He doesn’t remember writing the screenplay, but at this point that doesn’t much matter.
That is because filmmaker Shawn Holmes is only one week away from the premiere of his new short film, “How to Tie a Tie,” a coming-of-age movie about a teenage son growing up without a father figure. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in East Wheeling. Tickets are priced at $35 and can be purchased at this website.
There will be a red-carpet entrance and a reception before two additional short films, including one by Ron Scott Jr., will be viewed before Holmes’ film. The moviemaker, a member of the Class of 2005 from The Linsly School, will explain to the crowd the story and the process of making his new favorite film.
“Well, whatever I am working on at the moment always is my favorite, and that’s only because I am using all of my experience that I have on it,” Holmes explained on River Talk-Wheeling. “But the same will be true when I am working on my next movie. I don’t know what that one will be about yet, but I can tell you already it will become my new favorite.
“Because I know how I could have made this movie better already, I’m confident I can write a better story than ‘How to Tie a Tie,’” he said. “If I get the chance to make this movie a feature-length film, I already know how I would add what needs to be added to make the moments even more powerful than they already are. I’ve not written that yet, but I plan to after the premiere of the short film.”
On Location
Holmes is an Artist in Residence at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen, Pa. “How to Tie a Tie” was filmed in Monessen, as well, and students from the private university served as crew members. He shot the movie in four days and recruited actors from New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, all of whom are members of the Screen Actors Guild.
Approximately 10 terabytes, Holmes said, was filmed, and for the past month he has been editing and editing some more.
“The movie is finished as far as the editing is concerned, and now (Emmy winner) Jamie Peck is working on the sound to make that perfect,” Holmes explained. “He’s taking out my bad sound effects and my bad music and putting in his creations that are amazing, and then we’ll finish it up this week.
“A little later next week a few of us will take it to a theatre to watch it to make sure it looks like it should on a big screen, and that’s when we’ll make the final changes for Saturday evening,” he said. “From there, there’s only one thing left to do, and that is to show it to everyone to see what they think of it, and I expect that will be a lot of fun for everyone.”
Show Time!
He is the first person to admit that he is more nervous about one-on-one conversations than he is speaking to a large crowd, but when it comes to Saturday’s premiere of “How to Tie a Tie,” Holmes remains numb.
Why?
“I don’t think I’ve had the chance to even think about being nervous or excited because I have just focused on the process I’ve been in since getting the go-ahead to make this movie,” Holmes said. “There has been so much to do that I’ve not had the time to assess how I am feeling about everything. I’m not nervous about the movie itself, but maybe I’m nervous about all of the moving parts that I don’t have control of.”
The venue, the top-floor theatre in the Scottish Rite Cathedral, has hosted several events including a “Sound Bites” presentation by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. Sponsors for the premiere include Roxby Development, East Ohio Regional Hospital, the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cloud Nine Salon and Spa, Frizzi Customs, Dee’s Urban Fashion, and Lamar.
“The support I’ve received has been amazing and very much appreciated,” Holmes said. “And the support was there from people who had no idea what the movie was about because of a belief in my abilities, and that means so much to me.
“Since we ended the filming, it’s been interesting to gauge how much time it’s taken me to edit and to actually make the movie come together,” the filmmaker added. “I made the first cut very quickly, but that’s when I knew I had something. That’s when I knew I could slow down and make it great.”
