SANTA IN TRAINING [feature - family comedy]
• On-Set Dresser / Prop shop / Graphic Design
A little known secret is that every 30 years a new Santa Claus is chosen to replace present Santa. So what could go wrong when two eccentric elves are sent to bring back and train a man who says he hates Christmas? Just about everything.
ANASTASIA: ONCE UPON A TIME [feature - family]
• Art Director/Set Dresser/Food Stylist [Russian scenes]
A fantasy-adventure film based on the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Creative included research for 1917 Russian scenes, prop shopping + styling on set, and food styling for lavish banquet scene. Set in 1917, “Anastasia” is a re-telling of the classic story in which Anastasia Romanov escapes through a portal when her family is being threatened by Vladimir Lenin and finds herself in the year 1988, befriended by a young American girl.
TRICO TRI [feature - Spanglish comedy]
• Production Designer + Art Director
A hispanic middle class family moves back to Miami to take care of their recently widowed Abuela. Little do they know that their new house is the infamous Bradford house, which is haunted by two mischievous sibling ghosts. Hilarious situations ensue as the family settles in, including an unusual teenage romance, overzealous ghost hunters, a superstitious abuela and high-schoolers looking to throw a big halloween bash at the Bradford house.
“MOOD... capturing aesthetic tones, palette + atmospheres. ”
MARILYN IN MIAMI [retitled as Interview with Marilyn]
• Art Director / Production Designer
• 1st AD – script, blocking, staffing, logistics, call sheets, production
Good film is like an out-of-body experience that allows you to transcend the orbit of your own little life and fully inhabit characters you could never be.
It’s the stories of small, intimate moments of our humanity that resonate in one’s soul. Much like the very art of filmmaking itself. It’s a tribe of collective psyches with a fervor for telling a passionate narrative. Through this collaboration we have to trust the director, find loyalty and soulmates in our crews, and pray the editor gets it right. Sometimes a long and arduous journey, and the end is always bittersweet. We sleep, regroup... and do it all over again.
In this film, dreams appear as shimmering, effervescent fantasies. Film Noir about a Latin woman, her unrequited longing for Hollywood, her love life in Miami and the Ghost of Marilyn. (Stills by Noah’s Photography)
Art Direction, Props + Set Dressing for multiple locations (w/Latin American themes), as well as 1st AD duties.
SOUL SISTER MILEYDE ARTILES (DP)
THE HARPIST [short - drama]
• Production Designer / Art Director
• Photographer (posters + banners)
• Associate Producer + Location Scout + Asst. Editor... whew!
I have such an unrelenting gratitude and respect for the efforts of fellow independent filmmakers. The challenges unique to every new endeavor forge such a resonating esprit de corps among the cast and crew, I almost feel sorry for big-budget productions.
Short story about talent and a touch of heart. 8 film festivals + 3 awards + 1 nomination
Art direction and storyboarding for props + styling throughout five locations. Also worked on scouting, wardrobe, logistics, staffing.
LOVE YOU STILL [short - drama]
• Asst. Art Director
Consumed by memories of his young love Alice, John lives in regret and longs for her return. One day, a bottle washes ashore containing a note that begs the question: Did John lose the love of his life, or did he lose his mind? Numerous film fests + awards
As an integral part of the art team, I helped turn an empty guest house into a timeless 1940’s cabin, created a magical backyard scene with hundreds of messages in a bottle (lots of dumpster diving!), and food prep and styling for an old-fashion dinner.
THE SURFACE [feature - drama, thriller]
• Art Department / PA
Sometimes you look for the end. Sometimes it looks for you. A chance meeting in the middle of Lake Michigan forces two desperate strangers, each on the brink of disaster, to confront their worst fears. Numerous film fests + 1 nomination
I assisted art department with props, and as PA did echoing, lock-ups, wrangling, transportation, assisted craft services.
MY BOYS – YEP, REAL SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM!
CÉNA MORTIS (Feast of Death) [short - dramedy]
• Production Designer, Set Dresser, 1st AD, Props + Wardrobe, Location Scout, Casting, HMU... wowie!
This Renaissance-era dramatic poem about a devious countess, and the purposeful demise of her suitors, was my first film and a labor of love. (Sadly, the original film and its few copies have been lost in the abyss.)
Working on small-budget, independent films you sometimes have to do it all. As lead creative, I worked on props, set design and wardrobe for 13 actors. I also did food prep and styling, which included a lavish 18th-Century baroque dinner scene. Also undertook location scout, HMU, and wardrobe positions. Worked in conjunction with the Director on casting, storyboard creative and directing.