DRAW HARD and the Journey of a Filmmaker.
Jon Nix was one of my collaborators on Lilith, one of my 'art dogs' in my art department, hired by my ace production designer Kristen Adams. Jon and his cohorts worked tirelessly through the day and night helping create the unique atmosphere of the film, they were the silent unsung heroes of the production as we'd just show up at each location and it would magically be ready to go. I owe a ton to them.
Jon's got a new documentary coming out on February 27th on Fandor and VHX called DRAW HARD, which is the story of underground comix legend John G and his creation The Lake Erie Monster. I've posted the trailer to the film at the end of this article, but first I'd like to talk more about Jon Nix.
Like so many artists I work with, Jon and I keep in touch and we've become great friends. He's based in Cleveland and formed Turnstyle Films, which has rapidly become one of the strongest production houses in the Midwest, garnering numerous awards and accolades for their music videos and documentaries.
I remember talking to Jon at our wrap party, and he kindly pulled me aside and asked if I could read some of his scripts. At that time he'd only done a handful of projects and was really trying to find his path. He's a great writer but like so many of us, he was in the trenches of trying to get that first project made. What he, his partner-in-crime Jaime Overstreet, cinematographer Yoshi Andrego and the rest of the Turnstyle crew did from there is a great model for all to follow in how to build a burgeoning and legitimate film career.
I remember a specific moment in Jon's life where things turned around. There's even a video record of that moment, which I've posted below. Jon was at a Q&A with legendary producer Ted Hope and directors Lisa Cholodenko and Spike Jonze. Jon asked the question we all want to know the answer to, which is how indie filmmakers can find financing for their projects. Watch the response:
And there it is, Ted Hope laid it out on the line: be prolific as hell, making stuff begets more stuff. I'm sure Ted Hope and Spike Jonze have said this to scores of young filmmakers, but how many of them actually listen? Jon did.
Jon started a company, Turnstyle Films, and began working in the world he knew. Music. He created a web series called 'Through the Turnstyle' where he interviewed local bands in Cleveland. The shorts are fantastic, insightful and well made, and Jon and his crew really started to refine their craft with each progressive episode. He parlayed the series into creating music videos for said bands, and started churning out content at an incredible rate. He was true to the advice given him, which was to be prolific as hell. He capped a huge year of productivity with the release of the mini-doc The Naked Zinester, about photographer Aaron Tsuru and his muse Cherry LaVoix.
Throughout this process, Jon and his crew were accruing hits - internet hits - as his videos gained more and more followers. Turnstyle Films relentlessly promoted themselves, creating merchandise and forging a bona-fide brand, which is something so many filmmakers fail to do. Self-promotion, creating a brand, an easily identifiable signature that one can market. The company diligently puts out updated reels of their work, and creates opportunities for prospective clients and fans to see what they're about.
This takes a lot of work, a lot of persistence, and a lot of support from family, friends and loved ones. Jon has an amazing support system and a great community of artists - photographers, dancers, musicians, comic book artists, chefs - around him, which is invaluable. Having spent considerable time in Cleveland I know firsthand that the Cleveland art scene was created from the ground up, grassroots and self-determined, and through his hard work and prolific output, Jon has firmly entrenched himself in that vibrant scene as the go-to filmmaker. Cleveland is not the next Brooklyn, it is something more akin to Seattle in the 90s, where artists reflect their evirons and upbringing in their art. There is a flavor to it that cannot be co-opted, only exported.
All of this hard work is culminating in Jon's first feature, an exciting documentary that someday soon I'll be able to write more about. It's a game changer, and he and Jaime have earned it. I love supporting artists like them, becuase they're what cinema needs to thrive: artists with something to say, a unique way to say it, and a desire to say it by any means neccessary.
DRAW HARD comes out on Fandor and VHX February 27th. Give it a watch and be inspired to start your own journey.
