Why Make Your Own Biopic?

Recently I saw some photos I have never seen before. They were all black and white and pretty grainy. The photo was a huge pair of horses pulling an old but massive cart full of oak barrels. These barrels were filled with beer. The photo was in Edinburgh.

At the front of the cart was the driver, my great grandad. The small child stood behind him dressed in shorts and a sleeveless jumper was my grandad, John.

The photo stopped me for more than a moment as I stared into it. I wanted more yet there is only so much a photo can tell you. Sadly my father who is now 85-years of age knew very little about his own grandfather and only met his own father at the age of 19-years. I asked questions and got no answers. Photos are one-dimensional. I split second of time captured in a frame. It really doesn’t share the reality of anything. Even the most unhappy can wear a smile in a photograph.

My favourite coffee shop is in Altrincham where we live. There are a ton of coffee shops around here and I like to try them all. Now and then a new one opens so I go and try it. I did just that on Sunday and as always the coffee was just - the same as everyone else.

So back to California Coffee on Oxford road.

After listening to Justin I knew he had an interesting story in there somewhere. We spoke about creating a small high-impact biopic. 

A date was arranged. My team and I went over and captured his story on film in his shop during working hours. Actually, we collected around 5-hours of the film with some of the most interesting details I could have imagined.

Justin the coffee shop owner is a Mexican from LA and has lived a pretty travelled life. His history made extremely interesting listening. From illegal Mexican immigrants to his faith, to his loss of a child then to his suicide attempt and then a moment that transformed his life. Then of course his dream of opening his own coffee shop with zero cash. Of course, there is his wife Diane whom he met in a corridor in Vegas and married her just weeks later in the small vegas chapel.

Now …

His story has been created into a biopic. It is a small legacy he has laid down for the future. His kids can watch it and anyone else can watch it now or in the future.

The secondary part, of course, is this. Despite already having a very successful business this film has made his clients fall back in love with him and his coffee shop all over again.

When we arrived I wanted to create something very powerful. My experience as a marketing man, copywriter and businessman has taught me that to be a memorable success an angle has to be found otherwise its just another story.

I eventually arrived at the angle of THE MEXICAN.

From then onward, everything has to fit.

• The titles

• The music

• The whole story

And what we ended up with is a small, but extremely powerful legacy biopic that we are proud of and of course Justin from California Coffee in Altrincham just loved.

A biopic can be

Your story on film

It is your legacy message to leave behind

It is the part of your stay you really want to tell

It is a slick movie like-film that can be as long or as short as you need or want it to be.

I wish I could take those old grainy black and white photos of my great grandad and really tell the story. Sadly that time has passed.

If you’d like to talk over your own biopic fort your personal legacy or your business get in touch and let’s talk.

Watch THE MEXICAN here.