5 Questions with Brigette Lopez
In the coming-of-age drama “TEEN DAZE,” a teenage girl plots her first sexual encounter. We asked director Brigette Lopez how the project started, what the biggest challenge was, and what comes next for her…
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I owe my love of film to my mother. Inspired by her own namesake Marilyn Monroe, she named me after her two favorite starlets: Brigitte Bardot and Isabella Rossellini. I grew up on classics like Some Like it Hot and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and fell in love with movie magic.
But it wasn’t until high school that I discovered the French New Wave and realized I wanted to be a filmmaker. I loved the joie de vivre of these films and was inspired by the directors who rejected the studio system. More importantly, this was my first introduction to the auteur theory which opened my eyes to how film can be a more liberating form of self expression than other mediums.
2) What’s the backstory here - what was the initial idea and how did it evolve from there?
I’ve always been drawn to stories about the internal lives of young women, particularly teenagers. Teen girls are often portrayed in the media as frivolous or shallow, but I remember that time in my life feeling so profound. In many ways, TEEN DAZE was inspired by my own experience as a precocious teen wanting to exercise control over my body while searching for intimacy in the wrong places. Tonally, I drew inspiration from Sofia Coppola's Somewhere and Catherine Breillat’s Fat Girl.
As my NYU thesis, I wanted this film to encompass my voice as a storyteller and so it felt natural to set it in my hometown of Miami, Florida. This contributed so much to the look and feel of the film, and also made it feel deeply personal. We shot in a family friend’s house in South Beach, which sort of became a character in the film; it’s glamorous exterior but scarce interior mirrored Cece’s loneliness and desire to “fill the void,” so to speak.
The first scene I came up with was ironically the last. I’ve heard numerous interpretations to the handprint, but for me it represents how an ephemeral feeling can last forever. This duality embodies what it’s like to be a teenage girl.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And generally what part of the creative process do you enjoy the best, and the least?
Most of the challenges occurred in pre-production. It was difficult to plan a shoot in Miami while my producers and I were at school in New York. There was a lot of back and forth with the permit office and rental houses, and of course transporting equipment and ten NYU students from New York to Miami was a production in and of itself. But shooting in my hometown allowed us to save on other things, such as lodging. Half the crew slept at the location while the other half stayed with my grandparents, who provided crafty for the crew. It also emphasized how personal the film was to me, and allowed the crew to feel apart of the story too. The crew also had a lot of down time, which was good for moral. We all got pretty close during the shoot.
Rehearsals are usually my favorite part of the creative process. I love working with actors and improvising on set to find what feels most organic for the scene. I’ve worked with Stephanie Salgado (who plays Cece) a number of times and always trust her instincts— she’s such a fantastic actor.
I feel slightly ashamed to admit this, but I’m not a big fan of coverage. I like to keep my shot list minimal and I often nix a shot I don’t think is totally necessary while on set. This evidently gives my editor less to work with and something I’m trying to improve.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I’ve been on a Studio Ghibli kick lately and recently rewatched Kiki’s Delivery Service. It was one of my favorite animated films growing up, but viewing it as an adult gave me a whole new appreciation for it. As a young artist, it can be a difficult balance trying to make a living out of your passion— especially when your craft is so intertwined with identity and self-worth. Kiki so brilliantly illustrates this struggle and it certainly hit a nerve (I cried more probably more than I should have). Miyazaki is such a masterful storyteller and creates his characters with such love and care.
5) What’s next for you?
I’m currently finishing post on a short based on my experience working at The Weinstein Company during the scandal that set off the #metoo movement. It follows a young receptionist who struggles to come forward with bombshell information and explores a culture of silence from a fly on the wall perspective.
Contact Info:
Instagram: @brigelopez