Lights, Camera, Action

Keith Wallace knows well that inspiration can strike unexpectedly, sometimes with life-changing results. After experiencing such a moment this summer, he sprang into action and in a few short months, created a vehicle that could establish Collier County as a movie-making destination for Hollywood. 

The Naples resident is the founder of a new business, Wallace Entertainment, a multi-service, entertainment company. WE’s broad umbrella of services encompasses film production, editing, voiceover work, modeling, acting-modeling training and placement, entertainment events, and graphic design and marketing. 

“Basically, I want the company to be a one-stop shop for all things entertainment, no matter what you’re looking for, if you’re in the industry or you’re not in the industry,” said Wallace. “It’s for networking and to showcase what’s happening in Collier County and the talent that resides here.”

“Our tagline is, ‘We’re the Closest Thing to Hollywood in Southwest Florida,’” said Wallace. 

He’s been an actor and model for more than 20 years. As his day job, Wallace is chief of security for Collier County government. In this post, he conducted security assessments in preparation for the arrival of the Key Marco Cat at the Marco Island Historical Museum in 2018. 

Wallace’s ah-ha moment occurred when he sat down in early June to watch the just released, first installment of the Disney+ film series “Trials of Loki” with his son, Jonas, 24. The series picks up where Marvel’s hugely popular, 2019 film, “Avengers Endgame,” concludes. 

Aside from being a fan of Marvel’s superhero movie lineup, he had a more personal reason for tuning in. Wallace had a non-speaking role in “Avengers Endgame.” He portrayed an agent of the fictional law enforcement organization S.H.I.E.L.D in what is the second highest grossing movie in film history.

Wallace was in “Avengers Endgame’s” final scene, set in New York City in the fictional Stark Tower, headquarters of Ironman’s alter ego, Tony Stark. The scene features Loki, Thor’s arch enemy. Lo and behold, when Wallace and his son tuned in, they discovered that same scene was also used in the trailer for the first episode of “Trials of Loki.” 

He was blown away by what he described as a “lightning strikes twice” moment, being part of two Marvel productions after years of appearing as a featured extra in other films, as well as TV shows and commercials.

“It kind of told me, ‘This is what you’re supposed to be doing, your own thing,” explained Wallace. “I think I need to do something different other than being in front of the camera. I think I need to go to the next level. You’ve got the background and all this knowledge, now what are you going to do with it? Are you just going to continue doing side jobs?’”

Ironically, at that time, Wallace was also assisting a long-time friend with extensive experience and connections in Hollywood, producer-writer Joe Majestic, find investors in Southwest Florida for a film project.

Formerly of Los Angeles, but now of Bonita Springs, Majestic’s resume includes working for Ilya Salkind, producer of the first three Superman movies. He also has his own film and multimedia development and distribution company, "Hurricane Film Partners." 

Given the connections and credibility Wallace has established locally over his dual careers, the duo decided to join forces under the Wallace Entertainment banner for the film project, focus the investor search on this area and to shoot it in Collier County.

The film is entitled “Trial by Fire.” The script was written by James Bruner, who also penned the Chuck Norris movies “Missing in Action,” “Delta Force” and “Invasion U.S.A.” Kevin Sorbo will star and direct. He’s best known for starring in the TV series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Andromeda.” He also appeared in the Christian-oriented movies “God's Not Dead” and “Let There Be Light.”

Wallace Entertainment has three additional films in the pipeline, one of which involves the participation of Gray Frederickson, who won an Oscar for co-producing “The Godfather II.” Gray was also nominated for his work as a co-producer of “Apocalypse Now.”

As the two-pronged fundraising approach continues, Wallace is also focused on building public awareness of both the movie project and his company. He estimates they’ll need to raise $1.5 million to film “Trial by Fire.” 

“The hope is that by the time we reach investors with a business plan, they’ve already heard about the film because the hype was already built up,” said Wallace. “I’m hoping I can raise half the money we need very quickly. Investors are more inclined to buy in if they know they’re not the first person. I think with the one-two punch approach, we can make it happen.” 

Aside from the bottom line, providing aspiring or seasoned entertainment professionals with guidance and opportunities through WE is also priorities for Wallace. 

“When I got started in the business, I really had no one to help or guide me and I made a lot of mistakes,” he said. “I want to help others get started and make sure they don’t make my mistakes or get taken advantage of. I feel this will attract more people who have thought about getting into the business, but don’t know where to start and want guidance.”

To assist people already in the entertainment industry and those interested in joining, he’s created a Facebook group, Collier County Models, Actors, Photographers, Singers and Entertainers. The page is designed to enable artists to collaborate, find and advertise for gigs, post their work, list entertainment events and more. Maggie McCarty, director of the Naples-based Paradise Film Commission, is a member, said Wallace. 

“It’s also to showcase Collier County as not just a destination for family tourism, but also as a place for industry professionals to shoot their films,” explained Wallace. He said it’s common to get calls about shoots in Miami, Orlando and other southern Florida locales, places he believes by and large offer nothing that can’t be found in Southwest Florida. 

“We’ve got the beaches, we’ve got nice locations, we have pretty much what other cities have, but we’re getting overlooked,” he said. “And another reason to shoot here is, hey, the talent’s here. You don’t have to travel to Miami or Orlando.” 

A launch party for Wallace Entertainment is slated for 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM, September 18, at Komoon Thai Sushi & Ceviche, located at 1514 Immokalee Road, #109, in Naples. 

Wallace Entertainment is located at 4915 Rattlesnake Hammock Rd. #180, Naples. For more information about Keith Wallace and the company, visit went.media or wallace.entertainment on Instagram or call 239-599-7283. Visit the Collier County Models, Actors, Photographers, Singers and Entertainers Facebook Group or on Instagram at collier_county_entertainment