Tippecanoe graduate excited to release short film
After graduating in the class of 2023, Tippecanoe grad Ethan Dorman has wrapped up his first semester at Ohio University as well as filming for his upcoming short film titled “Dead Man’s Money.” Dorman is a freshman studying media arts production and participating in a live sketch and comedy show every Friday. However, during his winter break, Dorman and a local group of young actors have been hard at work, spending the past month creating the film, Ethan’s directorial debut.
Although this is Dorman’s first time directing a film, he’s been a part of student-led projects in the past. Dorman appeared in the short film “Come Back Soon,” which premiered at the Plaza Theatre in Miamisburg last spring. His relationship with his friend and director Jon Warner has partly motivated his own directorial endeavors. More specifically, “Dead Man’s Money” is inspired by one of Warner’s short films from his time at Tippecanoe High School.
The upcoming film is a thriller about the relationship between money and violence and how the two can mean bad news when combined. Dorman has enlisted a variety of friends, actors, and other collaborators to make the film and is excited for its release in April. Dorman explained how everyone involved in the movie-making process has played a key part in creating something they are all incredibly proud of. As both the director of photography and the film’s main antagonist, Warner has been Dorman's right-hand man throughout the experience. However, multiple other people have helped both on screen and behind the scenes. Dorman has enlisted some students from Tippecanoe High School in his upcoming film as both characters and helpers off-screen. He believes that Tipp City has a thriving film community, and he hopes that his movie will be a representative of that.
Dorman has not only created an exciting film with the help of his crew set to premiere on YouTube, but he’s helped make connections for local high school students interested in film. He’s also proved that Tippecanoe students continue to thrive creatively within their community after graduation. That’s showbiz, baby!