Rico Martinez was a drug mule until he was 10 years old while living in Mexico City.
After deciding that wasn’t the life he wanted to live, Martinez came across people breakdancing in the streets. He fell in love with the style of dance and went on to become a world-class B-boy.
Today, Martinez owns Pound It Hip Hop Studio in Red Deer. His life story will be the focus of a new film project called Ricardito, which will be produced by Hot Shoe Studios Productions.
“It’s a really well-thought out script. They’ve had it (written) for a few years — Rico and his wife have taken it upon themselves to write up this script,” said David Dinan, Hot Shoe Studios owner.
The studio is filming a “proof of concept” teaser, which will be used as a showcase to producers in the hopes of turning the script into a feature-length film.
“It’s a damn good script. I asked him how he came up with the idea and he said, ‘Truth be told, it’s my life story,'” Dinan said.
“Most of the film is based in Mexico and Mexico City, but with the magic of production we’re going to film it here in Red Deer and pretend it’s there. We will have to go down and film a few pieces, such as when you’re trying to show off the city and where you are in the world.”
Parts of the teaser will be filmed on Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Red Deer Resort and Casino. One shot will be filmed in the hotel’s main lobby at 7:30 p.m. and will require plenty of extras.
“We’re hoping to see anybody come out as extras, from hip-hop dancers to Red Deer Polytechnic students,” said Dinan.
Dinan said he hopes this project will highlight Red Deer as a location for film-making.
“We wanted to show people that we can make these types of films right here in Red Deer,” said Dinan.
“All you need is the right people and the right script. Anything is possible. … Ninety-nine per cent of this (project) is local creators and creatives. Other than one gentleman who’s flying in from Vancouver, they’re all from here.”
Anyone with questions about the production is encouraged to contact Dinan by email at [email protected].
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