Alan Trezza: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker
An Interview With Guernslye Honoré
Don’t forget to live. Some of the best ideas I’ve come up with stem from things I’ve experienced. I would not have been able to experience them if I was sitting in my living room watching movies or playing videogames all day long.
As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Alan Trezza.
Alan Trezza has over twenty years of experience developing and producing films, TV series, and documentaries for companies such as Miramax Films, Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions. It was at Miramax where Alan sold his first script, “Baseline”, a rom-com set in the world of junior women’s tennis. Alan also sold the supernatural thriller “Sanctuary” to Paramount Pictures with Joel Silver (“The Matrix”) attached to produce.
Alan’s first produced script was “Burying the Ex,” which was directed by legendary filmmaker Joe Dante (“Gremlins”) and starred Anton Yelchin (“Star Trek”) and Ashley Greene (“Twilight”). His second produced script, “We Summon the Darkness,” starred Alexandra Daddario (“White Lotus”) and Johnny Knoxville (“Bad Grandpa”).
Alan just completed shooting his third feature film, a horror movie entitled “Rosario” which stars Emeraude Toubia (“Shadowhunters”) and David Dastmalchian (“Oppenheimer”) and is due to hit theaters later this year.
In addition to writing and producing, Alan teaches screenwriting at the acclaimed Los Angeles Film School, located in the heart of Hollywood offering entertainment-focused degrees in Filmmaking, Animation, Entertainment Business, Music Production, and more.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
I’m from New York and grew up in a family that knew almost nothing about how films were made. I did, however, have two super cool older siblings who turned me on to some incredible films and nurtured my love of cinema.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
As I mentioned, I grew up with two older siblings. One day, one of them rented Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” and let me watch it. I was eleven years old. My world changed in an instant because I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you during your filmmaking career?
I have almost too many to choose from, but one that sticks out is when I was shooting the short film that would eventually become my first produced script. We were filming at an apartment complex in L.A. In between camera setups, I heard one of the tenants yelling on the phone for someone to “get their a*** down there” and see what we were doing. So, I got twenty dollars from one of the producers and knocked on the tenant’s door. He was still on the phone when he answered, red-faced and out of breath. I handed him the twenty bucks and invited him to partake in the food we were serving and to watch what we were filming. He then told me that he was on the phone with his “lazy-a** brother,” who would also talk about making movies but never tried to actually do it. He told his brother to come and see what a real film production looks like. I was out twenty bucks, but at least the production wasn’t shut down.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
I’ve had the fortune of working with many of my childhood heroes, starting with Joe Dante, who directed two of my favorite films of all time, “Gremlins” and “The Howling”. Joe directed my first film, “Burying the Ex,” and he could not have been more gracious, funny, or collaborative. Joe’s motto is “The best idea wins.” So, everyone in the cast and on the crew were more than welcome to make suggestions on how to make scenes and the overall film the best it could be. There was never any ego on that set, and the film was better for it.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My mentor is actually the first boss I ever had. Her name is Robbie Brenner, and she produced a film you may have heard of called “Barbie”. I first met Robbie in 1999 when she hired me as her assistant at Miramax Films. The first script she gave me to read was “Dallas Buyers Club”. She said, “Read this. I’m going to make it one day.” Flash forward to the 2014 Oscars, and there was Robbie sitting between Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Robbie taught me a very valuable lesson: the most important thing for a producer to have is passion. If you have a pure, genuine passion for a project, it will see you through the toughest times and the darkest times. It was Robbie who helped me sell my first script, “Baseline”, to Miramax and helped me get hired by Drew Barrymore and Ridley Scott.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” Many of the scripts I sold and jobs I’ve gotten were the result of meeting the right people and being 100% prepared for that meeting.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I just watched twenty minutes of my new film, “Rosario” which should be coming out in theaters later this year. We shot it in Bogota, Colombia, at the end of 2023 and it was a truly amazing experience. I am also working on a TV pilot about a girl who experiments with near-death experiences to steal information and sell it on the black market. I describe it as “Inception” meets “Flatliners.”
Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?
I’m very proud that the three films I’ve written have stayed true to their original vision. The scripts that I sold to major studios like Miramax and Paramount have been rewritten and reconceptualized so many times that they pale in comparison to their original drafts. Who knows if they’ll ever get made?
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
- I find that experience is always the best teacher and I like to teach my students at L.A. Film School from my successes, and my failures — hopefully their road to becoming professional screenwriters might be a little smoother — and faster — than mine.
- There’s no such thing as “good enough”. The studio execs, agents, and managers who will be reading your script expect greatness. Good enough simply won’t cut it.
- Work as hard as you can, then work ten times harder. The scripts that I sold that ended up being made were the result of waking up at five a.m. and writing until midnight, every day for months.
- Relationships are everything. Hollywood is actually a very small community. Meet everyone you can, and soon you’ll be part of that community, and things might get a little easier for you.
- Don’t forget to live. Some of the best ideas I’ve come up with stem from things I’ve experienced. I would not have been able to experience them if I was sitting in my living room watching movies or playing videogames all day long.
When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example about what you mean?
The most important relationship I’ve had on the films I’ve gotten made is with the director. A mutual trust must be established. On my last film, I was dead set on it being 100% handheld and shot on grainy 16mm. Our director took the exact opposite approach. I trusted him and his vision, and it paid off. The film looks astounding.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Don’t be afraid to inspire others. Push each other, respectfully, of course, to be the best they can be. I believe that’s what makes a great producer. It’s a person who can bring out the best in everyone — from the director to the writer to the cast to the cinematographer — to make the best product possible.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?
I had the pleasure of meeting the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, a few months ago. He was so warm, kind, and calm. You’d never realize the pressure on his shoulders or the responsibility he has. I’d love to get some life hacks from him.
How can our readers further follow you online?
I’m a pretty private person, so I’m not on any socials. Anyone who wants to know anything about me, can learn it by watching my movies. They are all very personal to me. If they want to learn more from me or about getting into this industry or the degrees offered at The L.A. Film School, please visit: lafilm.edu or call 323.860.0789.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
