Why Aquaman should move to Pittsburgh and more from Dawn Keezer
After 10 years of building Pittsburgh’s movie buzz in Hollywood, Dawn Keezer returned from Los Angeles to the Pittsburgh Film Office, where she is the director. She oversees film projects that generate about $150 million for the region in years without a pandemic. She lives in Mt. Lebanon with her husband, Cody Cuff, their young son and two golden retrievers.
What were you least prepared for during the lockdown?
The fact that everything stopped! I worked from home for a really long time because I commuted from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh once a month for more than 10 years and now everybody is at home. [laughing] The lockdown was a challenge just to make sure my staff was taken care of and even the plants at the office, which is a little silly .... I am just used to going all the time.
Anything about LA you miss? It’s interesting because I was an Air Force brat and moved a lot. I lived in several states so moving was never really a big deal to me.
Because I was here once a month when I was living in Los Angeles, it never really felt like I left. The biggest thing I miss from Los Angeles is the weather. It sounds so cliche. Walking outside in February and not having to wear coats and gloves and scarves is great. But I am thrilled to be back and have my son going to school here in Mt. Lebanon. My family has enjoyed the transition and I would rather my son be raised among Pittsburghers. The goal when I went was to increase the film business for Pittsburgh and it worked.
Of all the celebrities you have interacted with, is there one you think would have adapted well to living in Western Pennsylvania?
Oh, that is a great question! I want Jason Momoa to move to Pittsburgh. He loved Pittsburgh when he was here [to film “Sweet
Girl”]. When he was filming on one of the yellow bridges at 10 o’clock at night, doing a full 360 with his cell phone, he said, “Pittsburgh is amazing!” He was always highlighting places he went when he was here. His last day he went to Kelly O’s diner — he went there every day because I think he was living in the Cork Factory — and did an Instagram post with the staff.
Everyone who met him went on and on about how lovely he was. When celebrities are filming here, we get a lot of charitable requests. He did everything that was asked.
How challenging is this pandemic for the film industry?
This is a big challenge for our industry because it is such a collaborative effort. It is usually a group of more than 200 people sharing tools and space. The industry shut down worldwide and that took a toll on the small businesses that rely on our industry. We have been working hard to find the best, safest way to go back to work. With the green phase, we can have 250 working but still physically distant.
Iceland went back to work first and Netflix went back to work there. Australia went back to filming next. In Australia, they came up with a color-coded system for people [in the film industry] ... so they would know who needed to be where when. If you are yellow, you are in the art department. If you’re green, you’re in the camera department.
We want to keep our crews safe. We are hopeful. Showtime is scheduled to come back for “American Rust.” Netflix is set to come back late this summer. So if we keep our [COVID-19] numbers low, we will be OK.
How did LA change you? Hmmm. It probably made me appreciate Pittsburgh more than when I lived here. It is the realness of Pittsburgh. It is why I wanted my son to grow up here. Pittsburghers are down-to-earth and friendly and they tell you the truth when they speak to you. A lot of times what I found in Los Angeles is that people are nice on the surface, but it isn’t always about building a relationship and they may not always be telling you the truth. They may just be telling you what they think you want to hear.
There is a lot about LA that I really liked, too. It feels a little more healthy. But people in Pittsburgh are amazing.