Eric Swinderman is making the mother of all Cleveland love
stories.
The filmmaker, born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and a
Cleveland area resident since 1996, is quietly making an independent film in
and around Cleveland, on weekends and late nights, which will turn heads and
have people talking within the year.
And not
just because it has the backing of writer/director and Cleveland native David Wain. Or the bona fides of Shaker Heights native and director Jamie Babbit (United States of Tara, The Middle) and writer Karey Dornetto (South
Park, Community, Arrested Development).
No, people
will be talking because the film – a collection of love story vignettes loosely
tied together – is the collaboration of dozens of Northeast Ohio writers,
directors, actors, crew members and cinephiles. Not too mention the talent of
local celebrities like Robin Swoboda and Leon Bibb.
Midwest Movie Maker sat down with Swinderman not long ago
to talk about Made in Cleveland:
Midwest Movie Maker (MMM): How’d you get involved in film? What made you want to become a
filmmaker? What was your journey?
Eric
Swinderman (ES): I
moved to Cleveland in 1996 with $75 in my pocket and the crazy notion that I
could make independent films with little or no budget. But it wasn’t until
graduating from Cleveland State University in 2000 that I started writing in
earnest. I wrote a number of screenplays at that time. The first was a dark
psychodrama called The Donut Hole. Realizing that it was too damn expensive to film a feature
(digital was just on the horizon), I decided to adapt it into a short film
based on one of the characters. That film became the short film Clean.
It was
about this time I met my business partner and producer Mark Pengryn. We met in
grad school, shared a love for film and decided to make Clean together. We shot it in 2007 and
released it in January 2009, mostly to positive reviews.
After Clean, Mark and I produced a micro-short
film called The Anniversary for the Cleveland Plain Dealer's 2009 Scary Movie competition. We
placed third out of 75 entries and started gaining a little notoriety. The film
also played to audiences at the Cleveland Truly Independent Film Festival,
where it was nominated for a Best Direction Award.
We have
experienced many ups as downs. In this business, particularly in Cleveland, you
tend to get picked up just long enough to get knocked down. But we continue our
quest to make meaningful films in Cleveland.
The biggest
challenge you face in Cleveland as a filmmaker is finding the right people to
surround yourself with. There is a great deal of flakiness in this town. Some
of it is laziness, some of it because people have day jobs and projects become
too much to handle. And sometimes I think it’s a fear of success.
MMM: Tell us about Made in Cleveland. How did the
concept come about and how did you get started?
ES: Since 2009, I have searched for a
project that would bring together some of the best talent in Cleveland. I had a
few ideas. One was to do a collaborative project about nightmares, with
multiple directors creating short films about nightmares. But it just didn’t
seem right.
Then I saw Paris, je t'aime and New York, I Love You
and the idea just clicked. Eleven short films about love in Cleveland by 11
different directors. The only problem: I couldn’t find 11 directors with the
skill level and willingness to collaborate on a project of this size. So I
approached David Wain, writer and director of Role Models and Wet Hot American Summer about collaborating with me. David
and I worked together in 2009 on a local venture and talked about doing a
totally Cleveland film project.
The timing
wasn’t right for him to direct on this because he was busy with his film, Wanderlust. But he has been very supportive
and says he is willing to help us with distribution on the back end.
MMM: How did it grow from concept to
where you are today? Did you look for financial help? Start pitching? Decide to
tackle it on your own?
ES: I decided at first to launch a
Kickstarter campaign to raise money. But one of my friends, actress Robyn
Griggs, told me that it’s very difficult to actually collect your funds from
them. So I launched a website that operates like Kickstarter, but collects
funds immediately. We just reached out via social networking and asked for
help. In two months, the website raised $10,000.
Along the
way, I grabbed some pretty talented writers and directors like Robert Banks,
Sage O’Bryant, Tony Hartman, Robby Ingersoll and Dan Sanek, and we started
piecing the short stories together to tell our Cleveland love story.
MMM: You mentioned David Wain as a
support? Is he your Master Cylinder?
ES: David has been a huge help. He is
an amazingly gifted comedian and he has a big heart. Being from Cleveland he
loves to get involved when his schedule permits. Not only is he excited to help
with distribution but also just having his name on board opens doors for us and
allowed us to bring in talented Hollywood heavyweights like Jamie Babbit and
Karey Dornetto.
MMM: When did filming start? Where are
you shooting? Will vignettes be shot simultaneously or will you shoot one at a
time?
ES: Filming began November 12 and runs
through March 2012. We will shoot in various locations throughout Cleveland and
the greater Cleveland area. The vignettes will be shot separately as individual
films, but will seamlessly tie together in the feature.
MMM: Some actors involved?
Leon Bibb
and Robin Swoboda are the two local icons involved in the film. But we have hired
more than 60 local actors for the project and will add approximately 40 more
extras. We also are in talks with two Cleveland born Hollywood A-listers to
come on board. The cast of this film is certainly the strong point of this
film. We are truly blessed to have so many amazing actors involved.
MMM: What have been the ups and downs
of the project? Surprises?
ES: The biggest surprises have also
been the downs. We have had no less than five major players quit unexpectedly.
I think it goes back to the fear of success and scope of this project. I think
when some people come on board, they see our no-nonsense, laser focus and
determination, and I think it freaks them out a bit. They realize we aren’t
doing some laid back, “let’s see where this goes” kind of film, that we hold
everyone accountable, and that failure and mediocrity are not acceptable.
Ultimately those people bail under the pressure. But those that stay are the
best of the best and we know they are going to help us make the best film
possible.
The biggest
ups have been the amazing cast and crew. I can’t say enough positive things
about them and can’t wait to see them in action!
MMM: When might we be able to see the
film? Next summer?
ES: We wrap in March so hopefully next
summer it will be released.
Comments