WEEKEND COLUMN: A SCRAPPY FILMMAKER ON SHOOTING HER NEW SHOW ON THE UWS

Alex Spieth filming her new series in the 110th street median.

By Alex Spieth

I’m Alex Spieth, a writer and actor, who has lived in the Upper West Side for the past 3 years (109th, so I made it by the skin of my teeth). Over the past few months, I’ve filmed the first season of [Blank] My Life in the Upper West and Harlem.  In scouting and using locations, I have discovered pitfalls and joys and have decided to share them to all other aspiring filmmakers on the “Upper Best.”

Locations Used:

Home at 90th and Riverside: In episode “Thanksgiving”, my character, Susan, goes to her boyfriend’s parents’ home. While many of my friends live in apartments, all of our places have that “only been a few years since they graduated college”  feel, and, as we were no-budget, set dressing was not on the table. After frantically emailing anyone who may or may not have grown up in Manhattan, a worthy candidate stepped to the plate and allowed us to use her parent’s apartment at 90th and Riverside. I kissed her hand and will later in life offer my services as a surrogate for this GIFT.

Pros:
–The apartment was gorgeous, and the family was gracious and delightful.
–Proximity to Riverside Park for an after-shoot stroll in to the glorious night with the knowledge that “This day, I created internet art”.
–Proximity to Ollie’s To Go, who provided the props for the shoot, for a minimal cost.  $$
–Proximity to Gristedes who provided pumpkin pie, also a prop. $

Cons:
N/A

Five Stars for hospitality and generosity.

110th Street Median: One of the episodes required a classic “subway meeting”.  This median to be dealt with with extreme care. We shot at 6pm, which is power-hour for foot-traffic as the UWS families will stop at nothing to cross the street.

Pros:
–Proximity to Westside Market

Cons:
–Proximity to Westside Market.

Two Stars for fear of being trampled like Simba in The Lion King.

Rocks at 110 Central Park: In a promo shot, I made out with another actor at 12pm on a Sunday afternoon in early-fall. It was a gorgeous day, and everyone was ready to go to the park. In a true NYC triumph, no children seemed to notice or care about the two pseudo-adults touching tongues.  In a true NYC triumph, the adults cared even less than the kids did.

Pros:
–It’s a beautiful thing to witness UW-siders taking such joy in the “Great Outdoors”
–Making Out is cool, on-screen or off.

Cons:
–Rocks were slightly uncomfortable to sit on.
–The amount of people enjoying the great outdoors made getting to and from the rocks difficult.

Four Stars for My Shame.

Apartment at W. 60th: In the pilot episode, I interact with a child and an animal, which felt like the gauntlet had been placed in front of me. The real test here was appearing professional and together for the benefit of the minor, her mother, and, of course, the pet’s owner. The director, DP, and I put on our bravest, funniest, most together faces, and miraculously the act was carried out.

Pros:
–Extreme proximity to One Train (blissfully well running, even on weekends)
–Proximity to Dunkin (a staple in indie filmmaking).

Cons:
–The owner of the apartment was in New Jersey, and I was afraid the Security Guard would suddenly sense “One of these things does not belong….” and kick the web series cast and crew out, which CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE READ UNPROFESSIONAL.
–The apartment is a gorgeous high-rise, but I am…afraid of heights.

Five Stars for Beauty. Five Stars for the Miracle of Everything Working Out.

Stills from an epsiode filmed at Mel’s Burger Bar on 110th street.

Mel’s Burger Bar (110th): All of the dates in episodes take place in restaurants, and finding locations which are willing is difficult, as it could disrupt flow/stifle business/no one really WISHES their restaurant was clogged with over-grown children playing on cameras like monkey-bars. However, I worked as a server at Mel’s  for a year (leaving slightly before the shoot), and family WILL take care of you. They let me film during the hours of 10am- 5pm on a Tuesday.

Pros:
–Nachos and Sliders were dope.
–The servers were helpful, kind, and conscientious.
–My cast and crew were recognized as “sexy” which is a good boost for ego no matter what.

Cons:
–I begin to regret leaving serving there.

Five Stars for Willingness.

Riverside Park: One of the episodes takes place in a park, and I feared very much being evacuated while shooting.  Thusly, I contacted both Riverside and Morningside Park, and all interactions with the Parks Department were A+++ (timely, kind, well-meaning, and prompt). Riverside is more extensive in their questions to the filmmaker, but all questions are with the Park’s best interest in mind (aka “What is your clean-up plan” “Will you disrupt foot traffic”). We ended up shooting at Riverside due to convenience for the creator (aka myself).

Pros:
–Just GAWGEOUS SETTINGS
–The calm in knowing that park sanctions were on my side
–Proximity to most of the cast and crew homes

Cons:
–Slightly cold on the day we shot (no fault of the Parks)
–A homeless man took two of the actors’ jackets, and the series faced a real moral dilemma as to whether to retrieve them or not. We decided not to, and content ourselves with footage

Five Stars for Consummate Professionalism by the NYC Parks Department.

Check out the first few episodes of Alex’s comedic series here. The episodes are short and funny!