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Date: 12/9/2020
LONGMEADOW – Michelle D’Angelo is constantly working. The director, who grew up in Longmeadow but spent summers in her native Thailand, said that is the only way to make it as an independent filmmaker.
Her first film, “Both,” was shot in Thailand about walking the line between cultures. D’Angelo explained that Thai society emphasizes communalism and doing what is best for the family and community, whereas American society promotes “pursuing your own dreams” and individualism.
D’Angelo is currently working on another project addressing racism and immigration, called “Speak Now,” that will also be a “proof of concept” format that she hopes will be developed into a feature-length film.
D’Angelo also recently submitted her first feature-length script to industry competitions. She described the script, called “Hollywood, Madam” as a “‘Molly’s Game’ meets ‘Boogie Nights’ story portrayed in an eye-catchingly lavish, yet repulsive, style of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street.’” So far she has received favorable feedback and placed in some of those competitions.
As a filmmaker, D’Angelo’s main focus is narrative short-films. She said she prefers making narratives to documentaries because the former allows her more control. Even so, another of her current projects is a documentary about the White Hall Arts Academy (WHAA) in southern Los Angeles.
D’Angelo described the WHAA as providing “high-quality arts education to children in situations of lesser means.” D’Angelo noted that she grew up participating in Longmeadow’s music programs, which “made me realize not only how fortunate we are to have these resources, but also how important it is to support other institutions like WHAA in their quest to provide more children with similar opportunities to learn, be inspired, and expand their creative abilities. You never know where their passions will lead them.”
WHAA uses grant funding to offer affordable classes and provide a safe space in an area of Los Angeles where there is much gang violence. The academy has turned out talented entertainers, such as Jordyn Simone, who gained attention as a 2016 contestant on “American Idol” and as a contestant on “The Voice” in 2018. D’Angelo became familiar with the academy when she took classes there with WHAA Director Tanisha Hall as her instructor.
Filming began in the summer with a $3,000 budget, after which D’Angelo took out a $6,000 loan to continue production. While most of the documentary has been shot, D’Angelo said that she needs to fund “the polish that nobody thinks about.”
She needs about $15,000 to complete the project. So far, the gofundme.com campaign that she started to finish the movie has raised $3,120.
When done, the project will be about 15 minutes in length. “A 10 or 15-minute bite format is mostly for the festival circuit,” D’Angelo said, noting that it is more of a proof of concept than the final form of the project. She said that she is hoping to get the film in front of people who can donate to the school and people who can “turn it into something larger.”
D’Angelo’s path to becoming a filmmaker wasn’t always easy. She attended Northeastern University, majoring in business. “I’ve always been interested in entertainment, but my family steered me away,” she said. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree with minors in Spanish, psychology and history, D’Angelo realized she did not want to go into business. “It was tedious. I was always bored,” she said.
Instead, D’Angelo moonlighted in the fashion industry and lived in Columbia, Argentina and Spain. Eventually, she got an internship with a talent agency. She figured out the email addresses for the producers and directors on a movie filming in Thailand, “All I See is You,” starring Blake Lively. After emailing them directly, she was hired as a personal assistant, largely due to her familiarity with the country and the language.
Rather than being a glamorous job, as some might think, D’Angelo said that she worked grueling 22-hour days, catering to Lively and her family, who was also on set. However, this was worth it to D’Angelo, because, she explained, working in the movie industry is largely about meeting people and networking. There were other benefits to her first job in the industry, as well.
“It was good, training me to think 15 steps out,” she said. From there, she worked in other on-set positions, including as a production assistant.
“It definitely wasn’t a straight ladder,” D’Angelo said of her career. That said, she wouldn’t change her career. “I don’t at all envy not being settled down and having a house and kids. I’ve seen the sun rise and set in so many countries and had so many conversations with people,” she otherwise wouldn’t have met.
Similarly, D’Angelo reflected on how growing up in Longmeadow put her on her career path.
“I really appreciated my education,” said the 2009 Longmeadow High School graduate. The schools here set me up to do really well in college and even living in different countries and speaking Spanish.” She continued, “I’m very glad I grew up here and had the education to make me want to do more.”
To make a donation to help D’Angelo finish the White Hall Arts Academy documentary, visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-help-white-hall-arts-academy or email m.dangelo433@gmail.com.