Matt Consalvo is a producer on Adam & The Water. The story follows Adam, who is drowning in a 9-5, mundane existence. As he struggles to find himself, he meets Eva, who despite her enigmatic nature ultimately helps Adam transform. It stars Elisa Alemparte and Qado, shot by Bryan Berrios, produced by Ben Dally and Matthew Appleby—the writer and director.
indieactivity: What’s your experience on story, screenplay, production, premiere and marketing?
Matt Consalvo (MC): I have been collaborating with Matthew Appleby for the better part of 5 years on this film. I have accompanied Matthew through his entire writing process, into production and now into post-production. Once the script was written, the production was where the majority of my work fell.
I handled a lot of the day-to-day functions during filming as well as assisting Matthew in direction and on sound. Our crew was small and kept as such, thus the act of filming was very collaborative and interwoven, there was no one job we all did and stayed to. It was very much an all-hands-on-deck type of set which made it stimulating.
Watch The Trailer for Adam and The Water
How did you put the crew and cast together? Did you start writing with a known cast?
Matt Consalvo (MC): Matthew did have the two leads of Adam and Eva in mind for Qado and Elisa respectively. So much so that the three of them met even before filming began to work out certain scenes and dialogue. The remaining cast and the assembly of the crew was a joint-effort between Matthew and myself.
A lot of the cast were similar to the characters they played, so the production became almost part-documentary. Once Matthew took that approach, the script became an interesting synthesis of reality and fantasy both intrinsically but also as a model for the set.
What and how long did it take to complete the script?
Matt Consalvo (MC): believe it took Matthew only a month or two to actually write the script. Once the initial draft was there, the way he transitioned into the collaboration between him and his leads was pretty seamless. The rewriting process though was longer up until shooting I would say.
A lot of that stemmed from the story evolving and getting more saturated into who these characters were. Most definitely it all came from Matthew Appleby but its production was a total team effort.
When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its formation?
Matt Consalvo (MC): Technically, we do not have a “production company” as we all came into it as individual creatives and freelancers. As such it did become increasingly challenging to facilitate and execute certain decisions because we were not a production company. In post, Ben Dally and Matthew Appleby created a production banner for the film itself called M2B Films.
What was the first project out of the gate?
Matt Consalvo (MC): Adam & The Water!
During the film production, what scene (that made the cut) was the hardest to shoot? And why?
MC: The scene that was the hardest to shoot, for me, was the subway train platform scene in which Adam monologues about his hands. It is a very simple scene on film but it was the coldest night in winter during that shoot day and it also was obstructed so many times by the loudness of trains and other natural occurrences of a typical freezing winter night.
What worked better in this latest production that mightn’t have worked so well in the last one you did?
MC: If anything, we learned the magnitude of the work we could get done with people willing to help in any way they could. It was very much a unique model of filming as most people ended up not having just one job. That being said, on the next one, if allotted the appropriate budget, it would be nice to allocate the work in a more specific way.
You must have donned several hats on this film, the measure of your input required intellect, effort, tenacity, skill. What did it take you to put out all these qualities to get the film done?
MC: I would say effort and diligence are my dual hats. It is one thing the put forth a lot of effort on something and I have to say, I always give my most in terms of effort. But, it is another thing to deliver that effort with diligence, so that the work does not just feel like a product from exhaustion but rather, an exhausted product of ingenuity and a point of view.
What about independent filmmaking and the business do you still struggle with?
MC: Obviously the pay of it all is not great, let’s call it what it is. Yet, there is something intrinsic in the grass-roots nature of independent filmmaking that allows us to be boundless and perhaps more risky or creative.
Hours can go even longer when it’s produced from our own faculties and downtime can be even more monotonous or confusing than when you are on a long-running studio set. It’s the double-edged sword of wishing for more resources on an independent film budget but also the lack of desire to sell-out for a bigger production company’s vision.
Where do you think your strengths lie as a producer?
MC: I have to say I am a good community organizer—rather a really good house mom or dad. By that I mean to say, I am sharp when it comes to ensuring a safe, collaborative and fun-working set. I have been on a few sets where that wasn’t the case, and it showed in the work. We all reap what we sow, I truly believe that and I think I get people around me to believe it too, so it allows us all to do the best work we can do.
Let’s talk about finance. How did you finance the film?
MC: A lot of it was personally funded by myself and Matthew Appleby with additional donations from friends, families and fellow creatives. We did two pushes of crowd-funding, one leading up to the production and one in post.
How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
MC: We never went “over” the budget per se. But, we did have moments of unnecessary expenditures that could be modified the next time around. Honestly, we just rolled with it, and learned what we needed to do along the way. That’s the joy of independent filmmaking.
How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make a dent without it nowadays?
MC: Marketing is really important – short-form marketing even more so. We live in an era of social media domination, not just “influence.” Our attention spans in general are just getting shorter and shorter. We can’t even check the time on our phones without going down a social media rabbit hole for 5 minutes (or more). It’s undeniable.
That said, marketing the film to appease those short-circuited nerves and ticks in people is crucial. Teasers and gifs of the film are great for quick digestion and useful for peaking a quick itch in people to explore what the movie is about, without having to post essays or reviews. A lot can be done today with little, I believe.
Tell us about marketing activities or efforts on this project – and how it worked or didn’t work?
MC: Most marketing is Instagram and Facebook for us. I think it works great. It would be nice to get the film verified more on a global scale but that has more to do with algorithms than the actual movie. However, we are in the age of the QR code, I think there’s something there to be capitalized on.
Codes in stalls, on the backs of food truck menus, on subway posters etc. Those are quick, easy marketing placements that could get people curious—simply because it helps them pass the time. But hey, pass the time with us and the film! I have no shame in that.
What do you hope audiences will get from the presentation of your film?
MC: I always have a tough time with this question. Look, we all have different viewpoints and histories, so what we “get” from something is never the same. Art is intrinsically so personal. But I do also hope that those individual stories somehow create a collective consensus on our approach to mental health today. To me, that’s the crux.
Do I think we give answers? No. But we made a film, I hope, that gives the audience space to at least become more aware of the questions. That’s a win for me. It’s those impressions and changes that lead to greater ones that ultimately determine sociology and acceptance and policy even. Who knows who you’re affecting out there…
What else have you got in the works?
MC: Currently, I am developing a script I optioned with Matthew Appleby and an LA-based production company. It is a thriller that takes place in Mexico City and we hopefully will get that off the ground this year. Also, Matthew and I are independently producing our script, Jacks + Diane, together with hopefully some members of the original Adam & The Water production crew. Very excited for those projects!
Tell us what you think of the interview with Matt Consalvo. 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, Instagram, or Twitter.
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