Plymouth product enjoys horror genre as an artistic outlet

PLYMOUTH — Shelby Wyant grew up with horror on her mind. Not because Plymouth was a dramatic place to be reared, or because she has a closet filled with bad memories.

Quite the opposite, it seems more a guilty pleasure.

Interestingly, horror remains on her mind, as a coping mechanism from the real-world issues that dominate the headlines of the day. She found the outlet as a youngster, perhaps influenced by her father’s interest in the genre.

Today, Wyant is making news of her own as writer and producer of “October Roses,” a movie that will begin filming in and around Richland County in late August. The project is based on a 1978 Stephen King story “Nona.” It will also include the talent’s of Crestline’s Robert Kurtzman, who is serving as executive director of the film.

We posted a separate story on the project earlier. But we wanted to delve a little deeper into Wyant’s involvement. Here’s what we found:

RICHLAND SOURCE: What year did you graduate from Plymouth?

SHELBY WYANT: I graduated from Plymouth in 2014.

RS: What is your college degree from Kent State?

SW: I graduated from Kent State in 2018 with a degree in Education (Integrated Language Arts). Education was never my final stop, but I wasn’t exactly sure what it was that I wanted to do. After graduating, I moved to Columbus and worked at a psychiatric treatment center for adolescents. I truly loved that work, but was unfortunately laid off at the beginning of the pandemic.

I decided this was a good time for me to continue my education, so I moved back to Kent and started a master’s program. I’m currently in the last couple semesters of the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program at Kent State. This degree allows me to pursue licensure as both a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Clinical Rehabilitation Counselor (a counselor who works primarily with people with disabilities). I’m also training to be a Yoga Teacher!

RS: How did your high school or college experience shape your work?

SW: Both of my parents are big readers, so I’ve loved literature and writing my whole life. My second-biggest influence was my high school English teacher, Brit Charek, who I really credit with making me believe I could make a career out of doing the things I love.

I do feel that I’ve always had competing interests. On one hand, I’ve always wanted to write. On the other, I’ve felt compelled to enter a helping career.

I absolutely love teaching, mental health, and working with people with disabilities. My ultimate goal is to combine those things into one and create a space that allows people to heal and grow through art.

RS: What work have you done previously in filmmaking?

SW: I started assisting Brandon (Lazenko) with his films in 2016 when I was the writer for a 48-hour short film, Closer Than They Appear. A 48-hour short film is a festival in which you have 48 hours to write, produce, and edit a short film. Since then, we have worked together on several short films.

Most recently, I was the script supervisor for “The Servant,” a dark thriller currently in post-production. I love being a script supervisor and helping the story come to life.

RS: How do you see your career path unfolding?

SW: After I finish up my master’s program at Kent, I plan to enter a Psychology Ph.D. program. My current interests lie at the intersection of mental health treatment and art. I’d love to study the effects of art-centered mental health counseling on incarcerated individuals and art as method of intervention before an individual becomes at-risk for incarceration.

My ultimate career goal is to work as a corrections psychologist and implement programs that allow individuals to explore literature, art, filmmaking, etc., while receiving mental-health counseling. I plan to continue my work as a screenwriter and script supervisor — particularly making horror and thrillers movies with a social conscience!

RS: Anyone in particular that has inspired you to follow this path?

SW: My parents inspired my love of reading, and my dad – David Wyant – in particular is a huge horror buff. If you name a horror novel, I’m sure he’s read it!

My high school English teacher, Brit Charek, inspired me to continue pursuing writing. She has been a huge supporter of this particular project and I am so grateful to her.

RS: What attracted you to adapt Stephen King’s short story Nona?

SW: The first memory I have of reading a Stephen King book was third grade! I’m sure I picked up one of my dad’s old books, and I was hooked. When I found out about the Dollar Baby program, I knew we had to participate.

I read each story offered through the Dollar Baby program, but Nona was a clear winner. The characters felt like people I knew and I felt confident in our ability to bring them to life.

RS: What made north central Ohio so appealing when it came to filming here?

SW: The “Nona” story is about a young man who is hitchhiking back to his Maine hometown after being fired from his job as a professor. The story is very homey feeling with the main character resisting some of his childhood haunts.

It was just natural to envision this film happening in and around my own hometown. Although not exactly the same landscape as Maine, I think north central Ohio does have a nostalgic quality. We are trying to capture the feeling of a place that hasn’t been changed much by time.

RS: Any personal experiences in particular that have helped you craft your work in this film?

SW: I relate heavily to the main character of the film, Adam, who had big dreams of being a writer and couldn’t wait to get out of his small town. I remember feeling the same way. But like Adam, I am drawn back to where I come from.

I also took a trip to Maine last summer and was able to see the landmarks and landscapes that influenced so much of King’s writing. This experience was pivotal to my writing of this film.

Maine reminded me so much of the many Ohio communities that have been affected by the opioid epidemic, the loss of manufacturing jobs, and most recently — the pandemic. On our trip, we met so many working class people who are trying their best to make it — which reminded me so much of my own hometown.

RS: Are you a horror buff, a Stephen King fan, or what in particular resonated with you in this genre?

SW: I’m a huge Stephen King fan and massive horror buff. I almost exclusively watch horror book and horror films! I think this has to do with escapism — there is nothing that helps me forget my own troubles like experiencing characters going through hell.

It might sound a little corny, but horror truly helps me zoom out and realize that my problems are manageable!

RS: Will your family and friends from Plymouth see any local influence in your filmmaking?

SW: There’s definitely local influence embedded into the story. Our main character, Adam, reminds me a lot of some people I knew in high school — young men dying to get out of their small town just to be dragged back by one thing or another. At it’s core, the story is about the bonds we formed with people we grew up with and how difficult those ties are to sever. On a more literal note, I think people from the area will enjoy seeing places they frequented (bowling alleys, restaurants) on the screen!

RS: What can you tell us about the story of Nona?

SW: Nona is about Adam, a down-on-his-luck professor, hitchhiking back to his hometown after being fired. When he ducks into a roadside bar to escape the rain, he meets a woman who is eerily familiar.

The woman wraps Adam in a web of lies and deceit and ultimately seduces him into following her on a path for vengeance. Throughout the film, we learn who the woman is, her tragic path that led her to seek vengeance, and her connection to Adam.

The film utilizes multiple timelines, so the audience is able to experience Adam in present day (incarcerated) and as he was the night he met the woman.

RS: Anything in particular you’d like to add we didn’t ask you about specifically?

SW: Brandon and I recently founded our production company, 13th Floor Productions. Our vision is to make this is more than just a vessel to produce movies. We want to partner with local libraries, art organizations, and businesses to bring writing and filmmaking opportunities to communities.

We urge anyone who is interested in learning about filmmaking — any of the many aspects — to reach out to us. We want to provide experiences and opportunities to communities and individuals not sure where to start.

Also – my dad went to Crestline High School and graduated with Kurtzman’s brother. My dad has always been a huge Kurtzman fan and that motivated us to reach out to Kurtzman.

He and his wife, Marcia King, have been so gracious and supportive of this project. He is truly a horror industry icon, and we are so excited to collaborate with him and learn from him.