Today we’re speaking with Marisa Avitia about the script for her short film, Orchid Daydream.
Chris McClure, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): First off, What inspired you to make Orchid Daydream? Is it based on real events?
Marisa Avitia (MA): I wrote this during quarantine. I wasn’t working because my job was shut down, and I had downtime to watch different films and T.V. shows. I was constantly reading articles about how the pandemic was affecting people’s mental health and how isolation was affecting everyone differently. I wanted to make a short film safely and get creative. I talked to our actress and producer Jessica Cruz and how she wanted to make a family drama like The Family Stone, but with a South Asian family. She started talking about actresses who could play her siblings, and I started spit balling potential ideas. I was already outlining a sister dramedy, so I took some aspects from that and applied it to Orchid Daydreams. I was watching Euphoria, and there was a scene where Zendaya’s character is pleading with another character for drugs. I loved how the scene was set up, and I feel like sometimes we say what’s really on our minds when we aren’t physically with who we’re talking to. I was watching a story about a hotline operator and what it was like. I did a lot of research on the training a crisis operator gets.
(UM): Naomi seemed a bit surly when she began speaking to Nellie on the phone. Did she know right away that it was her sister?
(MA):The reason Naomi seemed a bit surly on the call was because she had read the letter about mortgage payments not being made and was worried about losing the house. She answered her work phone, so she didn’t recognize the number but needed to remain professional once she realized it was Nellie. If Naomi had disclosed herself during the call, she may not have heard Nellie’s true intentions. Naomi’s been working with the crisis hotline for a while, she knows legally and professionally she cannot disclose her personal information over her work phone. It had been months since the sisters talked to each other even though they live in the same house. I believe people are more willing to open up to strangers because there are no personal judgments there. I’ve had many instances where I’m at a networking event, and I’ll have an intense conversation with someone I just met because I know they won’t judge me for how I feel about something.
(UM): I thought I heard something about Nellie needing the money to hire a private investigator to find her birth mother. Could you tell us a bit about the background here?
(MA): Nellie doesn’t have much money because her estranged husband was paying for her lifestyle so she could focus on her painting. Nellie forgot about the money because she was dealing with her depression and her complicated relationship with her husband. The sisters only communicated about bills via text message. She never openly discussed with Naomi about trying to find her birth mother, so that’s why she felt the need to go behind Naomi’s back.
(UM): I noticed that a poster of Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper fresco is hanging on the wall. We see it in many scenes. Was there some significance there?
(MA):This is their last chance to connect and if they don’t mend things now then their relationship could be irreparable. Naomi must decide at the end of the film to repair the relationship or let it go. Her going to see Nellie at the end of the film shows her willingness to give Nellie a chance.
(UM): If I’m not mistaken, Orchid Daydream is the third film you’ve directed. How was making this one as compared to the others? Does it get easier?
(MA): Thank you for that observation. This is the fourth film I’ve directed in five years. This one was the most difficult to film because it was all done remotely. The subject matter was also a heavy topic. Orchid Daydreams pushed me as a writer and director, to take my career to the next level. I learned how important it is to know what you’re trying to achieve and be able to communicate that with actors. This was also my first time working with a composer, and I loved collaborating with Diego Guzman. We talked about emotions of the characters and what I wanted to achieve with the score. I did marching band growing up, and my background in music helped me specify the type of score I envisioned, and Diego gave me an incredible piece. It felt very surreal watching the film with the score.
It doesn’t get any easier for me. I like to take something from each film I work on that I can apply to my next project. I love the collaboration aspect with filmmaking, and it was so cool to have everyone come together remotely. I do think you get better at planning during the pre-production stage to be prepared for your shoot. But things never go as planned, so you need to always be prepared for the unexpected as well.
(UM): In what sense is this film a daydream? Is it a dream that people could communicate openly like this when communication seems impossible?
(MA): The girls feel like they’re in a daydream because they’re grieving their mother. The time in which the short film takes place, their lives feel like a dream because the loss of their mother doesn’t feel real. I lost three family members in the past year, and it doesn’t feel real until you have something that reminds you of them. Grief is something we all experience, and when we lose those close to us, it never feels real until you must face it. The story in the short is not a daydream, but the concept of a dream will be explored more in the feature film.
(UM): Could you tell us about the production of Orchid Daydream? How long did it take? Did anything unexpected happen on set?
(MA): We filmed everything remotely. We had a difficult time casting because the original idea was to have sisters who were South Asian. We auditioned over 40 actresses, we couldn’t find any South Asian actresses or even POC actresses that would be able to play Jessica’s sister, as well as portray the heavy emotions required for Nellie. The diversity issue is hard to work with when you don’t have the large talent pool you would like. So it became even more important for us to make this film.
We shot Orchid Daydream on the actors’ phones. They also had their lighting and microphones, which was what we emphasized while casting. It took a total of one month for preproduction and filming. Four days of filming, with 2 days of voiceover. I was on Zoom directing the actors and helping them set up the shots. During the shoot, the actors would send me a video or picture of the frame; I then gave them feedback on the look. Jessica Cruz and Jessica Joy Hardee were incredible in not only their performances but setting up their equipment and being the crew at the same time with the help of their families. Andre Vernot was incredible as the voice of Henry; he gave the loving touch in his voice that I was looking for. My mom and Jessica Cruz’s nephews also lent their voices, and we are extremely grateful for that. One thing is for sure, we all learned to truly appreciate everybody’s jobs on set. We really missed working with a full crew in person, but our crew did a fantastic job through video calls. I highly recommend any Director to film something remotely so they can learn how to communicate efficiently with everyone.
We had a couple of technical difficulties happen while filming. I had planned a long shot with a gimbal that one of the actresses had. On the day of filming, the batteries died, and I had to think about what household item could give me a similar look. I thought about using the microwave plate to provide me with a smooth pan shot which we ended up going with. We also had a tight deadline to meet, which gave us only two weeks for post-production. Our cinematographer and colorist, T.K. Johnson and composer, Diego Guzman finished the coloring and composition in two days. I was halfway through editing when I got COVID, so Jessica Cruz stepped in to complete the editing. I was watching rough cuts of the film while in the hospital. Cutting down to the wire, we completed Orchid Daydream the day of the deadline.
(UM): I see on IMDb that your next project is called, R.I.P. Trip. Is that correct? Could you tell us a bit about that?
(MA): I will say R.I.P. Trip is a script I have been developing for a couple of years. Right now, we are focusing on the feature of Orchid Daydreams, so R.I.P. Trip won’t be my very next project, but it is definitely in the works and will be happening soon.