Behind the Scenes of Where Your Treasure Is

The story of Where Your Treasure Is began in May of 2021 when and Logan Tytus (director of photography) and I, (director-writer) sat down and devised of a mysterious and hardened detective who needed to solve a supernatural murder that connected to his own dark past.

         Then it came down to writing the script. I wanted to create something impactful that would make people think and reflect, but above all, it couldn’t just be a detective hunting a monster, it had to be a story I wanted to tell. The result came out of a conversation I had with my mom that summer. She relayed the story of someone she knew who gave their daughter whatever she could possibly desire. This young girl would wake up on Christmas or her birthday to hundreds of dolls and toys. No expense was spared. I was shocked, and realized the story I needed to tell in this film was one that dealt with materialism and parents spoiling their children.

         My Christian faith is something I really enjoy exploring in my work, including Where Your Treasure Is, which has numerous themes and ideas playing on ideas from the Bible, the prime example of course is the film’s title, which is pulled from the famous Bible verse, Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

         The next challenge the crew faced was casting. Many of the roles needed to be filled were college-aged students, but the main difficulty was casting the character of Artemis, because we wanted an older actor to star in the short. And he was anything but short. When Luke Streich first auditioned on Zoom, we were mostly just happy to have found someone in the right age range willing to take on the part, but it was when Luke was paired alongside Rich DeLuca for a second audition, who both were members of the Happy Valley Improv Club, that I knew I found my Artemis and my Bela in one go.

         In pre-production, there was a lot of work to be organized after having a completed script. It’s planning and scheduling and budgeting and emailing and rescheduling and the film would not be the same without Jessica Cook (producer). All of Jessica’s hard work on so many of the nitty gritty aspects of the production most people wouldn’t ever think about really paved a smooth path for me and the rest of the team to be creative and wacky and have a good time.

         At long last, production of Where Your Treasure Is began fittingly on Halloween. Everyone was really excited to finally start bringing the film to life. Shane Westover, head of the sound department said “I met a lot of great people on set and got to have fun working on the project.” Everyone brought something unique and creative to the set.

         Then came the chronicles of finding a barn. After plans fell through, the crew was in dire need of a new location suitable for shooting. It didn’t have to be a barn, but it was more about the atmosphere an old run-down barn created that was going to be really exciting for shooting the finale of the thriller. Eventually, Luke Streich (Artemis) reached out to a family friend in the area who as it turned out had a barn and was willing to let the team film there. Something about the disarray of this new barn and its surroundings lent incredibly well to the film’s themes.

         By around December, the crew had shot enough that it was time to start piecing things together in the edit, headed by Luke Nolan. Luke’s biggest concern going into the edit was the supernatural creature of Bela, and making sure it looked otherworldly, but not cheesy in the final film. We were beyond impressed when Luke first unveiled his plans for how Bela would look and sound on screen. “Editing is progressing steadily and the film is coming together to be pretty awesome,” Luke said during the beginning of the spring semester.

         Luke Streich had some words of his own to say about the production of the project. "Where Your Treasure Is, for me personally, has been like finding some rich stuff of my own while getting to share it with the world. I have been working with some incredibly talented film students who have brightened my heart and taught me a lot in the process. Our director, Josh Trombitas, has created a collaborative working environment that allows me the free space to explore the main character, Artemis Rich, that he has exquisitely created. Our producer, Jes Cook and her team, have made each moment I am on set with them a terrific experience. Also, Logan Tytus, in my very professional opinion, is a master cinematographer and our editor, Luke Nolan, is an editing genius. Without Yeji Lee's incredible input on the inner workings of the main character's Artemis Rich's mind, I'd feel lost. The whole team is impeccable. I can only hope I am able to make them look as good as they have made me feel during this whole production. I am forever grateful and I wish them all great success on their next big adventures."

         Suffice to say, creating Where Your Treasure Is, has been a fulfilling and exciting journey for everyone involved. Each member of the cast and crew has been able to shine in their own way that truly breathes life into my script, creating art that is hopefully meaningful but at the very least work that everyone who took part in is proud of.