VIP Interview with Emanuel Ramirez, writer, producer and lead actor of the Award Winning Short Film ‘Same Page’

Today, we had the pleasure of interviewing Emanuel Ramirez, a talented actor, producer, and screenwriter. In this interview, we dive deep into Emmanuel’s artistic background, his inspirations and dreams, and the preparation behind “Same Page” a short film that he not only produced but also wrote, and starred in. Enjoy!

Hi Emanuel, can you tell us more about what brought you to acting, where did you study and when did you decide to become an actor?

I fell into acting completely by accident. I was working one day at a full-time job I had and it was just another day. I was looking on YouTube for motivational videos as I tend to do from time to time (trying to pass time as most of us tend to do while we’re working) and I ran into this clip by a man who was being interviewed in a late night tv show. The host asked him “Why he downgraded acting as a profession” and this other man went on to describe how we are all in a sense acting all the time. There are certain things we will say or not say depending on who we are with and the circumstance we’re in. Then he went on to describe how the host was acting at this very moment (making sure his guests were having a good time, keeping the mood light, trying to be funny) and it filled me with curiosity how he knew all of this information without personally knowing the host. I didn’t know it then, but the guest’s name was Marlon Brando. After that, acting filled my mind. The craft, and I began looking for a school to learn. I started out in The American Arts Studio, in Long Island NY, before transferring to the Barrow Acting Group in NYC. It was until I left the Barrow Acting Group and went to the William Esper Studio that I truly felt freedom in the technique and within myself

Who are the actors that inspire you the most?

The actors who inspire me the most I’d first have to say Marlon Brando because he was the reason I started acting. Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, Daniel Day Lewis, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, Daniel Day Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio. I’ve watched their movies and studied their every movement. It’s one of the things I enjoy the most, seeing these masters at work.

You wrote, produced, and starred in Same Page. How was this experience for you? What is the aspect that you enjoyed the most?

The experience of writing, producing, and starring in this film were extremely challenging but passionate. What I mean is that we can all imagine the work that goes into having all these titles at once for the same film, but it never felt like work to me. This is what I love, this is what I live for. I eat, breathe, and sleep this craft and everything that goes into it. So, the love, excitement, and passion of making it happen by any means far outweighed any sort of negative feelings with the process.

What I enjoyed the most about it was the process. My films start from zero. They start from me and a piece of paper. So, to go from that to finishing the script, to casting, to getting the right crew, to getting the location, and then to rehearse with actors is honestly a thrill for me. It’s a process, a journey, a marathon, no sprint.

When did you write the script and what inspired this story?

I started writing the script summer of 2020, finished it towards the beginning of 2021. But the script kept being worked on throughout the rehearsal process. I like to give the actors freedom to express themselves on ideas or thoughts they may have. Sometimes an idea or thought can come in the moment that you couldn’t really see or feel until you’re completely in the circumstance. So I like to keep that freedom during rehearsal time and on the set.

What inspired this film I would say is life experiences. I’ve always been fascinated with relationships and the dynamics between people. When you start out in a relationship we tend to begin at what everyone calls the “honeymoon stage”. But as time goes on each person begins to reveal who they really are and all those things they carry with them since their childhood that most people aren’t aware of. It all starts with the relationships we saw growing up. Most of us are repeating those same things we were surrounded by as kids because that’s all we know. That’s what feels normal to us, whether it looks functional or not. So in order to do better or build a different bond those things have to be discussed with your partner and made aware of so it allows for those issues to be worked on. But being aware is a difficult task, we can find ourselves just on autopilot most of the time.

The actor Emanuel Ramirez  and the official poster of ‘Same Page’ – www.samepagemovie.com

Do you have a dream project or someone you would like to work with one day?

I don’t think I could ever have that one dream project that I would like to make happen or work on. Every project I do is my dream project at that moment. I like to live in the moment, because truly that is all there ever will be. Of course, you plan for the future and hopefully learn from the past. I focus mostly on giving my all to the moment I am in and believe and trust that doing so will lead to all other things falling into place for me.

What were the biggest challenges your encountered while producing this film?

Some of the challenges were, of course, dealing with Covid 19 and how we were going to make sure everyone was safe. In order to act in my opinion, you have to find that freedom of expression from your fellow actors, the director, and the crew, so figuring out a system in which everyone felt that freedom was a challenge. We did plenty of zoom rehearsals before we actually met in person. We did PCR testing days prior and a test the day of in person rehearsal. Everyone cooperated which made everything smoother.

Getting that rehearsal time beforehand and on set was a challenge on its own because it was key to me in bringing out those performances from everyone. So working around everyone’s schedule, and time management to make sure those rehearsals happened while putting in the time to sit with the material before the shoot was instrumental.

Can you tell us more about the team involved in the production? How did you start collaborating with the director Stephen Bond and how did you choose the rest of the cast?

The team involved in the production had previously worked with me on a web series called “Working Stiff”, so we were all familiar with each other. Click Film Industry has been a great partner to work with mainly Vladimir Dorogobid. He has a great team of people, very dedicated, driven, and their attention to detail is awesome. You get the sense that they want to get it right, not just get done.

Myself and Stephen went to acting school together. We had movement class together, which had some of my fondest memories. We clicked right away, he’s someone who is also very driven, into the craft, detail oriented and wants the best. We always spoke about doing something together and this was perfect timing for the both of us.

Most of the cast I went to acting school with and had acted with them previously. The ones I didn’t we auditioned with self-tapes.

It’s undeniable that New York is an open movie set, every street, every corner was at some point used and made the history of cinema. How did you choose to represent the most iconic city in the world in your film? Do you think it influenced the story?

I love New York City. The culture, the energy, all the iconic settings, and places. It really is unbelievable the inspiration I get from just walking around there. We chose to represent N.Y in a slight way in the film. The very beginning we open with those New York City landscapes which lead into the apartment of where the film is taking place, and we have a similar moment towards the middle of the film. What I find fascinating about that is, you can pick any of those apartments in the city and film yourself in the same circumstance the film revolves around. You got to remember when you’re in one of those apartments there’s someone living next to you, to the right or to the left, below you, on top of you, and that’s just one floor. There’s a lot of floors in most of these buildings and everyday all kinds of life situations happen in each individual apartment.

It definitely influenced the story, and not only the story but most things I do. I find such inspiration in New York City. Every time I get off that train in Penn Station coming from Long Island (as I live in Long Island) I am instantly hit with that inspiration and city magic. It makes you want to do things. To create more, to live more, to write more, to act more. The possibilities feel endless.

How do you usually work on a character? What’s your preparation like?

Usually when it comes to character my approach is to let my curiosity guide me. I’ll go over the text but most importantly I’ll sit with the text and let it tell me about the character. Their point of view, essence, what his relationships are in the story, what I’m I doing in the story, the emotional through line of my character meaning where do I begin emotionally and where do I end up at the end of the story.

I like to rehearse as much as possible because I find that’s where a lot of discoveries about the story and the character I’m playing reveal themselves to me. Obviously you don’t always have that kind of time to sit with the material as much as you’d like to, but I always encourage that rehearsal time before the shoot. Then once I’ve prepared as much as I can and feel good about the work I’ve done behind the scenes I always let it go when it’s time to do it. Let it improve itself.

Considering the recent dramatic events regarding Alec Baldwin’s shooting accident on the set of Rust, what are your thoughts on the use of prop guns? How did you and your team choreographed the use of weapons on set?

First and foremost I would like to say Rest In Peace to Halyna Hutchins. I am praying for her family during this horrible time, and I can’t even imagine what they must be going through.
As far as the gun we used in the film, we used a prop gun. We rehearsed the scene plenty beforehand till every actor & crew member in that scene was comfortable and well versed on what to do.

Did you work with a stunt or a fight choreographer for the fight scenes?
In the fight scenes we worked on them ourselves. I love boxing, MMA, and have been doing them for some time. We’ve done stage combat, myself and fellow actor Alex Mikoilianitch (Plays Will in the Film) so that came in handy when it came to putting together the fight scenes.

As an actor, what is your definition of success?

As an actor my definition of success would be to get to the point where I can be a full-time actor. Now I work three jobs while acting and auditioning at the same time, so it can get tough just because you only have so many hours in a day. But I know I will get there, I believe. I visualize myself already there in my mind. Think it, feel it, receive it. Then after that it’s about leaving a solid amount of work, of performances that I can be proud of. To perform at a high level for a long period of time.

What’s next for you? What are you working on?

What’s next is, the film “Same Page” has a lot more festivals to go through. I want everyone to see this film, and I’m very proud of the work we all did on this film.

As far as what I am working on, I’m always auditioning, always working on things. I have a couple of ideas for the next film I am going to write, produce, and start in again. My mind is constantly giving me ideas and concepts that are interesting, sometimes the hardest thing is shutting my mind down. I love the work, I love the process, and the next film I do write and start in I want to do it better. I’m constantly chasing that perfection, it’s what drives me.

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