After writing the first draft of his film “Signing Day” 13 years ago, Atlantan Glen Owen saw it get close to the green light on many occasions, change potential shooting locations, survive a pandemic and then a writers and actors strike before it started production — all here in his home state. Filming started in December in Covington and nearby areas and then finished earlier this month just after the holiday season.
Owen’s pet project, one he is also directing, is a dramatic comedy about the notorious, annual National Signing Day, where high school football players across the country can officially commit to the college where they will be playing in an increasingly public forum.
Instead of a documentary, though, this is a fictionalized take, following an enthusiastic coach doing his best to sign the nation’s top defensive end, traveling to Alabama to make his case with the player and his highly dysfunctional family. Oscar winner Mira Sorvino headlines a cast that also includes Michael Mosley and Rob Morgan, plus cameos from football greats Marshawn Lynch and Brian Bosworth.
Credit: Courtesy State Line Films
Credit: Courtesy State Line Films
It’s been a long road, but Owen’s attitude has always been positive. “I felt like when it was time, it would happen,” he said on the set of Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, days before the cast and crew broke for the holidays. “That kept me persistent. We got close a few times, but things would stall, so I decided to bring it back to Georgia. I was talking to different companies and studios in Los Angeles but decided to try and raise the financing on our own in the state.”
Funding, however, was not easy. “We talked to a lot of investors and would get a little bit at a time and slowly built it together,” he said. “When you have some money, people will take you seriously, and you are able to bring in the rest of the financing. But getting that early money is hard. We didn’t have any cast attached. They had to believe in the script and our vision.”
Besides Owen, “Signing Day’s” producers include Don Mandrik from Georgia Production Finance and John Thomas and Kristy Clabaugh from SB Pictures. UGA football star Champ Bailey is an executive producer alongside Tiffany FitzHenry for FitzHenry Films.
Credit: Courtesy State Line Films
Credit: Courtesy State Line Films
Owen himself played basketball for the Georgia Bulldogs and moved to Atlanta to become a filmmaker. He worked at TNT for a while as an associate creative director and, in 2004, started State Line Films, where he directs commercials and narrative projects. He also directed and co-wrote 2022′s “Stalked Within” for Paramount/BET.
Although he knows all about the hoopla surrounding National Signing Day, he wasn’t interested in doing a deep dive into the subject. “I did not want this film to be some sort of exposé,” he said. “It’s a humorous film with some heart, with this kid trying to find his place amidst the swirl of rival recruiters and townspeople.”
Mosley, who stars as football coach Walt McFadden, is known for projects such as the Georgia-shot series “Ozark” and “The Girl from Plainville.” He’s always game to return to the area to film. “Everyone is such a pro down here,” he said. “Sometimes you have to Frankenstein a crew together, but this place is so ready to do business and good work. It’s also so beautiful and effortless to stay around here.”
Like the rest of the cast, he got a lot of attention for his work in “Ozark,” on which he portrayed Pastor Mason Young. “You never know, when you are working on something, what it’s going to look like or how it will be,” he said. “After Season 1, the fan base was so rabid. It was cool to be part of something that made such a splash. We were making a show that people liked. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney are icons.”Morgan plays Officer Powell in “Stranger Things” and also filmed “Just Mercy” in Atlanta. In a recent Zoom interview, he credits the 1996 Olympics for giving the city the attention and momentum to be able to turn into a filmmaking magnet. “The area has attracted multiple industries, personalities, minds and thinkers. The Olympics helped Atlanta in a big way, but you also have the tax credits. It’s a great place for creative minds.”
Owen’s laid-back attitude and relationship with everyone trickled down throughout the set, Morgan said.
After post-work on “Signing Day” finishes, the team will be able to fish it to distributors. Producer Mandrik likes their timing. “So much of the industry has been turned off [because of the strikes],” he said. “There has not been a lot of product. It’s a target-rich environment now.” An entertainment attorney by trade, he’s been involved in the incentives since their inception in 2005. Owen was a former Mandrik client. Mandrik, in fact, remembers seeing the first version of the script in 2010.
Credit: Courtesy State Line Films
Credit: Courtesy State Line Films
Owen is delighted that this project is homegrown. “It was written, developed and produced in Georgia, and its funders are also from the state,” he said. Growing up in Cartersville, he never dreamed he’d see Atlanta and the state so active in the film business. “Obviously, the tax credit has brought such production support and crew and equipment. It’s wonderful to be able to work here now. You have all the tools and resources that we did not have 15 or 20 years ago.”
It’s become common these days for Clabaugh to meet industry individuals who have moved to Atlanta to be part of the growing production business.
“Everywhere you go now you meet people who are transplants from New York and Los Angeles — on the baseball fields, schools and events,” she said. “This crew is 100 percent boots-on-the-ground Georgia locals and residents. We’re very fortunate that the group is a high-caliber crew who have worked together. This was an 18-day shoot, and we were able to find folks available the minute we said go.”
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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