Filmmaker and entrepreneur William Adams has his sights set on establishing himself in the entertainment industry. Adams is a resident of Fort Valley, a small town south of Macon, Georgia, which is known mostly for Fort Valley State University and the Blue Bird Bus Company.

I had a candid discussion with Adams, who mentioned that his idea to start making films came on a whim. He said that after a failed relationship he and a friend had an idea to make a movie. The production never materialized, but he ended up developing a studio from the whole idea.

When asked who influenced his passion for filmmaking, Adams explained how his creativity was inspired. “I never had any influences,” he said.

Shadowcast Productions

The cast of “Each His Own,” from left to right, Cedric Logan, Chuck Clark, and Walter Robert Duckworth, posing with the writer, director, and producer of “Each His Own,” ShadowCast Studio’s William Adams, front.

But after listening to some cinematic music, he and his friend had an idea of doing a music video. They formulated their ideas into a scene about killing zombies, which turned into an action film about fighting terrorists. Their brainstorming just snowballed from there on.

Those creative processes gave birth to what is now known as ShadowCast Studios. In 2016, with no formal training or educational background in filmmaking, William Adams forged ahead solely on knowledge he gained from his own research.

Adams gave his opinion about being self-taught versus having a formal education in filmmaking. “I feel like when you go to school for something, you come out feeling like you know everything there is to know, but when you teach yourself something, you know you don’t know everything there is and so you always want to learn more because you know you are not professionally trained,” he explained.

ShadowCast Studios released their first short movie this year on Halloween 2017. It was a project Adams said he has been waiting to accomplish for quite some time. The film is titled “Each His Own” and casts some familiar faces from the Central Georgia area.

The movie is a psychological thriller, which stars Walter Robert Duckworth, Chuck Clark, and Cedric Logan. The film can be viewed on YouTube and you can find more information about it and the actors on the IMDb page “Each His Own” (2017).

Star Walter Robert Duckworth has appeared in mainstream movies and television shows, including appearances on the true-crime series “Snapped: Killer Couples,” “Fatal Atttraction,” and “Murder Calls.” Duckworth is perhaps most recognizable as British General William Howe from Bill O’Reilly’s series, “Legends & Lies.” He also co-starred with Burt Reynolds in the movie “Elbow Grease.”

Duckworth was brought into Adams’s production of “Each His Own” after another actor was unable to complete the part. He shared his experience with Adams: “It was his first film, but he seemed like a really nice kid, and he did things professionally. I really liked the script and I didn’t mind doing it—it was pretty fun,” Duckworth said.

“I’ve worked on a lot of professional films and I’ve worked on a lot of what I call guerilla films, where you’re just filming in someone’s backyard,” explained Duckworth, “and it all just depends on who you’re working with. William [Adams] was good to work with.”

Co-star Chuck Clark is well known in Macon’s film industry for his appearances on the local stage and in films such as Virtuous and The 5th Wave. With his long list of film credits, Clark has had experience working on productions large and small. He shared his thoughts on Adams’s growth in film.

“William is a very talented film maker,” said Clark. “Despite his youth, he’s bringing polished work into being faster and better than others with more experience.”

Regarding the filming of “Each His Own,” Clark shared his insider knowledge. “His most recent work was shot in one evening and completed in 3 days. I’m very grateful to have worked with him, and I look forward to doing so again soon.”

Clark also described Adams’s post-production work as “first-class.”

Adams is in the process of casting for his next film “The Come Back,” which is slated to start filming sometime in late December 2017 or early January 2018. ShadowCast Studios is asking the public for financial assistance to help make their new project materialize.

Adams is accepting donations from any and all who want to contribute to his new project. You can donate at fundly.com and search “Help Produce Our Next Short” for the donation link.

In between larger film productions, ShadowCast Studios also offers other services to individual clients, such as photography, music studio and instrumental beats, photo art, sound effects and many more. You can check their full list of services on their website at www.shadowcaststudios.com and be sure to watch “Each His Own” on YouTube.

Comments

comments

Published by Don Harper

Don Harper's passion for writing came at an early age. As a second grader, he wrote his first short story, one about his father, a fireman. His teacher typed and edited it, and made the story into a hardbound book. This cherished memory inspired this now 35 year from Milledgeville to create. He is also fascinated by the culture of hip-hop. He began to write poetry and lyrics, and by the time I was in high school had joined a music group who performed live shows and even opened up for some major artists. His current endeavors include working on a trilogy of short stories and finishing his studies at Middle Georgia State University. He is completing his Bachelor of Arts, majoring in New Media and Communication. He hopes to one day acquire a position as a writer for a major network and to also have penned a best-selling novel.