'Radioflash' uses Hope as backdrop
(Photo courtesy RADIOFLASH FILMS LLC) Scenes from ‘Radioflash’ are being shot in Hope and Spokane, Wash.
(Photo courtesy RADIOFLASH FILMS LLC) ‘Radioflash’ tells the story of a teen and her father tale of survival after an electomagnetic pulse disables the nation’s power grid.
(Photo courtesy RADIOFLASH FILMS LLC) A nuclear strike triggers an electromagnetic pulse in ‘Radioflash’ an independent drama.
HOPE — The Bridge to Nowhere on Highway 200 will be closed to traffic for two days later this month so film crews can shoot scenes for an independent motion picture entitled “Radioflash.”
The film’s production company negotiated with the Idaho Transportation Department to close the bridge to traffic on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and Thursday, Sept. 21, according to Steve Klatt, interim road director and director of Bonner County Parks & Waterways.
“The film company has negotiated with ITD to close the bridge on Highway 200 above the boat basin for two days to set up a scene and film a big colossal car wreck,” said Klatt.
The production will use the boat basin as a staging area. Those looking to launch larger boats will still be able to use the basin, although those with smaller vessels will be directed to use the nearby Pringle Park launch or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers launch at Trestle Creek, said Klatt.
Traffic will be routed onto Main Street, the historic route of Highway 200, during production.
“Radioflash” is being produced by RadioFlash Film, a limited liability corporation based out of Palos Verdes, Calif. The drama tells the story of a teenage girl who is fully immersed in the smartphone- and virtual reality-centric world of 2020, according to the project’s logline. The teen is forced to face reality in its harshest form after an electromagnetic pulse attack wipes out the power grid across the United States.
“With her father at the wheel, who is skeptical of anything ‘doomsday,’ the precocious teen navigates a perilous stretch of lawless highways and back roads, hoping to connect with her grandfather — a survivalist who has been prepping for this event for years,” the logline reads.
The film is being directed by Benjamin McPherson, who co-wrote the script with Matt Redhawk, a survivalist and preparedness expert, according to the film’s website.
A release date and cast is not yet listed on the film’s entry on the Internet Movie Database.
The electromagnetic pulse, also known as an EMP or radioflash, was triggered by a nuclear weapon detonated over the U.S., according to a plot synopsis on the film’s website. The explosion caused the EMP to surge through the nation’s aged electrical grids and deprive more than 200 million people of power.
In exchange for its use of the boat basin, the producers have agreed to donate $2,000 to Bonner County so it can develop a proper swim area at the popular launch.
There is only a toddler swim area at the basin.
“Because of that, we have kids that want to collect in the boat basin and docks, which was interfering with boating,” said Klatt.
A new designated swim area will be established on the west side of the basin.
Law enforcement officers will be stationed at both ends of the closure and the production will provide for overnight site security.
“We have a trained stunt coordinator and safety monitor to ensure the safety of the crew, cast and onlookers. A rescue diver and paramedic will be hired on an as-needed basis,” Porter Lontz-Underhill, unit production manager, said in a Sept. 5 letter memorializing the agreement with Bonner County.
Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.