Behind the scenes of the horror movie being filmed in Three Rivers

THREE RIVERS, Mich. (WOOD) — A summer camp in Three Rivers is turning into the backdrop of a Hollywood horror film.

At Camp Tavor, which is normally quiet this time of year, there’s the sound of a movie set. And the person behind it all, Director Marc J. Morgan, is no stranger here. He was a camper 26 years ago.

“Since I was 14 years old I basically said I have to make a movie here,” Morgan explained.

Now he’s back with a full crew to shoot his slasher film “Crazy Bones,” about eight college kids who head to a fictional camp for a weekend getaway, to discover a legend about a murderer at the camp is real.

“This is definitely probably the biggest project I’ve ever worked on,” Morgan said.

While Morgan drives the vision, the details fall to people like Daniel Phillips, a Michigan-based special effects artist who’s worked on blockbuster sets around the world.

“Although the big films like “(The) Hobbit,” they’re very big and epic and everyone sees them, indie films are fun because I get a lot more creative control of the characters I do,” Phillips said.

He hopes this project inspires more projects in Michigan.

“Hopefully we get our film incentives back here and I can work more in Michigan,” Phillips said.

Legislation would bring back Michigan film tax credits

The production is also the work of producer Christopher Gaida, who helped build the storyline.

“It’s been really fun. It’s been really exhausting. We’re all going on three hours of sleep,” Gaida said.

Still, he says the long days are fueled by more than deadlines.

“They’re doing it because of the passion, and they’re doing it for the love of horror and the love of Michigan,” Gaida said.

For Morgan, this project ties both together.

“We are bringing Hollywood and “Crazy Bones” to Southwest Michigan, and we’re bringing Three Rivers to the rest of the world,” he said.

Filming is set to continue until Sept. 1.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.