Hunter Hopewell on Malibu Beach Shooting "Shellfish" his 1st Feature Film

Shellfish Movie Poster

Shellfish Production Crew on Malibu Beach

Shellfish is Packed with Standout Comedic Performances Balanced with Touching Moments that Could Make Even a Crab Cry

LOS ANGELES , CA, USA, September 3, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- See the new indie comedy with a twist of stop motion, "Shellfish," at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Wednesday, September 8th. Premiering at the 24th Annual Dances with Films Festival; the story behind its production is filled with as many twists and turns as the feature film itself.

• Get Tickets @ TCL Chinese Theater or by clicking here: https://bit.ly/dwfshellfish
• 90 Second Trailer: https://bit.ly/shellfishtrailer
• Shellfish Movie Review: https://tinyurl.com/shellfishreview
• Shellfish Website: https://HunterHopewell.com/shellfish
• Writer/Director: http://hunterhopewell.com

Four years in the making, Shellfish is packed with standout comedic performances balanced with touching moments that could make even a crab cry. Nearly every intense emotion in the film is visually depicted through onscreen stop motion animation, and the result is a quirky, pop fueled, half live-action, half stop-motion romp.

Synopsis: Instead of finding a real job, as his parents lovingly put it, stop-motion filmmaker Keller attempts to produce a film in a week with his dumbstruck brother and longtime crush. When their shoot goes wrong, Keller must face his own selfishness and decide which is more important, his filmmaking or close relationships.

The behind-the-scenes story is equally compelling, spearheaded by a motley crew of college students who were close friends before production even started. There’s a palpable energy and scrappiness to Shellfish that comes from a team of forty students, giving it their all to produce their best film possible on an indie budget.

Back in 2017, fifty-time award winning film student Hunter Hopewell wrote his first feature-length screenplay for UNLV’s bi-annual Johnny Brenden Filmmakers Grant. It wouldn’t be until 2018 that he would find out from his professors Warren Cobb and Francisco Menendez that his script was selected for the Brenden Grant. Hunter would be the recipient of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have his feature script funded. The only thing…

Hunter was eight months into an internship at Disney, which was about to turn into a full-time job. He had moved to LA, all his filmmaker peers were back in Vegas, and the timing was not ideal to take four weeks off right at the start of a new job. Luckily, leadership at Disney was supportive of Hunter’s goals and even showed up to support on set once production started.

The atmosphere was lively. The key cast and crew of about forty, some days nearly a hundred, were almost entirely students with a sprinkling of family and friends. There were many challenges. Essentially nobody, Hunter included, had ever worked on a feature length film before. Locations became unavailable the day of, equipment was stolen and ruined by a rogue ocean wave, days of footage on a hard drive were corrupted, and they were always chasing the sun.

Overcoming challenge after challenge ultimately brought the team closer together. The first half of the movie was filmed over an intensive four weeks. They were supposed to film the entire movie during Hunter’s Disney hiatus.

Halfway through production, the Shellfish team ran out of money, and turned to Indiegogo to raise funds to finish filming. Thanks to the generosity of friends, family, and selfless supporters, the film wrapped after another sporadic four weeks of production in March 2020, right on the verge of a global pandemic.

Throughout quarantine, Hunter would produce/edit all day for Disney and edit/compose music for Shellfish all night. Meanwhile, key collaborators were handling other aspects of post-production. Stop motion artists Wyatt Henrie, Chai Simone, Phebe McCorkle, and Emilio Sanchez brought stop motion animation to life. Hunter’s parents handled financials and facilitated distribution. Executive Producers Michael and Karla Buhlman ensured funding and support for what remained.

Now, actively seeking distribution, Shellfish has been selected for over thirty film festivals, winning fifteen awards, so far, including Best Comedy Feature, Best Ensemble and Best Visual Effects. You’re invited to see Shellfish and meet Hunter, along with some of the cast and crew this Wednesday, September 8th, 9:30pm for its LA Premiere at The TCL Chinese Theater.

James Hopewell
Cre8ive Network, llc
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"Shellfish" Trailer, 90 Seconds