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Florid Weekly on Chuck

Actor, director at home in front of and behind the camera



BY PAMELA V. KROL Special to Florida Weekly Chuck Ardezzone COURTESY PHOTO Quit talking about it. Just do it. That (in an New York accent) is the working mantra of producer, actor and director Chuck Ardezzone — and he’s serious. That much is evident from his natural, can-do attitude and his enthusiasm for his work. The Long Island native is the founder and owner of IntroubleZone Productions, a Naples-based independent production company that produces short and feature films, reality television programs, documentaries, commercials, videos, Web shows and more. “We’re incredibly busy,” says Mr. Ardezzone, who is busy working on at least a score of high-profile productions and is looking for more. “People pitch us all the time and we love it,” he says. “We’re always searching for exciting new ideas.” Among ITZ’s most recent projects is a reality television show about wealthy Naples housewives. Temporarily dubbed either “The Naples X Wives Club” or “Elite Housewives of Naples,” the show focuses on the tumultuous, interconnected lives of seven jet-setting women, aka “Real Housewives of…” “The final title will be up to whichever network picks up the show,” says Mr. Ardezzone, adding two major networks have it under their consideration. ITZ also recently produced “V8 Muscle Bikes,” a video about the builders and riders of high-end, high-powered NASCAR-style racing motorcycles. The video takes viewers behind the scenes to watch the high-speed hogs being built and then follows riders as they take to the open road. “It presents a lifestyle that most people probably wouldn’t see otherwise,” Mr. Ardezzone says. Not all ITZ projects are about life in the fast lane, however. The company also produces “Florida Adventure Quest,” featuring top sports fishermen and their real-life adventures in Florida waters. A second fishing show, “Offshore Adventure Quest,” is in the works and focuses on shark and tuna fishing off the Florida coast. “Florida is a beautiful place and it has some of the best fishing, as well as some of the best fishermen, in the world,” Mr. Ardezzone says. “Both programs take advantage of that.” The producer hasn’t always worked behind the camera. His first true love was acting. “When I was a kid, I really dreamed of being an actor,” he says, adding he studied with professional acting coaches for years. “I did the typical waiting-ontables while-going-on-auditions thing that so many New York actors do while they’re hoping for their big break. Eventually, I realized that I needed a more reliable way to pay my bills.” He says he started acting in television commercials, including some spots for Verizon and Coca-Cola and a Super Bowl ad for Campbell’s Chunky Soup. “It ended up being very lucrative,” he says. In time, still hoping for his big break, he tried his luck on one of America’s earlier reality television programs. “Average Joe” allegedly gave everyday guys the chance to date a supermodel. “It was mostly staged and scripted, and not really a very good show,” Mr. Ardezzone allows. “But it was from that experience that I developed an interest in producing reality television programs myself. I bought a camera and some basic equipment and slowly got started. “The rest is history.” Today he loves working on both sides of the camera and does his fair share of both. In fact, if you watch TV, chances are you’ve seen him — if not in a national commercial, then on episodes of shows including “Third Watch,” “Law & Order” and “Burn Notice.” “I have to say I love every minute of being in front of the camera,” he says. “That hasn’t changed at all.” In addition to its other specialties, ITZ has a Cause Marketing division that focuses strictly on producing videos, documentaries and other awareness and marketing vehicles for charitable organizations. “We started out doing a few gratis videos for charities and realized that the need among these organizations, which do great work but are always low on funding, is very high,” he says. “Now we’ve made helping them a regular part of our business.” ITZ is putting together an event called The Charity Challenge that will allow area businesses, including John Marazzi Nissan and El Primo Pizza, to face off in a series of contests such as like chicken wing-eating and parallel parking to win money for charities. “It’ll be a great day,” he says, adding his firm will make a video of the event as well. Mr. Ardezzone, who is the vice president of the Naples International Film Festival, is engaged to Heather Herwick. The two live in Naples and are planning a January wedding. “I’m lucky to have a lot of exciting things going on, and I’m especially lucky to be able to do something I love