Thoughts on Filmmaking from Robert Zemeckis

"No matter how many obstacles that are thrown in our path, there are ways to except them and to live through them."

"Understand life's mysteries, as mysteries to be lived."

"I have to say when I make these movies it takes me a couple of years to actually understand what I got out of the process. I couldn't answer that right now, all the pain and suffering is just too close. Knowing what the themes of the movie were that we intended to make, I know what we were trying to do. But how this has affected me as a person and as a filmmaker, I really won't know for three or four years."

Interview with Filmmakers Alex Ferrari & Jorge F. Rodriguez

Alex Ferrari - Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, VFX Artist

After seeing "BROKEN" a close friend of ours told us that it is one of the most visually impressive short films he has ever seen. We want to thank two of the men responsible for making that film happen, Alex Ferrari and Jorge F. Rodriguez, for sharing their amazing story with us. These two gentlemen are on the verge of turning a successful short film into the start of a feature film career. Few have created the kind of buzz throughout the industry as these two have. They have done it with talent, perserverance, and hard work. Type in "Alex Ferrari Broken" into a Google Search to see what we mean. Until then, you can read about two passionate men who remain down to earth right here.

FS: What attracts you to film and filmmaking?

Alex: Working in a video store when I was younger got me started. I loved storytelling. The magic of it all.

Jorge: Filmmaking gives the writer a visual canvas in which to compose his work. Therefore granting him the ability to reach the broadest audience possible with his story.
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FS: How long have you been at it? Were there times along the way when it wasn't working out and you thought of giving it all up?

Alex: I have been editing and post supervising commercials, music videos & features for about ten years and been directing commercials for about six. I own my own Production/Post Production company called The Enigma factory, Inc. (http://www.enigmafactory.com/) and am based in South Florida.

Jorge: I have been writing since I was a kid and began working in production about five years ago. You think about giving up all the time but then you look at what the alternatives are and how empty your life would be if you weren't writing/producing you quickly snap out of it.


Jorge F. Rodriguez - Producer, Writer

FS: What motivates you?

Alex: To one day make a living telling stories, feature length stories. That is what keep me going. There is no bigger thrill for me than directing and editing a story and presenting it to an audience.

Jorge: When I have an idea that I can see unfold before my eyes it inspires me to write. My motivation comes with the realization that we each have a unique voice and that no matter how common the story; no one will be able to tell it the same way you can. And if you don't do it, it may never get done.


FS: Your short film "B R O K E N" is receiving buzz throughout the industry. It's been featured in dozens of magazines and internet websites. The demand is so great that you don't have enough DVD copies to sell to all of those who want to buy it. First, tell our readers who may not have heard of "B R O K E N" what it is all about.

Jorge: Broken is about a young woman named Bonnie, who is kidnapped after having a violent nightmare. She wakes to find herself at the mercy of an eccentric scarred man and his menacing entourage. Alex brought the original story to me, and after collaborating we developed the concept for a feature. Since we did not have the money to make a feature we decided to take an excerpt from Act1 and Act2 and shoot a short film.



Click here to view the trailer of this film, BROKEN TRAILER

FS: Next, what are your impressions of the reaction you have received for your film? Did you have any idea when you were in pre-production or when you were shooting in 100 degree heat that the reaction would be this strong in favor of your film?

Alex: AMAZING! The feedback has been very cool, positive and unexpected. People seem to enjoy Broken and that is all a storyteller can hope for. I personally thought that we would make a good little flick, but I did not expect to receive the this much attention. It's cool!

Jorge: We are a little overwhelmed by all the attention. All we wanted to do when we made this short was show what we could do so that we might get a shot at a feature version of the script. What has happened has been more than a pleasant surprise.
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FS: We heard that you made a trip to the Sundance Film Festival (even though your film was not entered due to not having it done by the deadline). How was your trip? Were you able to secure a deal to have "B R O K E N" made into a feature? Was it a surreal experience for you?

Jorge: After actually making the short, going to Sundance was the most pivotal decision we made in the last 12 months. Imagine, for two weeks out of the year Hollywood and New York are in one place, Park City, Utah. Naively we took our movie there hoping that somebody, anybody, would watch it and give us some feedback. The response was amazing. And the opportunities to network were everywhere. We had several meetings with, production executives, agents, and distributors, eventually leading us to a few options with regards to making the feature.

Alex: Man I can't wait to go back to Sundance! I had a ball. ALL FILMMAKERS SHOULD MAKE THE TRIP AT LEAST ONCE INT THEIR LIVES! It was so cool. The networking opportunities are amazing!


FS: What is up next for you and where will you be in 5 years?

Alex: I hope to be making a living as a full time feature director and hopefully own, with Jorge, our own POST/VFX company. Our little ILM if you will. ; )

Jorge: Now we are working on a DVD of the short that will have all sorts of extras about how we made Broken. Including 6 commentary tracks, over 3 hours of special features, scene breakdowns, storyboards, behind the scenes, VFX breakdowns, and the list goes on. You can go to http://www.whatisbroken.com/ for a full list. Also we are putting the finishing touches on the feature screenplay based on Broken. As for the next five years, if I can make a living entertaining broad audiences with my stories I’ll be ecstatic.
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FS: Your final thoughts on this whole experience and what you would tell some of our readers who are just getting started.

Alex: Do as NIKE says: JUST DO IT! If it sucks, fine. You learned and you move on to the next one with the knowledge. JUST MAKE YOUR MOVIE NO MATTER WHAT IS TAKES!!! I wish you all the best luck on your future projects. Before you make your first project, LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT THE CRAFT OF STORYTELLING!! The more you know, the more dangerous you become...BE DANGEROUS!

Jorge: The journey has been, and continues to be a rough one, but like most things in life, well worth the trip. Fortunately for me I not only have the unwavering support of my family, but the opportunity to work with my best friend Alex on a project that we both love and feel strongly about. My advice is simple. Stop talking about it and go make your movie. Start small, learn the skills you'll need to make the type of movie you want, and then go make it. So what if you make a mistake, learn from it, and move on. It's up to you and no one else.

Wisdom from Actress Natalie Portman

"My father has a general rule. He says if I haven't done it in real life I shouldn't do it on-screen."

"Ninety per cent of how you learn is watching great people. When you are surrounded by good actors it lifts your performance."

"I am not someone who sacrifice all for the cinema, my life will be always more important."

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Wisdom from Actor Tom Hanks

"I do the work that I think is absolutely fascinating. There's not nearly as much distraction for me now as there used to be."

"If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great."

"I will entertain anything; it doesn't matter. You know, it's not obviously about the price, it's not about who, it's kind of about when and what. It's material, that's all."

"That's what's nice about directing a film and having it done: There's nothing more I can do about it. It's done. That's it. All I can do is let it go and hope that people are kind to it."