“I always wanted to be an actor,” said George Gonzales, the co-owner of East Coast Muscle and Fitness Center on 62nd Street in West New York, last week. “I went on at least 100 auditions and only got one part.”
Gonzalez got the role of a reporter interviewing a fisherman who had just caught a huge fish for a music video for the band Fountains of Wayne. Gonzalez was standing on a pier, freezing, in only a thin shirt.
After this, Gonzalez, who graduated from the New York Film Academy three years ago, decided that he wanted to make his own movie. His first feature-length film, Don’t Call Me Gym, was recently completed and Gonzalez is now in the process of finding a distributor.
The 67-minute movie is filmed in East Coast Muscle and Fitness and touches on drug use, relationships and other experiences he sees happen in his fitness center all the time.
“Didn’t want to make a home video or an instructional video,” said Gonzalez about coming up with the idea for his movie. [A gym] is just a social place. You can find everyone from a cop to a robber [at a gym].”
Opening a gym
The idea to open East Coast Muscle and Fitness came about much like Gonzalez’s idea to make a movie. Gonzalez’s brother Albert was working as a personal trainer for other fitness centers in the area when he decided that he wanted to open his own gym and become a personal trainer there.
Albert then recruited his brother, who also did some personal training, into the business as well. The business originally opened on 69th Street in West New York and moved to its current location five years ago.
“Takes two years to actually say that you are making money,” said Gonzalez adding that they bought their building just last week.
Both of the Gonzalez brothers competed in body building and power lifting tournaments. Body building is a physique competition while power lifting judges people based solely on how much weight they can lift.
Starting young
While growing up in Weehawken, Gonzalez and his brother were always shooting home movies and short comedies since he was 12. However, Don’t Call Me Gym, is Gonzalez’s first feature length project. Gonzalez wrote the script himself and also starred in the movie. His brother Albert filmed it.
“I really couldn’t do it without my brother,” said Gonzalez. “He is unbelievable as far as ideas.”
Gonzalez did not use any professional actors in his movie, just friends.
“I just told everyone to act like themselves,” said Gonzalez. “Everybody had a good time doing it.”
The movie was shot in one week, but took close to three months to edit.
Gonzalez has entered the movie into numerous film festivals including the traveling Black Maria Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival.
“Film Festivals are like the minor leagues,” said Gonalez, comparing the movie industry to baseball.