Meet Scarlet
Posted by belleenargent.com Admin on
From femmebot roles to directorial initiatives to completing her first EP, Scarlet Moreno, likes to flex her creative muscles. Belle en Argent muse “Sarletinni” - as she is known on social media and to her friends - is currently working on new scripts and and projects that concurrently explore dark comedy genre and complex women characters (think Thelma and Louise, and Beatrix Kiddo). When she’s not busy slaying indie film world, Scarlet is exploring her fierce rock ‘n roll side under the band name “Laredo.”
“I make films that center around complex female characters. I hope to continue to do so throughout my career.”
We caught up with Scarlet to discuss current projects, sources of inspiration, and her take on industry trends and opportunities for progress. Her current projects and her views highlight a perspective around celebrating the ground gained by women, as well as the work that is accomplished by being a persistent, relentless presence in an industry that has been so traditionally dominated by the opposite sex. Scarlet is setting the world on fire with her bold glam desert rock style, and we can’t wait to see what she’s going to share next.
We played Two Truths and a Lie with Scarlet! .....You probably know the rules, but here is a quick refresher--Below, Scarlet gave us two true fun facts, as well as one that's made up. See if you can guess which one is the lie! View the answer at the bottom of her interview.
I once told Robert Rodriguez to "STFU"
I'm a black belt in Taekwando.
As a kid I had a pet pot belly pig named Petunia.
Nickname Scarletinni
Connect with Scarlet @scarletinni
List your favorite social media handles to follow
@blacmagic_woman
@chaineley
@soleedarrelljewelry
@marygenemua
@katearizmendi
Home Town Laredo, TX
Occupation Filmmaker, Wardrobe Stylist
“I admire all of the women breaking the glass ceilings in every field, fighting to be seen and heard, killing it in every way.”
When did you know this is what you wanted to do?
I've wanted to make movies since I can remember. I always wanted to act. It wasn't until I tried directing for the first time that I fell head over heels in love with it. I made a short film called "Viv 1.0 or They Must Have Forgotten" with my three best girlfriends. I played Viv, a femmebot who was built to be the perfect woman but then abandoned in a strange place for being defective. We made the film in three days with a crew of four girls. Since then I have been acting, writing, and directing original work that I feel excited about and quite proud of.
What projects are you working on now?
I'm currently working on the script for a feature film called Little Lucha and The Big Deal. It's a concept my friend and fellow director Josh Stifter and I came up with where we would play semi-pro wrestlers opposite each other. Very dark comedy. I also just finished writing a short that I'm hoping to bring to life this Fall. Also a dark comedy. This is definitely a theme that weaves its way throughout my work. I'm also in pre-production for a music video I'm making with my extremely talented friend and artist Ariana & The Rose.
What is your dream project? Or dream collaboration?
My dream project would be a feature film in which I could play a female rock n roll icon. I would love to play someone like Stevie Nicks or Debbie Harry. Rock n Roll (especially classic rock n roll) has played a huge part in my development as an artist in all aspects. To be able to bring that to the screen in this way would be a huge dream come true.
List three (3) accomplishments you are most proud of
1) This year, I made my first feature film, a 70s psychological thriller called Phaedra, in 14 days with a budget of $7,000.
2) This year, I worked under the guidance of one of my indie film heroes, Robert Rodriguez.
3) I recently completed my first solo EP, Thelma, and am in the process of releasing it under my band name, Laredo.
Who is your favorite character from a movie?
This is a very difficult question as there are so many I love. Right now what comes to mind that I would have to say a few of my favorites are Thelma & Louise, Alabama Worley (of True Romance), Beatrix Kiddo or The Bride (of Kill Bill), and probably Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield of Pulp Fiction (that dialogue/chemistry is unreal.)
Who is your favorite filmmaker/writer/director/producer/editor, etc?
Quentin Tarantino
Who do you admire and why?
I admire all of the women breaking the glass ceilings in every field, fighting to be seen and heard, killing it in every way. I admire every person of color navigating and claiming spaces that have not always been welcoming, easy, or available to them, owning the space and the power that they have always deserved. I admire anyone pursuing their dreams and deepest passions, as difficult or outlandish as it may seem.
What do you feel is the biggest hurdle for women and POC in the film industry?
The biggest hurdle for women and POC in the film industry is that it is a world which has unfortunately only just begun to accept them and their stories in recent history. We are just beginning to break the mold, just beginning to see the change. It's an amazing and exciting time, but the fact is that we still have so much work to do and so many stories to tell. The film industry is still seeped in its own past, accustomed to a male dominated and a white dominated landscape. It is definitely beginning to shift, but those women and POC that are creating the shift bear the heavy burden of doing so. They deserve to be celebrated, and are beginning to be, but they are still faced with incredible push-back. I am excited to see more change and even more of a shift toward an easier time for women and POC in the industry to have their voices heard loud and clear.
Did you know in 2016 women made up only 7% of all directors working on the 250 top grossing films?
I did know this. It makes me feel excited to be a part of the change, even in the smallest way, by merely existing as a female director, that is necessary to even the playing field so that women in the future don't have to feel that incredible discrepancy.
“To my younger self I wish I could say, "Yes, you are weird, and that is where your strength lies.”
Do you know women who aspire to be film directors?
I do. I was fortunate to be on the show Rebel Without a Crew: The Series, airing on El Rey Network this Fall, in which Robert Rodriguez picked five filmmakers to make their first feature in the way he made his first feature, El Mariachi, with a budget of $7k in only two weeks. Three of the five of us directors were women. My fellow female filmmakers, Bola Ogun and Bonnie Kathleen Ryan, each made genre feature films, one sci-fi and one horror. Not only are they helping to break the barriers for women in film in general, but in genre film, where women are even less likely to have a major voice.
What is one thing you wish you could tell your younger self? What is one wish you have for your future self?
To my younger self I wish I could say, "Yes, you are weird, and that is where your strength lies. That is where your power is. Keep doing what you're doing. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but you're right in that it is special. One day you'll know for sure that it is."
To my future self I wish steady success. I wish constant work. I wish projects that come to fruition and that make her proud.
What's your favorite makeup item?
Lady Danger red lipstick by MAC
We asked Scarlet a bit more about her career...
I make films that center around complex female characters. I hope to continue to do so throughout my career. My most recent film and first feature, Phaedra, centers around a female lead that is not always lovable. In fact, she is sometimes hate-able, but manages to remain the film's hero. I feel that we have often been given this hero in the male form, in films like Taxi Driver & Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but we have not often seen this character in her female form. This is why making Phaedra was so important to me: because women are humans, capable of the duality of near-simultaneous good and evil that all humans are capable of, and we need to see that on screen more often.
What was the lie?
I'm a black belt in Taekwando. (lie. I got to red & black which is the belt right before black and quit like an idiot because I was 12.)
If you guessed "I once told Robert Rodriguez to "shut the fuck up." Here's the full story! (Robert had just informed Scarlet and her fellow Rebel Without a Crew filmmakers that their films would be screening at SXSW 2018 and she screamed this in excitement.)
- Tags: BEAUTY, Character Study, Film/Art, Life, Music
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