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College & Electric Youth “A Real Hero”

 

Over the course of the past two months I have shared an experience unlike any other I have had in my forty-odd years with a group of individuals who were hand selected by Matt Farnsworth to work together on this, the most intimate, of projects. We all come from different backgrounds, all bring something unique to the mix, but one thing can be said for every last one of us. Each has a unique set of skills at their disposal and all share the desire to make sure his vision is realized. In addition, all are prepared to go above and beyond in the pursuit of that dream.

I am the bumbling English gentleman, formidable with quill but far less majestic with the pair of lips which dangle underneath my nose. Granted, I am a people person and generally get on with anyone, but I also find that initial introduction rather daunting. Walking onto a film set for the first time and deciphering my place is hardly me operating within my comfort zone. Invariably this leads to me saying the wrong thing or coming across as uncomfortable in my skin as that is part and parcel of heralding from the United Kingdom. It’s what we do well, proven by the fact that Ricky Gervais’ The Office became such a colossal hit stateside. David Brent is an extreme example but, after all his inappropriate comments and cringeworthy observations are said and done, he only wishes to fit in.

It took a couple of days for me to find my place but, thankfully, I forged a connection with one individual effortlessly during that time. The gentleman in question was Kaleb, Unit Production Manager for the project and a major linchpin in Matt’s plans. I am nothing if not observant and it takes little time for me to work out who I will mesh with and, despite my tendency to waffle, say the wrong thing, and allow multiple conversations to fall flat through an inability to express myself in the manner I wish, I knew straight off the bat that he was my kind of person.

I mate rather quickly and that isn’t to say that I begin dry-humping legs the moment I’m introduced, more that I forge bonds and know rapidly whether somebody is going to be my cup of tea. He was professional, committed to the cause and capable of adding the extra dimension Matt required, but it was his dry wit which won me over, that and the fact that he didn’t pass judgement based on my seemingly ill-assured early ramblings. He looked behind my eyes and discerned that there was more going on than it could well have first appeared. He soon showed a vested interest in my work and began to peruse my scribings. Then he did something which cemented my observation from our primary exchanges. He showed me belief and informed me of the huge asset I am to production.

It can be only too easy to blow one’s own horn without giving though to another man’s instrument but Kaleb helped me to ascertain that I wasn’t here simply to make up numbers. Suddenly, I could kick off my clown shoes and believe that I was actually somebody after all. Those leading the project were already aware what I bought to the table and lifelong allegiances have long since been formed. Yet Kaleb didn’t know me from Adam and he took the time to get to know, which was a breath of fresh Los Angeles air to my lungs.

What started to blossom was something understated yet quietly beautiful. Friendship, shared reverence and, eventually, brotherhood which I already know will reap further bonuses. You see, despite any geographical difference, we are more alike than I had initially thought. Both of us have a fierce drive to make horror movies and have spent our adult lives being the round pegs in square holes as we learn that the path is littered with distraction from achieving our goal. Life happens, we settle for jobs which don’t correctly suit our skill set and, ultimately it passes us by. However, we’re smart cookies who deduce how to stem the tide and readjust our goals accordingly before we reach fifty and spend the remainder of our existences looking back at what might have been or what went wrong.

Being perceptive and, both having had plentiful enlightenment as to what not to do, meant that we were pulling in the same direction. Kaleb wasn’t here to put in a shift, make up numbers or earn a little extra pocket-money. He was here to assist in any way he could in making sure this movie reached its zenith. Clear as day I could see that. I gravitate toward such souls as life isn’t a laundry list of jobs. It is an accumulation of the experiences we share and the folk we choose to do so with as I regularly state. Through meeting Kaleb, I have had this belief reinforced and it has been a pleasure to spark fuses together, something which will bode us well as move forward with future endeavors. Already we have begun to look at how we can pool our resources in coming times and neither one sees this as just an isolated coincidence.

It is too easy to put shot down to being simply coincidental and much tougher, but far more rewarding, to look at how fate plays each hand. Everything happens for a reason, or at least, that’s how I perceive it. My personal pilgrimage has seen me pass through a nervous breakdown in an attempt at reaching the cheese and Kaleb has also done battle with plentiful demons en route to where he finds himself now. Like Keeper, he has struggled with his true identity and worked jobs which have robbed him of his voice for too long and, it is only now, that he is in a position to do something about it. This is his true calling, creative minds aren’t designed to remain cooped up perpetually, eventually the wings are bound to spread. This is exactly what has been happening in LA all summer.

Kaleb Tholen heralds originally from Denver, Colorado and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Studied which he achieved in the Universal of Colorado Boulder. Film has always been a hobby but, in recent years, it has become a distinct channel for him to create and evolve. He has settled in Irvine, CA and already has his fingers in many pies. Filmmaker, director, producer, cinematographer, VFX supervisor and, now, actor; he doesn’t restrict himself and this is further proved by the fact that he shoots both on 35mm for look and digital for convenience. As if that weren’t extensive enough a scope, he is also working on his first full-length screenplay and I have no doubt that he will plunder this goal also. I implore you to keep a close eye on Tholen as a bright future looms in the industry. It is my job to know as much.

The last seven weeks have been a true privilege to be a part of and my path has crossed with all manner of unique effervescent individuals. One such soul is Kaleb, a resourceful, intelligent, hard-grafting professional whose presence on set has helped make The Orphan Killer: Bound X Blood the special little film we knew it would become. Each scene shot he has envisaged beforehand and is already two steps ahead of any problems which arise during production. It was he who taught me that film production was a problem solving process and, having learned myself long ago the benefits of being solution-focused, I know how beneficial it is to tackle things head on and not get snagged in feeling hard done by.

Common sense has never been my strong point and, in this respect, we are chalk and cheese. However, I stand doggedly by my prose and know that the coming together of two minds such as ours will help fashion something truly inimitable. Belief, plain and simple. We’ve both been caught with enough kidney blows to know the importance of this. A sure-fire way to ensure you never reach your goals in life is by telling yourself it is already prophecized. Kaleb Tholen will not be letting the opportunity he has been gifted go begging, neither will Keeper, the results of which y’all are going to want to keep a very keen eye out for.