By Joshua Robison / Jambar Contributor
There are very few feelings better in the film industry than watching an independent filmmaker’s work come to fruition on the big screen. From the dialogue, action scenes and the feelings associated with filmmaking, it has the ability to resonate with countless people.
Even in Youngstown, the art of filmmaking has grown to be one of the most prolific art forms in Northeast Ohio. Many filmmakers have come from and entered the Youngstown area to make their dreams of filmmaking come true.
Dennis McCully, known professionally as Dennis Michael, founded the Evenfall Films YouTube channel in 2021, where he has posted original films over the last five years. Some of the Poland native’s works consist of passion projects and school assignments during his time at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Michael’s portfolio consists of six short films and a full feature-length film titled “Mediocrity” — one of Michael’s first projects.
Michael said his ambition for filmmaking began in his youth, as most of his free time was spent writing or recreating movie scenes with his brother.
“It was just something that was always there in some capacity. Whether it was orchestrating lightsaber fights with my brother in the backyard when we were kids or rewriting some movie that I went and saw … I wrote a lot and that was what I spent a lot of my time doing.”
In high school, Michael participated in theatre and athletics and took a hiatus from writing for some time. As he got older, he said he became more aware of his artistic abilities.
“I kind of realized that my true talent was less in acting, but more in the stories and storytelling — kind of back to my roots from when I was a kid,” Michael said.
In Michael’s experience, no two films are the same. Each film has its own production elements and comes with unique memories and experiences.
Released in March 2025, Michael’s film titled “Red Door, Yellow Door” had its own music score and dance number, composed by Jason Vuksanovich, Youngstown State University third-year electrical engineering major with a biomedical concentration.
Independent filmmaking is not without its challenges. While they have more creative freedom when making films, one of the greatest challenges is distribution.
Michael said finding an audience has been the most challenging.
However, with mediums such as YouTube and film festivals, Michael said finding an audience is becoming easier but makes the environment much more competitive.
“We live in a world now where it’s like, you can post [a film] on YouTube and whatnot, and for a lot of people that’s great because we have so much more exposure,” Michael said. “But you equally have millions of other things you’re competing with on there.”
Michael said he hopes that one day he will make a professional career out of filmmaking and has aspirations to pursue a full-time film career once he is finished with his U.S. Army service.
Along with Michael, other filmmakers have left their mark on the area. Micah Beck, a Kent State University graduate and founder of Mood9, is a fellow filmmaker looking to make his mark in the industry.
Beck said he has aspired to work in the media since he was a child, especially since he comes from a family of media professionals.
“I always knew from childhood that I wanted to be involved in the media somehow,” Beck said. “A lot of that came from … my dad having a background in broadcast.”
Beck’s mother worked as a freelance photographer, so between his parents’ careers, he said he was always surrounded by the tools for filmmaking.
The filmmaking experience is dynamic in nature, involving many elements from camera work, storytelling, organization and time management. Like Michael, Beck said the most enjoyable part of making films is conveying the narrative through visual means.
“I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, and just the way I tell stories is through visual mediums,” Beck said. “Going back to [my] childhood and begin making stuff like I was always ready to do.”
Mood9 was founded by Beck in April 2024 as a freelance video production company. He was able to start the business after taking advice from LaunchNET Kent State, a student resource that helps KSU students put entrepreneurship methods into practice.
With help from LaunchNET, and a $500 grant, Beck was able to kick-start Mood9 and lay out the foundation for his business.
With all of Beck’s efforts, he said that he hopes his work will take his career to new heights fiscally and creatively.
“I hope that we can continue to take on creative work that gives us the kind of creative liberty and the ability to tell meaningful stories to a point where we can become fully profitable,” Beck said.
As the art of filmmaking continues to grow all over the country, filmmakers such as Michael and Beck join the effort to bring well-made, creative works that represent a greater number of people.