DEBORA SHAULIS | On the Scene City could blast into movies

When Youngstown Warren Regional Film Commissioner Richard Ouzounian says he wants to blow up Youngstown, he doesn't mean that literally.
Then again, "We certainly have plenty of industrial sites that have fallen in on themselves," Ouzounian said from his office on the fourth floor of the Ohio One building in downtown Youngstown. If a Hollywood film crew wants to use one of those sites to stage an explosion, Ouzounian's attitude is, why not?
Ouzounian's career has been in film, video production and satellite communication. As president of Media Technologies Inc., Ouzounian produced public service announcements and more for Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, as well as projects for big corporations. He moved to Boardman, his wife's hometown, in 2002.
Area's advantages
The film commission was established last summer. Since then, Ouzounian has received $5,000 from Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau -- money that helped him gain accreditation for WYRFC from Association of Film Commissioners International and begin marketing this area for film and TV production.
Several weeks ago, he was touting the Mahoning Valley's advantages to attendees at a convention for movie site location managers. He also talked to someone from Hollywood Reporter, which led to a story in the entertainment industry newspaper that also was carried by Reuters news service. It's been making the Internet rounds locally since late last week.
The eye-catching Reuters headline: "Come to Youngstown, Ohio, and Blow Stuff Up."
The opening sentence: "Economic decay could be the salvation of Youngstown, Ohio."
The story, in brief: Declining industrial city "is a virtual film set waiting to happen," with a quiet airport, nearly empty prison, two hospitals that are partly unused (old Southside Medical Center) or vacant (former Cafaro Hospital on the North Side) and boarded-up schools and libraries.
Ouzounian's quote that inspired the headline: "You have industrial sites. Unlike most cities where they don't want you blowing things up, around here they'd be thrilled to death if somebody came here and blew up some of this stuff!"
That bears further explanation, eh?
Rest of the picture
Ouzounian said the Hollywood Reporter correspondent gave the tail end of the story, not the whole picture. He imagined the headline would emphasize underused Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, with its new terminal and 9,000-foot runway.
Still, Ouzounian believes the community would be better off without places like the old, falling-apart Aeroquip manufacturing facility on Albert Street.
"Why would we want to keep that? Who would want to keep that? That doesn't make the community look better, or feel better," he said.
No one is going to simply waltz into Youngstown and blow up stuff. Environmental regulations must be enforced, says Jeffrey Chagnot, Youngstown's director of development.
On the other hand, "There are some structures that could probably ... I don't want to say be blown up. Demolition would be a final strategy for certain structures," Chagnot added.
It's not what's falling down here, but what's standing that Chagnot hopes Hollywood will want to use.
"I think Oz" -- that's Ouzounian's nickname -- "does have some valid points of sale here in terms of vacant structures," Chagnot said, citing the airport and hospitals. "We think we can market some of our assets."
Economic impact
If Youngstown was the filming site of two feature films and one TV series per year, the economic impact to the Valley could exceed $70 million, Ouzounian said.
"We can be and we should be film friendly, 'cause all they're going to do is spend money here," Ouzounian said.
Ten years from now, if Ouzounian has his way, the film commission will be funded by the city, Mahoning County and various foundations; experienced movie hands will share their expertise at a media technical institute; students will be enrolled in a screenwriting program at Youngstown State University; and DVD pressing, packaging and shipping will be part of a new wave of manufacturing here.
"I'm never one to think small," Ouzounian said.
Neither does Hollywood.
XDebora Shaulis is entertainment editor. Write her at shaulis@vindy.com.