Movie Director Doc Durden and Producer M. Kameron Hawkins were seen in August 2021 at the Virginia City Union Brewery, filming their last project – The Long Branch Saloon Shootout: A Behind the Scenes Short Film based on a documentary. But how did this project come about?
The answer is quite simple. Doc had just finished working on his film, Leland, and had some free time before it was handed over to an editor. Only a few people had seen the final cut, including M. Kameron Hawkins, who was not only Doc’s colleague but also a close friend. Sadly, their adventures had come to a halt as Doc had passed away. Doc’s home went into probate, and most of his possessions were either sent to his family or auctioned off.
Before his passing, Doc had been discussing his plans to make a time-period western film called “The Bounty Hunter”. He had even offered M. Kameron Hawkins a role in the film, having worked with him on Leland before.
The duo had also talked about creating some short films based on historical events from the Wild West era of the 1800s. Doc Durden had suggested filming in Virginia City, Nevada, and M. Kameron Hawkins had said, “Off course”, laughingly. Considering that both men were residents and business owners of Virginia City at that time.
M. Kameron Hawkins came up with the idea to make a short film about the infamous Long Branch Saloon Shootout. He had already invested some funds into the project, and when he brought it up to Doc, he was immediately on board. Both were excited about this project, and they had a great time working on it together.
They carefully selected the perfect location, the Virginia City Union Brewery, which not only added to the authenticity of the film but also showcased M. Kameron Hawkins’s client, the Virginia City Union Brewery, in a positive light. After all, they believed in supporting the community first.
The Virginia City Union Brewery had recently become a client of the Virginia City Insider Magazine, and it was featured on the cover of the July/September Volume 1 Number 2 2021 edition. Dawn, the owner of the Virginia City Union Brewery, played a crucial role in making this project possible by opening the doors of her establishment in the early morning hours to allow for the crew to film. M. Kameron Hawkins takes this opportunity to thank her for her support.
“Since the filming of this short film and The Bounty Hunter in August and September 2021, a lot has happened to both Doc and me,” states M. Kameron Hawkins. Unfortunately, he doesn’t go into detail about what these developments were, leaving the reader to wonder about their future projects.
It’s clear that the making of the Long Branch Saloon Shootout was a passion project for both Doc and M. Kameron Hawkins, and they put their heart and soul into it. It was a bittersweet experience for M. Kameron Hawkins as he had lost his friend and colleague, Doc Durden, but they had created something special together that would live on through this short film based on a documentary.
Enjoy the show.