TIFTON—While Tifton has been no stranger to being a prime filming location, it isn’t every day that some of its residents are given a chance to be in those films and see the work that goes on behind the movie magic.

What’s even rarer is when that movie magic is put to work in bringing the next heartwarming holiday film to life, but thanks to some good cheer and impeccable timing, some of the faculty at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College were given just such an opportunity.

Film studio Workhorse Cinema rolled into Tifton the week of July 18 to film their next project, Christmas romance movie “The Holiday Dating Guide,” and the ABAC campus was among the list of locales they were interested in filming at.

Workhorse is rather familiar with Tifton, having filmed movies like “Gasoline Alley” and “White Elephant” almost exclusively right in the Friendly City.

While the film crew had initially only been interested in conducting a scene with the backdrop of one of ABAC’s fountains, explorations of the campus and subsequently Tift Hall gave them more and more ideas of what and where they could film.

With former president Dr. David Bridges transitioning into his retirement and new president Tracy Brundage still on the way, the vacant President’s office was in the perfect state for use by the film crew.

It was here where some of ABAC’s faculty and staff, like its Public Relations Directors–current and Emeritus–Chris Beckham and Michael Chason, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management Sunny Sparrow, and Marketing Media Coordinator Abby Clark were offered spots in the movie.

These roles were in actuality little more than background characters, doing miscellaneous actions just out of focus, but the ABAC staff were given a chance to see behind the scenes and get a spot on the screen, no matter how fleeting.

Indeed, the smaller roles were to their benefit, giving them the ability to join the cast and still juggle their normal workloads.

“Since we were right here on campus, we could do our regular work, and then they’d call us a few minutes before it was time for our scene,” Chason said. “We’d spend a couple of minutes doing the scene, and then return to our own work at ABAC.”

This limited role in the movie was especially helpful to Beckham, who had started as ABAC’s Public Relations Director just as Workhorse had come to ABAC. His first two days on the job were the very same two days the company was filming around campus.

“Not only was I–like any new job–trying to get adjusted to everything and onboarding and all that, instead of having a few people in our office, which we normally have, we had sixty or seventy strangers,” Beckham said. “The first day on the job, which is always chaotic, was a lot more chaotic.”

Despite the short time they spent actually involved with filming, Beckham estimating his segments cumulated at around an hour, both reported that they had enjoyed the opportunity, and appreciated the look into the processes that go into bringing these movies to life.

“It was a lot of fun to see how a movie is really made, see how the cameras roll…the attention to detail is just unbelievable,” Chason said. “Every facial expression, every prop, every piece of clothing, analyzed to just see if it fits the scene, and that it coincides with other scenes in the movie.”

Surprisingly, it seems the good feelings go both ways, as director Brian Herzlinger decided later on in filming to rework the script, having become attached to the City of Tifton’s character. Now, not only will the movie be filmed in Tifton, it will be set in Tifton as well, putting the Friendly City on the map in a big way.

The film isn’t set to be released until winter 2023, though Chason and Beckham have both heard rumors it may be unveiled in time for this holiday season.

Regardless of when it comes out, both men have expressed interest in watching it–and enjoy their moment on the big screen.