Introducing Tabitha Wheeler, owner and founder of Wheelhouse Motion Pictures in Ashland, Oregon. Tabitha’s mission is to blend her love of filmmaking with the creation of immersive events. In today’s interview, I spoke with Tabitha about her passion for film and community building. We explore her creative projects and discuss the upcoming Share the Stoke Event — a celebration of Ashland taking place November 7th and 8th at the Ashland Armory.
Tabitha, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today, and congratulations on all the wonderful work you’ve been doing in our community!
Thank you! I’m really excited to share what we’re working on, and to invite everyone to attend our event this November.
To begin, can you tell us about your lifelong love for film?
There’s a running joke in my family about being careful of what you name your kids. My mother was named “Liesl” after the oldest daughter of the Von Trapp family in the Sound of Music and became a classically trained professional vocalist. Her sister, Chloe, was named after the ballet and became a professional ballerina. So naturally, when I was named “Tabitha” after the main character’s daughter in the show Bewitched, I was destined to work in film and television.
My grandfather was a brilliant software engineer who, when my mom was about 9 years old, showed her how the “magic” from her favorite TV show, Bewitched, worked: start the camera, freeze, stop recording, place an object, unfreeze, and voilà! Suddenly you’re a powerful witch.
Years later when I was about the same age as she was then, my mom showed me the little film they made together, shot silently on real film, cut and pasted by hand with scissors. I wanted to try it myself. I didn’t have reels of film and scissors, but I did have iMovie – and that was all I needed to step into the role of the witch I was “destined” to be.
This was my first film, and from that moment on I was hooked. I started creating “movie magic” in any way I could. By the time I was 11, I was writing and directing my own productions. One of my favorites was Behind the Rotating Wall, a murder mystery-turned-kidnapping (toned down on my parents’ advice) set in a 1950s Sherlock Holmes detective era. My 6th grade teacher Mrs. Price had a green screen that she let my friends and I play with, experimenting with backdrops, and raiding Goodwill for costumes, until we designed the perfect poster for our marketing efforts. We staged the production at our local library, where more than 150 people from the community showed up to support us. That experience, like so many before and thereafter, cemented my love of directing and storytelling, and I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.
You studied film in college and eventually launched your own production company, Wheelhouse Motion Pictures. What inspired you to take that leap?
I had the opportunity to visit 20th Century Fox while still in college, and spent some time on the set of Fresh Off the Boat. There I had the chance to talk to an award-winning director, and she gave me some cut-and-dry advice that stuck with me ever since: “If you want to be a director, you need to direct.”
It might seem obvious, but that moment completely changed the way I thought about the path I was on. I had always been told that if you “do your time,” eventually you’ll meet the person who can hand you the opportunity you’ve been dreaming of. And while I absolutely believe in the value of mentors – it’s important to look up to those who came before you and learn from their advice – “doing your time” doesn’t mean waiting. I understood if I wanted to prove myself as a director, the only way was to create my own opportunities.
That’s why I became the founder of Wheelhouse Motion Pictures. I didn’t want to wait for permission to create.
To date, you’ve taken on some very exciting projects. Can you share a few highlights?
Absolutely! My favorite project to date was my senior thesis film titled The Lost Years of Shakespeare. Most of my college years fell during COVID, which meant all of the industry-standard equipment that the Digital Cinema Program at SOU had was completely off-limits. So when things started opening back up my senior year, I wanted to go all out.
That’s exactly what we did.
The crew and I pulled off an epic sword fight at Rocky Butte National Monument in Portland, and an elegant gala scene inside the Ashland Springs Hotel Ballroom, and even edited a castle onto the hillside of the Oregon Coast to insinuate a 16th century England. But more than anything, what made the project so special was the people who believed that the vision was achievable and came together to make it happen. I’ll never forget the late nights with my classmates, kicking our feet in excitement as we watched back the footage. By the time we wrapped, over 200 people had directly contributed to the film in some way.
The Lost Years of Shakespeare went on to win Best Picture at our student film festival, and I got to take home a Canon R5C – the first camera I ever owned. That win became a cornerstone moment in the creation of Wheelhouse Motion Pictures, and that very camera went on to help make our debut documentary, Mt. Ashland: More Than a Mountain premiering this November. Many of the same people who took a chance on me back then are still by my side today, and I feel so grateful to have worked with them again on this film.
Part of Wheelhouse Motion Pictures’ mission is to create heartfelt films that inspire audiences to take bold steps toward their own passions. Tell us more.
We’ve all experienced leaving a theater feeling like the hero of our own story. For me, that moment came with Pirates of the Caribbean, watching Elizabeth Swann transform from a sheltered Governor’s daughter into a pirate king, or with The Notebook, feeling Allie’s “all-in” kind of love. Those characters stay with you, and whether you realize it or not, inspire a spark of courage, passion, and sense of possibility.
That’s the feeling I want to create through my films: epic stories filled with action, heartache, and triumph that leave audiences inspired to step more fully into their own lives. At the core, it’s about empowerment and having fun. My dream is to always make films that encourage people to love harder, open up to one another, and build a kinder, more connected world – while of course delivering some unforgettable entertainment along the way.
Mixing motion pictures with immersive events has quickly become a cornerstone of your company.
Yes – the game is changing. Technology has given us amazing tools, but it’s also made many of us feel isolated, and you could argue that film and television can sometimes fall into that same category of consuming content alone.
But cinema at its best is the opposite of isolation. Think of Barbie in 2023. People dressed in pink, took photos together, and turned going to the movies into a shared cultural event. Or go back to Star Wars, when fans lined up in Jedi robes, lightsabers in hand, and instantly bonded with complete strangers.
That’s what excites me: the potential for film to spark this word we hear all the time – connection. When you turn an audience into a community, you transform strangers into friends and entertainment into a core memory. That’s the space where I want my work to live, and a space that can’t be replaced with AI.
I love that. Community-building is such an important part of working together, and it’s been a key mission for me with LocalsGuide.
Absolutely. Connection is right up there with food and water: it’s something we can’t live without. And the best way humans have always connected is through sharing stories and experiences, creating memories, and being part of something bigger than ourselves. Like the LocalsGuide, I want to bring that energy into everything I do with Wheelhouse Motion Pictures whether that’s on set or on the big screen.
Right now you’re partnering with local businesses and community leaders here in Ashland to create such an event. Please tell us about it.
Yes! This fall, we are organizing a community event called Share the Stoke. For Mt. Ashland’s 60th season, we created a documentary titled Mt. Ashland: More than a Mountain. We interviewed Director of Snowsports and lifelong skiing legend Bill Hernon, along with his son Lyric Sylvan – a phenomenal freestyle skier and beloved instructor on Mt. A. Bill says iconically in the film “that’s the stoke, when you’re good at something and you get to pass it on,” so we decided that the premiere of our documentary is the perfect opportunity to celebrate all things enthusiasm. We would love for everyone to come join us and share the stoke!
Your event will take place over two days at the Ashland Armory.
Yes – Friday, November 7th and Saturday November 8th from 6:00-8:00 PM. We will have live music, complimentary beer and wine tastings provided by Weisinger Family Winery and Common Block Brewing, games and prizes from Wheelhouse Motion Pictures, food for purchase from Nomad’s Kitchen, and a huge giveaway after the premiere thanks to the generosity of Travel Ashland, Mountain Provisions, POSH Organics, Mt. Hood Roasters, and more to be announced soon! We will even have some lift ticket vouchers to give away for Mt. Ashland’s 25/26 season.
You can get tickets to Share the Stoke now on watchwheelhouse.com, with night one featuring Danielle Kelly Soul Project, and night two featuring Eight Dollar Mountain. You can also check out our two night pass if you love live music and want an extra chance at some of our giveaways. Both nights will feature a special announcement from Wheelhouse Motion Pictures. We are excited to share an exclusive look into what’s next for us at the event!
WATCH THE TRAILER || EARLY BIRD TICKETS
How can we, as a community, help make this event a huge success?
The best way to help is simply by being part of it! Early Bird tickets are on sale now. And, if you’d like to help in an extra special way, we’ve created a ticket add-on where you can share what you’re “stoked” about. Your words (and your name!) will appear in the credits — so if you’ve ever wanted to see your name on the big screen, this is your chance.
Sponsorships are open, and we’d love your support. Every bit goes a long way in making this event unforgettable! I hope to see you there!
Spread the word and Share the Stoke!
Tabitha, thanks again for taking the time to speak with me today. I look forward to continuing our conversation next month when we’ll dive deeper into the event and everything that will be happening.
Thank you for having me Shields! This was a lot of fun.
Learn More:
Wheelhouse Motion Pictures
(907) 242-0746
