LOCAL SCENE
Casa's former trivia master pursues film career
By Phil Villarreal
pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.14.2008
Rick Gutierrez earned a reputation for answering movie trivia questions when he worked at Casa Video a few years ago.
Customers even called and asked for Gutierrez, who watched more than 150 movies a year back then.
But he dreamed of moving past the counter and stepping behind the camera.
Today he's on his way.
The 28-year-old University High School and Pima Community College graduate has directed two short films. The latest, a relationship drama called "Somewhat Damaged," screened last year at the Screening Room and in February at the Fox Tucson Theatre as part of the Tucson Short Film Cinema Showcase.
You can download the 30-minute film for free at rapidshare.com/files/135732640/ somewhat_damaged_web.mov.
His current day job is doing payroll and scheduling for a security company. But Gutierrez is contemplating a move to Phoenix to help him near his goal of making movies full time.
Do you miss working at Casa at all?
"I'm pretty glad I moved on. I don't think that professionally a career at a video store is what you're looking for. It was nice while it lasted but not something I wanted to turn into a multi-year thing. And it did. Two-and-a-half years."
Do you still watch between 150 and 200 movies a year?
"No, not quite. I'm a little too busy with my life and work now. It's probably close to, like, between 30 and 70. Still quite a few."
Do you have to move to develop as a filmmaker?
"I would like to be able to say living in Tucson is a viable option for having a sustainable career as a filmmaker, but it hasn't been demonstrated to me to be the case. Over the past number of years, a couple of friends here have started up their own production companies. If you don't have a lot of financing behind you, the kinds of projects you're going to be able to take on are going to be limited."
How so?
"People I've known have been relegated to shooting weddings, corporate events and things of that nature, which is all well and good if it gets the bills paid and if that's what you want to do. But I want to make feature films. I don't want to stay here, have a production company and shoot wedding videos."
How is Phoenix different?
"Actually, I have a girlfriend who lives in Avondale and she has connections up there. Her boss's husband has worked on Webisodes for 'The Riches.' "
What about L.A.?
"It's a cliché. Everybody moves to L.A. The producers and editor I worked with on 'Somewhat Damaged' both moved there last year and both already moved back. With the high cost of living and the competitiveness for jobs out there, it wasn't something they could maintain for a long period. I have another friend, a classmate from college, who's been living out there for six years now, working for a production company, editing shows like 'Beauty and the Geek,' stuff like that."
What's going on with "Somewhat Damaged"?
"I submitted it to a bunch of festivals and I've been discouraged and annoyed not having gotten into any of them."
What do you want to accomplish in film?
"My goal is autonomy. I know it sounds pretentious, or whatever, but I don't really care about being wealthy. I think some directors who are a little too obsessed with that end up making really bloated, crappy movies."
What's your next movie?
"It's one my friend wrote. . . . It's another short piece, a mockumentary about a method actor. It's kind of a departure for me."
If you're involved in filmmaking and would like to be featured in a Q&A, write to pvillarreal@azstarnet.com.
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