NEWBERRY — The local independent film There is no Right Way to do Wrong, adapted from the eponymously titled play by local author Terrence L. Gallman, entered the pre-production phase this week.

Gallman said he and his team are hoping to raise $750,000 for the production of the film, which he hopes to shoot predominantly in Newberry County.

He hopes the socially-minded project serves as a warning to youth of the realities of the criminal justice system.

“I feel like through the production we can show a person who commits a crime going through the justice system and the perils — like not having visitation, not having intimacy or your family,” Gallman said.

To achieve that goal, director Anthony Wideman said he wants the film to be “as real as possible” and not “watered-down.”

“If you water it down it won’t have the same effect,” Wideman said.

While wanting to keep the portrayal of the criminal justice system raw, Wideman plans to have the final product be appropriate for all ages — likely through leaving certain situations implied rather than shown outright.

On the other side of the coin, Gallman said he hopes the film can bring better unity to the community by showing the legal process from not only the perspective of the accused but that of law enforcement as well.

“We’re hoping that we can bring more light to the organizations and people who are in place everyday to make the community safer and better,” he said.

Although targeted predominantly toward at-risk youth, the team hopes the film could potentially affect the community on a broader scale.

“For instance you have a kid who goes to school everyday while their mom or pop is smoking weed — they have a gun or alcohol laying around,” said music supervisor Bobby Nelson. “The kid sees the movie and they could possibly straighten out their parents.”

Cullen Binnicker, a young man who will be acting in the film in a capacity yet to be determined, said the school environment in which he grew up led him to make some poor life choices.

“If I had something like this (film) in middle school or high school I would have realized, ‘Hey, you don’t have to focus on what people say is popular,’” Binnicker said. “This (film) gives you perspective on what could happen if you keep doing those things.”

An open casting call for the film will be held next month and interested parties should contact Gallman at terrencegallman@gmail.com or visit JustInform ‘There is no Right Way to do Wrong’ on Facebook.

The production team of There is No Right Way to do Wrong. From left, Bobby Nelson, Anthony Wideman, Terrence Gallman, Cullen Binnicker, Larry Sligh and Anderson Nance.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_crew.jpgThe production team of There is No Right Way to do Wrong. From left, Bobby Nelson, Anthony Wideman, Terrence Gallman, Cullen Binnicker, Larry Sligh and Anderson Nance. Carson Lambert | The Newberry Observer

By Carson Lambert

clambert@civitasmedia.com

Reach Carson Lambert at 803-276-0625, ext. 1868, or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.