One of the things we love about our Platt alumni, is that so many of them stay in touch with us even long after they’ve moved on. Having the opportunity to see what they do with their skills and talents after graduation is so exciting and inspiring. One of those alumni is video production graduate, Alejandro Ramos, who is currently working on a sci-fi film project. He took a moment to speak with us about what he’s been working on as of late.
Natasha: What inspired you to create a film that talks about finding a cure for alzheimer’s disease?
Alejandro: Well Alzheimer’s is something that actually runs in my family and there was one day I was having a conversation with my mom about my grandma. That’s when the idea sparked in my head and I just went off of that. Then I asked myself what happens if this were to happen to my mom at a young age and then I created this idea of a story and added a little sci-fi to it.
Natasha: Can you tell us a little bit about the film and it’s characters?
Alejandro: Sure! The film is about a boy who grows up with his mother. He soon finds out that she has Alzheimer’s, and he quickly dedicate his life to trying to find a cure. He figures out that there’s limitations on what he can and can’t do. So he has to find a way around obstacles.
I don’t want to give away too much so I’ll just tell you about the main character which is Isaiah. We see him mature into a smart dedicated man. He’s passionate and very driven to do anything it takes to help his mother.
Natasha: When did you first discover your love for filmmaking?
Alejandro: I discovered my love for filming around 7th grade. My mom got me a camera for Christmas. It was near the same time when they came out with those jackass movies, and it said don’t try this at home… let’s just say me and my friends filmed a lot of stunts after that. I was the guy with the camera and I edited everything. Posted it on MySpace at the time, and kids at my school loved it. So seeing their reaction kind of drove me to keep moving forward with this.
Natasha: As a graduate from Platt’s Digital Video Production program, what was the biggest thing you learned while you were a student here?
Alejandro: That’s hard to say because I learned a lot. But if I had to pin point one I would have to say was, “take your time.” I always seemed to be done with most of my projects rather fast and in some cases that can be a good thing, but I wish I slowed down more and took some serious time to look over things. After Platt I never want to look at a project and say “I should’ve done this,” when I had plenty of time left.
Natasha: Where do you find inspiration for your film projects? Is there a particular film that’s inspired this one?
Alejandro: Watching movies. Without a doubt watching movies always gives me inspiration. I watch them and study and analyze them how they were shot and written. If the movie is done well enough I get very inspired to try and make one.
I wouldn’t say that this movie in particular inspired me, but I definitely like the look. The movie is Fruitvale Station. It’s simplistic and just tells the story really well and I think simplicity is key.
Natasha: What advice would you give to other aspiring filmmakers?
Alejandro: Network. Plan. Study. Have fun.
Network because it’s a necessity in this field of work. Knowing someone is a huge part in these productions.
Plan everything out. If you come up with an idea, start writing it down even if it’s bullet points. Just start writing, because seeing it on paper sometimes inspires myself to keep pushing forward with the idea.
Study everything. Filming that is. Watching movies, and studying them to see what your taste is. See what they did wrong that you don’t like and how you can improve on that. Study your own films in the past. Criticize the hell out of your own work, see you can strive to fix those imperfections next time.
After all this is your passion, so have fun. Most of the time, it seems like filming is just being serious, but if you’re not having fun then why are you doing it? Always have fun with it!
Natasha: Is this your first time organizing crowdfunding for a film project? And what’s been the the biggest challenge so far?
Alejandro: Yes, this is my first time organizing money for a film project. I can honestly say that I hate asking people for money, but it seems like this is what indie filming has come too. The biggest challenge so far would be the obvious… raising the money. Although it’s hard and stressful right now, I have to stay positive. Just like the character in the film, I’ll find a way.
You can learn more about Alejandro and his current film projects through the following links: