How "The Tower" survived the storm and demolition, and revitalized Downtown
“Before March 28, 2000, a tornado had never collided with a skyscraper. Some mistakenly believed twisters could not touch down in a city's center. But 25 years ago, an F-3 tornado crossed the Trinity River and smashed into Downtown Cowtown. The Tower, known in 2000 as Bank One Tower, took a direct hit.”
“Rob shares his experience transitioning from the $100,000 feature film, The Last Whistle, to a $10,000 documentary, Walkout, and the valuable lessons learned along the way. Throughout our discussion, we explore the realities of micro-budget filmmaking and distribution through the lens of both projects. Topics covered include:
• How scaling down production increases creative control
• Working with traditional distributors vs. self-distribution platforms
• Marketing & AVOD strategies for micro-budget films
• The importance of building a sustainable filmmaking career
• The value of making multiple films vs. betting only on one project
• Finding success through grassroots marketing and community outreach”
“‘There will be no shortage of bathtub shelters, office building sprints, and ultimately, the view from hundreds of feet above Throckmorton and Fifth, where a hundred diners at Reata were forced to take shelter.’”
“In 2007, while a student at Fort Worth All Saints, Smat made his film festival debut at Fort Worth’s Teen VideoFest with the short film “Tornado Safety.” He said that while the judging committee felt the topic wasn’t directly relevant to the festival theme, they screened it as an exception.”
“‘While I could have taken a traditional approach to the story, starting with a publication proposal and shopping that around, I decided instead to write the manuscript in full and land this release date as close to March 2025 as possible, which will be the storm’s 25th anniversary,’ he said. ‘We’ll see how that timetable holds up. Any delays will be the result of more details emerging in interviews that can make the book that much better.’
‘Additionally, I’m counting on a big debut for …“Twisters,” which will leave the entertainment industry scrambling for similar content to option.’
“Celebrating the religious rite other newlyweds take for granted became a challenge for the young filmmaker and his fiancée. In 2020, the United States was battling COVID-19.”
“‘They shut the churches down,’ recalled Smat, who recounted how COVID impacted the wedding industry and his own nuptials in The Wedding March, his recently published book. ‘We would have married inside the church with just the priest and the two of us present, but [the state] wouldn’t let us.’”
The AZ premiere of WALKOUT at the Chandler International Film Festival
“While both ‘Dumb Money’ and ‘Power to the Players’ are non-fiction, only the latter features a plot that’s not forced to fit into a two-hour runtime.”
“There are hundreds of anonymous folks whose words are crucial to every twist and turn of this story,” he said. “If the good people at r/Superstonk don’t like my book, there’s no way anyone else will, so this is for them.”
Histria Books, an independent publishing house with offices in Las Vegas and Palm Beach, is pleased to announce its participation in the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition. The conference will be held in Chicago, IL from June 22-27, 2023.
“There are so many filmmakers that want to focus on what’s inside the camera. I’m the opposite. Look at your script, your performances, pull yourself outside of your monitor, and the rest will follow.”
“Way more people will watch a well written and directed film with average cinematography than the opposite.”
‘Walkout’ after mass shooting at El Paso Walmart is topic of film to screen in Fort Worth
“One of my least favorite things is when, especially with documentaries, they’re going to answer all the questions at the end of the movie,” he said. “And I think that a lot of the questions that we ask in this movie are more complex than a simple answer might dictate.”
“While there are obvious budget restraints in effect here, the characters' emotional arcs and the screenwriting by director/writer Rob Smat save the film.”
variety
"[Brad Leland is] perfectly cast as the most overbearingly demanding Texas high school football coach to appear on screen since Jon Voight."
D-Magazine
“Rob Smat knew he needed plenty of teammates to get his Texas football movie to the end zone.”
Ft. Worth star-telegram
“Smat filmed (The Last Whistle) in his hometown, and paid homage to the places where he used to hang out after football practice.”
Film threat
“(Smat’s) actors deliver mighty performances.”
L.A. Sentinel
“Director Rob Smat made it clear that he wanted to stray away from other sports medicine films…and stated that getting the science right was paramount for he and his team, to really grasp the authenticity of an utterly misfortunate circumstance.”
Kansas City Star
“(Smat said), we wanted to have a grassroots approach to our audience (and casting Les was part of that effort).”
Cook children’s
“Suddenly a player collapses on the field. This is a plot point in a movie, but it's also based on fact.”
Fort worth weekly
“Smat shot a large chunk of The Last Whistle here in town, perhaps maybe where you’re reading this right now.”
fort worth business press
Fort Worth Native Leverages City
saturday down south
Les Miles, the Actor?
awful announcing
Interview with Last Whistle Director Rob Smat
Ku sports report
Acting was a Passing Fancy for Les Miles
WBAP Radio
"They'll play (‘Til the Last Whistle Blows) at high school football games forever."
Radio Texas Live
Hear Now: Pat Green on the The Last Whistle soundtrack
Lubbock Journal
"It will help prevent a lot of deaths in sports,” said Leland."
WFAA ABC
Texas football, California film graduates, and a potentially life-saving story.
Press releases
