Hello 2012

Sorry for the long time without a post. Life has been a bit hectic but good.  I've been juggling my job, my writing class, family life, pre-production for Alone, finishing The Big Deal and worrying about health issues affecting a family member. 

I decided to put Alone & The Big Deal on hold while I was taking the screenwriting class. I didn't have the time or the money to do justice to either project.  An indie filmmaker spends a lot time searching for people to either do favors  or give you such a low rate on things that it's almost free.  This is why a good producer is key to a writer/director. I produce my own stuff and it's hard when you have a full plate of non film related responsibilities. 

A few months ago I reached out to a composer for music for The Big Deal. I'm currently using a temp track that is not licensed ie "illegal". I got an email from the composer with samples from his library that I can use for a very low price. I'm in the process of figuring out which songs to use. I hope that the next screening will have the new music and I will finally be "legal".  Once the music is in The Big Deal will be 100% complete.

My main goal for 2012 is to find a producer who wants to work with me on a permanent basis. This will leave me with time to develop scripts and ideas.  For the blog, I will start to add links to filmmaking resources and articles. I will also be interviewing some of my filmmaker friends who are farther along in their journey through Indiewood.  I want to make the blog a good resource for filmmakers at every level.

Onward & Upward,

Lucy

The Big Deal screens in Boston

The Big Deal is screening on 11/22 - 8:50pm @ The Boston Latino International Film Festival

BLIFF 2011 Closing Program
US Latino Program (education & adolescence)
Address:
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Hispanic/Latino and the Latin American Caucuses Harvard University – Kennedy School of Government
Weiner Room
79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Snip Snip - New Cut of The Big Deal

The original cut was almost 14 minutes long and the new cut is almost 9 minutes long. I applied to 10 festivals, got into four and won the 2011 Imagen Award for Best Theatrical Short.

Friends and family were surprised that me, their favorite optimist would be so devastated by this. Of course I am grateful for the festivals the film has screened at and winning the Imagen Award BUT, I want more for The Big Deal. My team and I worked too long and too hard on this film to have the film’s life end there.

I am a dreamer, an optimist and I am proactive. If I was  an optimistic dreamer without the hard work supporting those dreams then I would be very happy with the small successes that The Big Deal has been showered with. I worked too hard and too long putting this film together for me to be happy with just that.


The film has been well received by the audience but it was rejected by 6 of the 10 festivals.  I kept asking myself why. I asked some filmmaker friends for feedback and I think they were being polite because not one of them gave me the answer I needed.  

As luck would have it, one of my friends was raving about a book she had read and the book changed EVERYTHING.

How Not to Make a Short Film: Secrets from a Sundance Programmer by Roberta Marie Munroe

Broad Humor

The Big Deal will screen on Saturday, October 1st, 2011  at the Broad Humor Film Festival. The film is screening in the Food & Family Program at 1:00pm.

The primary venue for the festival is the  Electric Lodge Performing Arts Center at 1416 Electric Avenue, Venice, California 90291.

http://broadhumor.com/films/shorts.html

I hope to see you there.

xoxo,

Lucy

My Reel

Here's a link to my director reel - the second scene is my favorite scene from The Big Deal. This was the last scene we filmed, we did three takes even though we nailed it on the first. The last scene is from Love Song, my first film. Enjoy.
Lucy Rodriguez Filmmaker Reel

Imagen Award Winner Best Theatrical Short - The Big Deal

I am beyond words right now. All I can say is follow your dreams - I'm following mine and it feels great.
I met so many inspirational people tonight.  I share this award with my friends, family, the cast, the crew, my Mateo and my Chicana Role Model, Michele Serros.

Now back to work on preproduction for The Brown Widow and Alone.

xoxo,

Lucy

ps
That's me with Esai Morales who won Best Actor for Gun Hill Road - the film also won Best Picture

Imagen Awards Tonight

I'm super excited and I can't believe it's finally here. Any excuse to get dressed up is a good one. My husband and I are going to make a date night out of it. I wish my sister was coming with us but she's filming an episode of Against the Wall (Lifetime) in Toronto. I'm looking forward to meeting all the nominees.  It is an honor to be in such great company.

I'm currently writing the next short - The Brown Widow, my first horror script my sister and I will be producing and I will be directing. We've cast the film  (now we need to ask the actors) but they are our friends and we know they will jump on board - more on that soon. Ona doesn't want to be in it,  she wants to focus on the producing aspect. We are projecting an end of year shoot and then Alone in NYC either April or late June of 2012.

I'm developing two feature scripts and I'm looking to option one that's ready for production. I'm also taking a writing class at UCLA and contemplating enrolling in one of their certificate programs. I'm undecided whether I should go for the screenwriting program or the creative writing nonfiction program.  I need to make sure I can juggle this along with my full time job and still have time for directing classes with Judith Weston.

I'm looking forward to tonight. I'm so grateful for the reception this film has received.

xoxo,
Lucy