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Anthony Lucero is the writer/ director of the indie feature hit East Side Sushi, and he joins us to talk about storytelling in film. We discuss the differences between the storytelling processes for a short and a feature, character arc, the necessity of backstory, and the joys of research for fictional work. With a background in editing and special effects, Anthony talks to us about the advantages an editor has in becoming a writer/ direction, and the differences between the display of special effects and the simple power of story. Tips abound, about plot point grids, what to do when you are tired of your characters, reordering your scenes to create the right arc, and the importance of index cards. We talked about avoiding Hollywood endings, the contrast between the screenplay on the page and what ends up happening at the shoot, how much feedback is too much, and when and how to keep the audience in mind. Anthony made the excellent point that you can’t test a screenplay–you only really know what you have when you are editing it! And of course we talked about sushi and sushi competitions, and how East Side Sushi is the Rocky/ Creed of gourmet raw fish . . .
Links
https://www.facebook.com/eastsidesushi/
Anthony’s shorts The Ballerina and I Need My Mocha
SFWeekly article about Anthony Lucero
Sushi champion Tomoharu Nakamura
Documentary called the King of Kong
Anthony Lucero
Bay Area filmmaker Anthony Lucero’s newest project reflects a fusion of cultures and flavors in East Side Sushi, an original screenplay that tells the story of a Latina working-class single mother who strives to become a sushi chef. As with many of his other films, Lucero’s inspiration for the story came from his observations of people from all walks of life. “I’ve always liked lesser-known stories of everyday people,” he says. “I wonder what their life is like. And I often want to pick up a camera, and follow them, ask them questions about their lives. It’s my documentary background.”
He writes and directs films involving subjects ranging from comedic to deeply serious, such as the poignant 2007 documentary film Angels and Wheelchairs. This intensely personal slice-of-life short film won Best Drama/Documentary and Best Overall Film awards at the Alice 5th Annual Independent Film Festival in San Francisco and played in numerous film festivals around the world. Some of Lucero’s other award-winning projects include 2011’s San Francisco Is… and 2005’s I Need My Mocha, which captured Best Short Film at the San Francisco International Latino Film Festival and screened at numerous film festivals throughout the country. It was also selected as one of the top short films and aired on the Independent Film Channel (IFC). These films can be seen on his website at http://www.lucerofilms.com.
Lucero’s evolution as a filmmaker reflects a diverse path traveled. After receiving his B.A. in Film from San Francisco State University, Lucero worked as a commercial editor for several years with clients such as Nike and Yahoo. His move into the visual effects world for companies such as Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic and Tippett Studio has led him to work on such blockbusters as Star Wars – Episode II, Pirates of the Caribbean, Iron Man and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. Keeping a balance between more commercial films and projects with social commentary and a focus on community, Lucero has also worked as a cameraman and editor on documentaries such as the PBS series Not In Our Town. East Side Sushi marks his feature film directorial debut.
Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival–everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success. The hosts: Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com. Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.
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