Chrysanthemum & Esperanza

November - December, 2024

Reasons to Continue:
Walking on the Moon was supposed to be the last PinkWhiteBlue film. It ended with the hope that the audience could set forth on their own adventure and make new friends. So much emotion was put into that project that when it premiered on November 15th, 2024 I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt a hollow in my heart from saying goodbye to the generous actors and crew that created the film.

"For every person that you know
Once they'll say goodbye and go
Think you'll see them soon, then no
You won't see them again
There's always a last time
That you'll see everyone
There's always a never again"
- Jon Brion "Schenectady"

I returned to civilian life, tried to find peace in the mundane, but I couldn't make it work. Maybe I could do one more. Maybe seventh time's the charm. I revved up the engine again and got to work.

Why a Film Set in 2005?:
It's an interesting layering of needs I wanted to fulfill.
First, I wanted to work the Pennelope and Jada again. They were such a great pair to have on set and I wanted to continue our work. I believe they are great actors and it would interesting to write new roles for them that could use more of their acting ability.

Second, I wanted to move quickly with this project to avoid any expectations that came from Walking on the Moon. That was a film that felt grandiose, and I didn't know how I could possibly go bigger. If I could craft something short and intimate I could ease that expectation from my mind.

Third, I always wanted to direct a film that was just two people in a room talking. Its a simple writing exercise that I kept putting off for years and I felt it was the right time to do it. I wanted to challenge my writing capabilities and it would also keep the film short and intimate like I wanted. It helped that I already had two great actors in mind for the script.
Lastly, I needed an aesthetic. I want every film I produce to have its own identity, a style unique to that film to set it apart in my filmography. It's a bit tricky when the film consists of two people talking, so I looked to my past for help.
In 2019 I began writing a script about the character "Esperanza". It was a homage to the 2001 TV Show "Taina", about a Puerto Rican teenager who lives in New York City, aspiring to be a succesful actress and musician. Esperanza is a similar character who would get into schemes to facilitate their music career, with the help of their best friend. This is what I call a fantasy script. I always knew this was way out of reach for me, I would have to be incredibly lucky to produce a three hour film about this character.
As the years went on this character was always in my head, I made several attempts to adapt the feature script into a short film, but that also had challenges. A film set in the 2000s meant extensive work on locations and costumes. When I would attempt to write a script I had to factor in how I would even film a scene set in the 2000s. The writing stopped being about characters and story, and instead on what locations would be convenient to include.

December,2024 - February, 2025

I was cautious about writing a screenplay about two friends. Many writers will teach that conflict is the key to a compelling story, I wanted to disagree and I wanted to write something sincere and compassionate. I wanted characters who could be gentle and kind, yet leave a profound impact on each other.

Luna and Terra were the core to this script, drafts consisted of them in different scenerios but the story was always Luna rejecting Terra and then making a surprise appearance at the park. Below you can read the first and final draft of the screenplay! Compare for yourself and see how much the story grew from that concept.

May 30th, 2024 First Draft

August 1st, 2024 Final Revision

February - March, 2025

This is the Place:
Location scouting took me to all corners of the Bronx. This part of the process is where imagination turns into reality, I was looking for the right place to set the scenes I had written and the location would serve two needs. I need places that aesthetically match the film's tone, and I could realistically shoot in. These photos depict Parkchester and Pelham Bay Park, both of which would be major sets for the production.

At this time I wanted a look that felt stranded and empty. A lot of shots in the film are wide with so much room to breathe, not only to emphasize loneliness but to also show as much of these neighborhoods as possible. Film can work as a time capsule and it was important to me for this project to also be a snapshot of what The Bronx looked like in 2024.

Casting:
Pennelope and Jada were immediately right for the roles. Casting was completed on July 22nd, 2024 and rehearsals started soon after. The two actors were cast independently from each other so when they met for the first time during rehearsal I was relieved that they worked well together both as artists and as their characters. The actors understood the assignment and their interpretation of the characters were what the film needed.

Camera Tests:
A camera test took place at the restaurant and it was eye-opening seeing Pennelope act out the scene on camera for the first time. We also got to test the lighting and shot set ups and I was content with how the footage came back. The film was becoming closer to reality and I felt the momemntum increase.

Another camera test was conducted for the bedroom scenes. I practiced the set ups in my room and it was okay, I'm glad the final film looked better.

April 1st, 2025

Opening Scene:
The first day of shooting took place on a rooftop which was not in the script, but our location had one so we used it and added it to the film. It was such a good location and it made the opening bigger and wider.

The biggest hurdle of the first day is getting all the nerves out, it's surreal being on set for the first time and actually making the movie. For this reason it's good to schedule a simple scene first, in this case the first scene had minimal dialogue and the tone is calm. But once the camera starts rolling it is pure magic and you realize what a privilege it is to be working on a project like this.

Restaurant Day:
This is the busiest set I've worked on, and this is what I had to be the most prepared for. This day required the most amount of actors, crew, and equipment. And on top of that we were renting out a restaurant so I was responsible for setting up and breaking down the set in the five hours we had for shooting.

The biggest lesson to take from that day is that I felt overwhelmed, but everyone on set had my back. It is important to be trusting of the cast and crew and we got a lot done despite the limited time and setbacks we had at the start. Everyone helped out beyond what was expected and I'm thankful for having such a caring amount of help that day!

April 10th, 2025

Filming on the Earth:
For the exterior scenes we travelled all over The Bronx to get the variety of sceneries we needed. These days required walking through the summer heat, and catching trains to get to and fro.

The final scene was shot at Pelham Bay Park and the sun was turned all the way up! Filming outside is ideal for natural scenery and lower production costs, but it can be troublesome due to weather, terrain, and noise.

April 25th, 2025

Recording a Whole New Songy:
Stars in the daytime sky was an idea I've kept in my backpocket for years. I tried implementing the stars in previous projects but they didn't fit in thematically and were scrapped before production began. When the screenplay for 'Walking on the Moon' started to include astronomy themes I knew this would be a perfect opportunity to add the stars in the sky.

So how do you make the stars shine during sunset? The route I took to achieve the effect goes like this:

First I had to mask the foreground and track any movement, mainly the actors and background extras; but a mistake I made during filming is not bringing a tripod. Because the shot is handheld, the entire screen is constantly moving from handshakes. This means every little movement of the screen had to be tracked.

Next, I used the 'Particle World' effect to generate stars into the background. Because of the shaky screen I also had to make the stars shaky or else they would be static in the sky and look fake.

Finally, I added a colored background to make the sky a sunset magenta. This was one of the most difficult choices during the process. Setting up stars in the sky is something I can easily imagine in my mind but when trying to actually do the effect it doesn't work for the same reason you don't see daytime stars in real life: stars are just too bright. It took hours of calibrating the size and brightness of the stars and I also tested how they would look on different screen sizes and resolutions. I'm okay with how the final effect looked but on some screens they are hard to see.

April - June, 2025

The Score:
The plan was to dig through my music collection and use some obscure instrumentals to fill the soundtrack for the film. During the editing sessions I realized that the music I chose wasn't working and I need something tailored for the film. Liam came in to compose music for the film in October and we spent a couple weeks trying to figure out what the sound of the film would be. Once we got our sound the rest of the process flowed nicely, focusing on what the emotions of each scene is and testing out demos in the edit.

The edit was faithful to the script. Nothing was cut out other than a few lines and alternate shots. The biggest challenge with assembling the cut together was keeping a good pace as this was the longest film I've edited at that point.

Chrysanthemum & Esperanza

About

Writing

Pre-Production

Production

Post-Production

Release

Gallery

Thanks for Watching!