GATOR BITES (2025)
Award-Winning Short Film — Audience Award, Florida Supercon 2025
Directed by Pablo Rojas
Original Score — Pablo Godoy-Chaves
A Miami-set creature feature where rhythm shapes pacing, momentum, and dramatic flow.
The Score Doesn’t End Here.
In Gator Bites, music follows narrative structure.
In interactive media, it responds in real time.
SYNOPSIS
When a mutant gator named Gustavo threatens a restaurant’s survival,
Manolo “El Kapitan” Suarez Jr. and his dog Pipo are pulled into an increasingly chaotic pursuit.
The film shifts between comedy, action, and mounting pressure.
The score evolves alongside these changes—guiding movement, energy, and dramatic momentum throughout the narrative.
SCORING APPROACH
The score uses rhythm as a core structural element within the film.
Rather than simply accompanying scenes, the music shapes dramatic motion, emotional pressure, and momentum through evolving rhythmic movement.
MUSICAL PROGESSION
The score unfolds through a sequence of rhythmic states:
Atmospheric Foundation — suspended, non-rhythmic
Sustained Tension — unstable, non-metric movement
Cultural Identity Emerges — salsa introduces pulse
Momentum & Instability — merengue increases propulsion
Escalation — layered rhythmic density
Resolution — return of core material
Each state reflects narrative escalation rather than decoration.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Florida Supercon — Audience Award (2025)
MDC Student Film Festival (2026)
EPIC ACG Fest (2025, 2026)
PUBLIC SCREENINGS
Florida Supercon
EPIC ACG Fest
MDC Film Festival
Miami & California screenings
MENTORSHIP & CONTEXT
Developed under mentorship from:
Cesar Sakai, Susan Guzman, and Eddie Bragin.
Completed within the Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex (MAGIC)
at Miami Dade College.