Low-budget, high-passion: The making of 'Change the Game'

By Bob Dunn
Staff Writer

Published on December 22, 2006

Earlier this month, a local filmmaker revealed to local moviegoers what $5,000, hard work and perseverance can accomplish.

Osama Alhabeeb, a 21-year-old Amherst Regional High School alumnus, premiered his latest film, "Change the Game," at the Cinemark theaters in Hadley Dec. 8. The film took four and a half years to complete from concept to post production, said Alhabeeb, who wrote, shot, directed, edited and played the lead character in the movie.

Alhabeeb describes the film as an inner-city drama. It follows a group of individuals and the choices they make - whether it's a life of crime, or pursuing an education.

"You see the consequences of actions," Alhabeeb said. "You see how they perceive society and life."

He also appears on the soundtrack CD, which was released by his production company, Dynasty Pictures. A DVD of the film and its accompanying soundtrack, which features local favorites Cold Duck Complex on one track in addition to Alhabeeb's musical contribution, is available locally at Trade Roots and DVDen.

Alhabeeb said that while video and film jobs tend to be few and far between in western Massachusetts, his films show that it can be done.

"It's hard to find jobs in the industry. There's a lot of work in New York; there's a whole lot of work in LA. ... People just assume you have to be in a city, but 'Change the Game' was shot primarily in Amherst and Springfield."

Alhabeeb raised the money through sponsorships and money he earned doing video work, like shooting concert and backstage footage and record release parties for artists such as Lil' John, The Game and Funkmaster Flex.

"Change the Game" is Alhabeeb's third and most ambitious film.

Alhabeeb said that he did encounter some problems on the set, such as reliability issues with some cast members and one incident with the Holyoke Police Department, which he describes in an interview included on the DVD of the movie.

He describes the Holyoke police stopping a group of cast members and drawing their weapons, after one of the actors was spotted aiming a prop pistol at a stop sign.

The film features a cast of 30, all of whom worked for no money. The crew used locations throughout the Valley and New York City. The film includes elaborately staged action sequences, including fight scenes and a car chase and shoot-out through a Springfield neighborhood.

Alhabeeb solicited the cooperation of the Springfield police and fire departments as well as the Department of Public Works in securing the permits to close a section of road in Springfield to stage and film the sequence.

The first film Alhabeeb shot was called "The Secret Empire," which he filmed on a HI-8 video camera. It was shown on Amherst Community Television, the local cable access channel.

"That was the first thing that I could call my own," Alhabeeb said.

"Change the Game" was a technical upgrade for Alhabeeb, being shot on a 3-chip digital camera versus the analog HI-8.

"That was much easier," Alhabeeb said. "HI-8 is annoying; digital video can look great."

While shooting his first film, Alhabeeb asked his cast to get their takes done right the first time, because he wasn't aware of the editing resources he had access to through outlets such as ACTV.

Alhabeeb, who lists filmmakers Oliver Stone, Edward Zwick, Tony Scott and Zhang Yimou as his major influences, has three more projects in pre-production.

"One is called 'Greed,'" Alhabeeb said. "It's about how far people will go to get what they want, about relationships and infidelity."

One suggestion that Alhabeeb has heard, especially considering he's pursuing a career in an image-conscious industry like film, was changing his now infamous first name, Osama.

"There's always talk about [changing my name]," Alhabeeb said, adding that most of his friends and colleagues simply call him "O." Alhabeeb said that most of the talk of using a pseudonym comes form his parents.

"They just want me to be safe," he said. Alhabeeb said that he's in contact with several film festivals, including Sundance and the Spaghetti Junction urban film festival, in hopes of getting "Change the Game" screened there.

Tom Gralinski, a former teacher of Alhabeeb, isn't surprised by his accomplishments.

"He was always a passionate student about video," Gralinski said. "He knew how to tie the emotion and the artistry and the technology together. He's done some amazing things with the budget and experience he's got."

Gralinski said Alhabeeb was always thinking about his current or next video project, even when discussing other matters.

He recalled a conversation with his former student at school. They were walking down a hall when Alhabeeb heard music coming from one of the rooms in the world language section of ARHS. He knew it would fit perfectly in a video he was working on.

"He's found something to be passionate about," Gralinski said.