Little did Mark Baugher know when he founded C-Bar Studios to write and produce movies in Prescott that he was building on more than a century of filmmaking in the immediate area.
What the Illinois transplant to Yavapai County did know was that the moderate climate, combined with diversity of terrain – towering Ponderosa pine forests, ragged boulder-strewn granite mountains, trickling live streams, grass-covered open meadows – these were low-cost and unparalleled movie sets, especially for Western-themed films.
What prompted Baugher, now 65, to take the risk and start a film production studio?
“For years, I’d wanted to write a movie, a Western. When we relocated to the Prescott area several years ago, I decided to go ahead and start writing. I was 59 years old, never written a story or book in my life,” the suntanned, wiry author and producer said. He began writing what became “C-Bar,” an action-packed adventure set in the high country of central Arizona around the beginning of the 20th century.
He put the book on Amazon. A few days later, he received a telephone call from Patrick Ball, who majored in filmmaking, video and creative writing at Ball State University in Indiana. Ball had moved to Arizona in 2012, and found Baugher’s book online. He called to persuade the author to “make a movie.”
Baugher first had to convert his book to a movie script, so he used Google to find information about how to do that.
Shortly thereafter, Baugher and Ball made contact with Aaron Newton, a cinematographer in Atlanta, Georgia who was fascinated with the “Wild West.” Newton too had attended Ball State University and had moved to Arizona. He and Ball decided to partner with Baugher and produce an independent film based on the script.
The story? Dockie Barnett (portrayed by Baugher in the movie) and his wife and two young adult children live on an Arizona ranch. When riding the range one day, Barnett found a young woman whose family had been murdered by cattle rustlers and bank robbers. Barnett and his family decided to avenge the deaths of their neighbors by hunting down the killers.
The fast-paced, often violent film follows the Barnetts as they track and ultimately go to battle with the murderous gang.
The movie is available in DVD format and in book form on Amazon.com.
The success of the book and the independent film prompted Barnett to found C-Bar Studios.
Opportunities for Independent Films
Baugher and his partners found that public reaction to their first attempt at a Western movie was enthusiastic.
“We received a standing ovation at the premier screening of the film at the Elks Theatre in Prescott. That was in May 2015. It happened again when we showed it a second time in Tombstone and then again in Williams.” Baugher said.
Not only that, “C-Bar” won two prestigious awards this past year:
- “Best Cinematography” from Independent Films of Arizona
- “Best Cinematography” from the Billy the Kid Western Film Festival.
The movie is being considered for other awards in California, Texas and Arizona.
“What’s really gratifying is that we’ve been contacted by Modern Cinema Group, a San Diego-based firm. They’ve seen the film, and they’re familiar with the area where we’re located. They think we’re the perfect setting for more films, especially Westerns,” Baugher said.
Officials from the cinema group are to meet Baugher at his studios later this month.
The company is especially interested in film production, which can be tailored for cable television companies, not only in the U.S. but also China, Japan and several countries in Europe. Company officials envision a multi-million-dollar production industry in the future, especially for independent filmmakers.
“Of course, we’re always seeking other partners who want to invest to help us produce the next episodes of the C-Bar story,” he said.
“Film-goers in foreign countries really like Westerns, and we’re ready to produce them,” Baugher said. “What’s more, people today have so many more options than going to theatres to see movies. They can rent them, buy them, see them on cable, stream them—and viewers come from all over the world.”
That is one of the reasons the C-Bar Studio team believes they’ll have filmmakers taking advantage of what they can offer. Not only that, Baugher said he has written 20 more episodes following up on the original C-Bar story, and several organizations have expressed interest in them.
The movie industry has changed dramatically, Baugher notes. “Making movies no longer requires multiple cameras that use film and all the crew and equipment associated with that technique. We used Canon digital cameras to make our movie, and we won awards for the cinematography. And it’s a lot cheaper doing it that way. We did our entire 74-minute film for $15,000. Honest! But I have to tell ya, we didn’t pay any of the cast anything. They were volunteers – all of them. For instance, the woman that played the part of my daughter is Robin Grande. She works at a local feed store and is an accomplished horse trainer. Other actors were local, too, but some came from around the country, volunteers. All amateurs, they just wanted to be in a movie. They even brought their own costumes.”
The actors and crew stayed with Mark and his wife Marcia at the Baugher home and in the several outbuildings that cover his five-acres just north of Chino Valley.
“Yep, we did have more than just a full house during those months when we shot the film,” he drawled. “In actual shooting time, we only worked 39 days, but all told, we have more than eight months of work in the film.”
He explained that locales for the film ranged from being on his own property and the adjacent Prescott National Forest and some state and private land to Pioneer Living History Village and Museum, located 30 miles north of Phoenix. It is considered to be Arizona’s most authentic recreation of a late 1800s community.
Baugher and his partners are confident that filmmakers, especially those wanting a genuine rural western environment, will find the C-Bar Studios an excellent base location.
“What we offer is genuinely unique. We can focus on creating demo films, content for firms or companies that want ‘different’ commercials, and certainly, an opportunity for a cinematic experience unlike anywhere else in the country.” QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
For more information about the C-Bar Studios, visit c-bar-ranch.com
Photo by Ray Newton
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