1 of 6

Lifelong Alabaster resident Sanchez Tanniehill is raising funds to create a short film that tells his life’s story. (Contributed/Antonio Boswell)

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – As the camera pans down to an ordinary suburban home, two young boys are seen clashing their toys boisterously before the mother shushes them to keep them from waking their baby brother. The mother, Victoria Tanniehill, then turns and makes her way down the hall and into the bedroom to check on the newest member of the household in his crib but recoils in shock and screams after finding that her child has suffered from a stroke.

These are the opening moments to the short film, “God Did It” which is based on the book by the same name and the real story of Shelby County native, Sanchez Tanniehill, who suffered a stroke at just six weeks old.

“It just leans itself toward faith in God, and if you’re a believer and you do believe in God, he does perform miracles,” said Kevin Wayne, executive producer and director of “God Did It.” “Sanchez is a miracle. I’ve known other kids that have had strokes like that… and they definitely haven’t done the things that Sanchez has been able to do.”

A lifelong Alabaster resident, Tanniehill was able to make a full recovery from the incident and has gone on to impact his community as a local author, speaker and gospel artist—living out the “miracle” in real time.

From script to screen

Tanniehill has made it his mission to spread stroke awareness and the creation of a short film seemed the perfect way to encapsulate his journey.

“It’s been one of my visions for a minute,” Tanniehill said.

However, he had a hard time getting a company on board to make his vision a reality. Until one day, he got in touch with his friend, Wayne, who agreed to sit down and discuss the possibility of bringing the story to the big screen.

“I met Sanchez years ago through some friends of mine… and we just kind of became friends,” Wayne said. “And then (one day) he messaged me and said, ‘Hey, would you be willing to meet at Starbucks, I want to talk to you about something.’ And I met him and he told me about his book and that he wanted to make it into a film.”

As they discussed the potential project, the most glaring issue was the lack of a budget. Wayne provided Tanniehill with a breakdown of the filming process and they decided to condense the story into a short film which would be used to market the project in the future.

“We started collaborating, and we got a short film script written,” Wayne said. “And then finding funding in this day and time for any film project is hard. So, after talking, I told him that I would direct a small trailer from the short film script for him to help raise funds.”

After a round of casting, filming for the teaser began on Feb. 21 and was shortly completed with a final rendition uploaded to the internet in the following weeks.

“It went great,” Wayne said. “I pride myself in pre-production, and we did a lot of pre-production just for that one day and it turned out really well.”

The final cut of the teaser conveys a darker and more serious tone for the start of the story with desaturated colors and an emphasis on the emotions of the characters.

“I want it to have a gritty feel—I just want it to be grit, raw and real,” Wayne said. “And to do that, that comes in color correction and it comes in the performances. And we took that all (into consideration) before we even started… I feel like we accomplished what we set out to do.”

According to Tanniehill, the transitions in the film between the initial bleak news from the doctor to Tanniehill successfully adapting to a normal life highlights the film’s central message and purpose.

“It’s going to be a faith-based film, and it’s going to highlight my story and my struggles,” Tanniehill said. “It’s going to show me going through my childhood and up to middle school and then a real person comes out at the end.”

For Tanniehill, the ability to tell a story through the medium of film may allow those who are going through similar struggles to more fully appreciate the films message which is the same message found in his book, “God Did It.”

“Someone may be going through the same thing I went through and their parents may not know how to deal with it,” Tanniehill said. “So, the book was a way to help them out and help them to believe that there is hope and God has a big plan for you.”

Funding a dream

With a script ready and written by Griffin Hood and Wayne picked as a director, Tanniehill looks to the support of the community to help make the film a reality.

“We just need to find that funding to start pre-production on the short film,” Wayne said. “And then the goal is to get the short film shot, get it done and get it in some festival and get some recognition for it and then use that as the tool to get the feature film funding down the road, to shoot the whole feature.”

Tanniehill and his organization God Did It Ministries started a fundraiser for the project with the goal of raising $57,000 for the creation of the short film.

“I think it would be great for people to take notice of Sanchez’s story and what God did,” Wayne said. “And it’s an Alabama-based film, why not support (it)?”

Tanniehill expressed his excitement for the project and shared that, if made, he believes the film can have a major impact on others.

“It’s amazing,” Tanniehill said. “I believe and trust God, this film is going to touch people and change lives. It’s going to be powerful.”

The fundraiser for “God Did It” can viewed online at Givebutter.com/SanchezsShortFilm. More information on Tanniehill and God Did It Minstries can be found online at Gdiministries.org.

More Alabaster Reporter

Take a bow: Lana Turner makes a difference for those with cancer

Fourth annual Pinwheels for Prevention set for April 26

Rachel C. Long Foundation hosts first Cornhole for a Cause

Alabaster holds third annual Touch-a-Truck