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A. A Still from Guillermo’s film, El Ciego B. On Guillermo’s desk, you’ll always find a game of chess on his phone C. His favorite digital tool, Radio Garden D. His favorite contemporary surrealist movies E. His favorite analog tool F. He’s bringing Causa Limeña to the picnic |
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Guillermo Mezac is a film director. |
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To you, what does successful collaboration look like?
For me, good collaboration is flexible. The most important thing is choosing who you want to collaborate with, and the rest is giving them space to reshape ideas you thought were already defined.
What does your process look like?
Usually, it all starts with an image that really captures my attention. Then I move into heavy research. For me, that’s the most important part, because once you’re on set, there isn’t much you can change. Most decisions have to be made ahead of time, and the only way to feel sure about them is by doing the research and knowing your subject well.
How do you work with references and inspirational pieces?
Especially now, when artificial intelligence is constantly referencing itself, I find it increasingly important to look for sources outside the mainstream. In that sense, I try to find inspiration everywhere—films, photography, art, books, and academic papers.
Some sources that help me get started:
Film.ai / Frameset / Eyecandy
Letterboxd Lists search engine
Google Scholar
Any film hot takes?
Film people who hate reality TV love cinema for the art.
Film people who enjoy reality TV love cinema for its humanity.
What trends excite you right now?
Something that excites me right now is the rise of surrealism in contemporary commercial cinema. It’s becoming increasingly common to see blockbusters with surreal elements—it’s everywhere now, to the point where it’s unusual when a film doesn’t include something surreal.
Some of my favorite examples are Love Lies Bleeding (2024), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), One Battle After Another (2025), and every Yorgos Lanthimos movie.
For me, that feels like a win. I’ve always believed cinema should be subjective, with room for personal interpretation, and I’ve always felt that film is the natural form of surrealism.
What advice would you give to creatives just starting out?
Be patient and never stop learning. |
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| | | Nube Negra | The Gardener & SKLT SKLT |
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| Recent design release history deep-dives |
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Saint Friend Color(s) of the Year |
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It’s officially Spotify Wrapped, last-minute holiday shopping, and Color of the Year announcement season. Pantone declared Cloud Dancer will be the next big thing. Nobody cheered. Kinda feels like they phoned it in. Kinda feels like a fancy name for ‘white.’ Technically, white isn’t even a color, so we’d like to offer a few suggestions. |
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| | Why go outside? The sun’s too bright and the air’s too fresh. Yuck! Indoor Kid plays well with others (so long as nobody forces it to leave its bedroom). It’s a great accent color and brings contemporary energy to palettes that otherwise feel dull. Think of it like a pinch of sugar to brighten the flavors. But far less sugar than a Mountain Dew. |
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| | A little sticky and a little smelly, but nobody can accuse Gross Surface of failing to do the job. It’s a workhorse that performs in many areas. This elevated neutral is the perfect choice if you’re aiming for calm yet flavorful. Fussy, luxurious shades like Fawn or Tan can’t compete—Gross Surface is a color you have to earn. |
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| 03 Aspirational Fifth Grader |
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| She really has it all. Did you see those gauchos she got from Limited Too? Her parents must be loaded or something. At first glance, Aspirational Fifth Grader may feel a bit outdated. But it’s only a matter of time before she makes a comeback. This color brings a special level of freshness when used the right way. Pair her with equally bright colors or let her take center stage alongside neutrals. |
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| | You can see it a mile away. It’s high-visibility haute couture. Very useful for locating your son who disobeyed you, because honestly, you’re doing too much and you need to lay off a bit. Cautionary Tale is a rich color that lives right on the edge of fun but remains grounded with hints of brown. When used alongside a dark palette, Cautionary Tale really shines. |
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| | Maybe that gas station sushi roll wasn’t the best idea. But all of your favorite divas are this color: Mike Wazowski, Shrek, and the Grinch. Tummy Hurts is striking and memorable, which is exactly how it earned icon status. It’s a complex color that stands tall on its own. As part of a team, Tummy Hurts brings depth and maturity to a youthful palette without losing momentum. |
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Here at Saint Friend, any color feels much more exciting than no color at all.
We’re hoping that 2026 will be full of ‘em. We’ll need all the fun and joy we can get. |
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To-Do List: Appreciate the Humble TubaEveryone makes fun of the tuba And yeah, rightfully so, it’s a silly instrument It’s too big, it sounds funny It’s players are usually oddballs, and that doesn’t help But as you enjoy holiday music this year, open your ears to the tuba Bopping along underneath all the flashier, higher pitched instruments And the crooning of the season’s voices: Your Bubles, your Careys, your McCartneys, your King Coles Humbly providing the foundation upon which the song rolls along Literally holding up the entire musical spirit of the season Like a dang December Atlas And never making a big deal about it This season, we see you, tubas You bass clef badasses You shiny tube titans Did you know if you stretched out a tuba’s tubes, how far it would reach? All the way to your heart That’s right
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Happy holidays from Saint Friend! |
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We’ll see you in the new year <3 |
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