DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT A SAN ANTONIO FAVORITE

Ocotillo Films’ goal is to connect our viewers to our story’s characters. We work hard and are intentional about the people we film, questions we ask, and stories we try to tell.

When the H. E. Butt Foundation approached us with Mike Brown’s story, we were instantly hooked.

Mike owns his own restaurant, Tank’s Pizza, on the East Side of San Antonio. “I’m the only black pizza owner in the city of San Antonio,” Mike tells us. Because of the color of his skin, people often ask him why he didn’t start a barbecue restaurant or a soul food spot, but Mike shrugs, “I started Tank’s because I was good at it.”

And he’s right.

While we were on set, our crew had a chance to taste Mike’s famous pizza – it was unbelievable.

As filmmakers, it’s important to stay true to the subject’s personal story. Our goal was to tell Mike’s story in an honest and thought-provoking manner. For Ocotillo Films, this will always be our first priority.

During pre-production, we planned on making Mike’s story feel as honest and organic as possible. One of the decisions we made was to shoot the entire video hand-held – even during the interview. Our hope was to give the viewer a sense of connection and authenticity.

The interview was used in multiple ways. Our client, the H. E. Butt Foundation, was able to take snippets and create an interactive story for their online publication of ECHOES, and they were able to use the shorter clips in a larger push on social media.

Our goal isn’t just to leave our clients with a video – we want them to have a collection of content they can use to consistently point back to their story, and ultimately create a larger reach through platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

The afternoon we spent at Tank’s was special – the most fulfilling part of our job is when we connect with someone from behind the camera.

We hope you enjoy Mike’s story and find sometime to enjoy his restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. If you’d like to read the feature story from Dacrie Brooks and the H. E. Butt Foundation, you can find it here.