Production Notes

"I wanted to produce "Circuit" because it was a hard-hitting, edgy look at a controversial social phenomenon most people were never going to personally experience but had intensely strong opinions about, pro and con," said producer Steven J. Wolfe on his decision to green-light the Gregory Hinton/Dirk Shafer screenplay for Wolfe's production company, Sneak Preview Entertainment. ("Relax, It's Just Sex" and the critically acclaimed "Twin Falls Idaho")

While sharing offices at Disney, Dirk Shafter, (writer-director "Man of the Year") suggested "Circuit" as a film concept to writer-producer Gregory Hinton (It's My Party", "Cathedral City") and asked him to collaborate. Set against the glamorous, flamboyant and bacchanalian world of the gay circuit party phenomenon, Shafer and Hinton set about creating an ensemble cast of players which resulted in the character-driver ensemble drama, "Circuit."

"We wanted someone for everyone," said Hinton. "Our characters are composites of many people we've both known or types of people we'd both observed living in West Hollywood. I think we came up with the key roles in one afternoon. It was easy, obvious, and very fun. Then we worked out the story, which is somewhat more serious. We have a great affection for all of our characters."

Passionate about the filmic potential of circuit parties, Dirk Shafer knew the world intimately. "Because circuit parties started out as AIDS fund raisers, I knew it was a controversial, provocative subject matter to depict on film. I wanted to show both sides of the circuit phenomenon. The light and the dark side. When Gregory and I developed the story, we initially aspired for the edge of 'Boogie Nights' and 'Train Spotting.' Later we decided that too strident a portrayal wasn't fair to the majority of gay men who attended. Circuit parties can be many things to many people, as the film depicts."

For most, the music driven parties offer an opportunity to celebrate the positive aspects of the out and proud gay lifestyle. “It’s the gay man’s Super Bowl”, says the character of Bobby, portrayed by pop singing icon Paul Lekakis. (“Boom, Boom, Boom, Come Back To My Room”) Lekakis, no stranger to the circuit himself, has since withdrawn from that frenetic atmosphere. Of filming his extravagant production number at the White Party, complete with a white feather boa cape and go-go boys, Lekakis said later, “It was great to sing my song and be home in bed by eleven. I don’t need to stay up all night anymore.”

The parties are usually held in major cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta, or resort destinations such as Fire Island and Palm Springs. As many as twenty-five thousand reportedly attended the famous three day White Party, held every Easter weekend at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

“The key to the success of “Circuit” was our ability to film at actual circuit parties,” says director Shafer. “Thanks to the generosity of party promoters Jeffrey Sanker and Will Gorges, we were given great access to the behind the scenes planning of these events and allowed to shoot at the actual parties themselves. This opens up our film and offers thrilling visuals. While shooting at the White Party we have ten thousand dancing men as extras.”

“We were able to shoot at five packed circuit parties in and around L.A., adding an expensive look to what is actually a very intimate story,” added Steven Wolfe.

Along with a great story, the opportunity to put together a hot soundtrack to go with the film was a great draw to producer and music manager, (Cat Trap) Michael Roth. “We had record labels pounding at our doors, but it wasn’t until we met with Centaur that we knew we had the right match. Nick De Biase took “Circuit” under wing. He got Tony Moran to do the score and put fabulous music in our film.”

For director Dirk Shafer and producers Steven Wolfe, Michael Roth and Gregory Hinton, the making of Circuit was the penultimate labor of love. “I thought we were writing an easy-to-produce, low budget film,” Hinton laughs.
“Fifty speaking roles and seventy locations including three weekends in Palm Springs is hardly “My Dinner With Andre,” jokes Shafer.

“To make this film, the budget had to be in keeping with other successful films of this genre,” said Wolfe. “We couldn’t compromise on good actors, or anything for that matter! Through careful planning and pooling all our resources, I think we managed to pull together an impressive looking film.”“We all pulled every favor we could to get the myriad of unique locations you’ll see in “Circuit.” said Dirk Shafer. “I’m lucky I have any friends left at all.”“It was easier to say we needed a free location than an inexpensive one, adds Hinton. Free said it all. The community was so generous to us,” says Michael Roth. “When we asked for their help they gave it to us, often at considerable personal inconvenience.”

The challenging lead roles were not as easy to cast. The film’s main character of “John”, wasn’t found till the very last minute. John is an ex-cop, gay-bashed off a small town police force who arrives in West Hollywood at the invitation of his cousin Tad, a filmmaker producing a documentary on the gay circuit scene. "When my wife read "Circuit"," said actor Jonathan Wade Drahos, she looked at me and said, ‘you have to make this movie.’ As I read the script, and studied the dialogue, I could hear myself saying the lines. I talk like this guy. I knew I could do the part.”

The role was difficult to cast for several important reasons. “The character of John had to work on two levels. Without audience sympathy for his spiral into the dark side of the circuit lifestyle, you wouldn’t care about him or the story. He had to be likable. But with multiple loves scenes, the actor portraying John had to be physically right for the role,” says writer-producer Hinton. “It was difficult to find that much needed combination.”

"We had already cast such strong actors," says Shafer. "Veteran Nancy Allen ("Carrie", "Blowout", "Robocop" "Out of Sight") as Louise, the maligned wife of Gino, the circuit party promoter, played by William Katt. (“Carrie”, “All American Hero.”) Nancy and Bill have not been re-united onscreen together in the same film since the classic horror film “Carrie”. I felt so fortunate to have Daniel Kukan in the part of Tad, and Paul Lekakis as Bobby. I was worried they’d blow whatever
John we cast out of the water.”

“On what we hoped would be our last day of casting, I was walking from my office over to Sneak Preview, several blocks away,” say Hinton. “At the corner of Hollywood and Vine, a very tall, good-looking man with a friendly demeanor emerged from a corner convenience store. I noticed him a block away and thought, why can t we find someone like him?” Minutes later, Hinton joined his fellow producers and director Shafer for the casting session. In walked actor Jonathan Drahos, the man Hinton had noticed on the street.

“On what we hoped would be our last day of casting, I was walking from my office over to Sneak Preview, several blocks away, say Hinton. At the corner of Hollywood and Vine, a very tall, good-looking man with a friendly demeanor emerged from a corner convenience store. I noticed him a block away and thought, why can’t we find someone like him?” Minutes later, Hinton joined his fellow producers and director Shafer for the casting session. In walked actor Jonathan Drahos, the man Hinton had noticed on the street.

Later, actor Andre Khabbazi was cast in the key role of Hector, the drug dealing hustler who befriends John and takes him in the underbelly of the circuit world. Stage star Brian L. Green (“Big River”) signed on for the part of Gill, a wise and circuit-weary landscaper, Tad’s ex-lover and John’s new love interest. Gill teams up with Nina, (Kiersten Warren) a stand- up comic and John’s old girlfriend, to toss a lifeline down John’s slippery slope of drug and sexual addiction. Darryl Stephens, as Julian the new-age Circuit DJ and comic Jim J. Bullock (“Eyes of Tammy Faye”) as Mark, the closeted gay studio chief round out the key roles in “Circuit”.

“To keep our budget in line, we couldn’t shoot in the most orthodox manner”“Our production period was very lengthy.” The production worked mainly weekends from January through October of 2001. “This caused some tension,” acknowledges Wolfe, but the key creative crew, including cinematographer Joaquin Sedillo, Production Designer John DeMeo, Costumer Designer Katy Welch and Hair/Makeup man Robert Rapport stayed with us from start to finish, thankfully making the wise career choice of working for enhanced feature credits and a part of the back-end of what is now a very good film.”

“We had to hire passion and love for our script instead,” adds Roth. “It shows on screen.”“It took time, but because of Steven and Michael’s imparted confidence and strength as producers, there was never any question that we wouldn’t finish,” says Hinton. “The production schedule was always deliberate and well coordinated.”

It’s amazing that over such an extensive shooting period we didn’t lose any actors,” mused Dirk Shafer one day on the ADR stage. “None of them got fat, injured or arrested. None of them gave up the business and moved away.”“Though we did get a big scare when the lead actor playing John had to be rushed into an emergency appendectomy right in the middle of the shoot”. “What’s another schedule change?”, said Wolfe. Jonathan was back on the set within a week. “The cast and crew’s dedication and loyalty to this project was really amazing”, added Hinton.

The cast and crew generally credit Dirk Shafer’s pleasant, humorous and professional demeanor as the major creative force behind the making of Circuit . Dirk put what we wrote on screen, says Hinton. As a writer who spent years alone with Circuit , I can t offer him higher praise as a director. And no matter how the film is received, the producers at Sneak Preview gave us the chance to make the film we wrote.”