Jack Nicoletti, Writer/Director/Composer,
concludes his final semester at Pratt Institute with his most thrilling project yet. That Little Bodega Next to Lorenzo's follows three college kids trapped in an extraterrestrial bodega. Nicoletti builds excellent tension between the entrapment of these characters physically and within their relationships. With his discography consisting of majority comedies, this supernatural thriller is a beautiful addition, with its visuals and storytelling depth. The film has been nominated for three awards at the Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival: Best in Brooklyn, People's Choice Award, and Best Original Score.
I had the opportunity to chat with Nicoletti and hear how his love for 1980s sci-fi/horror films inspired him as a filmmaker and how sometimes old-fashioned techniques are a better alternative in the modern age of technology.
The film did a great job amplifying the sense of suffocation between being trapped in the bodega and the character's constant bickering. What was the process of writing the story and emphasizing this feeling?
I really wanted the characters to feel suffocated; the whole movie is about feeling trapped, whether in a relationship or in a scary, shape-shifting convenience store/ I was unsure how I was going to show it visually, especially since the entire film is in one location. It's tough to make that look fun, but I just coincidentally rewatched 12 Angry Men, which takes place in this little jury room. The film starts on a really wide lens, and then, as things heat up, the lenses get tighter and tighter and tighter. The characters are trapped in the frame as it closes around them, undoubtedly a big inspiration.
The film was beautifully shot, and the neon lights perfectly captured this otherworldly prison in which the characters found themselves. What were some of your visual inspirations? What were some inspirational films behind this project?
Well, I've always been super partial to 80's movies; that's how I got into film. I saw Back To The Future when I was 7, and it blew my mind. From that point on, I knew what I wanted to do, so all my biggest influences were those high concept, sci-fi, and adventure movies of the 80s. I think light is really cool, especially when you can play with color, and it's an excellent way to add contrast not just with shadows but opposing colors basically on the characters the whole movie, and that's always been my style.
With such a small budget, I was surprised to see visual effects. What was the process?
Since the old school movies influenced me, my approach to effects is to try to do things as practical as possible. There were a few shots that you could have done in 1982, like repeating the soda can, basically just the same shot over and over again, but we got her hand out each time. Even when Max levitated halfway through the movie, he was lifting himself between the register in one of the shots, and we just had a close-up of his feet. I think you can do a lot with a little when it comes to visual effects.
I greatly admire film composers; music is just a language I could never speak but appreciate. Do you know what you'll have for music in pre-production, or does it evolve as the project progresses?
Both my parents are musicians, so I grew up around music. Whenever I'm writing, music is important. It always helps me stay in the world of whatever I'm writing. My Spotify is filled with playlists named after movies that keep me in the zone.
I started hearing the score on the first page. Even the theme for the movie, I recorded before we shot because I knew where I wanted to go with it. It's just a tool that helps guide my mind into the style, and when I could listen to it instead, I could help guide the actors as well, so that is what we're going for here.
What was the process of finding the locations to shoot? Did you shoot on a practical location or sound stage?
90% of the movie was filmed on Pratt's campus, a convenience store on the first floor of one of the dorms. And Pratt was nice about letting us go in when they were closed, which was most of the time. We had free range of the store, completely unsupervised for three days. We were able to get everything in for free which was great.
What was the greatest challenge in making this film?
I think, the most difficult part of making this film was the actual subject matter. My prior work has been straight horror or comedy, so to branch out and explore this idea of unhealthy relationships in a film was nerve-wracking because the most important part of the film was for me to get the point across. That being said, I think that’s also why this is the film I’m most proud of. When I first came to film school, everyone was making these dark dramas that all had things to say, and I was making workplace comedies and ghost movies. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered this fun, grand storytelling style wasn’t something to discount, but it’s my way in. It’s the best way to express my deeper ideas and emotions. So, the hardest part of the film, hands down, was making sure it landed and was dealt with respectfully, but the fact that I feel like it did is what makes this film one of the most fulfilling experiences of my creative career.
That Little Bodega Next to Lorenzo’s, will premiere at the Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival’s Best in Brooklyn
screening block on this Wednesday October 16th at 7:00pm at Stuart Cinema & Cafe.
Written by Ashley Murphy