Many of the buildings in historic Zoar are to be used in the filming of a feature-length movie based on “The Ghosts of Zoar, Ohio” by Betty O’Neill-Roderick and Ann Swain.
The suggestion of a haunting of the historic village is taken from the introduction to “The Ghosts of Zoar, Ohio,” by Ann Swain and Betty O’Neill-Roderick. The authors operate Lantern Tours of the Ghosts of Zoar, taking visitors through the streets of the former communal community at dusk from April through October.
Now those ghosts — at least the stories of them — may be going Hollywood.
Gregory James Gaugel, a photographer and independent filmmaker based in Los Angeles, Calif., is working to put “The Ghosts of Zoar, Ohio” on screen. The feature film — not a documentary — would be shot in the Tuscarawas County village, he said.
“I recognize a Hollywood set when I see one,” he said. “I can’t believe nobody’s ever done anything here on a feature film level.”
Gaugel, the son of the artist Heinz Gaugel who created the historical cyclorama “Behalt” in Berlin, grew up in Holmes County and recalls visiting Zoar years ago. He visited it again more recently, after reading the book recounting of strange happenings in the Zoar Hotel and other village buildings.
“On quiet summer nights the sound of a great party sometimes emanates from the empty rooms. Lights flicker, and then grow dim, laughter, music and the sound of glasses tinkling echoes through the empty rooms.” From “The Ghosts of Zoar, Ohio”
The hotel is closed now, and “pretty well gutted,” Gaugel said. So, although the filmmaker plans to center the movie around the hotel, he’ll use the Number One House for interior hotel scenes. Scenes also will be shot in several other structures in Zoar, which is managed as a historical site by Ohio Historical Society.
Gaugel said the film will be set in modern times. But, exposing the movie’s characters to the ghostly legends will necessitate retelling a large portion of the history of the communal community.
“I think that’s really good for the Separatists we leave behind,” said Gaugel. “It means we’re not just using their beautiful town as a backdrop.”
Gaugel, who has made several short films and three feature movies, billed this project as a low-budget mystery-suspense film. He declined to get much deeper into the plot than saying it will revolve around “teenagers who come down for a summer work program.” He and a partner are still working on a script. “It’s still early. We have a lot of work to do,” said Gaugel, who has revisited Zoar several times since the inception of the film concept.
“Every time I come down here I get ideas,” he said, while walking through Zoar recently with O’Neill-Roderick. “I’ll be spending a lot if time here.”
As filming and casting director, Gaugel will hand-pick actors — mostly from Ohio — whom he has become acquainted with while working as a photographer, model, actor and director.
“There are a lot of talented actors in Ohio,” he said. “I already know who’s playing the main parts.”
Gaugel said casting will be completed in the summer. He plans to shoot the film during four weeks in the fall.
“Today the strange lights still can be seen on fall evenings. The mysterious lights could be a reflection or they could be the work of the ghosts of Zoar, just having a little fun.” From “The Ghosts of Zoar, Ohio”
Gaugel has consulted with the authors about the nature of the ghostly happenings in the village.
“When you hear about ghosts you expect to see Casper coming down the street in a white sheet, but it’s not like that,” said O’Neill-Roderick. “When you look up that street (in Zoar) you see buildings that were built more than 100 years ago. Sometimes, there are strange things happening in those buildings. Some things can be explained. Other things cannot be explained.”
It isn’t Gaugel’s intention to try to explain the ghost stories that he chooses to be in his film. Instead, “I’ll just pick and choose the best stories to reconstruct and recreate in an entertaining way,” he said.
Place the emphasis on entertaining. It’s going to be a fun film, Gaugel promised.
“It’s not going to be a flash-in-the-pan movie. I’ve got some great things in mind,” he said. “I want it to be the kind of movie that people are so fascinated by, so intrigued by, that they’re actually going to want to take a trip to Zoar to see where it all happened.”
Or didn’t happen. And that qualification doesn’t just refer to the fictional nature of the plot of the film.
“I don’t believe in ghosts,” Gaugel said candidly. “I’m one of those see-it-to-believe-it kind of guys. But I don’t think I really have to believe to tell a good story.”
This was taken from CantonRep.com and is copyright by the articles owner
