Oct. 14, 2008 — Little did people in the Department of Justice know they would showcase the territory's film industry when they contracted to make a short film to deter illegal weapons and gun violence.
While the final product from ISW Studios shows just how easy it is for things to go from bad to really bad and then get exponentially worse, it's hard to overlook the 20-minute film's professional feel.
"It is quality work," said Nichole Knight, one of the invited audience members at the studio premier of the film. "Typically produced [local] stuff is usually low quality. There is a distinct difference in the stuff that comes from ISW. It is right up there with what I would consider stateside-quality work."
Showcasing the depth and breadth of local acting talent and wealth of behind-the-camera experience really wasn't the intent of the filming of "In an Instant." The film was designed to educate the territory's youth about the downward turn of events that come into play when getting involved with illegal firearms. (See "Lights, Camera, Arrest! Crime-Prevention Film Shooting on St. Thomas.")
The film's director of photography, Erik Miles, grew up on St. Thomas and worked all through high school and college at Studio Five, run by his father, Ray Miles. There the younger Miles filmed and edited commercials before going on to Hollywood to work on such blockbuster films as "There's Something About Mary," "Analyze This" and "Any Given Sunday."
"The Virgin Islands has everything you need," Miles said. "This product is a small example of the fact that we can do much bigger things. I believe this will showcase our abilities."
ISW's dynamic is a lot less hierarchically oriented than most Hollywood production companies, he said.
"We are able to work together seamlessly," Miles said. "We don't have a lot of egos — no one person is more important than the other. Whatever is good for the project is good for the partners."
Miles said he was most impressed with the strength of character portrayal by the film's actors.
Lead actor Nathaniel "Fuse" Phillips exemplified the ethic, helping other less-experienced actors on the film with presentation. Phillips acted in two feature-length stateside films before making "In an Instant."
"I helped the other, less-experienced actors with how to say things and how to emphasize certain parts of their scripts," Phillips said. "All of them knew I had done it before, so some of them asked for advice."
Phillips also wrote and recorded the soundtrack for the opening menu of the DVD and the credits.
"I wrote it as soon as I got the script," Phillips said.
ISW's principals are happy with the film, and many forestalled hurricane preparations on homes and boats to make sure the premier went off perfectly.
"I hope it can make an impact and make a difference," Miles said. "People just get involved with things and don't realize how it can snowball. If [the film] can prevent just one incident like that, it will have served its purpose."
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