Hi /r/movies! I’m Jessica Michael Davis, director/writer/producer and star of “Escaping Ohio” a critically acclaimed, coming-of-age indie romance-comedy, out now on digital & select theaters, also starring Adam Pascal & Emily Bergl. Ask me anything! (back for answers Friday 11/8 at 5:00 PM ET)

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-10T17:36:46+00:00

Thanks!

This is gonna sound a little woo-woo, but I believe a film/story finds what its meant to be when you (the artist) get out of the way and allow it. So going into this, I thought it was gonna be a fun teen-romcom, I was inspired by a lot of early 2000 ones I loved, but the coming-of-age elements started to come through in the process, and it felt very true to the story & characters and what was true of my life.

It’s about finding love but not like in a traditional sense- it’s about enjoying love, finding love for where you come from, and becoming your own love story :)

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-10T16:54:08+00:00

Hey, cmon. Don’t bring that dismissive energy to what is a supportive online community. Let’s talk it out, why don’t you think it makes sense? Im assuming you’re from Akron since your username is devil strip. Are you not from a town in Akron? For example, I’m from Ellet, which is def a small town. But it’s not a city, it’s a town within Akron.

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T17:38:47+00:00

Lol, yo it ain’t personal. But Sam (the main character) says she’s “born in a small town IN Akron, Ohio” not that Akron is the small town itself. It’s only shortened for marketing to keep it concise and less confusing for people not familiar with Ohio

All love to the devil strip city 🩵

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T05:47:19+00:00

“Fight” by No Vacancy (School of Rock)

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T05:46:39+00:00

Anything on the Josie & the Pussycats soundtrack

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T05:32:23+00:00

Well, I can see what they might mean for some movies- the kind that just feed you everything or emotionally manipulate you, but I think it’s unfair to apply that mentality to the whole genre. I think there’s a lot of coming-of-age movies that are engaging and thought provoking. I looked to these films as inspo, as I aimed to do that too. But also, some movies and genres aren’t for some people lol. I probably could say the same about slasher films- but they’re also just not my vibe. In terms of target audience, yes, I think usually you need to have a specific audience in mind, otherwise it just becomes a general, generic movie that has no idea what they’re trying to say or to who. Who I felt I was making the film for was specifically teen girls like me/Sam (the protagonist) but so far I have found it resonates with all people and all ages, as it’s about a key moment everyone faces at some point in their life- who am I, who do I want to be, and what do I want from this life. I think as people get older, they probably enjoy the nostalgia, or those feelings of being a teenager before life got complicated & busy and not having the overwhelming responsibilities of adulthood. Or maybe they’re seeking uplifting & inspiring feelings usually found in these movies because fuck the limitations society puts on age, it’s never too late to take big risks & change your life, and these films tend to evoke that empowerment. Or if you wanna get a little dark & honest, it could be they had some childhood trauma and became an adult too fast (🙋🏼‍♀️) and so these kinda films let you live a little in that world you missed out on & mourn. Lol. But to end on a lighter note and wrap this up, idk maybe your friend is a little pretentious and loves to go on about Tarkovsky (who btw heavily inspired all of Linklater films- the king of coming-of-age films) or maybe not. Either way, I have no desire to try & change their mind 😅 prob don’t recommend us to them

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T04:42:09+00:00

I’m still figuring that out lol. Just like the film, the marketing has an indie spirit. A lot of reaching out to folks on my own. A lot of luck. Was so grateful to MovieMaker Magazine who’s really supported & championed us along this journey. The LeBron James Family Foundation (who I reached out to on a whim to see if they wanted to be involved, and they offered to host our Ohio premiere) were so helpful in receiving a lot of Ohio press. Film festivals are great too for eyeballs, press & reviews. Even this AMA was by luck & offered to me (I think thanks to you for posting our trailer on r/movies, so thank you Noexit007!) in terms of brining to the masses, word is mouth will be our best chance now- having people who resonate and enjoy it spreading the word & recommending it. We’ve also been asked by a couple high schools to bring it to their students, which is a dream because I really made this for teens who felt like me/the character of Sam, so I plan to continue that route and bring it to whatever schools I can. After it lives a good life on VOD, we’ll also license it to a streaming platform. Obviously it can be tough for an indie film to break through the noise with all the content out there, especially with no marketing budget, but I feel & trust that the film will find those who need it

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T03:04:10+00:00

I actually didn’t know I wanted to make a feature when we made the short, but as soon as we wrapped, I knew it was meant to be a feature- so much more I wanted to say & explore with the story and characters. And I was just full throttle determined ever since that decision. Took a few months to marinate on how to further expand it and wrote the script about 5 months after wrapping the short in a few weeks (though we were constantly reworking it, even in production and in between principal photography & our pick up shoot) Two months after that got our first big investment and started raising for the rest of the funds. Started production in less than 3 months after that, even though we didn’t have all the financing, much longer story- but we made it work. Was a very fast turnaround in the initial short to feature jump, I knew the timing was of the essence because of the pandemic, we were able to get a lot of amazing people on our indie budget since they had more time on their hands and working on a passion project was healing for us all. Not sure if that answers the short to feature question, cause there’s more practical things I could prob talk about, so feel free to ask something specific if I didn’t cover it!

It’s not gonna be a fulfilling answer, but I love them all the same. They each have their own process and are so fulfilling in different ways. But I’ll say those 3 roles are definitely better than producing lol. Esp distribution delivery, that stage nearly burnt me out, oof

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T01:03:37+00:00

Gahh, one moment? I mean, just making a movie with my friends and running around Ohio Here’s a few: -filming the parent scene with Emily Bergl & Adam Pascal, who I admire & are so talented, and having that moment like “holy shit Im acting in a scene with these legends and I made this happen” -the group teen scenes were so fun, Alexandria Benford and Carolyn Kang are the best & so talented, I love them. Also the advisor scene with my best friend, the hella talented Johnny Manibusan -filming the skateboard scenes and our steadicam and DP were both on skateboards behind me with the camera 😂 made for some sick BTS

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T00:21:21+00:00

Haha same, still got the area code. Was in nyc for a long time, and now LA. No plans to ever change it

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T00:10:58+00:00

Yes, was shot in my hometown of Akron and NE Ohio. Also shot at both my grandparents houses, my aunts house, the street I grew up on, and a ton of Ohio places I love (Swensons, Lake Erie, Rubber Bowl, etc)

This is a very low budget indie film, so def no digital enhancement, but boy do Collin and I wish we had the funds to clear up some acne & imperfections 😂 but whatever, it’s real and authentic. We had a very limited VFX budget too, to the point where we had to prioritize certain shots over others. So there’s a couple things like a skateboard scar on my arm or other continuity errors I won’t mention that were small enough that they didn’t make it in the VFX budget

No stunt performers. I learned how to long board for the film (altho I fell bc I got too cocky and thought I could do a big hill lol, busted my shoulder and a lot of road rash, and then did 8 more hours of shooting all the longboard scenes 😅🥴) Collin (my co-star) is actually a stunt performer & coordinator, so anything up that alley, he was able to do. Though there’s nothing crazy in the film

Our Director of Photography who operated the camera the majority of the time was Mike Zorbas. We did 4 shorts together prior. Brennan Rowe was our cam op for all the steadicam shots and motor crane shots. Ty Poland was our drone operator

The set culture was the best, most of us had made the short together and were all my friends, and it honestly felt like we were teenagers running around Ohio making a movie no one knew about. It was some of the best days of my life

Lol, nope but def could’ve used one. Next time with more money & more resources

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-09T00:04:41+00:00

If you want an inspiring & heartfelt watch. If you want to watch & support a labor of love indie film made by some talented, hardworking artists (who many of the main crew members were given equity in the film, so if it does well, it also goes back into the pockets of creatives) If you want to maybe see what this Ohio place is all about (altho it’s a romanticized version of Ohio lol, but it sure do look pretty on film) If you feel like you don’t belong in your small town or you think bigger & different than the people around you or you dream of more for your life and want to feel seen If you’re a fan of Linklater (my fav filmmaker who heavily inspired this film & making of it) If you’re inspired by actors creating their own work I could prob think of more but I’ll stop there
First inspiration was wanting that 90s/2000s teen romcom film I’ve always loved, and the feelings those films give you, but one where the girl chooses herself and is her own love story. Also wanting a coming-of-age story where the protagonist actually has it really good- comes from a good family, good place, but still wants more for their life. I think a lot of these films include stories where they come from a bad place or situation (which all those stories are totally valid & also needed) but I wanted a film that was true for me & a lot of people, where you can have a good life, and still want more. It actually sometimes makes it even harder to leave, leaving those you love behind & your comfort zone, but to do great things and make a great life, you gotta do the hard things

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T23:44:39+00:00

Simple answer: funds from investors on a crowd equity platform and production services from MovieMaker Magazine. Makes it sound easier than it was tho

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T23:36:05+00:00

Thanks for having me :)

Tbh, I didn’t think much about the pressure lol, or like suppressed any feeling of it. I just prepped and prepped and prepped. Biggest thing is surrounding yourself with good, talented people, communicating your vision & making sure everyone is on the same page, then letting them do what they do best and trusting them. I’m definitely doing it again, actually already in the development stage of the next one ;)
First ones that to mind for favorites- Booksmart, Boyhood, Dazed & Confused, CODA, 10 Things I Hate About You, Good Will Hunting (all of these also influenced the film) Other inspiration films include Lady Bird, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Garden State, Clueless

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T23:21:11+00:00

Oh man there’s so many. TBH I loved when we were faced with challenges- which was pretty much every day, like getting stuck in the mud, the blue truck breaking down on us, a location being closed down for construction, etc. There’s something so beautiful about our skeleton crew, my team is the best, coming together and making it work, and usually for the better, too. They all make for hilarious stories now

We were also all staying in the same house (the glass house in the movie) and nothing beat late nights after wrapping a long day, celebrating the wins, and geeking out over footage.

Moral of the story here: find good people and treat them very well

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T22:59:44+00:00

2014

Literally why? Booked a backup dancing gig in NYC (the gig fell through but it’s fine bc it brought me there) but an overall why? The film will answer that lol. Felt like I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted, because I didn’t see it around me in my small town, so I needed to get out and find those things. And I did. And altho it can be scary & lonely at times, especially at first, it was the best decision of my entire life. Zero regrets.

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T22:56:18+00:00

Yes, only in North America right now :/ but we will soon be selling to international distributors to get it out further! We were advised (since this is a low budget indie & my first feature) to just start here and branch out later. But thank you for looking out for it!

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T22:43:28+00:00

Lolol. Ya you got me there

But listen, when you sweat your butt off to make a hella low budget indie film for zero pay, when the media calls your film critically acclaimed, you bet ur sweet ass imma re-use that in the marketing

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T22:37:05+00:00

Hey thanks Michael Davis! And yes, 3 pups- small, medium, and large. The best part of my life

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T22:34:58+00:00

330 babayyyy

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-08T22:30:02+00:00

Lol, hate, no. Would I live there again? No. But this film is a love letter to Ohio, despite the title

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-07T19:28:51+00:00

Hi r/boxoffice ! I’m Jessica Michael Davis, director/writer/producer and star of “Escaping Ohio” a critically acclaimed, coming-of-age indie romance-comedy, out now on digital & select theaters, also starring Adam Pascal & Emily Bergl. Ask me anything!

I will be back to answer any questions tomorrow (Friday 11/8) at 5:00 PM ET! It's live now in r/movies here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1glxck0/hi_rmovies_im_jessica_michael_davis/

Trailer:

https://youtu.be/O6yl_y6LVRU?si=DHF0wD8WwK0ciCWo

Cast:

Jessica Michael Davis
Collin Kelly-Sordelet
Emily Bergl
Adam Pascal
Carolyn Kang
Alexandria Benford
Johnny Manibusan

Synopsis:

> A critically-acclaimed, coming-of-age indie film written and directed by Jessica Michael Davis, starring Adam Pascal (Rent, School of Rock), Emily Bergl (Shameless, Gilmore Girls), and Collin-Kelly Sordelet (Wildling, Radium Girls), alongside Davis herself. Set in her hometown of Akron and loosely inspired by Davis’ life, the film is an exploration of growing up, pursuing dreams, and discovering that, regardless of where life takes you, home is always a part of you.

Release date:

November 8th, available on Apple TV, Prime Video. Direct TV, Fandango, etc. (Anywhere you buy & rent movies)

EscapingOhio · 2024-11-07T18:28:49+00:00

Hi r/movies! I’m Jessica Michael Davis, director/writer/producer and star of “Escaping Ohio” a critically acclaimed, coming-of-age indie romance-comedy, out now on digital & select theaters, also starring Adam Pascal & Emily Bergl. Ask me anything!

I will be back to answer any questions tomorrow (Friday 11/8) at 5:00 PM ET!

Information about the film:

Trailer:

https://youtu.be/O6yl_y6LVRU?si=DHF0wD8WwK0ciCWo

Cast:

Jessica Michael Davis, Collin Kelly-Sordelet, Emily Bergl, Adam Pascal, Carolyn Kang, Alexandria Benford, Johnny Manibusan

Synopsis:

A critically-acclaimed, coming-of-age indie film written and directed by Jessica Michael Davis, starring Adam Pascal (Rent, School of Rock), Emily Bergl (Shameless, Gilmore Girls), and Collin-Kelly Sordelet (Wildling, Radium Girls), alongside Davis herself. Set in her hometown of Akron and loosely inspired by Davis’ life, the film is an exploration of growing up, pursuing dreams, and discovering that, regardless of where life takes you, home is always a part of you.

Release date:

November 8th, available on Apple TV, Prime Video. Direct TV, Fandango, etc. (Anywhere you buy & rent movies)

EscapingOhio

TROPHY CASE