 "Photo: Courtesy of John Klein")
Like many aspiring filmmaker, Cole Simon is prepared to pay his dues.
"I want to be a writer, actor, director - which means, of course, right now I'm a waiter at Johnny Rockets," Simon said.
A few months ago, John Klein, Simon's hometown friend, asked him to direct the film "Glass City." It is Simon's first time directing a full-length film. It is Klein's first time producing. Now, they have to do it on their own.
Simon, a senior in theatre, has some experience directing on-campus shows. He hopes to work in theatre or film after graduating in June, he said.
The story for "Glass City" centers around Mike Stegman, a man in his 30s who is living a stagnant life in Toledo - until he joins his sister's theatre company.
Klein and Simon both grew up in Toledo, went to rival high schools and became friends while working in local amateur theatre, which was inspiration for the story, Klein said.
"This is going to be a real organic film," Simon said. "We've both dealt with these situations before."
Klein graduated from the University of Notre Dame last spring. He wrote the screenplay the following summer while working as a freelance cinematographer.
Months after completing the screenplay, Klein thought a story grounded in Toledo culture probably wouldn't interest Hollywood producers, so he decided to produce it himself. He then immediately asked Simon to direct, he said.
"(Cole) is such a phenomenal talent," Klein said. "I knew he was the right person."
To fund the film, the two have relied on more than $10,000 in private donations, primarily from friends and family. In early May, Klein plans to formally establish a limited liability company, which will allow for shares to be legally sold to investors. He had to hire attorneys to draft the proper documents, which could cost thousands of dollars. Anyone thinking of setting up a similar LLC should meet with a number of attorneys before hiring one, Klein said.
"It can be very expensive if you don't know what you're doing," he said.
For independent filmmaker, this can be more cumbersome than funding a movie with maxed out credit cards - something writer-director Kevin Smith did before making his debut film "Clerks" - but an LLC protects against lawsuits and creditors.
Most of the 30 cast and crew members for "Glass City" are being paid, so Simon and Klein hope to raise at least an additional $15,000 to complete and promote the film. Simon directed a few trailers for "Glass City," which appear for potential investors on the film's Web site, even though casting has not been completed.
"The sky really is the limit with investing, and we're trying to get the entire city of Toledo behind us," Klein said.
Filming is scheduled to begin Aug. 5 and continue for two weeks. Klein and Simon have already secured a number of locations in Toledo to shoot, including the Collingwood Arts Center, where the majority of the film will be shot.
The cast so far is made up entirely of Ohio State students, many of whom have worked with Simon. A few parts still have not been cast, including the male lead, and it is unsure whether the final cast members will be from Columbus. Simon hopes to have the cast selected before the end of spring so that pre-production meetings can begin, he said.
Kiana Harris, who is in her first year of the graduate acting program at OSU, has been cast as Emma, the film's love interest. Harris has already seen Simon direct at school and said she fell in love with the script.
"It's an interesting, human story that I find more interesting than fantasies," Harris said.
When it's completed, Simon and Klein want to premiere the movie at the old Maumee Indoor Theatre, their favorite restored theater in Toledo. They will then submit it to film festivals. Festivals can attract attention for the small film and uknown cast and crew, and can lead to showings on DVD or in theaters.
"We're doing the same stuff that other filmmaker are doing," Simon said. "I'm more happy than I've ever been - and more productive."
More information about the film is available on its Web site, glasscityfilm.com.
Graham Beckwith can be reached at beckwith.29@osu.edu.
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