They made it under $20K

06/08/2025 28 min

Listen "They made it under $20K"

Episode Synopsis

“The Hitchhiker Effect” was produced in Virginia for under $20K. It features Michael Beardsley as a conspiracy theorist who struggles to understand paranormal events that begin when his neighbors drop by his remote cabin. He’s joined by the film’s writer/director Zack Van Eyck. The Virginia premiere will be at the Richmond Film Network’s day-long Indie Fest, noon, Saturday, 8/9 at The Park RVA. We’ll discuss:
– Zach’s first book in 6th grade
– Writing in Richmond
– Discovering the alien encounters that inspired the film
– Real experiences with a Ouija board
– Selling trees to finance the film
– Finding a Virginia actor
– Casting his mother and daughter
LINKS|
Richmond Film Network
Trailer for The Hitchhiker Effect
Making of the film video
Zack’s IMDB page
The Hitchhiker Effect IMDB page
Virginia Screenwriters Forum
My podcast on the Virginia Screenwriters Forum