“Euphoria Man” Interview with Niki Aguirre.

Film Title: Euphoria Man
Writer: Davy Aguirre
Producer: Niki Aguirre
Director: Davy Aguirre
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Format: miniDV

What is the film (Euphoria Man) about?

The entire film is an allegory of breaking away from drug addiction. The film is about a young kid who is troubled after he and his friend lose their jobs. So he ends up buying drugs and through his experience throughout his imaginary journey he realizes that drugs are not the answer.

Is there a personal message to the story?

My brother, writer and director Davy Aguirre did write the story from personal experience. As a young teen he went through some experimentation with drugs and realized it was not worth it.

What was your role in the production?

I was one of the executive producers on the film and also played the role as Ernest’s (Kevin Grady) sister Ophelia Springfield. The character was a lot of fun to play and wasn’t a far stretch from my own personality. She is very quirky and I found it very easy to play the brother-sister dynamic between the two characters because it’s my reality with my own brother.

Who are the key players in the film?

The people who made this film happen were those who were involved through its entirety. This includes myself, my brother Davy Aguirre who wrote and directed the film, and a team of very talented and devoted filmmakers and actors who include Kevin Grady, Jona Haga, Bobby Valdillez, Ben Davis, Alan Nelson, and Craig Fogarty.

What did you shoot on? Likes/Dislikes?

We shot on a Canon XL1 (miniDV). As a student filmmaker, I really enjoy the simplicity and utility of the XL1 and its ability to serve as the workhorse of a short film project. Shooting Euphoria Man with the XL1 was straightforward and fast, as it has little setup time and is compact enough to be quickly moved between takes and locations.

What did you edit with? Likes/Dislikes?

For Euphoria Man we edited with Adobe Premier Pro 2.0. We’ve used Adobe Premier for several years and have liked its simplicity and its ability to quickly edit a sequence in real time.

What was the most difficult aspect of the shoot?

The most difficult or the most time consuming aspect of the shoot was rewriting the end of the film. We had several different drafts of how it would all turn out. We did finally decide it was best for our hero to overcome the addiction as he did, but we were realistic in this challenge and his subtle acceptance or defeat.

How has the film been received?

This was one of our first films that we did and we are just now beginning to promote it. Thus far all promotion has been online through myspace and different internet video outlets and blogs. Most of our audience has seemed to enjoy it. We are hoping to be screened at World Fest in April. We’ll let you know later on how the film is being received when screening.

What did you learn from making this film?

Delegating. This production was a much greater challenge compared to past projects. The content of the film was more intricate and the work behind it mirrored that. As a producer I had to find dedicated people that had the skills and mastery in their fields to pull the production together to a successful finish. We were blessed with a wonderful and creative crew and ensemble of actors.

Any other advice for a first time filmmaker?

The best advice I can give is to gather a solid support system of fellow filmmakers or friends who are aspiring to become filmmakers. I know for a fact that it is due to our tight knit filmmaking family we have established is the reason we have be able to complete and present our first films. Many films get started and never completed due to not only financial problems but because of lack of commitment or creative differences among the group. So group dynamics and relationships are key.

Another thing in addition to that is to not try to do everything yourself. Wearing too many hats in a production should be avoided if you can find others who have those talents.

Last bit of advice is to really enjoy and have fun in the creativity you are embarking upon. As soon as something begins to lose interest or passion it will lead into failure eventually or discontent with your final product. Work hard at keeping the passion alive not just within yourself but motivating others around you as well. When one person can work wonders with their own determination imagine what you can do as a group of people with that height of increased magnitude.

What is next for you and the New World Film Company?

Right now we have several projects in development. Most notably we are planning on our first feature film, working title, “The Blackbird”. We are currently in the script stage and in the middle of casting our leads. I am also working on a short film titled, “Biology of Love” which is basically the rapport of two college students and the discussion of love from a scientific perspective and how it relates to the idealist. All our projects are in pre-production right now and hopefully we’ll be filming them over this summer and screening next spring.