Making Tracks is a never-released film based on the true story of the construction of the Trans-Continental Railroad. The film was officially announced at The First Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards, then lagged in pre-production before being canned. It was planned as an entry to the Bricksinmotion.com contest Tales Of Yore.
Film Details
- Release Date: n/a
- Running Time: n/a
- MPAA Rating: n/a
- Director: n/a
- Producer: n/a
- Writer: n/a
Plot Summary
While no script was ever written due to writer's block, preliminary documents that exist suggest that the film would have looked at the events of the construction through the eyes of Studs O'Riley, an Irish laborer, and Cha Lee, a Chinese worker. Some of the events suggested include blasting through the Sierra Nevadas, building across the plains, the workers' strike, and a possible cameo for Ulysses S. Powell. However, as the script was never written, there is no way to determine if all of these events would have occured in the film.
Production History
On December 19, 2010, the contest "Tales Of Yore" was officially announced on Bricksinmotion.com, to mixed responses from the community. Andrew Bermudez, however, liked the theme and began to search for a historical event to re-create. Mid-way through January 2011, the construction of the Trans-Continental Railroad was selected as the event to re-create.
The film was officially announced at The First Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards on January 28, 2011, with a scheduled release that summer. Concept art exists for the movie, showing how the train engine Jupiter would look, but then development halted. During this time, focus turned to other movies, such as Forest of Fear and An Afternoon at the Zoo. This halt was mainly made because of a dispute over the story. Ultimately, right before the contest ended, the film was cancelled.
Ironically, just a few days later on July 17th, 2011, the day the contest ended, a solution was reached to help the project move forward had the movie not been cancelled. This solution was not recorded and has now been lost.
Characters
- Studs O'Riley (n/a)
- Cha Lee (n/a)
- Ulysses S. Powell (Andrew Bermudez)
Credits
- Andrew Bermudez - Writer, Researcher, Producer
- Daniel Bermudez - Historical Consultant
Trivia
- When the film was cancelled, all that had been built for the film was a replica of the train engine Jupiter. When production began for Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients later that year, the engine was re-decorated for that film's train escape sequence.
- Just like the film Remember the Alamo, this film was partially inspired by a visit to the actual location where the events took place.
- The film was planned to be an ambitious project, with full mountain sets, big effects, and several characters.
- When the film was announced, the studio made plans to buy set 10205 My Own Train and convert it into Engine 119. Alternatively, concept art exists for converting the set into the Jupiter. When the project fell through, these plans fell through as well.
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