Setting the stage: Basin Electric employees take on new roles

Acting provides the opportunity to be someone else for a while: a rich investor from New York, a railroad worker, or even a cowboy. Whatever the role may be, Tavis Freidt, Basin Electric manager of IT customer operations, and Nate Swenson, Basin Electric manager of IT operational technology, found their opportunity on the set of Canticle Production’s drama Medora: Empress of the Badlands.

Set in the rugged Dakota Territory of the 1880s, the film follows the Marquis de Mores and his wife, Medora, while they chase their dream of building a town and a business from the ground up. The film is based on a true story and takes audiences through the trials and tribulations the couple encountered along the way, including harsh weather conditions, skepticism, and powerful enemies.

From friendship to the stage

Dan Bielinski is a producer and director with Canticle Productions whose films include End of the Rope and Hazel’s Heart, as well as Medora: Empress of the Badlands.

Swenson and Freidt met Bielinski and his family through a Catholic homeschooling group, so getting involved in the films came through personal connections with the Bielinski family rather than formal auditions. Both Swenson and Freidt believe in Bielinski’s mission to promote truth, goodness, and beauty to the world. “Dan simply reached out to us as his friends, and we believe in him and his filmmaking so much that we are willing to help in whatever way we can,” Swenson says. Bielinski’s wife, Lilian, managed to cook meals for 30–40 people every day during filming — usually with an infant and several other children in tow — with extra help from family pitching in when needed.

“When Dan was producing End of the Rope, he was looking for a band for the film,” Swenson recalls. “He heard about the band I’m in, Asher, and reached out to ask if we would be willing to perform in the film, and we took him up on it.”  

Freidt says Bielinski was looking for help with set designing and building whenever he could get it. “I spent many late evenings helping to build and decorate the sets that were used for the filming of both Medora: Empress of the Badlands and Hazel’s Heart.”

Life on set

Filming took place in the former Kmart building in Bismarck, North Dakota. While Freidt had imagined an elegant location and grand accommodations for a movie set, there was a lot of work that had to be done to create just the right look and feel for the film. He also expected a lot of action to happen throughout the day. “To my surprise, there was a lot of downtime during filming,” he says. “We spent a lot of time between shots just sitting around.”

Between takes, the crew reset shots or adjusted lighting, and the actors mostly relaxed and hung out, often sharing meaningful conversations. “What stood out was how easily the professional actors could switch from intense, emotional scenes on camera to casually chatting about things like religion or sports as soon as the cameras stopped,” Freidt says. “Their professionalism was impressive to see.”

Swenson says that even though they were extras, everyone was very professional and respectful, making them feel like an important part of the team. “I gained a greater respect for actors and actresses because there are often several takes where they must get back into character and repeat scenes, trying to keep the energy up and stay in character over extended periods of time,” he says.

Committing to the process

Making a film is often an intense and exhausting process that demands long hours from everyone involved, even extras. Swenson and his son traveled to the Medora area for on-site filming, leaving very early in the morning and not returning until late at night.

“And we were only extras – the lead actors/actresses, directors, producers, and crew do this day in and day out for months,” he says. “I learned that filmmaking is a very laborious process. But like many things in life that take work, it can be very rewarding.”

Freidt estimates his total time filming was around 100 hours. “This pales in comparison to the amount of time Dan spent on this film,” he says. “He was consistently up at dawn and working until well after midnight.”

Lasting memories

Swenson and Freidt had many memorable moments while filming. For Swenson, it was sharing the experience with his wife and children. “Seeing the wonder and excitement on their faces as they see the sets and filming is a real joy and has been a memorable part of our lives,” he says.

For Freidt, while filming a bar scene, Bielinski approached him to say they were going to reset the scene and get a close-up of his face. “Apparently, I had a noteworthy scowl going on that he thought captured the moment well. As it turns out, that close-up made it into the film!”

Canticle Productions has more films planned for the future, and Swenson and Freidt plan to volunteer in whatever capacity they are needed.