Out on the Edge of film

A local film production company wins six industry awards, several for work done on behalf of local nonprofits.Looking out the window of his oceanfront office on Moss Point, Edge Films producer Robert Cassard keeps the big picture in mind as he reflects upon recent success.

He won six Telly Awards at an annual event honoring creativity in televised commercials, programs and films. The result shocked him.

“I hadn’t entered a competition in 15 years,” Cassard explained. “I didn’t really believe in them, but for some reason this year I said, ‘Why not enter?’”

With 12,500 entries in the annual competition, Edge Films was up against big corporations such as Walt Disney Company and Sony BMG.

When it comes to competing with big companies, Cassard said he sees only one question: “Are you national quality or not?”

Edge Films, which Cassard co-owns and operates with his wife, Bara Waters, prides itself on its ability to achieve its goals from both a creative and a financial standpoint.

The two have been in the film business for more than 15 years, and they believe their backgrounds give them valuable skills.

Cassard is a former guitarist, marketing executive and music producer, and Waters is a former publicist with a degree in social work who also teaches homeopathy at a school in San Diego.

“She is ultimate creative strategist; I’m more practical,” Cassard said.

The goal is always simple for Cassard.

“We want to connect with viewers on an intellectual and emotional level, and will do whatever needed to achieve that,” Cassard said.

With big-name clients like General Motors and MTV, the content of the films can be expansive -- such as helicopters shooting exhilarating footage in the Grand Canyon. With smaller clients, they can be low-key, such as a voice speaking of the turmoil of the homeless population.

Edge Films won its highest Telly honor for “Ozan Music,” an HBO film about Lagunan Evren Ozan, a twelve-year-old Native American flute musician.

The company also won for projects with Mind Institute, which combines music and math at the elementary level, and with HomeAid America, a company that builds shelters for homeless people.

“I want my work to matter,” Cassard said. “We’re at a point now where we can pick and chose the work we want.”

Around half of Edge Films’ productions are made for nonprofits.

Cassard sees value from living and working in Laguna Beach, because the location itself provides a selling point.