Fortes Lopez Discusses His Short Film, A Mother’s Will

A Mother’s Will is based on the book with the same name. The story follows the journey of a single mother who is determined to give her son a better life. It is a dramatic piece loosely based on my relatives and their stories of struggle with war, poverty, and their dreams of coming to America.

I plan on premiering the film in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and possibly Jefferson City next year. As a child growing up in the Philippines, I heard of the hardships my elders endured during World War II. My grandfather survived the Bloody Death March of Bataan.

Also, my grandmother’s brother was gunned down by the Imperial Japanese Army for sneaking bread to US POWs. My mother, who the lead character is based on, sold cooked food to the US military on her way to Clark Air Base. She aspired to cross over herself someday to the land of opportunity.

Their tales of torture and conflict opened my eyes to the harsh reality that nothing lasts forever. I was driven to document their affliction, and share my families past with future generations with the expectation of keeping their memories alive.

Watch the trailer for A Mother’s Will directed by Fortes Lopez

---

indieactivity: How did you develop ‘your film’?
Fortes Lopez (FL): The film was shot on a nikon d500 in ultra hd. The grip equipment was rented at Bad Dog Pictures in St. Louis. The film was shot in Missouri State Penitentiary, High Street Retreat, and Jefferson City Academic Center.

How was it financed?
Fortes Lopez (FL): Everything was personally financed by the writer and director.

How long was your pre-production?
Fortes Lopez (FL): Pre-production for the initial shoot in Jefferson City was about a year and a half. It took about 6 months to finalise the cast and almost a year to actually find a prison capable of meeting the production’s needs. I searched all the way from Maine to Missouri. Ohio was available, where the movie Shawshank Redemption was filmed, however, filming would only be permissible between January and April before tourist season and the cost of shooting there was not feasible.

What was your rehearsal process and period?
Fortes Lopez (FL): For the initial shoot, because we filmed in Jeff City in 2017, then again in 2018, I first casted on an in-person basis. I flew down to St. Louis and held a few auditions there before driving 3 hours to the prison and then holding another final audition for that week.

---

Luckily, my lead actress, Katherine Moore, showed up at the 11th hour and I was able to move forward with production. It’s just one of those things, where you feel like nothing is going your way, and then suddenly, someone walks in and the lights go out. ‘I had my star, she was it, and now the movie had a face.’

Yeah, holding auditions in-person proved both costly and timely. I tried to do it in Philadelphia, where I am based, but it’s not easy trying to find someone who looks the part, acts the part, and understands the process. I was fortunate to find my lead actor, Nate Francis, and my lead police officer, Dave Dougherty there.

But that’s why for the second time around, I used online websites such as Backstage, Facebook, Entertainment Careers, Star Now and Craigslist. I was able to ramp up the process in 2018, reviewing close to 1,000 submissions.

You shot the film in days. How long were your days?
FL: Because this was a non-union shoot, we ran between 12-16 hour days from call time to wrap time.

---

Did the tight shooting schedule make it harder or easier? How did it affect performances?
FL: Each time we were in Missouri, we only had 4 days to shoot. The first go around, we were mainly in the prison which was easy to manage. However, because we were there during tourist season, production had to freeze when the tours rolled in. Once they passed a certain part of the prison, we were able to start up and shoot again. You never have enough time to get all the shots you want.

Which is why you focus on your needs which makes cutting easier. At the same time, you have to realize, there are other people on set who may be tired or hungry during the long days which is why you have to take all of this into account. The biggest factor in any production is the weather. That’s the one thing no one has control of. Cloudy days are no fun because the light is always changing.

What was the experience like of working with such a small shooting crew?
FL: The experience was great. I graduated film school many years ago, and through the book was able to reconnect with some of my classmates to shoot this project.

The film looks stunning. How did you get such a good look when shooting so fast?
FL: I have my director of photography to thank for that. Jeff Lewis, was the ‘man,’ when it came to cinematography back in film school. Even though he was years ahead of me, he had worked on campus after graduation and became everyone’s cameraman for their project.

---

Did you look at rushes? In what format?
FL: I was shooting blind on 4K ultra HD. Within 4 days, once we wrapped it was time to relax, eat, sleep and repeat. I shot backups, and had everything on the monitor, but no time to review anything. I put my trust in my crew. And if there is one person I could depend on to keep me on schedule, it was my assistant director, Mallory Ivy.

What were the advantages and disadvantages in the way you worked?
FL: The advantage was I had pre-planned everything. It was at least a year and a half of scouting, casting, budgeting, etc. I knew what to expect going in. Actually being on set, with all of the variables and having ‘things’ hit the fan like a flat tire on the grip truck on the first day of production, having actors back out last minute, expecting a prop to look like one thing and then have something totally different the next–it’s basically turning water into wine. You make do with what you have, believe in those around you, and hope for the best. It was a great time, I’m glad it’s almost over, and I can’t wait to show everyone my little project. 

The book is available on amazon via download and paperback. It’s stories like his mother’s that inspired Fortes to document her life and others so he can share to the world that anything is possible. How one person’s life can create a chain reaction that benefits the greater good.

With self-belief and a little bit of divine intervention, even a street girl from the Philippines can find her way to America. His website features interviews from relatives talking about their hardships and can be found at Fortes Lopez. The film is set to premiere in Los Angeles, August 2020 and the film’s website.

---

Tell us what you think of the interview with Fortes Lopez. What do you think of it? What ideas did you get? Do you have any suggestions? Or did it help you? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook or join me on Twitter.

Follow Fortes Lopez on Social Media
Website
IMDb
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube