Zombie movie filmed in Chillicothe has its premiere
CHILLICOTHE — Local filmmakers finished the first leg of their two-year journey with the sold-out premiere of their new coming-of-age movie, “How I Got Here.”
Filmed in Chillicothe, the movie focuses on a group of zombie apocalypse survivors, including a young boy who grows up during the outbreak and learns to survive.
Dylan Hughes, creator, producer and actor, came up with the movie while watching other zombie media. He wanted to create a similar movie, but with more storytelling.
“It’s a coming of age story . ... This kid grew up in an apocalypse at 13 years old,” Hughes said. “Kids at their age are meant to play Xbox, sports and all that. So this kid is in the apocalypse watching his adult counterparts and that’s how he’s learned to survive and grow up.”
The film was shot from several locations with all but one being in Chillicothe. Viewers will recognize places like the floodwall, Buzzard’s Roost, Great Seal State Park, East Main Street and more.
The movie premiered at Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse on Saturday and sold out 200 seats.
CEO of Ohio Creations Daniel Griesheimer was a producer and actor in the film and said he has worked with Hughes and Eric Zanni, director and coproducer, on other short films and small projects, but this is their first full-length feature film. Working together on other projects has allowed the group to know each others, “flows and quirks.”
The trio was dedicated to the film, spending every weekend working on set. Both Griesheimer and Zanni also quit their day jobs to work on the movie.
The actors were similarly passionate about working on the film. Some came
from nearby, like local Techumseh actor Robert Neal, while others took weekend
trips to Chillicothe, like Newark student Jace Carson. One actress even traveled back and forth from Georgia to be in the film.
“That’s what I loved about all these actors is they were so determined. Every single one of them that ended up on screen was fighting for that role,” Griesheimer said. “All the travel that a lot of them had to do. The running, too.”
Actors had to run from zombies, work with prop weapons, stay up to 17 hours on set and spend every weekend in Chillicothe.
The trio fought the weather while filming multiple outdoor scenes. About 75% of the film was shot outdoors. The actors had to deal with the changing of the seasons while wearing the same outfits regardless of temperature. While most scenes were shot before leaves started to change colors, some scenes were shot in a pine forest to disguise the weather change, a happy accident that Zanni said provided a creepy feel to the scene.
After the Columbus premiere, the group hopes to plan a Chillicothe premiere. They will also submit the film for consideration in film festivals worldwide.
The trio tentatively hopes to continue the story in the future. Griesheimer plans to expand his production company and acquire a building in downtown Chillicothe. He hopes to make Chillicothe a movie destination for filmmakers and actors alike.
“I want the community to know, if you’re into filmmaking, please reach out because I want to keep building,” Griesheimer said. “Without networking, there’s not much opportunity.”
Follow the How I Got Here Movie Facebook page for updates and more information.