NewEnglandFilm.com

Massachusetts College of Art and Design student Nick Sabia recently funded a successful Kickstarter campaign for his senior thesis film ValRosa Beach, a project he describes as “John Carpenter meets Miami Vice.” Set in the 1980s, the film incorporates film noir, pixel-art, and synthwave. Written and directed by Sabia, the film will be shot in Boston as well as Connecticut, where Sabia grew up.

Casey Stirling: Where did the idea for ValRosa Beach come from? What is the basic plot of the film?

Nick Sabia: ValRosa Beach takes the classic hard-boiled detective, and throws him into the mid-1980s in a neon-soaked metropolis. The film follows the journey of veteran detective Jack Gibson, as he tries to solve a series of murders related to an experimental substance known as ‘X5.’ Let’s just say X5 does more to a human body than meets the eye, and it’s not pretty. As Jack uncovers the epidemic that is plaguing the city he swore to protect, everything about his character is put into question.

The idea for ValRosa Beach came from a lot of different influences, but mostly it was the current revival of 80’s culture and Retro-Futurism. Especially musically; synth wave (a form of electronica) has become increasingly popular since Kavinsky’s song Nightcall was featured in the opening credits of Nicholas Winding Refn’s film, Drive. The genre emits 80’s nostalgia and it was one of the biggest influences on the development of the idea.

CS: Are there any other films you’re looking to for inspiration?

NS: Besides Miami Vice and the John Carpenter films, I took a lot of inspiration from Philip K. Dick science fiction films, like Total Recall and Blade Runner. I’ve always been attracted to stories set in science fiction dystopias. And this isn’t exclusive to films; I would say one of the most important influences to the story is probably Frank Miller’s (comic book mini-series) Hard boiled. Hard boiled takes you on a trip through a strange world, using the pulp fiction formula and that’s also what I wanted for ValRosa Beach.

CS: The film’s setting is meant to be somewhere like California or Miami, but you’ll be shooting in Boston and Connecticut for this project. How do you plan to transform those locations?

NS: Most of the film is actually made up of interiors, but classic city locations: dance club, alleyway, sewer, warehouse, etc…. As for the exteriors, I knew that’s where things would get difficult. I grew up on shoreline of Connecticut, which is right on the Long Island Sound, so I thought that it would make an accurate analog for a beach/waterfront part of the city. The rest of the transformation is achieved through creative set dressing and period specific props.

CS: The film will have a lot of visual effects, special makeup, and local actors. Who are some of the team members you’re working with? Have you made other films with them before?

NS: My team is mostly made up of my fellow MassArt Students, most of which I have been working on productions with for the last two years. Thomas Kim, my AD, fellow MassArt student, and basically my right hand on the project, with on-set and pre-production management. Nick Valaskatgis, also a MassArt undergrad, is my Camera Op and a talented post-production effects artist.

The star of the film, Ray Hryb, I cast for a mockumentary series I was producing a year ago. I asked him what he thought about me writing an 80’s detective character for him and he was immediately hooked on the project. Besides them, I’m working with a few new people for practical effects, as well as doing some effects myself.

CS: Can you describe the pixel-art a little bit? How much of the film will be done in that style?

NS: The pixel-art is something I knew I wanted to use from the beginning. I wanted the 16-bit style that is iconic of ’80s video games, specifically adventure games. I think it adds something distinct to the film that you wouldn’t normally see in a sci-fi short. Most of the shots that are being done in pixel-art are the transitional scenes, like driving scenes and establishing shots as well as the title sequence, which I would say in total would make up maybe 20 to 25 percent of the film.

CS: ValRosa Beach will have an original score. Are you working with local composers and musicians?

NS: Up until recently the soundtrack was to feature non-local, synthwave composers and musicians. Tom Oke (aka Luxar) is doing most of the soundtrack and is from London. Jim Govoni from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, who composes under the moniker Botnit, recently contacted me about this project. I was very excited to learn he was interested in composing an original tune for the film. So, I was more than glad to add a talented, fellow New Englander, to the project.

CS: You’re a senior at MassArt right now. How have you found the filmmaking community at school and Boston in general?

NS: I don’t have much to compare the Boston filmmaking community with besides my slight interactions with the Connecticut independent scene. I can say that the community at MassArt for filmmaking is great and I’ve made a significant amount of friends and contacts my four years here. As far as my interactions with the Boston filmmaking community go it’s been hit or miss making valuable contacts. I’ve met the people that are ‘on their way’ to Hollywood, and I’ve worked with the people that are trying to make a quick buck off me, but the most valuable contacts I’ve made are the people that just want to make great cinema.

CS: What are you most excited about for this film?

NS: We have had a few shoots since the Kickstarter ended and I have to say what I look forward to most is when everything comes together in a scene. I can build a city in the 80’s on paper, but the most rewarding process is when we run through a perfect shot, exactly how I saw it in my head.