WHAT DOES "OFFICIAL SELECTION" ACTUALLY MEAN IN FILM FESTIVALS?

 Yeah, it's that time of year again when Indie film teams across the country start submitting their projects into film festivals across the internet. Many of those teams are filled with the overwhelming urge to get an awards laurel stamped on their indie movie poster as "evidence" that something they filmed was produced with "professional prowess." Chins are often held higher with every new laurel that is set on their poster, like an award pendant that is proudly pinned on the chest of a soldier in front of his unit, because he was the guy who went out of his way to do the job, who did his job without complaint and left his family for months while he was on deployment. But is simply receiving a laurel for an "official selection" really something to brag about? Do these awards actually help an indie film reach the next level of success?...No, not really.

Seriously, getting selected just means that someone paid for the admission fee and the check cleared, the indie film submitted by a team hasn't been reviewed at any point of the acceptance procedure. It's not like there's a group of judges that watches each submission and says, "Oh yeah, this one HAS to be in our festival!" - But I am sure that there are films on the submission line that ARE expected to raise eyebrows if the right name is listed in the credits. For now, for anyone to brag about their film "being selected" for this or that festival is like someone getting an award laurel for filling out an application for a 5K run that won't start for another month. Remember, "selection" films are not reviewed for required film format, legal paperwork, legitimate film making experience...nothing. As a matter of fact, a large quantity of films aren’t even previewed by judges.

Furthermore, members who pay for their film being submitted to a festival, must also pay extra fees for "nominations" in their own application. That's right, studio teams have to pay cash and submit for their own nominations! Positions that are paid for consist of various genres film categories for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Producer, Best Director, etc, etc, etc. And again, judges for these festivals don't recognize "instant performances" in every indie film that was entered or selected and giving them awards for their performances. Plus there's no reassurance that all of the films submitted into a film festival are even previewed by final judges at all. I've known all about these "festival follies" for many years; and a solid reason why I never entered into film festivals since I began working on my own indie film productions.

Super-duper amateur film makers tend to jump on the "excitement band wagon" and have a proven record of thriving on their initial success of simply being entered in a film festival. These idiots often release trailers on YouTube [which is a big no-no during the submission process] and try to prove that viewers numbers prove that the film has a large sized group of fans [apparently outside of the film teams line of family and friends] who are interested in seeing the big movie they just finished putting together. 

 

Film teams who boast of having an "editor from LA" ready to take over the projects post production, claim to have one just in case their initial submission turns out to be a bust; I'm not sure why a film team wouldn't have such phenomenal access to an established post-editing credential and not use that person on all of their film projects? - Seems a little odd, wouldn't one think? Oh my oh my, the cracks that slowly but surely begin to form when the truth about someones low-life integrity about knowing absolutely nothing of the film industry begins to show.

It's a known fact that meta-data has proven the members of how an indie film team love to watch their own films over-and-over again, trying to help build the numbers of the viewing counter on their YouTube account. These issues were investigated on in the Quantum Storm .357 E-Magazine [QSE .357] Issue 5, a few issues back, where we proved in a studio video investigation on how to check someones meta-data on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and any other online platform, to see what the real outside viewers numbers were to a film teams "successful" trailer or full feature film. When internal numbers are removed from the equation of viewers, industry professionals will know what the real numbers of views are; and trust me, they do look at all of the meta-data they can on any project submitted to them.

What I honestly like to see are the amateur first time leading indie actors who also enjoy the ride of tasting success through the fruits of their limited experienced performances; most of whom have never really worked on a real production or were never educated on set through experienced directors or assistant directors. Most of these people will never see the light of day as a lead or supporting role on a film project that is a step up from the film they just finished. Most are complete no-bodies who are given roles and promises of "riches to come" when they "ring that bell" of success. And unfortunately, where there is one; there is also a slew of other cast and crew members who are on that ride of just hoping that the film was "selected" by the film festival in question.

I like watching indie movie trailers. Seriously, I enjoying watching them as much as I liked being a child and walking though the toy aisle of a grocery story, looking at all of those hollow plastic cars and airplanes, saying to myself then, "Why would anyone want to buy that crap?" - Amateur indie film trailers are the same. They often boast of "film producers" you've never known [or truly want to know], credits are displayed on top of actors performing their parts, the sound is bad, the nauseating music selection is as horrific and reoccurring as the swishing sound of the ocean being replayed over and over and over. Plus I like the fact that right away, even an unbiased outsider will tell you that someone in that film production never made a film trailer in their life...but it looked like certain people in their group HAD to be presented in it; you know, people that you've never seen before in any film what-so-ever, except in their own film community.

Most normal people [like me] can see it now...a group of amateur indie film makers huddled around in prayer, waiting for that one film festival to accept their film after the entry fee was paid...waiting for the approval email that their film is IN; with some director or indie "film producer" whose already prepared a laurel to post on his or her Facebook page, just waiting for the moment that he can hit the post key. Once the news gets out, the laurel is passed out to their small team of actors an the hype begins. There's no reality but the fact that an entrance fee was paid and now the next big step in the festival process is about to begin, but this time, the next round will prove who is truly the experienced film maker from the people who just put something together with camera and no real idea of how to use them.

And even IF the film wins an award or two, what is the next step for the amateur film makers? Do they post another link on their Facebook page to show the film to the outside "millions of local fans" who are dying to see their film? Has their number one "film producer" ensured that he's paid the yearly subscription to his website to post the film and bring in that lucrative meta-data to provide to future distributors the large numbers of future fans who are wanting to see the film in question? - Something that we introduced on the QSE .357 [Issue 4] is that amateur indie film producers and directors who have no knowledge of what meta-data is or where to get it and are just people who are winging their indie film productions along. But you can bet your ass that after seeing this blog, they'll google it and be the "purveyors of knowledge" the next time you ask them, because they'll have read this blog entry too.

Current Meta Data for QSE .357 E-Mag

The truth of the matter is, if you don't have any experience in promotions, advertising, or proven connections within the indie film circuit, your film will die a sure death of never being seen by anyone that actually matters in the film industry...but hey, there's always another BIG new indie film to make...or perhaps you can be bold enough to pull a "Nanae Volle" and create your own Inde movie award festival and sweep the BIG awards with your super amateur, peace of shit film!

 

Nuff said.

Editorial by D. R. Quintana-Lujan
Editor in Chief

 

 

"BLADE REMIX" JUST NEEDS TO STOP THE HYPE

BLADE REMIX Part 2 [Short film Series]

Directed, Written & Edited by Marcus Mahud

Produced by A Tone Productions

Starring Marcus Mahud, Nanae Volle, Brandee Barbie

SUMMARY - Not really sure what to write up about this film. The story takes place at a building where an apparent guard is taken out, another dude is taken out; an alarm begins to sound off and a chick is running through a hallway searching for drugs?; another dude shows up; then another set of of dudes show up; I guess the leading dude is Blade meets up with another dude and they duke it out on a dark balcony; then the chick on drugs sees another chick standing in a room starring back at her, then a van full of dudes show up armed to the teeth and, I guess, walk into the building where the others are. I'd really like to add more to this paragraph to balance out this new blog input, but there's nothing that comes to mind to make me describe just how bad this episode of Blade Remix was...so, there!

An actual grab from this episode of
Blade Remix.

No character is ever identified, there's really no talking except in the opening scene where, David Kurfner is shown standing guard by himself and checking the perimeter. There's no reason why anyone is alarmed or anyone is stepping into the building. The location for this episode was impressive; would have been more-so if it was identified what the place was; i.e. a hospital, a bank, a storage facility. Even for an investor it could have gave him a few kudos for helping the local Indie film scene produce a local film/thingie. Maybe if Mahud let people see his intentions through a script, people might figure out what the approach to the series was...?...Either way, the episode looked like a complete jumble of scenes that were put together by a five year old.

PRODUCTION BREAKDOWN

↓ Lighting

↓ Camera Work

↓ Sound

← Use of Visuals

↓ Time Lapse

↓ Editing

↓ Rule of Thirds
↑ Locations

↓ Music
↓ Ending/Follow through

LEGEND:  ↑ Excellent   ← Needs Work    ↓ Poor

Another grab...from slow-mo 4K film?

POST MORTEM - I am honestly not trying to nip-pic on this series, but there is no storyline and there is no plot. Mahud and Volle won "best director", "best actress" awards for this film series at the U.S. China International Film Festival in December of 2018 in Houston, Texas - that coincidentally no longer exists and never existed before then. The film/episode that was submitted to the festival has never been seen. Plus, what hurts the project the most is that the best director and best actress claimed that there was a $10 Million price tag running on this production should it get picked up. The write up for this mess is claimed to be shot in 4K...I'd say more like 4MB. 

8 seconds of Volle's "award winning"
performance at 4:48 of this episode?

The lighting is atrocious, the sound needs a TON of work, the editing crummy, and the slow motion scenes not actually needed at all. There is no screenplay identified in this episode, as there was no interacting between actors; possibly completely produced as an action episode without any dialog between the characters of the episode - nothing I've ever herd of, but in Houston you get what you get. On a serious note. if there was a lot work prepared for the intense fight choreography, which it's obvious that there was, it was wasted on bad lighting and bad camera angles; which is why its a better thing for an Indie director to not act in his own movie, unless he's had real experience and training making films. This is the perfect example of how NOT to produce your first set of films. 

I hope Mahud can grow from this. 

Proof of the 4K claim

A miserable production. ⭐️[1 of 5 Stars]

DOES WINNING A RIGGED AWARD BOOST ONES PERSONAL SUCCESS?

EDITORS NOTE - The following blog entry is the opinion of the editor [D. R. Quintana] and not the opinion of the cast and crew of Quantum Storm Pictures.

There are very few actors who will try and enforce the issue of hyping the win of being awarded "best actress" for a three second scene in a 5 minute fan film during a film festival they personally organized...but hey, I guess if you're trying your best to "fake it until you make it" then I guess it's a good start, for now. It may even seem a little silly that these same few actors will then use the "fame" of that momentous award to escalate their importance within the local community; suddenly claiming to be a professional film producer with the clout and experience to make better films than most of the elite amateurs who have yet to win award. They will often use any win as a platform for launching their film and acting career, promising to share the wealth of their award in the coming year with more films, more acting performances, and even more money which will be pouring all over their future films because of the glorious win that has now gotten world attention through the internet. Don't laugh dear reader, it's actually happening right now as we speak. It will only take you a quick search on any Facebook page that has local indie winner hashtags aligned to it; you'll be amazed at the number of local indie film actors and directors who claim to be "award winning" recipients who have broken away from the bottom dwellers of the local film scene.

Not trying to single anyone out during this blog entry, I seriously ask that anyone who claims to have won a significant international award to please have their work ready for preview for those admiring millions of Chinese fans on YIZIHIBO that are out there waiting for their chance to emulate the performance that only few amateur Indie actors could ever achieve in their lifetime if living in the U.S. for only a few years; even though there is already word the at the system has been down for a few weeks due to a buy out.; but you still have to believe what you read on their Facebook pages? Within their own little world, they try to impress people all the time on their Facebook pages claiming to be working on that next BIG film and getting a large number if views through web pages in other countries; when in reality their working with just another "guy with a video camera" and both of them have no certifications in filming, have proof that they've ever completed a real film of any kind and don't have the right connections to even film a TV commercial.

In any movie production that arises, it takes more than just good looks, posing for fake scenes that aren't being really produced, and holding a gun to make a movie successful. As a matter of fact, it takes years of acting experience through acting courses, live stage performances and weapons training to give an actor the proper professional edge needed to give a film the luster to succeed at the highest level. So, if your an actor/actress who hasn't still grasped the most basic, fundamental language skills required to deliver dialog, then you have a lot of work to do. No tiara or acting award will erase the qualities you lack as an actor/actress and it will take more than a nine minute film to help you truly hone your acting skills and gain you real credibility in the heavy, sometimes intense competitive Indie film scene which struggles to gain favor as a film industry.

And if you think you can make it BIG in the Indie film scene with just your good looks alone, keep in mind that the indie film scene is a mecca of good looks and talent. It doesn't matter how many great looking actors or actresses are in your yet undeveloped and un-produced film that you may have, there are prettier and sexier actors that are willing to go the extra mile to prove their better and sexier for any role that you think your highly qualified for. And when I say better talent,  I Mean people who have studied for years in front and behind the camera and have proven themselves in the real are of movie production, through proven directors and producers that have actually finished films and have many under their belts to impress any investor wanting to throw cash down on a project. Given the opportunity to truly impress and make that film your in MORE special, all it takes is a simple email to contact me to help give your film project direct access to a talented actress who will perform to please and not surround the cast and crew with drama. These proven actors don't spend a lot of time on Facebook, worrying about how many hits and views they get for a post. They are honest, hard working professionals that love to film for the art.

But if your film production needs a real, certified actor/actress to up the ante in the acting department to win you a real investor, theres always the great connection through the Quantum Storm E-Magazine [QSE] as my publication always lists the top 30 actors/actresses in the state with bonafide SAG cards, lists of awards, long list of films they've partaken in; including featured roles and extras, and contact numbers for their professional agents. So, if your now claiming to also be a producer or co-producer in film productions, always be sure to keep your options open for a better actor or crew to help make the best film possible. Credibility and respect go a LONG way in the indie film scene for any future producer who is only wanting to put together the best team to make an impressive film for future fans, no rigged award will win you the hearts of both the film scene or future fans in your local community. Being a film producer means you know how to manage a production set, provide proper contracts to protect yourself and your actors careers, provide the studio the best equipment, materials, and locations that will separate your film project from anyone else.

If you claim to be an actor/actress, but also produce or co-produce a film project, at least have the dignity to educate yourself on how to do the job properly. Don't try to just be another person who plans on "making a difference" overnight and being a millionaire on a project that still shoots films on a Cannon 5D or a hand held camera!

D. R. Quintana
Editor in Chief

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL JUST DISAPPEARS

Only a few weeks after the Quantum Storm E-Magazine [QSE] released an investigative news report over the possible rigging of awards for an international indie film festival [Rigged Indie Film Festivals & Awards Are Back In Houston dtd 1-4-2019], it seems the at the lone film festival in question, the U.S. Chinese International Independent Film Festival, has simply just disappeared from existence. Even the presented “committee” which overlooked this even has simply disappeared; with the exception of a few American and Chinese businesses who were wrestled up and asked to provide funding to help put it all together. Any online searches for the festivals websites have proven that the once active links were completely shut down and removed from existence; leaving many to speculate that the event was a sham all along.

This Indie awards festival was definitely not a scam, but it certainly also wasn’t a certified global event as it was advertised over the course of maybe two months. Several promotional ads and video commercials were prepared and posted on the Facebook pages owned by two people in Houston, Marcus Muhd and Nanae Volle; who alleged that the International Film Festival was a bonafide event with proper Chinese interest and a committee that was created to oversee the festival’s legitimacy. These ads were then copied or shared on Facebook media by various other sources who also claimed the event was legit; there is no evidence that funds were spent on any other advertising, except some poster boards, wooden awards, and large banners which were used at three locations in Houston. Even though some of the awards that were presented, only four in photographs, and those could have easily been manufactured by a local trophy store in Houston.

What comes in complete surprise was a gem studded tiara that was purchased solely for the "Best Actress" award and presented to none other than Nanae Volley for her two second scene and voice over part in a fan film trailer entitled, BLADE REMIX, which was directed by the secondary creator of the International event in Houston, Mr. Muhd. In the years that I have lived in the Houston area and have witnessed many Independent award platforms, I have never seen an actress receive a tiara for their efforts in a film, especially only performing in a film for a few seconds. Mrs. Valle seemed to love the attention of winning the award and the tiara as she was crowned the best actress in a Chinese International film that was actually just a short film, and a fan film at that. I also find it a bit humorous that no one can gain access to the fan film to see it in it's entirety and many of actors who took part in the fan film have stated that the fan film, which only consisted of an action sequence, was incomplete and lacked a full story to present to the judges. This has just been another element of various red flags that has arisen over the film festivals "alleged" judging of Independent films which claimed to have Chinese actors and culture presented within.

Whether or not this “International festival” was produced to serve the vanity of one or two people, with the likes of Valle strutting around the festival in awe of her award, is unclear. Even though there were some fantastic photos and web pages that were created which presented the look of a three to four day event, there has still been no evidence of the 200 Indie films were submitted for review, there was no list the Indie film titles with their actors, directors or their producers; nor was there a list of complete awards for all of the nominees and winners who submitted their films. Even worse is the fact that the QSE has learned that the winning film was not an International Indie film at all, but only a trailer for a fan film which could not possibly qualify for an International film by any means, as fan films cannot accept funds of any kind to help produce the film project, be submitted for International awards, or pay it’s actors as most international independent films require.

All of this speculation and lack of information has seemingly took its toll on a couple of people who planned the whole event out without any thought of the consequences that would arise after putting together an even under false pretenses. The local private businesses that were bought in as sponsors and investors were also misled in the attempt to help provide an honest Indie film festival to help bolster the local Chinese community who has not had proper representation in indie movie awards. The entire idea of a Chinese film festival might have started out like an honest venue to help bring more Chinese indie films and investors to the forefront of future productions, but instead either gave useless awards to those who didn’t properly earn the prestige or perhaps lined the pockets of a few people who were out to make a quick buck.

Only time will tell if a proper investigation by the local authorities and District Attorney begins to take place and if any serious crime had occurred during the International event that wasn't so International by the look of things. For now, the QSE can only speculate what actually transpired in Houston during the four to five days that an alleged International U.S./ Chinese Film Festival occurred with the proper representatives and committee’s required to hold such an event.