The Easter Eggs
If it isn’t already clear, I’m a bit obsessed with the details, and how we can use them to make the story that much more meaningful and interesting. The details can make the characters who they are, adding so much insight into their lives. While I do believe one needs to be artistic and not too heavy handed, easter eggs are a fun way to engage with the audience, but should be purposeful. They are totems, and should be respected as such. I won’t share all the little details of our story, but I will call out a few.
The Clock
While there are already some theories of where the clock is and what it means, the cast, crew and collaborators have shared a lot of beautiful interpretations with me. And you know what? They were all right, because stories are things we create to allow everyone to experience an idea for themselves. This story is for the audience to experience, examine, hopefully it will connect with them in a way that will allow for them to reflect on their own journey. I’m simply presenting a story for others to make their own.
I wanted the clock to have a peculiar feel to it, so during the screenwriting phase, I played around with a few ideas, story boarded them and did some test shoots. I eventually landed on the clock sequences being stop motion, giving me the exact feeling I was hoping to achieve.
If you notice the sound of the clock ticking being extra eerie, that’s our intentional sound design. It isn’t actually a clock ticking, it’s the sound of a revolver hammer being cocked.
TOON$ & BOOPS MACHADO
One day while I was sharing the backstory of Jose and his relationship with his father, our lead actor Clifton said, “What if we got Toon to be my pops?” (Toon being the legendary artist Mister Cartoon.) I was of course thrilled with the idea, and Clifton reached out to Toon. A few days later, I received a handful of photos to use in the film. I’ve personally been a huge fan and followed Toon’s career for most of my life, documenting his murals all over the city starting in the mid ‘90s. Being able to fold in this storyline was magical, and to have that photo of TOON$ & BOOPS MACHADO on Jose’s desk is an absolute honor.
The Wrench
Collaborating with Clifton Collins Jr. was beyond one of the best things to ever happen to me professionally. As I’ve previously mentioned, I love details — but seeing how deep Clifton goes into a character was a first row seat for a masterclass in filmmaking. We’d spend hours going line by line, diving deeper into all of the characters and their plight and purpose. One day we were talking about one of the scenes of the film involving a wrench, and Clifton says, “I ever tell you about Grandpa’s Caddy?”
What followed was a beautiful story filled with love and legacy, and ultimately the wrench used in a pivotal scene in the film was Clifton’s grandfather’s. They’d work together on his Caddy when Clifton was a kid. His grandfather, of course, is the great actor Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez.
It was so special to have this very special piece of history and something so meaningful to Clifton in the film.
