NoVA Christian Film founder, independent film producer and northern Virginia native — Michael Tolosa — shot a teaser for his upcoming road film Drive, He Said in Aldie, Virginia this past weekend. The teaser is based on an unfinished feature-length script Tolosa is writing this fall, which is in turn based on a 1985 song by Christian musician & filmmaker Steve Taylor.

Tolosa (writer, director, and producer of the film) asked and received permission from Taylor to write a screenplay based on his song last spring during Taylor’s Blue Like Jazz tour stop in Washington, DC. “I’m planning to send him the finished script, along with the teaser trailer, and see if he’ll allow me to film the movie — and possibly be involved in some capacity as a producer.”

“I’d like to finish the script this fall, use the teaser to raise money for the film this winter and spring, and hopefully shoot the film next summer,” said Tolosa.

This weekend’s film shoot was tricky, because the story takes place in the peak of summer, yet the temperature outside was barely above 40 degrees. “I felt bad for Allison [the actress],” Tolosa said, “She’s out there in cut-off jean shorts freezing her legs off. It was imperative that we shoot now, though, because the leaves are changing, and it’ll soon be too late to get footage that looks like summer.”

Aside from the two actors (Josh Murray and Allison Howard), Tolosa was joined by Christa Geno of City Gates Productions who served as a production assistant on the short, three-hour shoot. All four are northern Virginia residents.

Primary filming occurred at the Christian-owned Aldie Liberty gas station with driving shots filmed on John Mosby Highway (Rt. 50), Gum Springs Road, and Evergreen Mills Road.

Tolosa shot the actors on a JVC GYHM100U camera and used a GoPro HD Hero2 camera with car mount for external driving shots. During filming at the gas station, a local business saw what was going on and offered the use of their mechanical lift for “crane shots.”

To follow the progress of Drive, He Said, become a fan of the film on Facebook.