'Beneath the Light' films at Lorain Lighthouse

LORAIN — Filmmaker John Baumgartner watched as actor Zach Tinker brought his character, Jacob, to life outside the Lorain Lighthouse on Tuesday afternoon. Against the backdrop of choppy waves and passing boats, Jacob was tempted to release the pallet from an overloaded crane as part of a suspenseful series of events in the feature film, Baumgartner said. Tuesday was Baumgartner's 10th day of filming "Beneath the Light," a horror film set in the International City that follows main characters Jacob and Murdock (John Pyper-Ferguson). After moving back to Lorain following his mother's death from dementia, Jacob takes a temporary job fixing the lighthouse while in his hometown, only to find the icon on Lake Erie has mysteries of its own. It has been a challenge to film at the lighthouse, Baumgartner said, with unpredictable weather and the isolation of the island requiring multiple boats to bring gear and crew to shore. But the production value of the Jewel of the Port was worth it — something that cannot be created on a soundstage in Los Angeles. "Just to see that all come together, it's both thrilling but also exhausting. Filmmaking is exhausting," he said. "You're in scramble mode for so long and when you finally get to sit down and shape the footage, that's the most rewarding part." Baumgartner came back to Lorain to take care of his own mother during the pandemic and stayed during the shutdown. "There was no reason to be in LA and I could be helpful here," he said. The indie production required the green light from the Screen Actors Guild amid the SAG-AFTA strike, Baumgartner said, but that approval came just two weeks before filming started. "It was a nail-biter," he said, compressing the timeline to do the final casting and costume fitting. But the project moved forward. Once production wraps at the lighthouse today, crews will move to locations along Broadway, Oasis Marina and Lakeview Park. Producer and co-screenwriter Dr. Cindy Seng, of Amherst, said it was surreal to be on the set Tuesday watching actors recite the lines she'd written. Seng wrote the novel version of Baumgartner's screenplay last year, but as she worked on the book the story changed and shaped the screenplay. The book and movie will come out together. Seng has more than 35 years of experience in the medical field, and some screenwriting credits to her name, but "Beneath the Light" was the first film she'd taken on the role of producer at Baumgartner's request. "There was a lot of 'here I am and I'm old' — I'm 66 years old, a doctor for 35 years and I'm making a movie. How cool is this?" she said. "And there is a neat sense and lesson to that, that you're never too old and really fun things can happen in life. You just need to give things a try and keep moving forward, not be afraid to try new things." Baumgartner said filming in Lorain "feels like home." "It just feels more comforting," he said. "Filmmaking is so stressful, it's an added bonus to be in your hometown. It's a bit soothing." Once the movie is done, Baumgartner plans to hold a premiere at the Lorain Palace Theatre, with proceeds benefiting the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.