TV series 'Chaser,' from Mansfield native, to have premiere at Mansfield Playhouse

We all have regrets, things we wish we could do over, words we should have said.

Eddi Sebastian gets the chance to do just that in "Chaser," a new television series from Mansfield native Daniel Roemer. The independent, micro-budget project is described as a dark comedy.

Zero Gravity Media has announced the world premiere of "Chaser" from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Mansfield Playhouse, 95 E. Third St. It is being presented by Whitten Studios with special thanks to Dream Huge Realty.

Originally filmed as a feature-length movie and later turned into an eight-part TV series, "Chaser" tells the story of Eddi Sebastian, a down-and-out film editor who discovers the power to re-edit his life. Using this new power, Eddi attempts to change reality.

Will he get the life he's always dreamed of, or will the power prove too dangerous?

Roemer, a 1999 Mansfield Christian graduate, started writing "Chaser" in 2017. It's loosely based on the short film "The Select Fit."

"We all wish we could redo something," Roemer said.

Roemer views casting as critical part of process

Casting took about a year, with filmmakers going to Los Angeles in their search.

"To me, casting is the most important thing," Roemer said. "If you get the right actors, they do the work."

Local actors Haley Bedocs and Roger Moore are part of the cast, along with Russ Russo, Gia Bay and Daniel DeWeldon.

Much of the filming took place in Mansfield and the surrounding area. Roemer credits Rob Hemmick with finding the right locations, adding he is humbled by the chance to share his project with the local community.

Roemer, 42, said he was 11 or 12 when he and his friends started making movies. He remembers his mother renting a video camera.

Following high school, Roemer went to the University of Southern California for two years. He made a thesis-level short film about a man who comes into money but loses his soul.

Roemer ended up finding work as a director and editor, so he quit school. He worked on short films and edited a documentary about professional poker players.

He stayed in Los Angeles, interrupted by a brief stint in New York City, until 2016 when he moved back to Mansfield.

"I was editing for a Discovery digital channel," Roemer said. "Basically, I could edit anywhere."

He said he returned to Mansfield to escape LA's high cost of living.

While here, Roemer taught acting classes at the Mansfield Art Center, where he met Bedocs. He went to see her in a production at the Ohio State University-Mansfield and began to date another cast member.

Suzanna Hammond is now married to Roemer. She is a producer on "Chaser."

Roemer also finished his degree by taking online classes, earning a bachelor of fine arts in film and TV from Academy of the Art University in San Francisco.

Filmmaker's day job helps those with developmental disabilities

His day job is with Alpha Group, a Delaware-based company that provides programs and services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

Everything has led Roemer to "Chaser." He explained the decision to make it a TV series instead of a feature film.

"It would have been three hours," Roemer said. "Nobody's going to sit through a three-hour movie unless it's 'The Lord of the Rings.'

"We ended up re-cutting it, and it worked out so well. It was the perfect idea."

Roemer said he likes that TV became the medium because it allows him to "explore the minutiae of characters." Each episode of "Chaser" is about 24 minutes long.

Roemer said he is in talks with a couple of distributors and would like to find a home for Chaser on a streaming service such at Netflix or Hulu. He also has submitted it for consideration at the SXSW Festival.

Roemer hopes to do season 2

"I would love to do a season 2," Roemer said. "I think what I'm most proud of is so many people contributed to this. I'm proud of how far we stretched the dollar."

The Nov. 5 premiere will be a red carpet affair. "Chaser" is rated TV-MA for language. After the premiere, Roemer will be available for a brief Q&A, followed by light refreshments and a meet-and-greet with the cast and crew.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online through Eventbrite at eventbrite.com/e/chaser-tv-series-world-premiere-tickets-406433402247 and on Facebook @ZeroGravityFilm.

People can see the trailer at youtu.be/3zn8BpFtpZ8. Anyone interested in supporting this project and others can learn more at chaserthemovie.com.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

Twitter: @MNJCaudill

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: TV series to get its world premiere at Mansfield Playhouse