GAHANNA’S WORLD-CLASS FILMMAKING COMMUNITY

← Tim Courlas, Videographer, Nathan William, owner of FrameWork Visuals, Scott Handel, owner of Ohio HD and Mike Edwards, owner of The 5 Stones Group

By Jack McLaughlin Photos by James DeCamp

A After a quick glance around Scott Handel’s expansive studio and videography equipment rental center, Ohio HD, you’ll find some of the most cutting-edge video gear in the entire world.

The litany of Handel’s impressive gadgets include sought-after motion control robotics and what’s known as an LED wall, which can render photorealistic three-dimensional backdrops that help address many of the limitations greenscreens present.

Handel estimates that less than 50 of these exist in North America today.

“Somebody once said to me it’s like we’re growing corn in the desert,” he said with a chuckle. “We have some equipment here in Gahanna that you really only see in New York and LA.”

Handel is one of several Gahanna-area directors and filmmakers that make the City an unexpected but undeniable hotbed for the cinema industry. →

↓ Nathan William, owner of FrameWork Visuals

− "Nathan William

Nathan William is another Gahanna filmmaker.

William, who is known for his work in visual effects and owns the Gahanna-based FrameWork Visuals, has a knack for bringing his massive ambition and creativity into shoots.

“My mentality is always to go for broke on my concepts; to try the craziest thing we can think of, and find a way to make it work,” he said.

While directing a music video for a song called “Live on Forever” by The Afters— which currently has over one million views on YouTube—one particuarly crazy idea landed him in deep water. Literally.

To capture several underwater shots, he and an entire camera crew found themselves attached to weights at the bottom of an indoor pool used by diving instructors.

And while Handel and William are experts in the visual sector of cinema, another pair of Gahanna filmmakers have mastered a different aspect of the craft: Storytelling.

Mike Edwards is the founder of The 5 Stones Group, a Gahanna-based film company with 14 different Emmy Awards to its name. There’s a good chance you’ve seen some of his work, too, as his documentaries regularly air on PBS.

One of these films (which is itself responsible for a pair of Emmys) is called “Searching for Augusta: The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne”. It chronicles the story of a Congolese nurse who saved hundreds of lives during the Second World War, but wasn’t recognized until nearly 50 years later. The film has been seen by over 100 million people, according to Edwards. →

“For me, I think, it’s all about story,” he said. “If you tell a good story, you don’t think about where it’s going to go; it will find the audience.”

Long-time Gahanna-based videographer Tim Courlas would agree. Courlas, who has shot everything from political campaigns to commercial ads and is considered a stalwart in the community, has also discovered a passion for documentary storytelling.

Since 2017, he’s been crafting a documentary focused on a 90 yearold master penman (as in, a master of penmanship) that debuted October 16th.

"− Mike Edwards

And Courlas—like Edwards, Handel, and William—feels lucky to call Gahanna home. The four filmmakers (who know one another, and often work on each others’ sets or exchange gear) have each had a hand in making the City something of a filmmaking oasis.

“It's something special in a city of around 30,000 people to have so many creatives coming together on this unique thing: filmmaking,” Courlas said. “We work together; we know each other. It feels like this really micro industry sometimes, yet we’re all doing big things.”♦

↑ Scott Handel, owner of Ohio HD