REEL APPEAL
Camp-y Cinema Local film production of summer camp experiences By Jon Ruggiero
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Thanks to the modern indie movement, many films are being made that would not have been financially viable in the past. For instance, 15 years ago, when local comedian Jeff Frey started writing things down on scraps of paper, he never thought that he’d make a movie from those notes. “I would jot ideas down every once in a while,” Frey said, “many times I started to write and then I just put it down because of two big factors: fear and self-doubt. “It pretty much lived on what some people call ‘Someday Isle,’” Frey explained. “You know, someday I’ll do this or someday I’ll do that.” That “someday” came when he took his ideas, combined them into a script, and found a local film production company to consider producing it. That company, One Stoplight Productions, has made a name for themselves locally by producing fun and weird indie films. Now, pre-production has begun on A Summer To Remember, Frey’s film about the wonderful experiences available to kids at summer camp.
From scraps to script
Frey began the journey to making A Summer To Remember with an assortment of notes compiled over the years. Once exposed to the local indie movie scene, he became excited about the possibility of having his script read. “I contributed to the (local horror film) Shelved that was being produced by One Stoplight Productions. A few weeks prior to the premiere I reached out to one of the actors to see if I should send (my script) to producer Lindsey LaForest to get some tips and ideas on how to make it better.” LaForest, who created One Stoplight Productions with her husband Clint, enjoyed what she read. Frey, his wife, and The LaForests met in January, 2017 and now A Summer To Remember is three months away from production.
March 14 • March 27
Jeff Frey, local comedian and writer for A Summer To Remember, a film made up of Northwest Ohio talent that begins filming this June.
The story follows Steve, a father looking forward to an upcoming summer camp reunion, with his son, Ricky, a teenage bully who aggravates his father so much he is tasked with cleaning up their attic. While cleaning, Ricky finds the mementos of Steve’s past summer camp experiences. Ricky learns that Steve was bullied by someone like Ricky as a kid, and was sent to summer camp to escape the bully. Feeling regret for what his dad went through, Ricky pieces together the info he has about Steve’s camp friends, so he can make sure the upcoming camp reunion exceeds Steve’s expectations.
Locally sourced scenes
To localize the film, talent and locations have been picked up from the surrounding area. Directing responsibilities are handled by Larry D. Williams II, a University of Toledo graduate who has worked on a number of area films and documentaries. Dustin Mills, a Maumee-based director, will direct the photography. Frey said, “We have an amazing cast of actors both locally and from places like Detroit, Cleveland, and even Canada.” Since this can’t be a camp movie without a great camp, filming will take place at the YMCA’s Camp Storer in Jackson, MI. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for film production. To give back to the community, part of the money that is raised will go to the YMCA of Greater Toledo, Frey explained, because he wants to continue to give families the opportunity to make their own camp memories: “Part of what we raise will be donated, so families that may not have the means to send their children to camp can have the chance to gain the values and experiences I did.” Filming for A Summer To Remember begins in June. To find out more about the film, it’s creators, and how to contribute, visit gofundme.com/asummertorememberfilm
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