Co-star Jeff Birk, a BYU graduate in international studies, plays the orthodox Nelson, a strict church member. Birk is no newcomer to comedy; he has been doing stand-up as a hobby for 13 years, and was the "paint ball guy" in "The Singles Ward." The two co-stars have great chemistry because they have been making people laugh together for about 10 years, Birk said.
"I think that everybody of the LDS faith who has ever been subjected to home teaching is going to find something that they can identify with in this movie -- that's funny, that's sad, that's touching or whatever," Birk said.
BYU film graduate John Moyer, who wrote the screenplay for "The Hometeachers," had an idea of Birkeland falling through a ceiling, and built a script around it. That scene developed into Birkeland, wearing a wedding dress, falling through the ceiling onto a fully set kitchen table, followed by a toilet.
"I swallowed about 2 gallons of water at one point through my nose," Birkeland said.
That's just a taste of what it's like on the set of "The Home Teachers."
"Drama is about conflict; I think comedy for me is about absurd conflict," said Moyer.
Hale and Hunter keep things light and fun for the cast and crew.
"They create this atmosphere where, hey, we're having fun first and foremost and we're making a movie on the side," Birkeland said.
BYU students and graduates are a large part of the cast and crew.
Elizabeth Sands, Greg's wife in the film, is a BYU communications student. This is her first feature film after doing two independent films when she lived in New York. She said she enjoys playing the mother of three daughters in the film, and the crew said she is a natural mother.
Technical director Doug Ellis is also the director of the BYU scene shop, and brought three BYU students onboard with him.
The BYU connection goes back as far as the producer's mother, Nan Hunter, who graduated from BYU and now lives in California. Hunter and other family members were in "The Singles Ward" and some will also be in "The Home Teachers."
Halestorm Entertainment has stirred up controversy by walking a fine line between joking and offending members of the church. Hale said that he has gained a lot of people's trust when they see that it's active Mormons making films about our quirky culture without getting too close to the line.
"We're not about offending anyone," Hale said. "We can't bite the hand that feeds you. If we begin offending our audiences they'll turn and walk away. There's a level of trust there, and they know we're not going to step too far over."
Though they can't please everyone, the cast and crew agree this film has a lot to offer.
"We really want people to watch this movie, like the characters, find something in those characters that they can relate to and just laugh their heads off," said Birkeland.
Laughter, hugs and praise set the stage behind the scenes of "The Home Teachers."
The faces are familiar to any Mormon who has followed Halestorm Entertainment in "The Singles Ward" and "The RM."
Birkeland is easily recognizable as the curly-haired blonde who plays the quirky comic relief of both "The Singles Ward" and "The RM." He said he's comfortable being the quirky guy in the background, but being the star is much different.
Though many of the actors and crewmembers have reason to be star-struck, visiting the set feels like going to a neighborhood block party.
Everyone attributes the success of production to someone else. The actors claim it's their director, Kurt Hale, who makes it work.
"Kurt lets you bring your talent to the table, and then he kind of works with you and wants to see what you want to do with the scene." Birkeland said. "He wants certain things to happen, but he also lets us sort of go free a little bit and make it funny."
The two co-stars, Birkeland and Jeff Birk, feed off of each other on and off the set. The buddy comedy atmosphere keeps rolling when the camera stops.
Halestorm is professional and no one ever lets down while the cameras are rolling, unless they're letting someone down through the ceiling.
In one scene, the star of the show crashes through the ceiling sending plaster and gallons of water onto the kitchen table.
Immediately the set crew resets plaster chunks, water and food for the next part of the scene. Crewmembers stand on ladders with plaster and water in hand, and one man operates a rig under the table.
After about a half hour of set up, the camera starts rolling.
Birkeland falls onto his back on the kitchen table with a wedding dress on his arms, followed by gallons of water and a toilet. The force sends the turkey spiraling through the room and out the window, all in about three seconds.
"I swallowed about two gallons of water at one point through my nose," Birkeland said.
It's a three-second-scene, and then it's over.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Michael Birkeland falls through a mock ceiling with a wedding dress and a toliet on the set of "The Home Teachers."
The makers of "The Singles Ward" and "The RM" try to capture the humor of the Mormon culture again with their newest film, "The Home Teachers."
"It's so important to find some sort of a thread or some life experience in the comedy to make them work," said director Kurt Hale. " 'The Home Teachers' is about a guy that just kind of learns the value of home teaching after 12 hours of non-stop disasters. Our whole objective is to make people laugh."
Hale and Dave Hunter, both BYU film graduates, created Halestorm Entertainment in 2001 and have since produced two successful Mormon movies. They said they plan to continue creating as long as they have success, though this film will be different from its predecessors.
"I think 'The Home Teachers' has an ability to hit a broader audience," said Michael Birkeland, who plays Greg, a laid-back church member. "Home teaching is a situational comedy, so it's more like a 'Tommy Boy' kind of a movie -- it's a buddy comedy. You don't necessarily have to have gone home teaching to get this one."
Though this is his first leading role, Birkeland played Hyrum in "The Singles Ward" and Dooey in "The RM."
Co-star Jeff Birk, a BYU graduate in international studies, plays the orthodox Nelson, a strict church member. Birk is no newcomer to comedy; he has been doing stand-up as a hobby for 13 years, and was the "paint ball guy" in "The Singles Ward." The two co-stars have great chemistry because they have been making people laugh together for about 10 years, Birk said.
"I think that everybody of the LDS faith who has ever been subjected to home teaching is going to find something that they can identify with in this movie -- that's funny, that's sad, that's touching or whatever," Birk said.
Hale and Hunter keep things light and fun for the cast and crew.
"They create this atmosphere where, hey, we're having fun first and foremost and we're making a movie on the side," Birkeland said.
BYU students and graduates play a big part in "The Home Teachers."
Elizabeth Sands, Greg's wife in the film, is a BYU communications student. This is her first feature film after doing two independent films when she lived in New York. She said she enjoys playing the mother of three daughters in the film, and the crew said she is a natural mother.
Technical director Doug Ellis is also the director of the BYU scene shop, and brought three BYU students onboard with him.
The BYU connection goes back as far as the producer's mother, Nan Hunter, who graduated from BYU and now lives in California. Hunter and other family members were in "The Singles Ward" and some will also be in "The Home Teachers."
Halestorm Entertainment has stirred up controversy by walking a fine line between joking and offending members of the church. Hale said that he has gained a lot of people's trust when they see that it's active Mormons making films about our quirky culture without getting too close to the line.
"We're not about offending anyone," Hale said. "We can't bite the hand that feeds you. If we begin offending our audiences they'll turn and walk away. There's a level of trust there, and they know we're not going to step too far over."
Though they can't please everyone, the cast and crew agree this film has a lot to offer.
"We really want people to watch this movie, like the characters, find something in those characters that they can relate to and just laugh their heads off," said Birkeland.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Things get messy on the set of "The Home Teachers."
A pair of home teachers visited American Fork during the last week of the month, bringing all kinds of chaos in their wake.
They were not the real variety, however, but characters in the movie of the same name, being produced by Halestorm Entertainment, creators of "Singles Ward" and "The R.M."
Crew members gathered at the Northhampton House, which had been decorated to resemble a funeral home. The script depicts the antics of LDS home teachers, in this case visiting a grieving family on the last day of the month.
While the story has an LDS base, it is designed to appeal to a wider audience, according to director Kurt Hale. Much of the comedy revolves around the mayhem that could happen when individuals volunteer to help others.
They selected the American Fork site because of the room available to them for the entire cast and crew. Portions of "The R.M." were also filmed in American Fork.
"Home Teachers" will soon complete its filming stage and will then be edited. It should be in theaters in January.
Some of the cast members on the American Fork location were Mike Birkeland, Jeff Birk, Wally Joyner and Chad Long.
Birkeland and Birk are the home teaching companions, while Joyner plays the father of one of the families they visit. Long is the funeral director.
Birk is a new face to Halestorm Entertainment, but Birkeland and Joyner have appeared in other of their productions. Long is from Murray, but lives in Los Angeles where he has been a regular sketch actor on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno for three years. He has appeared on over 50 sketches.
Birkeland and Birk have appeared together in stand up comedy routines across the country. Former baseball player Joyner now lives in Mapleton and enjoys his forays into acting.
Birk portrays Nelson Parker, a letter of the law home teacher who has been assigned to be a companion to self-declared lazy home teacher Greg Blazer, played by Birkeland. The two go out on the last day of the month and meet the family at the funeral home.
"They come to comfort a family in the time of need," said producer Dave Hunter. "General mayhem ensues."
Films and television programs shot entirely or partially in Utah during the past year and their current video status:
RECENTLY COMPLETED FILMING
[3 other lists in article: RECENT/CURRENT RELEASE; AWAITING RELEASE/AIRING; CURRENTLY/OR SOON TO BE FILMING]
[EXCERPT]
...And those who indiscriminately heap praise and support on all of these movies do the filmmakers no favors. What's the incentive to improve if all you hear is that your work is great? Hence, "Singles Ward" is followed by "The RM." And soon, "Home Teachers." And next year, "Church Ball." These aren't movies; they're road shows with money.
But all of this is subjective, of course. One man's "Citizen Kane" is another man's "Caddyshack."...
[EXCERPTS]
...A quick glance at www.ldsfilm.com, which follows movies made by and about LDS Church members, reveals more than 30 announced or rumored Mormon films. And the filmmakers themselves anticipate that 2003 will be a defining year for LDS cinema.
"This is the year that is really going to make the difference," said Ryan Little, director of "Saints and Soldiers," a World War II drama scheduled to open in Utah theaters in early 2004. (He also directed "Out of Step" and was director of photography on "The Singles Ward," "The R.M." and the upcoming "The Home Teachers.")...
..."I think there are potentially eight or nine Mormon films coming out between now and January," said Kurt Hale, director of "The Singles Ward," "The R.M." and "The Home Teachers," which opens Jan. 9. "So, I think this year is going to be a very interesting year, because not all of them will be successful -- and mine may be one of those.".
Hale added, "I have a feeling there's going to be some Mormon independents that will be squeezed out pretty quick this year."...
LDS-themed films
SCHEDULED FOR FALL RELEASE
- "Suddenly Unexpected" (special screenings in Houston theaters)
- "The Work and the Story," Aug. 29 (limited digital-video screenings)
- "The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey," Sept. 12
- "Day of Defense," Oct. 10
- "Best Two Years," Oct. 10
- "Pride and Prejudice," fall 2003
SCHEDULED FOR WINTER 2004:
- "The Home Teachers," Jan. 9
- "Saints and Soldiers," early 2004
ALSO
- "The Legend of Johnny Lingo," Aug. 29
[EXCERPT]
...More [LDS Cinema movies] are coming down the pipeline. The makers of "The Singles Ward" will be back with "The Home Teachers" in January and a missionary comedy, "The Best Two Years," in February. A drama about Mormons fighting in World War II, "Saints and Soldiers," is now on the festival circuit...
[EXCERPT]
...Also coming are ... the comedies "The Home Teachers," "The Best Two Years," "Church Ball" and "Eat, Drink and Get Married."
[EXCERPTS]
The soon to be released "Saints and Soldiers" is just one of several new movies in what has become a burgeoning industry in the Intermountain West.
In less than four years, films produced by, directed by, written by and starring Latter-day Saints have exploded onto the scene.
The phenomenon goes on, starting with a film that, even before its release, has achieved a remarkable popularity, reaching beyond Utah and the Mormon culture.
Carole Mikita has this special report...
...And from the team who brought you "Singles Ward" and "The R.M." comes a third... "The Home Teachers."
Kurt Hale/ Director & Writer, "The Home Teachers": "Luckily we have a great community to draw on, great artisans and talent. And, you know, Utah's just a great place to be right now for small, independent cinema."
Much of the success of a film, whether comedy or a little more serious, is the marketing. So what are audiences looking for?
Success for these films, say the producers, depends less on religion than bang for the buck. Afterall, audiences pay the same for films made in Hollywood as they do for those made here.
..."The Home Teachers", "Pride and Prejudice" and "Best Two Years" and "Saints and Soldiers" all open in either January or February followed by others later in the year.
It's hard to find a clean comic these days. It's even harder to find a clean comic who's actually funny.
With the exception of Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld, most successful comedians feel they have to resort to off-color jokes in order to make an audience laugh.
Mormon audiences will be glad to know HaleStorm Entertainment is releasing a straight-to-video stand-up comedy show titled "It's Latter-day Night," pun intended.
A few months ago, five local comedians performed at UVSC in front of a live audience. Now anyone can purchase "It's Latter-day Night" anywhere LDS books are sold and watch the same show.
The five comedians featured in the show have traveled around the state and country performing their material. One can only assume these comedians saved all their Mormon jokes for Utah audiences.
Surprisingly, the comedians branch off from easy LDS jokes and have their own material at times. Don't get me wrong, though: most of the material can only be understood by a Mormon audience.
Each comedian in the showcase has their own style of humor, and some are more comfortable on stage than others.
Take comedian Dave Nibley for example. Even though his stand-up comic experience has only been in Utah, he knows how to capture an audience like a professional.
During his 10 minutes on stage, he had control of his material the entire time. He made smooth transitions, he never stuttered, and he made it appear as if he was stating his jokes for the first time.
Nibley will be seen in the upcoming film "The Best Two Years," due in theaters in February 2004. The other comedians include Jeff Birk and Michael Birkeland, both of which will appear in "The Home Teachers." Both Adam Johnson and Shawn Rapier come out of California and travel the country performing their material.
The DVD also includes trailers for fictional movies that poke fun at the Mormon culture and Hollywood films. Some of these mock previews are funny and others are painful to watch. Make sure to skip past the preview for "Elder Werewolf."
As with most comedy, "It's Latter-day Night" will find its success when watched by a large crowd. Comedy is contagious, and when one person laughs, others tend to follow.
Some comedians are better than other comedians and some jokes are funnier than other jokes, but everyone who watches the show will find humor at different times. If you liked "The Singles Ward" or "The R.M.," you'll enjoy this DVD.
For those of you looking for good clean laughs, "It's Latter-day Night" might be what you're looking for.