Music video for local teacher filming Saturday
Jill Tutt loves to sing. She has shared her talent since growing up in Linden, singing and performing in church, school productions, weddings, at community events, on a cruise ship and in benefit concerts.
Now the Demopolis High English teacher is realizing what many singers only dream about. Her first album will be released in April, and a music video of her first recorded song, You’re the Glory, will be filmed in Demopolis this weekend.
She was offered the chance to film the video elsewhere, but, “We’ve got a lot of good theater people in Demopolis,” she said.
The video will be filmed in three Demopolis locations, beginning in the chapel of Trinity Episcopal Church Saturday morning, moving to the ICU at Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital and ending at DHS.
Tutt has invited friends and family to be part of the final concert scene to be shot in the DHS auditorium.
The journey to this weekend has been a whirlwind of activity since last July when Tutt first recorded You’re the Glory.
Her mentor and fellow performing artist Tony Gulizia introduced her to Barry Coffing, who, with Julius Robinson, wrote the song. Coffing gave her the OK to record it.
“It was the right key and everything,” said Tutt.
About that time the Lifetime Movie Channel aired the movie “The Preacher’s Daughter.” The main character sang the song, but the actress never recorded it for distribution.
The day the movie came out, Tutt made her version of it available on iTunes, and it has been getting favorable comments ever since.
Now her company, Jill Tutt Productions, LLC, in collaboration with Diamondstar Films, and parent company ITI (Innovation Through Imagination), is working to bring the story and song to the screen.
While in Los Angeles to record the song, Tutt and her husband, Webb, struck up a conversation with a man in their hotel lobby, as Southerners do. When he asked what the couple was doing in town, Tutt told him of her recording. He immediately pulled it up on YouTube.
The man they were talking with turned out to be ITI video producer Michael Hudson of Little Rock, Ark. He offered to create a video of the song with his cinematographer son Denver and began developing a detailed storyboard.
The video weaves the story of a family dealing with unthinkable tragedy and the ultimate loving gift to produce lifesaving triumph for another family.
The story in the video was inspired by a woman who donated her child’s organs. The Hudsons support the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance, and the video is being offered for use in promotions.
Denver Hudson has an impressive body of work including 18 video pieces for the Alliance.
“This is a powerful video lending to us all its moving message of God’s everyday presence in our life and God’s ability to guide us through the troubled waters we all face each and every day,” he said.
Denver Hudson has created a documentary film on the Tournament of Roses Parade and award winning short stories in multiple genres. This body of work would be impressive for anyone, but taking into account this cinematographer is only 16 years old and a sophomore in high school adds and even greater impact to his story.
You’re the Glory has a special meaning for Tutt. “It came in a time in my life that was difficult,” she said.
The song is the only spiritual on her yet-unnamed album. Others include jazz, pop and contemporary country, Tutt said. The lyrics are about life, love and relationships.
She recorded all 10 songs in two trips to Los Angeles over Christmas break.
Tutt is taking a wait-and-see attitude about the album’s release.
“I’m just having a good time,” she said. “Things have been happening, and I’m enjoying it.”
Her family is supporting Tutt wholeheartedly. “My husband is my biggest fan,” she said. “He gets so excited.”
At a recent meeting of the cast members, Tutt and one of the video facilitators Jody Tartt, went over particulars of filming. They discussed wardrobe, how to cry on cue, and even switched “spouses” for better effect.
Once the filming in Demopolis is complete, the Hudsons will shoot a meadow scene with Tutt at the family Camp David in Dayton.
Cast members for the video include Tarrt, Kirk Brooker, Jennifer Roemen, James Burke, Mary Morgan, Mike Rogers, Mike Grayson, Debbie Nichols, Garrett Baker and Kelley McGahey.
Extras in the production are Leslie Gibbs, Frank Calloway, Cyd Boland, Tony Nicholson, Shannon Pittman, David Tutt and Kate Hightower. Laurie Willingham also serves as a facilitator.