ASHLAND, Ohio — The quiet university town of Ashland, Ohio is a world away from the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, but Main Street here is the brand new home of a quickly growing boutique film studio Good Deed Entertainment.
GDE produces, distributes and markets the best in independent film - from documentaries to family flicks, and much more. 2017 was a great year for the studio, resulting in an Oscar nomination for the film "Loving Vincent."
Fresh off of that feat, GDE made a surprising announcement: it was moving it's headquarters from L.A. to the hometown of it's CEO Scott Donley.
COO Nikki Stier Justice explained that several factors went into that decision, saying, "Fortunately, the Ohio tax incentives are really great, so we were planning to have as many if not all of our productions out of Ohio...then when we started looking at new office space in LA, we were like, why not try Ohio?"
The move has already proven to be a smart choice for the company, which has seen an increase in business, but that doesn't mean there wasn't some culture shock upon arrival.
"I saw an Amish buggy go by and I thought there was a horse and buggy tour of the town, that they were doing....but I think that’s also what we love about it, it does feel so different from LA and we get the opportunity to continue working and pursuing a career in the industry that we love," Justice said
VP of Acquisitions and Distributions Kristin Harris agrees it was the right financial decision for the studio, saying, "Over the years we’ve seen a lot of studios, particularly independent studios, come and go, and particularly independent studios that are struggling to thrive in this marketplace. Being in Ohio helps us to thrive and be responsible so we can continue bringing independent content to audiences for years to come."
GDE is already making good on that goal. Their new headquarters is still under construction but they have plans to use the second and third floor for future productions, and hope to involve and engage the local community in their work.
The company is also focused on building strong relationships with area film commissions and festivals. They have five films in this year's Cleveland International Film Festival, including the documentary, "This Changes Everything," and the feel-good family film "Storm Boy," which is also set for a theatrical release this month.
Stier Justice and Harris both told us that they want to see more film production moving out of LA and into states like Ohio, where they hope to bring in more competition and more partners to help build a robust local film industry.
"All of us moved here knowing that Ohio has a fantastic opportunity to be a leader in this entertainment sector, and to be a leader in independent film and film production and distribution."