Thiago Ramos
He is the filmmaker of Na Câmara da Morte Dollar Baby film.
SKSM: Could you start with telling us a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?
Thiago Ramos: My name is Thiago Ramos, I’m an independent Brazilian Filmmaker, screenwriter, producer an editor. I’ve done several short films, commercials, series, animated anthologies. And I like to think I’m slowly getting where I always dreamed of.
SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a filmmaker?,
Thiago Ramos: I think about this a lot. When I look back, several moments of my life made me want to become a filmmaker. But, the most important one is the fact that my father used to bring new movies home everytime he came back from work, and he always made sure it was a Good amount of movies. I’ve watched all of them and it was always special. This made me think about the people who made them, and film by film I became obsessed with the art of making movies, which I love and live for it now.
SKSM: When did you make Na Câmara da Morte? Can you tell me a little about the production? How much did it cost? How long did it take to film it?
Thiago Ramos: We started the production of Na Câmara da Morte in 2018. It was developed for a film school class. I wrote the adptation from Stephen King’s tale, and we started in late 2018. It took two weekends to shoot the entire movie and a month for all the post-production. The entire budget for the movie was roughly four thousand reais, which is 660 dollars in this economy. It wasn’t even near of what we needed, but we made it work. Favours, Friends and sacrifices made this movie exist, and a bit o love too.
SKSM: How come you picked In the Deathroom to develop into a movie?
Thiago Ramos: I read the entire list for Stephen King’s Dollar Baby stories and then started to read all of them. In the Deathroom spoke to me. It was a fun and fearsome story. It caught my attention for the characters, the intense interactions and the setting, which would traslate very well to the screen.
SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?
Thiago Ramos: Everybody loves a good crime story. And In the Deathroom has al lof the elements of a good crime story. It has great dialogue, great characters, an intense mystery, an iconic notorious criminal. Who doesn’t want to see that?
SKSM: Can you tell us about your experience on this film? Was everything planned ahead or did some things change during filming?
Thiago Ramos: As a filmmaker, I can testify that a lot of things change on set, but it was all planned. When I direct, I like to keep the shot list doodled on my entire script. This helps me predict the rythm and feeling of it, before getting to the editing room. Many shots changed during set, to adapt better to our physical space and time. The entire cast and crew had a blast making this movie. Everybody loved the script, and loved their roles in it. We all wanted this movie to be great.
SKSM: You are the director and producer of the film. What were your greatest satisfactions and challenges in these roles?
Thiago Ramos: As a producer, the greatest challenge was to find a space which translated very well the feeling of the story. I couldn’t be a nice and clean room, nor a open-air space. It should be eerie, and dark, dirty. We should look at it and already be taken by despair. And we did, it was the garage of a friend of one of the producers.
As a director, the greatest challenge was time. We had a lot of great shots in store. And we wanted them all perfect. For me, the beauty of filmmaking is planning something and while doing it, you end up finding out something way greater. And we did, the actors were amazing, which helped to get all the shots done and perfect. Escobar lighting the cigarette is one of my favourite moments of the movie and it wasn’t planned.
My geatest satisfaction, as a director and as a producer, was when I got to set and everybody arrived at the same time. Ready to shoot. The cast was ready, the crew was absolutely prepared for what would come. On this moment, we knew we had a difficult weekend ahead. But we would make the best of it. Nobody said a work, but we all knew by looking at each other.
SKSM: Were there unexpected moments or difficulties during the making of the film that have become a new point of view?
Thiago Ramos: I think all of the unexpected moments made this movie better. One of the scenes where the light flicks, wasn’t planned to have it flickering. On the first take, the light changed but we couldn’t find out why since we were locked on a dark garage with three Kino Flos. Then, we discovered a unexpected guest, a tortoise. She walked by the C-stand and bumped on it. The light changed, I loved it. We all loved it.
She was part of the family by the end of the movie, and a gaffer.
SKSM: You made some changes from the original story. I personally loved it, but how do you think (or would you like) the audience to react?
Thiago Ramos: I would love if people loved it, or at least think it made sense. The changes were made to create a sense of urgency, a dispair. If people feel this dispair, It worked well and I would feel accomplished.
SKSM: Were any movie fragments cut out that you now miss?
Thiago Ramos: I am very happy to say that no. All of our ideas ans plans were made and worked pretty well.
SKSM: Can you share with us any significant moment or memories that happened on set?
Thiago Ramos: During the house set, where the ressitance plan to rescue Armando, one of the actores had an emmergency and couldn’t make it. Since we hadn’t shoot any of it, we could change actors, but who? My cousin was visiting and was very happy to be a part of it. We put him in character and it was it. For me it is a fun and cute easter egg, which I remember very fondly.
SKSM: What has been the most difficult experience during filming?
Thiago Ramos: During filming we had a lot of difficulties on sound. We filmed it during the rain season here, so al lof the sudden there was a storm breaking over our heads, and since we were recording on a garage, it wasn’t soundproof. On the begining we shot everything that didn’t actually need sound during the storms, but eventually we needed to wait everytime it started to rain. Luckly it all worked and we shot every single thing on the shotlist.
SKSM: Where was premiered?
Thiago Ramos: It premiered in Brasília, on a local filmfest. It was great.
SKSM: What reception did it have?
Thiago Ramos: I think nobody expects a Stephen King’s adaptation on a independent brazillian movie. It was a surprise and people loved it. They were very tense during the showing, so job done!
SKSM: What experience has Na Câmara da Morte left on you?
Thiago Ramos: This movie made me realize I could do it. We always doubt ourselves, but making this movie made me feel I was in the right place at the right time. And I still am.
SKSM: How do you like to describe yourself as a director?
Thiago Ramos: I like to think I’m attentive with movements and feelings. In every movie we must feel we’re going though something. Is it bad? – Is it good? – Is it making you feel unconfortable? – Is it making you feel home? – Is it making you feel in a place you never imagined? Movies are made for this. I like to think I’m careful with those feelings from the script to the premiere.
SKSM: How did you find out that King sold the movie rights to some of his stories for just $1? Was it just a wild guess or did you know it before you sent him the check?
Thiago Ramos: It was all very crazy, it sounds like a joke, right? I was in shock when I found out it was all real on the website. I read about it on the internet and started to research more. I watched many Dollar Baby movies and decided this is what I’m going to do next.
SKSM: Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, which are your favorite works and adaptations?
Thiago Ramos: Actually I am. I think Stephen King is one of greatests writers of all time. I abolutely love the way he writes. It has personality and brings every feeling to his words. I’m almost finishing Doctor Sleep, and I’m loving it. My favourite work of his is IT, Everything’s Eventual and On Writing. The Green Mile is one of the greatest adaptations of all time and The Mist needs attention too!
SKSM: Did you have any personal contact with King during the making of the movie? Has he seen it (and if so, what did he think about it)?
Thiago Ramos: Sadly no, but I would love to know his thoughts on the movie.
SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?
Thiago Ramos: I’m working on two feature films, one about a boy who finds out a very complicated and violent story that revolves around his parents, and the other is a surrealistish horror about narcissistic disorder. And, to add a little more to the mix, I’m working on a animated series about to kids who have to become ghost hunters to save their parents.
SKSM: What one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Thiago Ramos: People are always surprised to know I teach children about filmmaking. We have this project to form new filmmakers where I live. I’ve had around 490 students by now, from kids to adults.
SKSM: What is in the top 5 on your bucket list? (Everything is possible and nothing is too strange)
Thiago Ramos: Oof, That’s tough! Just five?
Going to Cannes or The Oscars, Living on a mountain for at least a week, Going back to my hometown, Doing a very deep sea exploration, Building a family that loves movies as much as I do.
SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?
Thiago Ramos: If you make movies and dream of making movies, never stop. It always seems far to get to where you want, but the journey teaches you a lot. I still ain’t on the place I want to get to, but I’ll never stop trying. It can seem impossible now, but Everything’s Eventual.
SKSM: Would you like to add anything else?
Thiago Ramos: I would like to thank for the opportunity to talk about Na Câmara da Morte, it was very unexpected and I’m glad we did this. And thanks to the Dollar Baby initiative, it really creates and develop new filmmakers and dreamers.
