Sam Cortez is Executive Producer and Writer of feature film Call Sign Romeo. The story features high school wrestler Chris Torres (played by Chris Ana) pursuing his dream to attend the US Naval Academy and fly jets.
Inspired by actual events, the movie provides powerful messaging, including perseverance, anti-bullying, girl-power, and teamwork. Rated PG-13, it’s an entertaining movie the whole family can enjoy. Go to callsignromeo for pictures, background information, a link to the trailer, movie reviews, and latest news. The film premiered in the summer of 2022, and played theatrically all summer locally in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where it was filmed. Freestyle Digital Media acquired the digital distribution rights, and the movie is broadly available for digital download beginning from the 4th of July.
indieactivity: What’s your experience working on story, screenplay, production, premiere and marketing?
Sam Cortez (SC): One of my favorite movies is Rocky. A fairly simple story, but the viewer leaves the theater feeling a little better than when they went in. For most sports like football, basketball, baseball, etc., if one side is losing big time with only a few seconds left, there is no hope. But in boxing and wrestling, no matter how badly you’re trailing, you still have a chance to win, either by knockout or pin. The two sports are a natural for a dramatic ending!
The Official Trailer for Call Sign Romeo
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is the perfect place to film a story about a high school senior that wants to be a fighter pilot. Orville and Wilbur Wright first took flight in the Outer Banks, and the Wright Brothers National Memorial is right across the way from the local high school. In addition, the Navy has a bombing range in the area, so fighter jets roaring overhead is a daily occurrence.
Combining the two concepts for the screenplay seemed like a winner. In addition, I was able to draw on experiences my son had his senior year while wrestling and applying to the US Naval Academy. Once the production was underway, the support from the community for filming in the Outer Banks was fantastic. We were able to utilize numerous businesses and locations, and thereby highlight the beauty and attractions of the area. Here is a YouTube link showing some of the local features in the movie: The Real Outer Banks Call Sign Romeo – YouTube
How did you put the crew and cast together? Did you start writing with a known cast?
Sam Cortez (SC): We had a casting call and auditions. Once our cast was set, we had to work with people’s schedules, including Terry Schappert (Navy Coach Givens), as he was traveling and working on “Hollywood Weapons: Fact or Fiction?” We stayed flexible and often filmed on the weekends, which led to a longer filming schedule. We were also able to select some excellent rock and roll music for the soundtrack. Here is a YouTube link with highlights from the movie soundtrack: CSR Short Teasers Rock and Roll Soundtrack 1 – YouTube
What and how long did it take to complete the script?
Sam Cortez (SC): The movie is inspired by actual events, so although the characters are fictitious, many of the things that happen in the movie happened in real life. The events generally took place several years ago, including for example the pursuit of individual and team state championships and the resolution, the fights at school, the girlfriend going to West Point, and the mix-up with the Congressional nomination. Having key concepts to draw from made the story and the screenplay easier to put together.
During the film production, what scene (that made the cut) was the hardest to shoot? And why?
Sam Cortez (SC): One of the bigger challenges was that we filmed during Covid-19, so we abided by all the protocols and best practices. We were also limited as to how many people we could have indoors at one time. That meant that Director Raymond Wallace had to call for tight gymnasium “crowd” shots and inventive lighting. Nevertheless, we got through it, and no-one got Covid-19.
Where do you think your strengths lie as a producer?
Sam Cortez (SC): I tried to have an overall vision of where we were going, while finding experts that could help me, and letting them do what they’re good at without interfering with their talents. Once the film came together it was well over two hours long. We had to cut several scenes and lots of dialogue, and through a collaborative effort we were able to get it to our goal of an hour and forty-five minutes.
Let’s talk about finance. How did you finance the film?
Sam Cortez (SC): A combination of self-financing, friends and family. Almost all the non-film business people that I spoke with liked the project, but didn’t feel the film industry offered a favourable risk-reward profile.
How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
Sam Cortez (SC): We came in within budget. I was very cognizant of the added value of any expenditures, and if I couldn’t justify an expense then it was not incurred.
How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make a dent without it nowadays?
Sam Cortez (SC): Marketing is important, and you also have to have a product that people appreciate.
What do you hope audiences will get from the presentation of your film?
Sam Cortez (SC): We sought to make an entertaining movie that the whole family can enjoy. It’s difficult to find a movie that grandparents, teenagers, and pre-teens want to see, especially together. I’ve had people tell me they liked the movie so much that they brought their kids and saw it again. I thought we may have achieved our goal when one of our reviewers wrote that Call Sign Romeo is a “feel-good movie of a dreamer in motion…a slice of PG-13 entertainment that you can fully share with your family and kids.
Tell us what you think of the interview with Sam Cortez. 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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