By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — United Way of Ashtabula County boasts a video that for a decade has brought a father and son together.
Randall Jones, Ashtabula County UW executive director, and his 24-year-old son, Ian Jones, who now is working on his doctorate in film at the University of Chicago, have collaborated on UW’s video since Ian was 14 years old.
“It used to be easier when I had him in his room,” Randall Jones said. “Now we do the films in the summer when he’s home.”
In a telephone interview Monday, Ian Jones said, “Any opportunity to do (a video) is nice and it has been great to be connected to United Way in that way.”
As for this year’s project, Ian was mostly involved in the editing stages, he said.
The Jones’2009 United Way of Ashtabula County campaign video can be seen at unitedwayashtabula.org or from the Star Beacon’s Web site www.starbeacon.com.
“People anywhere can view it,” Randall Jones said.
Georgia Farris Romanko, human resources manager at A. Louis Supply Co. and a volunteer on UW’s Community Investment Committee, appeared in last year’s movie. She’s also briefly in this year’s film.
Randy Jones wrote the script and Ian was behind the camera, she said.
It wasn’t as difficult as she imagined.
“Two hours of filming turned into 90 seconds on film, but it told the story,” Romanko said. “(Ian) was great.”
This year’s film is just under three minutes in length and features all local people, Randy Jones said.
In the “old days,” UW sent “tear-jerker” movies with famous people to show to local organizations, he said. But with his experience in photography and his son’s knack for film, 10 years ago they decided to make their own UW film.
“Once they saw local people in the movies, no one would let us go back,” he said. “We had local people telling local stories and it was a hit.”
Since that time, people from 27 charities have participated in one way or another in the UW cause, as well as the promotion of the film.
