When filmmaker Bob Cammisa ’10 sat down for an interview in an empty room in Loyola Hall, he was grinning. He’s been doing a lot lately, and that includes flying through the air.
Recently, Cammisa finished up a weekend’s worth of on-location shooting in Shelton, Conn., for his new project, which does not yet have an official name. It is currently being referred to as “West Canal.”
It has done well enough to catch the attention of his local newspaper, The Huntington (Conn.) Herald, as well as the use of a helicopter. Cammisa is grateful for both but especially the latter.
“Not many student filmmakers get to use [those],” he said.
According to Cammisa, that particular nugget of fate was the result of a connection with a friend whose father happens to be a pilot accustomed to doing film work, including high-profile productions such as Warner Bros.’ “I Am Legend.” He just happened to be in the same area at the same time that Cammisa was shooting.
“It was very, very, very cool,” Cammisa said.
It was something new for him, although he has been making movies since seventh grade.
But after he stopped creating shows with his friends that had titles such as “Scream 4,” he went on to edit his own work using Adobe Premier. He made short films in high school, raking in two of the nine entries at Cinefest Fairfield 2007.
One of them, alumnus Patrick Ginnety’s “Fugue,” was the recipient of three Cinefest awards, including Best Film.
Cammisa’s friends in Loyola describe him as “awesome,” “the nicest guy in the world,” and “Indiana Jones, only without the hair.”
Written and directed by Cammisa, “West Canal” is the tale of two auto repair workers (Cammisa’s dad owns a car repair shop) who become involved with organized crime. After they mess up a job, it is mandated by the mob that one friend has to kill the other, and the final decision is the foundation of the plot.
“I won’t reveal too much, but that’s the bulk of the film,” said Cammisa.
Collaborating on “West Canal” are Cammisa’s fellow film students Patrick Henderson ’10 and Matt Petterson ’10.
Most of the actors are people who showed up in New York for Cammisa’s casting call on www.backstage.com. According to Cammisa, using professional actors has worked out to his film’s benefit.
“I think that the greatest part about our actors is that they look real. They look like the sort of people who go through these sorts of problems,” said Cammisa.
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