Madison H.S. '98 grad an editor of film 'On Fire' headed for theaters Sept. 29

A 1998 Madison Comprehensive High School graduate served as an editor on the film, "On Fire," set to open in theaters Sept. 29.

Don Money can't wait for people to see the film, including his mother Beverly, who still lives in Mansfield.

"It was a real team effort with this one, and we are really happy to now be sharing it with the world," Money said. "It really is a love letter to all the emergency workers and first responders who are so heroic in their fight to keep us safer during all the devastating wildfires that have happened over the years. And with what is currently going on in Maui, also very timely."

Money, who was born and raised in Mansfield, said the film is a survival-thriller-drama movie about a family trapped by a wildfire, fighting for survival.

“Inspired by true and harrowing events, "On Fire" tells the story of an ordinary man (Peter Facinelli) that finds his world suddenly torn apart as devastating wildfires rip through the surrounding countryside,” reads the film’s synopsis. “With precious moments ticking by, he must flee with his son (Asher Angel) and pregnant wife (Fiona Dourif) if they have any hope of surviving the rapid forces of mother nature.”

“SAG-AFTRA approved an interim agreement for 'On Fire' since the film is being released by Cineverse, an independent, non-AMPTP affiliated distributor,” according to a statement from the filmmakers. “Under the terms, members ‘may work on these productions without being in violation of the strike order,’ per the guild. The entire team of 'On Fire' expresses their gratitude to SAG-AFTRA for allowing the cast to promote On Fire during this challenging time for the industry.”

Making the film

Money said making the film, shot in Austin, Texas, was a labor of love.

"I have known director/writer/producer Nick Lyon for years now," Money said. "This is our fifth film together so having edited four movies of his prior, we've become good friends and we have such a great shorthand working together," he said. "I know what he likes and how he shoots and he knows how I cut and it's just a really smooth process for us. It was definitely a challenge with a film this this that is heavy on visual effects, but many of the films I have cut over the years are VFX heavy and so we were able to craft something really engaging and heartfelt in the end."

He said the cast was talented and wonderful, Peter Facinelli (Twilight), Fiona Dourif (Chucky), Asher Angel (Shazam), and with Ashlei Foushee, Glenn Morshower (Transformers) and Lance Henriksen (Alien), it made his job so much easier as he went through their footage and crafted the story and their performances.

He said Robin Gonsalves helped out with the edit as well.

Money's career started in acting

After high school Money went to the University of Toledo and while he was there, he started working with a local agency called Starbound Talent Group, which helped launch the careers of Katie Holmes, Adrienne Palicki and Alyson Stoner among others.

After he graduated in 2002, he moved to New York City and spent two years in a professional acting program at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.

Money said after that, he started auditioning and working his way up. He ended up getting a small part playing Rob Emerson on the soap opera, "As The World Turns" off and on for a year. He also co-starred on an episode of ABC's primetime show, "Cashmere Mafia." He appeared in "I Am Legend" as well.

He also did tons of indie films, short films and commercials. He also did one play, which happens to be how he met his wife Emme Rylan. Some of her notable roles including played Lizzie Spaulding on "Guiding Light," Abby Newman on "The Young and the Restless," and Lulu on "General Hospital." She also played Winnie in "Bring It On: All or Nothing."

In 2009, after "Guiding Light" had sadly gotten cancelled, Money said he and his wife moved to Los Angeles and have been there up until now.

"We are in the process of moving to St. Louis," he said Aug. 10. "All of my work since the pandemic is remote now, so it doesn't really matter where I live, and with two industry strikes happening right now, we are gonna take a breather from LA and see what life looks like back living in the Midwest."

Money said he and his wife are looking forward to having their kids get a little taste of what it was like for Emme and him growing up. She is from Pennsylvania. The couple have three children, Jackson, who's about to turn 14, Levi who is almost 12 and Dakota, 6.

His desire to act began in Mansfield with the filming of "The Shawshank Redemption"

Money said he's always had a love of movies and TV and storytelling from from a young age.

"Thinking back on it, to be honest, I think it really started when "The Shawshank Redemption" came to town (Mansfield 1993 at Ohio State Reformatory) to shoot," Money said.

He said one of the actors rented a houseboat on Mifflin Lake to stay in during the shoot, and his family had a houseboat there as well and he would see the actor and talk to him in the mornings having breakfast at the little restaurant that used to be in the marina, Money said. "And some of the people we knew around the lake were extras as well and I just thought that was so cool."

When he was attending college in Toledo, he was learning how to go about being an actor and a model at Starbound.

From in front of the camera to behind the camera

After school in New York, while he was starting his acting career, he also had a knack for computers and the business side of things (from his Information Systems and Operations Management degree from college).

He started a production company with a fellow Toledo grad and dear friend of his Ryan Aynes.

"We made one indie movie in 2003 called 'Dress Rehearsal,' and through doing that it became clear that although I loved acting, I also loved all the behind the camera stuff as well," Money said.

Flash forward to 2011, Money said he and Emme are in L.A. She was pregnant with their second son Levi and fully focusing on acting wasn't cutting it anymore.

"I never really cracked it in a way that was consistent enough to make sense as my only career, especially with a second kids on the way. So I thought about what else I could do instead, and by then, I had already been editing stuff on my own (his acting demo reels and reels for friends etc.) so I decided to go back to school for editing," Money said.

"And all the years of storytelling experience and training I had as an actor proved incredibly valuable so once I learned more about the technical side, I was off and running. Looking back on it, it was the best career decision I ever made," Money said.

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: On Fire film editor Don Money says movie honors first responders