Director Kristian Mercado on his SXSW hit If You Were the Last

Filmmaker Kristian Mercado is a jack of many trades. In his rising profession, the Puerto Rican mild big has orbited round many mediums, from helming comedy specials for Hannibal Buress, Michael Che, and Sam Jay to directing music movies and live-action and animated shorts. No matter medium there’s, he’s directed it — or if he hasn’t, it is on his to-direct checklist. 

After successful Greatest Animated Brief at SXSW in 2021 for his animated quick movie Nuevo Rico, the filmmaker returned to the competition this 12 months along with his feature-length debut, If You Had been the Final. An attractive, humorous area rom-com, the movie is about three years into an area mission the place astronauts Adam (Anthony Mackie) and Jane (Zoë Chao) are stranded on a damaged ship with no coordinates to get again residence. Content material that it’s simply the 2 of them, Adam asks, “Why not have intercourse?” which Jane laughs off at first, however later turns right into a hearty debate. All through their efforts to return to Earth, the Astro-friends trip on whether or not or not they need to do the deed — the will-they-won’t-they getting hotter because the dialogue goes on. 

Setting a steamy rom-com in area is not any straightforward feat, however Mercado immerses the viewer with a barrage of brightness, thrown into the ship’s manufacturing design and stop-motion exterior. Providing continuous laughs and candy chemistry, If You Had been the Final gives a comedic and colourful calling card for Mercado, who even obtained a spaceship tattoo on his arm to commemorate the mission and expertise he’ll “always remember.”

AP spoke with the rising filmmaker following the movie’s SXSW premiere to debate tackling his first function, his animation influences, and discovering the steadiness between romance and comedy in his path.

Once you obtained the script, what was the very first thing that went via your thoughts? 

I used to be going via quite a bit. I spent an entire 12 months studying scripts and nothing was connecting. Then I obtained this script and it jumped out of the web page — magically in a method. I used to be going via some heartache on the time, so I believe the mix of heartache and the script, I actually linked to it.

How was it to pivot from one thing like your animated shorts to a live-action function?

I’m such a combined media human being. I am going to direct live-action, combined media, stop-motion animation. I imagine in cross-pollination of methods. I believe all of them train you one thing after which you possibly can apply it to the belongings you study. For those who like images and it teaches you about composition, it doesn’t suggest images needs to be your major factor, nevertheless it applies to your filmmaking. There’s some components of it that do overlap with animation, serious about artwork path and composition. 

Did your background in comedy and directing arise specials assist navigate among the comedic moments within the second? 

100%. Comedians need to have a relationship with the viewers and filmmaking [when making a special]. I believe [about the] viewers after I work on function movies in the identical method comics do. I’ve seen and digested a lot comedy at this level and ingrained it into my being a bit. I really feel like I understand how to construction a joke, get the timing tight, tweak the phrases with it proper there. A number of that got here actually helpful on this. 

After I was watching the film [during the premiere] I used to be monitoring the place [the audience] laughed and the way a lot — which was nonstop. I am not even attempting to gasoline myself up. In all earnestness, I felt like, “Rattling, we obtained plenty of laughs.” I used to be blown away by how captivated the viewers was and the way a lot they laughed with us.

The movie could be very colourful and imaginative. What impressed the visible aesthetic? 

I like the thought of creating motion pictures which can be colourful. After I was making the movie, I actually at all times centered it across the emotion I obtained from the script. I needed to push that heat. I needed to make a movie that felt such as you’re at all times actually engaged, and the visible engagement was serving to me really feel one thing in regards to the story.

The manufacturing design encompasses a cartoonish robotic smiley-faced AI and there are Nintendo cartridges on the ship. What was the inspiration behind these features of the ship’s look?

Love is about nostalgia too. Somewhat bit such as you remembering one thing. We’re conscious that by some means your reminiscence is a inventive model of one thing, you realize? I needed to pepper that complete design of the movie with that feeling of nostalgia the place it is like, “Is that this actual or is that this extra like a reminiscence than the way it felt?” So, counting these ’90s period references: They had been like blowing out cartridges, their love of music, their love of movies from a sure period. There’s one thing about with the ability to bear in mind one thing that makes it sweeter. 

How did you discover that proper tone of holding the comedy and romantic sexual stress between the characters?

You are at all times wanting on the movie from a perspective of friendship. Friendship is a cornerstone of life. With friendship, there’s at all times a way of caring and communication. There’s plenty of communication within the movie. They’re speaking about what choice to make collectively. They’re like, “Ought to we simply speak about this vibe and trip it out?” Zoë [Chao’s character Jane] is in cost. She’s really the commanding officer on the ship, so [it’s] at all times sort of her selection. I do know that was at all times essential within the movie, for certain. 

What was the expertise like working with Zoë Chao and Anthony Mackie? 

Dude is so nice. I like them each. All of us had a pleasant vibe [on set]. Anthony obtained his personal goofy power, which is humorous as a result of I do not suppose individuals notice that he is goofy. Then Zoë is so considerate and charming, and such a brilliant expertise. I used to be actually blessed to have such good actors for my first movie. I believe my course of for work was at all times, “I am going to dive in,” after which they’re like, “I am going to dive in with you.” All of us had one another’s again.

The movie encompasses a handful of dance sequences. What had been some references and or influences behind the framework?

Clearly Soiled Dancing, Rosie Perez, the fly ladies from In Dwelling Coloration. I like dancing, so it was a mixture of cool TikTok dances, which might be behind my head generally, then salsa, and modern dances. That is [part of the fun] that there is that bizarre variety of dances. 

[Zoë and Anthony] did round every week or two [of choreography practice]. You may inform they had been exhausted as a result of all they did was dance all day. They needed to study all these dances and it was a course of. Additionally, me as a primary time function director, there’s a lot relying on the dances that I used to be, not nervous, however going, “Oh man, it is getting a bit scorching.”

Was there any stress going into it, being your first function?

I am a reasonably zen man. You’ll by no means know that I really feel stress from the surface. However inside, I may be coping with it, shit simply crushing me. Any time you make a movie, I believe you’re feeling such as you’re pushing a boulder up a mountain. As a director, you possibly can dwell and die with the mission. It is like you are going to be there for each cease, it doesn’t matter what. Your DP is doing plenty of work, however they’re solely there for the shoot. You are shepherding a mission all through its life. That is quite a bit. Nevertheless it’s stunning and also you adore it a lot. It is like you possibly can’t assist however be there. 

After this, what are what different genres you’ll like to play with? 

I am engaged on a drama proper now — a hyper reggaetón drama. I actually wish to try this. I like something that makes me really feel one thing. So, if there’s an actual emotion hooked up, that is what I am searching for out. I am engaged on a few different issues, however I do suppose love can be a theme that I play with quite a bit.