CLEVELAND — Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have some deep roots in the film industry. According to the annual rankings from the magazine Moviemaker, Cleveland remains one of the best cities in the country to live and work in for those in the industry.
Now a film intensive class is returning to Cuyahoga Community College after a pandemic hiatus to help budding filmmakers get experience.
Led by an actor from the HBO Series “Band of Brothers” and the movie “Hook,” James Madio is helping aspiring industry professionals know the ins and outs of the film industry.
Madio is taking the acting hat off and will become Professor Madio.
“The idea that I can write my own script and have it produced through this program was enticing. I was like, 'Wow, this is really tough to do in this industry,'" he said.
He will be leading a six-week film crew intensive training course at Tri-C that kicks off on Feb. 28.
It’s designed for those who want to get their foot in the door in the film industry, working alongside and learning from those who’ve been in the business for years.
“We really really put you through the grind for six weeks and then at the end of it we shoot a short film and that’s all proper channels as well so you understand exactly how a film set is ran," Madio said. "We put ‘em in a position to gain the confidence of going on a set and asking the questions without feeling like a fool.”
The class, resuming for the first time since taking time off due to the pandemic, is designed for just 16 people.
“Now you have a family and that’s a big thing too because you want to grow with people and you want to work with people who inspire you and make you come correct.”
Madio said the program is the real deal for those who want to dig their heels in and gain experience.
“I will tell you this that I know -and I’ll say this with complete confidence - there are not many programs that do what Tri-C does with this film intensive. There are not.”
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