(From Bowling Green State University)
As the long-awaited summer blockbuster “Superman” opens in theaters today, July 11, three recent Bowling Green State University graduates are adding the film to their resumes.
Josh Newberg ’22, Jay Boyden ’23 and Jimar Curry ’23 are each credited in the new movie as set production assistants. Production took place in downtown Cleveland, where all three had the chance to aid behind the scenes in the making of the DC Studios picture.
The connection to the major project started when Newberg, originally from Lebanon, Ohio, answered a call from a number he didn’t recognize, only to be offered a career-changing opportunity.
“It’s actually pretty wild how it all happened,” Newberg said. “Just through things I worked on in the past, I’ve networked with so many people, and in a lot of films, you’ll work with a lot of the same people you’ve worked with before.
“One day, I got a random call from one of the assistant directors of ‘Superman’ asking if I’d like to join because someone I had worked with in the past had recommended me. It was a very unexpected call, but I said I would move or do whatever I needed to be part of it.”
As a production assistant, Newberg said almost every day was different, whether it was helping with lighting, performing location lock-ups, shuttling between various parts of the set, assisting with background generally or offering a hand whenever necessary.
When the film needed some extra help along the way, however, Newberg turned to two fellow BGSU graduates with expertise in the field.
Curry, a Columbus-based videographer who, like Newberg, earned a Bachelor of Arts in film from BGSU, said he was floored when Newberg asked him to be on set for a blockbuster movie.
“I was shocked – I couldn’t believe he was serious,” Curry said. “I initially didn’t know he had been working on ‘Superman’ at the time, but as soon as I got it cleared, I turned around and said ‘Yes, absolutely.’”
All three credited their time at the University for playing a key role in their early careers.
Boyden, a visual communication technology graduate from Hudson, Ohio, who is now a video media producer professionally, said a student internship with the BGSU Office of Marketing and Brand Strategy helped him map a professional course while he was still an undergraduate.
“A big, pivotal moment in my career was working in the Office of Marketing and Brand Strategy,” Boyden said. “I was guided through options of what I can do with video, editing and media in general. It gave me confidence that no matter where I end up, I have these foundations and structures that I learned from BGSU.”
Hailing from Cleveland, Curry recalled learning about the effort required to make films during his time at BGSU, which fittingly played out in real life as the trio became production assistants on an internationally recognized project.
“I remember learning about the different roles on a set in my classes, so it really made sense knowing what our roles and what our tasks were,” Curry said. “Having that knowledge made it much easier to excel in a community of a big production like that.”
Newberg, whose credits also include “The Bikeriders” and “Alto Knights,” said the best part of working in the film industry is the sense of community that each production develops along the way.
Making films is a major effort filled with the cast and crew working together to create something memorable, an aspect of the industry Newberg said he was drawn to from the start of his BGSU film classes.
“In my first short narrative class, I saw that I really loved the community of the film world,” Newberg said. “Everybody gets assigned a role and everybody contributes because films are such big things that require a lot of effort, and I think that the idea that one person creates a story idea and everybody jumps in to help that person achieve the same goal is just the coolest thing, and that goes for short films, feature films, low-budget movies and big-budget movies.”
At the premiere of ‘Superman’ in Cincinnati, the ending credits included their names, a surreal experience for three people who love making movies.
Boyden said seeing their names credited at the end of the film is a moment he’ll never forget.
“We got full-body chills,” Boyden said. “We all shook hands and just said congratulations because it was such a big a moment for ourselves, our families and our careers. We haven’t been able to wipe the smiles off our faces.”
