A little bit of Hollywood glamour came to Roy Rogers Double R Bar Ranch in Oro Grande, California, when an uproarious low-budget indie movie called “Heat in the West” filmed in August 2016. We were honored to be a part of the action on the set for a couple of days during the movie, which shot on location for two weeks.
It was hellishly hot, sweltering and downright blazing! It was just a summer day in the Mojave Desert. The real heat in the real west. The triple digits flavored all the things a good western exemplifies. Man against nature. Man against man. Women against men. Horses against… Wait, I think I spotted a running theme.
Intrigue, drama and laughter. Yes, plenty of laughter.
Set in the western world of the 19th Century, two Arab cowboys, played by real-life brothers Hussain Ahmed and Shamal Ahmed, come to America in search of gold and go through a hilarious journey in the process. Actors Anna Marie Bogi-Jones and Joe Chesney also have leading roles.
Hosts Jim and Deena Heffel graciously opened up their ranch, formerly owned by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, to the film crew and cast. Jim and his ranch hands even built a faux old west town on the property for background.
We met many interesting people from all walks in life on the set, and made many new friends. Some of them even had four legs.
With rippling muscles, flared nostrils and their shiny coats glistening under a relentless sky, their feet pounded the dust with every calculated stride. Oh, we almost forgot to mention the horses were pretty awesome too.
Although this was not our first rodeo as extras on a movie set, it is still exciting to get a look behind-the-scenes of a production.
We have been holding on to our experiences while we waited for the movie to see sunshine. Alas, the much anticipated Heat in the West is still in post-production.
Therefore we will giving you a sneak peek and announce later when the movie is released. We can’t wait to see the finished product! Will it be making its rounds at film festivals?
Who knows.
In the meantime, we’ll give Heat in the West more buzz than an angry tarantula hawk. See what we did there?
The Jonesy is the first shot of the day (named after Sarah Jones). The Jonesy is a tribute to a camera assistant who was killed in a train collision on the set of Midnight Rider. It is meant to be a reminder for crews to make sure they have taken all safety precautions before beginning their filming day.
The Abby Singer Shot – The 2nd to last shot (named after an Assistant Director Abby Singer).
The Marcia Marcia Marcia Shot – The 3rd to last shot, a reference to Jan Brady’s catchphrase from The Brady Bunch.
A Martini Shot is a Hollywood term that describes the final shot set-up of the day. Bottoms up! Also referred to as the Window Shot.
The Bertuzzi Shot – The shot after the Martini or Window shot. Named after the Bertuzzi-Moore incident, because “it’s the shot you don’t see coming.”
See you on the red carpet!
Heat in the West
Director
Hussain Ahmed
Screenplay
Hussain Ahmed
Producers
Steven Robert Alexander……Executive Producer
Kenneth P. Murphy……Executive Director
Jayminkumar Parmar……Executive Producer
Marilyn Brindis……Producer
Carlo Tavio Rubio……Producer
Andree Pineda……Assistant Producer
Cast
Hussain Ahmed……Omar
Deena Heffel……Sally
Joe Chesney…….Gene
Andy Mace…….One Shoe
Jim Heffel…….Rodney
Mikaiil Ahmed……Chief
Jayminkumar Parmar…….(various)
Nathan Eddy……Pete
Shamal Ahmed……Jabar
Cinematography
Marilyn Brindis
Carlo Tavio Rubio
Costume Design
Eva Saunders Juzwiak
Make-up and Special Effects Make-up
Julie deWit
Second Unit Director
Jayminkumar Parmar
Sound Mixer
Andree Pineda
Key Grip
Frederick Shaibani
Wardrobe Provided by
Saunders Costumes
IMDb Citations
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5622408/
I loved doing the movie I had the BEST time !!
I met lots of awesome people with whom I remained friends till this day. I have to say it was also a family affair. All my siblings were in the movie…
Anna, thanks so much for your comments. We agree, what a great group of folks, many who remained our friends too. We are very much looking forward to the movie’s release! Very nice to have met you on set! Best wishes for continuing success.
Terrific write-up! Can’t wait to see the finished film 🙂
Keeping our fingers crossed for the finished product. Very nice meeting you on set, Rick.
Had a great time with alot of new good friends and it was a great experience to act for the first time!
You did an amazing job, Andy. Had no idea it was your first rodeo. Nice meeting you on set!
I had a great time working with the cast and crew. I made great friends and colleagues. Def., a learning experience. Can’t wait to see the premiere. Great job to all of us.
What a great group of people. You all did a great job. Nice to have met you, Juana.
So when is the release..
We don’t have a clue. You may want to contact one of the producers for info. Best wishes!
it was a really fun experience with good people i made allot of good friends that i have done more reenactments with cannot wait to see the finished movie and can not wait to see to see yall at the reenactments and other good party’s
We’re looking forward to it too, Barstow Kid! Hoping to see you again soon.