The Cinematographers

 

Mariel C. Marrero García PhD. Cand.  

Researcher - Producer

 

Co-founder of Producciones Zaranda. As a university professor she offered courses of Humanities, History of Puerto Rico and Popular and Alternative Religion in the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, the Universidad del Este and the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. Her expertise as researcher -particularly in Popular and Alternative Religion- allows her to begin her journey as a filmmaker, researcher and editing adviser for the documentary Creencias: 100x35 Mysticism in Puerto Rico.  She accepted the challenge to produce the weekly program Mensaje de amor  where she hosted the segment Te cuento –documentary pieces of humanistic interest, local and world historic themes, phenomenology of religion, among others themes. Has been researcher, producer and screenwriter for Producciones Zaranda’s documentaries: Juan Mari Brás: Un puertorriqueño (in)documentado; El reto del Código Da Vinci; Dialogando sobre independentismos:; Entre votos, consignas y trincheras Part I (series of 7 documentaries) and Part II La nueva lucha (series of 10 documentaries); Edwin Reyes: soldado de la belleza; Válvula de escape –Stories of the Puerto Rican Diaspora (series of 10 documentaries) and Cinema Puerto Rico: una antropología visual.  Collaborator in projects of Isla Films, Okume Alveo Films and independent producer as Frances Negrón Muntaner, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña -was one of the researchers for the documentaries Francisco Oller and El Convento de los Dominicos o La Sede del Museo Nacional-,  among others. Her academic skills allows for the creative scriptwriting, creating the textual editing, which is the first step in putting documentary stories together.

 

 

Freddie Rodríguez   

Editor / Director

 

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Co-founder of Producciones Zaranda. Since 1972 he has been active in the film making world and have worn many hats in his career in the film making industry. While studying electronic engineering he worked at Camera Mart, a major New York City motion picture equipment rental company, where he maintained and calibrated all type of cinema making tools like cameras, lenses and editing equipment. His early field work began setting the cable that would be used for the lighting of the movie The Wiz  -with Diana Ross and Michel Jackson-. His experience in electronic engineering allowed him to design post-production suites and move him to the creative side as an editor since 1980. He worked in WNET channel 13 of NY, where he was part of an impressive team of editors and filmmakers that, among their achievements, reached four EMMY awards. He had his own business of post-production in New York known as PRE-POST. In those facilities he edited series like Sesame Street and Great Performance  of PBS -with stars like Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli y Chita Rivera, among others-, musical videos –for Queen Latifah, Malcon-Jamal Warner and Naughty by Nature, documentaries –like Nature and the series Innovation  and programs for The Food Network-, among others. In Puerto Rico, as a freelancer, has edited hundreds of commercials, documentaries and movies - as Kamaleón, Una Historia Común and El último caso del Detective Prado. He also has a noticeable work as a technical director in multitude of shows and programs like the Christmas special of Popular Bank of Puerto Rico. He has been a consultant of post-production in local movies as Desamores and Talento de Barrio.  His vision and his application to the world of the technology allowed him to assemble the digital exhibition for the movie El Cimarrón,  with high definition servers and projector systems. He has formed part of the boards of NALIP Puerto Rico the Asociación de Productores Cinematográficos y Audiovisuales de Puerto Rico (APCA) and has represented the Asociación de Documentalistas de Puerto Rico (ADOCPR) in a commission which is discussing changes to the film Laws.

 

Speaking engagements or special exhibitions:

If you are interested in having one of our filmmakers speak at your school, library or event, please contact us at:

Email: info@zaranda.com

Phone: 787-466-0313 / 787-565-3408