Perth Courier May 23, 2001

MOVIE DISCO SCENE SET TO SHOOT AT FIDDLEHEADS

By Gena Gibson

The Perth Courier

Disco dancer alert--the cast and crew of The Idiot and the Scorpion want you to help combat evil at Fiddleheads

Bar and Grill next Wednesday.

The independent comedy by W.T.S. Entertainment follows a "complete moron" as he battles the evil Scorpion

Force, according to director and scriptwriter Travis Gordon. The 27-year-old Perth native is one of the core

members of W.T.S. Entertainment, which began as the Where's The Soup Improv troupe four years ago when

Mr. Gordon was in his first year of the theatre program at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

"We were into comedic plays, doing huge projects at the fringe festivals," Mr. Gordon said. "We were actually

making money, so we wondered how to take it to a larger audience."

The group recruited more actors and crew members to create Zarko, a horror movie spoof which premiered at

Fiddleheads March 21.

"The first one was the toughest," Mr. Gordon said. "Going from a play to a movie is a big jump."

He said the whole crew learned important techniques during each step of the process. Now, as they begin

shooting the parody of James Bond-style spy movies, they have one film to their credit.

"The cast and crew has doubled in size," Mr. Gordon noted. "We've gotten so much attention from all these

people that everyone is jumping on board."

Mr. Gordon, who works with a murder mystery company in Ottawa, said The Idiot and the Scorpion has about

32 characters, as opposed to 11 or 12 in Zarko.

"I work with a roster of 40 professional actors," he explained. "They started to hear about what I was doing."

Local residents can get in on the action next Wednesday night at Fiddleheads. Mr. Gordon said the idea for a

movie fundraiser came from a fellow filmmaker in Ottawa. He works in film which is more expensive than the

digital style used by W.T.S. Entertainment, and he held a special evening with entertainment to ":drum up

support."

"I thought it would be neat to actually be able to film it and use it in the movie," Mr. Gordon said, adding his

own twist to the fund-raiser.

For a small fee, party-goers can enjoy the disco atmosphere at Fiddleheads from 6 to 9 p.m.

"Even if they don't know how to disco dance, we'll have people to show them," Mr. Gordon said.

In addition to the dance sequence, attendees will receive an opportunity to win prizes, as well as the chance to

fight the bad guys.

"Ninjas break into the bar and attack the lead actor and actress," Mr. Gordon explained. "We need the audience

to help out Max (the lead) and stop the ninjas.

"It will be fun for everyone."

The movie is being filmed in and around Ottawa and Perth. Producer Amiel Beausoleil and production manager

Julie O'Halloran of Ottawa round out the core of the group.

"I don't think it's going to take us as long (to make the movie)," Mr. Gordon said. "We'll probably have it done

in September."

He said the production team plans to redouble its efforts to find an audience for its movie. With Zarko, they

held two premieres, one at Fiddleheads and one at the bar at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

"We want to do six or seven (premieres) this time," Mr. Gordon said. "We're also going to take it to festivals."


	THE PERTH COURIER May 23, 2001
	THE PERTH COURIER May 23, 2001	(Back To Main Page)

MOVIE DISCO SCENE SET TO SHOOT AT FIDDLEHEADS By Gena Gibson *The Perth Courier* Disco dancer alert--the cast and crew of The Idiot and the Scorpion want you to help combat evil at Fiddleheads Bar and Grill next Wednesday. The independent comedy by W.T.S. Entertainment follows a "complete moron" as he battles the evil Scorpion Force, according to director and scriptwriter Travis Gordon. The 27-year-old Perth native is one of the core members of W.T.S. Entertainment, which began as the Where's The Soup Improv troupe four years ago when Mr. Gordon was in his first year of the theatre program at Algonquin College in Ottawa. "We were into comedic plays, doing huge projects at the fringe festivals," Mr. Gordon said. "We were actually making money, so we wondered how to take it to a larger audience." The group recruited more actors and crew members to create Zarko, a horror movie spoof which premiered at Fiddleheads March 21. "The first one was the toughest," Mr. Gordon said. "Going from a play to a movie is a big jump." He said the whole crew learned important techniques during each step of the process. Now, as they begin shooting the parody of James Bond-style spy movies, they have one film to their credit. "The cast and crew has doubled in size," Mr. Gordon noted. "We've gotten so much attention from all these people that everyone is jumping on board." Mr. Gordon, who works with a murder mystery company in Ottawa, said The Idiot and the Scorpion has about 32 characters, as opposed to 11 or 12 in Zarko. "I work with a roster of 40 professional actors," he explained. "They started to hear about what I was doing." Local residents can get in on the action next Wednesday night at Fiddleheads. Mr. Gordon said the idea for a movie fundraiser came from a fellow filmmaker in Ottawa. He works in film which is more expensive than the digital style used by W.T.S. Entertainment, and he held a special evening with entertainment to ":drum up support." "I thought it would be neat to actually be able to film it and use it in the movie," Mr. Gordon said, adding his own twist to the fund-raiser. For a small fee, party-goers can enjoy the disco atmosphere at Fiddleheads from 6 to 9 p.m. "Even if they don't know how to disco dance, we'll have people to show them," Mr. Gordon said. In addition to the dance sequence, attendees will receive an opportunity to win prizes, as well as the chance to fight the bad guys. "Ninjas break into the bar and attack the lead actor and actress," Mr. Gordon explained. "We need the audience to help out Max (the lead) and stop the ninjas. "It will be fun for everyone." The movie is being filmed in and around Ottawa and Perth. Producer Amiel Beausoleil and production manager Julie O'Halloran of Ottawa round out the core of the group. "I don't think it's going to take us as long (to make the movie)," Mr. Gordon said. "We'll probably have it done in September." He said the production team plans to redouble its efforts to find an audience for its movie. With Zarko, they held two premieres, one at Fiddleheads and one at the bar at Algonquin College in Ottawa. "We want to do six or seven (premieres) this time," Mr. Gordon said. "We're also going to take it to festivals."