A bit of movie magic landed in Auburn last week, courtesy of the independent short film, “The Shootout”, which used the community’s iconic Neely Mansion as a location.

The Western – produced by Bellevue’s Ides of M Productions and written and directed by Craig Muller – illustrates the life of infamous American outlaw Jesse James.

“There are a lot of stories that personify Jesse James as a hero, a person who stole from the poor to give to the rich, kind of like a Robin Hood,” said executive producer Marco B. Nunez. “But there aren’t many stories that tell you a little of who he really was, this cold-blooded killer. He and the Younger gang murdered U.S. Marshals, went against the U.S. government and were outlaws.”

According to Nunez, Muller’s screenplay for the film looks to capture the motivation behind James’ decision to become an outlaw.

“We wanted to look at the decisions that he faced on a daily basis until his death,” Nunez said. “This story is fictional, but it relates to the plausibility that something like this actually happened at some point in his life, the choosing of right and wrong. It all goes back to choosing the path that Jesse and the Younger gang took.”

“The Shootout” stars Brian Sutherland, a Seattle actor, writer, producer and University of Oregon graduate, as James.

Nunez proposed using the Neely Mansion three months ago when the final decision to film the movie was made.

“I remembered the Neely Mansion,” said Nunez, who attended Green River Community College before transferring to the University of Washington. “Originally, it had been scratched because we couldn’t see the home completely in all it’s grandeur. But we got a hold of Pat (Holloway, president of the Neely Mansion Association), and she brought us in for a tour. It really was what we were looking for.”

Nunez added that the landscape around the Green River Valley and the mansion was similar to that of Missouri, James’ home state.

The production, featuring a crew of more than 35 people, took over the Neely Mansion last weekend, shooting interior and exterior shots.

Nunez hopes to complete the film in time for a mid-January release. Tentative plans are to premiere “The Shootout” in Bellevue, and enter the movie in national and international film festivals, including the prestigious Sundance.

Fundraising for the film was facilitated by www.indiegogo.com. “The Shootout” has raised half of the $10,000 needed to complete the film, Nunez said.