Interesting articles from actor Gary Swanson who plays Leopold De Angeli in Whiskey School. He writes about how he approached the actors to be a part of the film and why the working title Intervention became Whiskey School. There's also some other interesting background info.

Making a Movie - Part XI - Are we there yet?

From An Actor's Point of View - May 2005

By Gary Swanson

This is article eleven of my explorations on the making of a film, formally known as "Intervention". Fortunately, we have a new name for this film that is almost ready for viewing. I have always believed "Intervention" was a bad representative and I've lobbied hard with the other producers to get it changed. I won this round.

I did not choose the new name, but it's better than the name we were almost cursed to carry forth. To my ear, "Intervention" is a cold word that does not illicit a feeling of poetry, humor, danger and love. It's sterile, pinched and too prim for the raucous fun mixed with sadness that our film renders. It has poetry, humor and some of the best actors I have ever had the honor of working with and watching.

"Whiskey School", as the new title, at least creates curiosity with a mist of humor. The title steers the film away from the flurry of trashy TV reality shows that have cropped up with similar dynamics. There is one particular show - a sloppy documentary style reality show - that actually has the name "Intervention". Some may ask, "what's in a name?". Try re - naming the famous New York eatery, "Le Cirque" to "Fat Franky's Road Side Burger Joint" or, change the "The Godfather" to - "Vito's Big Blast". Change "New York City" to... "Hicksville". That's what's in a name.

So, if you've followed this progression of articles and you're curious, waiting for our film to come out, look for "Whiskey School" after July or August at theaters near you; unless - the title is again changed. And, that could happen, once the distributers get hold of it.

There are those phrases, like titles, that grant the subconscious freedom from the tinkering of the conscious mind, allowing it to leap from it's pool of universal understanding into the pedantic realm of human expression: the child in the back of the car, on an interminable road trip - irritable, restless, hungry, not hungry, angry, sad, restricted and in complete disagreement with the speed of the clock, wiggling around in the back seat whispers, almost inaudibly, to themselves - because by now they know no one is paying attention - "Are we there yet"?

Of course they know they are not, but, in that phrase there is a purity of discontent that everyone of any age can understand. Say it in a group when everyone is waiting for a table, or when a boring CEO holds everyone too long. "Are we there yet?" We are all children waiting for the destination. I'm waiting for a print of "Whiskey School".

Hopefully, in a few weeks, "Whiskey School" will be ready for private screenings for distributors and film industry people who can light the after burner and propel the film into the stratosphere of the public consciousness.

I play Leopold De Angeli, the central character in the film and I'm also one of the producers. As I've written in past articles, the screenings were very positive leading all of us involved in the film to hope and believe that we have a hot potato. We all have other problems, other jobs and dreams in development, but... "are we there yet?" and, what do we do in the mean time?

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The Dream Clouds Settle Onto The Reality Of An Art Form
Making A Movie - Part VIII

By Gary Swanson

"The dream clouds settle onto the reality of an art form..."

I missed my submission to The Montauk Sun last month. For 12 hours a day, all around New York City and on the 28th floor at 48 Wall Street, I was producing and playing the lead in a film and working with the director Peter Masterson, actresses Mary Stuart Masterson, Lainie Kazan, Olympia Dukakis, Carlin Glynn all of us supported by some of the best actors in America: David Margulies, Robert Walden, Christina Zorich, Mario Macaluso, Denise Lute and Alexandra Eitel.

I've written seven articles about the making of this film that is now - thank you St. Jude - in the "can". The working title, as I have written in last few issues is -"Intervention" - by Jo Ann Tedesco. This will be the number 8 in my series and there may be yet more articles to come as the film - now in editing gestation - makes its' way through the birth canal and into the shark infested waters of distribution, film festivals and competitions for awards and nominations. Eight months ago the odds of success were as likely as winning the lottery.

The title "Intervention" will eventually be changed by Jo Ann, me or someone who discovers a name that creates a poetic sense of totality encompassing all the emotional aspects as well as the trigger of intrigue. Often times the distribution company will name a movie it buys based on demographics and commercial considerations. I don't like the idea or trust someone in a distribution office dreaming about their next cigarette break while trying to listen to the whisper of the soul that will lead them to a title like "A Street Car Named Desire".

In the first articles - count back eight months ago - I wrote cryptically about the name of the script, never mentioning by name the people involved on the production side, the actors, the budget on the project adhering to the strict requirements of the LLC (Limited Liability Company) which does not allow for any form of advertising or solicitation to raise money. Back then there was no money, there was only a script and a legal LLC.

At the start Jo Ann had chosen me to play the alcoholic playwright, Leopold Di Angeli based on my previous acting work in her play version that we did in theaters around New York City in 1995. The play version was called "The Intervention Of the Notorious Nine". Jo Ann re wrote the play into script form and once I got involved as an actor I offered my help in the production area and was then invited on as one of the three producers based on what and who I was capable of bringing to the party.

The dream comes true cloud by cloud....

I had, up until last year, never produced a feature film but I have always been peripherally near the process as an actor. I've produced and directed plays, shot and edited short films, listened to knowledgeable people discuss the intricacy and pitfalls of the business, read books and articles relating to it all giving me the industry vocabulary and a knowledge of the different departments and how they function. Suddenly, I found myself picking up the phone, writing e - mails, filing papers and I realized that I knew much more about making a movie than I thought.

As a producer I knew that the only way to get the financing and sell a film was to stack the deck with names. I knew I would have to call on high profile friends in the industry that I knew and trusted and who trusted me enough to agree to work on a low budget movie based solely on my request. This was a slow process and I wanted to make my worst mistakes early on and not with the big players so I started taking on the problems that I knew where within my control.

(During all this, looming like a storm overhead were the long long hours of work the role of Leopold Di Angeli would require of me - a part that turned out to be the greatest acting experience of my life.)

Ron Curtis and Jo Ann Tedesco had already formed the LLC and raised the first part of the money necessary to fill the legal requirements but at that time there were unknown people with little experience on the production trying to break into the mainstream. I felt that would put the film at a great disadvantage and I knew that if I were to follow the course I wanted, those people would no longer be on the project.

As I thought through the players on the production side who would be right to elevate the production to a world class competitor, I came up with a strategy to call on those friends, one at a time, - and build a powerful structure that would be able to sustain the never ending stumbling blocks that are routinely thrown in the path of an embryonic film production.

I went down a check list of actors and friends who would not only fulfill the needs of the script but who would attract financing based on their track record and star power. This is also a very tricky game; if you call someone you know as a friend and ask them to bring their formidable stature to your project and, for what ever reason, that project fails or they are treated badly by others - that lifelong friendship and working relationship suffers, becomes jeopardized immediately and the opportunity to go to that person again is almost surely destroyed... You only get one chance. One bullet - one shot ...

A light can go off in my thinking about an actor or director but then the dream of how they might approach the material, work with others and deliver may change as the synergy of the mix changes. Suddenly an actor who might be great for a role or may add power to the production no longer looks as good with the other people added into the soup. I thought long and hard before I picked up the phone and made a request to anyone and when I finally did, I started to build from the bottom up. First I called on friends and relatives for money and, as I had expected did not get immediately positive response from anyone to put money into a film without name value.

I called my life long friend, Lainie Kazan and asked her if she would help me out - if the script appealed to her - with the project providing her star power to help raise money and play a pivotal role as an actress. She agreed to acting in the movie - sight unseen. She honored me by telling me that if I believed in it and it would help me then she would do it - and do it she did.

Next I called Peter Masterson (the director) and Carlin Glynn (Pete's wife and great actress of the New York Stage) in the dead of winter on a Saturday night and asked them if they would look at the script. I've worked with Pete and Carlin on a number of other projects and know that Pete is one of the best actor's directors in the business. My interest was to have Pete direct and Carlin play one of the roles. Both Pete and Carlin, on that phone call, without seeing the script told me that they would get involved in whatever way I needed them. The second cloud of the dream was making it's way to the sculptors pedestal.

Once we had Peter Masterson, Lainie Kazan and Olympia Dukakis I knew that we were getting close. I approached a number of other stars, one of whom accepted the leading lady part, but she would only do it if I were replaced by an other major star of her choice. Jo Ann Tedesco stood by me and refused that offer, something I've only recently found out but a sign of her steely courage in the face of true temptation.

I did not go directly to Mary Stuart Masterson, Pete and Carlin's daughter, assuming that Pete and Carlin would bring that up if she were available. I've been friends with Mary Stuart for many years but I still felt that the call would have to be made by her parents. At one point in the process I asked Pete if Mary Stuart was available and to my pleasant surprise he answered in his good ole' boy Texas accent that he would ask her. He did ask her and she accepted a lesser part because the character appealed to the spark of humor that is ever present in Mary Stuart's wonderful personality.

By this time, with all the source power mounting, the money started following into the till. Early on I had a few friends take a big risk on this adventure but as project picked up steam they are all now gloating at their decision to back me up. On paper - they've already tripled their investments. And the movie is only in the editing stages...

Eight months ago I knew that the odds were that I would not be writing about the completion of this film. But somewhere, - in my heart of hearts - there was no doubt that I would be writing about the making of this movie...

We made it!!!

http://garyswanson.org/whiskey_school

Claudia

www.mary-stuart-masterson.com