Private Project

Overlayed

Joanna's world remains an ebb and flow of her imagination where her subconscious animations take life over her reality. After decades of trudging the path of a creative career Joanna has finally reached her dream milestone: to secure a retirement for her spirited, self sacrificing, and constantly working mom, Helena. Yet, when Joanna’s long-awaited moment arrives, their generational gap creates a tug-of-war between their perspectives of reality. Hopes don't always unfold as envisioned.

  • Joanna Maria Bronson
    Director
    Struggleing, The Galanis's, 10 Years, Hard Knocks, Skits: Season 1, 2, 3
  • Joanna Maria Bronson
    Writer
    Skits Season 1, 2, 3, Cast Me, Assisted Living
  • Joanna Maria Bronson
    Producer
    Struggleing, 10 Years,
  • Brent Harvey
    Producer
    Natural Vice, The Next Unicorn, Struggleing
  • Benai Alicia Boyd
    Key Cast
    "Helena"
    Big Little Lies, Law & Order SUV, On Tour Beauty and the Beast
  • Joanna Maria Bronson
    Key Cast
    "Jo"
    SWAT, It Follows, Funny Man
  • Bria Roberts
    Key Cast
    "Dolly Burks"
    Killer Siblings, Exile: A Jedi Story, Late Show with David Letterman
  • Brent Harvey
    Co-Director
    Struggleing, The Galanis's, 10 Years, Hard Knocks, Skits: Season 1, 2, 3
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Live Action, Narrative, Animation, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 18, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Joanna Maria Bronson

Hailing from the vibrant embrace of Miami, I bring a mix of Colombian, Spanish, and Native South American hues. I'm an alpha woman with enough energy to power a small city: I often leave my partner in delightful bewilderment at my never-ending vigor. Say “Vigor” like Dracula and it sticks with you.

Growing up in a multiracial household, my strong-willed mother and two sisters were my constants. Our unique blend of backgrounds, four different fathers, and the curiosity of how we could be both “sisters and Colombian?”, was the ongoing joke. In the cocoon of a quiet art room during recess, I found solace from the overwhelming world, allowing my artistic spirit to flourish.

From introverted and numb to a dynamo fueled by creativity, my journey ventured from traditional art and graphic design through New York's captivating Costume Design scene. A detour led me to the heart of Detroit's Filmmaking and Animation realm, where my professor's candid critique prompted a surprising twist: acting entered stage left.

With Detroit's talents at my side, I journeyed to Los Angeles, where I co-founded AWholeProductions.com, a sanctuary for actors to learn, create, and share stories. From sketches and web series to a blog brimming with insights, our online portfolio bloomed. Despite shoestring budgets, we crafted over 300 videos, including a daring Emmy-worthy series on a mere $500 cap.

My knack for resourcefulness, unwavering calm, and lightning-quick problem-solving found their niche in my creative toolkit. As I stand on the precipice of more professional endeavors, the pandemic-induced pause became my temple of reflection. With a feature script penned and a concept film in the works, I'm was on the cusp of sharing stories close to my heart.

My journey, in all its wonderful awkwardness, converges in a passion to foster safe havens for others to be unapologetically themselves. In this whimsical dance of directing, acting, and creating, my purpose flourishes—a purpose to weave the magic of acceptance, joy, and understanding, one frame at a time.

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Director Statement

Five major cities, four fathers, three college majors, two ridiculous little sisters, and one extraordinary mom—it’s been quite the journey. My mother is a mix of inspiration, love, and a dash of 'not for all audiences.' She’s a riot with an unwavering love for life, a mouth that needs its own censor, and a generational trauma baggage allowance. And yet, I’ve never seen anyone encompass her on the big screen, and believe me, we snuck into a lot of theaters.

Our life together inspired me to write 'Casa Bronson,' a coming-of-age dark comedy feature. It’s my mom and me with our ever-evolving defense mechanisms animated with nostalgia from the different decades we grew up in, sprinkled over our live-action chaos. My short film, ‘Overlayed’, is a proof of concept of said feature.

The first challenge was research. If only my childhood memories were as abundant as the roles Latin women get in Hollywood: prostitute, crying mom, and asexual cop. My mom and I never talked about our past, even when it was happening; hence, generational silence. I realized I didn't know her origin story or how she felt during my sisters and my upbringing. We were in a perpetual Bond movie titled, ‘No Time to Feel.’

Now, the interviews: two intense months of daily Zoom chats unearthed jokes, tears, and healing. Simultaneously, I had also sent out questionnaires to over 100 people asking about stories about their mothers. The response was incredible. Armed with a trove of stories, I crafted the feature, and then 'Overlayed' emerged. It felt like it took as long as a Marvel movie marathon. Actually, it was longer and also worth every second.

This short film isn't about our past; it's about our future, our personal growth, and our fun unique defense mechanisms and how they grow. Parents can only teach what they know, and my mom was just 17 when I came into the world. We grew up together in many ways.

My biggest challenge was a bit of a domino effect. My DP disappeared. I had to become a camera whiz, assemble gear, and tackle tech challenges and spill the budget on different crews for different shoot days. Afterward, I had the 6k raw footage in hand, an outdated computer system, and zero budget for post-production. So, YouTube and I became best friends for the next 10 months. And I did it! To be clear, I did all the post-production by myself. I am both gloating and apologizing.

I'm bursting with pride and excitement. I’m ridiculously lucky, and armed with so much more knowledge. Thank you to everyone who took my calls and emails to help with technical issues. Thank you to my partner who took care of my physical and mental well-being and to my family for our story. I can't wait to share the laughs, the results, and perhaps tears?