COLUMBUS, Ohio — Now that a tentative deal has been reached between the SAG-AFTRA actors' union and the major film and television studios, Hollywood production will soon be back in full swing. That includes a major motion picture that set to film right here in Columbus.
"Down to the Felt" was originally set to shoot in fall of 2023, but was delayed due to the strikes. Now the film has its sights set on rolling cameras in early 2024.
The story of "Down to the Felt" follows a down-on-his-luck gambler in Columbus who, after meeting a mysterious hitman, decides to put all of his chips on the table to go out in a blaze of glory.
"I was sitting with another friend of mine and we were watching the last two minutes of a game," explained Ralph Scott, one of the film's co-writers and co-producers about the genesis of the story. "He said, 'The last two minutes of every game is the most exciting part of the game. What if life was like that?' So, I wrote a short page treatment of a down-and-out loser who thinks, 'All right, I'm going to turn my life into the last two minutes.'"
As a creative outlet during the quarantine, Scott - a Columbus-based professional actor and writer - took the story to two of his longtime pals for the three of them to work on together.
Columbus-based writer, director and actor Jon Osbeck and actor, writer and comedian Dino Tripodis both came on board as co-writers and co-producers alongside Scott to flesh out the story and the characters.
"We each could pull something from life in general in respects to everybody in this film, character-wise," explained Tripodis. "There's a real honesty and sincerity in the people we have put life into with these words."
Once the script was finished and started to garner buzz from production companies, the trio found it hard to let their story go.
So, instead of selling the script, they made the decision to make the film themselves, retaining not only the Columbus setting of the film, but choosing to shoot the major motion picture here in the heart of Ohio with a cast and crew comprised mainly of local talent.
"We're bringing in talent that we need to bring in and are excited to be attached to this project that's going to give it that viability when we go to the marketplace...that is to be fiscally responsible to our investors and donors because that is what has to be done to get that movie sold and to get it out there," explained Osbeck, who will also serve as the film's director, "but everything else - nearly, I think, 100% of the crew - is going to be Columbus-based crew. Everything else about it is going to be all Columbus. Everything."
Some of the outside talent already attached to the film include actor and producer Cullen Douglas and actor Scottie Thompson who both have extensive film television filmographies as well as veteran actor Sal Viscuso, whose 50-year career in Hollywood includes classics like "MASH," "Spaceballs," and dozens of roles on network TV dramas. But, for Osbeck and the rest of the creative team, the focus will remain on utilizing local film professionals and supporting the infrastructure that already exists here in Columbus.
"I've been fortunate as an actor to be in productions of larger scales in cities like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and, every time I would go there, I would think, 'Man, why isn't film happening like that in Columbus,'" explained Osbeck, who would frequently see other Columbus-based industry professionals also traveling hours away just to work. "There's so many talented film artists - and, when I say film artists in Columbus, I mean not just actors but writers and producers and unit production managers and wardrobe and makeup and crew and lights and grips and gaffers. Over the five-week period of shooting this film, we're going to be putting more than 200 film artists to work for those five weeks and that's from every department."
While filming on the project will not start until early 2024, the filmmakers and some of the stars of the project are throwing an informational fundraising event Wednesday, Nov. 15 here in Columbus.
If you are interested in attending this event as an industry professional or a potential investor, you can reach out to the production through their email info@bigdealpictures.com.
For more information on the production company behind "Down to the Felt," visit Big Deal Pictures, LLC's website: https://www.bigdealpictures.com/.
And stay with 10TV as we bring you more exclusive stories from behind-the-scenes of "Down to the Felt."