10 years ago, it was not uncommon to see Hollywood actors in West Michigan. At that time, there were countless TV and film projects underway, thanks to the state’s lucrative tax incentives for filmmakers.
These days, though, it’s pretty rare. Nevertheless, a small handful of LA-based actors spent time in and around Grand Rapids for the better part of May, as a new TV series titled “The Watchers” was being filmed in different parts of West Michigan.
“It’s an angels versus demons, faith-based action series with heart and some muscle behind it,” said Kevin Porter, who stars in the series. “It's a project unlike anything I've done. I'm built for battle. I'm a big guy, so I fight a lot, and I growl a lot. I know my lane, and I'm pretty good in it. But this right here lets me veer over into more of a softer side, in a softer lane, have more heart and more resonance.”
He was joined by other actors out of LA including Ciera Foster and Alfred Hsing. In fact, the three were kind of a package deal, having done multiple projects together. Porter said it's a joy to share the screen with Foster and Hsing, and he believes "The Watchers" has the potential to change the world.
A total of eight episodes were filmed over 17 days, which meant 12-hour workdays for the cast and crew. It may sound grueling, but this was all part of the training for local college students studying film. In a very real sense, the filming locations doubled as classrooms for many of the crew members who are students at Compass College of Cinematic Arts, a non-profit Christian film school in downtown Grand Rapids. Even the writer and director are both graduates of Compass College, which is a co-producer of the project.
Jay Greer, the president of Compass College, said the ball got rolling a few years ago when Compass students and alumni filmed the pilot for The Watchers.
“Eventually, that pilot was looked at by Redeem TV, and Redeem TV asked to see the script,” he said. “All of a sudden, they asked for all eight episodes of the story.”
Redeem TV is a Christian streaming service that offers family-friendly content. Porter, who’s best known for his role in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, said he never hesitated at the opportunity to be part of a faith-based project.
“I think everything happens when it should, and this came along at the time that I needed it,” he said. “Being in the industry and having my faith, a lot of times they don't gel well together, and I don't know why that is. My faith I have kept relatively between me and my loved ones. It's almost like a secret society, if you would go and say ‘are you a Christian?’ They will say it on the down low like they're whispering. ‘Are you a Christian?’ And then I'm like ‘why are we whispering this?’"
He said he’s recently become proud of his Christian roots, despite feeling like he had to hide it for part of his career, and this project has helped him in his faith journey.
“Last Easter, I was so excited to wish everyone happy Easter. ‘HAPPY CELEBRATION OF THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS!’ And they were like ‘well dang,’” Porter said. “I'm proud of who I am, I'm proud to be southern, I'm proud to be a Christian. I used to use words like the universe, and the universe is interchangeable with God. ‘Well the universe nudged me in this direction. Listen to the universe.’ I would say, ‘Kevin, why don’t you say what you mean? Say just listen to God, that He will lead you in the right direction.’ But I would always swap it out for universe because that's a wink wink, nudge nudge, little secret code word. But I think after this experience of shooting this series, I'm going to go on my social media and say ‘proud Christian.’”
Porter, who also starred in the original pilot in 2019, got attached to the project after being contacted directly by the director, Compass alum Aaron Greer. Porter went on to say he was honored to be part of "The Watchers," and he poured his heart and soul into the project.
"I knew the talent that was behind the writing of Aaron, and he's a really good director," Porter said. "When I said that the Watchers came along at a time in my life when I needed it, it truly did. And so I'm very thankful for it. I'm a servant of this project, and it's the hardest I've ever worked on anything. It's the most dialogue I've ever had, most fighting I've ever done. I'm in every scene just about, and that is Aaron's faith and trust in me. And just by virtue of someone trusting you with that, you can't let them down."
Zeeland native David Gries, who plays Porter’s estranged brother in the series, said he's also thrilled to be part of the project, especially since it allows him to do what he loves without having to travel, and he thinks more projects should be filming here on a regular basis.
“I believe Michigan is a really great place to film television and film projects,” Gries said. “We have a lake that can look like an ocean, we have dunes that can look like a desert. We have forests, we have cities, we have rural and urban, we have everything here in Michigan to do it, and loads of talent.”
All the actors said they greatly enjoyed filming in West Michigan, and they’re hopeful the series gets picked up for a second season, so they can spend more time here.
“This is my first time in Michigan, and it's been a really great experience,” Hsing said. “We did a little bit of kayaking on the lake. It's just been beautiful. I feel a little more connected with nature out here as well.”
“Obviously in LA there's just a plethora of sets and designs and studios, but here it's been interesting because we've been really able to utilize the city,” Foster said. “It has something organic about it, so it's pretty cool. Hopefully we'll come back for season two of The Watchers. There's some terrain I haven't gotten to experience yet. Whether it's producing or acting, I definitely would love to come back to the dunes and the lake. That would be awesome.”
Greer and the students at Compass College are also hoping this is just the beginning of a successful series. If so, Greer says the school is well equipped to continue filming.
“We're just starting our 25th year right now, and Compass has always been hands on,” he said. “So we have a soundstage here that has the green screen and the inside part. We've also invested in industry-level equipment, so the RED cameras and LED lighting. The students get first-hand experience, so when they do walk into the industry, whether it's doing commercials in advertising and marketing locally, or whether they're going on a shoot, they already have hands-on experience with the equipment and in a setting situation.”
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