Meet Jesse Torres, a filmmaker who has been with us for 73 films! Catch his work at our next screening on the third Sunday of every month.
How many Minute Movies have you made?
73 plus jumped in as cast and crew on several other filmmakers’ productions.
A little background about yourself outside of Minute Movies.
I’m currently a property manager for Catholic Housing Services. We provide permanent supportive housing for formerly chronically homeless men. I ran a traditional karate school for 18 years before this, and was a Marine Corps Officer before that. I love hot yoga, and have just recently started Aikido training and reconnected with my traditional karate practice. I really enjoy listening to music and bbq with family and friends. Fun thing about myself? I’ve done the Camino de Santiago twice, once in 2014 and then again in 2016. It’s a 500 mile hike/pilgrimage across northern Spain. It’s a life affirming experience.
What is your film background?
Film is a serious hobby for me. I started by making short promotional videos of my students during training. There was obviously a lot of motion to capture. It was fun to edit all the action clips. But I always wanted to tell other stories and express different things. I took a few a la carte classes from Seattle Film Institute about 8 years ago to get some familiarization with film basics (camera, editing, lighting, etc.). Then in about May of 2015 I somehow came across Seattle Minute Movies through the Meet Up thing. It’s been the best thing ever for my artistic expression.
What is your favorite submission that you’ve made?
This is a hard one for me to choose. I reached all the way back to an August 2015 submission called Clearly Ok. It means a lot to me, and reflects a different time in life.
What is your favorite submission that someone else made?
Dear Lover, a film by the founders themselves. There’s been many great ones, but this one has always resonated.
Why do you like to make Minute Movies? What keeps you coming back?
The chance to exercise most of my artistic and creative needs. I love all aspects of it. Brainstorming a theme, writing, camera, acting and editing. I keep coming back because I love the community and the chance to visit with other creatives. We’re a special breed.
What does your setup look like? Camera? Software?
I use a Black Magic Cinema Camera, Tascam for audio and Davinci Resolve for editing.
What is your filmmaking inspiration? Films? Filmmakers? TV? Your own imagination?
I like military stuff, Platoon, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Saving Private Ryan and especially Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Dear Hunter….Tarantino is always entertaining, Aejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Ridley Scott (the Alien franchise is so great).
What is your favorite genre? To either make or watch.
Moody, reflective stuff.
What is one of the biggest technical challenges you’ve overcome?
Getting decent audio is always a challenge. I wouldn’t say I’ve overcome it, but it’s gotten better.
Is there a story regarding something you learned from the MM community to help you in your filmmaking?
There are so many lessons learned from the community. From technical ideas to pushing the envelope creatively, artistically and emotionally.
Do you have any tips to share with other filmmakers?
What works best for me is to keep production simple and focus on emotional impact and intent. It’s about the human experience.
Do you have any other film projects you’re working on that you want to share?
Yeah, working with a musician/actor/singer on a moody piece about, well, a struggling musician and his friend. We’re creating it and writing it as we go, without a fully fleshed out script to start with. That’s always kinda been my style anyway. I’m glad to meet a serious musician who also digs the process, and is willing to roll until we find a gem of an idea. It’s fun.