Straight to legitimacy
By Mayra Marquez
Aug. 18, 2002 9:00 p.m.
Ana Barredo’s real job is a DVD project manager for Image
Entertainment. Her other jobs include writing, directing and
producing her video debut “A Real Job,” a romantic
comedy about a 38-year-old video store employee and the sparks that
fly between him and a customer.
“I started writing the script and I pretty much followed
the rule, which was write about something that you know. In 1998,
the only thing I knew about was the video world because I worked in
a video store for a good three to four years, so I wrote about
that,” said Barredo, who graduated from UCLA with a degree in
psychology in 1998.
The ultra-low-budget movie was made for about $10,000, most of
which came directly from Barredo’s credit cards. Shot on
digital video, “A Real Job” was released and is now
available exclusively on video and DVD.
“I wanted to shoot this on film because it would have been
easier for me to sell it and get a theatrical distribution,”
Barredo said. “However, financially it was impossible. So I
did it the way I could afford to do, which was to shoot it on
video, and I think it turned out as well as I could have possibly
made it.”
Barredo’s efforts have been rewarded with glowing reviews
and selection for the 2001 New York Independent Film and Video
Festival and the 2001 Ashland Film Festival in Oregon. The movie is
also eligible for a Video Premiere Awards nomination. The VPAs are
the Oscars of movies that have debuted on video rather than in
theaters.
“Studios also do direct-to-video so we are still competing
with the major studios like Universal, MGM, Warner, New Line
““ you name it, we are competing with them,” Barredo
said. “But it feels good to be a part of that and to actually
have a shot at it.”
With such a low budget, there is no marketing frenzy to help
this movie find an audience. According to Barredo, the news is
spreading through word of mouth.
Having a direct-to-video release does not necessarily equal a
setback for moviemakers. Like “A Real Job,” video
premiere movies can be made for less money, and they also allow for
more creative control as seen with Barredo’s credits as
director and writer.
“I think there are more straight-to-video movies coming
out now than ever before. Because of digital video, it’s made
movie-making a lot more accessible to people like me, who
aren’t backed up by major financial backers who have millions
of dollars to put into a movie,” said Barredo.
Barredo is not the only one receiving praise for her work. Lead
actors Paul Kolsby, who plays the video store employee, and Sharon
Repass, his love interest, are also in the running for
nominations.
Like former video store clerks Quentin Tarantino and
“Clerks” filmmaker Kevin Smith, working in a video
store proved to be a great source of inspiration for Barredo, who
has created genuine characters that appeal to film buffs like
herself. Her only previous film training was at UCLA, where
Barredo’s electives consisted mainly of film classes.
Having achieved acclaim for “A Real Job,” Barredo
continues to work on other projects, hoping to make a career out of
what started as work at a video store.
“The competition, especially in this town, is very
tough,” Barredo said. “I always take things a day at a
time. I never thought that my first movie would ever get this far,
so who knows?”
