LIGHTS - CAMERA - ACTION

from The LocaL, April 2020

Corona Tax & Finance

JEF AND SARA HOLBROOK & SPRINGER FILM STUDIOS

By Anastasia Tikka

When he thinks about the state of film in Columbus, Jef Holbrook has a hunch. He spent years working in Atlanta just as the movie industry began its metamorphosis from a curiosity to a multi-billion dollar powerhouse.

“Columbus today feels like Atlanta felt ten years ago,” said Holbrook. Back then, they were in the early stages of what is now a booming industry in Georgia. Now, Jef and Sara Holbrook are working hard to emulate Atlanta’s success in Columbus – and getting everyone involved.

The Holbrooks run Springer Film Studios, a film production company that was the brainchild of Paul Pierce, Artistic Director of the Springer Opera House. They offer full production and post-production services, including equipment rental, special effects, sound, and editing assistance. Their casting agency, Columbus Casting, has already cast a lead, three principal roles, and more than 400 extras in Electric Jesus and a lead in Survive the Night, a Bruce Willis Film. They are also launching Columbus Post Production, a finishing house.

For Jef and Sara, this opportunity is a dream come true. Jef began making movies as a kid when his dad bought him a camcorder at a pawn shop and he began editing video frame by frame off a video cassette. Sara fell in love with movies at age twelve and grew up creating plays for her family, doing all the roles herself because she was an only child.

The budding thespians met at the Springer Academy when they were young and were immediately enamored – with acting as well as each other, though it would be awhile before they became romantically linked. They continued their artistic pursuits in college, each majoring in theater while dabbling in film. Jef would end up at the Orlando Repertory Theater in Florida, while Sara did commercials, industrial films, and movie work in Portland, Oregon.

As fate would have it, they moved back to Columbus about the same time, reconnected, and realized their goals were the same: to act, produce, direct, and make movies. They moved to Atlanta together, signed with agents and gave it a go, professionally and as a couple. They built a home studio with a filming wall, a voice-over closet, and an editing bay, and got busy doing all the film and acting work they could find.

“Atlanta was like the wild west,” said Sara. “Everyone was learning and experimenting, it was the good, the bad, and the ugly.” They built relationships with casting directors and immersed themselves in projects while juggling day jobs in the corporate world and retail. This was a challenging but rewarding time in their lives. They married in 2017, and at their wedding reception, Paul Pierce approached them with an idea that would become a wedding gift of sorts: a new career back home in Columbus.

Sara responded, “I’m a little busy getting married right now, but I’ll get back to you right after our honeymoon!”

A few months later, the Holbrooks moved to Columbus to begin married life and dive into the project that would become Springer Film Studios. The Springer Opera House is central to the artistic community here, and Springer Film has quickly become the go-to place for filmmakers to get advice, hone their skills, and expand their horizons.

“We want to help other creative artists grow and encourage people to see their potential,” said Sara. Their experience in Atlanta has prepared them beautifully for this. “We still work in Atlanta all the time,” Jef adds. “It is essential to keep those contacts alive, work on our own projects, and evolve as artists ourselves.”

However, the Holbrooks are happiest in their studios at the Springer Opera House, where they have offices, an editing suite, a screening theater, a special effects studio, and a voice-over booth. Along with production services, Springer Film offers weekend workshop intensives in acting, voice-over, screenwriting, and editing. Their most popular class is called Acting, Agents, and Auditions. This course is a springboard for actors looking to turn their craft into a job. In the Biz brings professionals from Atlanta to Columbus to speak about the industry.

In addition to running the studio, doing their workshops, editing promos for the Springer Opera House, and publishing a vlog, the Holbrooks also continue to make their own films. They’re currently busy producing a documentary-style feature, six short films, and an animated one-hour project that will combine live action and animation. As if that isn’t enough, they produce a Podcast series called The Talkies, which highlights the odyssey that is filmmaking in Georgia. They strive to release a new episode every two weeks.

“It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to make your dream happen,” Jef points out. “If you have a phone in your pocket, you have an awesome camera. Anyone can make a film.” Springer Film Studios is here to help you do it.

**Sara on set of the Bruce Willis Film - Survive the Night**

Jef and Sara love to give guidance and connect people in the industry. They have a cast and crew database, writers, cinematographers, grips, production assistants, costumers, and even set teachers at their disposal.

As their lives have blossomed in the Columbus creative community, so can others. “We encourage artists to make films they love, and then make an income from them so they can make more films. This not only helps the filmmaker, it brings money back to our city,” Jef said. The Holbrooks saw what worked and didn’t work in Atlanta, so they are uniquely qualified to be at the helm of this movement in Columbus. This is a passion for Jef and Sara, and failing is not an option “It’s unusual that your life partner is also your business partner and your creative partner,” Sara said. Their extraordinary partnership is precisely why their bold endeavors are sure to succeed.

However, these two will always be kids at heart. “I still feel like that excited 11-year old dragging a video camera around,” said Jef. And, Sara chimed in, “Nothing is better than rounding up a bunch of people and creating something with your friends.”

To get involved with Springer Film Studios, reach out to Jef and Sara on their website: springerfilm.org/contact, their facebook page - or you can email Jef at producer@springerfilm.org and Sara at director@springerfilm.org