Graduating film majors launch company despite risk

By: Caitlin Dewey

Posted: 5/7/09

Brendan O'Neil is the pragmatist. Tuan Le is the artist. Mike Perdew holds the middle ground somewhere in between. Together, the three graduating television, radio and film majors from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications make up the close-knit and enterprising team that won't be flying to Los Angeles for jobs this summer, like many of their peers - they'll be starting their own, yet unnamed production company.

Le, O'Neil and Perdew became best friends and collaborators this semester while working on their senior thesis film, "Dan(ielle)."

Now, as they leave the world of school projects and cramped editing suites behind, the trio has decided to collaborate on an independent production company, taking a leap in a constantly evolving industry.

"We all agree that we don't want to get into an industry … [where] we might not be doing what we originally intended, which was to produce stories that really captivated people," O'Neil said. "We have to take a risk and do it on our own, because we're not going to be handed that opportunity."

Le, O'Neil and Perdew understand starting a production company is a difficult task. The company will begin by making freelance music videos, commercials, trade videos and short films in the New York City or Philadelphia area, with the eventual goal of producing a full-length feature film.

They won't make enough money the first year and will have to take part-time jobs to pay the rent - "You can get health insurance as a waiter at the Red Lobster," Perdew said - but their hope is that, by the end of five years, they'll have the resources and the investors to make a feature film.

Their plan is ambitious, and it's a route that few other TRF students take. Most graduates flock to Los Angeles or New York, where they work under an established director, said Tula Goenka, a TRF professor and the executive producer of "Dan(ielle)."

"They're courageous, really. They're brave," Goenka said. "The film they're working on now is very ambitious … It's beautiful. It's the best-looking project I've seen in my years of teaching. I know they can pull it off."

"Dan(ielle)" is a 15-minute short set in New York City. Le wrote the complex script - which tells the story of a girl who returns to her ex-lover's city - last winter. After deciding between "Dan(ielle)" and O'Neill's competing thriller script, the group decided to name itself 50/50 Productions - a reference to a disagreement they'd had over the scripts.

The disagreement was not the first that cinematographer Le, editor O'Neil and director Perdew, as well as the group's producer, Kate Lavalee, would have over the course of the semester. With their distinct styles and strong artistic visions, the three occasionally argued about the direction of the film.

Le tends to be the most artistic or avant-garde of the group, while O'Neil - in almost direct opposition - is the most grounded. Perdew jokes that he's somewhere in between.

It is this difference in vision, however, as well as their friendship and their versatility as filmmakers, that has allowed O'Neil, Le and Perdew to succeed thus far.

"They work well together. They're a good team," said Jason Kohlbrenner, the supervisor of the editing suites, who has supported the group throughout the semester. "They each bring different things to the table, and if they can utilize each other's skills and work together, they're going to be quite successful."

From the earliest planning stages, the group treated their film as more than a mere school project. They petitioned Newhouse for use of better lenses and paid thousands of dollars out of pocket for a top-of-the-line camera. They drove to New York City over Spring Break to shoot cutaways on location. As late as May 5, Le and Perdew were still driving to New York to film B-roll material, leaving Syracuse late Tuesday afternoon to shoot more hours of footage for a film that was due for their class in three days.

Their dedication impacted their schoolwork and other relationships, O'Neil said. On one occasion, he slept only three hours in three days.

At the same time, the group grew closer as friends: Working together constantly on the all-consuming project convinced the three that they could do more after graduation.

"The thesis project brought us together and made us really great friends," Le said. "From then on, we realized these guys are great to work with. We want to be doing our own things after we graduate. … We want to do work while we're still young and have the chance to take risks."

Struggles with funding and finding clients have shut down many similar efforts; these two issues will be the biggest challenges for Le, O'Neil and Perdew, Kohlbrenner said.

Still, the group is taking advantage of a gradual trend in the industry. Cameras are becoming cheaper, the industry is fragmenting into smaller niches and interest rates are low, Le and Pewdew said. Philadelphia is emerging as a major cultural hub. And as the industry continues to digitalize, it becomes easier for startups like this one to live in one city and pitch ideas to clients in another.

"I think the industry is in flux right now, and everything is different," Goenka said. "In today's market, it's a great idea."

Perdew is the first to admit that starting a company is risky - he and Le have yet to tell their parents that their post-grad plans might include bartending or waiting tables. All three acknowledge, however, that this may be their only chance to try a venture on this scale.

"Part of me says, if you're not going to take risks in life, what's the point?" Perdew said. "Even if you fail, you have this great experience for three years of your life. I'd rather do that."

cedewey@syr.edu