On one tank of gas, Virgil Hammond III can drive his Cinecoach to Los Angeles and back. Equipped with a location and studio production system, Hammond hopes his Cinecoach will bring the motion picture business back with it from California.
The Cinecoach was introduced to Hollywood on Dec. 10 at a product showcase.
Hammond, 45, said it received rave reviews from the producers of several popular television shows, including "American Dreams" and "Six Feet Under."
As the CEO and producer, director and cinematographer of Cinecoach Production Systems of Carson City, Hammond hopes his labor of love will pay off in the box office of life.
It may look like a bus on the outside, but Hammond believes Cinecoach will provide quality commercial filming production to promote local businesses.
Appeal: How long did it take to complete your production bus?
Hammond: It took about 18 months to complete the project and during that time it had created its own buzz down there (Hollywood). I started getting phone calls and stuff like that. As we were near completion we had the path set for us where we were heading with this.
Appeal: Where did your idea come from?
Hammond: I decided it was time to think up a more cost-effective solution to a location and studio production, with regard to reality television, TV commercials, music videos and infomercials.
Appeal: Have you received any orders for your Cinecoaches yet?
Hammond: We're currently in talks with a reality show that's untitled at this point.
Appeal: What's it about?
Hammond: The genre is touring the health spas of the rich and famous.
Appeal: How much will one of your Cinecoaches sell for?
Hammond: They're not sold. It'll be rented or leased, that way we maintain the integrity of the production system. It will be rented out per project.
Appeal: How much will you charge to rent it?
Hammond: For a one day rental it's about $7,500. That includes all the production equipment and a crew. And it comes with a four-person specialist crew.
Appeal: How many will you build?
Hammond: This is the first of several coaches to be built. At this point now, we're probably looking at about five.
Appeal: How much does it cost to build one?
Hammond: It depends because we use such advanced technology and it advances so quickly it's hard to say. This particular coach has just been appraised within the industry at $335,000. This first one is the compact series. We'll be moving on to the gold series and then to the platinum series, which will be larger, double-deck coaches that will have the ability to transport equipment and up to 30 cast and crew members to any location.
Appeal: Who is one director you'd love to work with?
Hammond: I really like the artistry behind producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay, they bring an artistic flair to the screen. Visually they just blow you away. "CSI: Las Vegas" is probably one of the most advanced productions I've seen on TV in decades.
Appeal: Do you believe motion picture production will increase in Nevada?
Hammond: Absolutely. At this point Nevada is the second largest hot spot in the country as far as motion pictures and TV production is concerned. American production companies are returning to the states from Canada because the Canadian dollar is just inflating so rapidly, and it's only going to get worse for Canada by the end of the year.
For Northern Nevada, production is dramatically increasing. It's nice to see that Hollywood is taking a look at what Northern Nevada has to offer.
I just finished a feature film last July with Universal entitled "Unbeatable Harold," starring Dylan McDermott and Phyllis Diller. The History Channel, Discovery Channel and Hallmark Pictures have all been in the area. And a film is currently shooting in Reno right now with Winona Ryder.
n Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212. Ventures is a monthly feature in the Nevada Appeal's business section.