Kelowna actress joins cast of Midway music video

Kelowna actress Jen Procé will be featured in a music video recently filmed in Midway, B.C.

The village father-son duo Son of John filmed the video for their unreleased single, “Put Your Hands Up” over the June 24-25 weekend.

Speaking for the band, songwriter and guitarist Javan Johnson was careful not to give too much away. “We’re going to leave it to audiences’ interpretation as to what it’s about,” he explained, saying only that the music video plays on the song’s title.

On-set pictures show a wedding scene set against the backdrop of Midway’s Bridge drop-in centre. Lead vocalist John Johnson is dressed as an old-time pastor, with son Javan and Kelowna actress Jen Procé featured as happy newly-weds.

Kelowna actress Jen Procé (front left) and Midway musician Javan Johnson pose for a shot during the filming of Son of John’s ‘Put Your Hands Up’ on Saturday, June 24. Photo courtesy of Javan Johnson

Procé had been cast by the Johnsons’ production company, Kelowna’s Film Factory. But Javan said Procé was so “humble and down-to-earth — it was as if we had known each other for a long time.”

Javan, who teaches P.E. and English at Midway’s Boundary Central Secondary School, said he’d personally cast students Wyatt Lasai and Brayden Goddard.

The cast and crew of ‘Put Your Hands Up’ gather in front of Midway’s Bridge drop-in centre, featured as a church in the music video. Photo courtesy of Javan Johnson

The Johnsons, who used an $8,000 grant from BC Creative to spur the project, had held off filming until late June. “We didn’t want to get caught in the rain, but we didn’t anticipate having to shoot in a record-breaking heatwave,” Javan laughed, noting that he’d worn a black tuxedo for the entire first day of filming on Saturday, June 24.

Johnson said that he and his father are tentatively planning to screen the finished music video in the village. “We want to give a big thanks to the community for accommodating the production,” Javan said, adding that the video will feature not just The Bridge, but also McMynn’s Family Foods and the Keg and Kettle Grill.

Son of John hopes to release “Put Your Hands Up” in song and music video form no later than Sept. 1.

@ltritsch1 laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.