
We were having problems even before the police showed up The Filming of Cement Suitcase'
J. Rick Castaneda August 8, 2022
0 Comments
The car we were filming broke down in the morning, so we had to tow it to set, which set us back a couple hours. It was hot, and dirty. Just as we started filming our first scene in the middle of a corn field, a pickup truck turned off the highway and raced towards us, honking. The truck slammed on its brakes, and the driver jumped out. His face was red, and he was furious.
The movie we were filming, CEMENT SUITCASE, was filmed in 14 days. On each one of those days, it felt like the whole film was going to come apart. One day our golf course location which we'd confirmed pulled out because of a golf tournament. On another, the lift on our camera truck broke, and all of our camera equipment locked inside. No camera, no filming.
The adversity we faced making the film is one reason I am SO pleased to announce that we've signed a new distribution deal for Cement Suitcase! It will now be free to watch on Redbox and Vudu. You can even see it for free with Hoopla, if you have a library card. And if you don't want to see it with ads, you can of course rent and purchase it on Amazon.
But back to the cornfield
What the f are you doing on my uncle's land? shouted the driver. He stormed up to our camera crew and got in my Assistant Director's face. We have permission to film here, said my AD.
That's bull-s ! said the driver. I knew my sister had gotten permission to film there the day before was it possible we were in the wrong field?
This is when my friend's dad, Mike Wyknenko, saved the day. Billy? he asked. Well, it turns out that Mike used to be Billy's Jr. High teacher, and that helped calm everyone down right away. Mike had ridden his bicycle to watch us film that day, and thank goodness for that! We explained that we did get permission, but somehow that wasn't communicated to the nephew. Then the uncle showed up on set and signed our release and everything was kosher.
Until, of course, the police showed up. One Sunnyside police car and one State Patrol car drove up with their sirens on, and then after that, a fire truck! We'd been filming with our lead actor on the side of the road he was pretending to be unconscious and someone had called 911 thinking it we were trying to give him CPR!
Everything turned out to be fine, but we learned a lot of lessons that day. 1, you should probably have some backup ideas in case your car breaks down, especially if this is your picture car:
2, always remember to inform the proper authorities and farmers about your filming plans!
I never would have guessed that anyone would still be watching this movie 9 years later, or that it would end up getting rated 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. But people are still finding this movie, and it's really all about the amazing people who came together to make it, including the farmer, his nephew, the Sunnyside Police Department, the owner of an alternate golf course, and the guy who fixed our camera truck.
If you haven't seen Cement Suitcase yet, I hope this convinces you to give it a chance. And if you were with us on that dusty highway back in 2011, I hope this reminds you of some good memories. Keep on keepin' on,
Rick
*Note: Billy is not his real name, which I've changed to respect his privacy and also because I can't remember what his name was.
###
Enjoying the news? Sign up for the Creative COW Newsletter! Sign up for the Creative COW newsletter and get weekly updates on industry news, forum highlights, jobs, inspirational tutorials, tips, burning questions, and more! Receive bulletins from the largest, longest-running community dedicated to supporting professionals working in film, video, and audio.
Enter your email address, a first and last name, and let us know what you'd like to see more of in the message!
.grecaptcha-badge{visibility:hidden}.meow-contact-form .meow-contact-form__header{display:flex;margin-bottom:10px}.meow-contact-form .meow-contact-form__header .meow-contact-form__header__content{flex:1;display:flex;flex-direction:column;justify-content:center}.meow-contact-form .meow-contact-form__header .meow-contact-form__header--image--left{margin-right:10px}.meow-contact-form .meow-contact-form__header .meow-contact-form__header--image--right{margin-left:10px}.meow-contact-form--editor input{color:gray}.meow-contact-form--default{font-size:18px}.meow-contact-form--default input:not([type=submit]),.meow-contact-form--default textarea{width:100%}.meow-contact-form--default input[type=submit]{padding:10px 40px;font-size:18px;line-height:18px}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__info{margin-top:-10px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:14px}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form-message{font-style:italic}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__group{margin-bottom:15px;font-size:16px}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__group .meow-contact-form__group-input,.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__group .meow-contact-form__group-textarea{margin-top:3px;padding:5px;font-size:14px}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__header{margin-bottom:15px}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__header__content--title{font-size:24px;line-height:24px}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__header__content--text{margin-top:5px;font-size:16px;line-height:16px;color:gray}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__group-button{padding:10px 20px;border:none;margin-top:10px;cursor:pointer}.meow-contact-form--default .meow-contact-form__group-button:hover{filter:brightness(1.05)}.meow-contact-form--meowapps{padding:20px;box-shadow:0 0 5px #d8d8d8;font-size:18px;background:#fff;color:#333}.meow-contact-form--meowapps input:n
North America Stories
11/09/2026
FIFA World Cup 2026 and Peacock's Love Island USA' Power NBCU-Versant ...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Lightware has announced the launch of LARA (Lightware Advanced Room Automation) 2.0, a major upgrade to its built-in room automation platform, introducing impro...
11/09/2026
10 September 2026 - MusiMap, the B2B music intelligence company that is transforming how companies can harness the emotional power of music to reach consumers a...
11/09/2026
Matrox Video today announced an integration between Matrox ORIGIN and NVIDIA Holoscan for Media, enabling Matrox ORIGIN media services to be provisioned, config...
11/09/2026
Net Insight today announced that its cloud-native live media orchestration is now available through Oracle Cloud Marketplace, providing broadcasters, production...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Version 1.8 will bring advanced routing control, new workflow tools, boosted control panel flexibility and ease of integration into IP networks...
11/09/2026
Ikegami announces four additions its UNICAM XE range of 4K-UHD cameras with the introduction of the UHK-X700VN, UHK-X750VN, UHK-X600VN and UHK-X650VN. Developed...
11/09/2026
DHD.audio has chosen IBC2026 as the launch venue for a major new addition to its broadcast sound production platform: the MX3 console range. MX3 retains the mod...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
New standalone solution gives production teams everything they need to create, produce and deliver live content from one flexible system.
Grass Valley today an...
11/09/2026
Recognition honors the development of FPV drone camera systems for live sports broadcast coverage
Wave Central, a Domo Broadcast Company that develops advanced...
11/09/2026
Teradek, the industry leader in zero-delay wireless video solutions, announced the launch of Bolt 7, which now includes a unified wireless video and data system...
11/09/2026
The ACT Entertainment tvONE and Green Hippo Pixel Academy has released its autumn course schedule, with hands-on training dates in September, October and Novemb...
11/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Transthyretin amyloid disease (ATTR) is a progressive, life-threatening condition caused when the protein transthyretin (TTR) breaks apart and aggr...
11/09/2026
Major Update to Blackmagic Cloud
Brie Clayton September 10, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design has announced a major update to Blackmagic Cloud which a...
11/09/2026
Dalet Helps Media Organizations Navigate the Rise of Synthetic Content with NVID...
10/09/2026
Duff Foreman is an AI-generated announcer who will add color to this month's New Mexico Open...
10/09/2026
Bitmovin is rolling out Encoder Version 3, the next major release of the technology behind its VOD and Live Encoders. Version 3 is built on a premise every stre...
10/09/2026
At IBC2026, on booth 1.B47, Net Insight will showcase Open Live Media, its architecture for delivering resilient live media services across networks, partners, ...
10/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and Scripps Sports have announced a national broadcast rights agreement for the 2026-27 season, a landmark par...
10/09/2026
The Trusted Partner Network (TPN), the global content security initiative powere...
10/09/2026
The NFL is launching its most expansive creator programming yet, bringing togeth...
10/09/2026
Sportsnet is set to deliver its biggest hockey season ever with a national sched...
10/09/2026
LiveU is now a Clarus Integrated Reseller, bringing Starlink's fast, reliabl...
10/09/2026
Mimir is the cloud-native media production platform built for teams that need to move media fast across live, archive, web, social, and broadcast workflows. At ...
10/09/2026
ATSC is being honored with a 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award by the Nat...
10/09/2026
Audio-Technica has introduced the BP880R Contact Transducer, a specialized micro...
10/09/2026
TMRW Sports in partnership with the LPGA, today announced multiyear U.S. media rights agreements with ESPN and Scripps Sports/ION to bring WTGL, the new women...
10/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) in partnership with Major League Baseball and the Pit...
10/09/2026
Tennis Channel announced today its launch as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel.
Tennis Channel offers viewers a single home for Tennis Channel and Ten...
10/09/2026
Dolby has announced major updates to Dolby OptiView, its live sports platform, ahead of IBC 2026. The updates include new AI-powered intelligence to better unde...
10/09/2026
Dalet has appointed Brian Doheny as CEO. Doheny joined Dalet as President and Chief Revenue Officer in April 2026. Since joining Dalet, Doheny has led the compa...
10/09/2026
Sony, as well as its partner company Nevion, is starting IBC 2026 with a handful of announcements for attendees to see on the show floor.
Sony Announces the 4t...
10/09/2026
The six-year-old venue is expanding capabilities for NFL action, Super Bowl LXI, 2028 Summer Olympics
SoFi Stadium, as well as the surrounding area known as Ho...
10/09/2026
France launch follows UK and Germany as Nielsen expands product across EMEA
Paris, France, September 10, 2026 - Nielsen, a global leader in audience measuremen...
10/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/09/2026
Leading professional audio manufacturers NUGEN Audio, RTW, Steinberg and Telos Alliance have joined forces with Fraunhofer IDMT to establish a common approach t...
10/09/2026
Built Into Setplex's Zapflex Platform, AI Insider Turns Video Service Data Into Actionable Insights
Setplex today introduced AI Insider, a breakthrough new...
10/09/2026
Managed service changes dialogue without actor-specific training or facial rigging while preserving the original performance and fitting established post-produc...
10/09/2026
The ACT Entertainment tvONE and Green Hippo Pixel Academy has released its autumn course schedule, with hands-on training dates in September, October and Novemb...