Anyone paying close attention (who loves Amy Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman) will see the artists make cameos in the film, which, during the screening in Orlando, brought laughs and cheers from the audience.
Assembling a top-notch creative team As the first-ever Christian musical film, it was impor- tant to Vasquez and Powell to create a movie that was at least the same caliber as a Disney musical, if not better. In order to bring the story to life visually, musi- cally and through story at such a high level of quality, the producers knew they needed to bring a phenome- nal creative team to the table. Te creative team includes Emmy-, Billboard- and
MTV video award-winning director and screenwriter Roman White. “He brought a beautiful vision for this picture,” Vasquez says. Te producers knew that the critically-acclaimed movie “Te Greatest Showman” was directed by a music video director, so they felt White would be a perfect fit. Music producer Adam Watts came to the team aſter working on Jeremy Camp’s early records and eventually going on to write for Disney movies like “Camp Rock” and “High School Musical,” and producing music for artists like Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and others. Watts has “a huge heart for Jesus, with a pocket [full] of a music genre we wanted,” Vasquez explains. “It couldn’t have been more God-ordained.” Add in choreographers Melena Rounis and Paul Becker, along with top dancers from around the country, and you’ve got a team that could make this dream a reality.
Finding a talented and passionate cast Te team spent a lot of time trying to fill the roles for the teen stars of the film. “We wanted to bring some- body in who could not only carry it musically, which is one level of high expectations,” Vasquez explains, “but could also dance and act. We needed a triple- threat” for all the roles. Vasquez and Powell are amazed at how God brought
the team of talented actors to the table. I spoke with Bailee Madison, who plays Avery, who said she’d been praying for God to bring her something that was a fit for her beliefs. Growing up in a family that loves Jesus,
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www.ccca.org February/March 2020
prays, goes to church, listens to Christian music, faith has always been part of Madison’s life. She’s been acting since she was just 7 and is intentional about choosing roles that align with her faith and values. With “A Week Away,” Madison came on as an asso-
ciate producer as well as the lead actress. She had the opportunity to speak into Avery’s character. “A lot of movies portray characters who seem to have it all together because of their faith, but I know there are no perfect people,” Madison shares. “There were a lot of revisions to the script pushing into that.” As a result, Madison hopes that kids and teens watching the movie can see themselves in one of the charac- ters, and, especially, realize that it’s OK for them not to have it all figured out and that they don’t have to walk through life alone. Spending her life on movie sets, Madison hadn’t
experienced camp for herself, so when preparing for her role she asked several of her friends about their camp experiences growing up. “I heard stories about them finding who they are, relationships they built, being surrounded by love. [Tose experiences] shaped them into who they are today, which is such a power- ful and beautiful thing.” Kevin Quinn came into the lead role of Will aſter
several seasons on Disney Channel’s “Bunk’d.” “He wanted a role where he could spread his wings and showcase his love for both acting and music,” Vasquez explains. When the two actors came together, it was “a beautiful combination of talent.” Several other talented teens round out the main cast
of campers, while the comic relief, adult supervision and teaching at the camp come from Sherri Shepherd and David Koechner. Anyone paying close attention (who loves Amy
Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman) will see the artists make cameos in the film, which, during the screening in Orlando, brought laughs and cheers from the audience.
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