It doesn’t take long to figure out the reason behind the title of a new comedy film being shot in the area.
Two brothers want to go to Comic-Con; the only problem is they are short on cash. Their solution is “Not So Bright.”
“We are comedy nerds,” said Willis Fincher who along with his brother Dylan wrote and star in the movie, which started filming Sept. 3 and will continue through the end of the month.
The Fincher brothers grew up watching comedy and loving it. They wanted to create a movie with the sole purpose of making their audience laugh – no hidden meanings, no moral-of-the-story ending – just a fun flick to laugh at and make you feel good for a couple of hours.
In “Not So Bright,” Dylan Fincher’s character works at a golf course and things aren’t going well. The brothers get a not so bright idea when a drug deal goes wrong at Dylan’s workplace, and they decide to sell the drugs to pay their way to Comic-Con.
Over the weekend, the cast and crew shot scenes at Hephzibah’s Pointe South Golf Club.
Directing the film is Choice Skinner who spent 23 years working in the film industry in California before moving back to the Augusta area during COVID.
He sees comedy gold in this flick and believes it will be a classic.
Skinner said Augusta is filled with talented writers and filmmakers, and he wants to bring that talent into the spotlight. He hopes this movie will serve as a catalyst for others.
“I want to ignite a fire in Augusta so that more films will be made here,” said Skinner, whose independent film “A New Life,” premiered in August 2023; it was nominated for a 2024 NAACP Image Award and received a 2024 World Entertainment Awards’ honor for best writer.
Since moving back to the area, Skinner has been investing in the creative community, coaching actors and writers, helping them develop their craft.
In a June 2025 Augusta Good News article, he announced that he’s been scouting locations for an entertainment complex to further his mission. Rather than build something new, he’s been looking for a space that can be modified to suit his needs. The space would include a 99-seat theater with room for acting classes and to put on shows.
He’d like to see two films shot in Augusta a year, and Willis and Dylan Fincher said they aren’t short on ideas that can make that happen. They have been writing a mockumentary based on acting classes and have plans for a TV series.
Once filming of “Not So Bright” is completed, the movie moves on to the editing and post production phase, which could take several months.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards and is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
