The Story of an Indie Feature in the Filmmaker’s Own Words By David Spaltro Writer Director … Around … Around is a film about “finding home” and a real love-letter to the city of New York. Doyle Simms grows up across the Hudson from New York City and flees his toxic family to attend a film program there. After a bumpy first year he returns more determined than ever to become a storyteller and figure out his place. Financial setbacks force Doyle to find creative “rent-controlled living” and begin a dual life living out of Penn Station while going to school. We follow Doyle over his college years as he begins to build relationships with several colorful characters such as Saul a homeless book dealer who shows him the ropes and his own brand of street philosophy and Allyson a beautiful struggling actress he carefully begins to pursue and fall for. Doyle begins to find a weird balance and begin to build a home but the pressure of maintaining his worlds begins to crack the façade and he’s forced to confront his past family demons and reconcile the person he wants to be with the person he is. About the Production “What’s life but equal parts love and death? You’ve been closed to both so if you don’t have a story I don’t know what to tell you.” A friend in a coffee shop in Union Square spoke those words on a very cold day in February 2006. I’d just come back from a couple of month’s abroad; working traveling and decompressing from the last four years in New York City and school trying to figure out what to do next. While there was a great clean slate and energy to go out and try something direction seemed lost. I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to do and with my life. Those words jarred me though as if awakened by some still slumber. On many trains while traveling and working in Europe I’d told small and big stories about New York City to individuals of all ages and nationalities. After awhile all the stories sort of became easier and lead to one another until I found myself telling one long one. Despite the “that should be a film…” comments that occasionally followed finishing it I’d never once put two and two together. Notes treatments and words scribbled on napkins were all I could muster until while teaching English in Asia I found myself trapped by a particularly nasty monsoon season and locked inside began what would be the first drafts of …Around. Returning in the fall I began refining and sharpening the script through helpful notes from colleagues friends and actors. Casting took place in the winter of 2006 as more rewriting was taking place. Robert Evans was cast along with Marcel Torres and Veronica Heffron. The casting of the female lead was a strenuous but rewarding process as thirty local New York City actresses came in over a long weekend in January 2007. After five were called back we immediately realized that one actress Molly Ryman had a unique beauty and charm subtle character delivery and also a strong guarded but loving quality that would counteract perfectly with Rob’s portrayal of Doyle. The chemistry and trust built intense but enjoyable rehearsals with the two leads which also lead to several great unscripted and added moments to the story. With Rob’s and Molly’s particularly strong improvisational skills they managed a great connection to the characters. Other than getting to meet and work with some New York City’s finest young actresses the other perk to seeing so many girls were that two of those called back in to read with Molly for the role of Allyson while not getting that part found themselves in the film in different roles. By spring of 2007 because of time restraints on the impending fall’s writer’s strike and possible SAG strike the following year the chance of any immediate outside funding fell-through and it became a mission to self-fund the film. With a $150 000 or 40 credit cards (no seriously…) and a cast locked down I went about trying to find anyone crazy enough to partner up with me on that daunting quest to make a feature film for less than $200 000 that took place over four years had 190 locations and was set for the most part entirely in New York City. Where would I find anyone that insane? By the time of early summer Lee Gillentine who had only come to New York a year earlier having been a self-taught Gaffer and never having produced before put together a crew budget and schedule with just six weeks of real pre-production. Meeting Lee only 21 at the time was a great experience because instantly I knew both from his passion for the project energy and real belief in the ability to do this on our own that this was the person who could actually make it all happen. Lee’s inexperience as a producer did not deter either his tenacity or ability to get things done and most importantly his understanding of the most important role as producer is surrounding you with the best possible people. He had assembled an all-star crew of the best he had worked with on various other low-budget films over the year. Without this the film could not have been done and proves once again not only in my own personal experiences that youth and lack of experience will always be overcome by drive and allowing oneself to think outside the box. Over 27 days in September 2007 21 of them production …Around was shot all over New York City. Many obstacles that befall all-sized budget films befell us in the grandest examples of Murphy’s Law. Production days were changed locations fell through extras didn’t show up a technical error almost deleted an entire day’s worth of shooting the president of Iran showed up to Columbia University the day we shot amidst an onslaught of protesters and security issues car accidents sets were built and painted over night; all these things and more. The thing that always pulled us through any of these almost Biblical impediments was the hard work and passion of the talented cast and crew that I was blessed to be working with. The skill they all had at their respective crafts combined with a sheer love for what they did and the project brought an energy that would overcome any problem and would be obvious in the end product. A two-hour rough cut of the film was screened and tested for the cast crew and their friends and families on January 24th 2008. It was my birthday and almost two years to the date that I had simple yet life-changing cup of coffee with a dear friend. After another grueling six months of cutting tweaking and post-production …Around was finally finished with a complete and crisp sound mix by the exceptionally talented Carlos “Storm” Martinez at Creativemixing.com. Keeping with the New York City artist’s spirit songs were donated by local buzz worthy bands for the festival and private screening circuit. An impressive score was written and recorded by Vita Tanga who manages to evoke everything the film says about the main character with a few simple chords of a poignant and brooding theme that stretches and changes along with the mood of the film. We are currently working on a deal with a label and Universal for a tie-in soundtrack of all the great New York City music and they are interested in a combo DVD deal-small theatrical release. The greatest feeling at the end of all of this though is finishing something that has been a labor of love being able to share it with those closest who also bled for it and knowing exactly what it is you want to do with your life. What you’re passionate about. Regardless of where …Around goes and how many more stories I get to tell knowing what you love and want to do with your life is possibly the greatest gift of all. You don’t climb the mountain to reach the top you climb for the love of climbing and that makes reaching it all the more rewarding and bittersweet the journey. I feel blessed to have been able to take this one and look forward to the next whatever they may be with all that I’ve learned and now know.
