THE DESTROYING ANGEL: INTERVIEW WITH “PORTER ROCKWELL - GUNMAN AND SAINT” CREATOR ALBERTO NUNES

Porter Rockwell is a fascinating figure in history. Part bodyguard, part Saint in LDS history, his name evokes mystery and intrigue, especially from an innovative Western film perspective. Our jurors became immersed in this period piece, which had an impressive story, cinematography, set design, stunts, and overall performances. ZFA had the opportunity to interview creator Alberto Nunes about inspiration behind the project, moments on set, and his future plans as a filmmaker. “Porter Rockwell - Gunman and Saint” swept at the ZFA October/November season, taking home the following awards: Best Actor (Jasen Wade), Best Production Design, Best Proof of Concept, Best Stunt Work, Best Wardrobe, Best Western Film, and Honorable Mention: Best Cinematography (Carter Fawcett, DP of Waterman).

ZFA: What inspired you to create this film? How much did you draw inspiration from history about Porter Rockwell, and how much was fictional?

Alberto: Over a year ago, some friends and I realized that there hadn’t really been a solid western about Porter Rockwell; it was an opportunity to tell his story. We put a group together, decided our direction, and Robert started writing almost immediately.

All the events were true! Porter’s life was intense, all we did was dramatize how we think it could have happened.

ZFA: Where did you film it? And how long did it take?

Alberto: We filmed over the course of two days. The first was at Rogers Ranch in Peoa, where we filmed all our scenes with the outlaws and the shootout. The second was in a historic home in Provo, where we filmed the “Joseph Smith home.”

ZFA: Our jurors commented on how they felt like this film could have been on major streaming platforms because of how immersed they were in the story. How did you find your cinematographer, wardrobe designer, and set designer? 

Alberto: That’s great to hear! Most of the crew were people I had worked with before. When I posted the crowdfunding campaign, we got a ton of attention. I had a lot of cinematographers reach out, and ultimately chose Carter Fawcett because the look featured on his website matched my vision for this.

I met costume designer Patrick Hayes working on “The Graduates”, a feature that filmed last year. We worked on a few other projects since, and I knew that he and his wife Anna Hayes (who helped with the wardrobe designs) had the skills we needed. I was excited when they offered to help.

For set design, Madison Mackay reached out and offered to help. We did a Zoom meeting, and once I saw how excited she was to help, brought her on. Luckily there were plenty of reference pictures for us to go off of, and her and my brother Matheus Borges did an excellent job.

ZFA: What was the biggest challenge you faced during production and/or post-production?

Alberto: We had our fair share of challenges, but honestly pre-production was the hardest. I knew that for this to work, it needed to feel real, so we worked really hard to make sure the world was accurate and believable. I might have had too grand of a vision, but it worked out.

ZFA: What was the most memorable moment on set? 

Alberto: So many! I really loved filming our 3 outlaws from the first scene, that came out exactly how I imagined it. Wardrobe, set, performances, etc.

The best moment to me was the scene with Porter and Joseph. Jasen’s performance was so touching, I remember getting chills when we shot his close up!

ZFA: Any lessons learned or things you would have done differently?

Alberto: If I did it again, I’d add another day, even if it had to be a skeleton crew. We had to cover a lot on the first day, and having even another 6 hours would have let us relax and get a bit more coverage that I wish I had!

ZFA: Any advice for aspiring filmmakers?

I’ll echo the same advice I’ve been given by other directors this year: Go shoot your thing! Don’t wait for the phone to ring, write your script, and go shoot it with what you have.

Always be learning. I feel like everything you shoot should be better than the last because you’re learning new things. Watch more movies, study new techniques, be a lifelong student of film.

Network! You can’t do this alone (and neither can other people).

ZFA: How can we find you and follow your work?

Alberto: @albertonunes96 on instagram is where I post all of my film stuff. I’m on Facebook and Twitter, too.