The Burger | justagull

The Burger's Special Sauce.

An unnecessarily in-depth BTS by Joshua Tran

Origins of Discontent.

For the non-readers or more visually apt

April 9 - July 2, 2023

Believe it or not, I had no intention of ever producing The Burger. Initially, the film began as a writing exercise to help break me out of my usual, crippling cycle of procrastination and unrelenting self-deprecation. A condition that I constantly suffer from and one I'm certain many of us can relate to.

This condition would, without fail, cause me to second guess any idea that I would have and prevent me from ever committing to any of them. But, thankfully, I grew tired of this self-inflicting torture and, seeing my non-existent filmography, decided to just cash in on something, regardless of its artistic potential.

"So what did you do?"

I gave myself a prompt.

In high school, I took a creative writing class where our teacher, Ms. Daane, would write 2-3 prompts on the board at the beginning of each class and give us ten minutes to write a short story with whatever prompt we chose.

Those first ten minutes of class were always my favorite time of day because they challenged my creativity and my abilities as a writer. Remembering this, I took it upon myself to write a short story from a simple prompt:

TWO FRIENDS IN A DINER.

I found that, if I just focused on the prompt and allowed my intuition to take over, the story's tone, genre, theme, and even the plot would reveal itself to me as I kept writing. Sounds like a bunch of abstract, artsy B.S., I know. But before I knew it, I would find myself looking at three pages of a story that I liked enough to adapt into a screenplay.

"So you had a story...
then what?"

Having a screenplay is one thing. Hell, having one that you actually like and don't hate yourself for can have you hooting, hollering, and scratching your ass like you just discovered fire. But getting that made into a film is a whole other can of worms.

Did I really just use that phrase? Yes. Yes, I did. I mean, it's a hell of a phrase to use. I just hope whoever came up with it got paid well. Most likely not.

So, I had my screenplay.

I liked it enough to make it into a film. Okay, what's next? First, I evaluated myself and my abilities. You see, up until this point, I had produced a few amateur (huge emphasis on amateur) short films previously in college and high school.

I'd camera-oped, AC-ed, gripped, gaffed, and swiss-army-knifed my way on multiple music videos, short films, and other various freelance work. I had the privilege of seeing how films got made on a big-budget, Hollywood scale as a PA and COVID monitor. Two of the most highly coveted and respected positions in film. So, it was safe to say I knew a thing or two about filmmaking.

But did that qualify me enough to make this film with nothing except my DSLR, a couple of actors, a few LED lights from Amazon, and some helping hands who would give up their weekend shifts only to find themselves sitting idly in a corner while I miserably attempt to do everything myself and curse them for not helping? Better yet, would that do this story justice? The justice that it deserves?

Uh, hell no.

You see, I knew that anyone could make a great piece of art by themselves. I mean look at Picasso, Van Gogh, or Maya Angelou. These artists, along with a plethora of others, created amazing collections of art entirely on their own.

So, I knew that it was possible to produce The Burger on my own. But, I also had enough common sense and both of my ears to know that I'm no master of the canvas or genius wordsmith, far from it.

And, as tempting as it was for my dastardly smug ego to take on such a challenge, I knew that I needed a team of people to make this film the way it should be. After all, filmmaking is a collaborative medium at its core and I derive so much joy from working with others who love this art form as much as I do.

So, out of respect for my vision and the filmmaking process, I set out for my team.

The hardest part of making a film is finding the right people.

Thankfully, I didn't have to look too hard.

THE DREAM TEAM

There's no better feeling than being on a great team, especially when your teammates love the game as much as you.

I knew the moment after we first met on a Zoom call and talked for hours about our love for film that Bryce Miguel Williams and Carly LeDay were my kind of people.

Founders of their own production company, Chateaux Rouge Cinema out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bryce and Carly exemplify passion and dedication for filmmaking.

Carly LeDay, Executive Producer (left) & Bryce Miguel Williams, Director of Photography (right)

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Bryce Miguel Williams, a Baton Rouge native, dreams of making his hometown a thriving film hub to create more opportunities for local filmmakers with his production company, Chateaux Rouge Cinema. A natural leader, teacher, and a true cinematographer.

See more of him and his work here!

Carly LeDay, hailing from Lafayette, a.k.a. "the 335", loves all things cinema. Co-founder of Chateaux Rouge Cinema, Carly's passion for producing and directing shines through in everything she does. One of the most kindest and larger-than-life souls I've ever had the pleasure of working with.

Learn more about her here!

Carolina Quieroz Couto (Steph), hailing proudly from Rio de Janeiro, is unapologetically bold and lively on all fronts. She currently teaches acting in Orange County, where she resides, and aspires to live out her acting dreams. Being my first acting teacher, I'm beyond grateful to have had her star in my first film.

Learn more about her here!

Ajay Bhagchandani (Benji), an A1 conversationalist and multi-talented artist, is a genuine soul who sees the world through a true artistic lens. A great friend, brother, and one that I'm proud to have played Benji.

Learn more about him here!