Shooting the LAST CALL Teaser

Producer Ondie Daniel wants to put together a teaser trailer for the LAST CALL vampire anthology, thus we decided that we would film a scene from my fine (in addition to two others). We decided to film one of the flashback sequences since we could show one of the vampires in addition to showing how the film would look. Everyone was available except for Bren Allison so I decided to film the scene myself.

Having no asperations to direct the film myself I was more nervous going into directing this then I was HOUSE OF SECRETS, which I was prepared to direct and produce. The teaser was easier only because we had cast two actors that I had already worked with - Amy Wolkis and Jason Von Stein, while the third actor in the scene who was playing the vampire of the film and before that night I had never met him. He was an addition by Daniel as I requested that she be responsible with casting all the vampires in the film since we were going with people from Netherworld who already have or will soon have their own vampire teeth. Authenticity is key with this project and having great teeth is one of the reasons I agreed to do the project.

Another reason for doing this project is obviously because I wanted to collaborate with someone else on a creative level and Allison is someone whom I've worked with before but not so much on a creative level and this project was the perfect opportunity. I've only worked with Daniel as an actor or as a make up artist (and more recently she was casting director on several other projects) so working with her to produce this film is also new and a challenge.

One of the key ingredients that Daniel has provided is an amazing location for the production is far better then anything I could have imagined. The location is key to my story and filming at this location has given the production higher production value then I could have ever imagained. I did have to do some rewrites on the spot to accomodate that fact that I did not want to show any blood or gore in the scene (and therefore wouldn't have to worry about the clean up) but I think the scene works really well without the gore.

I think my actors all did a great job putting this teaser together in such sort notice and my crew were great as well (the make up artist was from Netherworld as well) and this was a great way to break the ice on the production. Shooting this teaser was a way to let everyone know that we are still a "go" on the production dispite the delays.

For a few moments I even wanted to direct the film myself since I was having so much fun (until it all had to eventually end) but then I wised up and realized that it was better to let Bren do all the heavy lifting while I sit back and just watch :)

6/25/09 Finding a New Director

After Ron McLellen had to drop out of working with me on the vampire short "History of the Vampire" for the anthology film LAST CALL I scrambled to come up with another person to take his place. As luck would have it a friend of mine Bren Allison-Pettingill was interested in working with me again and the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

We spoke today discussing the script and any possible changes that she might want to the story and her ideas were all very valid. One of her key contributions is that she thought the two main characters of Jackaboc and William spend too much time sitting at the bar not doing much. She thinks that they should be doing something other then that which she suggested the action of playing darts. I agreed that this could be a possibility.

She also suggested that there be a stronger modivating factor for the William character to remain in the bar all the while paying little attention to the story that Jackaboc is trying to tell him. This was also another idea that I had no problem with implimenting into the script.

After we discussed all the possibilities she said she wanted to read over the script again with all these new ideas in her head before officially jumping on the board the project. If she does agree she will be a great asset to the film as she will definitely bring a different approach to the film then McLellen primarily because McLellen has done mostly horror films and she has done adventure, drama, and comedy so they are both coming from two different backgrounds.

This should all be very interesting.

6/20/09 Hiring a Director

After a long talk with director Ron McLellen it was decided that he should no longer direct my screenplay HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRES for the vampire anthology LAST CALL (which is Executive Produced by Ondie Daniel). He is currently heavy in post on his own film EVIL IN THE FLESH which was filmed last year and is heavy in CGI effects right now. He is also prepping production on a HALLOWEEN fan-film and these two obligations prompted him to step down from behind the camera on my project.

Instead I now find myself looking for a new director for the screenplay which will also be aproved by Daniel. My second choice is Bren Allison-Pettingill who directed the film 6 DEGREES OF DESPERATION last year (among having directed many other short films and documentaries). I sent her both the original screenplay and the McLellen approved version for her consideration.

The reason I did this is because I want to give her the oportunity to read the screenplay as originally developed before McLellen & I did rewrites. I prefer the original version although I was always up for changing details to suit the director. I want to give Allison-Pettingill the opportunity to give her own input into the production.

Right now the only characters cast are minor characters with the exception of the WIFE in which actress Amy Wolkis (whom I worked with on BAD LAND and EVIL IN THE FLESH) is attatched. Many of the minor characters and vampires will be played by actors from the haunted house attraction Netherworld. The artists of Netherworld are also providing make-up, stunts, and CGI, among other technical support, to the film.

If Allison-Pettingill decides that she is not interested then I will direct the film myself which was never out of the range of possibility. Either way I look forward to working on the film and with Daniel again since the last time we worked together she was the Casting director for my film HOUSE OF SECRETS (when it was known as SHIVER).