Epi-30_ZoomWithOurFeet Photography Podcast_Fea. Mike Wendt

Ohio is redefining its film landscape, showcasing local opportunities for aspiring filmmakers. Mike Wendt from the Cleveland Film Commission discusses his journey, the importance of networking, and the growing support for filmmaking in Ohio, driven by recent tax incentives and community engagement.

• Mike Wendt shares his filmmaking journey and passion 
• Networking is crucial for success in the film industry 
• The Cleveland Film Commission supports local filmmakers 
• Tax credits are enhancing opportunities for filming in Ohio 
• Community engagement and workshops foster local talent 
• Aspiring filmmakers are encouraged to explore diverse roles within the industry 
• Future goals for the Film Commission include expanding resources and outreach

Cleveland Film Commission:

Web: https://www.clevelandfilm.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/clevelandfilm/

Chapters

• 0:10 Economic Driver for Film Production
• 4:30 Journey to Film Industry Success
• 16:31 Navigating the Film Industry Landscape
• 30:02 Building Connections in the Film Industry
• 47:14 Future Goals of Cleveland Film Commission

Transcript

Mike: 0:10

I think some people think that we are a funding entity for movies, which, you know, hey, I wish that was that was the case, because there would be probably a lot more things shooting here. Or, you know, if we had unlimited pool of money to offer people, there would be probably a lot more things shooting here. Or, you know, if we had unlimited pool of money to offer people, that would be great. Um, but what we are is an economic driver. Um, so we, we do advocate for the tax credit, uh, with the state of ohio and um, this year we're, we're so excited that you that the tax credit was doubled, so now it's up to $75 million a year annually.

Mike: 0:55

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Zoom With Our Feet podcast, the pod about media production, with me, your host T-Mac, professional photographer, videographer and teacher. One of the great myths in the film production industry is that the only way you can start a career is to go to New York or LA. Well, my next guest says cut on that idea. On this episode of the ZoomPod, Mike Wendt, the production coordinator for the Cleveland Film Commission, joins me to talk about his production journey and the many great opportunities the CFC offers local filmmakers right here in the Buckeye State.

TMac: 1:55

Our guest speaker is in the photo lab.

TMac: 1:57

Let's talk to a pro, Mike Wendt. Welcome to the Zoom With Our Feet podcast. How are you, sir?

Mike: 2:04

Good. Thank you so much for having me, Tim.

TMac: 2:15

Oh, thanks for being on. Can't wait to chat. So, because my theme and my focus is on people who are aspiring to learn videography, cinematography, photography, I always ask people about their origin or how their started, because I think a lot of people think we all just started as pros and it's like everybody had an arc, has an arc and and a journey. What's yours?

Mike: 2:37

Uh, great question. You know I I really have to go back to. You know, I'll go back to when I was young and I think my parents and family, especially my grandparents, really recognized that I had, you know, one of the persons who was always buying, you know, maybe the newest model or or maybe like the slightly older model of something like a camcorder, and you know always was big in photography and there's just, you know when, when my grandparents passed away, I mean, between all of us, there was just thousands and thousands of photos and lots of VHS tapes of us that I, you know, I cherish, you know, having those, even if, you know, some of us look, even if my sisters and I and my cousins, you know, even if we look like little terrors on those videos, it's just great. And one of the things that my grandparents had was HBO, and so I used to do this thing where we all went to the same church uh, you know, throughout family and um, so what? What my parents would start doing was like, let me buy like a vh vhs tape from marx and I would bring it to church and my grandma or grandpa would like record me a new movie from hbo each week. So it was kind of like incentive to go to church. It was like you're gonna get a new movie from HBO each week. So it was kind of like incentive to go to church. It was like you're going to get a new movie.

Mike: 4:30

I really just kind of fell in love with movies at a young age. My dad was a electrician and often did side hustles just at various people that he knew, side hustles just, you know, at various people that that he knew. And there was a woman. This woman had a very large collection of VHS tapes and she also was very organized and had this, this book that you can read of like each thing. So like she would write little synopsis and you know who, who directed it, who starred in it, and so she would then show us something that was age appropriate because you know, we were probably like under 10 at this point. But you know me and my sisters, but yeah, I mean, that's what kind of fueled the love of movies at a young age and I always kind of knew that I would like to go into that.

Mike: 5:24

So in my junior year of high school I got offered to do this leadership council at the University of Akron and so basically for that summer I think there was like it was a three week thing where lived on campus and got to know the Akron's campus pretty well and you know I lived in like the Cleveland area but like that in some ways, like I think back then like Akron almost just seemed like a different world and it's kind of funny. But I had a really good time at that conference and I decided that I was going to apply to Akron and got involved with the media production program and, you know, eventually joined WZIP and ZTV and so I'm sure a theme, as we discussed before we recorded many people were very instrumental in teaching there Tom Beck from ZIP and then Dr Phil Hoffman from ZTV. I mean having those two basically teaching, teaching us the ropes, and you know they they both had way different styles in teaching. But you know I'll always remember a lot of times with with Dr Hoffman is that he was very blunt and and sometimes you know would say if something wasn't good, you know he wasn't afraid to to say that you know this kind of sucks or or you know, I really I I cannot stress enough like how much of an impact having WZIP and ZTV in my life really changed the course of my my college because I, like you, know the first semester, so I really there was like I felt like I wasn't really fitting in and I just felt like this was, oh man, maybe college just isn't as fun. But once I started there it's like the floodgates open. So many people that I've made connections with that I still talk to this day. It's so great seeing some of my fellow classmates just killing it in various places, jumping ahead a little bit.

Mike: 8:09

But my senior year of college I was really looking for an internship and the internship coordinator at the time at Akron I will not name drop, but she was trying to gear a lot of people towards doing local internships at Time Warner Cable. They must have had some kind of a deal or something with the university. That sounded okay. But I was like I really want to go outside of Ohio and I want to. You know, just stretch my legs a little bit and sure enough. You know she was like, oh, you could try. But thankfully one of the students who went to Akron that I was a good friend, with her name Stephanie Jaros. She was working at Tribeca in New York, so she was able to help me not not necessarily pull some strings, but she was able to help get my resume to the right person.

Mike: 9:18

And so in my last semester I was in New York interning at Tribeca and we were essentially interns for Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, who are the founders of the Tribeca Film Festival, and at the time Mr De Niro was finishing a movie called the Good Shepherd. So there were certain things that we would help with. There were test screenings that sometimes had to happen, so we would, be like you know, helping usher people in for that, and then, you know, sometimes I would help take some footage to the editor and everything. So that was really great. I also got to intern for an Italian American production company that was working on a documentary at the time about, uh, little Italy disappearing essentially in New York or, you know, becoming much smaller. So, um, that was, that was a great time and I really I thought, you know, I would really love to stay here in New York.

Mike: 10:20

Um, but as sometimes things happen, um, there was, you know, I had, like this, one night where for the internship, they, they invited us all to go out to Long Island and have this party, you know, stayed a little too late and I think you know I got a cab and I had these shorts on that were kind of loose in the back and my wallet it fell out in the taxi. I should have got a receipt, but I just could not find my wallet. I ended up using a lot of credit until I got like a new debit card and everything, so it's like quickly amassed, like you know, all this credit. So I'll always say to any aspiring person if you, if you're ever offered to stay at a party, uh, and you feel like you have this need to go back home, like just just stay at the party, you know, or just just spend the night if you're, if you're offered that, but you know. But anyway, there were a lot of things happening in Cleveland, though, as I was coming back, so I was really excited about that. You know, spider-man 3 was doing a little bit of shooting in Cleveland, so that kind of like gave me like the assurance, like okay, maybe there's going to be some work here.

Mike: 11:50

You know, then when I came home, it was it was not easy to find a lot of work and you know there was a lot of trial and error and there was even times where I was thinking about potentially going back to school just to change the change career path, just because, like there was. You know, I was like man, I mean, maybe I just don't have it or maybe this is not for me. And you know, I was working at a movie theater. For me, um, and you know, I was working at a movie theater and I, you know it was almost a little bit embarrassing just because, like, I would see people who knew that I really wanted to work in the film industry. But I was working at a movie theater, you know, kind of making jokes like, oh, you made it to the movies, you know, um, so, uh, what I decided to do was, uh, I, I took a senior project that I had finished for Akron, for Dr Geralt I don't know if that name has ever come up here so I started with a fellow student, lisa Hunter.

Mike: 13:02

We did this short documentary about a former radio station here in Cleveland, 1079, the End, the alternative rock station. And so I because, like I wasn't really getting a lot of work, dr Hoffman, out of his kindness, like allowed me to keep working on this project. So I had access to equipment from Akron and to the AVIDs and expanded upon this short project and made a feature length documentary called the End of the World as we Knew it and you know that got into the film festival, cleveland Film Festival, and from there is really when I start to get recognized or meet a lot of people. My foot was somewhat planted in the door To get onto sets of the larger form sets. It did take a lot more pushing and just grinding it out and doing work for free at some points, like I got an internship on a movie called Take Shelter that was produced by Tyler Davidson, who is a Cleveland local.

Mike: 14:14

But you know I was a grip intern, which is not usually allowed, to be honest, but it was like whatever I could do to get that on a set and it was shot on 35 millimeter. I'm kind of like a film head, you know, as I'm wearing my Cinematek sweatshirt and you know once I got into that, you know I was like kind of established. Then you know I mean there there was still, you know, fits and stops and you know I I always tell the story to any student that I really wanted to work on the Avengers and um, unfortunately I didn't get it. Um and uh, it was like soul crushing a little bit, because it was featured on the news all the time and it was on the newspaper every day. So I was almost like it was almost like the world. The universe was laughing at me for not getting on it.

Mike: 15:11

But, um, I decided to not let that get me down and, uh, you know, a few years later I was able to get on Captain America when it shot here, uh, just because I I made sure to to thank the person that I interviewed with, even though they didn't hire me, and I kept in touch with that person and, just, you know, asked for advice.

Mike: 15:30

You know, how can I, how can I interview better, how can I, you know, present a better resume? And you know, once I got that Captain America job, I mean it's just, you know, like a flash. And it's like Captain America job, I mean it's just, you know, like a flash. And it's like I'm here now at the commission and have met so many people through this industry and, you know, I mean a lot of people tell me that they, that they look up to me and that it means most. I mean that means so much to me. It's like it's not something I take for granted. Um, and I really think about all the people who helped me get into this business and I just really want to give back and, uh, just uh, for any aspiring persons, I I really want them to know that you know you can do it here in Northeast Ohio. It's, it's not going to be as easy, and you know but, but you can do it it's.

TMac: 16:26

It's

TMac: 16:26

not

TMac: 16:27

a straight line, yeah, but it can be done. What I'm curious? The person that didn't hire you, yeah, um, I I think it's interesting that you made a conscious effort to stay in touch. Yeah, and, and it's sort of classic networking. What was her response when you said how can I interview better, present better? What were some of the things that you got back from her, things that you got back from her?

Mike: 17:03

Oh

Mike: 17:03

yeah, it was from a gentleman and it's actually, believe it or not, it's my current boss here at the film commission. But you know, basically I think the feedback that I got was that I didn't seem very confident in the interview. I didn't seem very confident in the interview and I remember full well like I was super nervous that day because this was like to me this was like a make or break. You know, like I really want to be on this movie. Everybody was talking about it. So yeah, sometimes words can trip up and obviously I had had some experience at that point. But one of the other points was, like you know, your resume is kind of all over the place, like you're doing a little bit of this, a little bit of that, you know. Like you directed a movie but you want a PA job, or like you want to, you know, you know. So I think the advice that I got from him was to basically pick something that you will, you know, will be your thing and you excel at that thing. So it was advised to me to look into locations department and you know, I think I had it in my head to be in camera department. So like grip, electric or camera, you know all that adjacent, but at the time and this is still the case like so many people want to be in camera department and only there's only so many slots. People want to be in camera department and only there's only so many slots. So what he kind of told me was like you know, you know the city well, you know the area well and you still get to use a camera in some ways because you a place. You know what might look like, um, russia or or you know, we can make it exactly like we can make it look like a car dealership, even if it's, if it's not something like that. So, um, that was like wow, you know, like it was like a light bulb moment and I was like how do I even get my start? So I really tried my best to research as much as possible about locations, because it's not really something that's taught probably in most schools, honestly. And you know, in so many locations people become higher positions. You know they like, if you look at a lot of locations, people become unit production managers. They also will become producers in all of that. So you know, and you have to basically start at the bottom when you, when you join a department.

Mike: 20:26

So, for Captain America, I was a locations production assistant. Um, and there was, you know, there was a lot of learning curve for that. Uh, you know, some days it was really, um, because we were going to be shutting down the shoreway in Cleveland. Uh, you know, we had to notify all the different businesses and a lot of people were not really happy about it. So you have to learn to like to be very polite, and, you know, because you're going to be guests in their area, you know, and also one day I'll I think it was like the second or third day of filming there was a chase, a car chase scene involving Samuel L Jackson's character, and you know, it gets shot up by all these like SHIELD agents.

Mike: 21:16

And so we had to myself and one of my fellow production assistants had to sweep all of the bullets and put them in bags and or trash bags. And, like you know, maybe we just weren't thinking very well, but, like you know, those the bullets add up and, like you know, so we got everything in a bag, hoisted over our shoulder and then all the bullets, like, fell out of the bag. So, uh, it's a good thing we learned, you know, the these, the emergency numbers for, like you know, those like kind of chimney sweep things that come in the streets and clean it up. But you know, locations is, like I said, it wasn't really something that I really ever thought of but I kind of fell into it and really became known for locations and so, you know, basically worked my way up the ladder so did it, did several movies as a locations assistant, then joined the union so I became a location or assistant location manager and then eventually I I did location manage a couple movies before joining here at the commission.

TMac: 22:34

So well, let's, let's, let's back up a second. So you are a working professional in the community, cleveland film community. Northeastern ohio film community. Yeah,

TMac: 22:49

how

TMac: 22:49

did you find out about the film commission number one and number two?

TMac: 22:55

explain what it is and what it does, absolutely um.

Mike: 22:59

So

Mike: 23:00

I found out about the Film Commission basically when I came back after finishing my time at Akron in New York, because they would host these mixers every now and then. And so you know, I have to give credit to, you know, my mom and other people who would you know they would see stuff about, like in the newspaper or whatever. Like you know, there's these mixers. You know, if you really want to get in this industry, you should probably go. So I would go and I a lot of times I didn't know a lot of people initially. I always liken it to, you know, at the very beginning of the movie Animal House, where you have there's like Flounder and Pinto, they keep getting introduced to the same people. That's kind of what it was like, where I would go up and introduce myself to somebody who was probably way established and they'd be like, oh, nice to meet you, have you met this person? And it's like like, oh, yep, yep, met them last time, uh, but, um, I always advise people to give give the mixers a shot. Um, and really eventually people did start recognizing who I was and, um, I always then make it a point to when I like when I meet people at these mixers, is to really try to like figure out a way how can I remember this person's name, because they might be as nervous as I was, and it's it's good to to make, make them feel you know, personable, and that that you're actually remembering who they are.

Mike: 24:54

But but the film commission we are, we're a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to bring projects to Cleveland and in turn, get people jobs on those productions. We also, the last couple of years, we've really upped our basically some of our own resources and we're a small office of six, but we have offered a lot more workshops, especially for free. Uh, we just had a very successful production assistant workshop, uh, just in January or earlier this month in January, where we had, um, uh, I think, a little over 160 persons in and we had a speaker who I now consider a good friend. He is one of the basically legends of the locations world. His name is Kokai Empa and he's worked with Steven Spielberg, john Singleton, spike Lee, I think, tony Scott, you know, amongst many, many people. His first film was the Color Purple. So I, you know, anytime I get the chance, I just ask him certain questions about, like you know what's it like working with.

Mike: 26:23

Spielberg and everything but that you know, it was great to have him here and he was so generous with his time and really inspiring to a lot of the people who were trying out here. But you know, my main job at the Film Commission as the production coordinator is to be one of the first lines of communication of something that's thinking of shooting here. So that includes scouting but also really showing them all the different resources that we can offer here in Cleveland, especially crew members and also production companies that can help them achieve what they need. Also, connect them with the schools, because sometimes you know productions like to work with the colleges to give people experience, and especially right now you know there's a big call for diversity in the work field.

Mike: 27:20

So we try to work with those colleges and and recognize, you know, certain, you know communities that have maybe been not offered as many roles before, so then we can give them their first shot on a movie. And to me that's so important, you know, just because I think when you're, when you live in northeast Ohio, at times you know there is a perception that this is not a film town or this is not a place where you can get that career, where the cliche, of course, is you have to go to either the coasts or you go to Atlanta, where the cliche, of course, is you have to go to either the coasts or you go to Atlanta. But we're really trying to build something here to show that Ohio, and especially Northeast Ohio, has a lot to offer for filmmakers, and we just want to see when people go to school here.

Mike: 28:19

We would love if they stay here and thrive in in the, in this uh profession if you are a aspiring um, aspiring men, mike, coming out of akron and you have ideas to be on the production side, how besides the mixers because I love the education component what's your advice? Find out about the mixers, reach out to the commission and find out what's available If they're interested in that. How do they do that?

Mike: 29:07

Yeah, I would say. On our website, clevelandfilmcom, there is a very easy icon or there's an icon that looks like a piece of mail Just sign up for that. That's the newsletter. When we get the okay or the thumbs up from productions to provide an email in which you can submit a resume, we do that as soon as we can. We also have a free database that people can sign up for and that is sometimes used by productions and also producers for various things like commercials or even films. Sometimes they will, they'll filter out.

Mike: 29:51

You know who's maybe on the. You know the beginning level, the production assistant level, but also for all different departments as well. You know, I think another thing that we oftentimes that I like to do is be a connector. So you know, oftentimes I get reached out to by aspiring people who, who's, who might have an interest in camera. Of course that's always the most frequent, but you know, sometimes it might be costumes or sound and through all the.

Mike: 30:26

You know the great crew members, because really when you work on a couple movies together, like even just one, sometimes like that's like a family member, you know for life, sometimes, um, you know, especially if you get along, of course, but, um, but I always will ask those people if they'd be willing to speak with that person, either over Zoom or coffee.

Mike: 30:51

Folks like Adam White, who I know you've had on here, he is always generous when I send people his way. Same with Kara. Kara White is also very you know. There's been been a couple like young women who are thinking about becoming directors or writers, and Kara is certainly that. So you know it's. I think this is. I always tell people one thing that I really love about this film industry. Really love about this film industry and I might have already said it earlier is, like you know, that it is one of those industries that you give back because people took a chance on you and we, as people who are established, you know, even if we're busy, we take the time to let people know that this is a welcoming industry.

TMac: 31:45

As a card-carrying camera nerd. We you know photographers by their nature typically will have, hopefully, and if not, we walk up to them, the young and the aspiring photographers. Hey, what you shooting, you know, and I think it's because of what you say. We ultimately want to pass on knowledge. We think it's better raising all boats.

TMac: 32:19

But I don't think the thing that always interests me about the commission is, I don't think number one, people really know its role. Sure, even folks that are interested that there is a path. They see it as, as you mentioned before, coasts. And how am I going to do that and how am I going to when it turns out which is the big reason I wanted to have you on it is a gem that we have in our own backyard. I mean, I think your efforts are amazing. I don't know what the dollar figure is. If you know it, throw it out there that you guys also do formal and informal lobbying to get projects in the area.

TMac: 33:15

Knowing that it ultimately brings all of this other ancillary business to the community, and it is a hub but also an engine for the strong community that's there

Mike: 33:36

Now

Mike: 33:37

you brought up a really great point that you're right. There is sometimes a there is a perception or misconceptions about the commission at times. I think some

Mike: 33:51

people think that we are a funding entity for movies, which you know hey, I wish that was that was the case, cause there would be probably a lot more things shooting here. Or, you know, if we had unlimited pool of money to offer people, that would be great. But what we are is an economic driver. So we do advocate for the tax credit with the state of Ohio, and this year we're so excited that, so excited that the tax credit was doubled. So now it's up to $75 million a year annually and there's also a $25 million carve out for infrastructure, which is sometimes there's.

Mike: 34:39

A lot of people have been hoping over the years that some more sound stages will pop up, and right now we have. There's a fully fledged soundstage out in Burton, ohio, which is not too far from downtown, you know, it's about 35 minute drive. Also, trg Multimedia, which is located in, you know, just in Brooklyn Ohio. You know, right on-Cleveland border, they're putting in a volume array which is really cool, which is the same technology that they use to or sets basically to shoot the Mandalorian. So I don't know there's a lot of great things, but by pushing the state to push the incentive even higher. Right now there's a bill circulating that would potentially raise it to $100 million and that's been a figure that we've been trying to push, and I know it's not always an easy sell because a lot of times there is thoughts that you know, why does hollywood need, you know, discounts or rebates? But if you look at almost any other industry, uh, there are incentives to bring. You know the car industry here, steel industry, all those type of things. And I think, a lot of times because a movie is, you know, you can't touch it, you can't, uh, you can't like buy it, or I mean, eventually you can buy it but uh, like on a disc or, uh, digital. But there's a lot of perception sometimes that it's just what's called, or they think of it as hollywood handouts, uh, that that's like a buzzword that some of the politicians will use, um, and I totally get that, especially if their areas of the state are not really seeing the benefits of that.

Mike: 36:31

But what our argument is is that when a film shoots in a specific area, that it helps raise ancillary funds through hotels. Food you know food purchases. Coffee you know the construction department's going to go to the local hardware store and buying lots of materials. And you know car rentals really you know add up and everything. Hospitality you know add up and everything. Hospitality, yes.

Mike: 37:08

And so, like it's always like great when we have something like like a Superman, for example, you know, and then we're able to communicate with the various hotels that you know they tell us the room nights and you know it was so great when all these people were here. So that's that's what we're trying to tell our state is that you know we, this is is something that helps bring extra business that wouldn't otherwise be here. And then also, we want to prevent the proverbial drink brain drain, where you know people who are really, you know, bright. Ohioans, you know go to school here, but we don't want to see them, you know, have to leave. So so, yeah, I mean that is that's a lot of the, the, the message that we're trying to sell, and I think the state is really starting to catch on. You know it helps that we have bipartisan support from both sides of the aisle and you know, I just really, I really hope that it just keeps growing from here.

TMac: 38:17

So If you know aspiring sound folks, camera folks, they get all the love grip lighting. There are also pathways to other things. Like you said, location work tends to lead to management and post-production, all of the crafts and they are crafts. When I use that word a lot with students and sometimes they'll say what do you mean by crafts? These are craftsmen right.

Mike: 38:55

These are specific jobs and departments and craftspeople that have spent their lives honing these skills and special effects you could. You know the list goes on, so have them contact you through the website is the best place to start. If you're that junior and coming to your senior year and you're starting to think about what am I going to do next step, um, contact you guys via the website, yes, yes, absolutely.

Mike: 39:37

On our website there is a drop down menu that has our staff listings and each of us are available for one-on-one Zooms. Or, you know, even if it say if, like if they happen to be in close to downtown, you know I'd be willing to buy people coffee, but you know Huge coffee budget, yes, but you know you could either schedule with with Bill, who is the president. There's Maria Ruzzo is our workforce coordinator and she works a lot with the schools, the schools Maria is. I give her so much credit because I mean she really, really cares and she works sometimes far beyond our normal hours. And then you know myself, and then even Lowell Perry as well is he's our chief diversity officer and our. You know he's basically the main fundraiser for the commission, but he also is a man of many talents and kind of dips in different. He's an actor but also he's very well connected.

Mike: 41:00

So we have this kind of this knowledge and experience and you know I really, when I get one of those like requests in my inbox, you know, for you know to have like a session and I we just call them, like you know, info sessions, but sometimes I call them strategy sessions as well, like you know info sessions, but sometimes I call them strategy sessions as well, because you know I like to just listen to the person and just listen to their concerns and then I can tell them.

Mike: 41:33

You know my thoughts, but you know, in letting them know that not every path, that even that I'm presenting might be the right path, but you know, eventually you will find your way, might be the right path, but you know, eventually you will find your way. So, yeah, I mean it's. It's sometimes like I said, you know we are a nine to five office, but sometimes I'm here late, sometimes Bill's here. You know Maria and Bill are here late as well. It's sometimes like whatever is required for the job we are willing to, to put in the time and the effort, whatever is required for the job.

Mike: 42:04

We are willing to put in the time and the effort. Well, on the website I've been on it many times has all of your contact information. So email and reach out and get your path started. You know the database, even for more established people, is really a great resource. Is really a great resource. You know I'm a niche within a niche, being a photographer. But just being on the database and offering that specific skill maybe to someone with a smaller production who may not even be thinking about that is a great resource for me and also for you. Know, the what I would call the the folks just getting to the point where they're producing a project.

Mike: 42:57

Yeah, yeah, and and that's we make that. You know that database open source essentially so it's like you know we make that. You know that database open source essentially so it's like you know people's contact is there. You know, and also, if, say, if students have certain locations that they want, we have a very thorough locations database that a lot of the places have either been scouted by myself or Bill or you know, some of the previous people who have worked here, um and um, you know we're always trying to make it better, add things. Um, you know I there's sometimes I every couple of months, like I kind of do a review and some of the things are maybe, ooh, a little outdated, so I, uh, then I schedule stuff with the intern so we can go and, you know, get some updated photos.

Mike: 43:47

And you know I I sometimes cringe at even some of the photos I took.

Mike: 43:51

You know, when I first started here at the commission, I think you know I would never call myself like a, a professional photographer, but I've become much more adept at photography through all of the reps that I've had to do of scouting for things. And and I know sometimes, like after, like you know now looking back many, you know, several years that I've been here, there have probably been times like, all right, maybe we didn't get that because maybe those pictures were junk, but but I, I, I lean on some of my other fellow locations people who are like there. There's one gentleman in particular, tim Kineski is probably our finest scout, you know, cause sometimes, like, people call me the locations guy, but I'm like this, this guy, like his pictures are amazing and he's even offered, you know, and I've gone with him times to like just learn how to be better, and also he's taught me certain things with uh, lightroom to to make like what I think might be a really badly, you know, like Fix that horizon, baby yeah exactly.

Mike: 45:12

You know, like if I think something's just so crooked, you know, he shows me, like certain things, a button that I or a couple adjustments I can make, and it looks a lot better. But yeah, I mean, so we make that location database available and really, if there is a link on each of the locations that you can request further information, and so then usually what I do is I will then make a connecting email with the owner so that we can start the conversation. In the past, you know, we would sometimes just give the information, but I find that sometimes that's just like giving a young person like an anvil and they just fall, you know, because sometimes you don't know exactly what to ask or you don't know exactly you know how to approach it, cause you know filming location, like securing filming locations, is it? There's an art to it.

Mike: 46:12

So I often just try to do that handoff and, you know, make a make a case for the, especially for students that you know, okay, they may not have a big budget for this, but they, you know, they're working with a school that has insurance and you know I always tell students, like you know, make those people feel like VIP. So if you have crafty or you have, you know, nice catering, maybe that you know their moms or you know or relatives are making for them. Offer that to the person. Let them watch the filming you know, just make everything VIPs. You know, because you know everybody had to start somewhere. So like we really want to help people show that you know you can. You can still get some of these higher end locations, but you just there. There is a tact in a way to to achieve that.

TMac: 47:12

A way to do it right. Exactly, what is the? What is the future of the commission? Strategic plans, goals, what's your? Uh? You mentioned the increasing the, the overall amount of business brought in, but what are the goals does the commission have?

Mike: 47:33

yeah, forward? No, that's a great question. We we are always talking about ways that we can engage more with the community. Um, so, um, the one, one of the cool things that we've been doing the last couple of years in the month of February is that we team up with a documentary that has a diversity element and also has a Cleveland tie to it. So I'm going to be offering a, or we're offering, a free screening for a documentary that is going to be I want to get it right, so I don't want to give anybody the wrong information, but it's on February, the 28th, so we're going to have a free documentary screening of this film.

Mike: 48:23

It's, it's so good it it took the filmmaker 17 years to complete Wow, because it's called Fast Dreams. And basically the filmmaker followed this young woman from age 13, who was, you know, basically she was kind of eyed as, like the you know, a good, like a very good runner, and eventually she makes it to the Olympics. And one of the things I think that's very poignant about the documentary is that it shows the aftermath of the Olympics. You know it's like, for, you know, the two weeks that the Olympics are on, you know those people are, or the two weeks that the Olympics are on, those people are like roses thrown in the streets, they're like golden gods. But then it shows the aftermath. There's an emotional toll that it takes on people once they maybe achieve what they wanted, but then not everybody's getting the Wheaties box or you know the endorsements. So it's a really fascinating thing.

Mike: 49:28

And then the next morning, march 1st, from 10 am to 12 pm, I'm going to be leading a panel discussion with the two directors so we can talk about the process. And you know, the other day we had a just kind of a pre-call about it. And my, my goodness, like you know, you really have to be dedicated to, to spend 17 years with a, with a subject. And, on a personal note, like I've been working on a documentary about a filmmaker from Cleveland here, robertbert banks, and that's that's been in the works for like seven and a half years. So you know, we we kind of connected on that um aspect. That it's like you know it's like there's no timeline, but you know, like it's done when it's done.

Mike: 50:21

But yeah, going back to the commission, you know we want to do more things like that.

Mike: 50:24

We have actually another thing that we haven't been able to publicly announce yet, but there is a I guess I'll break it a little bit here, but there's going to be this workshop with one of the producers of American Dad, who is actually from Cleveland, so you know, is actually from Cleveland, so you know. So things like that I think you know we want to offer. With the potential raising of the tax credit, you know there might be a thing where there could be possibly some more people hired here at the commission, because with more money probably means more projects. So it would be. I mean, I would be ecstatic if I had somebody who was my assistant or somebody who can help me scout, because if we have multiple things scouting at the same time, there's only one of me. So I think that's the thing is just to keep keep things growing here and just really, you know, make Ohio in general an attractive place for filmmakers and yeah, I think, hopefully that is, you know, my mission, besides your good works, is raising awareness, especially amongst having taught production.

Mike: 51:54

So many of my students just didn't know it existed and that the path, and to get started on the path that we talked about is I won't say it's a lot easier, but it's a little more straightforward than you think. So I'm happy that. So.

Mike: 52:13

clevelandfilmcom clevelandfilmcom is our website and, yeah, like I said, you can find all of our contact info on there. We're also pretty active on social media. I help one of my coworkers, julie, do some of the postings on Instagram and Facebook. I think we might have to go into blue sky soon because I think a lot of some people have been going to that so, but you know, that's another thing is like it would be nice if we could eventually, you know, hire a full time social media person, because you know, I'm not saying I'm like you know I'm in my early forties now, but it's like I'm starting to like lose touch with like how to, how to do some of the posts, how to like engage with the younger people, cause, like you know, I'm kind of I'm I'm now getting I'm not old, but like I I almost feel sometimes old when I go to some of these events around here.

TMac: 53:20

Well Mike, I can't thank you enough for being a part of the project. I think the work is just fabulous. You know me, I'm always about raising all boats and getting the young folks, uh, that want to get started an easier path, so I really appreciate you being on no, thank, thank you so much.

Mike: 53:42

And you know I mean something like this. I, you know I wish I could have had something to listen to, you know, when I was younger and coming up. So you know, I really appreciate the work that you're doing as well. And you know, it's just, it's kind of cool to just think back on the long, crazy road to to get where we are now. You know, and it's like a just to reiterate, not to sound like a broken record, but you know for any any aspiring people listening out there, that you know it's. It is like you know to be in this industry. You know you really have to love it and it is like you know to be in this industry. You know you really have to love it. And not every day is easy, believe me, but once you get there it's like you know, and people respect you. It's the best feeling in the world, honestly.

TMac: 54:39

See you soon.

Mike: 54:41

Thank you.

TMac: 54:53

thanks again to Mike Wendt, filmmaker, location scout and production coordinator for the Cleveland Film Commission. You can check out all of the commission's great work at clevelandfilmcom and on their social media channels. The Zoom With Our Feet podcast is a production of TV Commando Media. Check out our lineup of great guests on YouTube at Zoom With Our Feet or wherever you listen to your podcasts. The ZoomPod theme is by Novembers and their funky groove, cloud 10. Until next time. Filmmakers, sometimes the path to a career is right around the corner.