Manuel Saldaña

Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your background in filmmaking?

What's up! My name is Manuel Saldaña and I was born and raised in Hartford, CT and as far back as I could remember, I've always wanted to be a Filmmaker. My dad gave me a super VHS camera for my 6th grade graduation and my love for cameras grew. I couldn't afford to go to film school so I ended up going to Manchester Community College where I got my degree in communication media, close enough right? I kept learning about film making online and in 2015 I got to intern on an actual film set. I then was able to finally shoot my first short film that same year. From there I have written, produced, directed, and edited 4 short films. I have no plans of stopping as film making is my life's calling.

What was your motivation behind creating this particular film?

Right before Covid, in February 2020, I invited a bunch of my friends to hang out for my birthday. Unfortunately, I got very sick and had to cancel (Possibly got covid). When I rescheduled, none of my friends were available to hang so I had to cancel it again. After that Covid shut everything down and I was so upset because now people couldn't gather and hang out really. The scene from Batman Begins where Bruce Wayne tells everyone off at the party came to mind. I wish I could've done that since I was so upset at the time. From there I came up with the first premise for "Happy Belated" and it just evoled from there.

Did you face any challenges during the production process? If so, how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was actually finding the office space to shoot this film in. It was almost at the 11th hour that through Facebook market, I was able to find someone who would lend me their building to film. I'm very thankful to David Heck who was very accommodating and let me film in his building for those two weekends. Without that office space location, the movie couldn't have been made. That setting was essential.

Can you discuss the creative decisions you made while developing your film, such as the visual style or narrative approach?

There is a small detail with the depth of field in this film that I think has gone unnoticed. Whenever any character is talking to Tariana (The protagonist) and they don't care for her or are paying attention to her, Tariana's depth of field is deep. But for those who are really listening to her, Tariana's depth of field is shallow since she is their main focus. So yes, little visual clues like that are what I was trying to sprinkle in for each shot. As for my narrative approach, it's straight forward except for in the beginning where we have a bit over a year time jump. After Tariana speaks to her mom about how miserable she is, I thought it was important to show that not much has changed in over a year to really give more fuel to Tariana when she lashes out later on. I want the audience to feel that she is justified in how she handled her coworkers.

Are there any specific themes or messages that you aimed to convey through your film?

The message is to be genuine. Sometimes asking someone how they are doing and really listening to them can go a long way.

How do you feel your film stands out from others in the same genre or category?

I think it's a pretty original story, or at least I haven't seen anything like it. But either way, you can only reinvent a wheel so many times, right? Regardless, this story is one that any one from any gander, race, walk of life can relate to. We've all felt lonely at one point. Felt like there was no one we could talk to. It's just a human story that is pretty universal. 

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Can you share any interesting or memorable experiences you had while making this film?

This was the best cast and crew I've ever worked on a movie with. That first day of shooting was so very long and it was a hot summer day and everyone was just so supportive and believed in this project. No one complained and was there for as long as it took. That is the passion I love, when everyone else is as passionate as you are. We just had a ton of fun doing this movie.

What are your aspirations as a filmmaker, and where do you see yourself in the future?

I just hope I can do this for a living and quit my day job. Make this my main income. I got so many stories to tell on film as well as in comic books and animation. That's the big dream, and it's very possible.

Are there any filmmakers or films that have greatly influenced your work?

The usual suspects from James Cameron (Terminator 2 in particular), Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino,  Christopher Nolan, etc. They've all made movies that have inspired me. But one of the biggest influences in my life outside of movies has been Dragon Ball Z. Before I could make my own movies, that show inspired me to make my own comic book and express myself creatively. I owe a lot to animation in general from Nick toons to Cartoon Network in the 90's because it inspired me to be a creative writer. To create characters, story arcs, their dilemmas, etc. It's a skill that I use now as I write all my films and it's one of my favorite parts of the creative process. So technically I've been creating sorties since at least the 3rd grade.

Have you participated in any other film festivals or competitions? If so, how was your experience?

I've mostly participated in online film festivals. My first 3 films were not picked much, if anything I was very used to getting rejection letters. Now with "Happy Belated" it usually always gets picked. I think that says a lot. You have to continue to work on your craft and it's only going to get better. The key thing is to not give up and learn from all your experiences. I always try to take my movies to the next level with each new one I make in every aspect. So, my experiences with "Happy Belated" and its festival run has been a very joyous one. Me and the cast and crew's hard work is paying off.

Is there anything else you would like the audience and the film festival organizers to know about you or your film?

That there was a lot of passion from everyone to bring this film to life. It's a story that anyone can relate to. And I'm very thankful to everyone here at Ring of Fire film festival and to all the people who watched my movie. Cheers to the next film making adventure!