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Hey, Anthony, how are things?
Quite
wonderful. How about yourself?
Can't
complain.
When was Fleet Street created?
Fleet Street Films was founded in 2004.
BPA Productions Group, Inc. (www.bpaproductions.com)
is the parent company for several subsidiaries
(including Fleet Street Films) specializing in film
production, promotion, marketing, funding, and graphic
design.
I am the
owner and CEO of Fleet Street Films, which specializes
in the actual film production. JW Graphics Design &
Production, headed by Jeffrey L. Watson, works with BPA
Marketing International and handles our graphic design,
marketing, publicity, etc. Linden House Entertainment,
headed by playwright James J. Ward, specializes in the
creation of screenplays, scripts, and treatments. LHE
also handles our casting.
Where does the title "Fleet Street" stem
from?
It just came to me one summer day in
2004. Boston is one of my favorite places to visit. The
city is so beautiful. One of the busiest streets in
Boston is Fleet St. So, there you have it. |
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Anthony Spaddacini
Director, Actor, writer
Director of: Hatred, Aftermath, Unstable, etc. |
How long have
you been in the film business?
I began making movies in 1998. It started out as
a hobby. My sister and I were helping our grandparents clean out
their attic. I found a 1980s Zenith VHS-C camcorder that was
about 15 lb. It was huge! My grandfather gave it to me and I
began to shoot anything I could. My sister and I created this
female version of Mr. Bean called Fredricka. We shot several
short films which would place Fredricka in one misadventure
after another. It was fun. Eventually, I got into the horror
genre and wrote & shot a horror film entitled Glenville with my
best friend at the time, Mike. Of course, we had to have a
sequel, so we shot Glenville 2 in 2000.
Keep in mind, this was still while I was in high
school, so our resources were extremely limited. We would make
frequent trips to the costume store near my house and created
all these really cool gore effects. While Glenville was
admittedly just an experiment to see if I could actually make a
horror film, Glenville 2 was basically a test to see how many
gory deaths I could fit into a 2-hour movie. However, a story
had been created at the same time, a story that friends and
colleagues were interested in. So, the fall of 2000, I began to
write the inevitable Glenville 3. But, as everything began to
flow from my mind, I realized that this was becoming more than
just a hobby. That I was starting to get better at writing
scenes and dialogue and instilling interest in my little films.
Glenville 3 was the first film I ever made where I had more
resources to work with.
The company I was working for at the time offered
many opportunities to meet young actors and actresses looking
for their big break. Or just looking to die in a horror film.
Either way, it worked. We shot Glenville 3 in the summer of
2001. To this day, it is the largest cast I have ever worked
with. The script I had written packed many characters and
subplots into a 76-minute film and I was proud of that. That
this film wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill slasher film. It
actually had a good story to it with some interesting (albeit
reprehensible) characters. While it wasn’t a great film by any
means, I stand by it today as one of the most fun film shoots
I’ve ever been on. I consider Glenville 3 to be my personal
stepping stone into filmmaking as a career rather than just a
hobby. I learned so much from that single film: about
filmmaking, directing actors, editing, etc. In 2004, I shot
Glenville: Hell’s Homecoming (the fourth Glenville film) and
what I learned from that film is this: you have to know when to
quit. *laughs*
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What
inspired you to create Unstable, Aftermath, and Hatred?
It was never meant to be a trilogy. I was
at my mother’s house one afternoon and received a call
from James Schaeffer. We began talking and eventually
came up with an idea about a film concerning a death
during a camping trip and the dilemma that the
characters face when it’s realized that they may be
responsible. One of the characters would be shooting all
of this on his camcorder, but we would have to avoid the
whole Blair Witch stereotype. Then I began talking about
the hate crime angle and how I had always wanted to do a
realistic, documentary-style film about hate crimes and
their lasting effect on everyday people. We decided to
combine the two film ideas into one and Unstable was
born.
Aftermath was originally supposed to be a direct sequel
to Unstable, shot in a straight-forward narrative. I
wrote a script, but eventually decided to re-tool it
into its current form after an experience I had in
2004. For the first time in my life, I met someone who
was HIV positive. It amazed me how he just went about
his business and was living his life. Even now, there
seems to be this misconception that people living with
HIV can’t lead normal lives. I admit, I was a victim of
this misconception. So that inspired me to write a story
about HIV and how real people deal with the scare. The
reckless HIV-positive nymphomaniac character (played by
J.P. Clemens in the film) is based on some research I
did on the whole bug-chasing scene. It was quite
disturbing, but also necessary.
Hatred came about one night when actor Steve Brown and I
were talking and I mentioned that so many people wanted
certain aspects of Unstable explored in another film
about forgiveness and moving on with your life.
Overcoming the hurt and guilt that you feel, before it’s
too late and eats you up inside. One particular subplot
was quite promising, so that night he and I wrote a
treatment for an Unstable Part 2 (at that time, it was
called Hate). Eventually, I decided to drop this
subplot, but the story remained solid regardless.
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Was
it a conscious decision to build a trilogy around issues concerning
homosexuality in America?
Actually, it was never my intention to make these
films revolve around homosexuality. I don’t want any movie of mine
to be a gay movie. Quite the opposite actually. I want every film of
mine to be relatable to the audience. Unstable contains an allegedly
gay character who becomes the victim of a hate crime, however the
film is more about bias and hatred in general. Aftermath’s plot
involves a gay character and a bi-sexual character, but one of the
film’s main characters is a heterosexual female dealing with the
same consequences of her careless actions. Hatred is all about
forgiveness and guilt. Accepting responsibility for your actions and
moving on with your life. Anyone, gay or straight, can relate to
that. Though Hatred is a direct sequel t o Unstable, I chose not to
explore a certain back story that involved the gay angle. Not
because I was ashamed or anything like that. It was just a creative
decision and I stand by it.
What, did you find, has been the basic reaction to this trilogy in
terms of audience or critical response?
Audiences have loved the trilogy. It was a big hit at
the Indie Can Film Festival in Toronto this past spring, where all
three films were shown. Aftermath seems to be everyone’s favorite,
which I can certainly understand. It’s the most relatable of the
three films. However, the critics have not shown the love quite as
much. One particular critic from a low-budget indie film site
reviewed Unstable and gave it an average review, then reviewed
Hatred, not realizing that it was a sequel to Unstable, though I had
made sure to boldly exclaim this fact in the press kit. Needless to
say, he trashed the film. It’s quite obvious in the review that he
had no clue and that this wasn’t his kind of film. It’s not a horror
review site, but the site tends to favor films with titles such as
BLONDE BIMBO HOOKERS WITH CHAINSAWS. So I consider the source when
reading the reviews. I realize that since I’ve made a choice to make
films of an unorthodox style, they certainly will not appeal to all
tastes. I’ve accepted that. None of the films in the trilogy are
perfect, but I am proud of the work we did and am overall very
pleased with the response we’ve received.
Do
you find audiences have a hard time understanding the purpose behind
them?
It depends on who’s watching. Those who can
appreciate underground independent films tend to be the ones that
enjoy my films the most. Audiences who are coming in expecting a
Jerry Bruckheimer or John Woo film will be greatly disappointed.
Even if I had the budget, I would never make those kind of
big-budget films. Of course, I say this now, since I’m currently
unknown. *laughs* But seriously, I am not saying that I am
above that. I am not. I’m a low budget independent filmmaker. But I
have to believe in every project I ever embark on. If Unstable,
Aftermath, and Hatred were shot any other way, I wouldn’t have
believed in them as much. The way I shot them plays a huge part in
the actual story. In or der for the audience to get what I was
trying to say, they have to be fully engrossed in the story and the
characters. These characters have to be real people. The story has
to be relatable. I have found that underground independent films
contain the most realistic characters. Even if they’re shot on
absolutely zero budget. I never set out to make message movies. I
set out to make entertaining character studies on realistic
characters dealing with realistic events. Some people have
questioned the realism sometimes, such as the aftermath of the
tragedy in Unstable. How the characters are just sitting around
arguing instead of being completely freaked out. Especially my
character. But they’re in shock. Those who have experienced shock
after a tragic event have been able to appreciate the characters’
non-reaction to the events depicted in the films.
Do
you think your films in the trilogy would appeal to homosexuals
only, or to a more diverse crowd?
Definitely a more diverse crowd. But the audiences
have to be willing to shed their own biases and insecurities and
view my films for what they are. These films are about real people
in real situations. No one in these films is a stereotype or
cardboard cutout. These are films that attempt to touch the surface
of human nature. It’s human nature to keep secrets that could damage
or destroy something dear to you. It’s human nature to be selfish.
It’s human nature to not let something bother you that doesn’t
affect you directly. Viewers have told me that even though the
actions/inactions of the characters in these films are borderline
despicable, ultimately they’re realistic portrayals of human nature.
We’re all selfish by nature. Anyone, gay or straight, can relate to
that.
The
films seemed to be a very personal statement, do negative reviews
usually affect you?
I’d be lying if I said they didn’t. As a filmmaker,
it’s hard not to take negative reviews personally. It’s my art. My
creation. It’s what I do. It defines me. But I take every negative
comment, every negative review, every criticism, and I learn. I am
constantly learning. Every single day, you learn something new about
the filmmaking process. Those who disagree are just lying. You have
to be open and willing to admit your flaws and faults and learn from
them. And move on. And become a better filmmaker (and person)
because of it. And most importantly: be willing and able to take the
criticism! If you can’t, then don’t be in this business.
Was
the semi-documentary style of your films planned, or just an
improvised reaction to a low budget?
Even if we had had a bigger budget, I still would
have shot it the same way. From what I gather by listening to the
audiences’ reactions, part of what makes these films stand out is
the unique manner at which they’re presented. When we shot Unstable,
there was one scene scripted but never shot that I had planned on
shooting on 16mm, 35mm, or Hi-Def. I was hoping to raise the money
to get this particular scene shot. Unfortunately, it never came to
fruition. But I still think the film worked regardless. In
retrospect, it’s probably best that we didn’t shoot that scene. It
would have taken the audience right out of the pseudo-documentary
feel of the film.
Was
your on-screen persona as a somewhat antagonistic and empathic man
pre-planned, or did you build it as you went along?
It was definitely built as I went along. In the original treatment
for Unstable, my character was supposed to be much more sympathetic
than he ended up being. But that’s the nature of a film shot
entirely on improvisation. Everyone’s reaction was natural, since we
weren’t sure what was going to happen next. There was a basic
structure to the story, but we just eventually let things flow. And
it worked for the best. I eventually decided to gradually reveal
things about my character as I went along. It’s fun to play dark,
deep characters. But not necessarily villainous. Basically,
characters with some serious issues. My character in the films
definitely has a backstory that the viewers aren’t privy to. I never
wanted to make it clear whether or n ot my character was gay or
straight or whether he meant to be antagonistic and selfish. One
viewer even asked me if my character was actually addicted to
conflict, which is why things always seemed to go wrong during
parties or weekend get-togethers. There are hints in all three films
that I knew what was going to happen prior to the actual conflict.
Is
it true people actually thought "Aftermath" was actual home movies
turned into a film for your own exhibition?
Believe it or not, yes. People have actually walked
out of test screenings. One guy sent me a really nasty email
afterwards. I took it as a compliment. It’s a testament to our
actors/actresses that they were able to make it so realistic that
people didn’t realize it was fiction.
How
did you wrangle your sister to star? And, is she a real actress?
She owed me a favor. Just kidding. Actually, Becky read the
treatment and thought her character was very interesting. She is
very selective with her roles, so I wasn’t sure if she’d come on
board, but she did. Even though it was a four-day shoot, we had only
one day with her. She did an absolutely amazing job. She’s never had
any professional training, but you would never be able to tell. She
has acted in several of my films before and will be appearing in a
few more within the next several years. She has decided to take a
break to focus on her education, so the jury’s still out on whether
or not she will pursue an professional acting career.
With
her appearance, have you had more guys asking for her number through
you?
Oh, of course. I am a big brother first, filmmaker
second. So you can guess my reaction. Just kidding. To answer your
question, yes I’ve received a few requests from male suitors. Much
to their dismay, my sister is happily engaged.
Most
of the conflict and fighting during the films seem to happen when
you're throwing a party. When you're planning an actual party, do
your friends re-consider?
While we were shooting Hatred, one of the actors told
me that he would never go to a party that I throw. I don’t blame
him. I wouldn’t go either. Would you?
Are
you currently planning a fourth film?
It’s currently in development. The working title is Closure. At
first, I didn’t think it was going to happen. The story had been
told and I really didn’t have any desire to make another film, which
is why I ended Hatred the way I did. I even believe I told you that
under no circumstances would I make another film. Filmmakers or
actors/actresses say that all the time, then change their minds once
they see the paycheck. I, however, changed my mind thanks to another
form of currency. Creative _expression. A continuation to the
Aftermath (HIV) storyline (and to a lesser extent, the
Unstable-Hatred storyline) has been written by playwright James J.
Ward based on a concept I pitched to him not too long ago, just for
the hell of it. It’s actually a ve y solid story. I’ll probably
still direct.
But my focus is on "Emo Pill" right now. We’ll see. There are other
social issues that I have dealt with, including one on an extremely
personal level, so we’ve discussed bringing those issues to the
screen in the same fashion as the other three. But they would be
unrelated to the previous films. I have found that these
pseudo-documentary improvisation films are great exercises for the
actors themselves and we all enjoy doing them. Some directors are
terrified of sequels. There’s this popular theory that sequels can
damage careers and hurt or ruin reputations. I think it’s partially
a myth. If the story is good and original, then I don’t see any
problem with it. Of course, I am just an independent filmmaker right
now. Maybe I’d feel differently if I were in Hollywood. Who really
knows?
Are you seeking distribution for any of your titles?
Right now, we’re self-distributing Unstable,
Aftermath, and Hatred. They’re even available on Amazon.com. They’ve
all sold very well. Once Monday Morning has completed its festival
run, we’ll definitely be seeking distribution. A Swedish horror
distributor contacted me last year about buying the rights to the
Glenville series, we’re still working on the details. And my latest
film Emo Pill will be submitted to every single film festival out
there, so we’ll cross our fingers.
You
have a penchant for one word titles. Why?
I’ve always loved one word titles. Every film I make,
I challenge myself to describe it in one word. With the trilogy, I
decided to tell the story in three words, one representing each
film: The birth of hatred during the aftermath of an unstable
situation. It’s one story, told in three films. Well, now four, if
you count Closure.
How
long did it take to film "Monday Morning"?
Amazingly, Monday Morning only took one day to shoot.
And up until Emo Pill, it was the most fun I’ve ever had on a film
shoot.
Is
star Nate Edwards a comedic actor?
Nate is an amazing comedic actor. We were very
honored to have him on board. His body of work is extensive, but it
doesn’t just include comedic roles. He’s been in TV commercials,
feature films, short films, and daytime soap operas. He’s also a lot
of fun to work with. He literally had the crew on the floor rolling
with laughter at some of the stunts he pulled during the shoot. I
don’t know how anyone from the cast managed to keep a straight face.
I could barely contain myself from behind the camera.
Is
it difficult to create films on such low budgets?
It’s definitely a challenge. Everyone is working for little to no
money. You have to keep everybody’s spirits up, even when things
aren’t going well. But there aren’t any egos. No one has any room to
have an ego. We’re all just starving artists suffering for our art.
Post-production takes long sometimes due to the low budget. Editing
sometimes can take forever. I have worked with some actors who
expect the film to be done and released two weeks after principal
photography wraps. That just doesn’t happen. First and foremost,
there has to be patience. Goes right along with teamwork. It starts
from the top all the way on down. We’re all there to do a job and,
as cheesy as it sounds, we need to all work together. We’re all in
this together. Key word is together. No egos. No me first attitudes.
Secondly, absolutely no one can complain. Complaints just destroy
the morale of everyone else working under the exact same conditions.
Thirdly, if you’ve committed to something, commit to it all the way
through.
An actor on one particular film comes to mind. He had committed to
the film and it was a very crucial role. A majority of his scenes
were shot on the final day of principal photography, but he had
become very disinterested. He had some party to go to later on with
a friend of his and decided that it was more important than the
film. He stopped putting forth any kind of effort. It got so
ridiculous that my A.D. and I were forced to re-write the entire
ending of the film, minus this actor. We wrote a brief exit scene
for this actor, shot it, and then asked him to leave. I wouldn’t
have been able to do it without my A.D. James J. Ward. He got me
through one of the toughest days of shooting I’ve ever endured. At
any rate, very few people have noticed how downplayed the climax of
the film is. You’re a notable exception, Felix. Now you know the
reason why. Everyone just has to be on the same page. Leave your
personal problems at the door. Easier said than done, I realize. But
treat it like a job. Only much more fun. Be patient. Work together
as a team. Don’t complain. Put forth the effort you committed to.
Have fun.
What's the average budget for one of your productions?
Around 3-5k. Our latest film, Emo Pill, had a budget
of almost 8k. Wouldn’t be able to do any of it without my producer /
executive producer Benjamin P. Ablao, Jr. He’s one of the main
reasons I am even able to make the films I make. He gives me free
creative reign, something that most producers don’t do. I am very
blessed to have him.
Do
you find with your limitations it's forced you to limit your
creativity, or has it flourished because of it?
One
would think that it would limit creativity, but I have found that
working with a low budget definitely enhances creativity. It forces
you to come up with new and innovative ways to tell your story,
maybe in a way the audience isn’t expecting or anticipating. If
Unstable had been a Hollywood product, it would have been shot as a
straight-forward narrative, with name actors/actresses, explosions,
car chases, and CGI. Okay, maybe not CGI, but you get the basic
idea. Audiences definitely wouldn’t have taken it seriously. We had
a treatment, Digital-8 camcorder, some rural property, and big
aspirations.
What's your latest, "Emo Pill", about?
Emo
Pill tells the story of an adopted teenager named Miles Nelson,
whose family is the definition of immoral. One day he decides to end
it all. Right before he commits suicide, a mysterious angel called
The Divine Providence appears and gives him a pill. Miles takes the
pill and ascends into a dream world, where his life is absolutely
perfect. Exactly the way he wishes it was.
How long did it take to film?
Principal photography lasted two weekends. We wrapped in May.
Are the resident cast members from your other films in this one?
Actor Steve Brown, who co-starred in Aftermath, Unstable, and Hatred
(and has also appeared in The Manchurian Candidate, The Stepford
Wives, Law and Order, The Jury, and HBO’s Strip Search), plays the
Divine Providence. John Larsen, who has made a career out of playing
fatherly figures (both good and bad), plays Jack Nelson. Paul
McCloskey and Jeff Watson, who both co-starred in Hatred, make brief
appearances. But the rest of the cast contains some fresh, new
faces. New York-based director Timothy Farmer, who plays Miles, is
making his onscreen debut. He recently directed Philip Seymour
Hoffman in a short film called Simply Leon an d was featured on
Access Hollywood not too long ago. He’s an incredible actor and did
extensive research on his character. He was a last-minute
replacement after I was forced to recast our lead actor, so he had
under two weeks to prepare for the role. Denise Smiley, Valerie
Thomas, Tanisha Dungee, Larry Scott, Keith Pyle, Barbara Lessin, and
David Boleslawski, Jr. are all newcomers. The entire cast did a
fantastic job.
You told me you're in the midst of creating a horror film, how is
that progressing for you?
Well, we’re working on two horror films. The first
one is more of a psychological thriller with some horror elements.
The script has been completed and we’re in the process of tweaking
it a bit. It’s deals with the disappearance of a loved one and how
it can affect one’s entire existence. The problem with horror movies
is that everything has been done before. I don’t want to make a film
that’s been done before. If the script is strong with a unique
story, I’ll definitely believe in it. But the horror genre lacks
much originality nowadays, so I decided to make it more of a
psychological thriller. We’re still working on the details in
regards to the other horror film (entitled ‘Head Case’), but I can
tell you two things: 1.) the film will be of a n entire different
genre than what I am used to and 2.) Paul McCloskey (from Hatred)
will be playing the lead role. His performance in Hatred was so
creepy that some of the cast and crew of Emo Pill were afraid to
talk to him when he was on set (Paul worked as a still photographer
and had a walk on role in Emo Pill). Paul’s a terrific actor and I
am looking forward to working with him again.
How can readers get a hold of the film trilogy (Hatred, Aftermath,
Unstable)?
The trilogy can be purchased on our online store. You can also purchase them at Amazon.com, but
ordering through our website is cheaper. They are limited director’s editions, autographed by
myself and some of the cast and crew. When I say limited, I mean
they really are limited. Once they’re gone, that’s it! So purchase
your copy now! *laughs* I figured I’d be shameless for just a
moment.
But
seriously, I put together each DVD package myself. I have always
done it that way. In a way, it’s symbolic, since each of my films is
a personal journey.
Are you currently sending your films to festivals?
Monday Morning is in the midst of its festival run, including the
first annual Estes Park Film Festival in Colorado this coming
September. Emo Pill will be sent to film festivals upon completion
in August. We’re working on the official premiere event as we speak.
We just completed another silent comedy called The First Date, which
stars Nate Edwards from Monday Morning. That began its festival run
this week. Unstable, Aftermath, and Hatred are already on DVD, but
may appear in future festivals this year, depending on a variety of
factors.
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What are you currently working on, and what do you have lined up
next?
Nate Edwards is reprising his role from Monday
Morning as the clumsy slacker Trevor in another silent comedy, The
First Date. Trevor’s date with a beautiful woman turns into a
complete disaster, due to two reasons: his own clumsy ways and a
resentful thief. Nate and I wrote The First Date and we just wrapped
shooting recently, so we’re excited about the opportunity to
continue the misadventures of Trevor.
I’m also writing a full-length mockumentary entitled
Therapy. It details the rise and fall of a world-renowned celebrity
therapist. Think Christopher Guest meets The Office. I’ve passed
certain portions of the script around to people and all I have heard
is loud laughter. So that’s definitely a good sign. I’m still
writing it, I hope to have it finished by year’s end. We’ve talked
about shooting it as either a short film or television pilot first,
so we’ll see how that goes.
Tanisha Dungee, our production designer on Emo Pill,
is head of project development at B.P.A. Productions Group, Inc. She
has been tremendous in helping me transform my original concepts
into actual projects in-development. We have several planned for the
next couple of years, including Therapy, the horror movies I
previously mentioned, and some other small short films.
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Playwright James J. Ward has also been a huge help.
He’s written so many plays that we plan on turning into shorts or
features. Two in particular are very strong coming-of-age stories,
some of the best stuff I’ve ever read. They’re both very early in
development.
Besides directing and writing, I’ve also had the
opportunity to act this year. Award-winning Cleveland filmmaker
Johnny K. Wu directed Swedish pop star Bimbo Boy’s music video for
his hit son Drama Queen. I was cast in the lead role and it was such
a fun and rewarding experience. I was also cast in Wu’s short film
En Passant, which details an argument between two serial killers
over who’s the greatest serial killer of all time. I had the
opportunity to act opposite Kyle Znamenak (of A Joker’s Card) and it
was quite interesting. He’s awesome to work with. In July, I’m
headed back to Cleveland for a small role in Wu’s sci-fi feature
film The Rapture. Scheduling prevented me from accepting a larger
role in the film, but nevertheless I am very excited about the
opportunity.
In addition, I have been cast in the horror/action film
Infinities Lock, in a rather large role. So, I have definitely been
busy and at times, there can be risks of spreading yourself too
thin. However, I truly feel that it’s not spreading yourself too
thinly if each project you’re participating in is of the utmost
quality. I know some actors will accept anything and everything
thrown their way. Being a director/writer myself, I know how
important it is to make each film the very best you can possibly
make it and not just make a film for the sake of another screen
credit on that resume. So when I accept acting roles, it’s because I
truly believe in the script and the filmmaker’s vision. Or maybe I’m
just really bored.
It’s ultimately the filmmaker’s vision that makes or
breaks the project. That’s why at the end of the day, the director
has the biggest headache. *laughs*
Interview by:
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Many thanks to Anthony Spadaccini for the extensive interview.
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