John P Martinez is a cinema lover first and foremost. He grew up in Upstate NY and always loved going to the movies as young as he can remember. His bucket list consisted of making a short film and submitting it to a film festival. He accomplished both and he has been quite surprised with the response his short film, "The Days of Knight: Chapter 3" has been receiving. "It's been the greatest rollercoaster ride I've ever been on."
You've submitted The Days of Knight, please describe the project to our readers.
"The Days of Knight" started off as a simple premise - An assassin is hired to retrieve an item for a powerful family and he encounters more than he imagined. While preparing to film the short, the project began evolving into a more complex story. Based on all of the ideas, I wrote a backstory that serves as a guide for the "The Days of Knight" universe. I'm planning to shoot four short films that tell different parts of the "Knight's" story. Afterwards, I'll write a feature length script for "The Days of Knight" and focus on two other shorts. One being a ghost story at the movie theater I worked at while in high school. It'll be fun to do!
How did you understand that this was your vocation?
I always loved telling stories, and I wanted to go to NYU Film School after high school, but my grades were not the greatest to get into the program. But I continued making short films on our trusty camcorder. I recently retired after working 25 years in the government and decided to do it! I watched a lot of tutorials on filmmaking, color grading, lightning, etc. and after four months, I started filming "The Days of Knight".
In your biography you said that after 25 years of service, you're finally doing what you love to do. Tell us more about it.
I worked in a movie theater for four years while in high school & college and I was able to watch every movie and see every movie trailer from 1993 -1997. Needless to say, I was determined to be a filmmaker. I didn't have the funds or resources back then to film a short. Now, I have plenty of free time and the means to invest in filmmaking as well as dedicate more energy into the creative process. "The Days of Knight" was a trial-and-error experience, but now I learned a lot and I'm applying that knowledge to my new short "The Days of Knight: Chapter 1". It's been a lot more enjoyable filming this time around.
Are there any filmmakers that inspire your work?
All the greats of course! Recently, I really like David Fincher, Denis Villenueve, Michael Mann, Tony & Ridley Scott, and Christopher Nolan. All of these filmmakers are so unique with how they tell their stories. You can close your eyes and know these are their films. Truly master storytellers!
What difficulties or challenges did you face during the development of the project?
The difficulty with making a short film is you don't have a lot of time to tell your story. For "The Days of Knight: Chapter 3", I wanted to keep the run time under 10 minutes to just challenge myself on how to tell a three-act story. That was extremely challenging, but it made my decision-making process very clear and concise. For my next short film, there's no time restraints. The goal is to make a good short film with a great story.
Has your military experience shaped your projects? Did it inspire any particular scenes?
I was a federal officer for 25 years and I recently retired. My younger brother, Anthony, who played the role of "Knight", served in the US Army for four years. My professional experiences did help shape a lot of the story and how certain scenes were going to be shot. The tactical movements during Knight's entrance into the residence is how we would realistically "clear" a house with unknown threats. Moving forward, "The Days of Knight: Chapter 1" will rely on a lot more of my experiences and my brother's military experience. It'll be fun to watch!
You're completely involved, you've directed, wrote, produced, edited and briefly appeared in this project, what was your approach and what does it mean for you to be this involved in the process?
It was a lot of responsibility and fun to do, but next time I'm definitely going to collaborate with a few more people. The story was the biggest "nut" to crack. I wanted a story that was fast paced and visually appealing. We shot the film usually in the mornings and/or early afternoons. The toughest part was making the night scenes look realistic. That took a few weeks to get right. The editing process is really where the story came to life for me. That's the part of the filmmaking process that I truly enjoy the most. Being involved in each role was extremely rewarding and fun!
What is your secret dream? A project not yet completed or a collaboration with another artist you respect.
I wrote a script called "Spectre 7". I hope one day I'll get to make it into a feature film. It has a little bit of everything: horror, sci-fi, action, mystery, suspense. It's a story, I feel, that has not made its way to the big screen yet. The script is designed to be made into multiple sequels. It's a complex story that goes into a lot of different directions. It would be fun to work with a lot of creative people on this project. My goal is to use more practical effects than CGI. That's my dream project!
Who would you recommend "The Days of Knight" to? And why?
I would recommend "The Days of Knight" to anyone who wants to see a great short film. The film starts off being one thing and then quickly changes into something else. I feel audiences nowadays want to be surprised with a story that has them on the edge of their seats and is constantly evolving at a fast tempo. I feel "The Days of Knight: Chapter 3" accomplishes both of those things. I promise you won't be disappointed when you see it! I would love to hear your feedback!
What advice would you give to a new filmmaker starting out?
Great question! My advice would be to just start filming whether on your phone or a camera. The story in the end is what ultimately matters. I would also take a lot of risks and make something that is unique. I aimed to make "The Days of Knight" like something no one has ever seen before. I used a lot of unique camera angles, fast pacing and music and sound design that truly fit the vibe of the movie. My biggest advice is don't be afraid of how it's going to turn out. You are going to make mistakes and a lot of them, but you'll be a better filmmaker in the long run.
One thing you wish you had discovered sooner?
I wish I started making short films sooner. I waited too long to start but now I feel as though I'm a better storyteller. Plus, I spend one day a week just learning about filmmaking and how to get better in the creative process. A great source of information is YouTube - there are a ton of great tutorials on filmmaking. The more you learn, the better filmmaker you'll be in the long term. The internet is a wealth of knowledge if you are new to filmmaking. I dedicated my short film to all of those content creators. Without them I don't think "The Days of Knight" would have turned out the way it did!
Aside from The Days of Knight, what are you working on at the moment?
I'm currently filming "The Days of Knight: Chapter 1". It's completely different from "Chapter 3". It tells how "Knight" became this elite operator. It's more action and sci-fi oriented. Plus, it's bigger in scope and production value. I'm also working on a few scripts that I hope to shoot next year. Shooting two films in a year would be great! So, if you are interested in being in a short film, please let me know.
Do you want to tell us about other projects or add something?
I am working on two more "The Days of Knight" short films. Each will focus on a unique story within the "The Days of Knight" universe. I'm also working on a script about my time working in a movie theater that happened to be haunted. It'll be fun to make. Hopefully, the movie theatre we will shoot in isn't haunted!!! Fingers crossed!
We love to see this story continue, so we look forward to it!
What is your opinion on the involvement of artificial intelligence in the world of entertainment?
Artificial intelligence is something that is going to happen in the world of entertainment. It'll find a way in one way or another. It'll be interesting to see how creative it can be. But humans still have the ability to add something that AI cannot!
CONTACTS:
email john@10-18films.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/1018filmsaz/
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