Bloomfield resident and filmmaker Tom Ryan will be honored by the Essex County Freeholders in September.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Bloomfield filmmaker is scheduled to receive some public recognition in the coming months. Tom Ryan, whose film shorts anthology, “The Theatre of Terror,” has received accolades at film festivals, will be honored by the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders for his film achievements in a Sept. 11 ceremony at Montclair Town Hall. Closer to home, Ryan will discuss filmmaking in Bloomfield at the Bloomfield Civic Center on Oct. 12. The talk is being sponsored by the Historical Society of Bloomfield.
“The Theatre of Terror,” produced by Ryan’s company, Theatre of Terror, is set in Loew’s Jersey, the landmark theater in Jersey City.
Although each story can be viewed independently, four stories make up the anthology which have assorted audience members sitting down to watch movies and sometimes seeing themselves in the cast. The anthology was screened by the Glen Ridge Public Library in October 2018.
“My concept was ‘getting lost in a story has never been more terrifying,’” Ryan said recently at a local coffee counter. “The characters stumble into the theater and become part of the anthology. One character watches herself in a movie, she’s an activist trying to protect gray wolves. And she’s told by another character that she’s to bear a wolf child.”
That short is titled “Endangered.” The others are “The Gift,” “Abducted” and “The Bookworm,” which was largely shot in the Glen Ridge Public Library. All shorts have good production value. Ryan serves as writer, director and editor, and he produces with his wife, Melanie.
The historical society contacted him because scenes from “The Bookworm” were shot at the Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center.
“I’ll be speaking about that,” he said, “but also about the importance of working with the township and filming these beautiful historic sites. I’ll speak about overcoming obstacles for the independent filmmaker.
“The relationship between the artist and the community, it’s important to establish that,” he continued. “I’ve always communicated openly with the Bloomfield government. It’s surprising the excitement an independent filmmaker can generate.”
When Ryan filmed at Oakside, all the extras, approximately 40 people, showed up in tuxedos and suits to establish a well-to-do memorial setting.
Right now, Ryan said he is “on the fence” about what to do next. He does not know if he wants to create another anthology or start a YouTube channel on which he would present a new film each month. He wants his work to evolve artistically and having another anthology might not do that. But even with another anthology, he said he would find some way to grow as an artist. Hence the dilemma.
“It’s just really a decision about how to package and market the new work,” he said. “You want to be able to sell it. The draw for me for an anthology is being able to tell all the stories I have in my head.”
As for marketing, an anthology is a double-edged sword for him. The stories making up an anthology can be screened separately, but if you like one, there is more.
“It’s not a science,” he said. “You want to capture the attention of the audience. You want to sell them on your concept.”
The Glen Ridge Public Library screening was good publicity and being contacted by the freeholders was a surprise. “3
He was taken aback by that, for sure,” he said.
But for now, he is considering what to do next and coming to a happy medium of artistic expression and audience satisfaction.
“That’s the challenge,” he said.
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