Hi Jessica! Congratulations on your first film. How was the premiere and the response to BING! BANG! BI! at the Frameline International LGBTQ+ Film Festival?
Thank you! Since it’s not a traditional year for film festivals and premieres, this has definitely been a unique experience for a first-time filmmaker. I watched the program virtually from the comfort of my home which was fun, but the downside was missing the reactions and response of a live audience and being able to engage with them in a Q&A post-screening. I hope people are watching and enjoying it though!
The film was acted so well that I truly believed I was watching a scene from a documentary or a reality show (a realistic reality show – that feels like an oxymoron haha!). What was your casting process like?
That’s really nice to hear because that was definitely the style of acting and filmmaking I was going for. I wanted the performances to feel subtle and nuanced, like a slice of real life. I wrote the role of Morgan for myself and the role of Sofia for one of my closest friends, Sofia Banzhaf.
I built the rest of the cast around those two roles, so it was really about finding the right chemistry and balance. I’ve known Jess Salgueiro for years, so I reached out to her about the role of Cala and was thrilled when she immediately came back with a yes. Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll was recommended to me by a friend, so I took him for a coffee and I could tell right away he’d be perfect in the group dynamic.
I got the four of us together for a rehearsal a couple of weeks before filming, which involved food and drinks, improv, conversations about our characters, and all the dynamics at play. I think the immense talent of my cast combined with that rehearsal was the real foundation of the ease and believability you see on screen in that scene.