EMILY KALKA Staff writer Jacob Snovel got his start making movies by filming fight scenes on VHS.
“I was able to get 10 of my friends together in a field and shoot this hilarious fight scene,” he said, chuckling. “We’d watch it together in the living room, and we’re just like, ‘Rewind! Rewind!’ It was from that moment on, I was like, I know that I’ve got to do this stuff.”
From there, Snovel started learning how to shoot and edit. He also did stopmotion with his Legos and appeared in
Kyle Harris (left) and Jacob Snovel (right) are bringing movie magic to Chandler. The two are filming a featurelength thriller written by Harris over a month starting on Nov. 29. The movie focuses on a missing person case and will star some fairly known names in the film industry. Photo/Brian Blansett Lincoln County On-Stage. It’s this love and passion for the motion picture arts that pushed him into a career (a lot of it “starving artist style,” according to Snovel) centered around film. He’s taught, written, acted, and produced. Worked with the Oklahoma Film Commission.
And now, the Chandler alum is bringing movie magic to his hometown.
Snovel, with Kyle Harris and SafeHouse Films, will be filming a feature-length movie primarily in Chandler. They are set to shoot here for 19 days starting in late November, with the 20th day in Oklahoma City. The film, called “Reverance,” is a thriller centered around a missing person case that features known names within the film industry.
Snovel and his team have been hard at work lining up locations and getting things laid out for when the cast and crew arrive. More than that, he wants to let his hometown know what’s going on so that they can be more involved with this and future films. He started the Facebook page “Film Chandler” specifically to show what the film industry actually looks like.
He likens movie-making to manufacturing. Where you take skilled labor and resources and create a product that didn’t exist before and couldn’t be disassembled to its original parts. You have electricians, carpenters, caterers, and all sorts of roles.
“This is how you might be able to apply what you have or your resources into the film industry to get involved. Eventually, people get the bug and it breaks that veil of the magic of a movie,” Snovel said. “That’s what I love about it. And why I’ve been continuously trying to bring more movies to Chandler.”
“Reverence” isn’t the first movie Snovel has brought to town, and it certainly won’t be the last. He previously set up one day of shooting for the movie “Agnes.” Actors Molly Quinn and Sean Gunn shot scenes in the old bank building and at a laundry mat.
“I’m always like, ‘We can get it done in Chandler,’” Snovel said, adding this is why his friends call him the mayor of the town. “Locations that are unique. Just knowing what people do that are here in Chandler.”
Snovel’s ultimate dream is to set up a studio - possibly on Rt. 66 or off the turnpike - where filmmakers would have access to a soundstage along with film locations. It would mean more money for the community, while filmmakers could make movies for a fraction of the price elsewhere.
“Tyler Perry’s model is really the dream. He moved back home, he employed all the people he knew and the people that were around him,” Snovel said. “They learned how to work on movie sets and created studios and shows that the people he worked with and lived with wanted to see.”
Snovel added that that’s the dream for other filmmakers as well. The Oklahoma film industry is growing, with filmmakers returning to make movies and live better lives in the state.
“More people are talking about it now. A lot of these people have already been here working and doing a lot of great work in the state,” he said.
“Reverence” will wrap up filming on Dec. 29. After that, it will go through post-production with Pursuit Films. After that, they will decide whether to go straight into distribution or go to festivals.