Although Fresno is conveniently located in the Central Valley, between entertainment capitals such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, the city itself is rarely considered a prime area for national attention. However, the minds of Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing have brought together a film that takes place primarily on the streets of Fresno.

The film, which is set to be released July 10, is titled The Gallows. The movie piqued the interest of many major film labels, but was eventually bought by New Line Cinema. The piece also has been worked on by Jason Blum, the producer of franchises such as ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘The Purge’.

The Gallows will fall under the horror genre, and focuses on an eerie event that supposedly took place in the midwest. Because of this, a few of the scenes were filmed in parts of Nebraska. However, the primary landscape seen in this film belongs to Fresno.

The purpose behind the setting is co-producer, Cluff’s association with Fresno. Cluff discussed the convenience of Fresno’s location for filming.

“I currently live in Fresno with my family,” Cluff said. “I met Chris when he was here filming for school in LA, and we decided to come to Fresno to film because it is less expensive to film here. Fresno is in close proximity to Hollywood, but far enough away to have some fun.”

Areas that have been utilized throughout filmmaking include everywhere from local high schools (such as Clovis West and Madera High) to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Fresno.

The pair of directors have done one previous film together. The project was titled Gold Fools and was a faith-centered movie. Now, the two are formulating a horror movie, which may seem like a stark contrast from their old interests.

Lofing discussed how the duo jumped between genres, and how finances affected this choice.

“We wanted something cheap,” Lofing said. “We knew that we didn’t have much money, and the horror genre fit the budget. Horror also fits well in the market place, selling well overseas.”

Lofing goes on to share how his personal background shaped his work with The Gallows.

“We thought a ‘Paranormal Activity’ style movie would be cool. The story is based on events from where I’m from [Nebraska],” Lofing said. “And when I was making my first movie project, I dabbled in horror. It has always interested me.”

Although the movie is debuting in July, it has been worked on for many years and is a long awaited project. The pair began writing the film back in 2011, and shot a promo trailer the same year. A good chunk of the movie was filmed during 2012, and now, in 2015, the crew is putting together the final pieces.

The Gallows will be released nationwide in over 2,500 theaters. Depending on the overall success of the film, Lofing and Cluff may continue down the road of filmmaking. The two may further delve into horror, or may even try their luck in the field of television.

“The Gallows has been a long road,” Cluff said. “While we have enjoyed ourselves, we are, of course, clad to wrap it up. We are not entirely sure what we are moving onto next, that really depends on how well the movie does.”

For more features, read the Feb. 12 article, Substitute teacher makes the most of her experience.

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