Photography by Kurt Phillips
Amy was born in Reading, MA and moved to Los Angeles when she was seventeen to pursue her life-long dream of becoming an actress. She pounded the pavement for 20 years, booking small roles in various B-movies, commercials, television projects, and theatre. She studied at L.A.’s top acting school Playhouse West under the direction of Robert Carnegie. There, she met several other students (and future cast members of Condo Hell) who became her life-long friends. In 2009, with little success, she made the difficult decision to move back East to be near her family again and to work with her father at the old mill. When Amy arrived at the building, she got goosebumps. “It reminded me of THE SHINING.” She says. “The hallways are enormous. From one end to the other is over 300 yards.” Wade says there are catwalks and secret tunnels and the basement is endless with creepy rooms, low-ceilings, and shadows everywhere. “I looked at my father and said, ‘I’m going to make a horror movie here one day.”
Missing the world of acting, Amy visited Los Angeles a few years later and started to brainstorm the film project with a handful of actor friends. The timing felt right, so she began rounding up potential cast members and wrote the screenplay on her flight home. As soon as she got back to Rhode Island, she immediately scheduled a shoot date and pre-production began. “Throughout this entire journey, I realize that if I hadn’t moved back east, I never would have made this movie.”
In addition to filmmaking, Amy has resurrected a bunch of her sketch comedy characters and has been working on many short comedy skits for her YouTube channel. She plans to develop these comedy characters to incorporate them into her next film project.
Watch some of her comedy character skits here: https://www.youtube.com/amywadeactress.
Info About Condo Hell
Condo Hell has taken the festival circuit by storm. Earlier this year, the film was selected by The Boston International Film Festival and recently screened at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival and the Action On Film Festival – where Wade was nominated for Breakout Female Action Star in a Feature Film. Condo Hell recently was selected by the Rip Horror Festival in Los Angeles and also won the Joe Wheeler Film Award for Best Horror Film at the Vintage Los Feliz 3 Cinemas in Hollywood.
Condo Hell is a high-energy thriller shot entirely on-location at Rhode Island’s famous “Tupperware Mill” (where Tupperware was invented). The massive brick structure was built in 1904 and has become a well-known landmark throughout the state of Rhode Island. It was recently converted into beautiful loft-style condominiums. The film centers on a group of strangers stranded inside the maze-like building during an Open House celebration only to cross paths with a deranged serial killer.
The driving force behind the success of this film is the talented and driven Amy Wade. It’s not often you hear about a female writing, directing, and producing her own feature. Wade also stars in the film and performs all of her stunt work. “It has been the ride of my life!” She says. “I’ve felt euphoria, excitement, exhilaration… but it also has been a long journey to complete this project. Some roadblocks and setbacks were overwhelming. There were so many times I wanted to give up, but I didn’t.” It took her four years to complete the movie but all the hard work paid off and the film is garnering much adoration from the horror fans.
[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGylZFUnz7U”]
We had an awesome time interviewing Amy. Check it out below.
Hi, Amy! Thank you for chatting with us about your career. Tell us about Condo Hell.
I’d love to! CONDO HELL was my first feature film. Making this movie was THE most challenging, stressful, exciting, exhausting, liberating, and monumental experience in my life. It all began the day I set foot in the old “Tupperware Mill.” (It’s where “Tupperware” was invented.) The year was 2009. I had just moved back to New England after living in LA for 20 years, pursuing acting. I missed my family. I’d been gone 20 years and I realized my parents wouldn’t be around forever. My pop (my dad) was still working at the old mill, and I wanted to work with him. My job was to clean the mill and help the construction crew build the condos. (The mill was being converted into condominiums.) On that first day, when Pop led me inside the building, my jaw dropped. (Literally.) I felt like I was in the movie, “The Shining.” The hallways are ENORMOUS. They stretch from one end of the building to the other. (Longer than a football field.) Since the mill was built in 1904, it has that old, “historic, creepy” feel to it. The ceilings are the original wood with giant beams 14’ high. The brick walls and archways are majestic and the hardwood floors creak when you walk on them.
I said to my Pop, “I want to make a horror movie here one day.” I wasn’t kidding.
For 3 years I stifled my dream. I wasn’t there to make a movie. I was there to help my father and work for him so he could retire. Every time I went back to LA to visit my best friends, (all of whom I met in acting class over 20 years ago) we would sit around and talk about making movies. One of us, Chris Morrissey, was already busy making his own films! He’s a writer, director, and actor, and has two horror films under his belt. “Trick of the Witch” and “Heavy Makeup,” both of which star Share Cherrie, who is also a writer, producer, and actress. Chris has been a huge inspiration to me. When I sat in the theatre watching his films come to life on the big screen, I told myself I could do it, too! But the timing just wasn’t right. Another year passed. I went to LA again, to visit my friends. As usual, we sat around the table and talked about making movies. Suddenly, it felt like a light turned on in my head. The timing was right. I knew it was now or never. The mill was started to fill up; the units were selling and it would be impossible to shoot a movie with 300 residents living there. So we started brainstorming. The movie was coming to life! A few months later, I went back for another trip. This time, myself and my two best friends, (Gia Franzia and Kurt Phillips) came up with the storyline. I wrote the script during the flight home, tailoring each role to suit my friends. We started pre-production soon after that. Since the cast lived on the West coast and I lived on the East coast, we had to rehearse on-line through “Skyping.” It was a blast! We could all see each other in little boxes on our computer screens- technology is amazing! We’d run lines and talk about the scenes and the characters… I liked when they gave me their input and ideas. I wanted the experience to be as fun for them as it was for me. The rehearsals were some of my fondest memories during the making of this movie.
Due to the actors’ busy personal lives, it was difficult putting together the shooting schedule. We only had 5 days to shoot. Each day there was a new obstacle to overcome. The weather was a nightmare. It rained when it wasn’t supposed to rain, and then the sun came out when it was supposed to be raining! (LOL) We had to rearrange scenes and change part of the script to accommodate the weather patterns! We also had to work around the daily routines of the residents who live at the mill. Certain hours of the day there were dozens of residents coming home from work, or leaving for work. The elevator doors would be opening and closing and we’d have to cut because the take was ruined. It was a chaotic shoot, but my friends are awesome people and nobody complained- they just worked their asses off and made the best of it.
After Kurt edited the first cut, I wasn’t happy with some of the footage and I decided to re-shoot several of the scenes, as well as add new ones to make the movie longer. It took me a while to save the money. I started selling my belongings on Craig’s List. The residents at the mill found out what I was doing and they starting donating things for me to sell. It was amazing how generous and kind and supportive they were. I couldn’t have finished the movie without their help.
A year passed. We had the second shoot, and I was pleased with the results.
Then came post-production. This part of the movie-making experience was not fun. It took over 3 years. I learned valuable lessons. Lost a lot of money and time. By the end of four years, I was worn out and ready to finish making CONDO HELL! There were many times I didn’t think I could do it. I wanted to throw in the towel. I went through periods of deep depression. At one point, I lost complete faith in myself. It was a lonely, horrible feeling I’ll never forget. But somehow, each time I fell into a big black hole, I found my way out again. I couldn’t live with myself if I gave up.
Even though I went through a lot of hell, there were far more positive experiences than negative. The film festivals have been amazing! The press has been really good to us! So many front page articles and pictures and commentary! We’ve had several interviews with Keith Harris on his radio show, “The Keith Harris Show” and also with Janet Leigh on her radio show, “2-3 with Janet Leigh.” They are both outstanding radio hosts. It was an honor to be on their shows. One of my favorite film festivals was Del Weston’s ACTION ON FILM festival. Del is incredibly talented and truly appreciates filmmakers. His festival is one of the best out there. We were also honored to receive The Joe Wheeler Best Feature Film award in Hollywood this winter! Joe is a London-based filmmaker, producer and musical artist with his own film studio in London. He did the soundtracks for Chris Morrissey’s Trick of the Witch and Heavy Makeup. I have to say that working with people you know and love is a key element to the success of your film. I’m so fortunate to have all of these amazing people around me to help me and inspire me. We are all on this journey together.
The greatest thing about making CONDO HELL was that it taught me to believe in myself. To have faith in my talents and abilities. I can’t wait to make another film!
Why did you decide to create a horror film?
The #1 reason I made a horror film is because the opportunity presented itself when I stepped foot in the old mill. This building is THE most perfect place to shoot a horror movie. I wish everyone could see it for themselves! (You can see some images of the mill on the website: condohellmovie.com)
The #2 reason I made a horror film is because EVERYONE LOVES HORROR MOVIES, don’t they?! (LOL)
What should the audience expect to see, when they watch the movie?
The audience will be introduced to the characters immediately. “NANCY,” (my character) and “SHERRI” (Daniella DeVarney) are sisters. They are trying to sell units at the newly renovated “mill” so their dad, “POP,” (played by Armen Harootian, who is actually my real father) can retire and enjoy the rest of his life. Nancy and Sherri are holding an “OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND.” As the movie begins, the invited guests start to arrive. All of the characters are unique and likable. There’s “BABE” and “CANDY,” (played by Kurt Phillips and Gia Franzia, respectively) and “CHRISTINE” and “NIKKI,” (played by Patty Isas and Mahta Sharif) and the last guest is “BIBI,” (played by Stephanie Wilson.) The weekend starts off with a bang, and things seem to be going really well… until an unwelcome guest arrives… Nancy and Sherri have no idea they led a group of innocent people into CONDO HELL…
The other lead role in the movie is “SETH,” (played by the extremely talented Wayne Stemmler.)
Supporting characters are “SARAH” and “KEVIN,” (played by Mary Reavey and Keith Palmer, respectively.)
How did you get into the mindset to play Nancy?
When I wrote the script, I created Nancy as another version of myself. There are so many aspects of Nancy’s personality that I relate to. I’m a complicated person, with a lot of “issues.” (LOL) Nancy has a ton of issues! The character of “Pop” was written for my father, (who, by the way, is a great actor!) and he’s also my hero! The storyline isn’t far from the truth. One of the most exciting and enjoyable parts of making CONDO HELL was writing the script and tailoring it to my desire. I always wanted to play a lead role in a feature film. Even though Nancy is flawed with issues, she has a big heart and a tough spirit. I had a ball playing her in my film!
You have this amazing ability to transform yourself into any character. If you could choose a role you would like to play, what would it be?
I’m so glad you asked me about my characters! THANK YOU SO MUCH for watching my videos! That means so much to me! I’ve been doing character work my whole life. I used to dress up as a little kid and pretend to be different people. In middle school, my father got one of those huge video camcorders (when they first invented them) and I loved to make cheesy videos with my friends. We’d get all dressed up and write little skits and shoot them. I still have those videos on VHS cassette in my parent’s attic.
PICTURE PERFECT POLLY is everybody’s favorite character. I love playing her. She’s bold and adventurous and loves her job. People really like FRIEDA FARGO, too. (Frieda is the character with big buck teeth.) If I had to choose just one of my characters to play in a movie, it would be Picture Perfect Polly. She gets to travel and interview people and be on television every day. One of my near-future goals is to make a comedy- starring all of my characters. I already have ideas stirring in my head!
You have starred in several productions throughout your career. What has been your favorite takeaways?
I think my favorite experience playing a role in a film was during the making of “GUNS VS ISSUES.” The lessons I learned from playing that character were monumental in my life, especially during that time. It was soul-searching, eye-opening, and enlightening all at the same time. I wrote it and played both of the main characters, as well as 9 other characters in the movie. It was a dark time in my life, however by the end of the making of that film, I grew as a person and I found a sense of self-worth- which I had lost for quite some time. The transformation from myself into every character is always an awesome journey. My acting teacher, Robert Carnegie, taught me to “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”
As an actress, I don’t want to “act.” I want to be truthful on stage or in front of the camera. This means I have to find a way to bring aspects of myself into the role I’m playing. It can be very challenging and I like that. If it were easy, I wouldn’t enjoy doing it. The moment of truth is when I forget about myself and I’m actually “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” It took me a long time to figure that out. I’m grateful Robert Carnegie was my teacher.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the entertainment industry?
My best experience working in the entertainment industry was, without a doubt, being able to write, direct, and star in my own film, along with my best friends (and my father!) Making CONDO HELL can’t compare to any other experience I’ve ever had. It was truly a dream-come-true. I never imagined I would be so lucky!
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
Yes! I’m currently working on a script for CONDO HELL II. When it’s complete, I’ll be looking for investors so I can have a bigger budget to work with. CONDO HELL II will be even better than CONDO HELL!
I’m also developing my sketch comedy abilities. I’ve always dreamed of being on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. I’m determined to make that dream come true! In the meantime, I’m having a blast creating, writing, and shooting my own sketches. I love making people laugh. The characters are getting better and better. My audience is growing and I’m hoping to gain some attention from my videos. Anyone reading this- please “like” and “share” and “subscribe” to my youtube page! (youtube.com/amywadeactress)
The other on-going project I have is my blogsite- amyhasissues.blogspot.com.
I love writing as much as I love acting and directing. When people tell me they read my blogposts and laugh, I get a rush! Nothing makes me happier than to know I made someone laugh during their day! BITCHIN’ ON MY BLOG is like a therapy session for me, only without a therapist. I’ll come home from an event or a place or situation that affected me intensely and I have the urge to write about it and then the words literally FLOW from my head. My fingers can’t type fast enough to keep up with my thoughts. Usually, it’s about things that piss me off. Things that piss off other people too. I write about stuff people can relate to. It’s definitely “R” rated material. LOL
I plan to publish a book of my best blog-posts- I’ll begin working on that project in the fall. I hope anyone reading this interview will check out my blogsite and have some laughs!
Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to do anything I want, I would do ___________.
If I had the opportunity to do anything I want, I would…
Make CONDO HELL II!
Currently I’m looking for investors . . .
In the meantime, I never stop creating. I can’t. My mind never rests. If I’m not writing, I’m developing my characters or shooting sketches or learning how to edit. I’m always striving to learn more about filmmaking. After making CONDO HELL, I’m inspired to keep moving forward and never stop growing as an actress, writer, director, and human being.
I want to thank you for this wonderful opportunity to write about CONDO HELL and my life and experiences and goals and dreams. I’m honored and grateful to be in OCCHI magazine!
Very Sincerely,
Amy Wade
AMY WADE / CONDO HELL WEB LINKS
The Condo Hell movie trailer, press kit, and newspaper articles are available at http://www.condohellmovie.com.
Amy Wade’s Official Website:
YOUTUBE – https://www.youtube.com/amywadeactress
Amy Wade Social Media:
Twitter – @AmyWadeActress
Facebook – www.facebook.com/AmyWadeFilmmaker
Instagram – @AmyWadeActress
CONDO HELL
Twitter – @CondoHellMovie
Facebook- www.facebook.com/condohell
Instagram – @CondoHellMovie
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