Mind Forest Movie - Consultants

RAVEN GRIMASSI served as consultant to the making of the Mind Forest movie. He and his wife, Stephanie Taylor-Zarrab, made their rural land available for the Crow's Haven full moon ritual scenes. The portion of the land the ritual was filmed on was considered to be a sacred and highly charged circle. Therefore, it took a great leap of faith and confidence to allow a film crew into the circle for shooting. He provided guidance for the full moon ritual, including coordinating hand and body movement with ritual chants for Cassandra, Lori, and Ashley's characters. He also made available for filming his commercially zoned Raven's Loft book store where Cassandra meets the ghostly Rebecca. He played an elder colonist in the film during the forest scenes of 1631 Plymouth. Raven Grimassi is a renowned Wiccan lecturer and teacher and the author of seven books on Wicca and Witchcraft, including Wiccan Mysteries (awarded Best Book of the Year).

ARAWYN WALAYS was a consultant providing guidance for Witch rituals, chants, and historial enhancements to the storyline. With the help of members from his Hidden Grove Coven, he developed and refined major chants such as "We Call To Thee" and the Mind Forest time teleport spell. Members of Hidden Grove are seen in various timelines of the film's story, especially in the forest scenes performing actual Witch rites under his coordination. He portrays the enigmatic Malcolm Wallace, leader of a renegade band of colonists on the run through the forest during the 1631 Plymouth film scenes and in Cassandra's flashbacks. Arawyn Walays is a Wiccan teacher and lecturer.

STEPHANIE TAYLOR-ZARRAB seen as a ghostly shopkeeper and 1631 colonist was also this film's consultant. She provided period costume support for Sarah Winslow's character and guidance for the film's Witch rituals. Working with her husband, Raven Grimassi, she assisted in coordinating the performer's hand and body movement in concert with the full moon ritual chants at Crow's Haven. Stephanie Taylor-Zarrab is a Wiccan counselor, teacher and entrepreneur, assisting Raven Grimassi with his book promotions and traveling lectures and classes and with their online store, Raven's Loft.

ALAN JORGENSEN deserves honorable mention for supplemental advice and support he provided to the film's production. He contracted the use of his spacious rural estate for sun deck and interior scenes and most notably the 1631 forest scene with Malcolm Wallace, Sarah Winslow and fleeing colonists. Alan Jorgensen tirelessly cleared and prepped the dense forest area of his land during preproduction for the crew and talent. He allowed and entrusted the crew to film the period ritual scenes within a sacred stone circle in the forest most likely used by past native Indians in the area and more recently for pagan ceremonies.

Not Pictured: DUSTIN J. BYERLEY was a valuable advisor, producer, administrative director and partner during the film's planning phases, casting and preproduction. He and his company, Digital Produce, provided spacious office spaces in the Universal Pictures high rise building in Studio City during the early part of the project. Our offices were nestled on the floor between Steven Spielberg, Dreamworks and Universal Pictures, above and below... Nice way to start a film project. Dustin J. Byerley continues as a filmmaker and media consultant and content provider. His resume includes working relationships with Dreamworks, Universal Pictures and Virgin Records.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Images of Raven Grimassi, Arawyn Walays, and Alan Jorgensen were taken by photojournalist, Tim Hall, during preproduction rehearsals. Image of Stephanie Taylor-Zarrab taken by Kindra Jankowicz on the Plymouth forest set.