Video Production, Commercials, Interviews, Filmmaker, Director, Gaffer, Lighting, Grip Truck "Cameras don't shoot movies, people do." - R. Brauer
Frozen Stupid2:Open Water - now available on DVD or streaming
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Frozen Stupid2:Open Water is a feature-length motion picture based on an original screenplay written by Rich Brauer. It is a sequel to the original film also written and directed by Rich Brauer.
Most of the original professional cast and crew returned. These included 9 SAG performers coming in from as far away as Los Angeles. Professional champion walleye fisherman Mark Martin appears as… Mark Martin!
Brauer’s feature films offer intern positions on the crew for emerging film students interested in pursuing filmmaking as a career. This gives a rare opportunity for the next generation of technicians and artists to work on a real film, with real actors. Since the Michigan Film Incentive no longer exists, these young and enthusiastic individuals appreciate this as a special and unique chance to pursue their personal artistic growth.
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Many organizations and individuals in Michigan were excited about the return of our crew and the creation of this film. Among them; Roscommon EDC, the Roscommon Tourism Bureau, and the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, local tackle shop Lyman’s on the Lake (who sold almost 2,000 DVD’s of the first film) and many other businesses participated in the fun.
Frozen Stupid2:Open Water will be Brauer’s 9th feature film produced in Michigan.
Filming took place during September 2019 in Roscommon County. Post-production is underway. The finished film is expected to be premiered sometime in the summer of 2020. Stay tuned!
The Wreck and Rescue of the J.H. Hartzell
The Wreck and Rescue of the J.H. Hartzell
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It was dark as pitch at 3:00am October eighteenth, 1880. The night was calm and the winds were light. Captain William Jones skillfully guided his big Schooner toward the Frankfort harbor. He chose to wait for daylight before entering the darkened harbor. It was a tragic decision. With unbelievable quickness, the winds shifted and a raging storm descended over Lake Michigan. In the furious darkness, Jones found that he could not control his ship. It soon ran aground on a sandbar, directly in front of the Elberta bluffs. In an effort to escape the violent surf, the crew took refuge in the precarious rigging. The cook, LYDIA DALE (Karen Fredrickson) was weak with illness, and was carried aloft through the extraordinary efforts of the crew.
The rescue that followed went down in history as one of the most heroic and challenging of the United States Life Saving Service. The bitter wind and snow, the howling seas, and the logistics of the wreck site all took their toll on both victims and rescuers.
This film faithfully re-creates a true adventure occuring during the "golden age of sail" on the Great Lakes.