Chuck Hartsell -- director, writer
Like many filmmakers, Chuck Hartsell got his start in college, writing and directing a short student film. Unlike most filmmakers, Hartsell chose a homicidal alarm clock as the co-star of his debut work. The movie, called simply The Clock, is notable for Hartsell's bold use of stop-motion animation and the terrific performance he pulled from the movie's star, his brother Chris.
It took a few years for Hartsell to return to the movie game, but he did so with a vengeance in 2001, when he founded Crewless Productions with Chance Shirley. He then co-directed, co-produced and co-edited a no-budget short with Shirley, The Seven Year Switch. As if all that wasn't enough, Hartsell starred in the movie as well. And he was good. One critic wrote "Chuck Hartsell... plays his role to perfection."
Like many great actors, though, what Hartsell really wants to do is direct. In late spring of 2002, production began on the Reciprocity short, with Hartsell directing from his own script. He's probably fine-tuning the edit at this very moment. Or, he might be enjoying a frosty imported beverage and watching a favorite horror movie from his vast laserdisc collection.
Chance Shirley -- producer
Chance Shirley got his first movie making experience when he co-wrote and co-starred in the no-budget short Goodnight, Springton, in the spring of 2000. About a year later, he founded Crewless Productions with Chuck Hartsell and wrote the script for another no-budget short, The Seven Year Switch, while he was supposed to be writing business software.
Encouraged by the public's positive response to Switch, Shirley began making plans to shoot his first feature, a multi-million dollar sci-fi epic. Being a little short on funds, Shirley chose to first serve as producer on Hartsell's Reciprocity short while he started saving money and tightening up his sci-fi script.
When he's not coming up with movie ideas he can't afford to shoot, Shirley plays drums and drinks beer in a rock band. Like many aspiring filmmakers, he enjoys listening to Radiohead songs and DVD commentary tracks.
Rick
Snyder -- director of photography
Rick Snyder got into the movie business the old-fashioned way -- working for Roger Corman. Snyder took a summer off from college to intern in Hollywood for Corman and, before long, was hanging out with movie stars and assisting famed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. Snyder didn't want to become a Tinseltown player at the expense of his education, though, so he left it all behind to finish college.
Since then, Snyder has moved to the top of the television world, working in network promotions. In fact, he won an Emmy in 2002. But he still loves dragging heavy cameras around on location and asking the rest of the crew "how am I supposed to work with this light?"
When he's not sneaking tripods and dolly track out of the office, Snyder likes to get back to nature. Or at least back to the bar.
Wayne Reynolds and Patrick Sheehan -- sound
When you make a movie in Alabama, you call the Imagination Factory. From indie shorts to big-budget features, Imagination Factory co-founders Wayne Reynolds and Patrick Sheehan are ready to take care of the audio work.
Reynolds also runs MixMasters studio, where he records music for a variety of media, including film, television, and radio. Not to be outdone by Reynolds, Sheehan oversees a number of additional ventures as well. So many, in fact, that only Sheehan himself seems to know for sure what they all are.
Francesco Marciuliano -- story, creative consultant
Chuck Hartsell and Francesco Marciuliano came up with the story for Reciprocity at, of all places, a Hartsell family get-together. Marciuliano didn't crash the party -- he is Hartsell's brother-in-law.
When not pitching movie ideas down South, Marciuliano works in New York City, where he currently writes the nationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth. He could tell you about a few other, super secret projects he's writing, but then he'd have to kill you.
Katarina Cole -- "Rachel"
Reciprocity director Chuck Hartsell discovered 11-year-old Katarina Cole playing the female lead in a middle-school production of Shakespeare's MacBeth. Seriously. After seeing Cole scheme and deceive as Lady MacBeth, Hartsell knew she'd be perfect as "Rachel" in his short.
Reciprocity marks Coles's film debut.
Michael Shelton -- "Jack"
Stage fright was never a problem for Michael Shelton. He spent the last ten years working in Birmingham, Alabama's unforgiving live music scene, singing and playing guitar in various rock bands.
Shelton brings the same fearlessness to Reciprocity that he does to the stage. Whether taking a fall, verbal abuse, or a bubble bath, he gives every take one hundred percent.
Before Reciprocity, Shelton co-starred in two other shorts, Goodnight, Springton and The Seven Year Switch.
Bo -- "Barney the Dog"
Bo knows more about movies than most dogs. He's watched quite a few throughout his years living with Charles and Sandra Hartsell, whether on cable or satellite, laserdisc or DVD. It is probably Bo's familiarity with the language of film that makes his motion picture debut such a joy. Whether entering a room, leaving a room, or eating on command, Bo's performance in Reciprocity is always honest. Open. Naked. REAL.
Expect even greater work from this canine thespian in the future.
Paul Finebaum -- voice of "Father"
According to BooksAMillion.com, "Paul Finebaum is Alabama's leading sports personality and host of the state's most listened to sports-talk program -- The Paul Finebaum Radio network. Finebaum's pointed wit and merciless humor have gained (him) a vast audience." Additionally, his program has earned "national acclaim for its breaking stories and in-depth interviews." Finebaum is also a respected writer, hence the BooksAMillion.com quote.
So, what's this media megastar doing in a tiny little independent movie? Only Reciprocity associate producer Chris Hartsell knows for sure.
Sandra Hartsell -- voice of "Mother"
Sandra Hartsell always encouraged her children's interest in cinema. Since no good deed goes unpunished, Hartsell saw her house overrun for five days in 2002 by the Reciprocity crew, led by her oldest son Chuck. Hartsell felt a bit uneasy as crew members continually referred to her beloved home as "location."
In a negotiation to regain control of her domain, Hartsell worked on the Reciprocity production as co-producer, make-up woman, caterer and stunt driver. She also did the "Mother" character's voiceover work.
Like many filmmakers, Chuck Hartsell got his start in college, writing and directing a short student film. Unlike most filmmakers, Hartsell chose a homicidal alarm clock as the co-star of his debut work. The movie, called simply The Clock, is notable for Hartsell's bold use of stop-motion animation and the terrific performance he pulled from the movie's star, his brother Chris.
It took a few years for Hartsell to return to the movie game, but he did so with a vengeance in 2001, when he founded Crewless Productions with Chance Shirley. He then co-directed, co-produced and co-edited a no-budget short with Shirley, The Seven Year Switch. As if all that wasn't enough, Hartsell starred in the movie as well. And he was good. One critic wrote "Chuck Hartsell... plays his role to perfection."
Like many great actors, though, what Hartsell really wants to do is direct. In late spring of 2002, production began on the Reciprocity short, with Hartsell directing from his own script. He's probably fine-tuning the edit at this very moment. Or, he might be enjoying a frosty imported beverage and watching a favorite horror movie from his vast laserdisc collection.
Chance Shirley -- producerChance Shirley got his first movie making experience when he co-wrote and co-starred in the no-budget short Goodnight, Springton, in the spring of 2000. About a year later, he founded Crewless Productions with Chuck Hartsell and wrote the script for another no-budget short, The Seven Year Switch, while he was supposed to be writing business software.
Encouraged by the public's positive response to Switch, Shirley began making plans to shoot his first feature, a multi-million dollar sci-fi epic. Being a little short on funds, Shirley chose to first serve as producer on Hartsell's Reciprocity short while he started saving money and tightening up his sci-fi script.
When he's not coming up with movie ideas he can't afford to shoot, Shirley plays drums and drinks beer in a rock band. Like many aspiring filmmakers, he enjoys listening to Radiohead songs and DVD commentary tracks.
Rick
Snyder -- director of photographyRick Snyder got into the movie business the old-fashioned way -- working for Roger Corman. Snyder took a summer off from college to intern in Hollywood for Corman and, before long, was hanging out with movie stars and assisting famed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. Snyder didn't want to become a Tinseltown player at the expense of his education, though, so he left it all behind to finish college.
Since then, Snyder has moved to the top of the television world, working in network promotions. In fact, he won an Emmy in 2002. But he still loves dragging heavy cameras around on location and asking the rest of the crew "how am I supposed to work with this light?"
When he's not sneaking tripods and dolly track out of the office, Snyder likes to get back to nature. Or at least back to the bar.
Wayne Reynolds and Patrick Sheehan -- sound
When you make a movie in Alabama, you call the Imagination Factory. From indie shorts to big-budget features, Imagination Factory co-founders Wayne Reynolds and Patrick Sheehan are ready to take care of the audio work.
Reynolds also runs MixMasters studio, where he records music for a variety of media, including film, television, and radio. Not to be outdone by Reynolds, Sheehan oversees a number of additional ventures as well. So many, in fact, that only Sheehan himself seems to know for sure what they all are.
Francesco Marciuliano -- story, creative consultant
Chuck Hartsell and Francesco Marciuliano came up with the story for Reciprocity at, of all places, a Hartsell family get-together. Marciuliano didn't crash the party -- he is Hartsell's brother-in-law.
When not pitching movie ideas down South, Marciuliano works in New York City, where he currently writes the nationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth. He could tell you about a few other, super secret projects he's writing, but then he'd have to kill you.
Katarina Cole -- "Rachel"Reciprocity director Chuck Hartsell discovered 11-year-old Katarina Cole playing the female lead in a middle-school production of Shakespeare's MacBeth. Seriously. After seeing Cole scheme and deceive as Lady MacBeth, Hartsell knew she'd be perfect as "Rachel" in his short.
Reciprocity marks Coles's film debut.
Michael Shelton -- "Jack"Stage fright was never a problem for Michael Shelton. He spent the last ten years working in Birmingham, Alabama's unforgiving live music scene, singing and playing guitar in various rock bands.
Shelton brings the same fearlessness to Reciprocity that he does to the stage. Whether taking a fall, verbal abuse, or a bubble bath, he gives every take one hundred percent.
Before Reciprocity, Shelton co-starred in two other shorts, Goodnight, Springton and The Seven Year Switch.
Bo -- "Barney the Dog"Bo knows more about movies than most dogs. He's watched quite a few throughout his years living with Charles and Sandra Hartsell, whether on cable or satellite, laserdisc or DVD. It is probably Bo's familiarity with the language of film that makes his motion picture debut such a joy. Whether entering a room, leaving a room, or eating on command, Bo's performance in Reciprocity is always honest. Open. Naked. REAL.
Expect even greater work from this canine thespian in the future.
Paul Finebaum -- voice of "Father"
According to BooksAMillion.com, "Paul Finebaum is Alabama's leading sports personality and host of the state's most listened to sports-talk program -- The Paul Finebaum Radio network. Finebaum's pointed wit and merciless humor have gained (him) a vast audience." Additionally, his program has earned "national acclaim for its breaking stories and in-depth interviews." Finebaum is also a respected writer, hence the BooksAMillion.com quote.
So, what's this media megastar doing in a tiny little independent movie? Only Reciprocity associate producer Chris Hartsell knows for sure.
Sandra Hartsell -- voice of "Mother"
Sandra Hartsell always encouraged her children's interest in cinema. Since no good deed goes unpunished, Hartsell saw her house overrun for five days in 2002 by the Reciprocity crew, led by her oldest son Chuck. Hartsell felt a bit uneasy as crew members continually referred to her beloved home as "location."
In a negotiation to regain control of her domain, Hartsell worked on the Reciprocity production as co-producer, make-up woman, caterer and stunt driver. She also did the "Mother" character's voiceover work.
