Mike Wendt, Production Coordinator at the Cleveland Film Commission, discussed the impact of the pandemic on the local film industry. His portrait was captured as part of a small sub-series of the Stay at Home collection which featured people in the film industry. During that time, film productions came to a halt, there were threats of multiple union strikes and the Cleveland Film Festival had just announced their online platform.
As a seasonal employee for the Cleveland Film Festival since 2008, Mike shared insight about the changes the festival underwent since 2020. “This festival was one of the first festivals to pivot to an all-online platform in 2020. It went back to in-person in 2022, but the venue changed from Tower City to Playhouse Square. The core audience numbers have been lower ever since.
In the spring of 2020, film productions were at an all-time low in Northeast Ohio. “There was a movie that never got back off the ground called “Under Cover”. It was a script specifically written for Cleveland. It went away because of the shutdown. There had been an exodus of productions going to Europe because they seemed to have a better handle on the pandemic,” Mike said.
“The WGA and SAG strikes were a huge hit to the industry as well. The strikes lasted about 6 months, but the ripple effects lasted a year. In some ways it feels like we are still affected. Original ideas are scrutinized. There are so many more prequels and sequels, but not original IP.”
Mike noticed that more people seemed to be inspired on the local stage and started writing and making their own material. “There’s never been a downturn in people wanting to make their own stuff, but I think the pandemic was a point where people realized “what’s stopping me?” Late 2020 I got a call about the movie White Noise. That was a big boon, just to get people used to going back to work. I was able to step away from my desk and be on set, which I love. I’m hoping that Hollywood will start to embrace original ideas again, like they did in the 70s, 80s and 90s.”
From a personal perspective, Mike had some life changes. A wedding planned in May of 2020 had to make adjustments to meet Covid protocols. Mike and his wife lived in three different cities during the pandemic (Berea, Cuyahoga Falls, and South Euclid). Mike’s father passed away unexpectedly during that time, which brought grief and camaraderie within his family. “Not that my family wasn’t close before, but working through the passing of my father made us closer.
Looking back, five years ago feels like twenty in some ways. There are certain aspects of my life that have improved because of the pandemic. It helped me refocus and embrace more time with family and friends. Quite a few things I’m working on are going to be filming in a few months and into next year. Work is important, but it's important to take time for myself, for the sake of mental health. This year has been a really positive year. Finally all the things are coming to fruition.”
July 2020
Merriman Hills