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INTERVIEW: |
DIRECTOR
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| InVision:
How did you get started as a DIRECTOR? As a child I studied painting, sculpture, music, writing and photography. I figure film directing would combine all of those because I didn't want to give one up. InVision: Did you have a mentor? No a mentor as a director but several mentors as a writer. Three famous writers I studied with. Joan Tewksbury (Nashville), Dalmiro Saenz (Argentinean writer) and John Rechy. They all have something on common, they are rich in words, like a French chocolate desert. InVision: How did your mentor process work? They inspired me because of their point of view of story and how they approached it. Each has his or her own style and I realize finding your voice is what going to make you stand out from the crowd. When a story teller has done several works of art, you can tell that they were always same the same thing in different way or stories. That what you have to find, the one thing that you came to the world to say. InVision: Lets talk about pre-production. A typical day for you as a Director? A week before shooting, what is your day like? Crazy. I'm 24-7 in pre production even if I'm not shooting. I go out and I see every place as a possible location. But when shooting is real. InVision: What about a typical day, say right in the middle of a production? You plan your day, but you sort of have to change it as you go along because you are constantly ditching new problems. That's the fun part. It's a like a chess game, you need to use your brain to readjust your schedule and ideas. InVision: Is there such a thing as a 40hr-work week? 40hs week? Try more like 80 hour week. I'm not kidding. I would shoot 14 to 16 hours a day including Saturday and Sunday is not off. God has to wait until you finish shooting. InVision: What is the most important resource for you in your job? Your brain. Trust what you know. InVision: What is the toughest part of your job? Dealing with actors because they are human being. You can plan what they are gonna do or how they are gonna feel. But I like tough. I like challenge. InVision: Do you have a part of your job that is most rewarding? When people laugh at your jokes or they go "mmmm" like they got it. InVision: What advice do you have for someone who wants to do what you do? Study, watch films, read, travel, go to museums, listen to music, write every day. Make something of your taste. InVision: What pitfalls in the industry did you have to watch out for to get where you are today? Studios, development people. You have to pass lots of filters before you get to someone who can actually make it happen. InVision: What is your best advice for getting your foot in the door in this industry? Write a good script. InVision: What big changes have you seen? This years trend is Latino and comedies. But they are just trends, you should write what you. Now if you are a Latino who write comedies this is your year. InVision: As a Director, how have computers and the Internet affected your field and your work? Yes. You can edit at home and make your own movies and to do research, the Internet is awesome. InVision: If you could change one thing of your profession to improve being a Director, what would that be? I would like to have an extra brain and an extra life so I could make more movies. InVision: What do you do to get yourself ready for a major project or job? I like cutting photos of magazines and doing collages to show my DP, production designer and make-up artist. I learned this from doing commercials. Then everybody know exactly what you want instead of wondering what you meant by vague words like "nice." InVision: How do you deal with difficult personalities? I've been told that I'm tough. I remain distant I guess and try to keep professionalism in the set, so it doesn't affect me emotionally. On one set once people called me "sir." InVision: Who do you think has influenced you the most? Pedro Almodovar, Tim Burton, Terry Guilliam. InVision: What is the latest film you've directed? The 35mm feature film "The Woman Every Man Wants." It comes out on video and DVD in the summer by a distribution company called Vanguard. InVision: What type of film would you like to direct? Magical realism, dramas and comedies. Visually challenging films. InVision: How did you feel when you saw your first feature in the theater with an audience? It's an incredible feeling, specially in a big theater with a big screen. You feel like the communication process has come to an end and what you wanted to say it's out there. You feel completely naked and great at the same time. InVision: Is a project ever finish? I have trouble finishing things. I always want to rewrite them or recut them. In my novel that is already published, there is a word that I hate. That word haunts me. InVision: Did your friends and family encourage you or are they still waiting for you to get a real job? Some encourage me, some wait for me to get a real job and some criticize me in a way that bother me but make my story better. I only pay attention to the ones that help my career. InVision: Any last comments for our readers? Find your voice, your style, your palette of colors. It could be anything. Mine is orange. www.thewomaneverymanwants.com InVision: Thank you for the time and insight. |
