next stop, cleveland

Cleveland has a world-class film festival. But does it have a future in moviemaking?

by Scott Lax

The idea of Greater Cleveland as a center for filmmaking has a lot of people excited. The lure of movies is strong, and for good reason. Making movies is one of the things that America still does better than anyone.

Cleveland is a serious film community, one that has one of the best film festivals on the continent. But loving movies – and proving it with a successful annual festival – is one thing. Spending much-needed dollars on making movies here in northeast Ohio, where our manufacturing base is decimated, is another animal altogether.

Recently, a press release from the mayor’s and film commission offices announced that “Nehst and the City of Cleveland have agreed on a one-year, rent-free lease with an option to renew,” and that this agreement was the result of “two years of talks between Nehst and the city.”

“Nehst” is Nehst (pronounced “next”) Studios, which is headed by Larry Meistrich, a New York producer who was involved with two of the best movies in the heyday of small budget films; Slingblade (1996) and You Can Count on Me (2000).

The press release goes on to say: “The economic benefit across multiple industries is expected to yield a multiplier effect of $120 to $165 million …The initial investment of up to $80 million in film production will fund 8 to 15 films during the next two years. According to Nehst, the goal is to keep two to four complete film crews, including talent and extras, working throughout the year, with each film crew employing at least 100 to 200 people.”

In addition to occupying a 17,000-squarefoot portion of the Convention Center, rent-free – pending the approval of a tax credit bill before the Ohio Legislature – Nehst has brought to Cleveland its “Aspiring Filmmakers Boot Camp,” with sessions held in Cleveland, Detroit and New York City, according to their website. For $395 over three days, attendees can learn about moviemaking, and then have a chance to pitch their movie ideas.

It’s not only in the United States where movie hopefuls are being courted. “Larry Meistrich Offers Opportunity of a Lifetime to Edmonton Screen Writers & Filmmakers,” reads a classified ad in Edmonton, Ontario, Canada. The ad goes on: “Nehst Studios will train Edmonton area aspiring filmmakers and writers looking for their first big break, and company executives will be on hand seeking new ideas and talent for a $250 million film fund slate of projects coming up.”

Given the large numbers mentioned, it’s interesting that Nehst needed to negotiate free rent, as well as charge $10 for movie pitches, which is a practice that Meistrich defends in Entertainment Weekly online. In the article, which is linked to Nehst’s website, he says,“We charge 10 bucks per pitch, but that’s really just to weed out the maniacs.” (Maniacs don’t have $10? Has he been to the mall the day after Thanksgiving?)

The aspiring filmmakers who pitch must also sign a submission agreement. While a submission form is a sound industry practice, I would urge the pitchers to have the agreement vetted by an attorney or film agent. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it, but it’s a legal agreement, and requires legal expertise.

The press release also says, “Through its inclusive, open pitch sessions and Aspiring Filmmakers Boot Camp presented by The Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Nehst Studios is revolutionizing the filmmaking process by opening up the content creation process to aspirants with talent or consumers who want an insider’s view.”

“Revolutionary” is a strong word when talking about movies. The first silent moving pictures were revolutionary. Talkies were, too. The first Technicolor films were revolutionary, as was the advent of digital technology, which has made filmmaking more accessible to filmmakers. I’m not sure paying to pitch or “an insider’s view" is in that category.

I’ve been out of the movie business for a while, so maybe that’s part of the scene I’m not aware of. In the literary world, though, the idea of paying upfront for agents, editors or publishers to read or consider your work is accompanied by the admonition,“Run!”

Which is to say that I’m one who believes that money should flow to talent, not away from talent.

Cautions aside, I wish success to every production company that wants to set up shop in Cleveland, including Nehst, and their Boot Camp, which has an impressive team of presenters. But I worry that Cleveland, the city I was born in, is so freighted with low self-esteem from taking body blows that it forgets it’s produced the Cleveland International Film Festival, as well as the Russo Brothers, Fred Willard, Martin Mull, Halle Berry, Molly Shannon, Joe Eszterhas, Patricia Heaton, Drew Carey, Harvey Pekar and countless other outstanding creative artists and endeavors.

I don’t know if Boot Camps, payto- pitch and free rent will actually produce more success stories. I only know that northeast Ohio is a place teeming with talented people, including filmmakers paying their own rent. I hope the area’s leaders are wise in how they help those talented folks, too, and that they do their homework about where to put the city’s time, money, and resources.

Scott Lax won several awards for The Year That Trembled,a 2002 independent film for which he was source-writer and producer, and which was 100 percent produced and filmed in Greater Cleveland. Reach him at www.scottlax.com.

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