CLASSNOTES
ALUMNI PROFILE
Silver screen dream A former Hairy Dawg fights to make it in the film world by Lori Johnston (ABJ ’95) In true director form, Matthew Perkins selects the ideal location to tell the story of “The Little Tin Man,” which started as a UGA class project 10 years ago. The place: Bryant Park in New York City. The scene: Professionals and picnickers are enjoying a sunny September afternoon. Then a five-person camera crew—unrelated to Perkins (AB ‘06) and his filmmaking— suddenly sets up in metal chairs nearby. As they start rolling, Perkins, wearing a black Georgia hat, shares his ups and downs in the industry and discusses the Kickstarter campaign that funded his independent film. In “The Little Tin Man,” co-written and co-produced by Perkins and Dugan Bridges (ABJ ‘06), Aaron Beelner (MA ‘05) plays Herman, a dwarf actor who is tired of being overlooked and sets out to be cast as the Tin Man in a remake of “The Wizard of Oz.” This fall, independent film distributor Gravitas Ventures released “The Little Tin Man” on Vutopia (a Time Warner streaming service) and digital platforms such as iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. In quirky timing, 2014 marked the 75th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz.” Perkins, a former Hairy Dawg mascot who describes himself as a “dreamer,” says the idea began in 2004 at UGA after he and Bridges saw Beelner being offered roles that seemed to exploit his size. A couple of years after writing the script, an investor offered $2 million to make the movie, under one condition: Beelner couldn’t play the lead because he seemed too old. “We wound up walking away from that deal,” Perkins says. “There was so much of his life story woven into what we wanted to do. Something seemed wrong about having him be cut out of the process.” Perkins held on to his dream, remembering his conversations with now-retired UGA professor Jim Herbert about the indie film industry and the persistence and dedication required. “I think he has a calling,” Herbert says. “That’s sustained him for 10 years, to know that he wants to have this film come to life.” Perkins credits UGA for developing his entrepreneurial spirit. Under the Franklin College’s interdisciplinary studies program, Perkins created his major in film production. When he moved to New York City, a chance meeting at a bank led to a job on the 2007 film “American Gangster” and then he
42 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.ugamagazine.uga.edu
(left to right) Perkins, Beelner and Bridges
CONTRIBUTED
interned with actor Fisher Stevens’ company, GreeneStreet Films. In 2012 Perkins decided to try Kickstarter to fund the movie. The campaign raised $100,000 for the 18-day shoot in New York City, where he lives. “The Little Tin Man,” which was shown at 11 film festivals, is expected to have a limited theatrical release. “It really brings me a lot of joy when we show it in a group of people, and there’s consistent laughs. I lead with the comedy, and sort of endear you with the characters, but then you actually care about what they’re going through,” he says. “It’s Aaron’s story, but it’s also a lot of my story. It’s about feeling like an underdog and wanting to be recognized.”
—Lori Johnston is a writer living in Watkinsville.