Even in creative professions, there comes a time when you feel your work process starts to become repetitive, requiring mostly the same tools and similar approaches to problem solving in the field and in post-production. Hence the virtue of embarking every once in a while, on a personal project, letting you explore new ways of doing things without having to live up to any expectations other than your own. Free to experiment and free to fail, these projects have the potential to prime your creative juices and extend your barriers. And what better time to germinate a project like this than last spring’s home confinement period!
In March this year, screen writer Ignasi García presented me with a script with the action set in my wife’s home town of Martos, and a cast comprising exclusively members of our (very large) family. With time on my hand and the potential to produce a 30-minute comedy thriller short film, I took to the task of pairing film characters to members of the family and to create a story board.
Easy enough. What was a lot harder was to create a shoot schedule lining up the 24 scenes, 14 locations and 25 actors with dates and times, all within reasonably tight shooting blocks. Eventually, with some tooth grinding and last-minute improvisations, we managed to shoot all the material over two weeks of time in July and August, respectively. Equipped with exceeding enthusiasm, but limited in time, technical resources and with no previous experience on behalf of any of the people participating in the film, we shot the last scene under a sizzling hot sun on August 25.
Filmed completely out of its chronological sequence, post-production is where you get to finally see how the bits fit together. This is also where the magical ingredients of music, sound effects and color grading all contribute to making the short truly come alive, allowing you to look back with satisfaction at the hard and long on-location hours. Being an amateur production, the editing room is also where you get the solve all the mistakes incurred. It’s hard to have fun and be perfect at the same time, isn’t it?
This film gave our family a common project to develop and execute together, and will provide a lasting memory for all involved. That having been the main objective, the production crew feels confidently satisfied with the result. But beyond its makers, we also hope it will serve to entertain many more people.
The short film “El Secreto de Martos” will be premiered on Facebook and YouTube on October 31 this year. Stay tuned!