24. 10. 2023
electriclime° are delighted to have added another talented filmmaker, Martín Romanella, to their director roster for APAC representation.
His distinctive cinematic directing style of subtle acting, eerie and dreamy visuals, non-linear structure, poetry, and atmospheric scenarios, has taken Martín to all corners of the globe.
Born in Buenos Aires, he has lived in London, Los Angeles, New York, Vienna, and Spain, believing that adapting to other cultures with an observational eye makes you an autodidact sociologist.
His wide range of work has created epic scenarios, automotive, fashion films and many more, working with brands such as Coca Cola, Budweiser and Kit Kat.
How did you get started in the industry?
I embarked upon a journey as a director of photography whilst simultaneously dipping my pen into the world of short narrative writing, seeing my works grace the pages of weekly magazines in Buenos Aires. Being the owner of a Super 16mm camera, and with the era being ripe with a voracious demand for music videos on MTV, I began not only offering my skills in cinematography but also took to directing. Two for the Price of One…I believe that, in some peculiar way, if you mingle a cinematographer with a writer, what emerges is somewhat akin to the embryo of a director. And thus, my venture commenced, a mere fifteen years ago.”
What’s your favourite part of the filmmaking process?
I adore pre-production. My feeling is that “the set” is a moment to materialise what has been meticulously crafted beforehand. There’s creativity, yet also adrenaline, variations, and sudden shifts. In pre-production, I find the freedom to mould the idea in numerous ways until the most compelling path is unveiled. It’s the time to be alone in a location and explore all its angle variants. To design camera setups, edit a shooting board, be playful and free during callbacks. Without a doubt, for me, it is the portion of the process I relish the most.
What do you find most challenging/difficult about the filmmaking process?
When I began directing, it was to uncover this concept that between the idea one dreams of in solitude and what ultimately transpires on a set, there is a vast chasm. In what one imagines, there is no budget, no weather woes, the actors and actresses stir and astonish with every line of dialogue. And then reality would unveil something starkly different. It was challenging at the outset because I pursued perfection. With time, I learned to adapt to reality, to revel in it, to do the best with the means I have, and to swiftly adjust to unfolding events. Today, I take pleasure in the entire process.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
From narrative, from the yellow pages of newspapers, and from photographic images. I am a writer: novels, scripts, plays. And I am a reader with a keen memory when something captivates me. I tend to instinctively venture into that trunk of memories which ultimately unfolds an idea, which propels another idea, which tests an image, and so it all begins.
When you receive a brief, what are the first elements you are looking for in order to be grabbed by a project?
Initially, it’s like love at first sight. There must be something in the script that triggers the imagination. Sometimes it’s a dialogue, the way the copy seals the concept, the environment where the action takes place, the characters. Something that immediately translates into a visual journey. The second part is key: How can I enhance this project? I am aware of the time it takes for an agency to generate a final script, months of work. I must be sufficiently honest to be sure that the idea not only ignites my passion but that my vision will elevate it to another level.
You have spent time around the world. How has that exposure to different cultures and environments influenced your filmmaking style?
If we start from the certainty that from the same script, ten directors would yield distinct results, undoubtedly the background of each one has exerted its influence. I was born in Buenos Aires, currently reside in Madrid, lived in NY while pursuing my master’s, in London at the start of my career, in Los Angeles, in Vienna. I don’t know if it’s the places themselves that have shaped me, or the experiences. It has to do with accessing different ways of doing the same thing, and taking the best from each place.
Why are you looking forward to joining the electriclime° team?
I perceive the quest for artistic and human quality in Electriclime. For me, new experiences in markets that have always inspired me
Describe your filmmaking style…
Epic, atmospheric, with a keen focus on narrative, on the three-dimensionality of the characters, and an outcome with a movie-like feeling.
LOCATION | MADRID
TIME | 10:04
40.4168° N, 3.7038° W
