Alexandra Dorian, the owner of Emile’s in downtown San Jose, opened the restaurant for us on a Sunday, set tables, lit candles, decorated our plain cheesecake, and performed in the scene as the restaurateur who indelicately kicks out two lingering, obnoxious patrons. We didn’t just get a restaurant location with a generous owner–we got a Stella Adler-trained actress who was able to match the intensity of the male actors in the scene, who were themselves at their most intense and volatile. We’d like to thank Alexandra for her considerable contribution to this production.

Emile’s is located at 545 S 2nd St, San Jose, CA 95112. Reservations: (408) 289-1960. (A quick glance at the awards and reviews might help you dial faster.)

Be sure you have a chance to talk with Alex while you’re there. It’s an experience you won’t forget.

Alex’s 49er Inn in San Jose is open seven days a week from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM, so shooting when the bar is closed would be a real challenge. Alex, the owner, allowed us to come into the bar from 8:00 to 10:00 on a Sunday morning, knowing that we’d have to set up lights and booms which might disrupt business. He even allowed camera persons behind the bar, which created obstacles for the bartenders (they got a kick out of it). There were ten patrons, all of whom made an effort to be quiet while we shot. We’d like to thank Alex, the staff and the patrons for their generosity and patience.

Alex’s 49er Inn is located at 2214 Business Cir, San Jose, CA 95128 (at the intersection of Bascom and W San Carlos). You won’t find a more welcoming staff or a more relaxed atmosphere.

Thanks to Jagruti Patel of America’s Best Inn & Suites (Redwood City) for offering complimentary use of a room for a scene in Amity.

Jagruti may be reached at (650) 369-1731 or jagu733@yahoo.com.

Every film needs a little exposition. In Amity, we get most of the main character’s backstory when he talks to the guy sitting beside him on a commercial flight.

Thanks to Brandon Rose, one of Amity’s producers, and Carl Panter of San Jose State University’s aviation department, we will have access to a retired United 727 which is parked just outside the San Jose airport (alongside some picturesque helicopters and other aircraft). Brandon and I shot test footage of the airplane’s interior, and with the right exposure (or the wrong exposure, depending on your point of view) it should be easy to suggest that the plane is mid-flight.

Thanks to Brandon, Carl and SJSU for access to the plane.

The most challenging scene in this film takes place in the back of a parked limo, in the dark. Peter Runyan of Affordable Limo Service in Los Gatos has offered us a truly affordable rate for the use of his 1996 Lincoln limo. Contact Peter at (408) 768-3706 or prundog@yahoo.com.