By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
Nearly 400 people filled the Zogg building auditorium on the evening of March 7 to hear Hollywood director Jeremy Garelick outline his plans to convert the 89-year-old building into a trade school for aspiring movie-makers.
“We want to mentor students by producing several films here – three to five annually – to give students hands-on training, so they know what it’s like to work on a movie set,” he said. The movies would each be budgeted between $6 million and $15 million, he added.
The project’s working name is Liverpool School of Cinema. Garelick and his collaborators have yet to set a tuition fee. “Potentially tuition could be free,” he said. “We don’t really know.”
If he and his Syracuse attorney, Robert Germain, earn approval from the village of Liverpool’s planning board, Garelick hopes to purchase the 97,287-square-foot Zogg building and begin production on his first film here in March 2018. Several planning board members, Mayor Gary White, Trustee Christina Fadden Fitch and Village Attorney John Langey attended March 7 meeting.
Although he’s just 41 years old, Garelick boasts impressive credentials. He assisted directors Joel Schumacher and Jerry Bruckheimer on several films before co-producing “The Break Up” starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston in 2006. Two years ago, he directed “The Wedding Ringer.” As a result, Variety magazine named Garelick one of the top 10 directors to watch in 2015.
Although Garelick wanted to hear concerns that might be expressed by villagers who live near the building at 800 Fourth St., most of the two dozen who spoke at the meeting were young people seeking jobs in motion pictures. Students and instructors from SUNY Cortland and SUNY Oswego introduced themselves to the director and Liverpool High School cinema teacher Timothy Nicholas brought along several of his students.
A few neighbors asked about possible street closings, lighting plans and transportation issues.
“We will do everything we can to avoid disturbing the village,” Garelick said. The lion’s share of shooting will take place within the building, he said. “We might shoot outside maybe 10 times a year.”
He estimated that some 80 people would be working in the building at any given time, including 40 students, 30 non-local crew members and 10 teachers.
Liverpool School of Cinema’s prospective instructors include “Lady Dynamite” producer Dan Kaplow, “Wedding Ringer” cinematographer Brad Lipson and “Billions” digital producer Molle DeBartolo.
“For whatever reason, everything has aligned to bring me here,” Garelick said. “I’m ready to pour my heart and soul into this, and it’s going to be community-inclusive. We want our neighbors to be enthusiastic about what we do here.”
Dave Crosley, a resident of Balsam Street, asked about the building’s exterior. Constructed in 1928 to house Liverpool’s junior and senior high schools, the brick building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We’re planning high-school subject films,” Garelick explained, “and this looks like a high school, so we have no plans for any construction.” As a sports fan (New York Jets and New York Yankees), the director said he hopes to restore the baseball diamond at the corner of Sixth and Hickory streets and would also keep the children’s playground open on the west side of the building.
Villagers will have opportunities to express concerns about the planned trade school at two public hearings anticipated during the planning-board process.
The building was sold in August 2014 by Liverpool Community Church to Pramote Nakornthab, of Ithaca, for $1.1 million. Nakornthab sold the building to Kriangkai Suriyawanakul for $1 in December 2014, according to Onondaga County Real Property Tax Services.
Last year, the selling price was $1,295,000, according to Joyce Mawhinney MacKnight, a senior executive advisor with Pyramid Brokerage Co., representing Cushman & Wakefield. Suriyawanakul is currently listed as the building’s owner.
