Every now and then a project is blessed and so completely embraced that it’s nurtured from incubation to delivery as painstakingly as a penguin egg. Enter Exhibit A, Lake Effects, which was shot entirely at Smith Mountain Lake in Southwestern Virginia last fall. To hear her tell it, the film, conceived and produced by Sara Elizabeth Timmins, seems almost gilded. It’s a perfect example of the magic that can happen when preparation meets opportunity and a spirit of collaboration resounds.

Timmins has spent the last several years working in Los Angeles to further others’ projects, and while visiting her parents at the Lake, she had what she reluctantly (fearing cliché) calls “an aha moment”. The idea for the film came to her and she experienced a sudden compulsion to tell a more personal story. In that instant the water soothed her mind and inspired resolve. Her determination has led her on the profoundly rewarding journey that’s become Lake Effects.

While she is an undoubtedly disciplined go-getter, it seems that without the full faith and support of the local community, this movie may have never been made, or certainly not with the ease with which it was. Understand nothing about filmmaking is “easy”. But the process can be made pleasurable with a cooperative team and a shared sense of purpose.

The residents of the lake opened their coffers, their homes and their businesses providing locations, food, housing, wine and even a helicopter for aerial shots! Most people tend to be receptive to the idea of a film crew coming to their neighborhood. Being able to witness the spectacle and craft of movie making is exciting for many. However, in this case, the residents were not merely witnesses, but played an absolutely pivotal role. So much so, that Timmins is in it to win it for them, perhaps more than for herself at this point. “This movie doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to the community.”

Hold a good thought that more and more movies will be made in Virginia. It can be a very symbiotic relationship: filmmakers get an authentic and appropriate place to shoot, while communities benefit widely from the increased revenue. Oh and they also get to say, “Did you see that movie? That was shot in my hometown.” And they get to share their brushes with fame. Oh, how we love our brushes with fame.