Fresh out of college and working as a janitor is a harsh reality some often face after graduation.
Jeffrey James, who graduated from Ohio University in 2009, found himself living at home and hard-pressed to find a “real” job after graduation.
“I was doing all of these jobs that a person with a degree didn’t think he was going to do,” James said. “Everyone said if you get good grades, you’ll get a good job; well, I did that and now I’m a server.”
While at OU, James studied film and video production, and he learned all about the technical aspect of filmmaking but not enough about post-production, he said.
“I learned cinematography, lighting and editing but after that, OU didn’t factor in,” James said. “I didn’t know about mixing audio, color corrections or marketing … You need to be creative, but you need to know the business side.”
Even with a limited knowledge, James said it is important to not get caught up in the small details and glamour of filmmaking.
From this, he drew the inspiration that prompted his first feature film and comedy, Get Serious, which focuses on Mike Rivers, a recent college graduate who lives at home and works menial jobs.
With a long writing process, a very low budget, a small crew and a cast of unpaid actors, James said he definitely felt the pressure as the writer, director and producer of the film.
“I was doing everything,” he said. “I did the tedious stuff that a real director with a crew wouldn’t be messing with. I didn’t have the luxuries of coffee and donuts every morning.”
The emphasis on the story is what drew in Joe Zamora, who plays the main character, Rivers.
“There are a lot of funny moments, but at the core of it all is the story about a kid trying to find himself after he was led to believe the world was different than it was,” he said. “The comedy serves to enhance the characters or plot.”
Chris Craine, James’ brother and producer of the film, said the film’s demographic is different than the typical coming-of-age story.
“There are a lot of high school or getting married coming-of-age stories,” he said. “But there’s a missing gap between the two that this film meets.”
Though it is not slated to play in Athens anytime soon, Get Serious is available online at www.getseriousthemovie.com.
mg986611@ohiou.edu
