Docks will get a shot at stardom

Tarpon Springs will provide the scenic backdrop for a training film for insurance professionals.

By KATHERINE GAZELLA

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 8, 2001

TARPON SPRINGS -- The city will star in a film to be shot near the Sponge Docks next week, but unless you are in the property-casualty insurance industry, you probably won't get a chance to see it.

Three Witnesses will be distributed nationally and featured in satellite telecasts to insurance professionals in the United States and Canada. It features a car accident at the corner of Dodecanese Boulevard and N Pinellas Avenue.

The director and producer of the film both live in Tarpon Springs. They said they chose the location because it makes a pretty backdrop and because it is less hassle than shooting in many other cities.

"We've always loved the location because of the variety," said producer Lorraine C. Rees. "And it's an easy place to shoot. You don't have to go through a lot of bureaucracy."

Shooting in Tarpon Springs begins at Louis Pappas Riverside Restaurant Monday morning and will end Friday, Rees said.

A fake accident will be filmed at Dodecanese Boulevard and N Pinellas Avenue beginning Wednesday morning, but will not involve the actual collision of cars, Rees said. Crews will film cars traveling on the two streets, and the film will be edited to make it appear an accident has occurred, she said.

"We're not creating a stunt blowup or anything," Rees said.

Roads will not be closed to traffic during filming, she said.

Other locations in the film include Johnnie's Garage on N Pinellas Avenue and Ericson Marine at the Sponge Docks.

The segment involving the car accident will show people in the insurance industry how to resolve disputes in which witnesses say different things. Another segment pictures a person in a boat and a voice-over narration that promotes businesses taking the initiative rather than letting things happen, Rees said.

The film, which has a budget of about $80,000, is being produced by Arbitration Forums, a Tampa company that provides training, consultation and dispute-resolution services to the insurance industry.

Rees, an independent producer, said parts of the film will be distributed by satellite and others will be sent to companies on tape. She said the film will be viewed at workshops, conventions and seminars.

Even though the target audience is limited, director Ray Crew said it is important for corporate features to be more like mainstream movies and not to be dull.

"The goal of a film like Three Witnesses is to entertain as well as train," he said in a prepared statement. "In the end, if you don't reach the heart, you don't change the mind."

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