Today we’d like to introduce you to John Bombay Gutierrez.
Hi John, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey in the film industry has taken me beyond being just a producer, to now being a writer-director, and I couldn’t be more grateful for all that needed to happen along the way. It’s been four short years since I arrived in Los Angeles in the middle of a warm August night in 2019. With only $100 in my pocket and a backpack on my back, I’ve tried to make everyday count, and never lose focus of the reason I came here to begin with. I am a storyteller, fueled by heartbreak, disappointments, love, and hope. I tell my stories through film and relive many of the traumas of my life through the characters I bring to the screen. To date, my production company, West America Film Company (WAFC) has produced three feature films, as well as short films, documentaries, and music videos. After the first film I produced, Aguanta, directed by Felipe Martinez, I turned my attention to the country of Laos. The Laotian Film Commissioner, Noy Ounkhan, approached me with the opportunity to produce the first-ever American-Laotian co-produced film for his new and exciting film industry. We found early success in the casting of Eric Roberts (Righteous Gemstones) as one of our leads and added experienced department heads to our crew. But, despite us completing pre-production on two feature films slated to film in 2021, the pandemic has kept our films patiently waiting to move into production.
When it became clear that the two films, we had worked so hard to produce would have to wait, I dove headfirst into my writing. Within two months of sitting on my laptop from sunup to sundown, I finished three feature-length scripts. Through the dedication and professionalism of my skeleton crew, and talented actors willing to work through the on-set challenges created by covid, we shot the first two films back-to-back. The first film, To Matter, follows Michelle, a young girl who finds out she’s pregnant the day she decided to break up with her boyfriend of six years. We watch her story unfold over twenty-four hours, while she and her boyfriend wrestle with the controversial topic of abortion. The second film, Red Flamingos, follows Ryan, as he struggles with the decision to stay in his hometown, or leave behind his seemingly perfect life, to follow his musical dreams in LA. Both films are currently in post-production. Our goal is to have both finished by 2023. While writing and directing these two films, I got the itch to write more and completed a fourth feature-length script. Next year we will go into production on the third film in the series, Star Questra. These films are all part of a continuing storyline, within our feature film department, the WAFC 20s Collection. The WAFC 20s Collection is our ambitious effort to create a cinematic universe of twenty films that take place in the 2020s. We believe these films will find a contemporary audience as well as a nostalgic audience in decades to come.
In addition to the WAFC 20s Collection films, I also keep myself busy filming interviews for clients such as Version1, a Valiant esports team, and the San Pedro Fish Market, a popular local dining destination, among others. These jobs have afforded me the opportunities to expand our company’s services and network while generating financial resources for our film projects. One of my personal goals now is to find representation for my writing and our films.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a difficult road over the last three years, for all of us. The pandemic created challenges that none of us could foresee, but the work ethic I inherited from my dad, has propelled me forward every time I wanted to take my foot off the gas and wait for the world to get back to normal. I’ve lost members of my team that I wholeheartedly believed would be with me for the rest of my life, and I poured my heart into several projects that never made it into production. The hours and months of work that came to pass without anything to show for it took a huge toll on me.
But I’m a believer that making excuses is easy, and making things happen is hard. I have failed far more times than I have succeeded, but my goals have always righted my ship whenever I have started to drift at sea. While filming the feature film, To Matter, there was a day when we arrived on set, only to learn that the sound equipment was forgotten, while the clock ticked away at an expensive location. On the same project, one of our actors dropped out to go be with his family back east, forcing massive rewrites and scene cuts. Although frustrating, I completely understood, as I was apart from my family for two years, that I will never get back.
On our second feature film of the pandemic, we lost one of our lead producers just days before production began, causing many responsibilities to fall into my lap, as well as the other producers who were already doing more than their fair share of work. Predictably, we encountered trouble with locations, wardrobe, and camera. But the cast and crew worked unbelievably hard to see our shoot days through to the end, with memories that will last a lifetime and a film that we believe will garner attention within the industry and from audiences alike.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
From within our production company, we have created the WAFC 20s Collection, a business focused entirely on our feature film department. Although my company produces interviews, documentaries, short films, and music videos, we wanted a branch that continues to create feature length content within a shared story world contained in the 2020s. Our films address timeless themes in a contemporary context, with an objective to showcase diverse characters.
Our first film, Aguanta, follows Israel, a Mexican American student struggling to balance his desire to play baseball in college, with the reality of his parents facing deportation.
Our second film, To Matter, follows Michelle, an Asian American dancer dealing with an unplanned pregnancy the day she was planning on breaking up with her boyfriend. We explore the many different viewpoints surrounding the controversial topic of abortion in America.
In our third film, Red Flamingos, starring Brady Fritz as Ryan, a successful small-town guy, runs into an old fling, played by Chinnaly Norasing, former Miss Laos, in a tale about choosing between a safe life in your small hometown, or leaving it all behind to chase your dreams in the big city.
Over the course of the pandemic, the WAFC 20s Collection team has specialized in developing and producing micro budget independent films. We have films currently in development, pre-production, production, and post-production. If you are an investor, a studio representative, an actor, a crew member, or a distributor, we want to speak with you! We are hard at work and would love to discuss how we can bring value to you as an individual and also your company.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important quality or characteristic that has led to my success is humility. When I first arrived in Los Angeles, my goal was to be a cable wrangler. I truly believed that this town had so much talent, that I would be grateful just to get people coffee, toss trash, and wrangle cables on films that would move people and inspire. My humble approach, paired with my strong work ethic, lead to opportunities that I never dreamt of, working with people that I admire and hope to continue working with and for. Life has taught me that we can learn just as much from a young person as an old person. It is so easy to miss out on lessons because we think we know everything and are always right. I want to learn from everyone I meet and pay it forward to everyone that needs the opportunities that I once desired.
My team has changed over the past couple of years, but the people I work with now continue to inspire me with their selflessness, humility, and desire to accomplish shared goals. Aside from the abstract concept of being humble, these are a few other qualities I believe will serve anyone well that wants to work in film:
Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it.
Show up early. Stay until the work is done.
Be Kind.
Contact Info:
- Website: westamericafilmcompany.com
- Instagram: @westamericafilm
Image Credits
Michelle Vogel
John Bombay Gutierrez
DeVaughn Hooper
Corey Kirkendoll
