ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR – JORGE GUERRERO
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCT 25 ,2023
Hobbies like card collecting can be seen as an innocent or boring activity nobody knows exists. Fellow Rattler and San Antonio native, Joshua Collins recently released the short film, “Gem Mint” centered on a sleazy sports card collector who makes a crucial mistake. He blew his shot at earning $30 million and it backfired tremendously. Collins is a self-taught film director, screenwriter and producer who will draw the curtain on his 2nd short film production, “Gem Mint” this winter with help from The Sauce Productions.
Shot entirely in one day and in one room with no air conditioning, “Gem Mint” is a nine-minute short film. The f ilm follows Johnny, a collector who runs his own consignment business that relies on the percentage of sales he makes when people bring their cards in for him to sell. Young and successful with a collection of highly coveted items, Johnny lives with his head in the clouds and with no regard for he consequences of his actions. One day, he takes all his client’s money to purchase a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card in search of flipping this holy grail of trading cards for a higher price. When the card returns as a fake, it’s too late for Johnny to get the money back, and the walls close in on him quicker than he realizes, leaving him in the eye of a storm.
“Gem Mint” was a cultivation of favorite f filmmaking techniques. Collins tells The Rattler, “‘Gem Mint’ is a combination of unorthodox cinematography, Safdieesque storytelling, and a building anxiety that puts the viewer in a chokehold and refuses to let go.” Pulling from tones like “Uncut Gems,” “The Bear” and “Good Time,” Collins’ wonderfully shot short film leaves the audience on the edge of their seat with an infectious anxiety for the next worst-case scenario.
When asked what inspired him to take this direction with his second short film, Collins stated: “On one hand I can’t help but be influenced by Martin Scorsese and his work. Scorsese’s films focus on depictions of the profane, or more specifically, the behaviors of humans that we typically consider to run counter to the virtues and values taught by religion. Scorsese’s characters are flawed, sinful people, and I find it really interesting that he rarely focuses on the morally righteous or just.” He added, “On the other hand, I have a deep respect and admiration for the Safdie brothers and their films. The Safdie brothers have an understanding of suspense and stakes that, in my opinion, is currently second to none. They often employ first-time actors in their projects, and they end up with a much more authentic film as a result.”
In his second short film following his debut on the big screen, “Master Sommelier,” Collins explained what he enjoyed during the project’s creation and what he learned from the experience: “My favorite part about making ‘Gem Mint’ was being able to see firsthand that I was improving in my storytelling and filmmaking skills—that I am taking steps in the right direction.” Collins gained much experience from his past films, he mentioned, “Master Sommelier” was f ilmed with a crew of about six. “Gem Mint,” on the other hand, upgraded to almost thirty, including a production design team, multiple camera operators, and a small army of production assistants. We went from shooting on a Sony 4k camera in ‘Master Sommelier’ to RED and Blackmagic cameras for ‘Gem Mint,’ and the difference in quality is staggering.” Collins revealed to The Rattler how he almost underestimated how long this project would take to film, and how it could have gone wrong: “Because I felt that ‘Gem Mint’ could be filmed in 12 hours, I only rented our lenses and paid our sound technician for one day. As we slowly pushed into the 13th hour, I will admit that a quiet panic did start to sink in. I am so, so grateful that our sound technician decided to stay with us throughout the night and finish the shoot. He had every reason to leave after the 12th hour had passed, but we kept feeding him and giving him cigarettes, so he didn’t seem to mind as much.” The stress from the high stakes of having to wrap up in one day translates perfectly into Collins’ film and further adds to the growing suspense of the nine-minute production. Collins showcased his prior production at film festivals in the United Kingdom and Moldova, “Gem Mint,” will feature internationally at the Toronto International Film Festival and at Austin’s South by Southwest in March 2024. The film is available to watch online and viewers can see Joshua Colli