-Who is John Martinez?
A true lover of the cinema and a unique storyteller at heart. Growing up in Upstate NY, my family always went to the movies on Sundays. I can still remember waiting in line to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and wondering what adventure I was about to go on. Years later, my friends and I would make short films capturing our summer experiences and then show our “work” to family and friends. Everyone really enjoyed the creativity and originality of the stories we told. During my senior year in high school, I explored applying to NYU Film School, but fate had other plans. As with every great story, the Second Act is where the journey begins and for me the story picks up 25 years later. Upon retiring from the federal government, I decided to give filmmaking another try and I’m so glad I did. “The Days of Knight: Chapter 3” is my first short film with many more to come.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
Not to date myself, but I remember seeing “E.T. -the Extra-Terrestrial” with my mother and being so young I was awed by everything I saw in that movie. The special effects, the acting, the direction of Steven Spielberg, and the way it provokes emotion for our favorite alien. That experience made me a true believer in the power of storytelling.
-When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and then into a film project?
Upon retiring, my bucket list had a few items on it: making a short film and submitting the film to a film festival. I thought of a story based on my experiences and something I knew I could capture on video. “The Days of Knight: Chapter 3” started off as a short story I wrote called “Get in and Get out”. The story was about a hitman that was asked to get an item from an abandoned house for a powerful family. As we started to film it, we had some many ideas that I had to stop filming and write a more in-depth background story for these characters. After three weeks, we started filming again and the story had some more layers to it. It was such a great experience! I started to write “The Days of Knight: Chapter 1” while we were filming.
-Is there a person you would like to thank for helping you bring your project to life?
My family for all of their support! There were only three people that worked on “The Days of Knight: chapter 3” and it was an incredible experience and so much fun to work with people who truly support your passion.
-Which writer inspires you the most?
I really enjoy the films of Christopher Nolan. His films are very lean but the story makes such an incredible impact.
-Do you think the Wild Filmmaker Community is helping to turn your dream into a reality?
Being new to filmmaking and the film festival circuit, I was not aware of the Wild Filmmaker Community…but I am so happy that we found each other. I can’t thank enough everyone at Wild Filmmaker for the support and opportunities. It really means a lot to me to be able to participate in film festivals with some amazing filmmakers. Thank you again, Wild Filmmaker!
