Orlando Gonzales

I have been in the film industry for the past 10 years as a production coordinator and am looking to produce my own features as well as other's work.

***EXCERPT from Massify interview by Amy Allen:***

Hardworking and smart, Massify member Orlando Gonzales works in Hollywood as a Production Coordinator. Beginning as a PA on Wild Wild West, he's worked on blockbusters such as Panic Room and the Transformers franchise, in addition to independent movies. His answers provide an intriguing profile of a rising Hollywood player.

What is your background?

Orlando: I'm a thirty-seven year old native southern Californian. I attended high school in Chino, junior college at Chaffey Community in Rancho Cucamonga and graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a Major in Communications. I now reside in Orange County with my wife Jenny and our two year-old daughter Chloe. I battle the "City of Angels" gridlock daily and commute from OC to LA, ...that is at least until Orange County's feature film industry booms.

I have always been interested in film. However, my earliest recollection of wanting to know more about "movie magic" was after I had my six year-old mind blown sitting in a darkened theater watching Ben Kenobi hand Luke Skywalker his father's lightsaber in Star Wars.

How did you get started working in the industry? Did you go to film school, or have existing contacts?

Orlando: I had no existing contacts. Nepotism is common in the industry, so internships are a great way to get your foot in the door. I had three internships. My first was at a commercial / music video company in Santa Monica, my second at MTV for the Real World. I then took on a third internship at Sonnenfeld/Josephson, a development company for Director Barry Sonnenfeld and producer Barry Josephson, on the Disney lot. I segued from the development internship into an office PA job on Wild Wild West, through a contact I met there.

Besides being a production coordinator, what other jobs have you done on set?

Orlando: I worked as a set PA on student films, industrial videos and commercials. I have also directed and produced my own shorts and a music video.

What exactly does a production coordinator do?

Orlando: Production Coordinators control and manage the flow of information between the various departments of a film production to provide all the required components within the time frame needed and keep the studio informed. We make sure all necessary equipment and materials are on site at the right times, that staff and crews are in place and have everything they need to work, actors and actresses have their contracts signed and are on site, and all accommodations for the crew and cast are provided.

Since many films are shot on location, this means the production coordinator is responsible for getting all the equipment to remote locations as well, this includes: booking lodgings, providing food services and even ensuring that specific items are provided for cast and crew as requested. And many times, these "specific items" are the ones that keep you "running and gunning" and can make or break you. The position requires an ability to work on several details of a project at the same time while still coordinating the big picture.

What is your favorite part about the job? Least favorite?

Orlando: I enjoy interacting and working with all of the departments. Unlike the scenes being shot, there is nothing "scripted." The challenges are unique. There is absolutely never a boring day and of course I love the Wrap parties.

The least favorite aspect would probably be the hours. During principal photography, they stretch easily over twelve hour days. In town you normally shoot five day weeks and when you're on location, you shoot six day weeks with even longer hours.

I know you can't talk much about Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, because it hasn't been released. But overall, which projects have been your favorite, and why? Which projects have been the most challenging?

Orlando: I've been incredibly lucky to find myself working on great projects ranging from David Fincher's Panic Room to Peter Berg's Hancock. My favorites though, have been the Transformer films. Both were demanding, due to "location shooting" and just the sheer size of such productions, but when you finally see it on the big screen you realize what a special opportunity it is to be a part of. It's a franchise that really exemplifies "movie magic."

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, in the same calendar year I worked on the first Transformers, I also crewed up on a micro-budget Alex Cox film called Searchers 2.0. This film was physically challenging, because we had an incredibly small crew and shot an entire road movie in only a matter of three weeks gorilla style, in Monument Valley during the winter. Everyone was required to wear "many hats."

How long did you have to work for free before you got hired on a set?



Orlando: I interned for about four months before I was offered two different jobs; most of the other students, who did well, also got offered some type of entry-level position. I turned them both down because neither were directly involved with Film Production. Luckily, the development job that I turned down, as I stated earlier, actually led to the PA gig on Warner Bros. Wild Wild West.

Where would you like to see yourself ultimately in the industry?

Orlando: I will be producing films that I'm passionate about.

You've worked on large, blockbuster movies. But what stories are you drawn to and see yourself telling? How are they similar or different to the productions you've worked on?

Orlando: Depending on my mood, I do enjoy most genres and can appreciate, or at least find interesting elements in, most films. I am drawn to quirky films such as "Raising Arizona, "Swingers", "To Die For" and "Burn After Reading", but I tend to really enjoy horror and sci-fi the most, like "Night of the Living Dead" and "Aliens." Unfortunately, with most horror and sci-fi there tends to be more focus on plot with less emphasis on the characters that the quirkier films possess. I look to bridge that gap.

How do you see the state of the industry, in terms of studios retaining their place at the top and the new, emerging space online?

Orlando: There will always be studio films, but the availability of professional equipment at reasonable costs and outlets for product "on-line" opens film production to the masses. Enabling more product, good and bad, to be available. Many more interesting stories and characters will now see the light of day and be given the chance to find an audience.

Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?

Orlando: I'm currently seeking financing for two projects that I'm working on. First up is an intriguing film; I'm partnering up with a fellow Massify member - director Erik Fetler with Poor Yorick Productions - on his film Good Humor: In the not too distant future, "political correctness" permeates all facets of our daily existence resulting in humor being banned and declared illegal.

My other project is a script I wrote and am looking to direct titled, When the World Dies. It's a relentless, living dead apocalyptic flick with a clever narrative device.

For those who want to work in production, Orlando broke down the daily activities of a production coordinator:

o Communicating on a daily or even hourly basis with the production manager, producers, A.D. dept, staff and agents to ensure everything is prepared for filming. This includes distribution of all the daily paperwork; Call sheets and Production Reports, etc.

o Meeting with outside vendors, artists, actors and other professionals, getting signed contracts and clearly outlining expectations, dates and services required.

o Planning, organizing and arranging the movement of cast, crew, equipment and supplies to the various filming locations.

o Responding to problems and issues as they develop during the filming of the project and anticipating and solving any issues with regards to equipment, personnel or supplies before they become problematic. There are always fires to be put out!

o Troubleshooting issues with regards to contracts, script revisions, and production reports for the studio executives and producers.

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