Max Galante is an extremely active person in the Jesuit community, acting as president of the Comedy Club, vice president of Stage and Film, and a member of Hope Squad to name a few. However, what you may not know about Max is that he is also a filmmaker who writes, directs, and produces movies that have been featured in multiple film festivals. On Thursday, September 4th, I had the privilege of speaking to Max about his filmmaking career as well as his future projects.

A Love for Cinema

Beginning in 4th grade, Max began his writing career, a passion that goes hand-in-hand with filmmaking. Later on in middle school, he began exploring the world of video production with school projects until he eventually began working on movie making professionally. Growing up with films like The Shining and even Nacho Libre, Max remarked about how,

“I LIKE WATCHING them, so why not do them?”

-Max Galante

demonstrating an immense amount of dedication and love for the art of filmmaking. For instance, Cinema Paradisa, a movie about a boy who hopes to someday work as a projectionist in WWII in Italy, has been a personal favorite of his throughout the years.

Previous Work

In his three years of serious movie development, Max has mainly focused on the thriller and drama genres. His first film was Ossesione, a psychological thriller about a man faced with the reality of a gruesome crime which was featured in the Dallas International Film Festival for short films. Next came Walkin’ the Bridge, a gangster film shot in black and white as a love letter to Max’s soft spot for movies of the genre. After that came Highbinder, a dystopian film set in the world of a totalitarian regime. Although Max was somewhat disappointed with Highbinder, as it was rushed, he hopes to move forward and do better.

The Movie Making Process

For Max, the movie making process is incredibly fluid and dynamic, with him working on multiple projects at the same time. By exposing himself to different ideas through avenues like reading literature and even simply conversing with others, Max constantly finds himself thinking of how he can incorporate an idea that sticks out to him in something that he is working on. After finishing a satisfying script, Max sends it to an experienced individual, usually Mr. Patterson, for opinions on how or even if producing the film would be possible. Next, Max will look for actors to cast. When dealing with a larger number of roles, he can get the help of Mr. Patterson to cast for his film alongside the casting of the Jesuit Theatre productions. For smaller projects, Max prefers to simply hand pick the actors he believes would best suit the roles.

Even after shooting begins, Max will continue to tweak the story, having to work within the time constraints of when people are available. For Max, one of the most difficult parts about making a production is finding a time where everyone can meet, as he sometimes has to make major changes or even cut scenes entirely due to scheduling conflicts. After putting all the shots together, editing, and adding in music and other finishing touches, Max works  with Mr. Patterson to set up a premier.

The Black Cat

With his latest film well underway in pre-production, Max wanted to ask himself,

“Am i good just because i have the equipment?”

a major question Max hopes his next film, The Black Cat, will answer. As for why The Black Cat, Max has enjoyed the work of Edgar Allen Poe for years as he is an enjoyer of media that bends your perception of reality. After finishing a draft for a script and sending it to people for feedback, including to the renowned Dr. Degen, Max received the feedback that it was good. This came as a relief as the idea of adapting an incredibly well-respected piece of poetry like The Black Cat brings with it the responsibility of having to do it justice.

The next step for the moving is casting. After that, Max hopes to wrap filming by the end of the year and have its premier late December or Early January of next year!

Conclusion

As the man making the films, Max sometimes struggles to truly appreciate them. However, Max puts one foot forward and works to better his skills for his next movie rather than giving up altogether. Only three years into his professional filmmaking career, Max has already been featured in festivals throughout the globe including a festival in Paris, the All-American High School Film Festival, and the Dallas International Film Festival for short films. Max’s passion for the art of movies coupled with his dedication to filmmaking and previous achievements with his work reflects the future of his filmmaking career as one that is full of excellence.

Stay up to date with Max’s filmmaking career by checking his socials:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxGalantePictures/videos

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mgalantefilms/

Some info was found on Max Galante’s IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16277235/?ref_=nmbio_ov_bk

Thanks to Max Galante for all of his help!

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