“I had a great time,” Jonathan McNeal answers, thoughtfully, after being asked what he would want his last words to be. And it makes sense coming from someone who has successfully followed his dream of entering the film business since the fifth grade.
Growing Up
On the fateful day that Jonathan sat down and watched "The Wizard of Oz," it opened up his eyes into a world -- not a real one, but one created inside minds. With his interests truly piqued, he set out to learn as much as possible about the film’s production and history through literature, like Aljean Harmetz’s "The Making of The Wizard of Oz," and articles published during the time of the film’s release. His continued passion for all things cinema led to his majoring in motion picture productions, a very competitive program, at Wright State University.
During his time at WSU, he worked on a multiplicity of film projects including a (still unfinished) documentary on the history of the bra, and a highly lauded documentary on the Rubi Girls, which has been played at festivals around the world.
Rubi Girls
The subject of Jonathan’s first big film project were the Rubi Girls, a group of friends who perform in drag for charity. Prior to becoming a performer himself Jonathan would videotape their acts -- taking the camera backstage and intermingling with the family dynamic. The most important thing about putting this on film was showing that “a group of guys, not necessarily affluent or wealthy, can make a huge difference; with a little grit and creativity, you can make big waves.” And they certainly have, raising over 1 million dollars thus far for HIV and AIDS charities.
The Neon - and the undertakings of being independent
In 2001, when The Neon was in turnaround and undergoing major renovations, Jonathan was approached by an old professor who thought that he would be the perfect fit as manager. Prior to that job, he had worked in management in retail. Jonathan’s background in film and management skills made him perfectly qualified. Before coming on board, The Neon struggled financially, never having been in the black, so they decided to start from the bottom and build up a new team with more focus on customer service.
The Neon, an independent theater, “is a struggle, but it is also a thing the community comes behind to embrace.” It also leaves more room for more freedom and community building. Beyond their weekly line-up of films, they work a lot with local filmmakers and organizations to spread their message and show their work. Along with that, they have annual film festivals such as the Jewish Film Festival, FilmDayton, and the LGBT Film Festival.
Future
The ultimate dream for Jonathan would be to move to New York. Once there, he would want to be involved with the film industry, maybe working in front of the camera a bit. But in the meantime, he is at work on a new short film based around Grindr culture.
For The Neon, it will be business as usual: they have the 10th annual LGBT Film Festival coming up in October with a weekend of films compiled from a list of around 100 films and famous drag queen Hedda Lettuce hosting a screening of "Mommie Dearest."
Passing Advice
To the confused 18-year-old without a clue of what they want to do with their life:
“It’s really about exploring and seeing what you’re passionate about - getting outside of the mainstream box that so many people are so transfixed by, what the media tells them or the marketing in the media tells them to be interested in. We see it repeatedly: there’s no surprise "Minions" was top of the box office [its opening weekend]. They’ve been beating us over the head with it for almost a year now. The "Twilight" movies, they’re huge each one and "The Hunger Games" movies, too. And it’s because we’re inundated with the imagery and the marketing tools that tell you you need to be interested in it. I would encourage people to go outside the box and see what else there is. Film is one of those ways; there’s so much film happening: so many different kinds of stories, different kinds of nationalities and cultures that film can take us to without having to leave home. It’s a valuable and interesting way to explore. Find your passion, what you are passionate about, and figure out how to make a living out of it.”
To the UD student
“One of the big challenges we’ve had is getting UD students to not only come to The Neon, but to come downtown in general. And [the university] is so encapsulated in its own bubble - the bubble has grown - a lot has happened to get people a little more off campus, but students are still not willing to come this way. They know how to get to the mall, and now the Greene, but still there is a real lack of interest, whether there is some idea that it is unsafe to go under [St. Rt.] 35 or whether it’s feeling that there is going to be some kind of culture shock on the other side. I would urge students to explore their surroundings before they judge. There’s a huge art scene here: great performing arts and lots of artisans. You have to go out to see it; it won’t show up in your inbox.”
The importance of film according to Jonathan (and some of his personal favorites)
“Scholars and theorists talk about film being the ultimate art form. Ultimately, film can encapsulate all of the arts, which I think is pretty amazing. It can be photography, choreography, performance, painting, set design, etc. Determining where the gaze should be -- where the focus is -- makes film exceptional.”
- "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"
- The works of Pedro Almodóvar: "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," "Talk to Her," "All About My Mother," etc.
- The works of François Ozon: "8 Women," "Under the Sand," etc.
- Merchant-Ivory films: "Howard’s End," "A Room with a View," "Maurice" (those three films make up “a great trifecta of amazing”)
Fun Fact
Make sure to look out for Jonathan as an extra in the upcoming film "Carol," starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara!
