The Baby Cries - Test Screening Lessons

The Baby Cries - Test Screening Lessons 

By Director Mario J. Novoa

Why would you test screen a short film? Some people wouldn't because it takes time, money, a screening room, a list of questions to ask and courage. This past summer I was able to screen The Baby Cries five months after the first cut was completed. After re-watching several cuts with trusted colleagues, I needed to get a fresh set of eyes and opinions. While you get a sense of how well the audience likes the film by the reactions, nothing prepares you for written notes. The purpose is to hone in on what is not working: a joke, gag, dramatic rhythm, etc. As a writer I try to be aware of what might work on the page, and as a filmmaker I try measure how the words translate for an audience in front of a movie screen. It's akin to a performer gauging their delivery in front of a live theater audience.

I received some interesting insights from the audience and reconsidered some of my approaches as the editor of the film. It's a difficult process because not only did I write The Baby Cries but I produced and directed it, so it literally was My Baby. It was a tormenting process but I sincerely wanted the audience to feel the characters' journey, the story's emotional beats, the actors' performances and theme of the film. Sometimes it comes to your ability to listen to criticism as a filmmaker, and other times it is about measuring your strength. The last thing I want is for the film version of The Baby Cries is to fall flat as a short film; whereas, the stage play was well received in L.A. and Dublin, Ireland. There are also many contributors from the cast and crew that I didn't want to let down, so it was important to re-edit a cut with a slightly different rhythm and strengthening the film.

I have spent a year on the film while I worked on feature films as a producer and attending the Internet Marketing Program at Full Sail University. It was a tough year and a balancing act. We are now moving forward and letting The Baby be one with the world.  Crawling before running. As the The Baby Cries takes its' place on the world stage (via the festival circuit), it will be an interesting experience to feel the reactions of audiences worldwide.

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/TheBabyCries/info
@TheBabyCries

Submissions Continue

Submissions Continue

by Mario J. Novoa

February 24, 2015

Part of our internet marketing approach for The
Baby Cries was to develop a website and a social media presence so that we could build a community online. Our audience has always been LGBT parents who feel close to stories about same-sex families. It has been my goal to reach out to online communities that feel strongly about the subject of LGBT families and how they are affected by the traditional family structure.

Because we've had limited funds (and if you would like to donate, please click on the PayPal link), we wanted to promote the film using freemium sites, just like Google Blogger. We've have also implemented an awareness campaign to promote The Baby Cries to film festivals. As we continue to submit, we will include the names of the festivals we've submitted to, to promote the festival campaign. If you are associated with any film festival programs, please pass the word along that The Baby Cries has been submitted.

We are utilizing all social media marketing sites to help boost the film's presence. Please follow and promote us to your fiends.

Thank you!

The Baby Cries:
http://thebabycries.blogspot.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheBabyCries
Twitter:
@TheBabyCries
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erjRc-FZy-w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_D0R9Dcw-k

Film Bliss Studios:
https://filmbliss.wordpress.com

The Baby Cries: 14 pages in 1 Day

The Baby Cries: 14 pages in 1 Day  

by Mario J. Novoa

February 10, 2015

It was one hell of a shoot. Ambitious but not in impossible. Because we shot with a very limited budget and small cast and crew, we needed to squeeze out every word and shot for The Baby Cries script. With the exception of Matt Pascua (Marco), the cast had performed The Baby Cries on stage months prior to filming. Miriam Peniche, Martin Morales and MJ Silva had already found the nuances of their characters, except that they had to perform for camera in a new environment. We had one table read and one rehearsal day so that we could find "home" in a different environment. While we shot in 1 day, there were days of discussions and planning over the phone or in person. The burden lay on the camera department, which was headed by D.P. Dan Cotreau. 

For most productions, you lay out several days of production to get all the logistics down correctly. I truly felt that this endeavor could be created in one day. Everyone doubted that it could be done, but I needed to assure the cast and crew that we could do it. Since I was editing the film, I knew I could fill in the gaps (if any) in pro-production. 

When I reviewed the film after our production day, I found areas of opportunity for creativity. I believe our limitations can lead to highly creative moments. I was able to use sound and various shots to fill in areas that I could not afford to shoot. As I looked at where the film needed touch ups, I made the best I could with what I had. 

I am happy with the final outcome and that I was able to do this production in such a short period of time. Only our audience will feel the film's impact when they view it, and they will be the final judges on whether or not the film was successful. 

When you have limited opportunities, you have to make the best with what you have. If The Baby Cries, embodies anything, it is boldness. 

Creativity should not be bottled up, but explored. 

The Baby Cries Teaser Trailer

This is a teaser of my short film The Baby Cries. The Baby Cries is being developed for a feature, web-series and multi-media production. We hope you enjoy the teaser.

The Baby Cries: Short Film Production Management

On January 5th 2013, The Baby Cries began principle photography. Through an exhaustive pre-production process, the production management team began to roll out the plans that were initiated months ago. Producers Kristen Wair and Mario J. Novoa worked for a number of weeks to cover logistics using an online production management platform called lightspeedeps.com that helped guide schedule, contact information and crew responsibilities. Using this online platform allowed production crew "real time" access to vital information regarding the  film shoot. As we move into the post-production phase, we are still using this platform to gain insight into the management side and to understand how to efficiently run future production schedules. Having information available to all crew is an essential tool to making sure communication is available at all levels. As small as our indie production was, the production ran very efficiently and allowed for necessary changes on the set. It's great that technology is catching up in the film industry where practical models can be analyzed and reconfigured for indie film productions.

http://www.lightspeedeps.com/features/

The Baby Cries - Directing the Rehearsal

(from left Mario J. Novoa, DP Dan Cotreau and Actor Miriam Peniche. Photo by Sacha Barry) 

Learning from previous experiences and allowing enough prep time, I wanted to really pursue the art of cinema from a different vantage point. My primary goals were to allow the actors the space to explore the location we would be shooting in. This would allow the actors to see how best to use and take ownership of their domain. My other goal was to understand how best to use the camera in that same space. I've learned from master filmmakers that allowing yourself to explore the film frame and the performance, will give you the opportunity to shoot what you envisioned. Taking the time for several runs, we began to feel a rhythm for the action within the space. I was able to see all the opportunities.

Another opportunity for rehearsal is between set-ups. Under a gun ("budget and time"), you'll find ways to be creative. 

The Baby Cries - Production Design and Performance

I took these photos of the location during our preproduction of the film The Baby Cries, to help get a sense of coverage. This is the hardest part for a director sometimes, because you have intuitively know where to get your best shots. Sometimes your intuition can work against you, and you end up with bad shots. This is always frustrating. I've learned to experiment in pre-production and production, and find the best shots that conveys story, color, design and most importantly, allows the actors to do their best.

When I took this random photo in pre-production, I rewrote a scene between the grandparents in which they talked about their relationship with their son. I loved that we could see across the Silver Lake Reservoir in L.A. I didn't know if we could pull it off, especially with the lenses that we were working with. Although during production we had a limited amount of time, I went back and reshot the scene again with actors Martin Morales and Miriam Peniche. This time we achieved the shot I wanted and was pleased with the outcome.

One of the things I try to be conscious of as a filmmaker, is that we are taking full advantage of the location we are shooting in. I've worked on numerous projects where the director forgets to use the location as character, and ends up cutting out the beauty of the location. The use of close up shots seems to dominate the logic in post, although I argue that with cinema, location is everything...and performance.

Silhouette of Martin and Miriam.

The Baby Cries: In Pre-Production Mode

Taking The Baby Cries from stage to screen has some fantastic challenges. Last night I had a great session with Production Design and Actor Martin Morales regarding the look of The Baby Cries. For two weeks I've been discussing lenses and cameras with Director of Photography Dan Cotreau and trying to find a look for the film. This is the first time as Director that I've approached a film from a production design perspective and Martin had some great ideas. I listened intently and pictured what the ideas would mean in the scope of a film frame.

I heard about the environment of the room, the color in the scope of emotion and using light to convey a passage of time. Between production design and cinematography, there are elements, ideas and design that overlap. As a director I try to listen to what people are bringing to the table so that I can let them create within the vision I have. My main approach is always about the performance in front of the camera, so I hope that all the elements we are creating now are well defined before we get into production. As more collaborators jump on board, I look forward to orchestrating a heartfelt story about family and love.