The inspiration for the movie, "In The Open" comes from Laura Sherman's own personal experiences as a tournament chess player. Laura learned the game from her father, Christopher Becker at the age of 11. Christopher Becker is a noted chess player in his own right; Laura was able to use one of her fathers published chess problems in one scene of the movie. When Laura decided to make a movie she chose a subject matter near and dear to her heart, chess. Shot with a budget of only $7,000.00 the movie is her consider contribution to the chess community. Laura and her husband Dan both attained the ranking of expert during their chess playing days in San Diego. It is clear in every scene of the movie where chess is being played that Laura had a guiding hand.

Laura is actually part of a two-person team. The other member of the team, Mandy Wildman, runs the Wild Heart Studios Acting and Film School. An accomplished actress, Mandy has appeared in numerous plays, musicals TV shows, and movies before starting her school here locally in 1998. The website is found at http://www.mswildwebs.com It is at Mandy's filming class that Laura learned her craft. Together the two ladies have formed Wild Heart Films, a production company for films.

Laura wrote, produced, and acted in the movie. Mandy directed and acted in the movie as well. The cast consisted of 23 actors and actresses and was shot in 11 days locally in the Tampa / St. Petersburg area. I should mention that all cast and crewmembers are local folks. Some of who donated considerable time to help make Laura's dream come true.

Now, to the particulars of the movie. The story is about six adult friends who get together for a weekend chess tournament. They all crash at Mary's (Laura) home which gives them plenty of time to play some blitz game and hang out. One of the nicest aspects of the movie is how chess players are portrayed throughout the movie. When you ask the man on the street to describe a chess player you usually get a bookworm, four-eyed geek type of answer. Well, these chess players are anything but! There is ample time in the movie for the chess players to show that they are normal people from all walks of life who share the common bond of the love of the game of chess. The movie has a little bit of "The Big Chill" feel as well as "In Search of Bobby Fisher" too. But, there is plenty of chess as well. Anyone who has been to a chess tournament, even a local Tornado, can more than identify with the characters in the movie. When I was watching the movie I was looking in particular for technical accuracy. I was not disappointed. There were no impossible positions, pieces on the wrong square, white square not in the lower right hand corner, etc. I had the feeling I was witnessing a true tournament being played over several days. The things I noticed was how the TD posted the parings (although he paired by hand, most use a computer these days), how everyone crowded around a table when a lower ranked player had a master on the ropes, how people had there clocks set, etc. From the opening scene where the credits are being played against the backdrop of a Sicilian I had the feeling that the movie would be pleasing to chess players. It is almost a training film for those who have yet to go to a tournament. Speaking of the opening sequence, that is Laura and Dan playing each other! They played two games (they split) but kept the game in the movie where Laura launched a crushing mating attack against Dan (sorry, Dan).

The movie has something for everyone. It has human drama, laughs, quite moments between friends (lovers!?), good guys and bad guys, and lots of chess. There were NO plastic or cardboard characters in the movie; all the people seemed real and believable. This is do to the highly professional job(s) of writing, directing, and acting. The movie moved at a good pace. I was never bored, it held my attention, and I keep asking, "What next?". The movie is very entertaining and has a terrific sound track that accents the movie perfectly. The soundtrack is the results of Tonja Jacobsen and Patti Caron. All the music is original and was the icing on the cake. My wife, who barely knows how to set the pieces up properly really enjoyed the movie as well. You don't have to be a chess player to enjoy the movie.

This was the first movie for everyone but Mandy. Given the aggressive shooting schedule, the budget, and it being the first time effort of the cast and crew it is amazing how well it came out. It is a work that all involved can be proud of.

I had the opportunity interview Laura over the phone the other day asking her more detailed questions about the production of the movie, etc. Here is the interview:

Laura has won clear first place in the Class A tournament in San Diego netting a $400.00 first prize. She and her husband actually fell in love at a chess tournament! This event in Laura's life has a slight influence on the movie.

2) Who is the better player, you or your husband?

Laura did not answer the question directly! She is far too much of a lady to do so. However, she did go on to explain that her and Dan's styles are very different. Dan is a quiet player, more positional, and is comfortable in closed positions. She, on the other hand, loves the open board, sharp tactics, and is an aggressive player.

3) What variation (or game) of the Sicilian was that during opening sequence?

As explain earlier, it was really Dan and Laura playing. They each took one game but used Laura's win for the opening credit sequence.

4) What is the price of a Videotape? When will USCF have them in stock?

The suggested retail price is 24.95. The USCF will be stock them soon; Laura recently sent them a final cut of the film for review. Look for it in the next USCF catalog. For those who cannot wait you can contact Laura directly at: laurasherman@earthlink.net.

5) How long did it take to write the movie?

Laura spent about one month part time working on script. When she had the main outline down she then concentrated on the script nearly full time for an additional month. She had several friend read and critic the script. And, of course, there were the real-time rewrites on the set when certain things did not go as planned.

6) How was the cast selected?

Most of the actor and actresses came from Mandy's acting school. Only Ed Mercer, who played Mo, was found through an agent.

7) What was your favorite scene?

Laura real gave two answers. Her favorite scene she acted in was where Mary (Laura) and Sam (Matt Laroux) realize their true feeling toward each other. From a technical or artistic point of view, she enjoyed the montage scene when the six chess players are hanging out at Mary's and are playing blitz.

8) What was the hardest scene to shoot?

She had a ready answer for this one! There is a scene where, over time, 44 chess players needed to file into the tournament hall. Well, not everyone was a professional actor so to get 44 people to not look at the camera, not to picktheir noses, etc. was difficult. To compound the problem the room to be used was accidentally double booked! So rather than a 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. shoot Laura had to call 44 extras, the cast, and crew to come in at 5 a.m.!! To everyone's credit, everyone showed up! They shot 18 minutes of film and edited it down to 1 to 1 1/2 minutes of actual footage in the film. Now that is dedication.

9) Any sequel planned?

None at this time, although if the movie does well....? This was really a calling card movie for crew and cast. This give both sets of people a piece of work with which they can go knocking on doors and say: "See, I can do this!" The next movie planned is a Victorian piece with a bigger budget. It should be exciting! It is in the pre-production phase right now. Contact either Laura or Mandy for details.