We shot this scene and due to time, it got cut.

Fun fact, which I believe y’all might have noticed a few weeks ago: I gave almost everyone in the crew a Spanish nickname. I gave Roach the nickname “Cuca” short for “Cucaracha” which is the Spanish version of Roach hehe.

In on of the improvs of this scene Mads said “oh it is wet below deck”… absolutely slayed with that one hehehe

Here’s the lil sequence from a pervious draft of Calypso’s bday. The one where Jim, Olu and Archie end up… bellow deck hehe ;)

As I was preparing for last Saturday’s “Garlic Soup Nation Celebration” I’ve been working to make sure I finally have all of my OFMD BTS in one place.

If you transferred from Patreon to here, thank you! And if you’re new here and have no idea what OFMD is (hiii! welcome!), it stands for “Our Flag Means Death”, a gay pirate show I worked on a few years ago ^_^

For those who’ve been here since the beginning, thank youuuu so much for your patience as I’ve been trying to figure out how to move all the content I posted there to over here, especially all the OFMD stuff. It has not been easy hehe. After much trial and error (and this has the potential of also not working) I figured the easiest thing would be to make a link with all of it! There will be a mix of things that I’ve edited and posted publicly on TikTok, Twitter (back in the day) and IG to promote the show as well as the content I’ve created exclusively for Patreon. So…

All of my OFMD behind the scenes from Patreon (and beyond)

HERE

This link will lead you to a Dropbox folder that has 4 other folders in it.

OFMD Season 1 (Photos)

OFMD Season 1 (Videos)

OFMD Season 2 (Photos)

OFMD Season 2 (Videos)

Downloading it all to Dropbox was a whole adventure on its own…. still is hehe I thought if I selected all the files on my phone it would just easily transfer, but it crashed (too much goodness hehe) so I had to go one by one.

Now, this is the first time I create a link like this so there’s a chance it’ll ask you to have me personally invite you to access it. If that is the case, I am happy to send you an e-mail with the link to make sure you have access to it all!

Also, since it’s a living folder, if there’s anything I’m realizing I didn’t add (which I am sure there probably is), I can add it whenever! Also… I’m thinking of adding a Convention BTS folder as well!

I have 3 more posts scheduled for this month (one already posted yesterday) with script BTS that focuses on the Garlic Soup/Knot lore that I’ve talked about in interviews, panels and during conventions so y’all can share with me the tangible references ^_^

Once September is done, I shall stick to sharing BTS on other creative projects (both personal and larger scale), as well as my own stories around personal growth while exploring gender expansiveness, polyamory, conversations with my family that have helped in better understanding each other, exercises that support our connection to our bodies and general world musings to heal and be tender to our human experience as a collective… kinda live journaling for y’all <3 Editing the Vancouver journey as I write/speak/breathe hehehe yay multitasking!

I hope y’all enjoy the last bits of OFMD stories :’) it has truly been a pleasure and a delight editing all of these things for y’all, giving more lore and one way or another inspiring each other to create beautiful stories that resonate within ourselves and our communities.

If you’ve made it this far, I want you to know that your support has not only impacted me, it has also impacted and supported the work of other amazingly talented Queer creatives that share their stories in order to nurture a much more compassionate world. We’re actively co-creating networks to elevate and empower each other. So thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I am beyond grateful of being able to witness y’all these past few years and I look forward to continuing sharing myself with y’all, share the things about my messy chaotic human experience that I learn along the way and support y’all in anyway I can. Truly. As I gear up to traveling next year with ROAK (rise of a king) and produce other projects, my goal is to elevate and celebrate local communities and performers everywhere I go. Your support here directly impacts that, and I will always be grateful. So when I begin announcing which cities and venues I’ll be traveling to, please feel free to message me and let me know how I can/we can impact and support your local communities and friends! I love raising funds for our loved ones in creative ways <3

We’re in this together and the care y’all have shown to each other as well as the rest of the cast and myself has always been the best out of all of this. I am endlessly proud of the legacy y’all have built with this :’)

con amor,

vico

Apologies for my chicken writing scribbles hehe. They are just little notes I make for myself for things to reference to/remind myself of when I’m playing in the scene.

Also, I created Spanish nicknames for most of the crew and at any moment I could I would call “Izzy” “Señor Manitas” which is the translation for Mister Hands but “little” hands cuzzzz it’s endearing hehe.

I wrote that first draft over the summer of 2024 and got some lovely notes from a dear friend. Then, between back to back traveling schedules, conventions, theater gigs, personal life chaos and finishing “Rise of a King”, I ummm… got distracted hehe.

I re-read it again at the beginning of the year (post LA fires), addressed the notes my friend gave me, changed the title to “lover_boi_69” and shifted the story to reflect my current location, Puerto Rico. I sent the new draft to my agents so they could connect me with production companies that could be interested in supporting my film financially but was met with “big production companies aren’t taking meetings for short films anymore”. I was bummed, of course, but that wasn’t gonna deter me. My manager called me afterwards and said “Vico, I’ve never read an erotic comedy before… do it! Forget the big productions companies, do it with your people”.

Over spring in between ROAK rehearsals I found out that I was gonna be moderating the panels and hosting some of the events for the Vancouver Queer Film Festival and that reminded me that most of my best friendships and collaborative relationships have started during festivals. So, part of my preparation for Vancouver as Host has also included preparing myself as Filmmaker/Producer. I created a pitch deck for the short and reached out to folks to join my “little” team, that way while I’m in Vancouver promoting, celebrating and elevating the work of other filmmakers, if I vibe with someone that has a production company that asks “what are you working on?” I have something to show them ^_^

Here’s a little snippet of the pitch deck:

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In my notes around the script I added little things that I could use as alternatives in the scene that also reference previous scenes.

When Jim and Olu have their first conversation after Blackbeard’s crew was rescued, the one where Jim says “I saw her boobs” lol, Jim also refers to Zheng as Pirate Queen and makes commentary on Olu’s obvious crush on her.

We did film this scene! It didn’t make the final cut but we improvised a lotttt and it felt great cuz it really showcased how much care exists between these two characters. We even improvised talking about how Stede smells like lavender hehe.

In a different post I’ll write a sweet little extended fan fic of this scene… some with things we said… some with things I wish we had hehe :’) <3

While this scene didn’t make it into the re-writes of the episode, I love it cuz it shows me the ways the writers were thinking about these characters growing and interacting with each other. And of course, even if the lines aren’t there, the energy can be ;)

The intention here is Jim and Archie wanting to support Olu in getting back together with Zheng, which ends up happening just with Jim. But in the episode you do see Jim and Archie conspiring at the bar while Olu is chatting with The Swede, so in my head we’re thinking about ways to get those two back together, one of the options, could’ve been this one:

It’s very silly, and I love how Archie brings out the unhinged side of Jim… although, Jim has always been kind of impulsive. I keep thinking of when they dump the glass at Spanish Jackie’s in Season 1 to go find their knife in Alfeo’s mummified body hehe orrrr when they kidnap Lucius.

I also love it cuz Jim does seem to have a knack for voices and imitation… the priest in season 1, the wooden boy voice and the possessed monkey paw? I played with that information a lot during improvs hehe… even tried imitating Izzy’s voice during Calypso’s bday!

Enjoyyyy!!

More than likely I’ll probably be asked to do one more session for any pick-ups on audio or anything that might have changed during the final touche…

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For those of you who know me from “Our Flag Means Death” the name Zayre might be familiar, as they are one of the very talented non-binary latine writers who crafted the story of Jim <3

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Like I mentioned in the last post, you never know who you’ll meet that will create a snowball effect in your life, and you also don’t know who you’ll meet that you’ll have a snowball effect in their life.

Yvonne Zima is one of those people for me… I think perhaps this back story of me and Yvonne should be for a different post. But I mention her because she’s one of the producers of “Bembé” and I ran into her in LA back in February of this year during a Public Assembly show (y’all have heard me talk about this theater company quite a bit cuz it really has changed my life and career… more on this for that back story post). When I ran into her she mentioned that her and Zayre were working together on a short and they were talking about me for one of the characters. Yay! So, fast forward a few months and now I’m getting ready to bring this lil “Spindly” weirdo to life.

The short is based on some of the stories Zayre’s father has told them from the salsa scene in NYC back in the 80s. Very cool to be a trans masculine human in the 80s (and happy that my mullet gets to shine at least once during a project!).

Since this short had a slightly bigger budget than “Tiny Things”, I had a costume fitting session prior to filming, whereas for “Tiny Things” I showed up the day of filming with costuming options. Also, “Bembé” is part of a handful of selected films that are part of the Inevitable Foundation. For those of you who are writers, I highly recommend checking them out). Their advocacy work and the way they handled everything prior the shoot was truly refreshing. I got a whole questionnaire asking for the type of care I needed during a shoot and that is something I have never seen. As someone who is in the process of learning how to produce things (outside of the established industry constructs), seeing something as simple and intentional as asking folks you are working with the type of care they need in order to have a sustainable work place is truly refreshing and hopeful.

Needless to say, working on this short for a few days in this GORGEOUS home, was an amazing experience. I felt incredibly taken care of and am very excited to see how it all comes together.

Also… isn’t Alex Sherman an absolute precious baby angel?! I miss him and Alyssa :’)

I’ll be making a post on OFMD Grief in a few days, and then I’ll be sharing some scripted scenes that didn’t make it (as part of my Thursday BTS) that might inspire some personal fanfic hahaha… and I do wanna share the background of me and Yvonne Zima… cuz I have a feeling that if her and I hadn’t met back in 2018-2019… perhaps I wouldn’t have been Jim Jimenez.

When I started filming OFMD S2 I got to meet two wonderful kids and the youngest one looked at me in a very particular and familiar way…

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I love it when I see and collaborate with folks I met right when I first moved to Los Angeles. I have a solid handful of people I have met back when I was 17yrs old who have seen me (and I’ve seen them) grow into the artists, activists and humans we are today.

You never know who you are gonna meet that will create a trickle down snowball effect that will greatly impact, expand and enrich everyones opportunities.

I met Chris when I was 17yrs old and was still very much in the closet. We’ve seen each other in various film festivals once I finished college and now over a decade later, we’re working together. I’ve met Lauren in various festivals and now we get to act alongside each other. Our DP that day, Nacia Shreiner, I’ve met in two short films in the last 2yrs “Lesbophilia” and “Queen of Space”. Collaborating within community is the way to go. No matter how on fire everything else is, when we collaborate and co-create with our communities, we witness and empower each other to continue nurturing and sharing our stories.

The industry is going through a major shift, and doing things with and for our community is what is bringing me an outpour of joy.

Con mucho amor,

Vico

xoxo

It was really funny to be there as a judge for a horror themed episode cuzzzzz I am a squeamish lil cutie. But hey! It makes for some great facial expresions. Also, Liv Hewson, Sasha Valore, Landon Cider, Tenderoni, Murray Hill… like y’all… I couldn’t contain myself!!

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the episodes!

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REVRY

July 13th at 9pm EST

July 21st at 3pm EST

July 27th at 9pm EST

Next week I’ll share several takes on one of the very last scenes of the show. And to my understanding… the last few images/videos I have on my phone thus far. If I find something new I’ll definitely share… but this might be it for OFMD! Bitter sweet for sure :’)

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I shall remain sharing BTS from other film projects of course, but letting y’all know that OFMD on my phone is nearing its end.

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