Floppies Film Spotlight
Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film Floppies directed by John Cappello.
What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?
Our film is titled “Floppies.” The title is in reference to an old-fashioned slang term for single issue comic books that people could buy from newsstands, they would be called floppies. I felt it was appropriate to title the movie based on a comic industry term because the movie is about making a comic. I also considered calling the film “Retcon,” but I thought that term would be maybe too on the nose or too commonly used to allow my movie to stand out on its own.
Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.
Floppies is a 17-minute family drama film that portrays an intimate glimpse into the complicated relationship between an artist son and his dementia-addled father as they attempt to communicate by collaborating on a one page comic. As they bring this comic to life, they recall flashbacks to key moments in each of their lives.
This film is inspired by the real relationship that I had with my father Paul Cappello, who lived with frontotemporal dementia for several years before his death in 2017 at age 59. This is something we actually did together. Secrets out. Mystery solved. There have been so many stories about death and grieving, but I felt that not many depict the Long Grieving – anticipation, dread, stiltedness, anxiety, confusion, regret – like what I had experienced for years anticipating my father’s inevitable death. I wanted to depict the prolonged battle against apathy that can occur when a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, as well as the struggles to experience joy in the minutia of life that can come with that. My approach was to depict little moments of happiness in a big way, and to portray those living with dementia with humanity and jubilation.
I began developing Floppies in spring 2021 while still very much chewing over my own grief, I desired to look back on a very cherished memory of my time with my father. What started as a form of personal journaling quickly developed into a screenplay. I had been working as a professional filmmaker in post-production on corporate projects, series, and shows for several years by then, and I was desiring a return to personal independent filmmaking. So I decided to turn my script for Floppies into my next project.
The past several years have obviously been difficult for everyone. During the pandemic, we’ve seen some of the worst of humanity and the systems we have in place that are supposed to protect us. So I wanted to tell my own version of “feel-good” story. It was therapeutic for me in a way, and maybe others will think the same of Floppies.
Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?
Yasujirō Ozu. He is one of my favorite filmmakers.
What is the goal of the film for you?
My hope with Floppies, as an artist, is to encourage other filmmakers to make personal films on shoestring budgets, and show that a strong, impactful story can reach people. That’s a big goal though. Right now my hope is that the film gets seen by as many people as possible, that people are moved by the story, and that I get to meet new and future collaborators or potential investors for my next project, and it’d be pretty cool if the film finds distribution.
What has the journey been like getting the film into production?
Getting the film into production had some ups and downs. The single most difficult part was managing locations. Because this was low budget and shot with a small crew and small cast, I think we had anywhere between 5-10 people on set at a given time, I wore many hats as well. On top of being writer/director, I also Executive Produced, did set design, managed props, acted as locations manager, and eventually edited and created animations for the film. It was all a lot of fun though!
One thing you learned from this project?
That no matter how much planning you do in pre-production, last minute issues can arise during production that can throw that planning out the door. But remain vigilant and always be professional.
How can folks find you and your film online?
People can learn more about the film and find updates on www.floppiesfilm.com/
As well as find me on Instagram @johncappelloart and the film @floppiesfilm My portfolio site is here: www.johncappelloart.com/video
The film is not currently published online, as it’s making the festival rounds now.
Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?
Sometimes difficult hurdles yield the best results. And remember that every stage of the process provides a creative opportunity. Also get everything in writing.
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