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October 1, 2020Neil McCormick has been a key part of the success behind Cinecraft Productions in Cleveland, Ohio, for more than 40 years, along with his co-owner and wife, Maria Keckan. Cinecraft is the oldest-running commercial film producer in the country, founded in 1939.
Neil started making films when cameras still had cranks on the side in high school. From film to digital, in his more than 40 years as a producer, director, editor and production company owner, Neil has worked on hundreds of films and other digital media projects. His work has garnered many awards, including Tellies, Cindies, Cine Golden Eagles and PRSA Anvils. The tools of filmmaking have changed over the years, but what has not changed is the need to engage an audience, communicate and tell a story.
Where did you grow up while attending St. Joseph High School?
I grew up around East 152nd Street and Lakeshore Boulevard in the late 1950s and early 1960s. We lived on Ridpath and Macauley. The Commodore Theater was on the corner where the Saturday matinee was 25 cents! I was usually playing baseball, whiffle ball in someone’s driveway, rubber ball in the St. Jerome’s parking lot, or at Memorial School. Or, we’d go up to Humphrey’s field to the Little League diamonds and hope enough kids just showed up to play. My junior year my widowed mom remarried and we moved to Chesterland.
Where did you go to school before St. Joseph High School?
I went to St. Jerome’s, which was just a few minutes from my house. I was an altar boy after finally memorizing the prayers in Latin … that was a challenge. I remember Monsignor Hammer vividly — he was so tall. I think the mosaic behind the altar with the image of God the Father looks a lot like Monsignor Hammer. My 5th grade teacher was Mrs. Lancaster, whose son, Roger, was one of my English teachers at St. Joe’s. I loved playing CYO sports, football, basketball and, of course, baseball.
Which teacher or class at St. Joseph High School do you remember most and why?
I was blessed with so many good teachers who shaped my career path and adult life. Tim Robertson taught me to laugh in math. Joe Radican taught me the art of critical thinking. Brother Hoffman was my art teacher for three of four years. He would gently push you to improve your craft with every project. Bob Hollis was a big influence in the area of understanding media. I started college with dreams of being an art teacher, but I changed majors to radio-TV-film where I could use my art fundamentals to create visuals that told a story, which became my career path.
Did you have a favorite spot to hang out and what did you like about it?
My friends at St. Joe’s were involved in student publications such as the Norseman newspaper, the Viking yearbook and the Carpenter literary annual. Those publications shared an office in the school. It was a de facto lounge and hangout. Deep friendships were formed and lots of math homework copied, as I recall. After school I worked at the Euclid Fish Company on East 185th Street. Maxim’s had a great slice of pizza, and Royal Castle had that legendary Birch Beer. The Manner’s Restaurant on Lakeshore was our favorite place to go after a game if you had a few bucks for a slice of strawberry pie.
What, if anything, about your experience at St. Joseph High School would you do over?
That after school job, though helpful to pay tuition and have money to go to the dances, didn’t allow much time for extracurricular activities at school. If I could do it over again and not have to work, I would have liked to do more things at St. Joe’s. I like to sing, so I would have joined the Glee Club. But, if I had more free time, I might have gotten into more trouble!
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