Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Theman.
Hi Jeff, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been a creative person since I was able to pick up a pencil and put it to paper. I dabbled into many creative outlets – drawing and painting, pottery, creative writing/blogging/screenwriting, photography, and finally filmmaking, which is what I spend the majority of my time on – documentary film, to be more specific.
I finished my first full feature screenplay towards the end of 2006 and began assembling a cast and crew to turn those 110 typewritten pages into a movie. When I couldn’t keep everyone together long enough to begin production, I turned my attention to documentary after the New Year (2007) so I had more control over the process.
I knew I wanted to focus my directorial debut on some form of animal cruelty, and then on the morning of April 25 (2007), that subject matter found me when NFL star quarterback Michael Vick was suspected of dogfighting. My film would be about dogfighting with an emphasis on the dogs.
A year later on May 15, 2008, I visited a Cleveland dog rescue – For the Love of Pits, with the sole purpose to seek information about pit bulldogs and get some b-roll footage, where I found the love of my life – a little black dog named Preston, who was taken from a home in Akron where he was an alleged victim of dogfighting. Before I left, I made my intention known of my plans to adopt him.
Four days later, the Cleveland suburb I called home at the time, Lakewood, City Council proposed a pit bull ban, which delayed my ability to bring him home. After Council passed the ban a couple months later, I moved out of the city and finally brought Preston home on October 4 (2008). I immediately pivoted the focus of the film from dogfighting to breed-specific legislation and titled it – Guilty Til Proven Innocent (GTPI).
After five years of extensive research, conducting interviews, and editing, GTPI premiered on the westside of Cleveland on April 28, 2013, and had 20-some subsequent screenings around the country, including official selection into two film festivals (2013 St. Louis International; 2014 Kansas City FilmFest), shown in three law school universities for their animal law curriculum, and supported by one of the largest national animal welfare organizations, who sent copies of the DVD to local and state lawmakers faced with this issue. And, Preston inspired the entire thing.
Since I have started two other documentary projects, and also offer consumer and corporate video services.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I started aspiring to be a filmmaker, I had no previous film schooling, just an indescribable feeling that I’m sure other creative people get when they know they are onto something. I didn’t even own any of the equipment when I decided upon the topic. So, it was definitely not a smooth road at all. A lot of trial and error, and learning the craft along the way. But, in some ways, I feel it may have helped, too. Being completely ignorant to the process, I didn’t let the challenges that arose be devastating to my morale or the outlook of the project. Those bumps made me even more driven, and especially to prove any naysayers wrong.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My video production company, River Fire Films, specializes in documentary film, but I also offer consumer and corporate video services. I implement a lot of the documentary film style and process into those consumer and corporate promotional videos because it seems to work real well. I tend to gravitate towards dog-themed projects, and one of the consumer services I offer is “Petumentaries”, where clients hire me to create a short documentary about their beloved pet(s).
I think the thing that separates me from others is – I’m a storyteller, first and foremost, my strength is in telling those stories of how humans found their companions. While each story is unique, some of the same emotions are on display, where people talk about the importance of their animal(s) and the crucial role they play in their lives and households. It’s incredibly touching.
How do you define success?
Success definitely means different things to different people. I’d say each project, the success of it is possibly defined in different ways, too. Obviously, everyone would like to make a decent living, have our projects invested in, and get the notoriety that is often defined by success. But I’d say for me when I choose a project to tackle, it usually has some human social issue component present, and/or the initial purpose is to spark change and dialogue.
The sad part of the world we live in now is how disconnected we all seem to each other, where our differences – socially, politically, or otherwise, often dictate whether or not we can sit down and have a real discussion. So, I’d say for my film projects, achieving creating this dialogue and sparking change in perceptions of dogs and/or their humans, is what makes it a success or not. The opportunity to capitalize monetarily or the other stuff associated with success will fall in place if the former is done.
Contact Info:
- Email: jtheman@riverfirefilms.com
- Website: https://riverfirefilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riverfirefilms
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreytheman
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/riverfire
- Other: https://vimeo.com/riverfire
Image Credits
Greg Murray Photography
