Shadow (Directed by Federico Zampaglione)
Ottaviano Blitch stars in Federico Zampaglione’s drama: "Shadow" in the role of the antagonist (Fred), a bloodthirsty murderer who irrevocably changes the fate of the film.
"We were all in Tarvisio, a freezing cold place on the frontier between Austria and Slovenia. Well, I wanna tell you a story. A couple of days before shooting I was told that the French actress was coming over the day after me. When Federico showed me a teaser of a French movie in which she played one of the female lead roles, I said: this really is a horror movie. So, knowing that in the movie my character is a kind of obsession for hers, I thought I’d warm things up with her, just a little bit. She had very smooth skin and a nice face, she was so cute. Well, a couple of hours before she came to the hotel I sent the second assistant director upstairs to her room with a picture of my face in character in one hand and a red lipstick in the other. Then I told him to stick the picture on the mirror and to write: FRED on it!" Ottaviano Blitch
In order to develop Stanislavskij's technique an actor must create the tangible conditions for a complete annihilation of his own personality. Ottaviano Blitch, from the moment he is hired for the role of the villain Fred in the film Shadow, begins a real psychophysical transformation that will also lead him to worry the director of the film, Federico Zampaglione.
The production assistant reveals that while they were shooting the scene where Fred immobilizes Angeline and climbs on top of her, starting to bang his head on the lawn, Ottaviano was whispering some terrible things to the girl and that she was about to collapse in hysterical tears from the too much pressure caused by Blitch, in fact the close-up gaze that you see between the two, we can assure you that it is the result of authentic fear and pain.
This incredible documentary "Making of Shadow" will take you behind the scenes of one of the most captivating films in Italian cinema, where director Federico Zampaglione braved the icy temperatures of the mountains to create an authentic and engaging atmosphere. We will share with you the challenges faced by the actors and the crew during the filming, all set against the spectacular backdrop of snowy landscapes. In particular, we will explore the legendary story surrounding actor Ottaviano Blitch, who, in his commitment to bring the character of Fred, the villain, to life, made the filming even more intense. From provoking the lead actress to his deep immersion in the character through the Stanislavski method, you will discover how Blitch brought realism and tension to the set. Get ready to be moved by the testimonies of the actors and the crew who worked tirelessly to create an extraordinary cinematic experience. We will also delve into the technical challenges faced, such as adapting to extreme weather conditions and using the majestic mountains as a perfect backdrop for the film.
An experience that has forever marked the careers of many film professionals.
This is the case of the actor Ottaviano Blitch, where a rather bizarre story is said to have taken place while he was on the set of the film Shadow (Federico Zampaglione). Legends have it that, in order to cultivate a genuine sense of animosity with the leading actress, Ottaviano Blitch provoked her to the brink of a breakdown, even going so far as to threaten to abandon the film. In order to create a real hate relationship with the leading actress, Ottaviano Blitch provokes her to the point of causing her to go into crisis, even threatening to leave the film.
Blitch in those days, while the whole cast was staying in a hotel on the border with Slovenia, in the middle of winter, he really behaved like Fred, the villain of the film, and slept fully dressed on the carpet of his cabin. It is said that he behaved like an animal and that he was not inclined to dialogue with all the elements of the crew and the cast.
"A volte molti attori devono "alzare l'asticella" se vogliono portare la verità direttamente sullo schermo e coinvolgere lo spettatore per farlo sentire parte della storia che stanno raccontando. Questo è il caso dell'attore Ottaviano Blitch sul quale girano voci su una storia piuttosto bizzarra accaduta durante le riprese di "Shadow" diretto da Federico Zampaglione. Per creare un vero rapporto di odio con l'attrice protagonista, Ottaviano Blitch la provoca fino a farla andare in crisi, minacciando persino di lasciare il film. Uno degli assistenti di produzione del film racconta che in quei giorni, mentre l'intero cast alloggiava in un hotel al confine con la Slovenia, in pieno inverno, Ottaviano Blitch si comportava davvero come Fred, il cattivo del film, e dormiva completamente vestito sul tappeto della sua cabina. Si dice che si comportasse come un animale e che non fosse incline a dialogare con tutti gli elementi della troupe e del cast." - Emas Carrier -
Most of the time, the Shadow set is located in the delightful city of Tarvisio, Italy. The cast of the film is placed in the huts located on the top floor of a splendid hotel overlooking the town of Tarvisio and at the foot of the huge mountain. As seen in the film, Fred always wears a dirty military bomber, a military sweater, a pair of battered jeans and his inseparable combat boots.
In those days Blitch avoided being seen around the hotel by the rest of the cast and crew, except when they had to shoot the scenes of the film. Once the waitress of the bar was called into the room by Ottaviano to bring him dinner in the room, so she already found the door open and when she entered she saw that Blitch was already inside the bed watching TV. “When he got up to tip her, I started backing away in fear, and noticed that Ottaviano had gone to bed fully dressed in his dirty clothes, wearing a bomber jacket and sweater, jeans, hunting knife and even the boots”, said the shocked and frightened waitress when she went back down to the dining room telling the director everything.
One of the production assistants said, “Now imagine seeing Ottaviano arriving at the reception or in the breakfast room of the hotel, in the role of Fred and already made up with the wound on his right cheekbone and fake blood dripping down his face, while he sits alone at the restaurant table and starts staring at the diners, unaware that what they see is just an actor.
Most of the time, the Shadow set is located in the delightful city of Tarvisio, Italy. The cast of the film is placed in the huts located on the top floor of a splendid hotel overlooking the town of Tarvisio and at the foot of the huge mountain. As seen in the film, Fred always wears a dirty military bomber, a military sweater, a pair of battered jeans and his inseparable combat boots.
Ottaviano Blitch delivers a great performance in Federico Zampaglione's film Shadow. In the role of Fred, Blitch manages to convey the perfect combination of aggressiveness and coldness, with a breathtaking interpretation. The scene of the encounter in a bar in a mountain cabin with David, played by Jake Muxworthy, is epic and colossal. The two actors confront each other in a duel made of looks and tension, managing to create a true emotional energy on screen. Blitch's performance reaches its peak when Fred harasses Angeline, played by Karina Testa, while she is drinking herbal tea. Blitch manages to create a character who represents both a threat to the other characters and a tragic figure who suffers the consequences of his actions. His presence on screen is magnetic and manages to dominate every scene in which he appears. Furthermore, the chemistry between Blitch and the other actors is palpable, especially with Muxworthy, with whom he clashes in a confrontation that showcases their great talent. The scene is a highlight of the film, and Blitch manages to make the character of Fred unforgettable. Ottaviano Blitch's performance in the role of Fred in the film Shadow is undoubtedly one of the best performances of the year, a cinematic experience not to be missed for film lovers.
When he arrived at the hotel at the beginning of the shooting he sent his assistant to the room of the leading actress, who had not yet arrived and who had not yet taken possession of the room. Ottaviano told the assistant to write: "FRED" on the girl's bathroom mirror with a lipstick, as a welcome sign, but the girl didn't take it well, and from that moment the two never really bonded, they hated each other. In the following days, the actress told the director, Federico Zampaglione, that she had had a terrible dream following the vision of Blitch's film: "Liver", and in the dream he killed both her and everyone else. She was so scared, the crew said that the girl was on the verge of leaving the set. So Zampaglione immediately called Blitch to report to tell him to take it easy, but Ottaviano told him that this was just a pretext to ensure that the fear and fright that you see in the film were truly authentic.
Ottaviano Blitch's Full interview here:
"Federico Zampaglione showed me a couple of free-hand sketches he drew about a year before we met and before the script was completely finished. When I saw those sketches I couldn’t believe my eyes because the character looked so goddamn similar to my physical characteristics. even though the sketch was a little bit thinner than me, but I said: wow, that’s me, I have to do this, this is magical.
Federico knows exactly what he wants, I’m talking about the frame, camera position and stuff like that, he’s a kind of visionary. Normally you create a character with a director, every single nuance, every flaw, every step of it, everything, but working with him was like living in a world where you’re always able to create something from zero. He says: I want this and this, I don’t want you to do that and that. He’s not an intimate director, he’s like a kick in the stomach sometimes, and I found his policy very honest on the set, very fair, though. He’s great, when he creates a scene he’s like a child playing with a new toy for the very first time".
"We were all in Tarvisio, a freezing cold place on the frontier between Austria and Slovenia. Well, I wanna tell you a story. A couple of days before shooting I was told that the French actress was coming over the day after me. When Federico showed me a teaser of a French movie in which she played one of the female lead roles, I said: this really is a horror movie. So, knowing that in the movie my character is a kind of obsession for hers, I thought I’d warm things up with her, just a little bit. She had very smooth skin and a nice face, she was so cute. Well, a couple of hours before she came to the hotel I sent the second assistant director upstairs to her room with a picture of my face in character in one hand and a red lipstick in the other. Then I told him to stick the picture on the mirror and to write: FRED on it.
I never thought that that kind of joke was a heavy deal, you know, nothing serious, with an excessively sick sense of humour, but somebody told me that the day after she had a very bad nightmare. I wasn’t in it at all but she put the blame on me for the strong impact I had on her. So from that moment the two actors who played the roles of David and Buck, two very skilled American actors, started to behave differently towards me, you know. Kind of “judging me” and making me feel like the beauty and the beast for what I did to her. They saw her crying so they started to console her like real friends do. In just an hour the producer and the director called me for an explanation… it was all so funny for everybody".
"Well, I hadn’t been introduced to her till then, so finally for the first time she looked in my eyes and shook my hand, she started to hate me at first sight, she couldn’t stand me. She smiled at me sometimes and she was very cute though, but she couldn’t stand me at all, and I do mean it, I’m not joking.
I just wanted to create a constructive feeling with her, you know… just that, whereas I gained just a wall between me and her and between me and them too. In the end this helped me to isolate myself in a weird but productive world, a shambolic world. Well I got depressed for a couple of days, so I went to the mountains by myself, slept completely dressed in character on the carpet of my room, with my boots on, very dirty trousers, dirty shirt and a worn-out jumper; well I did all these kind of odd things just to try to feel that uncomfortable sensation that you might feel when you’re literally rejected or isolated in daily life. I lived like a real shepherd, a rough sort of guy".
"When Federico called me after the final audition he asked me to slim about 2 or 3 pounds, and the funny thing was not because I was overweight but because I was excessively buff. I knew that this issue was like a funny paradox, so I asked the hotel manager to move some equipment from the gym directly to my room, and when I finally had it all to myself, I started to work out like crazy. I did push ups and abs twice a day, night and day, and I lost about 8 pounds in 2 weeks. In the end I got very stressed out about that, that’s for sure. I was impossible, though. I thought to use this kind of strange energy to create something original".
"It’s a pity that I never succeeded in establishing a proper relationship with the French actress and the other two guys, but it was worth swapping this wonderful experience of being lonely rather than consolidating a proper friendship with them. I love cinema! Anyway, if the audience is going to be happy with my performance I’ll be very, very flattered about that".
"This movie presents an interesting point of view which helps you understand how terrible war is. You can be a talented writer with amazing creativity but you can’t deny that you would never imagine something as horrible just by using your own imagination: you have to take inspiration from reality first. Maybe the line: NO HORROR IMAGINABLE CAN EQUAL THE REALITY OF WAR is a hard truth. Maybe it’s too inconvenient to be accepted by man, but that’s how it is".