What is it like to undertake in the world of cinema | Entrepreneurs

Undertaking is never an easy path. But there are always some sectors more complicated than others. The world of cinema is one of the most difficult. Today at Territorio Pyme we have been able to speak with Carlos Fernández and Lorena Ares, the writers and directors of the short film “The Longest Night Dawns” which has been nominated for the Goya Awards for Best Animated Short Film. for a short of 9 minutes have been spent over four years. These and other details and peculiarities tell us these filmmakers.

– How do you come up with the story of The Longest Night Dawns?

For years we have lived with the feeling that a profound change is approaching that will affect us all on an economic and social scale. Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence or Blockchain are consolidating as accelerators of these changes. About 5 years ago we read the story “Death had a wreck” by 3 times Goya winner Ángel de la Cruz and we found it inspiring to create this film that is an invitation to critical thinking and individual action, in search of building the best possible future and not leave its design in the hands of the interests of a few.

– What will the viewer find?

A short film in oil.

The viewer enters a moving exhibition from which at first they feel alien, to discover, little by little, that the oil paintings become mirrors and that the entire short film is nothing more than a reflection on the fears that prevent us from acting. , that make us look the other way when we know we should take sides.

The pictorial style of the short is one of its great assets. Inspired by Goya’s black paintings, Turner’s seascapes and Francis Bacon’s brushstrokes, “The longest night dawns” has required 4 years of hard work as each frame has been painted individually to achieve that look that makes it unique. .

– What kind of audience is the short aimed at?

To anyone who wants to analyze the very delicate moment in which we find ourselves. The proposal is to do it through art, since it allows us to develop discourse and reflection in a non-literal way. The short film has a first layer that does present the literalness of the dialogues between the characters, but it has another more hidden one, we could say that it is almost subliminal, which whispers to the subconscious to translate a deep reflection into a series of emotions that are inevitably uncomfortable because That is the path we are following today.

– A short oil film that has become an Augmented Reality exhibition and connected to the BlockChain?

We designed and programmed an Augmented Reality exhibition that we premiered at Animayo Gran Canaria with great success. The art exhibition was only visible through mobile phones and invited to visit the NFTs of the pieces in an invitation to understand how art formats have evolved from an oil painting to an NFT generated on the BlockChain. The exhibition was also presented in Bucharest by the Instituto Cervantes at the prestigious Animest film festival.

– Nominated for the Goya for Best Animated Short Film, how do you receive the nomination?

The Goya is the great recognition of the film industry in Spain.

How could it be otherwise, we receive this nomination with pride and joy, especially when we think of the entire team of artists and technicians who have made this unique production possible. It is particularly gratifying that this nomination has arrived just a few weeks after its premiere, which was last October, and that in such a short time, it already has 28 selections at film festivals, 8 awards, acquisition of rights by Movistar, and qualification for the Oscars after its US premiere.

It has been many years of work to create these 9 minutes of animation and to see that the film has connected so quickly is a joy.

– How much time is spent creating a short from the moment the idea is forged until it is finished editing?

Animation is a technique that requires time, a lot of technical knowledge, artistic sensitivity and more time.

We made this film in 4 and a half years. Yes: 9 minutes of animation in 4 and a half years. The fact is that the handmade process that we have designed requires a lot of dedication. But of course, achieving unique results requires unique processes.

– Is it difficult to undertake in the world of cinema? why?

In my opinion, film is a particularly complex industry, full of unwritten principles arrived at through years of experience. From an entrepreneurial perspective, it is an industry in which I consider it essential to have highly complex technical knowledge, artistic sensibility, knowledge of a market in the midst of a changing business model, as well as, of course, financial management skills and multidisciplinary teams. It’s not that there aren’t other industries that are as or more complex than film, but I do believe that it has some very special characteristics and that I have not found in other sectors in which I have worked, such as video games, publishing or the technological one.

I think one of the reasons that makes cinema so unique is the concept of what a film is: an artistic project in which dozens or hundreds of people work in the service of the vision of a single person (who exercises the direction) but It is also a product in which millions of euros are invested with the aim of recovering the investment and, of course, earning benefits. So we have a balance in constant tension, which is why I consider that the role of the producer (the entrepreneur) is so sophisticated and difficult to develop properly.

– What is the best and worst of the film industry?

I would say that the best is the passion and energy that is breathed throughout the production process. Working in the film industry is a hugely rewarding experience for those of us who love it. Seeing how films remain for future generations is a luxury and a source of pride as creators. From a business perspective, perhaps best of all is the enormous potential of designing and creating intellectual property. When they connect, the commercial development potential of it is enormous as we all know.

Regarding what is the worst… I would say the constant danger of falling in love with the production. The equilibrium tension that we mentioned before. Not infrequently we have seen how the limits of some productions were exceeded. Probably one of the biggest challenges for producers is to achieve the highest artistic-technical quality, yes, but keeping production under strict control.

– Would you encourage an entrepreneur to start in the world of cinema? Why?

I encourage everyone to undertake in that sector for which they feel a vocation and that they are passionate about and I recommend to those who do not have a passion for the cinema sector, to think twice before entering for the pure business, well, in my experience, the effort and personal sacrifice required is very high. From a pure and simple business perspective, we are all aware of the incredible figures that the sector moves and the growth forecasts that exist. In any case, it is a highly relational sector that requires a lot of experience and temperance in decision-making, which is why I suggest starting slowly, learning from established producers and taking the first steps in entrepreneurship with humility and patience.

– What other projects are you involved in?

In addition to 3 other short films connected to “The Longest Night Dawns”, we are immersed in the closing of an animated feature film for children, “Hanna and the Monsters”, and starting another for family audiences, “DinoGames, Adventures in the Metaverse “. In addition, we have a very intense technological R&D line, we have been developing Artificial Intelligence tools for 4 years with different objectives, the most striking being that of “Emotional Films”, films that react in real time adapting to the emotions of the public.