Sierra Tanzi
Art Director
*Possible spoilers ahead.*
Behind every masterpiece lies a story waiting to reveal itself and in this exclusive interview, we delve into the world of Jonathan Pineda. Pineda is a film major from Johnston, Rhode Island who has always admired stories and storytelling. “(I) always found myself most creative out of my peers growing up in school, and always wanted to tell stories,” Pineda said. Whether on paper or the big screen, he has always had a passion for storytelling.
Pineda’s submission is a short film titled “something is wrong with rachel.” This project featured many of the film majors in Pineda’s class, as they have all worked on a film that the film program made in the spring of this year entitled “Endings.” In this short horror film, Hunter comes home to see his girlfriend, Rachel, acting strange.
Pineda had many inspirations that went into the creation of his short film. “The main inspiration is the 1978 film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” which is the remake of the original 1956 film,” Pineda said. Pineda spoke of creatively enjoying the idea of aliens taking over the world and in turn, used that idea and put a twist to it. This film showcases the pain and fear of losing someone you love, not because they have died, but because they have become someone you don't recognize.
Pineda both wrote and filmed his short film and with the help of his classmates, he was able to cast, scout a location, create storyboards, create shot lists and make the film from scratch. The filming for this project took place in Warwick from May 30 to June 2, with a total of 16 hours of filming.
“My biggest inspiration is myself or the idea of what I can accomplish. That’s what inspires me,” Pineda claims. Pineda also takes motivation from directors like Damien Chazelle, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson and Edgar Wright. Though he doesn’t believe these individuals directly inspire him, he does believe they motivate him to create what he loves.
“One of the biggest pieces of advice I've gotten so far in my film journey is as a director, you need to be a leader and not a dictator,” Pineda said. He explained that the director is the lead for creative decisions on set, and should never take advantage of their team. To Pineda, being a leader means there are people looking to him for guidance on set. He makes sure everyone has input on what's happening and makes everyone welcome and feel useful. His goal is to lead them to his vision, but not micromanage them into whatever he wants.
If Pineda could give one piece of advice to people in the film or any other creative outlet, it would be: “Follow your heart because there's nothing like it, do the things you love to do with the people you like, and I promise good things will follow.”
Pineda would like to thank everyone involved in creating this film who put time and energy into getting this project on screen. “I love every single one of you,” Pineda concludes.
If you like the film “something is wrong with rachel,” keep an eye out for Pineda’s next work that’s set to release in February of 2024.
If you or someone you know would like to submit a piece to be featured in The Anchor, email us at artdirector@anchorweb.org with your submission and a brief description.