Directing an animal is a big challenge especially if the role is psychologically complex. Mexico-city based  Silvia Santoyo made the task even greater. She wrote a script—”Escamol”—featuring four dogs. In the interview (below) Silvia shares some of the techniques she used to make her canine protagonist into a star.

 

Interview with Silvia Santoyo

MMM: How did you develop your skills as a filmmaker?

Silvia: I used to be an actor. Now, I’ve been taking classes on directing actors, and I watch online tutorials about filmmaking all the time. I also  work on friends productions as a producer.

MMM: Are there any filmmakers who influenced your work?

Silvia: In smartphone filmmaking Sean Baker ( the director of “Tangerine”) is a true inspiration.

MMM: How did you come up with the concept for “Escamol”?

Silvia: It’s really a true story. Escamol is my dog. What happens is seen through Escamol´s eyes, or at least what I think he feels.

MMM: According to Wikipedia,  the name “Escamol” is a Nahuati  word for edible ant larvae. How does that meaning relate to your canine protagonist?

Silvia: When I adopted him, I wanted a Mexican name. He was so small that I thought he is a little escamol.

MMM: Could you talk about how you planned the shoot?

Silvia: I had a script and a shot list.  I started with exteriors and afterwards we shot the most difficult scene, which was having the dogs in the bed. We didn’t improvise, but because dogs are dogs, we adjusted to them and their movements.

MMM: Casting is always important—and certainly it made a difference with this movie. Could you tell us how you found the animals?

Silvia: All of the dogs are mine. Escamol is the lead role and its about him, I know him very well, and he is the only one of my dogs who “listens” when you talk to him.

MMM: Directing kids and animals is supposed to be extremely difficult. Could you talk about your method of working with Escamol and the other canine cast members?

Silvia: Escamol has had basic training, and he obeys commands. I asked his trainer to help me in this project. I couldn’t have done this without him. I had a very small crew and it was important for me that they loved dogs. As for motivation,  every time Escamol did something good we gave him little bites of food. He got crazy when he saw the big sandwich, but he got only a bite.

MMM: That was a terrific moment, with Escamol showing great restraint.

Silvia: That scene took us about 40 minutes.

MMM: There are many beautifully composed shots in “Escamol,” but one that especially stands out is the bird’s-eye view of the bed.

Silvia: When that image came to my head, I grabbed a tall ladder and with a selfie stick I shot the empty bed. I took the photo to the cinematographer, so he knew what I wanted. When the dog is in the bed, he started to lick me. Because he doesn’t usually do that, I was surprised.

MMM: The moment when Escamol tries to leave the house is really dramatic.

Silvia: That’s the fiction part. In real life, Escamol won’t leave the house, but in the story, he misses being  the only dog.

MMM: Well, he did a good job conveying his emotion. And the same is true about your performance. Could you talk about directing yourself?

Silvia: I wanted to hire an actress, but because animals are very jealous of their space,  it would have taken a lot of time to make the dogs comfortable with her.  So I had to do it myself. I communicated with the cinematographer and my AD what I wanted in every shot, but once I was in front of the camera I was in the actor’s mindset not in the director’s mindset. I’m not sure if I will do that again.

MMM: Why did you decide to shoot the movie on the iPhone rather than a traditional camera?

Silvia: If you wait to have funds it can be frustrating. But with the phone, you already have a camera in your hands, a powerful one… no excuses. The further advantage for this project was that for dogs the camera was not invasive.

MMM: Any disadvantages?

Silvia: When shooting with low light or dark walls, smartphone video can have a lot of noise.

MMM: You credit FiLMiC Pro upfront. Could say why you used that app rather than the native camera app?

Silvia: I learned about FiLMiC Pro from “Tangerine,” so I got the app. They do a great job, and I love  their cinematographer kit. You can do a lot with it. When I learned that FiLMiC Pro had a contest with an animal category, I submitted and I won.

MMM: Did you use any other gear?

Silvia: Beastgrip Rig and Moondog Labs lenses.

MMM: The film is beautifully edited. Could you say a few words about your approach to editing and to creating the sound track?

Silvia: I did the first cut, but an editor finished it. I wanted original music but I didn’t have the budget for it, so I bought the sound track at Premium Beat.

MMM: Is there any advice you might give to someone just beginning to make mobile movies?

Silvia: Don’t wait for the big budget. If you have a story to tell, just do it.  But you have to know that less the money means more preproduction effort.

MMM: Anything else

Sylvia: Practice. Practice a lot. Do camera tests with lights and remember smartphones have small sensors, so  avoid low light. Fixing noise in post is very expensive. And if you are going have dialogue, use as external microphone.

MMM: All this is very helpful. If readers want to learn more, how can they keep up with your work?

Silvia: I’m on Vimeo and Instagram.

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The editors of MobileMovieMaking chose “Escamol” as a Mobile Movie of the Week.