From Colorado to Ohio: The Journey That Became Missing Pages - One Last Look Back
It’s time to close the chapter. ❤️🩹 For those who have been following the journey, you’ve already seen the heart, the soul, and the vision behind this symbolic experimental short, but releasing a documentary allows me to show another side of this film, and to show off the people who helped me make it.
I am so grateful for every festival, every screening, and every award that was given to Missing Pages, but the story could not have been told without Abby Turbyfill or Allison Felty.
2024 Premiere & Spellbound
Filming in Colorado truly was an… um… well… an experience. There was a lot of different things happening at once in my personal life and creative life. This trip followed attempts to fundraise for a feature-length film after our successful, sold-out UnbelievaBowl Premiere in 2024.
Allison and I had never done any type of fundraising before, and we learned a lot of hard lessons. Our 2024 premiere did wonders for us on a community and branding level; however, we SUCKED at the fundraising part. How much did we raise for the film? Nothing. The money we raised at the event allowed us to broke even with the event (which is still something we are so grateful for) .
2024 UnbelievaBowl Premiere
We attempted an online fundraising campaign through a platform called Seed & Spark. This platform was all or nothing. We got the nothing. HAH.
We decided to fund the trip ourselves, so I’d like to personally shout out Discover, Chase, and my Amazon credit card for helping make the Colorado trip for Spellbound (working title forever) possible.
Matthew, Allison, and Caleb on set of Spellbound.
This season was truly a season of lessons. Everything that could’ve gone wrong on the trip did, from rental car issues, to weather issues, to personal issues, to film issues, to sound issues… you name it. We barely even made it to Colorado because Delta was having tech issues, and our plane was the last plane they let out. We got lucky there. During one of our film days, our sound gear malfunctioned and the whole scene was unusable. We had to think and act fast because we were on such limited time at that point.
That trip really brought me closer to my friends and family. There were moments I’ll never forget that helped make us stronger. Getting to the first take of Spellbound felt impossible, but we got it, and I’m so proud of my team, myself, and everything we learned on that trip.
The Colorado trip really felt like the tiny seed where Missing Pages began… after the first take of a film we believed in so much… and still do.
The Birth of Missing Pages & Production
The Journals & Letters of Missing Pages
When we returned home from Colorado, I really needed to get my thoughts and my life in order. I realized that was something I had put on the back burner for an extremely long time. I spent quite a long time in deep self reflection, which ended up being one of the most painful yet restorative things I have ever done for myself. This is where Missing Pages started coming to life.
When I approached Abby and Allison about helping with this film I told them why I had to make, and I’ll never forget the love and support they showed me. When the vlogs and fun weren’t happening, they saw me at my worst many times, and they were still so loving and patient with me during this season.
On Set of Missing Pages | My Bedroom at the time
Missing Pages was filmed all across Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Sweet, Sweet Ohio ⛵️🍁🌃🍔
Why do y’all dog on Ohio?? I love Ohio and I always will. Some of my most favorite places and memories will always be in Ohio and getting to film pivotal moments in Ohio helped me connect a lot of missing pieces and help me remember things there as I saw them; beautiful.
Abby did all of the traveling scenes in Ohio with me, and maybe I traumatized her a little, but we made some great memories doing this. In my defense, that was a big sidewalk and it did look like it was for cars.
Mentor Ohio | Headlands Beach State Park
Abby Turbyfill | Headlands Beach State Park
I’m so lucky to have such an amazing and talented friend like Abby to help me on this journey. One thing I noticed about Abby was how good she was at walking through scenes with me and having such an amazing eye for detail. I feel like a lot of what you see in Missing Pages, especially the Ohio shoots, had a lot of special touches from Abby.
Blue Ash, Ohio
The shoot in Blue Ash, Ohio was the very first scenes we filmed. I think we were in Ohio for 4–5 days total, and we didn’t have a lot of time. We got there, checked into the hotel, and immediately left to start shooting. I believe we started at 11 PM and didn’t finish until 5 AM that first night.
You’ll hear all three of us talk about the weather a lot in this documentary because we shot in FREEZING COLD weather. That was a super cold year. When we shot in Blue Ash (the playground), we had to switch our set up to handheld because a lot of the tech and camera supplies I brought kept frosting over that night as a result of the cold temperatures, which caused much of our equipment to malfunction.
Cincinnati
I love this city so much. It truly became even more beautiful to me after getting to make Missing Pages there. This is where we got to have some fun with the drone. I was incredibly nervous it was going to crash (because if it did I would’ve had to drive to Canada to get the replacement) and thank God it didn’t. Abby did a great job flying it, and that was one of her first times flying it. Go Abby!!!
I’ll never forget how everything felt that night….the weather, the emotions, the smells, and the pain from the cold. It was perfect.
Kent, Ohio
There isn’t a thing I don’t like about this place… don’t get me started on the food. Swenson’s, if you’re reading this, please come to TN before I move. You can really tell when a city takes pride in their community and town, and Kent Ohio is one of those places. They have the neatest little stores, walkways, bars, food places… everything about it is amazing. It is so alive, and I can’t wait to go back.
Abby and I shot in Kent for a couple of days, and while we were there, we also made a trip to Mentor, Ohio to film at Headlands Beach State Park. It was cool getting to take Abby there. It was her first time seeing one of the Great Lakes. LAKE ERIE! …and you know what? It’s not even that eerie.
Tennessee
Go VOLS!!! Allison Felty, my A1 since Day 1, did all of the local shoots with me. Allison has patience and loyalty like no other. We work so well together because apart from loving film, creativity, and art, pursuing film has also always been a dream of hers. Way back when, Allison is actually the one who introduced me to my first film festival, I worked on a mystery thriller with her with a team she put together. I was so honored she asked me to help and we’ve come such a long way since then. Coming back to Maryville and reconnecting with her truly was meant to be.
On Set of Missing Pages
Missing Pages brought us so close together… and just like Ohio, it was cold that year in TN. We had to cancel some of our shoots because the weather was too cold. Anything Allison does with film she naturally picks up, and she’s so game to go with the flow. It was so touching to have her help with Missing Pages because we typically write films together, but I wrote this one on my own because it was so personal, and she fell in love with the story and connected to it on such a deep level. Her support and enthusiasm mean the world to me.
Andrew Dennis & Allison Felty | Marketing Shoot
We filmed many late nights in that barn. I poured fake blood on my chest so many times, and we didn’t stop until we got what we needed. Pouring cold fake blood all over yourself in under 20 degree weather is something to remember.
There was actually a scene we deleted out of the first cut of Missing Pages because we were able to get permission to film at my old school in a beautiful chapel. As soon as we got the green light, WE WENT and filmed the scene, and it just made the film much more beautiful.
Artwork & Marketing
My sister-in-law is the most talented graphic designer I know. Sadie Dennis, designed the final poster for Missing Pages. Sadie always works on designs for Dennis Films, and this is something she worked on for months. We both knew and mutually agreed that the final poster should feel more “healing” than the pre-release marketing materials. Sadie has such a creative mind, and I told her everything about the symbolism, emotions, and story behind Missing Pages, and she ran with it. When she sent me the final design I was in tears. The piece is truly something you have to just sit with and take in.
Missing Pages Final Poster | Designed by Sadie Dennis
Andrew & Sadie Dennis
Jaynie Dennis, another one of my amazing sister-in-laws, made me the most beautiful watercolor painting and brought it to our 2025 premiere. She surprised me with it, and I am never going to be able to fully put into words what it meant to me. The detail, the thought, the emotion she put in the painting… Jaynie has such a big heart, and she’s shown me such unconditional love, and that painting is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Jaynie has so many gifts, and I’m honored she shared that with me. It’s more than I could’ve ever asked for.
I love my sister-in-laws so much. ❤️
Missing Pages Artwork | Designed by Jaynie Dennis
Andrew & Jaynie Dennis | Dennis Films 2025 Premiere
Looking Back
Missing Pages changed my life, and I’m a little sad to post the documentary because it’s time to let it go now. Missing Pages was something I held onto for a long time as I navigated a difficult season. This feels like a bittersweet goodbye. This film truly took blood, sweat, and a whole lot of tears to make.
The film became something much more than I ever thought it would. It sparked some really amazing conversations, it has taken me all across the United States, and its changed my personal and creative life in such a profound way. It’s given me peace that I can now look back at memories, journals, letters, places and remember them as they were supposed to be, and how I saw them… beautiful and real.
This film brought me connections, opportunities, and taught me how to be more true and vulnerable with myself, and the ones that are close to me. I hope that it can do that for you. Thank you Abby & Allison, thank you Missing Pages, and thank you to everyone who joined me on this journey as it unfolded.
When I started this film, there were a lot of Missing Pages in my own life that I desperately wanted to find… I think I found some of them in making this film. I’ve also come to understand that answers i’ll never have, and there can be a small freedom in knowing and accepting that. With great honor and deep, deep love in my heart, thank you… and…
