Like most of you, I have had a very challenging COVID 2021 summer; however, it began rather fortunate. I was in pre-production on my upcoming short film ‘The Prisoner,’ a genre film about a teenage migrant who escapes a detention center and tries to survive on the run. It felt like everything was coming together: I was grateful to have organizations like Film Independent as a fiscal sponsor, a producing team, an all-star cast with a DACA recipient from El Salvador as our lead actor and a fantastic crew. Then, COVID protocols shifted our production and we had to delay from June until the fall. Just weeks after the world began to open up, we tried to make a film, but the world clapped back and told us we weren’t ready. We had only shot one day before we had to ‘reset’ and this is what the film needed to do itself.
After mulling it over, the project needed a recalibration and new production strategy. The film had to change in order to grow. I was plunged back into three months of pre-production. As the film is about a migrant who goes ‘on the run,’ we needed to be mobile, fast and nimble.
Making a film during COVID was tough: shifting protocols and heightened anxiety. But just like anyone who is making a film, once you hit a point of no return, the train is moving and can’t stop. After wrapping production on ‘The Prisoner’ in September, I’m very happy to have the film in the can and baking in post-production.
Here are my lessons learned:
1. The Director should keep a watchful eye on the budget
I made the error of not paying attention to the numbers in the first iteration of production. We over spent - and worse, I didn’t need half the crew to shoot the film. In the second go around, I was on top of the budget: what was needed for every little thing, where we could spend a bit more. It became an interesting variable to consider for creative decisions and what you felt you needed to provide enough artistic license for the scene. It’s nice to have a Line Producer, but to pull off a low budget film, you as the Director should be on top of the entire budget and know what is going where.
2. Strive for solid teamwork
Your production team is your support network. They’re your allies and kick ass at what they do. You have to be discerning in early conversations on potential collaborators and if they have the right attitude or intention for the film. I strongly believe a lot of what we do comes down to intention and finding the teammates that have the same intention as you do is key. They believe in the film's potential and not necessarily a paycheck.
3. Pay attention to the arc of each characters’ wardrobe
Our lead actor is mainly running in the woods as he’s confronted by flashbacks of home and traumas. Our lead wears a grey sweat suit for most of the film. On our first day, we did not pay attention to wardrobe and noticed it was too clean when it showed up on camera. We felt we could likely edit around the issue, but it was something I paid attention to for the remainder of the film. Throughout the film, we paid attention to incrementally getting the wardrobe dirtier and dirtier. We had several wardrobe version and we’d spray him down with dirt and water before each take. In the edit, it’s been a wonderful touch as the narrative unfolds to have a visual element to its own arc on the characters journey.
4. Zoom Lenses
Since the main character in ‘The Prisoner’ is always moving - spanning almost 15 locations throughout a 50 mile radius of Newburgh, New York - we had to assess a shooting strategy that would allow us enough creative freedom to just shoot. A bigger lens kit comes with more hassles, more liability, expenses, running from camera to swap a lens, and I honestly feel it’s a good thing to limit yourself to create restrictions as too many lenses can overcomplicate things and not force you to look honestly at the limited tools in front of you.
All of these aspects, bad and good, allowed me to finish the film and learn a great deal about myself. While having to pause my production for three months, it helped me to realize how I can make ‘The Prisoner’ better. I look forward to showing it to an audience to see how they feel about it.
CREDITS: Short Film “The Prisoner”
A film Written & Directed by Justin Ferrato
Produced by Justin Ferrato, Bill Nugent & Daniel Maldonado
Starring
Karen Contreras - 'Mamma' (Blue Bloods, Gossip Girl)
Dante Costabile - 'Officer Wilkinson'
Brayan Angulo - 'Miguel'
Introducing DACA recipient Diego Mejia as 'Diego'
Crew
Cinematographer - Lauren Pruitt
Casting Director - Jennifer Peralta Ajieman (Oscar Nominated short film 'Feeling Through')
Wardrobe Designer - Patrick Saint Jean (Oscar Nominated short film 'Feeling Through')
Assistant Camera - Misha Kniazev
1st Assistant Director - Reuben Hernandez
Sound Operator - Josh Stark
Steadicam Operator - Paulius Kontijevas
Production Assistant - Patricia White
JUSTIN FERRATO
Director/Editor
Justin is a writer/director based in Brooklyn - his previous 3 festival films include the documentary 'Tiphany' (Premiere at Cinequest 2017), the experimental film 'Kill the Witness' (Premiere at Queens Film Festival 2017) and the romantic drama 'This Mess We're In" (Premiere at NY Shorts Festival 2015). He is currently in production on his next short film 'The Prisoner' (2021) a gritty crime film that confronts the family separation at the border.
Until recently, his day job has been as a writer/producer at HBO's creative services department producing behind the scenes programming and trailers for shows including Game of Thrones, Sharp Objects and Stephen King's The Outsider. In 2020, he workshopped a psychological horror script at the Sundance Collab screenwriting horror workshop which he continues to develop.