Eddie on the set of LOCO
Eddie Mujica was our Spring 2023 Grand Prize Winner with his surreal, dark comedy LOCO, which explores mental health stigma in the Latinx community. The story follows Rafael Reyes at his first therapy session, where he relives the panic attacks, familial pressures, and wrath of his mother on his 25th birthday.
Eddie wrote and directed the film which completed principal photography in January 2025. Read below to learn about some of the highlights and challenges of the production, as well as advice for new filmmakers embarking on their first short films.
All photos in this article are by John Noble Barrack and Lorena B. Puentes.
Did you end up developing the script further after winning the Short Film Fund? If so, what were some of the goals in doing so and do you feel you were able to achieve them?
Julia Morizawa at Shore Scripts gave me some great notes that I implemented into the script. I then gathered some friends to do a table read just to hear it all out loud one more time and made a few more tweaks after that. Overall, the goal was to get the script as tight as possible and simplify things for production based on our locations. I feel we achieved that!
How did you crew up for your project? I remember Lauren Bancroft (producer) and Kelsey Talton (DP) were already on board when you won the Fund. Were your department heads all folks you had worked with before?
I’m so thankful that Lauren and Kelsey came on board literally YEARS ago and stayed on throughout the project’s lengthy development. The three of us first collaborated on the 2022 & 2023 CBS Showcases, and so many on that crew were not just talented but more importantly good people. Kelsey brought back a lot of her incredible camera team, I got back in touch with our sound engineer Nicolas Osorio and production designer Dayanna Hernandez, who in turn recommended me to Ashley Francisco, our SFX makeup artist. Even my wife, Bex Marsh, who I collaborate with on every project, handled wardrobe styling. It was basically a mini-reunion with friends and loved ones, which brought a lot of joy to set.
LOCO stars Eileen Galindo & Christian Acevedo
What was your casting process like? How did you find your cast? Did you hold auditions? Did you cast off tape or in-person? Did you hire a casting director?
This was the first time I held auditions for a project. I usually pull from my network of fellow actors, but because I didn’t know of options for certain roles and the story is so culturally specific, I connected with casting director Alan Luna. From our first meeting, he totally got it and that shared cultural understanding was crucial. He helped cast our protagonist, Rafael, as well as our Abuela and therapist, Dr. Edwards. We found the latter two fairly quickly, but went through several batches of tapes for Rafael trying to find the right fit. We held a virtual callback where our top picks read with Eileen Galindo, who I had cast as Mirta, Rafael’s mom. It was very important to me to see them play off of each other because their relationship is the heart of the film. This whole process humbled me as an actor – you realize how much of casting is out of your control. I made sure to reach out to the guys we didn’t end up going with because it’s very rare to get feedback and I wanted them to know how great they did (and how difficult of a decision they made for me!).
What was the most challenging part of pre-production for this short? Were there any surprises that happened during pre-production that you can share about?
Securing funds! That’s honestly what delayed production – after winning the Shore Scripts grand prize, I thought, oh man, this is great! Let’s go!! But filming is EXPENSIVE. We wanted to go into production knowing we could cover costs and pay people on time, so it took a combination of dipping into savings, kicking off a crowdfunding campaign (which is a whole production in itself), and asking around for help. The big surprise for me was the generosity, support, and belief from my community. It was a pretty emotional couple of weeks!
LOCO Steadicam Op Dustin Supencheck & DP Kelsey Talton
What did you end up shooting on? What were the deciding factors in the camera, format, aspect ratio, etc.? What was the process like for you working with ARRI Rental?
We shot on an ARRI Alexa 35 and, man, it was such a bonus having ARRI as part of the prize package. Not just for the budget, but their team was great to work with. Setting up a camera test at their location in Burbank was a breeze and that session gave Kelsey an opportunity to try out a lot of their gear. The main deciding factor for me was leaning on her killer eye and expertise. Once we felt good about the direction we were going with look-wise, we put together a wish list, handed it over to ARRI, and were able to get most of the gear we asked for.
How many days did you shoot for? Were you able to stay on schedule? Where did you shoot (city, on location, in studio)? Did you get everything you hoped to capture?
We shot for three days in LA over a weekend in January and very much could have used a fourth! But we made do with what we could afford and for the most part did a good job staying on schedule. I’d like to think it was due to all the prep I did but really, it’s a credit to our AD who kept us moving. And of course, there are times you fall behind, it’s nerve-wracking, but then somehow, someway you make it up by the end of the day.
Were there any last-minute changes that happened during production? Any changes to the story resulting from practicalities or obstacles that came up during the shoot?
I’d say the biggest last-minute thing right before production was the fires in LA. We were a week away, actually on our final tech scout the morning when it all started. By the time we got to our final location there was ash in the air. We called off our production meeting so that everyone could get home safe. We spent the next few days checking in on everyone and realizing there was a possibility we’d have to postpone. Fortunately, our cast/crew were all ok and even those who evacuated out of precaution made it back in time. The whole team said they felt lucky to be able to get together and do the thing we love in the midst of it all.
The cast & crew of LOCO
We love hearing serendipitous stories. Did anything happen during production that was initially a “problem” or obstacle that ended up being the best possible thing for the project?
On our last day, all we had to do before we moved outside for our final setup, was nail the 3-page oner I for some reason thought it’d be fun to challenge myself with. We blocked and rehearsed with the full cast, along with our superhuman Steadicam op, Dustin Supencheck. We were up against the clock and I knew we were only going to get a few runs. After the first couple of takes, I noticed a moment in the middle wasn’t working. I added more background movement but something still felt off. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Pressure started to build, we sat behind the monitor for a beat and then Dustin said something along the lines of, “I’m not a writer, but… maybe there’s too many words?” He was 100% right. And of course I, as the writer, wasn’t considering that could possibly be the case. We quickly huddled together and triaged the moment like we were in the ER. Actors chimed in, even our BTS photographer, John Noble, offered a suggestion. We went again — problem solved! I’m thankful I approach filmmaking from my improv/collaborative background but I’m just glad Dustin said something because I truly didn’t have an answer. And that’s the best feeling, when you can rely on the strength of the team you’ve assembled around you.
How is post-production coming together?
I just got a first cut from our editor, Christopher Garcia. I was excited (and terrified) to take a look but it confirmed we didn’t need to reshoot anything and I didn’t TOTALLY hate myself after — so I counted that as a win! We’re currently working on our next cut that will be ready soon for outside notes. I also can’t wait to get stuff to my longtime composer, Tara Trudel, and VFX artist Randy Martinez so they can work their magic.
What are your aspirations for the short once it’s completed? Are you still developing (or planning to develop) the original TV pilot as a series and potentially use this short as a proof-of-concept?
I definitely want to get back on the festival circuit. My previous two shorts had their festival runs just before the pandemic, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there. And yes, the short is very much a proof-of-concept of what LOCO could be. It was originally developed as a series years ago when I was in HBO’s Writing Fellowship, so there’s a pilot and a larger story that I’d love to be able to tell. I was always excited about the surreal and genre-y elements to this project, and now that I’ve had the opportunity to be on set and bring this world to life as a short, I’m very eager to expand on it.
Do you have any advice for filmmakers embarking on their first short film?
Keep it simple! Especially if it’s your first time. I feel fortunate that my other shorts were done on shoestring budgets with minimal locations because it gave me the opportunity to just go out there and try. Experiment, fail. Your first short doesn’t have to be *the* one, so be less precious about it and relieve yourself of that pressure. Those initial experiences prepared me for this more ambitious and personal project… but you gotta start somewhere. So, not to get all Nike on you but just do it!
Feel free to mention anything else about the shoot that we may have missed.
Thank you again to Julia at Shore Scripts for all the help throughout this whole process, and everyone out there who helped me bring this project to life!!
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The Short Film Fund runs twice per year and is open to narrative short films (live action and animated), web series pilots, and short proof-of-concepts for features and TV shows. For each season in 2025, we’ll be awarding a $15,000 cash production grant and $4,000 in finishing funds. Learn more here.
