Partnership between Syracuse University, production studio strong despite local controversy

In the town of Liverpool, about 5 miles away from Syracuse’s campus, a mini film industry is thriving, which is quite uncharacteristic to the region. The presence of movie production in the area can be credited to the opening of American High, a film studio located in an old school building, in 2017. 

American High, created by Jeremy Garelick, is a studio specializing in teen comedies. It has created films such as “Banana Split” and “Big Time Adolescence” and shows like “Plan B” and “Sex Appeal.” Many of these projects use an early 19^th-century Liverpool school, A.V. Zogg Middle School, as the main set. The proximity of the studio to a residential neighborhood makes it a political hotbed for complaints. 

There have been numerous complaints by residents that the activities of the studio are interfering with village life and the ability of Liverpool citizens to go about their days undisturbed. The neighbors’ grievances are backed up by official code violations – ranging from generator fumes to fire safety. The mayor has since urged the studio to leave the town, arguing that the buzz it brings to Liverpool is not worth the annoyance it has caused to townspeople.  

An American High executive acknowledged that the necessary adaptation by the town is not easy, but believed that the studio was doing everything in its power to minimize any unnecessary pain. 

“[It’s a] really nuanced issue that we are hoping to find mutually agreeable terms on,” Matt Sacca, the head of development at American High, said. “We are learning on the job as well, and are willing to hear all feedback.”  

Newhouse professor Molle DeBartolo, who has deep ties to the studio, weighs the economic benefits for the town as far more important than any potential disturbances. 

“During COVID it was one of the only things keeping the hotel and rental car businesses going,” she said. 

And while the production may be a nuisance to Liverpool, its tight-knit relationship with the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications lets the school send students and professors to the film studio. Through this partnership, students are able to have in-school internships, learning the ropes of live TV and film production.

Television, Radio, and Film senior Naiya Amin interned with the studio during the summer of 2024. She described getting involved with American High as seamless — getting immediately referred to a professor with a stronger relationship to the studio. Amin said she had limited contact with employees of the production company due to her internship being remote.

“I didn’t really hear anything from a real person the whole time, unless I had to email about an issue or something,” she said.

Though Amin did not have strong feelings about the studio herself, she did hear mixed opinions from her peers about their experience with American High. 

“I have also met people, though, who don’t really like it and have a strong negative opinion about it. They don’t like the way that the classes are run,” she said.

The classes Amin referred to are experiential courses, taught by Newhouse professors, where students are introduced to the American High company and often set up with a production internship. 

DeBartolo got her start with American High in 2017 when it was first founded, and later joined the Newhouse faculty. Her ongoing involvement with both American High and Newhouse has made her the perfect go-between for students and fellow faculty looking to get involved. 

She said she viewed the relationship as mutualistic. It benefits the university through its unique experience for young people to get a feel for the industry. 

“[It] gives students an opportunity to get access to see real-world production processes without leaving Syracuse,” DeBartolo said. 

As for American High, DeBartolo said it gives them “the opportunity to grow their workforce and give back to the community.” 

“[It’s] unique because of the fact that we’re such a small-growing industry,” DeBartolo said. “The students get opportunities to come on these sets and work in ways that they wouldn’t be able to in a larger market.”

Syracuse University is a major provider of employees to American High, and they don’t stop at internships, according to Sacca.

Sacca, himself, started working with the company as a student intern from Newhouse. He echoed DeBartolo’s praises of the relationship between the two institutions.

“We are in Syracuse University’s backyard and we are able to bring tangible, on-set experience before students even graduate,” Sacca said.

Sacca said he’s proud of the teaching-focused programs by American High, like the creation of an academy that hosts weekly free virtual Zoom workshops between industry veterans and college students. Even with the ongoing coding issues with Liverpool, the relationship between American High and Newhouse does not seem to have any sign of rupturing. 

“Unless Newhouse doesn’t want to be involved in that regard, it doesn’t impact them directly,” DeBartolo said.