Presentation talks about 'Gone Girl' effects on Cape

A presentation by Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Chuck Martin and extra and "Gone Girl" committee member Jennifer Icaza-Gast covered everything from the revenue brought into the local economy by "Gone Girl" to the fine details of the shoot.

About 60 people attended the talk at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. Those who attended also got to tread a red carpet into the Geraldine Hirsch Room.

Filming began in Cape Girardeau in fall 2013, lasted about six and a half weeks and generated $7.5 million to $8 million for the community, Martin said. Final numbers still are being awaited.

Special screenings are planned for Oct. 2, and the official release date is Oct. 3.

The cast stayed in local hotels, dined at local restaurants and shopped at local stores. Various locations were commandeered for dressing areas, makeup rooms and staging areas. Some local restaurants favored by the production, said Martin, included Bistro Saffron, Muy Bueno and Andy's Frozen Custard, which caused the crew to say: "No one lost weight in Cape Girardeau."

"When we talk about a real, positive impact, it happened," Martin said.

Cape Girardeau was selected for filming over St. Louis and Hannibal, Missouri, he added.

"I certainly don't want to discount any of those communities. ... I think the reason Cape Girardeau got selected, ultimately, is that we have a wonderful mix of old and new. I think that truly it was exactly what [director] David Fincher was looking for. I think it just really made it easy for the selection of our community," Martin said.

Martin said he received word in May 2013 the movie was a go.

"We really didn't find out that it was 'Gone Girl' until a little bit later down the road," Martin said after his presentation. The initial contact with the Missouri Film Office was in March 2013 as part of the initial inquiry, and Martin had his first meeting with location manager Rick Schuler in April. Schuler then passed the baton to film location manager Steve Mapel.

More than 5,000 people went through the Rose Theatre and West Park Mall for the movie's casting calls. Hundreds of extras from around Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois were chosen, Martin said.

Among them were Martin and Icaza-Gast and her son, Austin, whose baseball team also was filmed.

Austin wound up missing about eight days of school for the shooting. But Icaza-Gast, who was teaching at Southeast Missouri State University at the time, said the movie was a "once- in-a-lifetime opportunity."

She added Austin's teachers were "really cool" and wanted to know what it was like on the set.

Icaza-Gast went with her son for the filming, and was asked back. At first, she was going to be a "baseball mom," but her role was changed to the girlfriend of a twenty-something guy.

Icaza-Gast and Martin both were amazed to find out how long it took to film one scene.

"It was very eye-opening as to just how difficult and challenging it is," Martin said.

Asked whether she could go back to when she was younger and choose being an actress over being a professor and mother, Icaza-Gast said she would choose the latter.

"It was a very lengthy, very long experience," she said, but she did enjoy herself.

Martin also handed out glossy brochures for the "Gone Girl" driving tour, which takes people through some of the locations where filming took place. The purpose of the brochure is to have people stay and shop in Cape Girardeau.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address: 711 N. Clark St.

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