Films
Project descriptions featured belowFrom making videos on my IPad as a kid to watching La La Land on the big screen, filmmaking has transformed the way I consume media.
Moments we see each day at work, school, or on the trip to the grocery store reflect deeper narratives about our world. Films have the potential to explore topical and interpersonal thematic ideas through its entertaining and immersive audiovisual experiences.
Garbage Man
Garbage Man tells the story of Roger, a man in his mid 70s, who struggles with loneliness and depression as the anniversary of his late wife's birthday rolls around.
As Director of Photography, I experimented with subjective POV, placing the character's interior isolation into the visual language so the audience feels what he feels.
Garbage Man won 'Best Cinematography' at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase competing with 60+ other films.
Director
Ava Farrar
DoP
Carlos Mendoza
Year
2023
Cha Cha Time
Cha Cha Time tells the story about Manny a rushed and overworked college student who suddenly comes into contact with a mysterious orange soda bottle, warping his perception of time forever.
As the Director, I was interested in the concept of blacking out, the experience of losing consciousness as time continues to pass. As a dramatic device, bearing witness to this experience exposes what's important to us most when we choose to slow down.
Director
Carlos Mendoza
DoP
Carlos Mendoza
Year
2023
The Man and The Ham
To lose weight for a role in a supermarket ad, a man undergoes a week of intense exercise and starvation. In the process, he radically alters his relationship to his body, his mind, and to ham.
Filmed as part of the CET Academic Program at the Film & TV School of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague, Czech Republic, The Man and The Ham is rooted in absurdity in capturing the progression of the protagonist's rapid weight loss.
As Editor, I was challenged with building a routine structure (in montages) that slightly changes as the main character slowly loses his grip over reality. The edit is fierece, fast, and apalling just like our main character's journey.
Director
Daniel de Koning & Ellie Forster
DoP
Tim Sievers
Editor
Carlos Mendoza
Year
2022