FILMMAKING PHENOM

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March 3, 2024

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here. 

Another alum who signed up for Dave Fazzini's upcoming production of Alyce is happy to be back on the NDP campus again to help out his former choir director. But Rowland Scheessele NDP'19 also is very focused on an already remarkably successful career in film production. 

Rowland Scheessele NDP'19 just celebrated his first filmmaking credit as an executive producer. It's a heady position for anybody, but extraordinary for someone as young as Scheessele. The film he executive produced is Strong, Living with Multiple Myeloma, which had its major debut on February 19 when it premiered at the Emagine Theater on Royal Oak.

Established in 2013 by founders Paris Jones and Andre Ray and based in Southfield, Paris Films is "dedicated to crafting unique, exquisite, and meaningful projects with a primary focus on powerful character-driven stories," according to a recent press release.

Strong is a powerful short documentary following company founder Jones' inspiring journey of resilience and triumph over cancer. Scheessele's involvement with Paris Films began when he interned there while still a student at Grand Valley State University. His internship gradually moved from doing "intern-type" work to activities closer to the actual filmmaking tasks.

"Having Paris Jones as a mentor certainly helped me develop my skills and learn to navigate the industry more," he said. "Also, I admire Paris Films’ mission to create meaningful, unique, inspiring and character-driven projects that explore the 'common truths of humanity.'"

While only just a few short years removed his NDP graduation, Scheessele is already making waves in filmdom. But he nonetheless credits his high school with setting a standard of excellence he just can't let go.

His original journey to Notre Dame Prep began after spending elementary school at St. Mary Catholic School in Mount Clemens and middle school at St. Hugo of the Hills in Bloomfield Hills. To him, NDP just seemed like the natural next step for somebody who grew up in a faith-filled household and attended Catholic elementary and middle schools. He said Notre Dame's mission resonated with his parents, but it most especially rang true for him.

"Personally, I find the school’s mission, which includes being a Christian person and upright citizen, very strong and something I strive to incorporate into my everyday life," he said in 2019, just a few weeks shy of commencement ceremonies at NDP.

Recently, IRISH Magazine was able to slow Scheessele down long enough to ask him a few questions about what he's been up to since Notre Dame Prep, including his nascent film career. The following interview was edited for clarity and space.
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IRISH Magazine: Let's start with college. What was your major and degree at Grand Valley State University? 

Rowland Scheessele: I graduated from Grand Valley in April 2023 with a bachelor’s degree of science in film and video production. 

IRISH: Can you discuss your career in filmmaking? Why did you get involved, especially with the producing aspect?

Scheessele: First of all, I decided to pursue a career in filmmaking halfway through my first year of college. Initially, I was going to pursue a degree in journalism, but something told me to sit on the decision and go undecided. Film was on my list of ideas for majors as I have always been interested in film analysis and took a film studies course in high school. In addition, my roots in theatre and music interested me as I see film as a combination of many different art forms, including music and theatre. 

IRISH: What was it at GVSU that set you on your new path and what were your initial productions?

Scheessele: I took a film culture class in my first year and the rest was history! I knew right away that I wanted to be a filmmaker. From then on, I progressed through the film program at Grand Valley, making friends, working on projects and enhancing my skills. My first experience producing involved two short documentary films I made at the end of my sophomore year and the beginning of my junior year. One was about lawn artistry (Yard Art), and the other was about video game preservation (The Fading Nature of Physical Media). However, the first project that drove me to produce was a short sports comedy called The Aceholes. It is about a group of intramural misfits who, with the help of a volleyball guru, attempt to win their volleyball league and win free t-shirts. The film was pitched in my fiction two production class, and I initially wanted to do production design for the film. 

IRISH: How did that first film go and how many others have you produced?

Scheessele: As luck would have it, my professor assigned me as the producer, which was challenging. Over the production process, I learned the ropes of producing, and though it was stressful at times, I had a fun experience doing it and was proud of what my team and I accomplished. It was incredibly satisfying when the film opened at Grand Valley’s Student Showcase and received many laughs from the audience. Since then, I have produced three other projects (all currently in post-production), bringing me to six short films. While I am open to trying other aspects, such as directing and writing, I feel a true calling to produce films, and I hope I can produce my first feature soon. 

IRISH: Besides Strong, what other films have you been (or will be) involved with? 

Scheessele: Besides Strong, I have been involved with many short film productions over the past four and half years. I have produced six short films, including The Aceholes, Yard Art, and The Fading Nature of Physical Media. Other short films include Sure Shot, which is a superhero-action drama about a hitman struggling with depression ahead of a mission. Fungus is a horror comedy about a married couple trying to convince their college friend to join a bizarre mushroom cult. And Drowned is a drama about a waiter whose life is falling apart around her, imagining herself drowning under the stress of her life. The latter three films will be released later this year. 

Besides those, I've worked on many other student films in various capacities, including as a production designer, production assistant, actor, background extra, sound operator, security, craft services, script supervisor and more. I have also directed some micro shorts of my own. In addition to short films, I have worked as a production assistant on two independent feature films made locally and yet to be released. 

IRISH: How did you get involved with Paris Films in the first place?

Scheessele: I interned at Paris Films during the spring and summer of 2022. I had heard about Paris Films from the GVSU film department’s internship coordinator and found out they were looking for interns interested in receiving a “crash course” in film production. While there, I performed administrative tasks such as reading and making coverage of scripts, writing treatments, doing test screenings, reaching out to potential collaborators, arranging podcast interviews and researching film trends on behalf of the company. The latter is actually what got me involved in the making of Strong. I worked at Paris Films for five months, and it taught me some valuable skills in pitching projects, searching for production resources, building professional relationships, finding collaborators, and just producing in general. 

IRISH: What was it like working with Paris Jones?

Scheessele: Having Paris Jones as a mentor helped me develop my skills and learn to navigate the industry more. I admire Paris Films’ mission to create meaningful, unique, inspiring and character-driven projects that explore the “common truths of humanity.” It is excellent to have studios in Michigan trying to create distinctive stories and give unheard artists a chance to be heard. I enjoyed interning at the company and look forward to working with them again in the future. 

IRISH: Can you talk about the film Strong? It opened locally at the Emagine, correct?

Scheessele: The film premiered on Presidents Day (February 19, 2024) at Emagine Royal Oak. Strong is a short documentary about Paris Jones and his battle with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. Paris is a filmmaker, producer, and founder/CEO of Paris Films. In the fall of 2019, Paris was diagnosed with multiple myeloma following a series of symptoms. Before being diagnosed, Paris was not concerned by his symptoms as he was generally fit and healthy. However, this all changed when he sneezed and shattered his back. The film chronicles his journey fighting cancer, including his life before the diagnosis, his struggle to find a facility that would help him get on the path of recovery, the loving support of his family and friends, and what it is like for him today living with multiple myeloma. The film also aims to spread awareness about multiple myeloma and how you can spot early signs of it. It also aims to spread awareness about how multiple myeloma disproportionally affects African-American men. 

IRISH: What specifically were you doing on the film?

Scheessele: My role in Strong primarily came during the post-production process. I was tasked with finding potential sponsors for the film in order to help finish it. I researched and contacted hundreds of medical organizations and groups specializing in multiple myeloma and cancer research to see if they would be interested in helping finish the film and publicizing it. I ended up getting in contact with the Ohio Federation For Health Equity and Social Justice and, by extension, the Hicks Harris Ferguson Multiple Myeloma Symposium, an annual event that aims to help spread awareness of the disease, connect people living with multiple myeloma and offering them resources, and supporting research into the disease, its causes, and its treatments. After contacting Lisa Stafford, an organizer and consultant for that symposium, with our proposal and trailer, she got back to me wanting to discuss the opportunity further. After further discussion, the Ohio Federation and Hicks Harris Ferguson agreed to sponsor the film as they believed it supports their mission of spreading awareness about multiple myeloma. 

IRISH: And then "executive producer." Wow!

Scheessele: Yes, for my efforts, I earned an executive producer credit for the film. I am honored to have been given this credit and opportunity, as a film like this can help spread awareness and potentially save lives. The earlier a patient is diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the better the chance one has for recovery and survival, and being able to show people the warning signs can encourage them to take action. Moreover, I am proud to have had the opportunity to work on this project because my late grandfather, Harry Peszko, also struggled with multiple myeloma. I am happy to honor his memory by working on this project. 

IRISH: Now as a college grad, can you point to your NDP experience and how it may have affected your college and career experiences? Are you involved at all with Fazzini’s Alyce?

Scheessele: Yes, I am involved with Mr. Fazzini’s Alyce. I am very excited to be throwing my hat back in the ring of acting and singing in a musical. I will be playing the role of Mr. Pyncher, an apothecary and one of the minor antagonists of the show. 

Regarding how NDP affected my college career, theater was a big part of what drove me to become a filmmaker. I did theater all through high school, and from that, I became interested in storytelling, acting, and just the general means of what is needed to put on a production. In addition, during my junior year of high school, I worked as a prop manager for the MIFA production of The Bible Abridged, which gave me a taste of the behind-the-scenes element of theater. 

IRISH: You've obviously had a lot of experience in theater already at your young age. How or why did that direction change to film?

Scheessele: While I thought about potentially doing theater as a major or minor in college, film intrigued me more as I was a big movie buff. But I also saw film as an evolution of theater. While film is a visual medium, it combines elements of all art forms, including theater and music, both of which are art forms that I loved in high school and continue to love today. Music can impact how you feel about a film, and theater is essentially the precursor to film in many ways, be it the acting, the design, or the control of the “stage,” so to speak, to tell a particular story. 

IRISH: What about the film course you took at Notre Dame Prep?

Scheessele: Yes, another element of NDP that led me to becoming a filmmaker was that film studies course taught by Mr. Kyle Lilek during my junior year of high school. Mr. Lilek’s class was a mix of film history, film analysis and understanding story development. I found a deep appreciation for the art form in the class for both its history and its philosophies. Also, analyzing and writing about film gave me a new perspective. If it was not for the class, I do not know if I would have had an interest in pursuing film as a career, and I have Mr. Lilek to thank for opening up that fascination for me. 

IRISH: What else from your Notre Dame Prep experience has affected your college of career?

Scheessele: Filmmaking aside, choir/musicals significantly impacted my college experience. Going into college, I wanted to join a choir or, at the very least, a musical group. I joined Grand Valley’s varsity glee club and GVSU’s local chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a music fraternity. Both shaped a large portion of my college career, and I have made many fond memories and friendships because of both. Glee Club was so much fun because while the group was somewhat professional, it felt like a group of guys from all walks of life — some music majors, some not. Moreover, we just wanted to create beautiful sounds and inspire people with the songs we sang, including many classical, religious and operatic pieces.

The fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia’s primary mission is to support the advancement of music and to develop the best traits of brotherhood in men. I initially had doubts about joining a fraternity. However, when I heard about PMA, I felt like it was the right place to be. It is a group of like-minded individuals who support and encourage everyone’s musical abilities and build fraternal bonds through that shared love of music. I even became the president of my chapter for two years, which also helped me develop skills as a producer as they were similar positions. Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and the glee club helped strengthen my love of music and singing, which, while it did not start at NDP, was heavily influenced by my time in the choirs and musicals in high school.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.