The Tri-State’s Tinseltown

Shane M. Pergrem, executive producer and owner of True Artists Studio

Filmmakers are essentially artists telling a story through the medium of film. “Video is powerful. Stories are powerful. The two together, it’s True Art,” says Shane M. Pergrem, Executive Producer and owner of True Artists Studio.

While most of Pergrem’s time is dedicated to his clients — mainly brides, small business owners, and non-profits — he also enjoys getting involved in the booming local filmmaking community.

“Hollywood has come back to the Queen City! George Clooney’s ‘The Ides of March,’ Val Kilmer’s ‘Seven Below’ and most recently, Kate Blanchet in ‘Carol,'” says Pergrem. “Amazing films being made right here in our own backyard. It gets people really excited, and it should, but what many Cincinnatians probably don’t know is that there are plenty of Indie Films being made here in our city by local production companies.”

In particular, Rebel Pilgrim Productions is one of the local production companies flying under the radar but making Cincinnati soar on the national filmmaking scene. “Rebel Pilgrim Productions this past summer released their first theatrical feature film, ‘A Strange Brand of Happy’ across the U.S. and they have another film in production now called ‘Hope Bridge,'” Pergrem explains. “Both films produced right here in the Tri-State.”

Plumb Street Productions, Mike Webber and Barking Fish are others to keep on your reel-lovin’ radar. “If you like short films, Plumb Street Productions has been putting out some very interesting shorts for years. If you are a documentary fan, check out The Elephant in the Living Room. A film by Mike Webber that follows the dangers behind owning exotic animals as pets and if you are a Red’s fan, definitely check out Barking Fish’s documentary film about the Hit King, ‘4192,’” Pergrem says. “These are just a few of my favorite locals that are putting out some amazing films and they aren’t in Hollywood.”

So, how can Cincinnati keep track of all these local films being made? Pergrem says he’s working on a solution. “It’s hard to find information about the local filmmaking scene, but that needs to change,” he says. “So, I’ve started a simple blog, Cincinnatifilmmaking.com, and it’s a one stop resource for everything filmmaking here in the Queen City.”

He says the site will feature behind-the-scenes pics, digital dailies, script notes, kickstarter campaigns, local screenings, and more. “Basically, anything and everything filmmaking will be on the site,” Pergrem adds, “and we are looking for submissions from filmmakers. Send us your stuff and we will post it. It’s that simple.”

To learn more, “like” True Artists Studio on Facebook, email Pergrem at video@trueartistsstudio.com, or watch the exclusive webcast video below.

This is a special advertising supplement, paid for by True Artists Studio.