Independent Local Producers

By Nelson Bradshaw

The economic and cultural landscape of the Catskill Mountains is increasingly dotted with production companies these days. Entrepreneurs, skilled in the arts and crafts of making feature films, videos, commercials and industrials, have been setting up shop and carving out niches here in recent decades.

Most of them had already been successful in the business in New York City when they discovered the Catskill Region as a weekend retreat. They fell in love with their second homes. They wanted to live here full-time, without giving up the business. Technological advances in communications, computers and production equipment have made it possible. The growing presence here of others, with show business skills, has made the move seem ever more practical.

One of the thriving transplants from the city is Fred Margulies of Margaretville, who owns and operates Toucan Productions. In the business for 35 years, Fred has been full-time in Margaretville for the last three. He and his wife were weekenders before that. Fred produces industrials. “I do corporate videos for companies like Citi and AT&T,” he elaborated. “These are non-broadcast videos. Large organizations use videos for a wide range of purposes, such as training, employee relations, investment, marketing and sales.”

Back in the 1970s, American Express hired Fred to build and manage its in-house video department. He left the employ of that corporation in the mid-'80s to set up Toucan Productions. At first, he intended to do the various stages of production with in-house crews and his own equipment. That was how he had operated at American Express. “But then I realized that the technology of the business is constantly evolving,” said Fred. “I noticed that there are people out there with their own equipment and the craft skills required to shoot, light, and do sound for productions. On the other end of the process, there are companies with the equipment and skill to edit. There are also those who can do the graphics and music. I realized that I would be better off as a free-lance producer, cherry-picking the resources I need for both ends of my productions.”

Fred hires crews, usually from New York City, to do the work. When his customers, most of whom are in New York City, call him, they don’t know that he is speaking to them from an office in a converted milk house in Margaretville. The Margulies have beautifully transformed an old dairy farm into their home and work space. Thanks to modern telephone technology, clients call Fred at his New York City number and get him in Margaretville and never know the difference.

Toucan is a one man operation at present. But, Fred would like to take on local jobs and hire local people to do the work if the opportunity should arise.

Another producer, Drew Harty of Treadwell, has established a place for himself in the not-for-profit video production market. His company is called Galene Productions. “I have two projects I am currently working on,” Drew noted. “The University of Connecticut has a new museum space opening. They’re using a large scale video introduction for each section of the exhibit. I’m also doing still photography for them. I’ve shot a number of things that are being printed as large murals. The video programs I am designing now are to be introductions to those murals.” Those videos involve the use of still images and animation.

Drew—a long time resident of the Region— also gets local work. He recently completed a piece for the Catskill Watershed Corporation about the history of the relationship between Catskill communities and New York City and the water that flows from one to the other. Especially when working in the area, Drew uses local people to do sound, operate jibs, narrate and provide music.

Beyond producing videos, Drew does a lot of network camera work, on documentaries. He is also a fine artist. He takes nature photographs and makes large prints of them, for exhibit and sale. His photos of streams, with water coursing over the smoothed stones of creek beds, leave vivid impressions on the memory.

Samantha Clark of Gilboa is a young, independent producer. She is a native of the Catskill Region, who left to go to college and then stayed away to pursue a television career. She was a TV producer in Albany for four years. For two-and-a-half years before that she worked for a small television production company in Manhattan.

She recently came home to Gilboa and found work producing pieces on the history of the town. “Right now I’m finishing a documentary on the Town of Gilboa for the Gilboa Historical Society,” Samantha explained. “I also did a short informational video for the Historical Society regarding the Gilboa fossils of the Devonian period and the significance of that area of study.” Her video on the Gilboa will be seen in museums and schools.

Samantha is not yet a full-time producer. She sells real estate on the side. She does not have a production company at this point. But, she intends to remain a player in the game and take advantage of opportunities as they come her way. “I’m interested in doing more local histories,” she stated. “I would like to do other kinds of documentaries, too. I like the long form—documentaries. For years I did a lot of the short form—commercials. But, it’s the long form I really enjoy. With documentaries, you tell stories.”

Producer-Director Chris Ingvordsen of Bovina is definitely full-time in the business. His company is Suttan Film Productions. He does feature films, along with some industrials and commercials. “I’ve done a lot of feature films,” said Chris. “I like to bring them to Delaware County on location. I’ve done a kid’s movie called The Sign of the Otter. I also produced a '30s gangster period piece here called Outfit. Right now I’m working on (writing) a submarine movie. I probably won’t shoot that one here, though. I need a submarine for it.”

When Chris does film locally, it means work for some area actors and extras and technicians. But most of the jobs generated by his company go to New York City people. He seldom does commercials and never does industrials in the Catskill Mountains. Were he getting local projects, Chris said he would use local people for them: “There isn’t much work that generates from this area, unfortunately. I certainly would be interested in doing it if it was available.”

Producer-Director Dorothy Lyman of Andes concentrates on feature films. Her company, Stuffed Olive, does not accept outside jobs. “Stuffed Olive only does projects that I generate,” Dorothy expanded. “A year ago the company produced a film that a Delhi woman wrote and I directed—The Northern Kingdom. I shot the film entirely on location here in Delaware County.” The film was designated an ‘official selection’ of the April, 2007 Syracuse International Film Festival. Dorothy hopes to market her full-length film through contacts at the Festival. She will seek a theatrical release or a direct sale to TV or a video release.

Dorothy logged about 20 years in the Industry in Los Angeles before coming to the Catskill Region three years ago. “I directed three years of ‘The Nanny’ for CBS,” she noted. “I starred in a long-running series called ‘Mama’s Family’ with Vicky Lawrence.” These days, beyond producing and directing for Stuffed Olive, Dorothy teaches directing at the New School.

Louis Puopolo is a screenwriter and film director who lives and works in Delaware County. His company is Puopolo Productions. He also has offices in New York City and Los Angeles. “My production company is based wherever I happen to be on a given day,” Louis explained. “But, this is my home. I work out of my home unless I get called away to another office.” He uses local people for his productions when working here, like most of the other local producers.

At present, Louis is most active as a screenwriter. He says that being the writer on a project makes him feel more in control and therefore empowered to do the work he likes. “I decided early in my career that I would do only the work that I really wanted to do. As you can imagine, there are problems connected to a business philosophy like that one. But, it has worked for me.”

He discussed his big project of the moment: “I’m in the middle of writing a children’s fantasy adventure that began as a treatment,” said Louis. “I was advised by someone quite influential in the feature business to make the book into a story. Then, I could introduce the book, with a screenplay attached to it.”

Puopolo Productions is open to doing local productions. “If a project comes along that I’m interested in, I’ll take it,” Louis avowed. “If there is a pro bono or a charity that might benefit from my counsel, I’ll get involved.”

Dr. Gary Zeller of Downsville is a special effects expert of international stature. His production company, Zeller Internationalists, provides special effects services for feature films, stage productions, commercials, soaps and Vegas shows. “I am very active in the supervision of work on back lots and production studios and directing the work on stage,” Zeller explained. He has a regular staff of four to six people. That number expands when his crew is on the move. “When I go on location to London, Hollywood or Canada, I have to use union people,” Zeller stated. “There can be a hundred people in the crew.”

Dr. Zeller’s fame has been much enhanced by his inventions and patents, especially in the areas of polymers, advanced plastics and composites. He is particularly known for Zel Gel, a lotion that protects the skin from the effects of fire. It is used by stunt people all over the world on a regular basis. He also has inventions relating to alternative energy. Over the years in his line of work, he has become acutely aware of a need for new energy forms and practices. At present, Dr. Zeller is deeply involved in the politics of energy reform. But, that is another story.

There is a new feature film producer in the Catskill Mountains, Steve Monosson of Sidney Center. In just the last year, Steve has done a lot of research, has inaugurated a production company he calls Log Movies and has begun filming his first full-length movie—Log Jam. Steve has done a couple of shorts before. But, he is really very new to the business. Yet, he is certainly game. Steve is involved in the acting, directing, writing and producing of this feature.

The movie is set in Delaware County and New York City in the future. At that future time, Delaware County has been officially closed due to flooding and devastation to the dairy industry caused by a superior milk cow genetically engineered by the Japanese. A character in Log Jam, who is himself a Delaware County producer, makes a film about a log. It runs for two-and-a-half hours and shows a log sitting on the ground. The action in this movie spikes dramatically when a dog runs by the log. The movie in Log Jam becomes a great hit, attracting cult status. There are blogs written about it. There are “log” discussion groups formed.

Steve estimated that 35% of the movie has been filmed. He said that filming has now been suspended while he seeks financing for the rest of it. There has been action for some local actors in the making of the film. In particular, there are five principals and about a hundred extras that have worked on it.

In Hobart, there exists an unusual production company called Work in Progress. Company representative, Kristina Zill, discussed the operation. “We make a personalized cartoon—on DVD—for kids,” said Kristina. “People send in a picture of their child and we put her or him in the cartoon as seamlessly as possible. The child on the cartoon body actually interacts with other cartoon characters.” The cartoons run 20 to 30 minutes. Work in Progress has turned out more than 4,000 of them over the years.

The several independent producers glimpsed above do not constitute the whole picture of their industry in the Catskill Mountains. But the know-how, energy and vision emanating from this handful alone seem to brighten the economic horizons of our region. They are, perhaps, a harbinger of better times to come.