Archive for the ‘Crew’ Category

10 Questions For: Director of Photography Andrew Barrera

Monday, May 24th, 2010

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general. Now that filming has wrapped, we are into Post-Production and now have time to pester guys like our DP, Andrew Barrera. One of the most common compliments I have gotten when showing off the trailer was “Wow, that looks like a real movie!” That partially says what they think of us a producers. But more so, it is a testament to the work of Andrew and his expertise shooting and lighting Cherry Bomb. If you have any interest in how we “made it look like a real movie”, check out Andrews’ interview! Below are the questions we asked him post-shoot and his responses:

1. How did you get into DPin/Camera work?

I don’t have an amazing story about when I was younger and had an epiphany or anything. I just always had an interest in photography. When I got into high school they had a tv program there where you would do the school announcements over the televisions in all the classes, and it all went from there. I received my degree from college in communications from St. Ed’s here in Austin where I dabbled in photography and film from a college level. I then flew out to Orlando for Disney College Program experience where I life-guarded at the parks and partied.

I had the opportunity to shadow a Producer from Extreme Makeover Home Edition when I was there and that is where I officially got started in the industry outside of school. I spent the next year or so working for a reality production company in Orlando where we produced shows like “Hogan Knows Best”, “True Life”, “Tiara Girls” “Fab Life Presents”, and a couple other MTV and VH1 shows. It was one of the best experiences I had. I took the time to learn the ropes, start from the bottom… learn the gear. By the time I left I was running camera and in the production side of it.

2. What camera was used to shoot Cherry Bomb and what factors went into making the decision to go with that camera?

I had little funding to get lighting and grip equipment. Which normally would be the biggest thing you spend and I already have the Panasonic HVX camera which was the first choice to go with. But I wanted to get less of a video look to something this important so I made the suggestion to use my M2 Lens Adapter to achieve shallow depth of field. Which unfortunately and if you know anything about these things, they are very problematic to small budget films. First being you need a lot more lighting equipment to achieve the look… and you need more people.

I had been on a few commercial shoots in recent months where we were filming on this new piece of equipment that achieved so much with little light. That’s where the Canon DSLR cameras came into play. For the cost of a small lighting package you can get a camera that does excellent in low light conditions and minimal lights and still achieve amazing shallow depth of field. Giving you that film look everyone wants.

We did a few tests at first and wasn’t exactly happy with the way things looked so we spent another day to get the proper equipment/ lighting and put a small 2 line script from the movie with Kyle acting, grabbed a friends 7D, and my HVX and shot the exact thing to compare the two. It was no contest… the 7D looked fantastic.

But there are countless drawbacks to that camera. One being that its not a film camera… it’s a still photography camera so the shallow depth of field made it a chore to have proper focusing all the time without an AC to help you. And due to the full CMoss Chip, it creates a sort of “Jelly” look to it when you move the camera around frantically. The camera overheats easily, and it required countless camera parts to get it to work like a real camera. But I decided to invest in it and got a minimal package to get this thing to work. And we used the HVX as a back up / multiple angle shots.

3. How did trying to achieve a 1980′s look affect the way you shot the film?

I didn’t do too much, for the most part because wardrobe and set design usually can get the viewer to believe its in the 80’s if it is done properly. However I based a lot of lighting with “Total Recall” and “The Goonies” Very contrast lighting. And because the 7D camera gives you a crisp and clear image David will be doing a lot of the “look” in post. i.e. adding film grain. I concentrated more on lighting properly with the small tools I had to give David the most amount of usable clean footage for him to play with and go crazy in after effects and color. Camera angles? Well that’s just having fun with a set.

4. Which shots/scenes from the film are you most excited to see in the final film?

That’s a tough one… unlike most people involved in the production, I already saw the whole film and every single shot and angle. I’m excited to see the finished product but if I had to pick just one that I am most proud of…ummm….well…. I can’t really pick just one.

5. Do you have a different approach shooting a music video versus shooting a narrative film?

Actually no… I try to separate myself with most music video directors, I’m not into that whole trippy stuff.. where you can put an abstract shot that doesn’t do anything but be visually appealing and create a 3 min montage of stuff that looks cool without accomplishing anything. Harsh way to put it I know.

I try to create a story, have it make sense, keep the audience engaged in more than just the song. Format it just like a film, with a script, story boards, and actors (depending on the song). People are naturally drawn to stories. The music enhances the“short film” and the “short film” enhances the music. Because of that, people remember it more.

6. You’ve directed a lot of videos for your brother, Granger Smith, and a lot of other artists. Did you ever want to pursue a career in music like your brother?

Not really, I started playing guitar before my brother but lost interest in it pretty quick. I’ve always loved music, don’t know a thing about making it but I love listening to it. So I guess making music videos for the guys is my way of contributing my love of music the best way I can.

7. What are some of your favorite movies and what are some movies you used as inspiration for the look/shots of Cherry Bomb?

Terminator, Total Recall… anything that Arnold is in are the basic movies to go by when creating “Cherry Bomb”. For me my favorite movies are the typical guy ones. “Big Lebowski” “Iron Man” “Nacho Libre” All the bond films, I have a general love for all films so my list can go on, but I love comedy.

Andrew Barrera: Shunning unwanted advances from DJ Morrison

8. DJ Morrison said your picture looked like a European Bikini model. Were you worried about being on set with him following that comment?

Not really. I was more worried about getting the movie done. But I’ll take good compliments when I can get them.

9. You’ve directed music video’s for several artists. Do you hope to move into directing feature films in the future or want to keep to the DP side of things?

I haven’t fully figured out where my career is headed. I do most work as a production manager, camera operator and producer. I will PA/ AC / Grip, any day of the week. I’m not a true DP and will never be nearly as experienced as some of the guys I work with in town… the big guys have 20+ years of experience strictly lighting. I don’t. I’m a camera guy at heart, and am pretty good at it… but I’m pretty good producing too…. Someone else decide for me.

10. What are some of your favorite past projects and some future projects? (Give links so we can properly promote your other works)

I have a few things lined up in the next month or so that I am extremely excited about. Looking to do 3 music videos by the end of the summer, all three are different genres that creatively will grab a lot of attention and I feel are my proudest “music video” work. But in the mean time I am currently in post production for Drew Kennedy’s “Room 27” music video. Should be out next month.

As from that, I can’t pinpoint one particular thing I have done that isn’t as important than the other. I am proud of all my work. Most can be seen on my vimeo page.. Although there is one in particular that was shot last year that I cannot wait for it to come out,. Stay tuned in the fall… And I have just received word that the most recent music video I directed is being packaged to GAC to be in their lineup of artists to be played. So I finally have my first nationally televised video up. Granger Smith “I Almost Am” Music Video.

Local DP for Hire:

Will work for food

Good with kids

Will do stunts if necessary

Enjoys every bit of his job and won’t take anything back.

www.mabarrera.com

956.459.9055

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10 Questions for: Exec. Producer and Composer Jason Latimer

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general. Now that filming has wrapped, we are into Post-Production. A huge, sometimes under appreciated part of Post-Production is the composition of the score. There are stories of Halloween going before a test audience and people getting bored and leaving the screening. Then, the same print was shown later with the distinct synthesizer soundtrack and people were scared to death and Halloween went on to be one of the greatest horror films of all time. And now that task in Cherry Bomb falls upon the shoulders of Jason Latimer. And besides all that, he also found time to Executive Produce the film. Basically when we needed something done, Latimer was there to make sure it got done and the film would not have made it to Post without him. So, we asked him about all things music and producing. Good read below. Below are the questions we asked him post-shoot and his responses:

10 Questions

1. I’ll break this down into some composer questions and some producer questions. Producer question first. This is your first feature to produce. We took on an incredible task in making an action period piece for under $100k In hindsight, what would you have/should we have done different that may help other young producers?

Really the most helpful thing we could have done was to bring more people on to handle the workload. Given our budget and time restraints, we all ended up wearing a lot more hats than we probably would have liked to. There were several times when I would like to have been able to give my input on set, but instead I would find myself taking care of any number of things that would have otherwise fallen through the cracks.

As far as actually producing the thing for under $100k, a big part of it was relying on our instincts and our guerrilla filmmaking experience, and generally things turned out really well. I think a lot of the fun in indie filmmaking comes from the necessity for creative thinking and problem solving when you don’t have the money to do things the easy way.

2. Who do you think this film will appeal to?

The obvious answer is that Cherry Bomb appeals to horny, bloodthirsty teenage boys. But really, we’ve done a lot of work to ensure that it’s not so two-dimensional. Unlike a lot of the 80s movies we tried to emulate, Cherry Bomb strives to create more of a sense of empathy for the characters, instead of just using their mishaps as impetus to move the story.

It’s an action movie, but it’s got some depth to it. I’m sure I’ll catch hell for this, but I’ve always thought (coming from a writing point of view at least) that the movie has a sort of feminist element to it. Cherry finds herself in a vulnerable situation and ultimately empowers herself to take revenge against the men who have committed one of the worst possible acts against a woman. She faces a lot of obstacles (almost all of them are imposed directly by chauvinistic or misogynistic male characters) and she grows as a person as the movie progresses.

I think Cherry Bomb is going to have a wider appeal than some people think, but you’ll definitely want to leave the kids at home for this one.

3. What has been the most rewarding part of being a producer?

I’ll let you know…

A bad ass pimp and Nick Manning.

…just kidding. It’s been really cool to see some of the things that we’ve been able to make happen with so little time and money. Generally speaking, everyone we approached for help, whether it was using their house as a location, or providing catering, helping us locate props… whatever, most people were very helpful and generally excited about helping our little project come together. The support and enthusiasm from other filmmakers and our online fanbase has been incredible as well. It’s kind of humbling in a way, but also really cool to see so many people excited about what we were doing.

But aside from that, and getting to be around a lot of really cool people all day, it’s not the kind of job where you can expect any kind of immediate gratification. It’s been a great exercise in patience for me, and I think that when the movie comes out, that’s when people will start to recognize all the hard work that went into making it.

4. What actor or actress is most going to surprise us?

If I told you, you wouldn’t be surprised!

All of the actors did a great job, especially given the harsh shooting environment. Julin was on set almost every single day doing fights, stunts, emotional scenes… and several of those were 14 hour days.

Allen Hackley, who plays the hitman Bull, came onto the project with little experience, but he has an understanding of what really goes into understanding and becoming a character, which is a completely necessary quality that many “professional” actors lack.

I think Nick Manning sort of surprised some of us a bit too. He showed up on his first day completely off book. I’m talking COMPLETELY. Also the guy is a born entertainer and I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone with quite so much energy. He really embraced the part and was a blast to work with.

5. What is your next step in your career as a producer?

Well I guess technically, my next step is to put on my composer hat and produce some music! But as far as producing film, probably a few smaller projects before I tackle another big one like this. Kyle and I are talking with Austin hip hop artist NIKKAGE about shooting another music video soon, and I’m sure we’ll do some more shorts as well. Once it’s time to start conceptualizing our next big project, I think I’d like to work on a comedy with a bit of an action edge to it.

6. As a composer, what sound are you looking to achieve?

Kyle and I always talked about a soundtrack that would fit the feel and period of our movie, but that would also be modern enough to be interesting to today’s viewers. I suppose the sound we’re trying to find is partially influenced by the 80s synth-heavy, drum machine-laden soundtracks of The Terminator or any of the stuff that John Carpenter composed for his films. The other part is influenced by more modern electronic music — mostly industrial stuff like Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack, Stabbing Westward…

7. How did you get into music and music composition?

I started playing the alto sax at school in the 5th grade. I think there were about 20 of us. It must have sounded awful, but our teacher was cool enough to let us play stuff like the theme from Jurassic Park or whatever, so most of us were actually interested in learning. I kept playing through high school, and had fantastic teachers in school that really taught me a lot about music, and helped me to develop a good ear. I picked up the tenor and baritone saxes, learned guitar, picked up a bass, played around with sousaphone a bit… I always liked learning new things about music and playing new instruments. Once I got to Austin, I was really into learning to record, as well as learning how to make electronic music, so I bought a nice synthesizer and more or less taught myself.

8. When you compose, is it more input coming from the director before you start composing or more so you putting ideas out there and the director guiding you in a new direction?

It’s nice working on this project as composer, because Kyle and I think a lot alike and are pretty much on the same page as far as what we want. Also, I have a film background, so he doesn’t have to be hovering over me, telling me which parts need to convey what, etc. I get it, and I’m sure he appreciates the fact that he won’t have to micro-manage the composition stage.

9. Kind of a producer/composer question. Are you going to be composing any original songs or seeking out local bands to fill out a soundtrack and if so, what sort of sound will you be looking for?

There are certain scenes where I would definitely like to find some local and/or indie artists to really help establish the tone. We haven’t gotten too far into what music we want to get rights for, or have people write for us, but I expect about 90% of the soundtrack to be an original score.

10. The initial assault on Cherry is something that has to be handled delicately and respectfully. We in no way try to glorify what happens to Cherry, but are you worried about any sort of backlash or difficult questions on the subject?

This has been a concern from the very beginning, and while there isn’t one right way to do a rape scene, there are a LOT of wrong ways to do it. We spent a lot of time thinking about the best way to do the scene, and I really don’t expect it to upset too many people, if any (knock on wood).

There’s definitely a chance that some people are going to be offended, or maybe misunderstand what we’re trying to do, but it’s tricky subject matter and I can understand that. It’s really sort of a horrible thing, so you have to be careful how you portray it, especially in comparison to the other violent acts in the movie. You don’t want to linger on it, or be too graphic, but at the same time, you can’t just gloss over it simply as an inciting incident with no other residual effects on the characters and story.

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10 (More) Questions For: Director Kyle Day

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general. We’ve had a lot of questions when the film will come out, what’s the plan now that Production is complete and when can I see the film or some footage. Well, we decided to go back to Director Kyle Day and prod him for more answers, so we have 10 More Questions With Director Kyle Day. As a refresher, you can go HERE to see our original 10 Questions With Director Kyle Day. Back when he was a young, wet behind the ears, naive Director. Below are the questions we asked him post-shoot and his responses:

1. Now that filming is done, what do your days look like?

I spent the past week tying up a lot of the loose ends surrounding the production- organizing legal paperwork, finishing up payroll, reviewing all the notes that piled up on my desk, and drinking down at the pool. Tomorrow I start work on the trailer and that will eat up all my time until it is complete.

2. A lot of people are asking, now that production has wrapped, what does the schedule look like from here out?

Our editor (Dave Ward) is going to start on the rough cut of the film, I’m going to work on the trailer, and our sound composer (Jason Latimer) is going to work on the score. In the next several months we’ll have to put the film through color correction, add in some special effects, and do all the post-sound mixing, but for now our efforts are concentrated on getting the rough cut done. At the moment, we are hoping to premiere Cherry Bomb at the Austin Film Fest in October.

3. How involved are you going to be on a day to day basis with the editing with Dave Ward?

I’ll be involved very little with the first cut. Dave is a very talented editor so the best thing I can do is stay out of his way and let him do his job. After I see the rough cut, we’ll put our heads together to determine which sequences need altered/refined to better match my original vision.

4. How did the film change from how it was initially conceived versus how it was shot with any problem you ran into on set or how things were flowing?

There weren’t many differences between what we actually shot and what we envisioned many months ago. Granted, an insane amount of problems came up on set every single day, and we were consistently trying to beat the clock, but overall we got all of the material I wanted (and then some.) I can honestly say that there are several scenes that surpassed what we envisioned in the script and I have the cast and crew to thank for that.

5. If you had to start over with Cherry Bomb, with all that you’ve learned, what would you do differently?

I’d get an AD and a prescription for Valium.

6. What is your most fun story from set?

Unfortunately, I cannot repeat any of the best ones. Those aside, I think my personal favorite is when the cops showed up the day we were filming the street fight between Cherry, Brandon, and Bull. The second I saw the cops, I grabbed my location release form, because I was sure they were fixing to kick us out. Nope. Instead of speaking to me, they pulled Devin aside and proceeded to grill him for 20 minutes. Turns out, some woman called 911 and said there was a man peeping through the window at her children and she said it was Devin. Obviously it was a huge misunderstanding but its still funny to think how close Devin came to doing 6 months in Chino.

7. Nick Manning. What was your perception of him coming in and following the shoot?

Coming in, I was a little nervous simply because I didn’t know what to expect and we had never met before. However, I’d say after our first 5 minutes of meeting, we hit it off and had a great time working together for the duration of the shoot. Nick’s an incredibly hard worker and was very enthusiastic about the material so I had a blast working with him.

8. Most important thing you learned that will help you be a better director during the shoot?

Doing stunts over and over again is very strenuous and on several occasions I was guilty of overlooking this fact and pushing our talent harder than what was necessary. I won’t make that mistake again.

9. Can you tell us how Julin did and how, if at all, the character evolved when she took the reins?

Julin did an amazing job to say the least. She busted her ass for 24 days straight and really gave the character a dimension that few other actresses would have been capable of. It was obvious every single day that Julin had really done her due diligence and learned the Cherry character inside and out. On paper, Cherry seems larger than life, almost hyper-realistic, but Julin mastered the task of turning Cherry into a living, breathing person with real emotions and hardships. This is no small achievement and it really shows how talented of an actress Julin is.

10. What (spoiler-free) scene do you think is going to most excite people when we finally see Cherry Bomb?

This depends on the viewer. I suppose that 90% of people will be most excited with the opening strip club scene, lol. To be honest, every scene in this movie brings something exciting to the table, so I can’t pick just one. All of our cast did a kick ass job in all of their scenes and the entire movie is going to be a fun ride.

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10 Questions for: Allen Hackley (Playing Bull)

Friday, March 26th, 2010

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general. This week, meet the unstoppable force that is Bull, portrayed by newcomer Allen Hackley. Allen is an incredible student of people and human nature and that has played a large role in developing his new found talent. We’ve all had a great time getting to know Allen, while he enters into this new career and think you’ll really like him as well. Here’s what we asked and what he had to say:

10 Questions

1. How would you describe your character Bull?

I see Bull as the consummate loner, and his profession is perhaps his only source of fulfillment in life. He’s the best at what he does, and performs with almost machine-like efficiency and effectiveness. Bull is a predator; He’s no more affected emotionally by taking down a mark than a lion would be killing its prey. It’s simply what he was born to do. If he has a weakness, it would stem from his isolation from people, and detachment from his own humanity.

2. Are there any famous movie or TV characters you are drawing on for inspiration?

Just to name a few: Terminator, Various characters from Predator, Agent Smith.

3. We’ve intentionally left Bull’s history a mystery to make him seem more menacing. When becoming the Bull, did you create your own backstory for him and if so, care to share a little of it?

I like to maintain the mystery even for myself, because it helps me remember just how dangerous and unpredictable Bull is. With that said, I have filled in a few gaps like military training with weapons and martial arts.

4. What’s your dream acting role?

I’d love to be in a role like Neo or Agent Smith, or something like Darth Vader, Blade, or maybe a fantasy role similar to one of the characters in Lord of the Rings. Basically anything that is action-oriented, imaginative, larger than life, and bad-ass.

5. Being new to acting, how has it compared with your expectations going into it?

I knew it would be a lot of work, but even knowing this did not prepare me for how exhausting a day of shooting can be. I have a lot of respect for Julin, the crew, and anyone else who is on set every day. Let’s just say that my cardio workouts have been stepped up, to keep my energy levels higher when I’m on set.

6. What did you do before this current acting job?

Before this, I worked as a software developer. I got to make cool apps and work with some really fun stuff. It was actually my favorite job, until getting the chance to act in a movie!

7. What are some of your favorite movies?

Short List: Matrix, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Star Wars Episodes 4-6, The Rock.

8. Do you prefer playing heroes or villains?

I’d have to say villains. Not just because of Bull either. Villains just seem more complicated and interesting and cool, in general. I’m the guy who was always rooting for Tom to get the best of Jerry.

9. Your role is very physical. Any accidents of fun incidents on set from the physical nature of your role?

Oh yes, there sure have been. I tried to get into Bull’s car “Dukes of Hazard” style, and promptly fell to the ground on my ass. After that, I popped right up with both arms raised as if I had successfully performed an Evil Knievel stunt. On the first day, my wardrobe pants ripped, and I was walking around with my underwear showing in front of the girls for most of the rest of the day.

10. Where would you like to see your acting career go? One and done or pursue it further?

As Kyle put it, I have been “bitten by the acting bug,” and I am already working to see it to the next level. Besides, I’ve never been a one-and-done type of person; once I find something I like to do, I set out to perfect it.

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10 Questions for: Special FX Bad Ass Meredith Johns

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general. This week, meet Meredith Johns of Hawgfly Productions. Meredith’s resume reads like a “What bad ass films have been made in Austin” list. Machete, Grindhouse, Friday the 13th and Teeth just to name a few items on her list of credits. Beyond that, she’s just one of the most awesome people you will ever meet. Here’s what we asked and what she had to say:

10 Questions:

1. How did you get into Effects?

Disgruntled with my job in graphic design I decided to volunteer on a zombie movie. After coming home every weekend covered in blood and loving it I knew I had found my calling. I grew up in a family of artists sculpting and painting throughout my life, so it was kind a natural fit.

2. Is there one effect that stands out in your mind as one you are most proud of that you did? (and if you have a clip of it, that would be awesome)

I have to say some of the most fun I’ve had on effects have been on Robert Rodriguez’s Machete. Can’t show any clips or give too many details, but watch the movie! It’s going to totally rock! Another fun effect was for a film called Red, White, and Blue. We skinned a guy’s entire face off. It was both challenging and fun.

3. You’ve worked on all of the big productions like Rodriguez films and Friday the 13th. When and how did you take that leap to continue to be hired by those big productions?

I have worked my way up to the bigger productions by proving myself through a lot of hard work and dedication to my craft. If you’re not willing to jump in there and get your hands dirty you will never succeed. I started out working for free on short films and 48-hr projects. I’ve been through a ton of indie films and learned something from every one of them. I never stop learning and I am constantly looking for new techniques and products to help me make more and more realistic effects.

4. Your company is called “Hawgfly”. How did that name come about?

I started Hawgfly with my business partner Carolyn O’Hara in 2004. Originally we were working with several people (joining us from the zombie movie we all met on) and one of the guys worked at an art studio in Wimberley. At that studio one of the guys that drove around on a tractor spoke similar to one of the characters on King of the Hill (you know the one you can barely understand). Of the words that he belted out regularly was “HAAAAWGFLY.” The guy working with us picked it up and brought it to a sculpting session where we all started using the term. We even brought the word to set with us. In a way it became cool to be “Hawgfly.” When coming up with company names the word just kept coming back. We’d think of a super sophisticated or cool sounding name, but “Hawgfly” was the only one that really fit our personality. So, it stuck.

5. What are some of your favorite movies?

Waaay too many to list, but I’ll try. Labyrinth is still my favorite movie of all time. Also high ranking are Audition, Brazil, Happiness of the Katakuris, Shaun of the Dead, Better off Dead, Night of the Living Dorks, The Bad Seed, Army of Darkness, Evil Dead 2, Old Boy, The Exorcist, Braindead (the uncut edition of Dead Alive), The Thing, and basically anything by Romero or Miike….

6. What’s the most outrageous effect you’ve been asked to create?

Again, probably the most exciting things were from the brain of Robert Rodriguez, but can’t divulge any details. J

7. What effects are the most tedious to create?

Fake heads take some time and I’m not a huge fan of punching hair. I can do it well, but boy can it be tedious….

8. What effects are the most fun to create?

The effects that really challenge me are generally the most fun. It’s exhilarating to have those MacGyver moments. Also, oddly enough, the simple wounds are the most fun at times for me. There’s something really fun about tattoos, bruises, cuts and abrasions. I also enjoy sculpting up prosthetics for pretty much anything.

9. What were some of the challenges in doing the effects for Cherry Bomb?

For a little scary bit of time I thought I was going to have to punch corn rows (a very time consuming and difficult task) on Bull’s fake head, but I was saved by an afro. Other than that, trying to give you guys the best effects possible as quickly and cheaply as possible. But, isn’t that the truth for all Independent film making?

10. Are there any other aspects of production you have interest in (writing/directing/acting/etc)?

Quite honestly… no. I love my job. There’s always something new to learn or try and I am happiest on set or in my shop sculpting or churning out pieces for projects. Above all else I am an artist. I appreciate the other jobs on set, but my true love is in makeup.

Tags: Effects, Hawgfly, Meredith Johns
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10 Questions for: Star Julin Jean

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

As part of our continuing effort to bring you an up close and intimate look at Cherry Bomb and the good folks bringing it to life, here is thr 3rd in our “10 Questions for…” series. Way more interesting than the one with the screenwriter or director is the one with the sexy face of Cherry Bomb… Julin Jean. Enjoy!

1. How Did you Get Into Acting?
I’ve always liked performing since I was a kid, I was in dance, and I just had a break in my schedule in high school and took a theater class and fell in love with it.

2. What drew you to the Cherry character?
I like her because she is very daring, and, she does not like to be messed with, or her friends getting messed with, she feels that if she doesn’t stick up for herself no one will, she is also very smart, a lot more than people know, and she kicks a lot of ass!

3. If you could play any heroine from any movie in history, who would it be and why?
I would definitely play superwoman, because she’s saves the world and she flies.

Julin in the studio

4. You’ve done about 647 movies and found time to make a thriving music career also. How do you balance the time between your music and film?
It’s a lot of work and time, I’m always writing songs and studying scripts, and I never go out, I save all that for when I travel or go on vacations. Then I go all out

5. What is the hardest thing about being an actress?
There’s nothing hard about it, it’s the best job in the world, it’s just as fun as it looks

6. How do you prepare for a new role?
I study and breakdown the script and write a bunch of notes, and practice the lines.

7. What is the hardest role that you have ever played?
Actually I would say Cherry, because it’s a lot of training, and there is going to be a lot of stunts, and learning new things, but I haven’t played it yet.

8. Who is your favorite current actor and why?
I’ll go with actress, I love Kate Winslet, she does an amazing job in all her roles, and she’s very daring, and she played a crazy girl in Heavenly Creatures, I liked her from that role on.

The Toy Box. Starring Julin Jean. Coming soon.

9. What other projects do you currently have coming up?
The Toy Box (become a facebook fan here), Retractable, Renfield, and I’m doing a little play in a bookstore for fun.

10. Biggest turn on / turn off?
hahaha! Biggest turn on would be a guy who has a free spirit and knows how to have fun, and turn off would be someone who worries about how they look too much. I don’t like girly boys.

That’s it for now. Continue checking back for more updates on the film and more interviews with the cast and crew.

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Introducing John Gabriel as “Brandon”

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

As we do pull back, we see BRANDON, 25, the same guy from the
photo on the work bench, aged three years, sitting on a chair
just outside the door. Out of sight from Cherry. Brandon is
wearing a mechanic’s uniform and looks saddened by what has
happened to his sister.

Brandon, while being Cherry’s brother, is everything she is not. She’s reckless, he’s very conservative. She’s spontaneous, he plans things out. When she wants revenge, he’s the one trying to talk her out of it. But when he sees there’s nothing he can do to stop her, he becomes the perfect compliment to her quest. Donning the blue collar to portray Brandon is John Gabriel:

Welcome aboard, John! You’ve got quite the task ahead of you trying to keep Julin’s character Cherry in line…

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Julin Jean is igniting Cherry Bomb!

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

We regret to inform everyone that Jenn Sterger has left the project due to a scheduling conflict. We appreciate all she did for this film and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

With that being said, we would like to introduce you to our new Cherry…

Julin Jean

Julin comes into 2010 riding a slate of SEVEN recently or soon to be released films. With her incredible range and talent, film makers all over the country are gushing over Julin and the incredible performances she continues to produce. You can check out Julin’s upcoming features here:

Spirit Camp

The Final

Boggy Creek

In addition to being a successful model and actress, Julin is an accomplished singer and songwriter. Check out the review of her CD “Transitions” from the Houston Chronicle.

You can purchase the CD here.

We are extremely fortunate to have signed such an incredible, dynamic, talented young personality.

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10 Questions for: Writer Garrett Hargrove

Monday, October 26th, 2009

1. How did you get into screenwriting?

Laura Clifton, one of the co-producers on Cherry Bomb, was working on a film called The New Guy filmed in and around Austin. They had just come back from shooting some scenes at a high school and she was talking about just how creepy this school was and that it would be a great location for a scary movie. So, Laura, my brother (Brandon) and I sat around and started brainstorming this little horror script. Every time we got together, we would further discuss characters and plot, but we never really took the time to put it all on paper. Finally, I got tired of talking about it and sat down to write it. I did some quick studying up on Screenplay formatting and just started hammering away. Within a few weeks, I had an extremely short 30 page first draft. It called it D-Hall. In school, that’s what we called Detention Hall. Not sure if that was a name that was held in schools all over or just a regional thing. The name then changed to Detention. I showed it off to some people and they thought it had some merit. Then, the ideas just started spilling out and I Just kept writing. The first script I ever optioned was a comedy screenplay called Instinct vs. Reason: No Subtitle Needed. Soon after Detention was optioned. And there’s a lot more to it than that, but I’ll stop there.

Here is a short based off of Instinct vs. Reason:

And here’s a conceptual teaser for Detention:

2. What inspired you to write Chery Bomb?

When I responded to an Ad from Kyle Day about starting a production company, I had a slate of mid-to-low budget scripts ready to go. We discussed some of them, but none of them seemed right. We talked about filming this low budget script I wrote called Twisted Addiction. Its a story of these serial killers who are traveling around the country filming their exploits as killers, but then run into this family of cannibals. The only problem was that it is in limbo, owned by another production company at this point, since I wrote it for them. We walked with them about a profit split in exchange for us filming it, but nothing came of it. Then Kyle and I started brainstorming ideas. We started with the films we loved. The John Carpenter films before Escape from LA, the early James Cameron stuff (mainly Terminator) and the Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino stuff. We also loved the theme of revenge. It could be boiled down to a simple, relatable emotion and was a nice conduit for a lot of brutal action.

While tossing around revenge ideas, we came up with a lot of ideas that, after a few seconds analyzing, we realized had already been done or weren’t compelling enough. Then, out of the blue, it came to be and I sent Kyle this email…

Girl is an exotic dancer. Group of patrons after a show meets her out back and takes advantage of her, beats the crap out of her. The girl’s brother, who has never really approved of what she did for a living, takes it in his own hands to avenge her. He tries to keep it from her what he’s doing, but eventually she finds out, then finds out she wants to help out. Then brother and sister go on this rampage avenging her…

And then it took off from there.

3. When writing, is there a particular genre that you favor over the others?

I love writing horror. Or at least, its the one I seem to get contracted to write the most. I’m still working to write one of those great, inspiring dramas, but am not there yet.

4. What do you do when you reach a point in a screenplay where you can’t thing of what should happen next?

I walk away. I don’t think about it or anything for a few weeks. The best thing for Writer’s block for me has always been taking a break, then looking at it with a fresh mind.

5. When writing, do you find that parts of your own personality invariably work their way into the characters you have created? If so, which character most resembles you? Nurse Jenny?

Well of course Nurse Jenny. But yeah, there’s parts of me in every character. Cherry is the part of me that wanted to find and hunt down the person who stole my radio out of my truck one time. I’m not trying to say that the offenses are ANYWHERE NEAR the same level, but still when you feel violated, you want to get retribution. Brandon (Cherry’s Brother) definitely comes a little out of my new fatherhood and wanting to protect my little girl. Then my voice always comes into their dialog. My brother saw the first short film I wrote that got produced and said how weird it was to see these other people saying things he could clearly tell I would say.

6. What do you think most differentiates Cherry Bomb from similar revenge films?

We always, in revenge films see the good side. The retribution, the glee from those who wronged you get theirs and inflicting pain. But we rarely see that other side. The doubt from the revenge seeker. The after effects of a revenge spree. I also tried to create a very flawed character that grew throughout the script. I never remember seeing Arnold grow in Commando.

7. As the other Executive Producer on Cherry Bomb, have you had any difficulties balancing your different writing/producing responsibilities?

Somewhat. We also started this journey right around the time my first child was born and balancing the role as father versus the things needed to help get this project from script to screen has been even more challenging than the Executive Producer-Writer balance. But its still tough. We’re trying to massage the script to make it fit within a certain shooting schedule and we’ve been butting heads with certain elements that I know as a writer are integral to making this story stand apart from other revenge flicks, but could prove to be very costly.

8. What’s your favorite part of the Cherry Bomb script and why?

That’s hard because I take great pride in every line of dialog, every action and every plot point. But, gun to my head, I would say my favorite part is writing the brother-sister aspects of the Cherry & Brandon relationship. They hint at this long troubled history that a lot of families have, but never give it all away to us. I got pressure to explain what happened that drove a stake through their family dividing Cherry & her family, but never wanted to. I hope that some aspects of the script will cause people to wonder about Cherry and where she came from (and coming back for the sequel to find out the answers to some of those). At one point we discussed making Cherry and Brandon ex-lovers instead of siblings, but that never felt right. I think writing the elements of a strained family love made for such great moments versus the typical love glances of jaded lovers.

9. What’s the most difficult part of writing a feature length script?

Just forcing yourself to sit and do it. Now making a quality screenplay requires a TON of studying the craft, structure, formatting, people in general and a lot else, but that part never seemed tedious to me. That growing and learning part, though it is a challenge, is a lot more fun and less difficult in my mind. Its fun plotting our characters, their journeys, their quirks and dialog. But it gets really painful when you have to forsake other activities to sit at the keyboard and make the magic. And wow, on paper that sounds way more pretentious than I hoped it would.

10. Any advice for those people that have always wanted to write a screenplay but simply don’t know where to begin?

You’ve got to start out by reading as many scripts as you can. Take in everything about them. Their structure, their formatting, their beats and their style. I would start with your favorite movies, the ones you know inside and out, and read those scripts. You can find scripts for just about any film on site like this one. Then, start studying the craft os writing a story. There are very defined elements to a good story. The bug resource for story with regards to screenwriting is “Story” by Robert McKee. Then, once you’ve planned and written your masterpiece, give it to some people you trust for their honest feedback. Then comes the hard part… taking their criticism and processing it without bias towards your writing. Its very hard once you’ve slaved over a script for weeks or months to have someone tell you its deeply flawed. But the only way for you to grow as a writer is to be able to take that criticism, analyze and it objectively determine if it is a valid critique and should be applied to your work. I still have trouble today when people tell me something needs to be fixed, but its something you have to be able to do to create the best work possible.

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Help Out Cherry Bomb Editor, Dave Ward!!!

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Part of the fun of gathering a crew for a feature film is seeing and discussing other projects that they are or have been a part of. Bringing these people onto our cast and crew, we want to do all we can to see them become successful and their other projects flourish. Our editor, Dave Ward, is currently involved in a film making contest called Doorpost. After a tough fought first round, Dave’s team was selected as one of the ten finalists! Their entry for the second round is a fun comedy, family, heist film set in a Chuck-E-Cheese inspired place called “Play Land“. Check out the trailer below:

So, how can you help out? Here are the five easy steps:

1.) Sign up – go to this website http://www.thedoorpost.com/register/ and fill all red required fields (you can put a fake phone number if you wish). That should take you to the next page where it asks you to upload a photo. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO UPLOAD A PHOTO. Click continue.

2.) That takes you to a page labeled http://www.thedoorpost.com/myaccount/ – Up in the right hand corner of that page is a search field. Type into that field “Play Land” Search by “film” and then hit search.

3.) This will take you to a new web page in a new window. Click the screenshot of the film. The film should start playing, BUT, IN ORDER TO VOTE make sure to click on the LIGHT BLUE “VOTE NOW” button that appears on the LEFT HAND side of the screen next to the “play button.”

4.) This takes you to another window where you can vote. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A BIT COMPLICATED. You have to watch and vote on my film and ALL OTHER films (all the way through!) in order for your vote to count. So after my films has run its course, go to the 7 ranking systems at the bottom of the screen (“Portrayal of topic” “storytelling” “acting” etc.). Slide the bar over towards “Excellent” on all 7 of these categories. AFTER DOING THAT FOR ALL 7 CATEGORIES, go to the bottom of the page and click the button labeled VOTE NOW!

5.) Next, watch and vote how you see fit on the remaining finalists. You must vote on all ten films for your vote to count!

Thanks so much!!!

Posted in Crew | 1 Comment »

Archive for the ‘Crew’ Category

10 Questions For: Director of Photography Andrew Barrera

10 Questions for: Exec. Producer and Composer Jason Latimer

10 (More) Questions For: Director Kyle Day

10 Questions for: Allen Hackley (Playing Bull)

10 Questions for: Special FX Bad Ass Meredith Johns

10 Questions for: Star Julin Jean

Introducing John Gabriel as “Brandon”

Julin Jean is igniting Cherry Bomb!

Julin Jean

10 Questions for: Writer Garrett Hargrove

Help Out Cherry Bomb Editor, Dave Ward!!!

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