It finally happened—my debut into the film industry was a success to celebrate alongside the team of El Vigilante Films. Episode 1 of “El Porvenir”, a web series created by Miguel Yee and Manuel Alejandro Anell kept the audience with their eyes glued to the screen and wanting more. In reality, this first episode was deemed a pilot, but I wouldn’t know it had I not been told by the creators of the series.

The premiere was held in a very curious café in Tijuana known as La Casa de la 9. Mostly the crew, cast, and close friends and supporters of El Vigilante Films attended. It is hoped they will help spread the word and, when the first episode is formally posted on the web, the audience will grow, giving El Vigilante Films more exposure.

As the composer of the series’ soundtrack, I have entered a musical terrain unknown to me until now. There is still much more to learn and create, but in the few weeks I spent watching the rough cuts over and over, I learned a lot about the unique genre of film soundtracks. It was the creation of certain moods and ambiances that made this experience so different.

I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone at El Vigilante Films for this wonderful opportunity. Their kind words towards my music and its contribution to the overall quality of the film have touched the depths of my heart and soul. I was nothing but honored to work with the crew of El Vigilante Films and the cast, in this case two young actors, Paco Mufote and Daniel Cosío. I am also thoroughly impressed at the dedication to excellence in filmmaking shown by El Vigilante Films. They are an independent film venture that in many ways can be considered amateur, but the results convey far more than that. You guys are truly amazing!

It was 1:30 in the afternoon last Saturday as I headed towards a part of Tijuana known by locals as “Playas” (beaches). It’s a part of Tijuana I once called home—back in 1982. The most noticeable change is the increase in construction, but it still has a very distinct flavor. It is officially a part of Tijuana, but due to the fact that there really is only one road that directly connects it with the rest of the city, it has remained somewhat healthily isolated. I believe it is this very quality that makes Playas an attractive alternative for so many. I know I’ve often considered it.

The crew of El Vigilante Films was almost completely assembled when I arrived. After a little more than an hour’s worth of preparation and packing, we were headed south towards Valle de Guadalupe, México’s premiere wine-producing area. The one-hour drive took us through La Misión, a beautiful rural area accessible through the old highway that connects Rosarito and Ensenada. Because of the plentiful rainfall that had recently passed, the fields and hills were lush green. I felt fortunate to call myself a Baja California native.

Rancho San Marcos, just outside of a small village named El Porvenir, was our final destination. A family member of one of the members of the El Vigilante Films crew was kind enough to offer use of a beautiful home on the ranch. I didn’t see any cows, pigs, or sheep, but I did see a few horses grazing in the pasture. It’s common for people where I come from to call any rural home such as this a “rancho”.

A few guys from the crew went to scout the area where the opening shot to the Internet miniseries was to be filmed. It took us two hours to satisfactorily shoot a scene that probably doesn’t even last a minute. This is admittedly starting out as a low-budget project, but the guys at El Vigilante Films get very creative when it comes to equipment and other aspects of filming. I was out there partly because I had an interest in seeing how films are made. The main reason, of course, was to get a better sense of the film for soundtrack composition purposes.

Of course, I ended up providing other kinds of help to the crew. They were appreciative of this, because help is something they definitely do not get enough of. I provided help in something they called “continuity”. This assures, to the maximum extent possible, that the several shots that often constitute one scene don’t have any major, noticeable differences. So, if, for example, a character is wearing a hat in one shot, he or she must still have the hat—preferably in the same position—when it comes time to shoot the next part of a scene. I also assisted the gaffer, the person in charge of designing the lighting plan for the film. A few different lamps had to be constantly rearranged in order to provide the appropriate and desired lighting effect.