Nashua grad's film pays tribute to hometown

The way Nicholas Fabiano sees it, he's getting into a field that should appeal to everyone. And if it doesn't, he would recommend heading to a local movie theater, plunking down $8 and enjoying a film. "Everyone loves movies," said Fabiano, a third-year film student at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. "If you don't, you just haven't found the right one yet."

Fabiano hopes he's making that right one now. Joined by a crew of fellow film students and old high school buddies, Fabiano is directing "Gate City," an appropriately titled film he is shooting in Nashua during his break from college. It's Fabiano's homage to a city he's proud to call home. He graduated from Nashua High School in 2002.

But as much passion as he has for filmmaking, Fabiano isn't kidding himself - he knows he has work cut out for him.

"I'm going into a career that is very cutthroat," Fabiano said. "But I know I can make it. Support is the biggest thing in the world and I've had the best support for this film."

That support has come not only from those working on the film with him and from his parents, who have helped financially. After reading the script, Nashua High School South Principal Jennifer Seusing gave the crew access to the school this week.

"If I wasn't an alumni, I don't know if I would have gotten the same treatment," Fabiano said, laughing.

The crew secured four hours of ice time at Conway Arena, where they arrived bright and early Wednesday morning to film a scene with Chad Hursa, the lead actor, who plays Danny. Hursa, also a film student in New York, helped write the movie and lives with Fabiano.

In the short film, Hursa's character learns he has a brain tumor and has eight weeks to live. But he doesn't tell anyone, and the film tells the story of Danny coming to grips with his impending death.

Hursa, who played hockey for 15 years, skated around the rink for hours, doing take after take as Fabiano watched intently, trying to get different angles with different lighting.

"We need the house lights for the shot!" Fabiano yelled across the ice at one point to other crew members.

There were moments of frustration, but also moments of satisfaction when they got the shots they needed.

Hursa said Fabiano has been an inspirational leader. Hursa was asked to come on board because of his prior acting experience.It's been a unique experience working on a professional level with one of his friends, he said.

"Nick is animated," Hursa said. "He's been able to keep up crew morale and he knows what he wants, visually."

Aric Jacobson, also one of Fabiano's fellow film students, is working on the cinematography, or "helping the director realize his vision," he said jokingly.

But not everyone on the set knew Fabiano prior to this. Rafael Cora, a 2005 South graduate, is helping on the movie as an intern as he prepares to go to film school. He was recently accepted to the New York Film Academy. He had come to the school last week, just to visit some former teachers, when Seusing told him about the project.

Cora jumped at the opportunity to get involved. He figures any experience he can get before heading off to school will help.

"It's a lot of work," Cora said, when asked what he has learned during his time on the set.

The film is Fabiano's project for college, and he has high aspirations for the final result, hoping to submit it to film festivals across the world and get a distributor. He's even planning a special screening at South in the spring.

Fabiano originally wanted to be an actor, but soon realized that he wanted to focus on directing, inspired by filmmakers like Cameron Crowe and Michele Gondry. Fabiano loves the editing process and the feeling of ownership once a project is completed.

"It's way more fun," Fabiano said of directing. "I'm so much more proud of myself (when I'm directing)."

That being said, Fabiano found a role for himself in his own movie, playing the best friend of Hursa's character.

After shooting at the hockey rink, the crew packed up and moved down the road to South, where they had reserved the gymnasium for two hours of filming. As Hursa walked into the South gym, his eyes were glazed over from the long hours of shooting in the last few days.

This was Hursa's second time to the city; he and Fabiano had come up here earlier to scout some locations for shooting.

"It's a really aesthetically beautiful city," Hursa said.

Later Wednesday, Fabiano said they planned on driving around, shooting B-roll in the city. Finally, at night, they would be shooting a hockey game back at Conway. All together, it would be a 16-hour day. Filming wraps Saturday.

Two of Fabiano's high school friends, Nashua High graduates Jack Pelletier and Mark Oswald, are working on sound. Fabiano wanted to be surrounded by people he knew while working on the film, and he got his wish. After he graduates, Fabiano may work on bigger and better things. But it's doubtful any project will mean as much as this one.

"I gathered a lot of people for this," Fabiano said. "Some of these people, I haven't seen in years. It's amazing."

Illustration: Staff photo by Don Himsel

Nick Fabiano, left, checks the shot composed by videographer Aric Jacobson during the filming part of Fabiano's movie in the gymnasium of Nashua High School South Wednesday.