Budding filmmaker makes his debut By Donecia Pea

The concept for "A Stranger Within" is the brainchild of Thomas and his film partner Eddie Armes who produced the movie. "We came together and started thinking about what's never been done before? I knew I wanted to do some kind of hostage situation that's never been done and was like, 'What do you think about a substitute taking a class hostage, but making it a family kind of film,' and it just built from there," Thomas said.

If his past success is any indication, the film could be a hit.

Thomas won first place in the student division of the 2006 Louisiana Film Festival for a 15-minute short film "Living for Love," which offers a unique twist to the typical boy-meets-girl story.

From there, he founded Cristal Clear Pictures LLC, which is cranking out "A Stranger Within" as its first feature-length film.

And all of this is by a guy who's barely old enough to vote. Thomas said shock is a common reaction when people find out his age. "I'm doing a movie right now and I think we were like 10 hours into the shoot when somebody yelled that I was 18 and everybody looked at me like, 'Whaaat?!'" he said with a laugh.

However, those that have followed his career aren't surprised by his success thus far. "We're really fond of him," said Chris Jay, director of marketing and educational programming for Robinson Film Center, which hosts the annual Louisiana Film Festival-Student Division.

"He had some real competition, but Jabari really earned the award. 'Living For Love' won heads above all the rest," Jay said.

Where it began

Thomas didn't always know he'd become an emerging filmmaker. "I'd done television work and studio work. I operated a camera for years. I almost got into news," Thomas said, referring to his junior year when he was selected as one of only five high school students in the country to anchor Channel One, a national student news show that broadcasts daily in classrooms across the country.

However, his focus changed to film when Hollywood landed in his hometown that changed his mind toward film. He notes directors Dean White and Bruce Evans and "most of all" God among his biggest inspirations. "When 'Thief' filmed here, they let me learn about the business. (Director) Dean White let me hang around him the whole time. Then, when 'Mr. Brooks' came around, that director (Bruce Evans) was really nice, too, and let me hang around him," Thomas said.

"When you think about the fact that he's written, edited and shot a feature film and just graduated, that's' unusual and you have to credit the excitement surrounding filmmaking in Louisiana with some of his motivation," Jay said.

Thomas said he also began to spend a lot of time at Barnes and Noble reading books on film.

Jay believes Thomas represents a fast-growing number of teens and young adults interested in independent filmmaking. He noted, "When we started the film festival we only had 16 entries. Three years later, we have 71."

He attributes that boon to a couple of factors. "I think you're seeing a huge explosion in youth filmmaking because the technology is more accessible. They can do it at home and they don't have to rent some insanely expensive camera or system to edit on," he said.

"And then there's the excitement surrounding the film industry having arrived in Louisiana. I think that's one of the intangible benefits of having local industry if you have a lot more local youth that are aware of all those opportunities."

More to come

Jay believes Thomas' accomplishment will open the door for others.

"This is honestly one of our favorite kinds of events because it shows that not only are Hollywood productions with huge budgets finding a home here, but the little guy who's just getting started and making films on a shoestring budget is also finding a home," Jay said. "We need to nurture that local talent because Thomas might be the next Hal Sutton or other local celebrity who can come here and give back."

When theatergoers attend the premier of "A Stranger Within" they will get a chance to see a movie preview from another pair of award-winning young filmmakers.

Chris Lyon and Luke Lee, the 2004 Louisiana Film Festival winners, will give audiences a minute-long trailer from their short film "Plummet."

The two have been honing their craft since they were freshmen. They later formed Perennial Media Entertainment in 2003, which produced this film.

"I've known Thomas since high school. So we're just two filmmakers helping each other out," Lyon said.

Like Jay and Thomas, he's optimistic about the local filmmaking landscape. "This is a great opportunity for young filmmakers who always thought we were going to have to go to California or New York City," Lyon said. "It's our luck that it is our generation that was here when Hollywood decided to move in. It gives young people like me an opportunity to be part of the process and be exposed to higher ups, like producers and directors."

The onscreen time is also a plus for local actors looking to enhances their portfolios.

"It gives local actors an opportunity to get their feet wet, instead of just jumping into a much broader spectrum and trying to get in these bigger films," explained "A Stranger Within" star Barremore. "The number one thing is that it gives actors an opportunity to build a reel and that gives talent agents solid proof that you can do what you say you can do."

Meanwhile, Thomas is aiming even higher for his next movie, "Vengeance," which he's currently directing. The action flick is about a man trying to find the people responsible for killing his brother and will star Chris Ladd, who has worked on several movies and TV shows, including "Walking Tall" and "Walker, Texas Ranger."

He said he wants to eventually move westward. "I plan to go to Los Angeles no matter what, whether it's for school or for work," he said.

Thomas' advice to other budding filmmakers: "Keep trying. It will be hard, very difficult on some days, almost to the point to where you're ready to quit. But just go look at movie and get inspired to work harder."