A Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: deMonica
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Date: May 1st, 2021
Director: Miguel Angel Ferrer
Producer: Wil Romero, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Angel Ferrer, Eric Gaunaurd
Writer: Miguel Angel Ferrer
Cinematographer: Jan-Michael Losada
Production Company: Magic Films, Six Digit Productions, Paradiso Pictures
Budget: $15,000
Financing: NA
Shooting Format: Alexa Mini, Red Gemini, Atlas Anamorphics
Screening Format: 2.40
World Premiere: TBD
Awards: NA
Website: http://www.directormiguelferrer.com/
indieactivity: Tell us about “who you are”?
Miguel Angel Ferrer (MAF): My name is Miguel Angel Ferrer, a Venezuelan-American writer, and director. I was born and raised in Caracas, then moved to the states when I was 12. I always had a passion for cinema and television as it changed my life over and over again. Well-told stories always captivated me. My dad always carried around a video camera, he started with a Betamax, so I was one of the lucky dew Mohave may entire childhood recorded on tapes. My mom was a former Flamenco, Ballet, and Zarzuela dancer – so the arts were always in my periphery. In school, I would make any project I could – a video or movie project. And before the age of non-linear editing, I would edit from tape to tape borrowing my friend’s VCRs. But it was only at the age of 20 that I actually found out filmmaking was a career. I knew of the great directors, and I would always watch the behind-the-scenes at the end of every HBO show or film, but I was never told – “Hey, you know you can make a living doing this right?” But when I did come to that realization, I left everything else to pursue my dream of having a career as a filmmaker.
Introduce your film?
Miguel Angel Ferrer (MAF): The film is titled deMonica. It tells the story of a former gang member who has to recruit a Jesuit priest in order to save his younger sister, not only from the prostitution ring that she fell into but from the demon that’s pocking her body. The film is really about forgiveness, family, sacrifice, and redemption. It’s about letting go of those figurative demons that haunt us in order to step into a better version of ourselves. It’s about faith, the faith we have to have on ourselves to make miracles happen every day. The film’s tone was inspired by a number of films, from the real-life horrors of Tigers are not Afraid, to the character arc of William Munny in Unforgiven, to the raw and unflinching violence of Old Boy.
Tell us why you chose to write, produce, direct, shoot, cut/edit the movie? Was it financial, chance or no-budget reason?
Miguel Angel Ferrer (MAF): It was both a creative and financial decision. Creatively I knew this would be the first time that I would have absolutely free rein to say something with my voice, unfiltered. Luckily I had a great team of producers who supported me. My experience also gave me the confidence to pull that off: I was a National Geographic Cameraman in my early days, and I also did a post for Warner Bros for three years – so I knew how to get an indie budget to look as expensive as humanly possible.
Introduce your crew?
Miguel Angel Ferrer (MAF): I couldn’t have asked for a better set of collaborators. Cinematographer Jan-Michael Losada is someone I’ve been working for years with, and we always wanted to take a stab at something narrative together. Not only is he a superb DP, but also a huge fan of the horror genre – so he became a really great litmus test for all creative points, gags, and moments. I asked five different Production Designers to build this set inside my house – and all five told me it was impossible. Cue in Production Designer Vince Sanchez Sambrano. He lives in New York so I was hesitant to given our budget restrictions, but five minutes into our phone call I knew he was the guy. He flew from New York to build the set inside my house in Highland Park. When the actors, really anyone, stepped into the house and saw a full set built with walls and a ceiling – their jaws dropped. I think it’s one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen done on a film set – let alone an indie film set – in a living room, inside the house.
Producers Pedro Alonso and Eric Gaunaurd were key with many logistical aspects of the shoot as they worked remotely. Juan Carlos Rodriguez did a killer job with the score and sound design, and Andres Ellis, our main VFX artist worked magic with the workload. Most of the VFX shots in the film were “You’ll never notice this is a VFX shot” deal. And lastly but certainly the most one of the most important pieces to this puzzle was Wil Romero. Wil had the initial vision to shoot this film and bought all the elements together, in order to make this happen. On top of that, he made sure we were being authentic to the city of fury – Caracas, Venezuela.
What is the source of the idea? How did the story develop from the idea? And how did the story evolve into a screenplay? Why do this story? Do you have a writing process?
Miguel Angel Ferrer (MAF): I never saw myself doing horror, and I never saw myself doing a short film. However, when the story of this person, who believes she doesn’t deserve forgiveness, came to my mind, it took hold of me and never let go. I think we all have crazy different types of crosses, and many of them bring us down to our knees. So the image of someone putting down that cross, and being able to move forward with their life, is something that I think is very relatable – certainly to me.
Let’s talk pre-production: take us through a timeline of how you started and ended it.
MAF: We started pre-production in February of 2020. We were going to shoot in Venezuela. But then the pandemic hit and all our plans were halted. It was only in August, when I realized that the Venezuelan border would not be opened any time soon, that I measured the living room in my house and said, “The hallway fits here.” Once I got the blessing from Wil Romero and Pedro Alonso, it was all hands on deck. We had about 6 weeks of pre-production. We, and by we I mean Vince, built the set in 4 days and we shot in late September.
What was your rehearsal process and period?
MAF: I brought in the actors to rehearse the day before the shoot. I had called each of them and had extensive conversations about their roles, how they fit into the mythology, and the bigger story at play. It was a wonderful process and they asked all the right questions, sometimes even pushing me to write better moments, better dialogue, and to really push the boundaries of “what can be done in a short film” Francisco, Daniela, Alec, and Claudia gave themselves to the roles and elevated them to places I couldn’t have imagined.
You shot the film in days. How long were your days?
MAF: Two, 12 hour days. Then one day of picks-ups.
Did the tight shooting schedule make it harder or easier? How did it affect performances?
MAF: We were so dialed in on every aspect that It didn’t feel like we were rushing. Everyone was truly on point and that’s thanks to our Co-Producer Maritza Carbajal who acted as our AD and UPM.
During the film production, what scene (that made the cut) was the hardest to shoot? And why?
MAF: The first shot you see in the hallway. It was a long take, technical, with five actors on camera in a tight space, an SFX gag and it was also the very first shot of the entire shoot.
What was the experience like of working with a small shooting crew?
MAF: Everyone had a purpose and we were all alert to what was happening on camera.
The film looks stunning. How did you get such a good look when shooting so fast?
MAF: Jan-Michael Losada’s lighting team and Vince’s production design. We also knew exactly what we’re shooting, from what angle, and with what lens days before the shooting began.
When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its formation?
MAF: I founded Magic Films in 2014 out of the necessity of doing music videos, commercials and branded.
What about independent filmmaking and the business do you still struggle with?
MAF: Breaking into new markets, new circles of people that don’t know you personally. Everyone thinks they can put together a production, but it is only until they see first hand the immense amount of work ethic it takes that they realize you got something special.
Where do you think your strengths lie as a filmmaker?
MAF: Hmmmm. Philosophically speaking… Vision – the vision to see things for how they are going to be. Then Discipline – the discipline to execute the immense amount of hard work required to execute that vision by convincing another great group of creatives to see the same vision you’re having – and encouraging them to elevate it. But as far as all the work of the filmmaker – I think a good filmmaker has to be a jack of all trades, a master of ONE (Story). Directors have to be the decathletes of the whole thing – not the best at one particular trade, but you have to know how to move within that space and how to communicate with those artists in THEIR language. I used to do the decathlon in High School and college so I like that analogy.
Let’s talk about finance, How did you finance the film?
MAF: I was lucky to have a private investor believe in our dream.
How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
MAF: We didn’t go over budget.
How important is marketing? Talk about the festival tour? Do you think a project can make a dent without it nowadays?
MAF: We’ve just started so I’ll loop back around in 6 months.
What else have you got in the works?
MAF: We’re shopping for a home for the feature film version of the story, which I wrote last year. It’s a thrilling horror, End of Watch meets City of God meets The Exorcist, set in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. We’re also in pre-production for a smaller more intimate feature film that we’re VERY excited about.
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