HollyShorts - P+V
Penny decides she's finally ready to have sex with her boyfriend. Only problem: he thinks she already has. She enlists the help of her best friend Vince to take her virginity so she can be prepared for when it really matters.
Interview with Director Michael Anthony Lopez and Producer/Writer Maddie McGuire
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Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
MM: Initially I wrote a single scene, which ended up becoming the opening scene of the short. I nanny this really amazing 12 year old girl part-time and she’s getting to that age where she’s a lot more curious about relationships, dating, intimacy and sex. She’s exposed to a lot of different articles and information online that’s made her question her feelings towards the other sex and her own relationship with her body. She was reading a lot of articles that had titles like “8 ways to make yourself more desirable to men”, “3 men reveal what pleasures them most”, “Tricks to drive him crazy in bed.”
Instead of realizing that these articles are just opinions she started becoming more insecure in her everyday life, feeling like she’ll never be able to accomplish what these articles are describing as she continues to grow older and experience more. It really opened my eyes up to how much pressure is put on us as a collective unit by society to be a certain way to make ourselves more desirable to the opposite sex. Instead of just being present in the moment we’ll be worried about pleasing someone else so much that we won’t even be able to enjoy ourselves.
Losing your virginity is something that everyone remembers if it’s already happened to them and I’m sure is something that everyone has thought about if they haven’t experienced it yet. I wanted to play around with the pressure that we feel and insecurities surrounding sex that can come up in all of our lives, and how ultimately how what matters is being present and honest with yourself, and having confidence in yourself to be brave and make some ballsy decisions (No pun intended).
MAL: I was honestly drawn to the script because I liked that it was centered on the decisions of a strong young female. I think that is a perspective that is often lost in these type of virginity/coming of age stories. Penny’s character is not dumb or tricked into anything. She has control over what she does. I also really liked that the film’s tone in no way shames her for what she wants. I think it’s a very sex positive message.
With the sex scene in particular, I wanted a heavy focus on the condom because I think sexual safety is something that is not brought up nearly enough in most media. If young people see this film, and relate to the characters, and then see them using a condom, they might think to as well.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
MM: You should watch this film because you’ll most definitely have a good time watching it, you’ll probably be able to reflect back on to when you lost your virginity, and who doesn’t want to relive that? It’s a fun, heartwarming movie that everyone can relate to in some way. Also, it’s a film that shows sex in a positive light without trying to impose a certain opinion of what sex should be on you.
MAL: Agreed!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
MM: I expressed some of the universal and personal themes when I talked about why I chose to make the film. Ultimately, I really reflected on the societal pressure that we feel when it comes to sex and relationships in our everyday lives. We tend to over think something that should be fun and freeing because we have a lot of media describing to us what sex is supposed to be like and what relationships are supposed to feel like. I’m sure every person at some point in time has over thought or been insecure about a situation regarding sex and relationships.
Sex is a huge part of our everyday lives, we consume it whether we’re reading a magazine, watching TV, or actually having it. This film takes a look at what goes on in the minds of a pair of best friends experiencing sex for the first time together and the complications and excitement that go along with it.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
MAL: I feel like it was a very solid script to begin with and obviously on set some things change. There was more humor in the script during the sex scene initially, but during filming the energy on set and the chemistry between the actors lent itself to the insecurities and the tenderness that comes across with this experience that most everyone goes through. The sex scene ended up becoming a lot more intimate than originally anticipated, which was an on-set decision.
Sometimes when you’re on set you just have to go with energy that’s there in the moment and that’s when things start to re-translate from word to image. Right after we shot the sex scene we had a location move to the restaurant where we filmed the first and last scenes of the movie. Having just gone through that intimate moment together the actors really used that vulnerability that was created for the final scene and it really came together nicely.
MM: When I wrote the script I already had Sasha in mind to play Vince and knew that I wanted Michael to direct the film. I really trust his creative vision and was confident that he would be able to take what I had written on the page and have an audience understand it in an emotional way.
I feel like my initial script had more humor in it and through rehearsals and conversations I had with Michael we found a lot more under the surface and chose to also show a more intimate side to the experiences that the characters are going through, which is my favorite thing we were able to accomplish, combining the humorous and emotional aspects of this story.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
MAL/MM: Overall, it’s been a really positive experience so far with this film. People seem to really enjoy it and have connected to an aspect of the story or one of the characters. The best part for us has been that people of all ages and genders have been able to enjoy the film. We have gotten the note that the film edges on the longer side for being a short film, but that it doesn’t feel that long when you watch it....so we’ll take it!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
MAL: No, the feedback and response have gone along with what we tried to convey with the film in the first place.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
MAL/MM: Our film being featured on any platform is obviously very exciting, as well as another great opportunity to network. But having it on a site like wearemovingstories is really great because it is a film that tries to convey a sex positive message about an experience that most people go through at some point. It can be a milestone and a special occasion in someone’s life, as well as being awkward, funny, uncomfortable and amazing.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
MAL/MM: For this film we feel like the people who could best amplify this films message would be film festival directors and journalists. They could really help us keep exposing the film to new audiences and allowing the film's message to be seen by people we might never have gotten the opportunity to show it to otherwise. We would love to keep touring the film festival circuit with P+V and meeting new people we could hopefully partner with on future endeavors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
MM: I would love for people to be able to walk out of this film feeling like they had a good time and that it was an overall enjoyable experience for them. If audiences can laugh a little bit and feel touched by the characters journey, I’ll be stoked. I love writing stories that have a touch of humor and intimacy, but are showcased in a very realistic way that anyone can relate to. I would love for audiences of all ages to continue relating to the film.
MAL: We’ve been really lucky to have such a warm reception to it already and if that could continue that would be fantastic.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
MAL: There’s a lot of different opinions on the sentimentality and guidelines that are set around a lot of intimate occasions people go through, like losing your virginity. We tried to capture Penny and Vince’s experience in the most natural way, which includes how beautiful, uncomfortable, confusing and humorous the experience can be. The debate or conversation that could be had after people watch the film will probably be based in if they agree with the way we chose to portray the experience.
Would you like to add anything else?
MAL/MM: On the last day of filming we found out our Director of Photography, Alasdair Martin, has award winning calves. He apparently won the “Best Calves” award in his high school. We must say, they are pretty impressive.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We’re currently in pre-production on our second short film, Kindred, which will be filming in early September. We also have a web-series in production and a half-hour single-cam dramedy TV pilot that we’re currently pitching.
Interview: August 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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P+V
Penny decides she's finally ready to have sex with her boyfriend. Only problem: he thinks she already has. She enlists the help of her best friend Vince to take her virginity so she can be prepared for when it really matters.
Length: 19:46
Director: Michael Anthony Lopez
Producer: Maddie McGuire
Writer: Maddie McGuire
About the writer, director and producer:
Maddie McGuire Bio:
Born and raised in Chicago, Maddie quickly realized that she loved the city, but hated the cold weather. The second she was legally able to say sayonara to The Windy City she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting and writing. She has been to “prom” twice in commercials for Google and Verizon, and once more with Chewbacca on Jimmy Kimmel Live. She has been in multiple short films, TRACE a horror feature film where she didn’t die until the last ten minutes (Small victories), and recently filmed the feature LADY-LIKE, which is currently taking on the festival circuit.
She owns a production company called Lucid Media, which completed post production on its first feature film RELATIVITY this month. She has also written, produced and starred in the short film P + V, and Webseries POPCORN & PUMPS, based off of a blog she writes with her best friend, actress Olivia Scott. You can catch her as “Courtney Love” in Episode Two of the new MTV Series Mary+Jane.
Michael Anthony Lopez’s Bio:
Growing up in the sunny suburbs of northern San Diego, Michael Anthony Lopez was a certified dreamer with a passion for movies, music, and art. Since a very young age he had displayed natural abilities and an eye for many artistic mediums including painting, drawing, and sculpture (having some pieces in galleries, pieces purchased, and teaching after school art programs).
Over time, Michael’s love for art began to grow with his love for film, until he decided that’s where his future lies. After receiving a B.A. in film and Media Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara, Michael moved to Los Angeles where he continued to write, direct music videos and work on art departments for various media forms. He recently has started a unisex clothing line called Modern Royalty and directed his first narrative short “P+V.”
Key cast:
Maddie McGuire - Penny
Sasha Feldman - Vince
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Film Festival Directors, would love to keep touring around the festival circuit. We’re always looking for producers and funders to partner with on future projects.
Funders: Lucid Media Productions
Made in association with: Lucid Media Productions
Release date: P+V will have it’s premiere screening on 8/18 at Hollyshorts.
Where can I watch it in the next month? You can watch P+V on Bitpix.com as part of Hollyshorts screening series during the festival.