WELCOME TO 2025 WITH THE NEWEST ISSUE OF THE QSE.357 E-MAGAZINE!...

 

QSE.357 ISSUE 40 of 1/1/2025

44 Pages

ON THE COVER - AI Reformatted Photo
Promo Photo by Micro Photography

MAIN ARTICLES

AI Is Changing The Internet Forever
[Pg 4]
In today's ever changing and growing multimedia environment, AI is starting to prove that anyone can be an artist, a commercial advertiser, and even a one man indie movie studio producer. But what is the cost.

Modeling Inconsistencies Continue
[Pg 21]
There's an increase in models filing charges against "instant" photographers, who do not release cache's of photos upon a models request, even after the Statute of Limitations have expired.

Unexpected Change In A Indie Film?
[Pg 34]
Indie film actor in Texas are now being held accountable for their decisions to step away
from a film in progress.

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PHOTO CHALLENGE BETWEEN CELL PHONES AND DSLR LENSES

The Woodlands, TX - This story is an excerpt from the January 1, 2023, issue 16 released publication of the Quantum Storm .357 E-Magazine [QSE .357] which received a large amount of praise from subscribers and promotional advertisers. This article is released for blog material and resources outside of established subscribers. This article should only be used for informational purposes and taken as advice for capturing professional head-shots for preview in the independent film scene movement.

It seems that thanks to only a few individuals who have taken advantage of the heavy dreams and desires from the fast growing breed of "instant" professional thespian performers in the Independent film scene [or industry], who would do just about anything [or even pay big bucks] to separate themselves from the self made competition to "break into" that next big film, head-shot photographers have made big money pursuing actors to help them build some impressive portfolios over the course of the last fifteen years. But did the actors really have to find proficient photographers to accomplish their needs? And especially now, with the help of some of the best lenses being added to the production and manufacture of newer cell phone technologies, are  DSLR cameras truly needed to capture the best shots of local talent, who submit their image to casting directors and film producers in the local indie film circuit?

 ARE CELL PHONES WORTHY OF TAKING A GOOD HEAD-SHOT?

In this new generation of technologies, new actors may tend to use their own selfie as a head-shot for their acting resume. There's absolutely nothing wrong with choosing to do so, but its a fact that a lot of photos taken on any cell phone won't transfer well to the capabilities of the even the best printer. It can be due to the lack of a photos' pixelation and I am sure that any person you know who claims to be an "expert" on cell phone capabilities will tell you that what I just reported to you isn't 100% true; but it is. In this article, I won't go into the size or pixel generation of a photo, but I will cover the importance that the larger the file before compression, will present a far superior photo during printing; that is before one decides to alter the photos color, brightness, or sharpness before deciding to print the picture. 

Always remember that what might look cool or edgy on your cell phone screen may not transfer well to a printer, especially if a Casting Director requests that your actors resume submission be submitted with printed copies of your head-shot; which happens more often that one might think. Having clear details in your photo, presenting the best features, angles, and any real blemishes [or imperfections] on your skin could make the difference in your possible selection for a good project. Trying to hide some of these natural traits with photoshop is a definite no-no. The picture you present to a Casting Director is what will be expected to arrive when a a date is set for your first interview.

Over the years, I have learned that even using some of the best lighting and controlled atmosphere, still cannot guarantee the best shot or a quality that won't require a retake or a demand that better shots will be requested. Like I've said many times before, free is good, but it certainly isn't a quality that a spoiled film industry will conform to approving just because your different. So, if your photographer uses cell phones to conduct the business of just taking your head-shot, I recommend you pass on them or at least ask for proof of success before paying them for their services.

**The photo on the top left was taken with a top-of-the-line Droid cell phone.

WHAT TYPE OF DSLR PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

First of all, and probably the most important thing you should know is, there is no standard format for head-shots. What is important is just getting a strong, natural capture of your image is what is best to present to the Casting Director. Small details like capturing natural eye color, color of hair, and various facial balance is pretty important. Remember again, what is in your photo is what the Casting Director will want to see when you arrive for your first interview.

Every indie film scene has it's long list of both talented and amateur photographers that can give you what your looking for; most be it some much needed attention in your early acting career and a head-shot that will present you in a more professional light. Of course, the cost of getting a good shot will vary from pretty expensive, to sometime being way outside your comfort level. But having the best shot of your current self is well worth the cost. You might get lucky to find a good photographer who is also trying to build his own portfolio, be willing to take all of your photography needs for free, and maybe even a few more pics that are out of format, but that will give you depth in presenting your talents in modeling. You might find that some of these photos are more dramatic, colorful, and provide an insight into your deeper, marketable self image.

These photographers will usually use Canon [6D, 7D, 8D], Nikon, or Panasonic DSLR cameras, which are the standard for digital imaging. The cameras are set with larger lenses and high pixel capture rates that make photographs look crisp and provide a cutting edge look for your current actors head-shot. One thing that is guaranteed is that you will see a big difference in using a well trained photographer to keep your head-shots up to date. But if you choose to keep selfies to update your looks, well its all up to you.

**The photograph on the top right was taken with a Canon 8D.

WORKING WITH AN AGENT TO GET YOU THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER

As stated before, there are no standard formats for head-shots. There's no indie film regulation, no requirement in the way the photo was taken, or that your head-shots require photoshop of any kind. All that is required is a current color photo [head-shot] which can be previewed by Casting Directors with a resume of your most recent works that make you qualify for any role that you are hoping to fill. 

I feel that it is important, that if your dropping your name down for a specific part in a film production, to at least be ready to include a solid portfolio of you looking the part, in case you are selected and wardrobe and makeup have to prepare their material attributes for preparing you for the role should you be selected. Keep in mind that if your selected to read for the role, it doesn't actually mean you got the part; so don't be to eager to post that "Booked it" claim on your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn page.

If your a first time actor, trying to get into the mainstream of hiring an agent to help you boost your image in front of a camera, be aware that your decision to entrust your hopes into their operation will cost you money. Like any other business, your agent will always require you to get new head-shots by a local professional photographer they just happen to have ready to assist you...at some high cost too. Your agent won't hesitate to offer you access to the photographer at any turn, because they usually get a cut of the sales for their skills that you will require for any film project or model ad you might try to book. Will the work from this photographer actually win you the gig?...well, not really and not all the time.

Remember that agents have their favorite actors and models, who are often given first shots on any project, far before your recent work is submitted. Yes, having an agent may mean that you will be introduced to some dirty dealings, but always remember that agents always have a long lost of talent to dig through, just in case one actor fails to accept a job or if anyone is turned down. As a first time actor, there's a high probability that you will not be within the first twenty people on their list to call; all of whom have proven to be committed, faithful, on time, and willing to spend money when the need arises.

 **The photograph on the top left was taken with a Canon 8D.

IN HINDSIGHT...

In the course of over 14 years, I have gone out of my way to provided head-shot services for over 755 indie film actors and models within the state of Texas. It's been more of a hobby than a business, most of time I have gone out of my way to help actors/models that could not afford professional services in building portfolios. Many of those actors have since moved on from working on indie film projects, with a healthy percentage that have moved on to bigger and better film and modeling jobs, all of which have brought good success to building solid careers in their professional fields.

The best part of their adventure has been learning what to do, who to turn to when they need professional help in updating their portfolios, and what equipment is best for capturing their newest works. I like that these talented folks have also learned that photographers are a dime a dozen and that no two are alike; someone is always better or even brings something new in bringing in what's best in capturing some of the most brilliant format styles with proper lighting and studio arrangements.

**The photograph on the top right was taken with an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

If you have any doubt about the type of equipment that should be used for your new shots, just take the time to do some study on your own behalf. There are some good videos on YouTube.com and relatable searches on Google.com to assist you in making the best decision for you; especially if your tight on funds.

So be safe, stay smart and...Ride Easy!

LANDING THE PERFECT LOCATIONS FOR YOUR INDIE FILMS

It shouldn’t be a huge undertaking to land the perfect scene location for your film. In the case of indie film making, most production teams make the mistake of writing a script and then start looking for places to fill the scenes. When locations become the focus of a scenes success, they’re labeled as burdens of choice when the right place either can’t be found or the perfect place just couldn’t be confirmed prior to production. When a writer begins putting together a script, he should consider what locations, materials, wardrobe, running water and most importantly, power sources that are around for the planned project.

A few months ago, one of our Quantum Storm .357 [QSE .357] E-Magazine  issues covered the importance of pre-production and what a good filmmaker should consider prior to establishing a production budget before estimating costs. Because listing the things that you already have in your pocket can save you a lot of money if you don't need to go out and search for it, get permits, permissions, or establish communication with the local community prior to filming. A good producer, with established prior experience, will have a list of things that could help out a project before pre-production has begun. A bad producer will have no idea where to start and a plethora of last minute searches that could hinder production efforts with a "winging it" mentality that will frustrate the entire production team every time a new location is needed.

The job of a producer isn’t just to order people around to help find locations, but it's also the job of the producer to actually get off his ass and establish contacts with the local community, personally ensuring one on one contact, so that the locations can be attained at little cost as possible and even perhaps used for free in future projects. Bum Producers try to evade this part of their job and most of time struggle to make any contact with the right person(s); most of time it’s due to not having the right charisma or personality to mingle with the right city crowds or property owners.

In my years as a line producer; trust me I've worn man hats in my own indie film  productions, I’ve had my challenges to find locations for the right scene in a film. I’ve spent my time location spotting even when I’ve been out with my family on burger runs. The search never stops and I do my best to find the property or home owners to get the rights to shoot my indie film projects there as often as I can. Grimes and Montgomery Counties in Texas have proven to be some of the friendliest places to gain access to various, epic locations. I've produced a little over 30 indie film projects with locations that have extended the "script to film" environment to unexpected levels.

One location, that I call my "go-to" location, when all else fails, has been the scene location called "The Lightsey Ranch." This property has been in almost every indie film I've ever filmed. The location is perfect; far from main roads, ambulances, fire houses, with a closed property, access to power, restroom, shower, and running water, plus plenty of room to maneuver. Even better is that it's located in a private community with strong supporting neighbors who know whats going on there from time to time, even late at night. The location has been used in various types of movies and web series productions, from ghost stories, to Science Fiction, to murder mystery, to paranormal, and even a zombie movie or two.

Recently, we started working on two new projects at the ranch [one SciFi, the other a paranormal film] and with the new greenery starting to sprout this spring, we expect to catch some great scenes out there. Be sure to check out next month's issue of the QSE .357 because we will be presenting a trailer and some in-depth behind the scenes looks at several studio projects!

I've worked with a few Bum Producers recently who have attempted to take me to court and take control of the Lightsey Ranch property by filing court papers and threatening a "demand of a lean" on the property. Yeah, their desire to make use of the property to make films is so childish and over the years I had to make legal changes to keep the property off the ownership of the film maker [me] and the private film studio that I own and operate. Believe me, it happens and greed is out there, so always cover your ass and don't trust anyone in the indie film business, especially when they claim to have money and know the business!

What has been lost over greed is the importance of the positions are in film teams. Remember that producers establish the materials for the director to use and deliver the kind of project a good script can emphasize. Executive Producers being in cash flow and investment opportunities. Seldom to producers actually take part in being in the filming development phase of the production, unless he's staked his reputation in monetary value for the projects delivery. If that is the case, then that producer is called a "pigeon toe" - essentially, "...some asshole who gets in the way a lot..." of the production efforts and slows everything down by constantly demanding certain changes to the films production because he found something else to add to the film; or more commonly, he's found another investment opportunity by adding some person, location, music track, or other useless item to the film.

Finding a good location that can be used time and time again is gold, folks. New directors need to absorb the fact that Bum Producers love to use the same locations over and over again from one film to the next, with little artistic flair in the projects they choose to support. Before you agree to work with any producer, check out the work they've done before; more especially the materials they brought to other projects. You don't want to step on any toes using scene locations that were used in another movie in the same way.

That's why it's very important to have an experienced, strong and knowledgeable director to lead the production team and who isn't afraid to say "No!" to a producer every once in a while. Successful film teams can't look up to a "suck up" whose always kissing a producers ass just to keep him around for "this" or "that" reason.

Stay strong, my friends. Continue to search for those new and interesting film locations!

Ride Easy,

D. R. Quintana
Editor in Chief

A TRUE CRASH COURSE FOR BECOMING AN INSTANT NEW ACTOR/ACTRESS...

Houston, Texas - One day your out hanging with friends and family, taking pictures out in a backyard or at a lake and someone says to you, "Damn, you look like a model in these shots, have you ever thought about modeling professionally or becoming an actor?"

Surely, you should brush off that little question and take it as a nice gesture of admiration for your good looks and move on with your business. But most people can't shake that kind of admiration off; they lose sleep over it thinking to themselves, "I'm a pretty as she, or handsome as he, why don't I get out there and go for it?"

True, why not go for it? Everyone is 100% sure that Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig started off the same way, right? Now that some Hollywood actresses like Megan Fox and  Jennifer Aniston are starting to age, there could be room for you in Hollywood, right? Man or woman, you've gone out at turned heads at Christmas parties, family reunions or just walking into some mall in your favorite town. You're so good looking or so pretty that you're often asked if your a professional model, actor or something, so this must be the new thing you should try to build up your vanity.

Well, the honest truth is and it's also a damn shame, that to be a professional actor, there are a lot of steps that you have to make to separate yourself from all of those other people that feel that they too can live a comfortable life as an "actor." In the Independent Film Scene [IFS] circles, there are people who have quit their jobs and stepped into the world of acting to try and live off of it. Sure, some have kept a busy acting career taking gig after gig, making a $100 here and $250 there and living with their mom, or a friend, or a lover. But is that really the career you're looking for?

In Houston alone, Indie actors are a dime a dozen and if you're not chose for a spot in a commercial or an Indie film, another one is called in on a hot minute and masters the role you failed to attain; it happens all the time. Reputations in the IFS are so brittle, that it only takes you mingling with the wrong film team one time to get you written off and it happens all the time in you local city/town. With a simple search you'll learn right away that everyone is a professional and that everyone knows the odds and ends about acting, knowing what you need to get started and who you need to train you for that next level performance. If you find yourself in this position, taking advice from other actors, your on the wrong track for success. 

Look at the picture to the left, and I mean really look at it. What do you see in that actress? What's the first thing that got your attention to look at it the first time. Your answer should have been, I don't know what she's doing" but the next thing you should agree to is, that whatever she is doing, she believes it 100%; that's what an actor is supposed to do in a film or commercial, actually believe that that moment is real to us all, even though it's not. By the way, that photograph is a direct shot from a web series that received fandom all over the web and was produced in South Texas. At the time, the actress was a teen and since then has moved on to bigger and better films. But her first real leap was landing a role that garnered a lot of attention from local talent agents and scouts that were looking for an actress who believed in her talent to being a role to life. Do you want to be like her?

First of all, let's take a look at you. Go step up to a mirror and look at yourself for ten minutes. If you have one quality that you think might separate you from other actors in your local area, what do you think it is? About 99.3% of you didn't get off of your chair or off of your phone to do what I suggested; you are the ones that need to stop reading this blog and go back to working on local "low budget" 24-hour, fast food films that will go no where. No-no, don't get up now. I'm sure you'll find true success out there as an extra in a local film or something.

For that .7% of you who did stop reading, got up and looked into the mirror at yourself, well, you're being honest with yourself and for the first time I'm sure you saw a quality that stood out in the first two minutes. Your next step is to harness that quality and bring it out to life, where you can master the emotion, the fell, and the dire consequences should it ever leave your side. And how pray tell do you do that, well it's called "theater arts." Yeah, that's right - go find a local theater and learn what it takes to act in front of large crowds, learn what it takes to follow direction, and even better, what it takes behind the scenes to help get a production off the ground. Every Oscar winning actor has partook in theater to hone their skills and make them who they are; and I mean everyone!

The prestige received by an actor to be asked to move from one city to another, is one of the rarest and life consuming rewards that a thespian [actor] can receive in their lifetime. For example, Mariah Carey was a waitress way before she became a professional singer. She worked hard, often sang in a cafe in front of her patrons to make the day go by and people admired her looks and her talent. She still went to school and had many ups and downs before she was given a chance to perform on stage, which finally led to a record deal. I'm not suggesting you should work at a cafe, but please don't quit your day job to become an actor; the easy gigs don't pay enough and most of the gigs you get require an acting agency that is willing to sift through it's clientele to get to your file and give you a job; and remember that your not the only good looking guy or gal that the agency has in it's filing system.

Models fall under the same principle too. The main problem in the modeling field is that there's just so many formats and genre's that its really hard to break through unless you have a photographer who has broken through the local muck with the same modeling agent you have and can score you some big gigs. Outside of that, you'll just be another file in a drawer somewhere, so do your best to break your own rules and get creative; playing it safe in the modeling field will kill your attempt at making your mark with agents looking for the next level model to pass the big gigs to on a regular basis.

But back to acting, most new actors turn to Indie film projects after they've considered themselves ready to dive into the next level of acting. Indie films should be considered as amateur as a high school play and not taken with the attitude that "this indie project is different and it's going to go somewhere." Indie films rarely go anywhere and it's been proven that only .038% of all indie films actually break out and become huge hits at film festivals. Don't believe what you've just read? Then go to an Indie film festival and see for yourself. You'll find that every Indie film is a winner of something, that there's a BIG TIME actor that performed and/or produced a few, plus those films are never released to the general public outside of festivals and have been in festival circulation for a few years.

There is a risk of failure that might surface should you also "play it safe" on roles that may be too short, just in the background, just a voice over, or just a standby. You're going to have to learn to be patient on sets for projects you've been assigned. Most new actors want that "action packed" feel of landing a role in a new Indie film project, but most Indie films fail to have such an impact on a new actors career and many may feel the stale taste of the Indie pop scene that resonates actors to bad films like a bad bad plate of finger foods being passed around at a party. That is the point where new actors quickly realize that this IFS is not for them and they give up. So sad, but it's true.

Okay, so what can YOU do to prevent such things from happening to YOU? - Good question and it's about time you asked. Follow these [10] steps required to start your acting career in the right way. Don't skip over anything you don't understand, look them up and watch YouTube videos as required.

1. Get into performing in front of large crowds in Theater Arts/stage plays. You'll learn about mastering your expressions and emotions, pre-production efforts, script reading and delivery, dialog enhancement, voice projection, and makeup. If you haven't gone to a Renaissance Fair and experienced life performances, perhaps you should!

2. With time, patience, practice, and refining your skills, work to become a leading actor in a theater stage play. Be the center of attention and show your talents to a live audience. Feel the power of your work and the prestige of being respected for your skills to amaze the crowd.

3. See a real acting coach that teaches theater arts and take courses about transferring your stage skills to film. This may be a little expensive, but well worth the rewards as you plan to

4. Only use an Acting Agent for resourcing outside local Independent film projects. If you want to work in local commercials and even in prime time advertising, use an agent to help you get those projects. You might have to fight your way through the agents long list of favorites who are ahead of you, but believe in your self and continue to plug away. If your lucky, you might become one of your agents favorites and get issued a few gigs each year.

5. Consider working in ultra low Indie film projects for free and in a volunteer basis without a contract. It may surprise you the number of leading actor gigs you can land on a variety of projects in a short time. Be sure to always sign release forms to protect your image; remember that you can always change or add items to any contract tossed at you. Always use the term, “Actor retains control of own image, for purposes of marketing, promoting, and especially commercialized poster sales” to protect you, should the low budget indie project gain strength with a real investor or producer.

We wish you the best of luck in your dream of becoming a professional actor. Remember that having a solid foundation to your craft is the best and fastest way to secure confidence in yourself!

Ride Easy!

D. R. Quintana

CAN A BAD TRAILER RUIN YOUR INDIE FILMS PREMEIRE?

The honest answer to a question about the potential of having a solid Indie film trailer is “Yes, a projects success depends on what it takes to bring attention to your Indie film!” and it makes a HUGE difference to the success of your films potential for having a premiere – but don’t actually believe that people outside of your little circle really care. Indie films come and go all the time, and most of the time, the only people that truly care about your film project are the actors, the production team, their families, and friends that know about the Indie film and what it’s all about from the team. So, what should you do to get the best attention for your film?

First, get someone outside of your circle to promote your film to all of the news outlets and through all of the local Internet news circuits that they can; having someone that isn’t biased to your pride helps out a lot. Local Indie film directors try to produce fancy websites and Facebook pages to help quick-start the promotion process, but directors have BIGGER things to worry about than try to promote their own Indie film. Sure, every actor in the film claims to have ‘this contact’ and/or ‘that agent’ that can help to get the word out about your film, but a true promotions director knows the real contacts to get the word out about your film. Let them do the hard work and give them the best material to advertise your project without remorse or recourse for under promoting it.

A solid promotional director will cost you money, but to trust an accomplished advertiser to push your work to the right people outside of your circle is the best investment you’ll have when the premier date comes dancing around in the local community. A proven promo-director has to out-smart the previous ‘big Indie hit’ that came before you, so it’s always a contest to get the best person at the helm of pushing your new Indie film. 

With that, you’re going to need a solid trailer. So, where do you begin with your first trailer? What source material do you need? Should you use real material from your film?

Well, trailers are a tricky thing. Some production teams use ‘trailer ideas’ to bring investors and producers in to help their projects with money or locations; the proper term is ‘pitch film’ or ‘sizzle reel’, so if you decide to work with a team who say, “It’s called a trailer”, I highly recommend you bail out from that team right away. These types of people find out the hard way about movie making, so as a growing actor, it’s always a good thing to know when it’s time to bail when you’re working with stubborn people.

If your team has an Independent film idea you’d like to ‘pitch’ to an investor or potential producer, you want to produce a ‘pitch film’ [or sizzle reel] which is usually a seven or eight minute look into your project idea. But, we’re talking about a ‘trailer’ for your Indie film, right? So, let’s go over what you need to present to people outside of your project to get them excited to see your potentially exciting film.

I will begin by telling you that having a ‘clique of friends’ to help support your film is a good thing, but you need sheer honesty to see if your film is worth bragging about. Remember if you’re an Indie filmmaker/director, people outside of your friends circle [or clique] always expect local Indie films to be crappy and lack material worth watching, so your trailer has to prove those people wrong. Always show them that you have class within the production, and that yeah, it’s actually going to be a fun film to watch. I know what you’re dying to ask; “How do I do all of that?”

As I stated earlier, it’s all about honesty. First time local Indie directors are always looking for someone to hand out accolades for every small scene they complete; but how good are those scenes really? How did everything tie in together? Was the mood you wanted to present in retrospect all there? These questions cannot be answered and evaluated by the production team. I hate to say it, but if you clearly have a scene between two people sitting on a couch, passing out what you think is a key point or important information within the films storyline, you should truly consider not showing that in your trailer. “Couch scenes” are considered amateurish, strong signs of a low budget production, and will give the audience an ill fated glimpse into the quality of your film.

I recommend for first time directors to set up a private screening for different genres of people after your films first run at post editing who are not part of any clique or production circle. They should be split up in several groups to best evaluate a rating system, evaluate flow, and gage interest for maturity purposes if your film declares a film rating of PG or higher. These groups can be split up in age groups, like this:

- First group 8-16 years of age.
- Second group 16-24 year of age.
- Third group 25 or older.

Keep the numbers of each group small to less than three per age group. These groups should be allowed to take notes and openly review your film. If you feel that the younger audiences[8 to 16 y/o] won’t understand your film or be too afraid of the projects content, remove them from the first group and add another age group who will help you get the right type of review that’s good for your project. Ask this audience of reviewers to be brutally honest as their review will help you establish a movie rating for your film; whether the film will be PG, PG13, or R. Don’t ever just assume the rating of your film because you ‘feel’ it should be a certain rating for future audiences.

So from here, let’s pretend you have your review and now you’re considering on producing a ‘trailer’ because the initial reviews from your unbiased group gave you good marks. Keep in mind that most professional trailers to a finished film should run under two minutes in length. If you’ve produced a comedy, make sure the trailer is funny; if you’ve produced a dramatic film, make the trailer dramatic; if you made a horror film, make damn sure it’s scary; if it’s a sexy film, make the trailer sexy. The best advice I can give is, don’t tell the viewer the whole story and plot about your film. A trailer is preview of things inside the project that best represents the whole meaning of your film. Push the envelope where you need to and if you have a film format that separates you from other Indie films, toss that in for good measure.

Some of the best trailers we’ve ever previewed have been those trailers that have presented the unexpected without giving away too much. Most of those trailers were produced by persons not related to the production team; meaning that the director put the production of his films trailer into the hands of an experienced editor who has actually seen the film and knows what will make the trailer tick to audiences. A good sound track is also key to delivering a punch [or dramatic peak] that fits the mood of the trailer. The prowess of your actors will be evaluated by the audiences when they watch your film, so don’t worry so much about trying to present the total acting quality in your trailer.

People love to see flowing scenes from one scene to another, so be sure to make your trailer flow constantly with scenes you now will set the mood for the trailer. If your trailer can bring in only one person outside of your friends circle to see your project, then the trailer has done its job. The list for bad film trailers is long and distinguished, but if your current trailer design has the following bad practices in trailers, you should consider cutting a new trailer.

- Trying to show the entire cast of your Indie film in the trailer; because you feel like you owe it to the entire team.

- Making up scenes in the trailer that are not in your film.

- Showing a plot twist in the film that gives away your film’s best avenue for stunning your future audience.

- Presenting the names of all of the actors and production team in a trailer “credit scroll” just to satisfy your crew’s vanity.

- Presenting a release date or venue location on your trailer; as you will wind up making updates to every change of venue; always present only one trailer for your film to use in all promotional venues.

If you’re an Indie filmmaker who has several successful films in your resume, the lists and the information shared may not mean much to you. But if you have yet to successfully break away from your local Indie clique and get impressive ‘outside’ numbers for your films premiere, it might be due to not bringing in the newer crowds through your previous trailer. Try a change in your post production habits, put your faith in an experienced Marketing or Promotions Manager, and try some of things we’ve presented to help you on your way to improve the attendance in your new films premieres.

D. R. Quintana

CEO and Editor of the QSE

Submitted as Liner Notes - His opinion is not the opinion of all of the QSE Staff or the actors who work with him on film projects.

CHINESE/KOREAN AUDIENCE KEEPING CLOSE TABS ON SPECTRE ZERO

Thanks to some smartly prepared promotions through various internet sites, the studios supper-thriller SciFi series, SPECTRE ZERO, is taking strong roots with many Oriental fans due to the reason of the show including a talented and heavy Oriental cast who portray lead characters who delve into a career of searching for spiritual phenomena.

One of the series leading characters, Wynn Mi, is played by the talented and beautiful Sara Mao of Katy, Texas who has made a name for herself on the internet with cosplay modeling she has produced online for the last few years.  Her character is gifted with the psychic ability to step through a doorway of the "minds eye" and communicate with evil spirits that live inside a sub-space world that has parallels with our own world. Her clairvoyant abilities are pretty impressive as all she has to do is see and sense the area around her to fully engage with spirits and try to communicate with them. In many cases, the trips into the "minds eye" are simple and a bit scary, but at other times her trips into the nether world are quite horrifying and seem to send a warning about seeing things in the dark that people shouldn't.

Wynn's team members are the creators and inventors of the band name company, Spectre Zero. Markus McCain, is played by Daniel Erik, and Lewis Denmark, is played by Bishop Asher [both of Conroe, Texas] who run a website which lists only the proven "active" places in Texas that have ghostly phenomena and also have an Urban Legend tied to them. In the series, the trio trek through the Texas landscape verifying or debunking ghost sites and make a good living off of them. In some cases, the phenomena is so extreme, that Wynn Mi is put in peril over some evil forces that are up to no good.

The series director and creator, D. R. Quintana, said that the studio project was seriously only intended to be another web series, which was being produced solely for fun.

"I never want to over-emphasize or over-hype any of the projects I produce through our small enterprise, but the Chinese audience is watching, listening, and reading every article and trailer we release on the web" says Quintana. "The numbers are real and there is no exaggeration about the expectation for this low budget series, that doesn't look so low budget in final production."

Quintana says that the high quality video production has everything to do with thinking about how to produce the best material possible before actually rolling their cameras. The series must maintain a high quality video production and at least a 7.2 Dolby surround sound production format with original music score and full scripts to have a chance for approval to Amazon's film and series acceptance program for streaming services.

"In years passed, it was all about filming this scene and that without thinking of the quality of the production" added Quintana. "Where I wanted quantity of material to spill out onto the internet, racing the remaining time of a young cast of actors, in Spectre all of the actors are adults and there's no racing required to keep the look of the cast in check." 

The studio continues to produce episodes for the series, aiming for a goal of 13 to 15 episodes for final delivery to Amazon for streaming and distribution. The studio is hoping to wrap up season one by April and commence production of season two by the end of July. With a young cast and  a plethora of stories to tell, the studio is sure that the series will find it's way to fans across all corners of the globe, just like previous project releases produced by the studio.

The studio is planning to release a new series trailer in the first week of March.

J. Jazz
[Contributing Writer]

STUDIO RELEASES OCTOBER ISSUE - THE PILOT PREMIERE OF ZOMBIE REIGN!

This Blog entry also has an editorial by David Quintana & is to be considered as "liner notes" for future reference; for openly sharing his opinion to the subscribers of this e-magazine. His opinion is not the opinion of the cast and crew who work with him on his film projects.

As promised, the October issue was released for preview to everyone on the web. But the open release was only intended for the first 15 days of the month to help bring in new subscribers. Subscribers will still receive two extra issues of the QSE this year to make up for this free issue release on the blog.  Amended as of: 10/17/2016

- D. R. Quintana

This issue received a ton of hits on our blog and was linked to many Facebook pages, blogs, and posts on the internet giving the listed pilot a strong promotional push; all due to the first ever free preview of the entire E-magazine during the first fifteen days of October. I had the privilege of following this team of filmmakers through their journey to get the finished pilot episode to it's premiere. And through thick and thin, the members of this project jumped hurdles to reach the point where their work would be seen on the big screen for anyone in the San Antonio area to see. 

They have kept to the goal of completing their work and there is news that the pilot's director, Ramiro Avendano, is making statements about continuing work on the show should things land their way to get more done. With the exception of some production costs being covered by a few of the cast members, now considered as "producers" who helped finance the project, the rest of the project was an all collaborative, all volunteer production with no verified investors that assisted them in getting the job done.

I would never recommend for any group of actors or studio to go into an "all volunteer project" unless you were promised to be immediately reimbursed for any out-of-the-pocket expenses which you may have endured in helping out. Some projects are kind enough to cover gas for travel or meals between breaks. Some studios put together small contracts which provide a "deferred clause" to help pay you back IF the project makes any money...but keep in mind that a large majority of projects with deferred contracts rarely pay out at all, and most of the time, lose out more than their share on smaller Independent film gigs. Deferred contracts usually leads to a lot drama and power struggles within a group who sticks it through to the end...That's just a fair warning to all.

How Zombie Reign [ZR] continued to make it to it's premiere with the core of it's actors and it's director still intact is a guessing game that defies explanation. The pilot certainly penned itself as a dream project that "just wouldn't die" and stunned many of the San Antonio area acting teams by actually admitting to and presenting a completed project to it's cast, crew, family and friends.

The project has a lot of strong actors assigned to it: some of who have accredited and extensive acting experience with a long list of projects under their belts. This part of the cast are "veteran level" actors, filled with on-set maturity and have had their share of national exposure in local commercials, national television, and some movie time. It's a large array of talent on a project that would have certainly died an early death if any of them were missing their participation in the production and all of them volunteered their services to help the first time director complete his pilot episode.

This being Avendano's first film, he was lucky that he had a great team to work with and not have to worry about their performances during action and dramatic scenes. But I do have concerns about this production; i.e. for some of the production/actor members this was their first time as a production team and there were signs that they were thinking far too ahead of themselves by claiming larger appraisal from outside sources before the pilot or any real pitch material was ever complete. This was a huge problem for the team in the recent past which caused a lot of drama, as I am sure it will continue until reasonable thinking takes over. There will be problems with ZR's future unless certain leading figures in the production team learn to let go of big dreams and just reach the projects mission first; complete the series.

"Flash" certainly isn't a problem for this pilot; pre-promotion releases were full of it. Presenting dark photos and character bios to give viewers a small glimpse of what to expect in each character before the pilot was ever released. There was no "Promotions Director" for this project, as most of the dished ads and promo shots were prepared and released by it's director in good faith. But in my opinion, over promoting a slew of characters for a one hour premiere seemed a little dire to give character development through promo ads. 

In the past, I have seen that these type of flash ads from "first time" amateur film makers that don't do any good in getting new fans in to see the project. When flash ads are done too early, most of those projects rarely get to see the time of day; primarily because the finished product fails to completely deliver telling the full story or they suffer because the finished project just doesn't get in-depth enough with all of the required character development to bring it all in. Flash promo ads are often manufactured to keep actors happy on film projects that are taking way too long to complete; it's usually an unwarranted practice done while a project is still in post editing, but usually happens when someone thinks everyone is capable of running away to do something else. Actors are allowed to work on other projects after the current project has wrapped, that's just the way of things in the field of making movies...that's just how I see it.

And make no mistake, I have not seen the pilot, however I saw plenty of footage to let me know that there is a pilot to present. All of the actors should get copies of the DVD in the near future to burn demo reels out of it, which should be impressive for the actors next projects. There are many cast members who are happy to see this project actually [and finally] get released. This one pilot has been in post editing for over a year now and through all of the diversity it's honed over time, I hope only best success to the team that helped get this project reach the goal of being released for preview!

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