Warner Alum & EP Trace De La Torre Talks First-Ever Jeff Bezos Biopic & Life as a Female Indie Filmmaker in Hollywood

Hi. Thank you for having me. It’s an honor to be here. I’m Trace De La Torre. I first partnered up with Miami-based SpanglishMedia back in the spring of 2020. This was just after the first wave of the pandemic. And, I am an Executive Producer on our recently released feature film Bezos: The Beginning. It’s been a slow burn coming out from that so everyone’s been super excited for its big release. It is the first-ever biopic on billionaire tech mogul Jeff Bezos. The story is based on the inception of his media empire, AMAZON. And, it’s gotten a lot of buzz and tongues wagging. 

Bezos stars Armando Gutierrez (Head of Miami-based SpanglishMedia) as Jeff Bezos, and Alexandria R. Mitchell as Jeff’s influential wife, MacKenzie Scott. Also Jevon White as Nico Lovejoy the remaining original Amazon employee, Sasha Andreev is Amazon’s second employee. Paul Davis, Nick Friedman, Marcus Lemonis, Emilio Estefan (Grammy-winning musician and legendary producer), and a cameo from UFC Champion, Jorge Masvidal.

indieactivity: What’s your experience working on story, screenplay, production, and marketing?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): Bezos was written by talented duo Allison Burnett & R.V. Romero (Autumn in New York/Underworld Awakening). It’s based on the inspirational book, From Zero to Hero by Tashena Ebanks. And it is directed by Indonesian Director, Khoa Le (Walt Before Mickey).

Official Trailer for Bezos: The Beginning Executive Produced by Trace De La Torre

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When I first read an early draft, I was surprised it was an altruistic ode to American capitalism and the spirit of entrepreneurship. I provided notes and was honored to see a few of them incorporated into the script. Being the sole female EP on the film, that mostly pertained to giving a female POV inside what MacKenzie Scott‘s thought process might be. I wish we’d had a bit more time to explore and gleam more into her character given how incremental MacKenzie was to Amazon‘s creation and early success.

It was important to me to give her a bit more bite, showing she was not just a wife on the sidelines, but an intellectual equal, a strong woman and business partner. The writers did a good job creating a solid narrative honoring the source material. Production-wise, I participated in the physical production in Miami for a portion of the shoot during Hurricane Elsa. The Champlain Towers in South Beach had collapsed not far from my hotel. President Biden rolled into town making logistics and traffic (for me) even more challenging that usual. We were racing against time and mother nature to complete.

It was a crazy time in history, for sure. Marketing-wise, we are SO blessed to be represented by Lise Romanoff, Owner, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution of Marina del Rey-based Vision Films, Inc. and her amazing sales team. They took care of everything! SHOUTOUT TO SCOTT KAMINS & MARK SHOEMAN!

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How did you put the crew and cast together? Did you start writing with a known cast?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): Lead producer, Armando Gutierrez and my best friend, Peter A. Lees (also an EP on the film) basically rounded up a bunch of friends to come on board and make a movie. We were lucky to have a few actors already within our group that could step into a few roles. Though there are exceptions, usually, when you write a screenplay, you don’t normally write for a known cast, and I don’t think we did so on Bezos. A casting agent sourced the remaining talent.

What and how long did it take to complete the script?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): It came together quite quickly given I read the first draft in April and we had the script locked-down in early May, and started production at the end of May. Again, writers Allison Burnett and R.V. Romero are PHENOMENAL! In a nod to the AMAZON logo prominently printed on all shipments, the film was originally called SMILE, because Jeff wanted to remind warehouse employees to smile when they packed up all those boxes.

It’s a good thing we changed it because the Paramount Studios horror film SMILE, was scheduled to release in September 2022 and our film would release in January 2023 — a mere 4 months apart! Hahaha! I think Bezos went through something like, maybe 3 re-writes in total? I was not involved in the writing of the screenplay but was very happy with the final title, Bezos: The Beginning.

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When did you form your company – and what was the original motivation for its formation?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): After a decade at Warner Bros., I was head-hunted by London-based, American illustrator, Ken Johnson to lead his team at Velica Comics UK in the launch of a new, female, comic book hero named Velica. After a successful launch, selling out two printings each of issues #3 and #4 printed by a fantastic team at Turners out in Basingstoke (Shoutout to Steve Carter & Nick Harris!), and having the opportunity to work with an amazing, young, PR team from Cambridge University, setting benchmarks at every major comic book house in London (Gotcha!, Orbital, Mega City, Comicana, Forbidden Planet), and being featured on BBC and Sky News, it was time to come home after a good run.

Over lunch with two of my legendary Warner brethren, Dr. Das Dasgupta and Thomas Tileston, I sat down and strategized my next act. Das and Thom challenged me to really examine my trajectory and helped me map out my future. From the inception of my scrappy days continuously delivering for others at Warner Bros., to taking that huge leap of faith out to London and proving my production and leadership skills — I had been so caught up in the daily grind that running my own production company and producing films was nowhere on my radar. It never occurred to me until that fateful lunch meeting, that I had the power to be the architect of my own destiny. So I created Trace Entertainment.

What was the first project out of the gate?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): Luna, a neo-noir vampire origins story, followed by The Protege’: Chapter 1, an outreach film against the evils of domestic violence and human trafficking. It was selected as a finalist in the Warner Bros./Shape Film Competition which was a sort-of-homecoming because, I got the opportunity to get back on the Mothership as a filmmaker/EP and physically film on the Warner lot. We didn’t win, but it was a dream come true and pivotal to my continuity plan.

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During the film production, what scene (that made the cut) was the hardest to shoot? And why?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): Well. Every single day of production is hard and comes with its varying sets of challenges. But while I was on set, I’d have to say, the garage scenes where Amazon first sets up shop in the Bezos home. Amazon headquarters were set in the cool climes of Seattle, Washington but were actually shot in the sweltering heat and humidity of Miami during hurricane season. We shot these scenes all in 1-2 days. It was the eve before the big hurricane and the storm clouds loomed over us so we had to literally race against the hurricane.

It was unbelievably hot, steamy, humid, sticky. Everyone was sweating buckets. We had to shoot without any air-conditioning for like, 10-12 hours. Everyone was suffering, but 99.9% of the cast and crew were Miami natives, so they were used to it. I didn’t fare so well and suffered ongoing nosebleeds. The whole experience taught me a lot about perseverance in severe weather conditions. I’m SO PROUD of those scenes because we were all suffering in every take. There’s a close-up of Armando Gutierrez who plays Jeff Bezos, and you could see the sweat coming down the side of his face…but it was a super tense moment in the scene and the editor opted to leave it in. It’s BRILLIANT!

What worked better in this latest production that mightn’t have worked so well in the last one?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): I think on Bezos, we had home court advantage. Everyone and everything we needed was Miami-based, so sourcing was local which made the production more organized, cast and crew came to set every day well rested in spite of the long shoot days and razor focused. The logistics for the most part went without a hitch, the first assistant director, production manager, even Crafty was was planned down to the minute. The crew was just amazing. There were no sideline shenanigans or drama. The weather provided all the drama we needed. Ha!

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You must have donned several hats on this film, the measure of your input required intellect, effort, tenacity, skill (…you know better). What did it take you to put out all these qualities to get the film done?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): For sure! You know, coming out from L.A., I brought my A-game, as always, but honestly, they didn’t need me one iota! They were such a fine-tuned, well-oiled machine. Armando commanded that shipped unbelievably well. I was so impressed. When they were short a few background actors for the pivotal book convention scene, they just scooped a couple of us (producers) off the sidelines and we got to be in the movie! I actually appear for a few seconds. Nosebleeds aside, it was just so much fun!

What about independent filmmaking and the business do you still struggle with?
Trace De La Torre (TDLT): As an indie filmmaker, EVERYTHING! Mostly financing, logistics, and distribution. Coming from the studio system, you’re just so spoiled. Everything is in-house from inception to completion to deliverables. If you run out of money for marketing, travel, crafty, need to sign off on overtime, running late on deliverables, or whatever, you’re just a phone call or signature away from a department head who can approve those expenditures or grant you an extension on deliverables. So starting out as an indie, coming from a studio, I really struggled with not having that power. Freedom! I had to learn how to be extra resourceful and just get things done on a shoestring budget to the highest standard possible within our means.

Obviously, I’ve been disappointed some of those standards have not quite measured up to studio quality. But I have to remember, this is indie filmmaking damn it!!! We’re never going to have that studio finish no matter how many pennies we crunch, and I have to be ok with that. But I’m a perfectionist and not quite there yet. Not sure I’ll ever be, if I’m being honest. When it’s not financials, it’s timelines….how to get everything done and delivered on time with no wiggle room. I think that’s become my biggest asset out on the field. I hope to bring all my scrappy indie skills back to the studio system to show them how it CAN be done without so much waste. Studios are always searching for ways to streamline processes.

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Where do you think your strengths lie as a producer?
TDLT: Planning. Strategy. Logistics. I’m quite pragmatic. Warner Bros. taught me well. Having that strong foundation coupled with solid leadership, organization, and a good creative vision has made leveraging my skills into filmmaking and producing almost a seamless transition. Almost! Haha! I’m always learning new things every day, on every set, from my crew, who are everything to me. I think my biggest strength as a producer is that I prioritize them above anything else. From fostering a safe environment of trust, creating a safe space, and finding creative ways to keep them motivated, engaged…my long game is really just creating a family that loves and respects each other in this cutthroat industry!

Let’s talk about finance. How did you finance the film?
TDLT: Bezos was financed through private equity. Just a bunch of friends coming together to make the 1st Ever Jeff Bezos Biopic! We definitely felt a kinship to Jeff in the making of this film.

How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
TDLT: We stayed on budget. As most indie filmmakers do, we meticulously managed every penny religiously.

How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make a dent without it nowadays?
TDLT: Absolutely NOT. Even though digital and gorilla marketing dominate now via social media, versus traditional print & ad, marketing is still and I think — always will be — an incremental strategy to the business model. Without marketing or ads, you don’t have a shot in hell to move/sell/promote your product. You’re basically dead in the water. Just like filmmaking, marketing is like storytelling. It’s main purpose is to spark interest, engage, and connect with audiences worldwide.

Tell us about marketing activities or efforts on this project – and how it worked or didn’t work?
TDLT: Actually, I was disappointed. I didn’t feel we had a presence until we hit our first market at American Film Market (AFM 2022) where we landed the cover of the film guide, had a huge decal printed and mounted as a doormat at the Loews Hotel entrance — EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER GOT A KICK OUT OF WALKING ALL OVER JEFF BEZOS’ (Armando Gutierrez) FACE! — we hired a group of actors in suits holding court as Jeff Bezos clones passing out Jeff’s first-ever printed business card — including a COWBOY ASTRONAUT — it was a riot.  Kudos to SpanglishMedia & producer Alberto De La Cruz! It was brilliant marketing. But even then, it was sporadically sparse. I think there could have been a better strategy, I certainly wasn’t consulted. But that said, I think the main strategy may have been, this is BEZOS: THE BEGINNING — the 1st-Ever Jeff Bezos Biopic– and being a cultural icon, a household name, maybe it was decided that a whole lot of marketing wasn’t necessary? I really can’t say. I’m just speculating.

What do you hope audiences will get from the presentation of your film?
TDLT: I hope people watch our ambitious, little film, and respect our efforts to tell this amazing story about a creative man of grit, who dared to dream against the odds. There are SO MANY HATERS out there lambasting us with just horrible, hateful, angry reviews on all the apps because we chose to depict Jeff Bezos in an altruistic, inspirational light, rather than the polarizing figure the media has portrayed him as in the press. If you’re looking for all the drama and controversy that follows Jeff and all the trappings to his fortune and fame, this is not that kind of film. Bezos: The Beginning is an ode to capitalism, and the spirit of American entrepreneurship, and all that’s possible if you take risks and follow your dreams. At the crux, is a story about family, relationships, and a cautionary tale about blind ambition — how it can impact and destroy those relationships on your climb up.

What else have you got in the works?
TDLT: My 2023-2024 slate is already quite full! Upcoming projects include the horror-thriller “Craving” from famed horror director Jason Horton releasing on March 8, 2023; the dramatic action film “Prey of Wrath” from Indonesian action producer Benny Tjandra, starring martial artist icon Cynthia Rothrock, releasing Summer 2023; the female-led suspense-thriller “The 8th Year” from director Ed King III with production set in Vancouver for April/May 2023; “TITO” a biopic from renown actor/producer Damon Whitaker, written by David Guzman on Puerto Rican-American musical icon Tito Puente best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz compositions from his 50-year career. His most famous song is “Oye Como Va.” He is a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

And finally, there is “MC/Master of Ceremony,” also from actor/producer Damon Whitaker and his production company, One House Media. Written by David Guzman, “MC ” is a biopic about the 80’s breakdancing scene, of which David Guzman was a pivotal player and subsequent icon. Projected release date — fingers crossed — to coincide with the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Breakdancing has been added as an official Olympic category. There’s a few others but they’re not set in stone, yet. Thank you for this interview, and thank you for your time. Cheers!

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