Blog Post #285: The Youth of Gabriel Rhenals' Feature Films!

"As a child matures, he sees death and pain everywhere about him, and begins to lose faith in the ultimate goodness of man. But, if he’s reasonably strong – and lucky – he can emerge from this twilight of the soul into a rebirth of life’s elan. Both because of and in spite of his awareness of the meaninglessness of life, he can forge a fresh sense of purpose and affirmation. He may not recapture the same pure sense of wonder he was born with, but he can shape something far more enduring and sustaining." -Stanley Kubrick, filmmaker

Young people are the most important witness of this entire filmmaking mess. Whether they are merely spectators on their iPad or a participant in a given production, sensible filmmakers must appreciate the generative value of this audience and their responsibility toward them. Although comedian and actor W.C. Fields once famously remarked, "Never work with animals or children," it has been a great joy to involve youth, both novice and experienced, in an acting capacity in my feature film work on a few occasions. Presenting a brief account of these meaningful instances:

Chiara Michel in For My Sister

In 2018, I'd written a scene at the end of the script for what would become my debut feature film For My Sister involving a principal character's tranquil encounter with a young girl in a public park. In need of a young actress, I relied on my immediate relations for this casting SOS. And it wasn't long before Chiara, the young daughter of a couple closely tied to my family, was suggested. Despite her being a neophyte, I wasn't dissuaded by any lack of experience in film acting; so confident was I in the power of surgical direction and editing. In any case, it wasn't long before my adult actors and Chiara (and her parents, who rehearsed the lines with her ahead of time) convened at Coral Reef Park to film the scene.

My older cast and I found the experience of working with Chiara an enjoyable challenge. We attempted a few takes without disruption but, as a protective measure, I also filmed each line of hers separately to hone in on the necessary inflection or feel of the words. However, the most trying part was recording on-site ADR immediately following the on-camera takes due to the encroaching sounds of other parkgoers and nearby traffic. Thankfully, I was able to acquire all the video and sound I needed without any doubt before wrapping Chiara to her relief. She'd been put through the ringer!

Before the film premiered in 2019, my casting announcement about Chiara's involvement in the film garnered significant attention from family and friends. And at the premiere, the newly minted actress and her family were happy to see where her scene fit into the overall construction and most appreciative of the care taken with the film and, of course, Chiara's single scene. And judging from Chiara's glowing affect on show that entire afternoon, I'm certain the entire experience was an extraordinary and indelible one for her.

Chiara Michel in 'For My Sister'!

Christopher Sanchez in State v. Unknown

In the late 2010s, I spent several months substitute teaching at Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts, a storied magnet arts school in South Dade. There, I ingratiated myself with the school's leadership and made good on my long-standing interest in guiding and facilitating the intellectual development of young people. Later in 2021, when I completed the script for a pandemic-proof feature film (i.e., shot exclusively with webcams), my experience and high standing at APMCOTA paid off in a truly convenient way. The script for my follow-up feature film State v. Unknown included a handful of scenes needing a high school-aged young man. So, I prepared a casting notice for the faculty I knew at APMCOTA to share among their students and, before long, I received an email from one Christopher Sanchez.

The requirements for filming were refreshingly simple on this second feature outing. All any participating actor needed was a webcam, a reliable internet connection and a quiet place in their home to perform before their desktop computer or laptop. And although Christopher's forte was athletics and writing, after several email exchanges and a lengthy phone conversation, I sensed a mighty interest and readiness on his part to tackle this unique opportunity despite his relative inexperience with film acting. Suffice to say, it was a delightful hour-long collaboration based in clear communication, exploration of choices and overall respect for the mission at hand.

Christopher attended the premiere of the film in 2022 and we kept in touch for years following that special afternoon. Later, he self-published a compilation of his poetry which I was happy to include in my Book Report series and write a review for. And some time ago, I heard Christopher joined the military where I expect he's applying the same wits and enthusiasm that I was able to appreciate in the brief creative collaboration we both greatly relished.

Christopher Sanchez in 'State v. Unknown'!

Zach Christo in Ask Delphi

By 2024, I was handily accustomed to recruiting actors of most any stripe on account of the extensive, fulfilled needs of three previous feature film efforts. While I included a part for a young actor in my script for my 4th feature film Ask Delphi, it was extremely abbreviated but was nevertheless tied to an important thematic strand in the narrative. Recalling the words of writer/director John Hughes, "I've always believed in casting every part as if it were a lead. So that every player that you have in the movie is as strong as they can possibly be. And it just makes for a fuller, richer film." I greatly believe in that. So, the casting of this young actor for these two scenelets was akin to a search for the next big acting revelation! Not long after posting a casting call to the fruitful talent search platform Backstage, I would be introduced to the most amazing mother-son duo!

Zach Christo had it all! An active social media presence, a multitude of headshots, workshop training footage and a completely filled-out profile that immediately impressed as much as informed. Zach's mother was his chief representative and, as I soon discovered, the exceptionally committed architect of her son's future; a future of Hollywood-sized ambition! Despite the brevity of the part, our initial phone conversation may have lasted up to an hour as I introduced Zach and his mother to the nature of my filmmaking operation and the long-term investment that comes with any actor I work with. To say the least, we were off to a good start!

The scenes in question took place not too far from my home in Kendall but Zach and his mother traveled from West Palm Beach for filming. True devotion. As we waited for additional cast to arrive that afternoon, I spent ample time explaining every facet of the day's filming requirements from a technical perspective to Zach and his mother. Although the requirements were exceedingly straightforward, Zach was entirely present, focused and good-humored throughout our hour-long rendezvous. After the work was swiftly completed, Zach and his mother were most gracious, thankful and we promised to stay in contact over other future opportunities to work together again. Sadly, they were not able to attend the premiere of the film later that year but we've continued to stay in contact since then.

To keep up with the latest adventures of Zach Christo, his Instagram handle is @zachchristo!

Zach Christo in 'Ask Delphi'!

To conclude, inviting young people into my creative process has always been an exciting prospect because it flies in the face of the cynical, unimaginative adult world that most cinema is typically posed to appeal to. A tragedy in my book. Accordingly, I look forward to casting more youngsters in my work to come and, for those I've already worked with, I hope I've served them as a threshold guardian enabling what my opening quote alluded to: "...something far more enduring and sustaining."

All of the films I've alluded to in this essay are available for FREE on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@reveullc