Movies & TV / Columns
Lucas A. Ferrara On Producing Blind Innocence, Getting The Film On Streaming
Image Credit: Lucas A. Ferrara
The 411 Interview: Lucas A. Ferrara
Lucas A. Ferrara is a lawyer, actor, and producer that, according to his imdb page, has been involved in the movie business since at least 2020. Ferrara has produced such short films as Third Bench on the Left, 4 Queens, Heart Failure, El Hijo, Fast Food, Even in Dreams, The Porns, Grief, Love & Lust, The Other Side of Paradise, and Good Grief, among many, many others. One of Ferrara’s latest productions is the short horror thriller Blind Innocence, written and directed by Hugo Andre and now available to stream for free on the streaming services Tubi (check it out here) and Plex (check it out here). In this interview, Ferrara talks with this writer about producing Blind Innocence, working with writer/director Hugo Andre, how he got into the movie business, and more.
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Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you get involved with the short film Blind Innocence as a producer?
Lucas A. Ferrara: My filmmaking journey began around March 2020. And if you recall, that’s when a mysterious virus, which later came to be known as “COVID-19,” wreaked total havoc on the world; triggering total shutdowns and stay-in-place directives. It was an unsettling time. Trump was then President of the United States, George Floyd had been killed, and there were riots throughout parts of the country.
As I remained trapped in my apartment, feeling a sense of helplessness, I searched for ways to help others and found myself frequenting those crowdfunding pages you can readily find on the web. And, as fate would have it, I was swayed by the pitches of young filmmakers who were looking to get their projects realized during all that uncertainty.
That’s how I first met Hugo Andre, the writer and director of Blind Innocence. That short is actually our second project together. Our first, Makeup, was a feature film which he also wrote and directed. Hugo was pitching Makeup during the pandemic. And because it addressed a controversial topic — one which many find taboo — I couldn’t resist getting involved. His feature did exceedingly well on the festival circuit – winning a bunch of awards – and it eventually landed a distribution deal with Freestyle Digital Media. Because I had such a blast working with the kid, I asked Hugo if he had any other projects in the hopper, and that’s what led to the making of Blind Innocence.
BK: Describe your working relationship with Blind Innocence director Hugo Andre.
LAF: After the critical and financial success of Makeup and Blind Innocence, Hugo began sharing some other ideas that were percolating in his head, and he graciously invited me to join him on his filmmaking journey. So, in addition to becoming friends, we’re also business partners. We currently have two feature films in development, the one I’m allowed to discuss publicly is called Happy as Larry, a comedy that is slated to film in Scotland in May (2024).
BK: What is the hardest part of making a short film for you as a producer? What is it that people don’t understand about the movie producing process?
LAF: Many filmmakers don’t appreciate the fact that shorts are basically “money pits.” While they may be great for the creatives involved, and can often help propel careers in the film industry, investors are unlikely to recoup a dime. And that’s the ugly reality of shorts: investors are often left “holding the bag.”
Given that there is often little-to-no “return on investment,” finding financing for short films is usually a considerable challenge. And it’s a very real shame that more isn’t done – by the major studios, production companies, and mega corporations, like Apple and Amazon — to help younger filmmakers get the funding they so direly need to make their visions and dreams a reality.
BK: According to IMDb you’ve worked on a number of short films since at least 2020. What do you like about the short film making process?
LAF: I’ve currently got over 175 films listed on IMDb, and many more which haven’t made it to that platform, for one reason or another. As you can well imagine, the vast majority of those projects are shorts. And while most weren’t money-generators, they afforded me an opportunity to meet hundreds of young creatives who were starting out in the business. It allowed me a relatively easy way to get my foot in the door, so to speak.
Fast forward a few years, quite a few of the people I had the pleasure of working with are now associated with major TV series or movie projects, and we regularly keep in touch. It’s been very rewarding to watch them grow personally and professionally.
BK: How significant is it that Blind Innocence is available on streaming platforms like Tubi and Plex? Do you think short films in general have a future on streaming platforms?
LAF: Getting selected to stream on one of those platforms is quite significant. Shorts rarely get picked by the major streaming services, and when it does happen it’s quite an honor.
As streaming services proliferate, I’m hoping we’ll eventually find more platforms offering a home for short-film content. But, at the moment, the opportunities are few and far between, and it’s quite competitive, to boot. So, for Blind Innocence to make it on both Plex and Tubi was a considerable achievement.
BK: What Oscar eligible short film did you produce? How does a short film become Oscar eligible?
LAF: Frank & Emmet is a story about two performers who have worked together their entire careers. But given his declining health, “Frank” decides it’s time to have a heart-to-heart chat with his partner, “Emmet,” and reveals an uncomfortable truth — that the latter is, in fact … a puppet. Carlos F. Puertolas, the writer and director, characterized the work as an “existential conversation between an artist and his creation.”
His family-friendly short did exceedingly well on the festival circuit, and was selected as “Best Short Film,” at an Oscar-qualifying competition, which meant the film was Oscar-eligible in 2023. While it didn’t get short-listed, it was a great honor to be involved in the process, and a heck of a lot of fun, too.
BK: According to IMDb you’ve appeared as an actor in a few short films. Do you enjoy acting?
LAF: Not really. I would say the bulk of my performances have ended up on the cutting room floor (Do you think I should read something into that?). A lot of the stuff you see listed are small (non-speaking) cameos, or photos of me that were used in the body of the film. Believe it or not, I’m frequently used to portray a dead relative. That’s likely my specialty.
BK: What is a “New York Super Lawyer” and how does one obtain that designation?
LAF: Beats me. If you go to the website of the company that does the official rankings, you’ll find a complex formula which takes a variety of factors into consideration, including the votes of your peers. And apparently, based on the criteria they utilize, only 5% of New York’s lawyers end up making their lists. So, you can imagine my surprise when I not only got a “Super Lawyer” designation, but repeatedly appeared on their “Top 100” list. That’s quite an honor.
BK: Any moviemaking heroes?
LAF: In my humble opinion, everyone involved in the indie filmmaking world qualifies as a hero. It takes a lot of tenacity, persistence, and drive to succeed, with loads of hurdles being thrown at you along the way. Those qualities, including the strength and resilience needed to achieve even a modicum of success, are extremely admirable, if you ask me.
BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
LAF: While I’m working on a bunch of projects, I’m sworn to secrecy on the bulk of them because many are still in the pre-production stage. I can tell you that my first horror feature, Children of the Pines, written and directed by 21-year-old Joshua Morgan, of Tampa, Florida, is now competing at festivals around the world and recently secured a distribution deal with Bryon Allen’s entertainment company, Freestyle Digital Media. That movie should be out at the end of 2024.
Manor of Darkness, another horror feature, written and directed by Blake Ridder, who is based out of London, is currently in post-production. We’re having loads of fun incorporating the VFX – the blood and gore and enhancing the creature that appears in the film – and are also working with the amazing composer, David Engellau, who is now scoring the piece. If all goes as planned, that movie should be released at the end of this year as well.
As I noted before, Hugo Andre, the creative force behind Blind Innocence, and our feature film Makeup, has written a hilarious comedy called Happy as Larry, which will be filming in Scotland in May of this year (2024).
And finally, Scott Bateman, the animator, director, and composer behind the critically acclaimed feature film 5000 Space Aliens, which was released in November of 2023, is now working on a sequel. That follow-up is currently called 5002 Space Aliens and is currently slated for a 2025 release. I’m really excited about all of those projects and can’t wait to share them with the world.
BK: What do you hope audiences get out of Blind Innocence?
LAF: I’m not one to dictate what people should take away from my films. If they find a movie entertaining, then we’ve succeeded in our mission, and I can find great satisfaction in that. But if they also find it timely, topical, and thought-provoking, then that’s an extra-added bonus.
Films are like paintings, in my view. And more often than not, if you ask a group of people what they just saw, and what messages they think the artist was trying to convey, chances are pretty good you’re going to get an array of different answers. So, far be it for me to tell viewers what to think. They should just watch and enjoy this amazingly well constructed work.
BK: Would you want to live out in the woods in the middle of nowhere?
LAF: Not really. I’m not a “woodsy” kind of guy. But stick me on a deserted island in the middle of the Maldives, and then you’d be talking my language. If you have never been to that part of the world, it’s truly amazing; an enchanting experience. I recommend it to you (That and a safari!).
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A very special thanks to Lucas A. Ferrara for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. moore for setting it up.
Blind Innocence is currently available to watch for free on the streaming services Tubi (check it out here) and Plex (check it out here).
Check out my review of Blind Innocence here!
Check out Luas A. Ferrara’s official website here, official Facebook page here, official Twitter page here, official YouTube page here, Instagram, and IMDB page here!
All images courtesy of Lucas A. Ferrara.
