“Saving Sophie” was inspired by a “News of the Weird” article about a young woman who walked in on her husband-to-be and the best man…. in a very compromising situation… which was upsetting enough and made even more upsetting because one of them was wearing her wedding dress.

Warren Portman, executive producer and father of Lorraine Portman, called his daughter on finding the article in a local paper. Lorraine had recently gotten divorced and her father comforted her with news of people who had it, at least in his eyes, much worse than she did. Lorraine thought the article was a perfect gem – a seed for a fun comedy - and off to her computer she flew to write the first version of what would grow into “Saving Sophie”.

“Saving Sophie” was shot on 50 rolls (20,000 feet) of 16 mm Kodak film, in Super 16,on an Aaton XTR owned and operated by Lorraine Portman.

Lorraine Portman is the only woman working in narrative film who is operating her own camera and shooting her own work.

It was shot on location in Saint Augustine, Florida.

There was a 15 day shooting schedule – most days running 11 hours.

A production crew of 18 – all student interns except for Lorraine and two people she had previously worked with on Victor Nunez’s “Coastlines”.  The cast and crew all volunteered their time.

The film was edited at Pete Winter’s Winterstone Productionsin Tallahassee. The sound mix was done there as well.

Academy Award winning sound mixer, Richard Portman, has been a teacher,mentor and sound guru to Lorraine since she was his student at Florida State University.  Richard and Lorraine’s father are cousins. Lorraine stayed with Richard and his wife Jacquelyn at their home in Tallahassee while editing “Saving Sophie”.

The edit to digi beta was done at Cineworks in Miami.

The film was made entirely in Florida and is truly an independent film.

The budget for the film came from a small inheritance Lorraine came into when her Mother suddenly and tragically passed away. Lorraine’s Mother was an artist and Lorraine felt that making a film would be a way she might turn her family’s tragedy into an endeavor of love, and honor her Mother’s artistic spirit and life filled with laughter. Her father has helped with some funding after Lorraine’s inheritance ran out, believing in the film and her talent, and continuing his tradition of supporting the arts on the home front.

Lorraine is currently teaching Screenwriting, Advanced Screenwriting, & Playwriting at Flagler College. She is also doing freelance film production work, directing for theater and film, and writing.