Tim Russ to Direct Local Film
The project is called “RELLIK” (Killer in reverse), a revolutionary new crime thriller that hopes to grow into a regularly produced series here in Sacramento. Executive Producer (EP) and spokesperson for the project, Craig DeLuz, is optimistic about the film’s success. He explains how creator and EP Jason F. Knittle and writers and EPs Brian Jagger and Gwenn Conklin came together.
“Jason is the original creator, the mastermind. Brian started the first segment of the series; both Gwen and I were approached to play roles in the project. The concept sounded very interesting and we decided to come together and flush the script out for the pilot,” De Luz said. The team is a collaboration of producers from various networks in town: the Northern California Film Coalition (NCFC) and the Capital Film Arts Alliance (CFAA). Both promoting filmmaking are located in Northern California. The team reached out to Tim Russ, best known for his role as “Tuvok” on all seven seasons of Star Trek Voyager, to direct the pilot.
“It’s an exciting, edgy, dark crime thriller with fascinating characters and a lot of twists and turns. The writing team is all from the Sacramento area, and they did a great job with the script. I’m thrilled to be bringing it to life,” said Director Tim Russ. Other local talent includes famed stuntman and stunt coordinator Gary Davis (X-Men: Days of Future Past; The Amazing Spiderman, 1 & 2) will serve as Stunt Coordinator. Toni Staniewicz (I Almost Got Away With It; Wives With Knives) will be the casting director and is also a producer on the project.
“Our goal ultimately is to actually show that there is a capacity within the filmmaking community of Northern California to create film projects,” DeLuz said when asked about the scope of the project. “They want to see more SAG projects, more TV shows… the locations Sacramento has to offer, and the talent on and off the screen,” DeLuz continued. SAG, the Screen Actors Guild, is the governing actors union. One way to earn your SAG union eligibility is to work on a SAG production. “SAG projects have specific standards in terms of number of hours worked and conditions; there is a certain level of quality that needs to be there for a project to work. It means a big deal to those in the community and investors. It expands the opportunity for those in the community to be in a professional production,” DeLuz said. The project has hopes of being picked up by a major network or streaming service such as Netflix or Hulu. When asked what would make the project a success, DeLuz responded,,” “To put out a quality product, something that captures and keeps viewers’ attention. To see what sort of following we can get as we finish the project. The more buzz, the more investors, the better chance of distribution picking up the project.” Social media has opened the doors for audiences to directly support projects as they grow, giving a voice to those who in the past had to spend their dollars at the theater to express interest. Now, projects such as RELLIK can gain a voice and even financial support with tools such as Indy Go Go (IGG), a crowd fundraising website. “The IGG campaign is for supporting the project. A $5 contribution is as important to the project as a $100 contribution. What is important is the number of people. There are opportunities for equity investors outside of the IGG campaign, but one of the most important things people can do is spread the word—like the Facebook page, like the Youtube channel, show there is interest and that there is support for the film in Northern California,” said DeLuz. By supporting local film, we can bring national economic dollars to our small film community and start creating a job infrastructure that can continue to create jobs for years to come. The best way that an audience can support the cause is by liking Facebook pages and subscribing to Youtube channels. Share links or tweet the pages on your social networks; a little click can go a long way