QUANTUM STORM WIKI ON "PRAYING MANTIS”

PRAYING MANTIS was a film directed and produced by David Quintana-Lujan in 2016. The film was shot entirely in Somerset & Von Ormy, Texas under the studio title, Quantum Storm Pictures. An FBI Agent [Brandy Wilson] and profiler is sent to assist the police department in San Antonio, TX over two unsolved murders. The murders involved great planning and much of the evidence left behind shows a possibility that the victims may have been killed by a large insect. The FBI Agent and a police detective [Bobby Osborn], who is coincidentally in a bad marriage, begin to realize that supernatural forces may be involved and the time to find the killer is running out. Preying Mantis features Bobby Osborn, Emelcie Ferreria, Michael Ettnie, Brett Wilson Sr, Layla Osborn, Stephanie Greenfield, Diana Wilson and Laura Carretero.

 

Directed by D. R. Quintana-Lujan

Screenplay by D. R. Quintana-Lujan

Story by D. R. Quintana-Lujan

Based on Characters by
                      D. R. Quintana-Lujan

Produced by D. R. Quintana-Lujan
                  Barbara Johnston
                  Patti Wieser Hall

Starring Brandy Wilson

Cinematography by D. R. Quintana-
                             Lujan

Edited by D. R. Quintana-Lujan

Music by Lora Mao

Production Company Quantum Storm
                               Pictures

Running Time 52 minutes

Countries  United States

Language English

Budget  $5,000

 

 

Praying Mantis is an ultra-low independent short film directed and produced by David Quintana-Lujan during the summer of 2016. The script was written in one week and the production started in late spring, over the course of four weekends. The director-producer sought out two respective producers for funding assistance and once the cast was set, the film jumped into full production under an "all volunteer" agreement.

HOW FAST CAN ONE MAKE AN INDIE FILM?

Part of this films "behind the scenes" secrets is that the director-producer used this film to show the cast how a film could be shot in only a few days and then edited together in relative ease. The cast and crew only spent a few hours on each new scene and the video was downloaded and edited before they stopped at the next location. The cast and crew were in relatively good spirits throughout the films production and Bobby Osborn not only played the role of the San Antonio Police Detective, but stood in as Assistant Director and lead of the Technical Support for his extensive military history in handling weapons and tactical operations. Osborn trained the leading actress, Brandy Wilson, in her handling of a weapon and clearing a room while entering.

 

PRODUCTION NOTES

The majority of the films footage was shot during the first weekend of production. The remaining footage, some stock footage and minor scenes, were shot on the following weekend. Osborn volunteered his personal truck for the police detectives role and his daughter, Layla Osborn, played his daughter in the film. Stephanie Greenfield played Osborn's wife and all of her scenes were shot in her own home. The local Legion bar in Somerset was the location of the bar in the film, just minutes from the base of the production team. During the third weekend, the director-producer wanted the lead actress to perform ADR [record clearer audio sequencing] for some scenes where the leading actress mumbled her lines. The director-producer drove over three hours on a Saturday with all of the required equipment to perform he task, even setting up the equipment by himself, but Brandy Wilson decided that spending time with her friends was more important. So, the director-producer wrapped up all of the leading actresses scenes "as is" until it was re-recorded with another actress [Dru Rovino] in a later "Directors Cut" of the film set for release in 2023. The ending to the film left things open for a possible sequel.

 

PREMIERES CAN MAKE OR BREAK A FILM

When the film was "in the can" and all of the editing and Foley were completed, a world premiere for the film was planned, advertising and promotions was started by the production team. A splendid trailer was released and interest for the film began to take shape. Laura Carretero was placed in the position to search for a theater to present the film as a premiere in San Antonio, TX, but her attempts failed due to a previous project that a majority of the remaining cast members were assigned with that had a bad reputation in the city.  Without a place to premiere the film, the studio went straight to selling DVD/BlueRays of the film to moderately low success.

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