By Stephen Smoot
“We build stories.” That serves as the tagline and also a sort of mission statement for Allegheny Image Factory, a company that has played a key role in crafting a number of major motion picture productions and has come to Shinnston to shoot their latest project.
Jeff Tinnell, along with his brother and partner Robert, have lived and worked around the world, from Los Angeles to Europe. Their roots, goals, and dreams, however, remain solidly fixed in West Virginia.
Over 30 plus years of creating video work from advertisements to movies featured on Lifetime and Netflix, Tinnell says “you learn a lot.”
He went on to say that “you learn what moves people. We work to build stories that move people, that connect with people.”
People are the foundation of storytelling, in the eyes of Tinnell and his brother. “That’s the important point, to cut through the white noise,” he explained, adding that “there’s a lot of fascinating facets of life in people’s stories.” Those come from the entire spectrum of joy, pain, struggles, sacrifices, and successes.
“Everyone has a story,” Tinnell shared, saying also “there’s a skill to pulling that story out and presenting it in a unique way.”
The story shot in Shinnston is tentatively called “The Bad Guardian”. Thought that could certainly change. The film stars Melissa Joan Hart, star of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, God’s Not Dead, and a number of uplifting family and Christmas films. It also stars Lala Anthony, who played in films such as The Perfect Find, You People, and 9 Bullets.
According to a recent write-up in The Hollywood Reporter, the plot is “following the headlines and debate surrounding the guardianships of Wendy Williams and Britney Spears.” It went on to say “the network has ordered a movie about a court-appointed guardianship gone wrong.”
Lifetime also told The Hollywood Reporter that “more than two million Americans are currently living under a guardian or conservatorship and it’s estimated that state courts confiscate over $50 billion from their wards each year.”
The same network recently released a four-part documentary called “Where Is Wendy Williams?”
“It’s a well-written, well-crafted, and timely subject,” Tinnell stated. The film tells the story of a widower who, after suffering an accident, finds himself ensnared in the system by a “court-appointed corrupt guardian who takes over their life.” His daughter “battles to get her father back to the family.”
The film’s purpose shines “a light on what goes on with folks,” in citations that rarely come to light.
Though shot in Shinnston and surrounding areas, the film’s story is set in the Midwest. Another recent production by Allegheny Image Factory, a romantic comedy called The Feast of the Seven Fishes, illuminates the culture of the Italian community in and around Fairmont. Its cast includes Hollywood star Joe Pantoliano, star of the hit Bad Boys series of films, as well as The Sopranos.
Feast of the Seven Fishes continues to enjoy tremendous popularity as a top rated film on Netflix.
North Central West Virginia offers significant assets to filmmakers looking for both a unique and enjoyable work environment. Tinnell stated that “there’s a unique architectural style and a look that has not been utilized a lot.” The combination offers “a small town feel.”
Tinnell reserved special praise for the people. Attracting talent and productions for a time meant overcoming the age-old Appalachian stereotypes often created and imposed by outsiders. He said that “one of the big things . . . is trying to change perception.” Area people accomplished much of that on their own.
“Minorities feel comfortable and welcome here,” Tinnell said, adding that the actors and actresses who come to work in the area become “your best ambassadors.” He said of Shinston “it’s a very cool town. People are friendly. They want us to be here.”
Tinnell also seeks to create a win-win situation for the business and the communities in which they work. “We like being good neighbors,” Tinnell said, explaining that the cast and crew help to bring an impact to the local economy. “We want people to be excited and proud of their community.”
West Virginia has worked to make the state an industry-friendly location for filmmaking through a state tax incentive credit. “I applaud the Governor’s office, the Statehouse, and the Department of Economic Development” for making filmmaking a priority in West Virginia.
Dave Lavender, from the West Virginia Film Office, part of the Department of Economic Development, also credited the tax incentive, which returned on July 1, 2022.
He said that “the tax incentive helps production companies cut costs in production.”
Without the tax incentive, which is comparable to other states, such as Georgia, that have it, filmmaking would not be a competitive business in West Virginia. “The climate in the world of filmmaking,” Lavender explained, “if you don’t have a tax incentive, you don’t get the business.”
The incentive gives production companies back between 27 and 31 percent, depending on how many West Virginia residents are hired on the project.
And the incentive has motivated production. Last year, despite the writers and Screen Actors’ Guild strike, which had not happened simultaneously since Ronald Reagan presided over SAG, 47 productions took place in the Mountain State. “That made everybody take a look,” he noted.
That includes television shows, such as American Pickers, HDTV’s House Hunters, and a Discovery Channel program currently being filmed in Lewis County.
Communities also enjoy a substantial ripple effect, especially with larger productions. They often require rental cars, lodging, catering, location rental, and more. “Productions are putting a lot of money into the economy,” Lavender said.
Tinnell explained that North Central West Virginia’s proximity to the thriving community of skilled film crew in Pittsburgh serves as a draw. Lavender and the state film office, however, envision creating such a pool in West Virginia.
A report presented to the West Virginia State Legislature this session shared that the office “has prioritized building and fostering a film industry workforce for projects filmed in West Virginia.” The State forged partnerships with West Virginia Filmmakers Guild and Film Futures Foundation to develop workforce training programs in screenwriting, special effects, makeup, animation, and cinematography.
Such efforts could utilize the workforce training infrastructure in place in the state’s community and technical college system, whose programs are available at no cost to state residents who can pass a drug screen.
Productions made in West Virginia also showcase West Virginia. Lavender explained that they are “a great way. . . to amplify small town charm, what West Virginia does best.”
The state film office and the tax incentive laid the groundwork for continued growth. Allegheny Image Factory has a plan in place “to continue to grow this, to bring five to six major productions to West Virginia per year.”
Furthermore, Tinnell wants “to get folks excited to have this business here” while continuing to infuse needed capital into towns that could use the boost.
Successful productions, supported by incentives “helps us, but gives us the ability to help with communities too.”
“We’re just excited about it,” Tinnell shared.