Talking with My Tocayo About Her Funny New Pilot, Luz & Fer
Fernanda and I share the namesake, and that makes her my tocaya and I her tocayo – which can be a special bond sometimes in the Latino world – so maybe that’s why I’ve always been a big fan of Fernanda’s comedy.
She’s funny as hell, and is probably one of the most productive people I know. Have you seen how much work goes into her YouTube sketch show, the Fernanda Show? If not, I highly recommend you check it out.
I don’t know if it’s the strong work ethic born from immigrant guilt, or if she’s just naturally driven and holds herself accountable, Fernanda gets shit done.
And nothing proves her go-getter work ethic more than her new pilot, Luz y Fer. A pilot that she wrote over a series of weeks for her UCB pilot writing class. This is a pilot for our times, a pilot for our people, a pilot that asks the question: how will your familia react when you date the Devil…but turns out he’s a white dude?
Because this sounds like an awesome idea for a show, and because Fernanda has been a member of the Pachanga since Day 1, I’m proud to say that the Pachanga is putting up a reading of her pilot this Saturday, February 6th at 8pm PT on our Twitch Channel.
I wanted to take a deeper dive on Luz y Fer, so I caught up with Fernanda to talk about her new pilot.
Fernanda, how you doing! How’s your 2021 so far?
Hey Fernando! 2021 is going well. I’ve been trying to keep sane by doing crafts, cleaning the house, and when my brain guilt-trips me, I write.
So I’m excited for your pilot reading on Saturday! Could you tell us a little about Luz & Fer?
Yes! Luz is your typical latinx daughter. She is trying to work hard, make her family proud, and never break the rules. Then she meets a man, Fer. It turns out he is Satan. He really wants to live with her family. At first Luz freaks out because she thinks her family will be upset, but they love Fer! Oh, and they see him as a handsome white man.
The story is basically Luz trying to hide the fact that Satan is her new BFF.
What inspired you to write this pilot?
I have this memory of my grandma telling me that if you ever go to the discotheque, (latinx for “the club”) never to take any blond, white men home. She said a young lady did once, and the man she took home had goat feet and stole her soul. It was, of course, the devil. It really freaked me out as a child.
I also had the idea that latinx women have to be reserved, humble, and good daughters. I thought, “What if Satan were to come and mess with a latinx girl whose family is so strict?”
Was it easy or hard to write this pilot?
It was very hard. I think it could still be fixed and made better and better. The pandemic has really fried my brain though, so I am letting go of my perfectionistic tendencies. I’m putting this baby out there for everyone to stare at, and judge, and hopefully enjoy.
Writing a pilot is hard! It’s not easy? How did you pull this off?
I took a class to learn how to write and format pilots better. It was a UCB class with Zack Phillips. He was a supportive teacher but he also challenged us. In the class I got to play around with my ideas and characters. My favorite part is writing dialogue. I love the banter of a will-they-won’t-they relationship. A lot of anime I love are like this, so I wanted to try my hand at it.
What are your writing tips to aspiring pilot writers?
If you are like me and need someone breathing down your neck to finish projects, I recommend taking a class. Part of me hates me for showing this to the world, so I recommend also letting yourself fail and learn, and keep writing.
There are also very good books out there. I used Crafty TV Writing by Alex Epstein and Inside the Room: Writing Television with the Pros at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program by Linda Venis. Thank you LA County Library!
If you could have this pilot produced by any network or streaming service, which one would you like it on?
When I was a goth (yes, there are lots of alt and goth latinx out there), I used to looove Adult Swim. In my heart, if this show was made I would love for some teenage latinx girl to watch it and be like “Damn, they’re crazy. Just like my family.”
Finally, why should people tune into your pilot reading on Saturday?
If you love goths, are a Satanist, or are an anime fan, you will really enjoy this pilot.
But seriously, we have an amazing cast with some incredible actors, I am jealous of how talented they are. It would be neat if people came to watch a Latinx produced pilot. And if I managed to create a story that resonates with people or makes them chuckle, that would be great too.
The Latinx Comedy Pachanga is having a table read of Luz & Fer, a new pilot from Fernanda Perez on Saturday, February 6th at 8pm PT on The Latinx Comedy Pachanga Twitch Channel.
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