Was it fate?

"Forgotten" was made to be entered into the ScreenLabs Challenge, a contest run by Screenwriters Workshop, Minneapolis. Since the production was racing to meet a submission deadline, the schedule was super compressed. Casting auditions took place the weekend before shooting was to begin (less than ideal). The filmmakers saw some great candidates the day of the audition, but weren't getting the turnout they'd hoped for. Julie Meyer, the screenwriter, was helping manage the auditions and she understood the turnout was low. During a lull between auditions she approached director Chris Gegax and said, "There's a meeting of young women down the hall. How about I ask if any of them would like to audition?" So when that meeting broke up Julie, scripts in hand, ambushed the group on their way out and explained what was going on. Most of the young women were uninterested, but one took the script and sat down to read it. Once finished, Katie Rhoades decided she would audition. During the audition Gegax immediately felt Katie had the right look for the part, but she had never acted before. Could she do it? Gegax recalls, "I asked her, 'What attracts you to the part?' and she said, 'I work with victims of prostitution and human trafficking, so the character really speaks to me.' I thought to myself, 'Whoa. How's that for coincidence?'" She continued, "And I went to Catholic School growing up; I knew nuns like this." Katie was shaping up to be a strong contender, but her lack of acting experience still worried Gegax, "We had seen candidates with strong resumes. Should I stick with experienced talent, or take a risk on a first-timer? Katie assured me that, if chosen, she wouldn't let me down. In the end I bet on Katie, and won."

Taking risks

A scene appearing early on in "Forgotten" required shooting on the Stonearch Bridge in Minneapolis, but the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board charges $250 for permits, plus they require 30 days advance notice to process the request. "But we were shooting next week," recalls director Chris Gegax. "I decided to forgo the permit and take my chances and shoot it guerilla-style." Gegax continued, "The first shoot took place outdoors, on that bridge, at night, with lights, a generator, a picture car, actors and our crew. Moreover, as if shooting without a permit wasn't nerve-wracking enough, it was pouring rain an hour before call time!" Fortunately the storm broke. Bicyclist's and passersby watched with curiosity as the film crew set up on the bridge. Things were going smoothly and they were ready to call action on the first shot when police drove up. Gegax recalls, "And without saying a word, they drove right past us. They did this two more times that evening! The last time they hollered, 'Everything going okay?' Ron, the boom operator, replied, 'Yeah, great.' The film gods smiled on us that evening."