Scott Dombro, Jason Zoblin and Aaron Campbell formed QueenAnne Productions in 2017, a film production company that has produced a number of short films and documentaries.
For three Cherry Hill natives, being filmmakers isn’t about awards and becoming famous. It’s about having an impact on viewers and others in the industry.
Scott Dombro, Jason Zoblin and Aaron Campbell are the minds behind QueenAnne Productions, a small film production company the trio formed in 2017. Together, the three have made a number of short films and are planning on churning out a number of films in 2019.
Zoblin played a big part in bringing QueenAnne Production to life. A graduate from Rider University, he ran into Campbell at a local Panchero’s a few years ago. Campbell, also a Rider grad, started talking with Zoblin about his struggles with making it in filmmaking.
“We were all struggling filmmakers,” Zoblin said. “Aaron is one of the best writers I know. Scott is one of the best camera guys I know, and I’m a director.”
Dombro, Zoblin and Campbell have all known each other for many years. The three all graduated from Cherry Hill High School East in 2012. Dombro and Campbell both still live in the township. With all three friends specializing in a different area of film and still in touch with one another, they decided to make their own films.
“My grandfather, he was a big inspiration for me,” Zoblin said of QueenAnne Productions. “He lived on Queen Anne Road and I would visit him all the time. It was our place to hang out.”
Zoblin’s grandfather, Martin, was also an inspiration behind the company’s logo. Their logo is identical to one found on one of Martin’s old hats.
QueenAnne Production’s first movie was filmed in May 2017. Titled “Turn the Page,” Campbell described the film as being about people who hate going to clubs, but do so anyway to meet people and the internal struggle they face.
“It probably wasn’t our best work,” Zoblin said. “But it was our first time working together. It was a lot of moving parts. We were shooting at locations that weren’t our house or a friend’s house. But we made it work.”
Zoblin, Dombro and Campbell all work on their films with QueenAnne Productions on top of their regular jobs during the week. Dombro works on freelance cinematography, Campbell works at a local car dealership and Zoblin works in the multimedia department for a bank in New York City.
“I can technically say I’m working in the film industry,” Zoblin said about his full-time job. “But it’s not creative. This is the type of thing I enjoy doing.”
The three work on scripts and ideas for films during their free time. They will typically shoot films during the times when all three are off.
The cast and crew for the films typically consist of aspiring actors and filmmakers looking to build up their resumes. Zoblin noted one of the most fulfilling parts of QueenAnne Productions is being able to assist others who are struggling in the film industry.
“We’re trying to make a product that we enjoy and we like,” Zoblin said. “Just the fact that we can help our friends that are struggling in trying to get work, it’s just nice for us.”
Dombro said the three invested in equipment and software shortly after forming the company, including cameras, lights and audio equipment and noted it didn’t cost thousands of dollars to purchase everything to make a film.
The group believes QueenAnne Productions turned a corner after Zoblin and Dombro embarked on a road trip to Los Angeles where they learned a lot more about the art of filmmaking. Zoblin said the trip was a defining moment in inspiring the trio to put more of their energy behind film production.
Later in 2017, QueenAnne Productions released the film, “A Millennial on Her Phone.” This short film was a milestone for the company as it was the first to be screened at multiple film festivals in North Jersey.
“It’s just a short little movie about a girl who is contemplating whether she should text her friend that she got engaged,” Dombro said about the film. “She’s in between a lot of things that are going on in her head.”
“I think ‘Millennial’ was the most thematically rich,” Campbell added. “I think that’s why it got as much attention as it did.”
The company took another step forward in 2018 when it produced a pair of documentaries. The first was entitled, “This Genre is For Lovers: A Pop Punk Documentary.” The film dived into the world of pop punk and is the longest film QueenAnne has put together so far at just under one hour. Zoblin, a huge fan of pop punk music, decided it would be a good topic for a documentary.
“People have come up to me about the doc, which is pretty cool,” Zoblin said about reaction from the film. “Bands have talked about it on their Facebook and Instagram. They’ve reached out to me.”
The second documentary, “The Happy Go Lucky Kid,” was about Dombro’s uncle, Ken, who has an intellectual disability. Scott made the film with his father, Roy and felt the film was the favorite he has done with QueenAnne so far.
“It’s a lot more raw,” Dombro said. “There’s no script, aside from the narration. I think it was the most fun.”
Dombro, Campbell and Zoblin all say they didn’t form QueenAnne Productions for the fame and fortune. The production company is about spending time together and enjoying an art form that all three love.
“It is more fulfilling to have independent projects,” Campbell said. “Even your dream job is work. Anything you do eight hours a day is work. It’s nice to have something that’s yours.”
“We’re not trying to be the next Spielberg,” Zoblin added. “We’re just trying to make stuff because we just enjoy doing it.”
QueenAnne Productions’ films are available to view on its YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/channel/UCRGzdNZ7rGRJNyM8nxVdMYw. For more information, visit QueenAnne Productions’ Facebook or Twitter pages or email [email protected].
