A Grant, a Great Kid, and a Little Luck
Usually, when I'm developing a new story I test the pitch on friends and colleagues. You can usually tell within a short time if a story has any legs - people smile, they ask questions, and get excited for me. But most of the time, a story doesn't land. There is nothing like pitching a beloved story and watching friends fake enthusiasm. It's usually easy to to tell. They quickly change the subject or encourage me to "keep at it."
But pitching "Los Tamales" was different. Everyone loved it from the moment I started developing the story. Several friends read the script and gave me zero notes. That never happens. Hey, we even got a grant from NALIP and Ford Motor Company!
Being that it was my first major short film, I made sure to cast a seven year old child and a dog that required a trainer. Just to make things easy.
But pitching "Los Tamales" was different. Everyone loved it from the moment I started developing the story. Several friends read the script and gave me zero notes. That never happens. Hey, we even got a grant from NALIP and Ford Motor Company!
Being that it was my first major short film, I made sure to cast a seven year old child and a dog that required a trainer. Just to make things easy.
The Story
Little Paquito sits at his dining room table minding his own business and playing with his cars. He admires an add for a new car and five tightly rolled up dollars. When his mother discovers there's no crema for the tamales, and they're expecting company, she sends the young Paquito to the corner store. Paquito must face all the scary things in his neighborhood before returning home with the crema. Will he survive?
Visit Salvador Paniagua's Web site.