Tom Ardavany
- Producer
- Director
- Actor
Biography: Tom Ardavany tackles his vision from the page to production, harnessing the depths of the creative process to carry his story through, bring it to life in his actors & fulfill a powerful visual story on the screen. A writer and director of film and theater, written 20 features, hundreds of short films and a half a dozen full length stage plays. He's directed 13 films two which were features and four full length plays, one of which he received a Best director award for directing Miguel Pinero's Pulitzer Prize winning play 'Short Eyes'. When not on the set or behind his computer knocking out another draft. He's lead many of his actors to their ripest dramatic performances as a world class coach: Neal McDonough, Josh Holloway, Clayne Crawford and Matt Gerald to name a few, having founded the Ardavany Approach to On-Camera Mastery (www.AAActingStudio.com) 25 years ago; A unique acting lab geared toward serving the needs of the 21st century actor and filmmaker. Tom's cumulative experience, being totally immersed in the filmmaking and performance art education process for over 3 decades makes him a leader in the creative community which inspires and motivates him daily to know and do more.
Accommodation, collaboration and adaptation has always been for Thomas Ardavany a way of life and a way to approach filmmaking. Born in sunny San Diego to a dad in the Navy, discipline and structure was a way of life which eventually paved the way to having the freedom to craft moments to create stories. Quitting College, disillusioned about his e-con major, he headed to Manhattan in 1984, heading off to Europe in 1985, ending up on the covers of magazines in 1987, 1988, completing his first play in 1990, completing his first Ironman Triathlon in 1991, secured his SAG/ AFTRA in 1992, all while studying play writing at NYU night school, acting during the day and being mentored by a few of NYC's most a vanguard individuals in the art of directing during weekends, prepared him for the up and down journey the entertainment industry in Los Angeles would provide, he thought.
In 1993 he moved to Los Angeles ready to slay LA, that didn't happen so re configuring his theatrical perspective became the quest, so at his home in west LA with a camera and monitor class was in session and understanding the relationship to the camera became the priority. Other actors, writer and directors joined the sessions and 'The Ardavany Approach' to Acting, writing and directing school was born. The next ten years would be the education of a life time. Hundreds of thousands spent attempting to write, act and direct independent film. In that time 5 films and 3 plays were produced. A Best Director Award was given to Tom for Directing Miguels Pinero's 'Short Eyes' Feeling confident he jumped in the deep end knowing how to swim.
"Idiots of Malibu" was the first of six films he worked on in the role of writer/actor and director. The short thirty minute film was based on a conversation he had with a friend who was struggling with his relationships with women. The result is a comedy which empowers men and sheds light on what it is to be responsible in a relationship.
He decided to shoot on super sixteen as opposed to 35mm because the loads were larger and the camera was lighter. Also, given the large amount of steady cam with long uncut takes, he thought it best not to kill the DP. Plus the format is really nice, flexible and looks great. Next out of the gate was "Eden's Mountain." Having gained the confidence from "Idiots", I was feeling good and jumped right into his first feature. He was approached by a friend, who had family in Wyoming and owned a large ranch just outside Cody. He showed Tom some pictures and asked if he had any scripts that could be shot in this location.
The place was beautiful, it was September, the leaves would be changing soon and the snow would be coming by the third week of October, so he really had to hustle. Tom didn't have a script, but he had twenty eight days to come up with something. He talked the idea over with a buddy, came up with a general direction for a story and started knocking it out. The result was a mystical adventure centered around an Iraq war vet suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The lead character was seeking solace in a friend that was MIA from the war, allegedly living in the mountains of Wyoming. An ambitious tale, needless to say, with a rather large ensemble.
The idea was to make a micro low budget film feel like an epic. In order to do this, Tom had to open everything up: story, location, character and lens choice. In essence, the entire film is about opening oneself up and daring to stay open. He utilized the beauty of Wyoming as much as he could by pulling back and choose whenever possible, a wider lens. Also shooting in a 2:35 aspect ratio. He adhered to large conceptual ideas like "life after death", and "our connection to nature". Much of this was embodied in the characters, in how they individually perceived life. Tom used lots of symbols, a shape-shifting wolf, Celtic sweat lodge traditions, the Buddhist perception of life1s journey up a mountain, etc.
The Buddhists believe an individual achieves different levels of humanity at each stage of their journey. Tom used a sacred ram, in a blood letting ceremony, a Christ-like character, that represents the missing friend the Lead was struggling to find. These concepts allow the film to breathe more than the usual three location micro- budgeted indie film. Our choice in film stock reflected this as well, having to shoot 35mm. Given the beauty of the location, this stressed our budget, but it was a must. Taking in account the tough circumstances we were challenged with: developing the script, eighteen day shooting schedule, limited budget, skeleton crew, large ensemble, snow threatening to turn Tom's group into the next "Donner" expedition, he came through with flying colors. The film looks great and the story has many wonderful layers.
Several months after "Eden", he shot a series of short films at his home in West Hollywood. They were called the "Sun-setter shorts" because a few of the scenes were taken from a feature length film Tom had written by the same name. The actors involved were part of a group he had started a few years earlier, and these shorts were the proof of their practice. Among the group was "Lost's" Josh Holloway, appearing on film for the very first time, demonstrating his onscreen charm and kissing prowess.
"Pot Luck People" was an opportunity to familiarize himself with the digital world. He knew it was and is the future of juxtaposed story telling, so he wanted to give it a shot. This dark comedy was developed by interviewing a dozen or so actors on camera. I asked them a series of questions which guided them into their characters. Once the actor zeroed in on the character that had surfaced, more specific questions were asked that were geared towards story. This process allowed Tom to pull the story from the imaginative interviews. The astute line of questioning gave the interviews structure, which allowed Tom to come up with a story that took three more months to develop.
The story revolves around the mysterious death of a multimillionaire. In his will, he had asked his motley crew of a family to come together for one last party on his behalf, that is, if they intended to collect their share of his hefty inheritance. This satire, set in LA, plays on human greed and pokes fun at the sloth that can define the worst of LA.
After "Pot Luck", Tom went back to the stage and directed the Pulitzer Prize winning play "Short Eyes", written by Miguel Pinero, for which he received a Best Director Award. A great play with so many layers and had the fortune of having an incredibly wonderful and talented cast. Since Tom was back in the theatre groove, he directed three more plays which he also wrote, "The Transcendent", a dark twisting Satire, "Fe-lo-de-se", a heart wrenching family drama and a romantic comedy called "Together".
Tom's next film was a commentary on the Iraq war called "Check Point". It was another heart wrenching look at our occupation of Iraq, dramatized through six fictional soldiers who share, from the grave their last moments on earth. Shot "interview style" on DV, this was intended as an internet project. he made it to be watched on the small screen, with all close-ups and ECU's. The positioning of their faces in particular, only partially in frame, was important for a number of reasons. The stories are intertwined, so when the next character appeared, he wanted them in different parts of the frame. This way, with the camera slowly tracking back and forth which not only positioned the character in a different part of the frame, it also fully dramatized the subject as well. He also had changing light values throughout each take, giving the image a unique feel each time we see a character appear in the story line. The ever changing frame gave the piece more visual dynamics, which was important, given the limited choice of camera angles. Therefore, he compensated with simple pans and varying light values.
Once again, he switched hats and went back to interviewing actors, taking the facts of their lives and mixing it with the fiction of the story, which turned out to be quite a powerful dramatic recipe.
He incorporated a green screen for the first time, (2005) whereas lighting the screen and the distance from the screen proved to be important variables. Although the images we incorporated were few, the quality of the keyed-out green screen, which is black, activated the background, giving it a life of its own, a kind of electricity. Technology is still blossoming all around Tom, who continues to learn and adapt.
The end result of "Check Point" for Tom was one of the most rewarding, powerful cinematic experiences of his life to date. The film speaks very much for itself.
Since that intensive education ten more modestly budgeted films and a TV show have been made, along with twenty more film scripts, twelve TV episodes, some for producers and others for himself to adapt to the opportunities that come down the road.
Filmography: The Idiots of Malibu (1994); Eden's Mountain (1996); Sunsetter Shorts (1998); Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020); Produced/Directed Plays: Transcendent (1990); Together (1991); Fe-lo-de-se (1997); Short Eyes (2002); By Miguel Pinero Plays: Transcendent (1990); Together (1991); Fe-lo-de-se (1997); Re-Write (2007); Screenplays: Idiots of Malibu (1994); Eden's Mountain (1996); Sunsetters (1997);
Sunsetters Shorts (1998); Fat Chick & Big Richards (1999); Pot Luck People (2000); The Way Of The Intercepting Fist (2003); Check Point (2005); Lost Angels (2005: Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Sexy Science (2006); Tough Love (2007); Venice Project (2008); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); Miriam Makeba (2012); It's Not The End Of The World (2013); Blood Initiate (2014); Florida (2014); Destined Relation (2018); Betty B's Spa (2019); Ridding Wild Ones (2019); The Violent Sun (2020); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
TV: Huskers 4 Episodes (2010); Ep 1) "Old School" Ep 2) "Homework" Ep 3) "Washers" Ep 4) "Hero with PTSD" Betty B's Spa (2016) "Pilot" The Town (2017); "Pilot"
TV Animation: Pips Wild Race 6 Episodes (2007); Ep 1) "Sids Mango" Ep 2) "Sid Global Warming" Ep 3) "Pips response to Robert" Ep 4) "Sids Scary Movie" Ep 5) "Fizzee Love" Ep 6) "Pips Race"
Produced TV: Betty B's Spa (2019)
Cinematographer: Sunsetter Shorts (1998); Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
Editor: Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020); Edit Titles: Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
Edit Trailers: Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
Accommodation, collaboration and adaptation has always been for Thomas Ardavany a way of life and a way to approach filmmaking. Born in sunny San Diego to a dad in the Navy, discipline and structure was a way of life which eventually paved the way to having the freedom to craft moments to create stories. Quitting College, disillusioned about his e-con major, he headed to Manhattan in 1984, heading off to Europe in 1985, ending up on the covers of magazines in 1987, 1988, completing his first play in 1990, completing his first Ironman Triathlon in 1991, secured his SAG/ AFTRA in 1992, all while studying play writing at NYU night school, acting during the day and being mentored by a few of NYC's most a vanguard individuals in the art of directing during weekends, prepared him for the up and down journey the entertainment industry in Los Angeles would provide, he thought.
In 1993 he moved to Los Angeles ready to slay LA, that didn't happen so re configuring his theatrical perspective became the quest, so at his home in west LA with a camera and monitor class was in session and understanding the relationship to the camera became the priority. Other actors, writer and directors joined the sessions and 'The Ardavany Approach' to Acting, writing and directing school was born. The next ten years would be the education of a life time. Hundreds of thousands spent attempting to write, act and direct independent film. In that time 5 films and 3 plays were produced. A Best Director Award was given to Tom for Directing Miguels Pinero's 'Short Eyes' Feeling confident he jumped in the deep end knowing how to swim.
"Idiots of Malibu" was the first of six films he worked on in the role of writer/actor and director. The short thirty minute film was based on a conversation he had with a friend who was struggling with his relationships with women. The result is a comedy which empowers men and sheds light on what it is to be responsible in a relationship.
He decided to shoot on super sixteen as opposed to 35mm because the loads were larger and the camera was lighter. Also, given the large amount of steady cam with long uncut takes, he thought it best not to kill the DP. Plus the format is really nice, flexible and looks great. Next out of the gate was "Eden's Mountain." Having gained the confidence from "Idiots", I was feeling good and jumped right into his first feature. He was approached by a friend, who had family in Wyoming and owned a large ranch just outside Cody. He showed Tom some pictures and asked if he had any scripts that could be shot in this location.
The place was beautiful, it was September, the leaves would be changing soon and the snow would be coming by the third week of October, so he really had to hustle. Tom didn't have a script, but he had twenty eight days to come up with something. He talked the idea over with a buddy, came up with a general direction for a story and started knocking it out. The result was a mystical adventure centered around an Iraq war vet suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The lead character was seeking solace in a friend that was MIA from the war, allegedly living in the mountains of Wyoming. An ambitious tale, needless to say, with a rather large ensemble.
The idea was to make a micro low budget film feel like an epic. In order to do this, Tom had to open everything up: story, location, character and lens choice. In essence, the entire film is about opening oneself up and daring to stay open. He utilized the beauty of Wyoming as much as he could by pulling back and choose whenever possible, a wider lens. Also shooting in a 2:35 aspect ratio. He adhered to large conceptual ideas like "life after death", and "our connection to nature". Much of this was embodied in the characters, in how they individually perceived life. Tom used lots of symbols, a shape-shifting wolf, Celtic sweat lodge traditions, the Buddhist perception of life1s journey up a mountain, etc.
The Buddhists believe an individual achieves different levels of humanity at each stage of their journey. Tom used a sacred ram, in a blood letting ceremony, a Christ-like character, that represents the missing friend the Lead was struggling to find. These concepts allow the film to breathe more than the usual three location micro- budgeted indie film. Our choice in film stock reflected this as well, having to shoot 35mm. Given the beauty of the location, this stressed our budget, but it was a must. Taking in account the tough circumstances we were challenged with: developing the script, eighteen day shooting schedule, limited budget, skeleton crew, large ensemble, snow threatening to turn Tom's group into the next "Donner" expedition, he came through with flying colors. The film looks great and the story has many wonderful layers.
Several months after "Eden", he shot a series of short films at his home in West Hollywood. They were called the "Sun-setter shorts" because a few of the scenes were taken from a feature length film Tom had written by the same name. The actors involved were part of a group he had started a few years earlier, and these shorts were the proof of their practice. Among the group was "Lost's" Josh Holloway, appearing on film for the very first time, demonstrating his onscreen charm and kissing prowess.
"Pot Luck People" was an opportunity to familiarize himself with the digital world. He knew it was and is the future of juxtaposed story telling, so he wanted to give it a shot. This dark comedy was developed by interviewing a dozen or so actors on camera. I asked them a series of questions which guided them into their characters. Once the actor zeroed in on the character that had surfaced, more specific questions were asked that were geared towards story. This process allowed Tom to pull the story from the imaginative interviews. The astute line of questioning gave the interviews structure, which allowed Tom to come up with a story that took three more months to develop.
The story revolves around the mysterious death of a multimillionaire. In his will, he had asked his motley crew of a family to come together for one last party on his behalf, that is, if they intended to collect their share of his hefty inheritance. This satire, set in LA, plays on human greed and pokes fun at the sloth that can define the worst of LA.
After "Pot Luck", Tom went back to the stage and directed the Pulitzer Prize winning play "Short Eyes", written by Miguel Pinero, for which he received a Best Director Award. A great play with so many layers and had the fortune of having an incredibly wonderful and talented cast. Since Tom was back in the theatre groove, he directed three more plays which he also wrote, "The Transcendent", a dark twisting Satire, "Fe-lo-de-se", a heart wrenching family drama and a romantic comedy called "Together".
Tom's next film was a commentary on the Iraq war called "Check Point". It was another heart wrenching look at our occupation of Iraq, dramatized through six fictional soldiers who share, from the grave their last moments on earth. Shot "interview style" on DV, this was intended as an internet project. he made it to be watched on the small screen, with all close-ups and ECU's. The positioning of their faces in particular, only partially in frame, was important for a number of reasons. The stories are intertwined, so when the next character appeared, he wanted them in different parts of the frame. This way, with the camera slowly tracking back and forth which not only positioned the character in a different part of the frame, it also fully dramatized the subject as well. He also had changing light values throughout each take, giving the image a unique feel each time we see a character appear in the story line. The ever changing frame gave the piece more visual dynamics, which was important, given the limited choice of camera angles. Therefore, he compensated with simple pans and varying light values.
Once again, he switched hats and went back to interviewing actors, taking the facts of their lives and mixing it with the fiction of the story, which turned out to be quite a powerful dramatic recipe.
He incorporated a green screen for the first time, (2005) whereas lighting the screen and the distance from the screen proved to be important variables. Although the images we incorporated were few, the quality of the keyed-out green screen, which is black, activated the background, giving it a life of its own, a kind of electricity. Technology is still blossoming all around Tom, who continues to learn and adapt.
The end result of "Check Point" for Tom was one of the most rewarding, powerful cinematic experiences of his life to date. The film speaks very much for itself.
Since that intensive education ten more modestly budgeted films and a TV show have been made, along with twenty more film scripts, twelve TV episodes, some for producers and others for himself to adapt to the opportunities that come down the road.
Filmography: The Idiots of Malibu (1994); Eden's Mountain (1996); Sunsetter Shorts (1998); Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020); Produced/Directed Plays: Transcendent (1990); Together (1991); Fe-lo-de-se (1997); Short Eyes (2002); By Miguel Pinero Plays: Transcendent (1990); Together (1991); Fe-lo-de-se (1997); Re-Write (2007); Screenplays: Idiots of Malibu (1994); Eden's Mountain (1996); Sunsetters (1997);
Sunsetters Shorts (1998); Fat Chick & Big Richards (1999); Pot Luck People (2000); The Way Of The Intercepting Fist (2003); Check Point (2005); Lost Angels (2005: Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Sexy Science (2006); Tough Love (2007); Venice Project (2008); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); Miriam Makeba (2012); It's Not The End Of The World (2013); Blood Initiate (2014); Florida (2014); Destined Relation (2018); Betty B's Spa (2019); Ridding Wild Ones (2019); The Violent Sun (2020); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
TV: Huskers 4 Episodes (2010); Ep 1) "Old School" Ep 2) "Homework" Ep 3) "Washers" Ep 4) "Hero with PTSD" Betty B's Spa (2016) "Pilot" The Town (2017); "Pilot"
TV Animation: Pips Wild Race 6 Episodes (2007); Ep 1) "Sids Mango" Ep 2) "Sid Global Warming" Ep 3) "Pips response to Robert" Ep 4) "Sids Scary Movie" Ep 5) "Fizzee Love" Ep 6) "Pips Race"
Produced TV: Betty B's Spa (2019)
Cinematographer: Sunsetter Shorts (1998); Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
Editor: Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020); Edit Titles: Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
Edit Trailers: Pot Luck People (2000); Check Point (2005); Sex Party (2006); Pizza Man (2006); Crossing (2009); An Immigrant's Affair (2009); The Invitation (2011); Blood Initiate (2014); Betty B's Spa (2019); Bullied To The Brink (2020);
