Movie maker expands professional portfolio with full-length feature

by Charles Cassady

Among the summer blockbuster movies that opened in newly reactivated theaters last summer was one with modest origins but strong local ties. Very strong, in fact. “Shoot the Piano Player” is the title. It is directed by Hudson resident Jake Cole and premiered in August at the  Lakeshore Cinemas in Euclid.

“Filmmaking is my full-time gig,” said the Stow native, who moved to Hudson a few years ago with his family.

Cole attended the University of Akron, where he studied media production with a minor in business. That set the pace for a career in digital video and film production. The industry is making serious gains in Northeast Ohio, both with grassroots local filmmakers and visiting (often native-born) directors like Joe and Anthony Russo regularly returning to shoot their hit Marvel Comics action films such as “The Avengers” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

Cole worked for the Russos on their latest motion picture, “Cherry,” and has worked on the second unit of a direct-to-video horror item in Cleveland Heights for prolific international producer-director Charles Band.

“Don’t Shoot the Piano Man” is Cole’s own first feature.

“It’s a dark comedy about Jerry, a dive-bar piano player who tries to find himself during a depressing time in his life.”

Cole worked his way up to “Don’t Shoot the Piano Man” after years of running his own digital production company, making wedding videos and business pieces for the medical industry. And, year after year, Cole would participate in local heats of the 48 Hour Film Project, an international filmmaking spree-competition. Started by grassroots filmmakers in Washington, D.C., in 2001, the contest gives teams two days to complete a short subject. Not until the start are teams assigned subject matter, dialogue keywords and other content determiners.

In 2018, he directed “Becoming McClane,” a slightly tongue-in-cheek spy action short. McClane is the same name as the hero in the “Die Hard” series and was a required ingredient supplied by the 48 Hour Film Project shoot in Cleveland. The film won Best Director.

In 2019, Cole worked as a cinematographer on “Rate Your Clown,” another 48 Hour Film Project winner.

“It won Best Film in Cleveland. They had us go to the presentation in the Netherlands, in Rotterdam,” he said. “It was an incredibly humbling experience meeting these international filmmakers, many from war-torn countries.”

One of Cole’s 48 Hour Film cohorts brought him the script for “Don’t Shoot the Piano Man,” and local talent hailed from a considerable pool of colleagues made in and out of the 48 Hour Film Project world.

“We had the best casting here in Cleveland,” said Cole. “[Jerry] is played by a very familiar actor whose name is Cody Kilpatrick Steele,” a Twinsburg resident. He is definitely one of the most popular actors working here.”

Co-starring is Denzel Washington – no, not that other Denzel Washington –

but a rising Cleveland performer with that marquee-value name.

“He’s a fantastic actor and one of the lead character’s best friends,” explained Cole.

Hudson, of course, also makes an appearance, though the setting of the story is unspecified.

“We ended up shooting a lot of the scenes in the new Pulte Development off Boston Road.” 

Cole said one of his major achievements on “Don’t Shoot the Piano Man” was being able to pay honorariums to his crew and troupers. He maintains a GoFundMe campaign page and supporters can still donate during the post-production stage. “We’d like to pay our editors and have cups of coffee to keep them going.”

In the end, he expects the digital production (shot with the Sony FSV camera) to cost between $10,000 to $12,000.

Beyond that, Cole is looking towards the opportunity for “Don’t Shoot the Piano Man” to become optioned to Netflix and “we’re hoping to have it shown at the Cleveland International Film Festival in 2022,” he said.

In addition, Cole just wrapped a horror/thriller short called “Hello Night Owls,” available on YouTube, and is making “Paid For in Pizza,” an online documentary series that will tell stories from behind the scenes of low-budget, independent, DIY filmmaking, interviewing Charles Band and various local heroes. And, of course, the wedding and industrial videos continue on the side.
“It’s nice to be multifaceted,” he said.

For more updates and show reels, check out jakecolefilms.com ∞