Moses and members of his family may soon be spotted around Carlsbad.
The Production Company Studio 523, LLC, plans to shoot footage in the area the week of Oct. 13-17. They are filming a pilot for a show called “The Promised Land,” which seeks to take a lighter, sometimes humorous, approach to the Biblical journey Moses and family members took across the desert on their way to Israel.
“In the pilot, we follow Moses and his family as they try to solve problems among the Israelite community during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land,” write the show’s producers.
The movie’s organizers stressed that they are being highly respectful of Biblical message.
“Rather than looking at these Biblical heroes on stained glass windows, let’s look at them like everyday people,” they wrote. “At the end of the day, our hope is that people watch the show because it’s funny…and eventually would desire to dive into scripture to experience God personally.”
According to informational material, “The Promised Land” has a pilot budget of $125,000, and filming will take place near the sand dunes around Hackberry Lake, as well as near Lake Avalon. Carlsbad’s Church Street Church of the Nazarene is helping by providing various production resources, including a Production office. The show is looking for a large number of background actors on Oct. 15 and 16. The 15th will be “Meeting Tent Day” and the 16th will be “Campsite Day” where extras are needed. The show will need 10-15 actors daily, and you can get more information on the website www.thepromisedlandseries.tv. The large crowd filming days will be family friendly and include a meet and greet with the producers, as well as opportunities for a behind the scenes look at production.
Because of their limited budget, the makers of “The Promised Land” are asking to borrow campers, gators (golf carts), RV’s and tents. While some extras are needed, they are also really hoping for some volunteers to assist with security. They’ll also be supporting small businesses during their time filming in the area.
The end goal is to use this pilot episode to pitch a series and get a fully funded series to film in New Mexico. We recently had the chance to meet with “Promised Land” producers Richie Johns, Jeremy Crouch and Mitch Hudson. We were impressed by their enthusiasm for the project and desire to film around Carlsbad. For more information about possibly participating or assisting with this endeavor, please visit www.thepromisedlandseries.tv.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway