So many rounds of casting, and only 2 of 3 of our kiddos have been cast. I am working on a post all about my audition process, but in the meantime, I’ve decided to have a little fun. That is, after all, why I’m even in this movie business thing. Here is a list of some spanish directorial terms that I’ve found myself using with the kids I teach at AustinISD. (I’ve been editing their films over the past week, and I keep hearing myself scream these terms, lol.) The list will be augmented as I think of more. Taking suggestions, too.

1. ¡Con ganas!

2. ¡Animo!

3. ¡Andale!

The World was supposed to end that night, but we had dreams to make movies upon survival. We made about 1,000 tamales that night/day with the incredible help of our producer’s amazing mom. (more like we helped her)

And so went Plane Pretend’s first fundraiser: December 2012

Look out for our Crowdfunding Campaign soon!

Doing my homework at sxsw. I love filmmaking! Been collecting inspiring words from Danny Boyle, Joss Whedon, Olivia Wilde, and Rick Linklater. New casting technologies on the lunch menu today.

Method Writing

In the summer of 2012, a bunch of Austin filmmakers piled (literally) into a van to exchange their films to a full house at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. I was one of them.

Conexiones, a Latin arts TV show interviewed our bunch - Enjoy!

Spread the word about Conexiones, hosted by AnaMaria Bech

thetreeandthebear:

Thanks AnaMaria Bech for coming out to see our films and featuring South by Suroeste on your show, Conexiones. 

This year I had the opportunity to sit in on a talk with Amy Heckerling, director of Clueless, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and a few Gossip Girl episodes. Among the many words of wisdom that casually flowed from her mouth, I remember her saying that, ”Sometimes you miss your timeline; BUT YOU STILL DO IT.”

I am a filmmaker, and I know how we filmmakers feel when we keep pushing our deadlines/ timelines. I know how it eats away at our confidence when suddenly two years have past, and the CCD chip or film strip has yet to see the light of day. A new year is coming, and I know we will be setting numeric goals for films we hope to make within the year. Setting these goals is an important part of our progress, but even more important is what we do when we do not meet these goals on time - STILL DO IT!

Somewhere between writing drafts and gathering money and people and airplanes and equipment, life happens. Your timeline starts moving faster than you can while juggling day jobs and changes in things you thought would be the constants through the chaos. You have to believe or be aware that the new things that enter your life after missing your deadline are invaluable additions to you and the production that will take your movie to newer heights.

We were slated to film Plane Pretend in January 2013, and now we are set for sometime in the spring (exact date TBA). In the past few months, I have made friendships and connections with people that will be a part of Plane Pretend’s success. I have been able to connect with the emotional world of my characters in a way I never anticipated. These connections and this understanding have given me a newfound passion and confidence in creating something meaningful and personal; and THAT is my ultimate goal. That is what I want to contribute to the world.

So yes, we missed our timeline, but yes, we are still going to do it!

I did not make this video - but i think it’s awesome and relevant to what we are doing and feeling here at Plane Pretend.

June was a slow month here at Plane Pretend. My family was prepping for my sister’s wedding; and I have been wrapping up my latest short (Dirty Laundry) and packing up my last short (When I Grow Up) for screenings in New Orleans, San Francisco and around the US and Canada. It was recently chosen to be a part of LUNAFEST which will get our film into at least 150 venues across two countries!

I did have a meeting set up with the Eagle Eye Arts Academy, an acting school for children that is run entirely in Spanish. This is the jackpot for our film since our film relies on fluent Spanish speakers. Unfortunately, life does not cease to happen while we filmmakers play pretend. My car has been acting up even after repairs that typically fixed it in the past. I may need a new car soon; but I hope it gives me at least 40,000 more miles - or at least lets me get through “Plane Pretend.” Needless to say, I had to cancel the meeting.

My sister’s wedding was a beautiful DIY wedding. It brought my muses together: my family. Whether we were arguing or solving problems while creating something together, like a 3-tier ocean cake or a tres leches cake, being with them was therapeutic and inspiring. The wedding was on the beach; so the Gulf of Mexico’s presence was the icing on the cake.

The Gulf of Mexico is a character in “Plane Pretend,” so in a sense, I had a meeting with one of our cast. We discussed its role in the film. It showed me a few options, how it would glitter and dance during its close up. I swam in it briefly, to let it know my satisfaction.

Now that the wedding has passed and revitalized me and my film is almost wrapped, it is time to jump back on this aircraft and fly!

While I was a film student at UT Austin, one the most valuable courses I took was Kat Candler’s Advanced Narrative. It was there that I experienced my first Rough-cut screening. Since then, rough cut screenings have become an invaluable part of my process. For those that do not know, a rough cut screening is when you show a cut of your film to a test audience and receive feedback on whether something is confusing, whether there is some boom in a shot that you and your editor both overlooked, and most importantly, if your story is making any sense to anyone.

Tomorrow (today technically) is the rough-cut screening of my latest film “Dirty Laundry.” While I was a student, I had access to free rooms with nice projection and sound systems. As a no-budget indie filmmaker, I have become a devout user of library meeting rooms. Sure the library makes you agree to have your event free and open to the public, but it is a risk I am willing to take. Who knows, maybe that walk-in will provide some valuable information tomorrow.

Regardless, I cannot wait to be prepping for Plane Pretend’s Rough Cut Screening! I will post a picture of the RCScreening to this post this week.

Today is Mother’s Day.  My dear sweet mommy is sick in her bed 6 hours away while I sit, working on pre-production at Mr. Natural, a delicious Austin restaurant (with free wifi). The only thing alleviating the distance between us today is that I get to think about her everytime I work on this film. “Plane Pretend” is inspired and motivated by the wide-eyed, 14-year-old girl my mother was when she first immigrated to the United States. Two days after her birthday and hours after one of her favorite musicians (John Lennon) died in 1980, my mother was making a dangerous trek to a new life in the United States of America. “Plane Pretend” captures one of the most fun and memorable experiences on that journey: flying in an airplane for the first time in her life.

go to whenigrowupmovie.com to read about the last film my mom inspired. I gave it to her as a Mother’s Day present in 2010.

my mom’s cameo in my last film