Huntly seems an unlikely venue for a film set in the American Wild West frontier. However, when you come up the Aberdeenshire country drive to the Tranquility Wild West Town for the first time, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. On the weekend of 11 July director Paul Vernon, town founder and script writer Ally Baranowski, actors and crew worked at breakneck speed from dawn to dusk to film the short movie ‘Trail to Tranquility’. Suzanne Kelly was on hand to report – and to take the role of Kitty, Tranquility’s saloon owner.
Karl and Michael on the Tranquility set.
Trail to Tranquility is the latest in a series of films to be shot in Huntly’s Wild West Town, Tranquility. When this film comes out in December, condensed to 35 minutes, it promises to be an action-filled, fast-paced adrenalin ride.
Without giving too much of the plot away, outlaws make their way to the little town of Tranquility, where they take a hostage. Battle rages between the US Marshal’s forces and the outlaws, with fatal consequences for some.
Award-winning director Paul Vernon was joined by a hard working film crew including Calum McCrae / Patrick Haram on sound recording duties.
Professional makeup artists Deborah Cowan and Kym Murchie did an outstanding job ranging from making up the saloon girls to ensuring any wounds looked realistic.
Vernon told the team:
“Every single participant contributed to this overall project, whether it was a townsperson attending a scene on Sunday morning or a member of the main cast and crew, or even that person making teas, or cleaning out the toilets, to filling up the water trough, or making the director a cuppa! Each and every one is as important as the next.”
The actors came from across the UK; with male lead Mikey Mccallen and others coming from the Southampton area for the shoot.
The cast and crew that made it all happen are:
Mikey Mcallen, Michael Lorsong, Gregor Cameron, Ryan Hamilton, Stuart McGough, Mikey Rennie, Dave Alexander, Roderick Mackenzie, Karl Fredrick Hiemeyer, Atholl Buchan, Alistair Baranowski, Andrew J Douglas, Stuart Patterson, Suzanne Kelly, Kiera Robertson, John Haram, William Kidd, Brian Grassie, Brian Watt, William Beaton, Brendan Moir, Patrick Haram, Andrew McDonald, Calum McCrae, Phil Vinden, John de Sykes, Larry Willett, Will Napier, Cameron Lawrie Ross, Jim Anderson, Jane Leiper and Danny, Vicky Largue, Kelly Moir, Samantha Domeracki, Erin Sharpe, Iona Rennie, Deborah Cowan, Kym Murchie, and a wonderful group of extras who came from all over the Aberdeenshire area.
Tranquility founder and scriptwriter Ally Baranowski said:
“This weekend was the culmination of months of preparation by both myself & Paul Vernon, the director & in the last few weeks by Debs & Kym. And over that long weekend everyone managed to gel together as a team so enabling a successful conclusion to the film making.”
December will see the film’s premier at Aberdeen’s Belmont Cinema. Aberdeen Voice will keep you informed of developments and the launch date.
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