HBO Max’s Love and Baseball Mexican-American Director Steve Acevedo Talks Normalizing Latino Representation on Screen

Love and Baseball is co-written by Steve Acevedo, Joe Boothe, and Tate Hanyok. Steve Acevedo also directed the movie. A chance meeting sparks love between Will (Max Arciniega) and Michele (Tate Hanyok), but they strike out twice due to poor timing and the reality of life. If fate gives them another shot–will they hit or miss?. The synopsis of Love and Baseball drops it under the drama, comedy, and romance between two people. Steve talks to us about his work on the movie. “Love and Baseball” premiered May 1 on HBO Max.

indieactivity: How did you get into directing? How would you describe your style?
Steve Acevedo (SA): I directed two spec commercials in film school that immediately led to directing and DP-ing lower budget commercials for a production company in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas after I graduated.

Do you hire a casting director, or do you like to choose the cast yourself? If so, what criteria go into your casting?
Steve Acevedo (SA): I’d love to hire a casting director, but on a project like Love and Baseball where we had no budget, every actor cast was a friend.

Watch the trailer for HBO Max’s Love and Baseball directed by Steve Acevedo

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What went into the casting process for Love and Baseball?
Steve Acevedo (SA): Tate Hanyok brought the project to me, so she was always lined up to play Michele. Max and I met several years before we started shooting through mutual friends. I called him and asked if he was interested in auditioning, so he came over one night and gave a great read. He was cast the following day. Every other role was a friend of ours. The guys who play the neighbors across the street are actually the neighbors across the street.

Without giving anything away, tell us a little bit about the script, how did you come up with the idea?
Steve Acevedo (SA): The film was adapted from the play Love and Baseball by Jerry Montoya, a playwright out of Sacramento. The play was performed at the B-Street Theatre in Sacramento where Tate Hanyok is a company member. She brought the play to me and thought it would be a good, manageable project we could make on our own.

The play is a two-hander in one location, so the biggest challenge was making it as cinematic as possible. We expanded the scope by adding multiple locations, as well as 27 speaking roles.

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Who is “Love and Baseball” for? Who do you think would enjoy it the most?
Steve Acevedo (SA): I think Love and Baseball is for people interested in films that explore characters and relationships in a very grounded and relatable way. I think people who are bored of Marvel and fantasy films are likely to enjoy this film. I joke that it’s like Before Sunrise, but instead of the beautiful streets of Vienna, we’re in a bungalow in picturesque North Hollywood.

Oh yeah, it’s also a love letter to baseball, so baseball fans are likely to appreciate it quite a bit.

How long did it take to shoot the entire film?
SA: We shot a total of 14 days over a period of 18 months.

How long was the post-production process?
SA: Post-production lasted about eight months.

What are your goals with “Love and Baseball”?
SA: The original goal was simply to exercise our creative muscles. Then the hope became to have a solid festival run and eventually land on a reputable streaming platform. We didn’t have much success on the festival circuit, but HBOMax seems to be a pretty reputable streaming platform. It would have been wonderful to have a theatrical screening, but it didn’t seem to make sense to pursue that once the HBOMax offer came in.

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The film had a lot of Mexican-American talent working behind the scenes as DPs, sound designers, composers, etc. Why is diversity important both in front of and behind the camera?
SA: I love collaborating with filmmakers, and even more so with fellow Mexican Americans. It was a dream to work with such incredibly talented people from my community who I know are all going to be doing big things moving forward. Growing up in San Antonio, Mexican Americans are the leaders throughout the various sectors, so that is ultimately how I’ve always seen the world.

It’s a different perspective than most have in this country, so it’s always been a goal of mine to see that in the film industry. While we’re severely underrepresented in the film industry, I want to continue to see us in key creative positions. So when I have a say, as I did on Love and Baseball, I’m going to hire as many Mexican-Americans as I can.

The leading man (Will) features a Latino actor, but the film’s plot doesn’t revolve around Will’s ethnicity. Why is it important to not always have skin color or culture drive the storyline?
SA: When I was in high school and started traveling the country, I began noticing that people were often confused about how I spoke English without a Mexican accent and was educated. It was rarely malicious, but I became convinced that this ignorance was due to our presentation in the media, primarily film and television. That’s their education on us. It’s been a goal of mine to normalize Latinos in this country through film.

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We’re still seen as outsiders even though many of us have been in this country for many generations. While it’s important to tell stories about our ethnic and cultural identity, I also think it’s equally important to see our people in universal stories that aren’t necessarily about their ethnicity. Most of my favorite movies have white actors in the leading roles, but none of those films are about their cultural identity.

I understand the “star” factor in casting, but how do we make stars out of U.S. Latinos? Well, the simple answer is that we give them opportunities. I’ve always wanted to simply put brown people in those leading roles and show that we experience joy, heartache, friends, laughter, and adventure just like everyone else does.

But the reality is that those lead roles have traditionally been and are still primarily reserved for white actors. Our cultural identity is important, but it’s not the only thing I want to see in TV and film. Historically, Hollywood seems to think that it is.

You have an extensive background as a cinematographer. Does that experience impact how you direct?
SA: My cinematography background is a great help when I direct. While I give up a lot of my DP control when I direct and put all my faith in my DPs, our collaborations seem to be elevated and much more efficient since I have a strong understanding of camera placement, movement, and the time it takes to set up and execute.

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What’s next for you? What are you working on right now?
SA: My primary goal has been to direct television. I’ve directed two episodes so far, so I’m working on booking my next one. I’m happy to do another feature though if someone wants to give me a budget this time!

What would you recommend to a new director at the beginning of his/ her journey? Any special courses, workshops, or helpful books they can read?
SA: I went to film school because back then you needed to shoot film if you wanted to make something that looked good. Now all you need is a $500 camera, and you can shoot spectacular footage. So, the advice is simple: get one of those cameras and go make stuff.

Who is your favorite director? Why?
SA: Shalini Kantayya. We’ve shot three features together (Two Sundance premieres) and numerous commercials and shorts. She really pushes for meaningful visual themes and elevates my cinematography on every project. She’s incredibly smart and I love her ability to make socially conscious work highly entertaining.

What advice would you give directors around the world?
SA: Grab a camera and start shooting. Don’t wait for the perfect project. Start now.

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