The following is an interview with actor and producer (and soon-to-be director!) Fernanda Espíndola (Cold Nine, Love, Diary of a Catholic School Dropout) regarding her work with the online series Bloomers and the show’s currently running Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the production costs of Season 3. In this interview, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor Barbra Dillon chats with Espíndola about what she is most looking forward to about the upcoming season, the challenges (and rewards!) of being in front of and behind the camera, and why you should support the crowdfunding campaign for Season 3!
Barbra J. Dillon, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor: Fernanda, first and foremost, congratulations on the success of Bloomers! Having already released two seasons of the online series, what are you most looking forward to about Season 3?
Fernanda Espíndola: Thank you! Our goal for each season is to make it bigger and better than the one before, so I’m really looking forward to what our lead characters will experience next. I know it will be taking them all out of their comfort zones.
BD: Bloomers has placed you in front of the camera as Francesca and behind the scenes as an Executive Producer and Producer. Do you find that one aspect of the creative process is more challenging than the other? More rewarding?
FE: Oh boy. That’s a big question! I got into producing to create for myself (and Matt) the opportunities I was missing as an actress and found out that I have quite the knack for it. Both acting and producing have their own set of obstacles, but what I found most challenging was to wear both hats at the same time on set, especially when we were just beginning with Season 1. Focusing on my scene while also thinking about “what’s next” on set. Thankfully, we built a stronger production team for Season 2, which made it so much easier to just be an actor when it was time to jump into Francesca’s life!
BD: Are you able to share any details about what Season 3 may hold for Francesca?
FE: Francesca, as well as her friends, will be dealing with the events that closed Season 2. She will take a long and unexpected ride this upcoming season, and I think it will be heartbreaking, and, hopefully, funny, to watch. Hopefully, I can live up to Matt’s writing.
BD: How would you describe your experiences working with the cast and crew of the series?
FE: I wanted to mention this in my first answer above, but then I saw this question, so here we go: one of the most rewarding parts of producing Bloomers has been bringing in incredibly talented friends to play these great characters with Matt and I. And, the crew that came together to help us has been nothing but fantastic. It’s a great feeling – knowing that your cast and your crew are as passionate about your project as you are. They bring so much excitement and such great ideas to the table that it really makes our jobs easier. As hard as we work, we have so much fun on set with our Bloomers family.
BD: Bloomers is currently running a crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo to raise the necessary funds to produce Season 3. Why do you feel that readers should support the campaign?
FE: Why? Because we’re amazing, that’s why! Hehe. No. I know I’m biased, but what has impressed me the most about Bloomers is how widely it has spread around the world. We honestly weren’t expecting that when we first got started. Our fans reach out to us frequently to let us know how much they identify with the characters and how much they look forward to watching more episodes. We have such varied storylines – some which are not easily found on television – and I think that’s why we need to be making more of the show.
BD: Are there any additional projects on which you are working that you are able to share with our readers?
FE: I’m actually making my directorial debut in a week! It’s something very small, a personal project for a friend, but I’m excited to experience storytelling from yet another angle.
