First Posted: 9/24/2014
Jon YonKondy is taking us back in time – about 19 years to be exact.
The West Pittston native, now writer/director, is in the post-production of the film “Susquehanna,” an independent, “ultra low-budget film” based around the mighty river here in NEPA. The film tells the story of 12-year-old Tommie, played by Tommie Davis, of West Pittston, and the summer of 1995.
This film will be the feature-length debut from YonKondy and Barefoot Girl Productions. YonKondy teamed up with local companies JVW Inc., TwentyFiveEight Studios and Big Idea Photo & Video for the shoot.
YonKondy chose to approach the film with what he calls a “cinematic experiment.” The entire film is shot on 1988 VHS camcorders in order to sell the time period. One of those cameras used in the film was also used to shoot YonKondy’s home movies.
The old VHS cameras were used as necessity. With the low budget, that was the route his team decided to take.
“It was a creative solution,” he said. “Let’s do something different. It helped us come up with some great ideas that people have never seen before. It brought some challenges, but at the same time it gave us an opportunity to save some money.”
The cast is made up entirely of amateurs, many with no prior acting experience, but all from Northeast Pennsylvania. The main character, Tommie, lives just two houses down from YonKondy on Baltimore Avenue, West Pittston. With actors having so little experience, and using the VHS cameras, the film has the potential to be as natural as possible.
Set in the summer of 1995, Tommie is going through changes in his hometown. He goes from being a kid to the transitional period to being an adult. While hanging out with his brother, Timothy Helmecki, Tommie’s real brother, he gets a crush on Hannah, played by Ally Solsman, of Dunmore.
“It just tells the story of the first summer the world changes for Tommie,” YonKondy said. “He starts hanging out with his brother’s rough and tumble friends to be with Hannah.”
Tommie is trying to define himself throughout the movie. It also tells the story of Tommie dealing with his single mother’s love interests. The film is semi-autobiographical. YonKondy takes stories from both his and Tommie’s lives and infuses them into the film.
“(Tommie) would come over and bother me,” YonKondy laughed. “We found an old VHS camcorder and it kind of snowballed into something. It was a story I wanted to tell. I tailored the script after things that happened in our lives.”
YonKondy has been working tirelessly for the past several months to finish the film. With amateur actors, videographers and sound people, the process has been tough. Many sleepless nights have turned over to the next day for the young director. But it’s easy to see why that doesn’t bother him.
He sees the potential. He sees the potential in not just the film, but the town. It’s a great place to shoot, he said. And he plans to do it again. As far as the film’s potential? Yonkondy believes the sky is the limit.
“Because of the cinematic experience and the amateur actors, the audience has never seen anything like it,” he said. “It’s pure naturalistic performances. It’s real because of all this it raises it to another level. I think audiences across the country will see something from their own childhood in this film.”
The film was shot in August 2013. It is currently in post-production and will be finalized at any time. The plan is to get the film into several festivals throughout the next year. A local screening is also in the works for early 2015.
However, this film means more than that to YonKondy. Just to be able to come home and shoot it where he grew up can’t be measured in dollars or awards. He spent his entire summer editing this film.
“I dove right into it and spent the entire month of June putting it together,” he said. “I was able to infuse that attitude into the edit. If I hired someone from (Los Angeles), it was just a job. I wanted to do it right and I learned a ton doing it.”
There are many places in the film that Greater Pittston area residents should find familiar. Obviously, the Susquehanna River has a major role in the movie. Many scenes are shot while actors are near the water. Scenes also take place at Rich’s Family Fun Center, Sliderz Bar in Exeter and the Pittston Convenient Mart near the Columbus Statue on South Main Street. You’ll also see scenes from the old West Pittston pool and Little League field.
“This is entirely NEPA-produced film,” he said. “All the music, actors – I’m proud of that. It was out of necessity, but it comes off as so genuine. It’s a real piece of Americana.
“The West Pittston Borough and the Police Department were extremely helpful throughout this process. It was just a great experience shooting in my hometown.”
YonKondy’s career and schooling have taken him all over the country. He graduated from Wyoming Area High School in 2003 and recently completed his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts with a focus in Motion Picture Directing. His undergraduate studies were in film at Penn State University.
He’s certainly already had his brush, or brushes, with fame. YonKondy had the honor of co-directing James Franco and Saturday Night Live’s Horatio Sanz on the set of Franco’s feature-length adaptation of “Don Quixote.” Franco actually teaches a few classes in Los Angeles, and YonKondy was chosen out of 120 students to be co-director on that adaption.