Local film director Blair Treu is shooting for the moon with flicks like "Just Like Dad" and "Wish Upon A Star."
He not only wants them to be a success but enough of a success that he can stay, live and work in Utah without restricting himself to LDS Church films and low-profile movies."I'm trying to figure out how to stay here and do what I want to do, which is to make mainstream feature films," said Treu, a 10-year veteran of film, documentary, dramatic shorts and commercial production and development.
He's closer to that reality than he's ever been with his newest film, "Just Like Dad."
Treu's feature film debut - "Just Like Dad" won first place and a cash award at The 1995 Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis in the independent film category.
The film also landed on the Disney Channel November schedule and is planned for broad video-rental release on Dec. 23.
Both the Los Angeles Times and the Hollywood Reporter gave the film positive reviews. TV Guide called it "the week's best bet for kids" when it debuted on the Disney Channel. And Delta Air Lines picked it up for release on its airline screens this past summer.
It has all the earmarks of a winner.
The Leucadia Film Corp. movie features Wallace Shawn ("The Princess Bride," "My Dinner With Andre") and Ben Diskin in the story of a 12-year-old boy who is embarrassed by his loving but nerdy father. So he hires a well-muscled, handsome ringer (Nick Cassevetes) to stand in for his dad, and the story line takes off from there.
Treu hopes the film's success will pave the way for two other features he has directed and are waiting in the wings - "Wish Upon A Star" and "Paper Brigade."
Both are family features, with "Wish Upon A Star" geared to older teens and adults and "The Paper Brigade" aimed at "everyone who's ever had a paper route."
Treu, a 1987 graduate of Brigham Young University's film program, worked on the projects with other talented locals who share his interest in creating enough meaningful work in Utah to make it profitable to make movies "at home."
Brian Sullivan of Orem was director of photography for "Just Like Dad." Producer David Anderson is also local.
Many of the actors were Utahns, although some major players (Shawn, Cassavetes) came in from New York and Los Angeles.
"If it doesn't have a major star in it, even though it's very good, it's very difficult to sell," Treu said.
Highly skilled technicians and crew members are easy to find in Utah, he said. "These guys here (at BYU's LDS Motion Picture Studio) are among the best. They are very good."
He points proudly at having directed "Called to Serve" for the LDS Church and believes some of his best work has been done on LDS seminary films. But his first love is features that he can show his family while he advances his standing in the film industry.
He believes he's among colleagues with similar goals in Salt Lake City and in Utah Valley.
"They're all guys who want to work in the business but don't want to have to live in places where kids are shot on the streets," he said. "There are many who want to do the same as I do - figure out how to stay here and do what I want to do.
"The way it works, exposure leads to opportunity, and experience gets you the rest of the way."
Treu said good scripts, such as "Just Like Dad" by Wayne Rice, are "out there," and the talent and ability exists in Utah to produce high-quality work. "But you have to get it outside to gain credibility and perspective."