Students got opportunity to be involved in movie shot on campus.
By Sasha D. Robinson
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The “Margarita Man” is a fun-filled, romantic, college comedy by director Daniel Ramos.
Ramos’s brother Miguel, who inspired the film, had a company called Margarita Express that specialized in parties. Daniel spent 10 years developing the film.
“If I can get one laugh in that auditorium or that theater, then I am a happy camper,” Ramos said about his directorial debut.
Ramos, a radio-TV-broadcasting major at this college in 1988, interned with Dick Clark Productions and his career took off from there.
He worked with Academy Award-winning director John G. Avidsen on the film “8 Seconds” as an assistant to the director and in the role of a bartender; “Selena” as the second, second assistant to the director; “The Big Green” as key production assistant; and “The Newton Boys” as a location scout.
“The Margarita Man” is about a young man named Miguel, who does not want to be like his working class father.
He goes to college where his love for partying gets him cut off financially and forces him to sell margaritas to stay in school.
Actor Anthony Guajardo is cast as Miguel.
Guajardo had a featured role in the film “Shark Boy and Lava Girl” and played the character Miguel in the hit TV show “The Walking Dead” episode “Vatos.”
Ramos said the movie is about Mexican-Americans and shows that Latinos do not have to play the stereotypes in movies like having an accent, being the maid, driving low riders, having knife fights and being a gangbanger.
Producer David Reyes approached the college president, Dr. Robert Vela, about having students and the college campus showcased in the film.
“This is a way to get the students to participate and witness the production and it is a college-related movie,” Vela said Feb. 22 as the movie was being filmed.
Leading actress Renessa Sanders who plays Tiffany was asked to be a part of the movie when she met with her talent agent.
Ramos’s production company, Drop Zone Entertainment, shared the same office.
“My talent agent was running late and was I was able to chat with them for forever and ever,” Sanders said.
Sanders gave a good impression when she talked to the staff and was asked to audition for the part.
“They asked me to do some projects and they liked me so I was able to audition for, ‘The Margarita,’” she said.
Other actors in the film include Pepe Serna, who played Angel in “Scarface”; San Antonio’s Jesse Borrego of the 80’s TV show “Fame” and “Blood in Blood Out”; Sebastian De La Cruz, who sang the national anthem for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 Championship series against the Miami Heat; and executive producer John G. Avildsen, the director of “Rocky,” the three “Karate Kid” movies and “Lean on Me.”
“We have top professional celebrities donating or lending their time to get these talents to come in with a lower rate, and I am very blessed to have others jump on this cool little college film I am trying to do,” Ramos said.
The movie was shot around campus, using Tobin Lofts for a dorm scene, Candler Physical Education Center for a scene at the pool and Fletcher Administration Center for a scene with Miguel and a college dean.
For more information about the movie, visit www.margaritamanmovie.com or visit Facebook.com/margaritamanmovie.