Love Song Director Diego Contreras on Unforgettable Shoots 

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Diego> Originality is everything.

They say, ‘Everything’s been done’, and it often feels like it. But sometimes, you open your inbox and are blessed with a project that is fresh and cool, unlike anything you’ve seen before. These are rare, but they do come around a few times a year.

If the project is unique, fun, and inventive, if it has a great story, a great character, something honest and important to say, if it’s packed with emotion and makes you feel, think, cry, or smile—I’m all in. The best scripts have legs. They immediately spark your imagination and get your brain firing on all cylinders. You can’t help but daydream all day long, imagining all the ways you can run with the story. Those are the scripts that excite me, and if I get lucky with one, all is well in the world.

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

Diego> From the get–go, I like to kick things off with the writing. It’s the perfect way to test the strength of a concept and see how far you can take it. I dive into the script before even hopping on the agency call — free writing on it for an hour or so without worrying about limitations like time or budget. I write entirely new scenes and beef up the script in a way that makes it feel new and personal to me.

Head to Little Black Book for more on Love Song’s Diego Contreras!