QUANTUM STORM WIKI ON “THE SECRET OF ANGELIKA5”

THE SECRET OF ANGELIKA5 [ANGELIKA5] is a 2009 SciFi, dramatic web series written and directed by David Quintana-Lujan. It is the second web series produced by Quintana-Lujan, this series was the first produced under the studio name, Quantum Storm Productions. In the near future, a young girl, Angelika McAdams [Brittany Clark], awakens after having an aneurysm [or stroke] and is raised by two adoptive parents who took care of the young girl, keeping a close eye on her recovery. Along her new life start, she makes new friends, centering her juvenile tendencies with a close neighbor, Brianna Fuller, who introduces to nothing but constant trouble, drama and teenage concerns. Angelika is frequently visited by a ghost-like woman, who calls herself “Ms. Rachael,“ who is a harbinger of the future, or maybe just a figment of her imagination. With each new visitation of this “harbinger” a coincidental set of migraines occur that eventually end up giving Angelika incredible super power abilities. Her best friend, Brianna [Angelica Grayson],has the reverse effect and she too begins to have visitations from a paranormal group of beings called “the Vapor People.” As the two girls begin to grow with their abilities, it becomes a struggle for power between good and evil. The powers from the future are then introduced, but we learn that they have hid themselves in the deep past, hiding from a powerful foe. Can Angelika unite with her friends to help unlock the secret of her abilities and defeat the evil plans of the “Vapor People?” ANGELIKA5 features Angelica Grayson, Jessica Yanker, Maque Garcia, Saira Ramos, John St. Germain, Eddie Enriquez, Alan Berkowitz, Patrice Kentimenos, Kacey Kelley, Mary King, Larry Carrell, Matthew Jasso, Shelley Boozer, Caterra McAlexander, and Rainey Beaumier. 

Directed by D. R. Quintana-Lujan 

Screenplay by D. R. Quintana-Lujan
                    Brittany Clark
                    Angelica Grayson 

Story by D. R. Quintana-Lujan
            John St. German

Based on Characters by D. R. Quintana-Lujan

Produced by D. R. Quintana-Lujan                        
                 John St. Germain
                 Jennifer Lightsey

Executive Producers Barbara Johnston
                            D. R. Quintana-Lujan
                            Barbara Clark 

Starring Brittany Clark & Angelica Grayson 

Cinematography by D. R. Quintana-Lujan 

Edited by D. R. Quintana-Lujan
              Andrew Quintana 

Music by ASIA
             Randal Behan
             Zeca Mahoney

Production Company Quantum Storm Productions 

Running Time 22 minutes per episode 

Countries United States 

Language English 

Budget $45,000 (52 episodes)

THE SECRET OF ANGELIKA5 is an ultra-low independent web series directed and produced by David Quintana-Lujan from March 2009 to December 2014. The entire web series was developed and filmed in the county of Montgomery in Texas. A large casting call was made to find every actor in the show, over 100 teens tried out for the series and only three were picked; those being Brittany Clark, Angelica Grayson, and Rainey Beaumier. A casting call for the parents in the show was even tougher, eventually landing spots in the series were Maque Garcia [picked because of her deep Spanish accent], Saira Ramos [for her approachability], and Eddie Enriquez [for his soap opera good looks]. Because the series was being developed in south Texas, the director wanted a heavy cast of Latino talent in key roles. 

SEASON 1

Seven locations were used, most owned by the parents of the teenage actors, the introduction of the Lightsey Ranch and lake property, and one prime home owned by the Grayson family in Waller County. Each of the 52 episodes for the series was estimated at $870 per episode, each averaged five hour shoots on the production set per day, and the scripting was purposely written for twenty minute episodes; as the director-producer believed [at the time] that shorter “fast paced” episodes was perfect to watch from the internet. Filming of episode one began in February 2009 with a small cast and crew after a long and exhausting talent search to fill roles. The series co-writer, John St. Germain, played the part of Angelika’s father for the first season. Over the course of three weekends, the production team completed four episodes and also worked on the "season ender" which was planned as the eighth episode. Production teams remained small in the first two seasons to keep the cast ready to move from one location to another to complete as many scenes as possible in one day.

Episodes were immediately released upon completion and the cast screened every new episode before they were launched on a studio website. By the first summer of production, all eight episodes were viewable online and there was an instant rush of viewers who watched the first season, trying to figure out what the secret of the series was all about. Meta data for the series was impressive as the first season reached out to over 80,000 fans from various countries. 

Because the director-producer was stationed overseas for most of his Navy career, promotional advertising was produced by spreading the work through contacts made across Europe and western pacific locations during his military career which helped bolster the existence of the low budget show worldwide. What also helped was that the sultry, Maque Garcia, was also a local celebrity in Houston, Texas; as she was recognized as the weather and traffic correspondent on the local Latin network stations. Her popularity brought in higher numbers of views from the local community which helped bolster a new line of fans who followed newly released episodes to the series every weekend.

Helping to bring in new fans to the show, the opening credits for the first season used the music track of “Ride Easy” from the world known rock band, ASIA. The director-producer was able to legally procure the use of the track for the cost of $150, which was a complete surprise to the lead singer of ASIA, John Wetton, who absolutely thought the track was perfect for the opening credits of the show and wrote a letter to the studio about using the track. Search engines for the title track from ASIA’s song helped boost the existence of the show at every turn and the studio considered the first season a complete hit with over 85,000 in the first year of the show. 

 

SEASON 2

Season two [2010] introduced new characters and actors to the show. The director-producer was so impressed with the minor success of the first season, he began to expand the writing in of new characters and bending story arcs into several different directions; but said that all of the story arcs were required to build solid character development and bring the show to one final confrontation at the end. This new season saw the departure of John St. Germain as Arthur McAdams and the studio hired the talented Larry Carrell to fill the void. Another new actor, Daniel Gallehugh was brought in to play villain in the series, which brought a lot of heated opinions towards the potential violence in the series. The studio lost the rights to use the ASIA track from the first season, due to a shift in the policies from the bands distribution rights and their publisher. The director-producer immediately commissioned a new track from an indie music source to fill the void. Season two was well received, but was not as successful as season one. Season two ended the series in a wild, but very strange manner which left many of the shows fans in a proverbial lurch. 

 

SEASON 3

Season three [2011] brought a new track for the opening credits performed by ASIA entitled “Light The Way” which came from their most recent “Omega” album, which brought a lot of excitement to the show. This season also introduced a character “Sabrina” as the third lead of the show, played by Jessica Yanker of Sugarland, TX. The writing to this season was more focused and the cast had more chemistry with the lineup than the previous seasons. The series story line shifted, giving insight that the entire environment in the series was more of a holographic world [or a dream] more than reality. With a solid promotional push, one character, Deputy Blair [played by Mary King] got a lot of attention and became an instant fan favorite of the show when she was introduced in the third season. King performed her part brilliantly for never having any previous acting experience. She was used in several other projects outside of Angelika5 and was instrumental in helping create a short film entitled, Sparkies. The new episodes of Angelika5 were extended to twenty-five minutes and each episode told a complete story, closing arcs that were once toyed with in the writing department. 

 

EXTENDED PLOT LINES

A pair of “Razor Episodes” – smaller short film episodes that present a separate, but important plot to the main series – were released by the studio the same year and during a break in the production cycle. A pair of episodes were put together in a relatively short time and all were produced in the town of Montgomery, TX. A super being, Tamara Amvet [played by Shelley Boozer] tries to prevent a group of traitorous soldiers from entering a secure holding chamber of humans who have been frozen in suspended animation. Her methods at handling the mercenaries seem a little harsh, but Amvet is only trying to prevent a larger problem from surfacing. Boozer was so excited about playing the part, that she practiced the part of playing a super hero with telekinesis by using large stereo magnets to move metal objects around. The two razor episodes were both dramatic and very dark, a far departure of what the director-producer was producing in the main web series. Could these razors have opened a subplot showing that the entire inhabitants of Angelika’s town are actually asleep? 

 

FROM COMIC BOOKS TO VIDEO

Season three also introduced new characters that were developed by the director-producer in a comic book entitled “Deadly Force” released under Blackhawk Comics in 1992 and brought into the show. The lead character Bianca Wolfe was performed brilliantly by Kacey Kelley, was part of a military team who infiltrated the town through a “dream like” doorway, where they were aware of a different world outside of the town where Angelika lived. The Bianca Wolfe character was performed so well by Kelley, the director-producer began production on a spin-off short film called, BIANCA: 2029 released on YouTube and was well received by fans. The team was searching for missing combat members who were “captured” by an alien force. One character named Tamara Amvet, played by Rachel Epps [previously played by Shelley Boozer], was gifted as a top level telepath with the abilities of telekinesis and played a significant part in focusing the story arc for the new season. None of these new characters ever crossed with Angelika during the series run, but opened the possibility that the entire town was not what it seemed. 

 

CRAZY ENDING TO A SEASON

Season three ended in stunning fashion, presenting the power of the “Vapor People” dragging one of the lead characters, Brianna, away into a secrete passage in her own room and then being replaced by a dopleganger. The entire season received high marks from critics and fans alike, viewer numbers returned to the high 80K area as season one did. As the studio and the cast began to plan schedules for the next season, Larry Carrell stepped out of his role as Arthur McAdams to work on a film project of his own and would later be replaced by the talented actor Matthew Jasso in season four. Jasso's entry into the series changed the dynamics of the Arthur character and brought in an action packed version that helped boost the production standard of the show. During the season break, the director-producer began production on a film called “Ghosties” with an all new cast of young teens; some cast members from ANGELIKA5 made cameos in the film. The change of pace from shooting web series to feature films took a strain on the director and he extended the hiatus of the web series to rest.

SEASON 4

Season four [2012] introduced the idea that the harbinger “Ms. Rachael” was a time traveler, who was being sent back in time to inform Angelika of impending danger that could shift the balance of power [of good versus evil] towards the darker forces of evil. Each new episode showed Ms. Rachael showing Angelika how to use her power to influence people around her and how changing moments in the past could make for a better future. A new evil character named “Melissa,” performed by Patrice Kentimenos, introduces the “Vapor Peoples” last dire attempt to win the battle against good. A splinter episode is presented as the season ender, showing that the group of resistance fighters who traveled into the past to hide from an alien presence, have equal evil operatives in their circle who desire to return to the present. 

 

WAS THERE A SEASON 5?

Even though season five were written and planned for production, the series final season was never completed. The director-producer has a movie script which he has been trying to pitch for production. He has contacted many of the main actors from the series to help complete one full feature film to complete the series, but no movement to start production has occurred since 2016. Over 88 various local actors performed parts in the series and at least one episode was filmed in Midland, Texas, with an all new cast, far outside the production locations, cast and crew in Montgomery, Texas. 

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ZARA MAJIDPOUR IS NO STRANGER TO WORKING IN FILMS...

Houston, TX - Over a year ago in May of 2019, was the first time I actually saw a photo of Zara Majidpour cross over the screen on my laptop. She was being featured as an actress in a Houston based Indie film that was under scrutiny for having a first time film director claim to head a film project and future series that was going to be picked up by NETFLIX for a cool $30 Million. 

Of course, that project never really took off and by August of that same year, I contacted Majidpour and asked her if she was interested in working on action films. Don't think that she just jumped on my project ideas "just like that!" - no, she asked the right questions, proved that she was a certified SAG actor, and wanted to see some of my past work to prove that I was serious about my offer. It took only a few weeks for her to look over my work and do a background check; something that I always recommend actors to do when they are approached about working on any film project. When she did agree to work with our studio, she first wanted a one on one meeting, the outlines for a few of the scripts that might be dropped onto her later, a guarantee of pay and IMDB credit, and after that, we were off planning her acting career with our new studio.

Several scripts were dropped on her lap and she was more than interested in two projects that I had put on hold for over two years; BIONICA and the ANGELIKA5 Movie. Both projects had intense action scene requirements and great parts for anyone who had extensive training in hand to hand combat and small arms weaponry. Her liking of those scripted projects immediately became an obsession and she was calling, texting, and emailing me over start dates and training requirements. Majidpour made it clear that she was in 100% and that she was more than ready; she was physically fit, mentally sound, and had the determination to be committed until we produced the project to the exact details of each script. But her deal to work with the studio had a side project that needed a lead, so she agreed to take the leading role in MINOTAUR, as Admiral Tera Escher, that was initially listed as an "all volunteer" project. She began her studies as a senior Naval Officer to begin her transition into becoming a bonafide Sci-Fi leader.

A few months later, we were making a trip together to San Antonio, Texas, so she could meet the team on the set of HAVOC 114. She was totally excited and really wanted to make an impression on not only the cast and crew, but the executive producer who was also going to be on the set. In short order, she made her impression and was ready to call it a night, not knowing that a lot of strange things had happened during the early hours while she was in her hotel room sleeping those same hours away for a morning shoot. 

Unbeknown to this action oriented actress, the movie production she came to see on set was starting to fall apart and some things were already being set in motion to cast her as the leading actress in the film that was already in production. We had now switched production efforts to a start on MINOTAUR and I was feeling pretty impressed with Majidpour's performance on set as the blue haired leader of that particular Sci-Fi project. There was a confidence on the set on MINOTAUR that wasn't being felt during the early second day of production on HAVOC 114, and I was wanting that same energy on all of the studio projects we had panned to produce back in January.

During our three hour drive back to Houston, we had plenty of time to talk about what had happened on the set earlier that same morning and where we would be going with our direction on MINOTAUR. Some of the top level strength's that Majidpour had on the set that morning was that she followed direction like a pro, never questioned the actions or the dialog in the script, and she was out to impress no one but the director. I will admit that the long drive back was a turning point [in my mind] considering my options of going back to the directors chair instead of leading the project teams as a producer. By the time we had arrived to Majidpour's home, my mind was set up and I had to make a long call to my executive producer and make some changes to get the production back on track.

Already three days behind schedule on HAVOC 114 and I was embarking on the track of taking the reigns as director. I called Majidpour, telling her my decision to bring her in as lead and catch up with the production schedule. She literally took the script from my hand and began to study it and prepare for her part as the leading actress; she asked the right questions and learned how to use profanity "the American way" as she is Persian and very rarely uses profanity in her own life. At this point, she was beginning to work on two separate and different studio projects, side by side. She did so without any complaint, but she demanded that the cast train with her via zoom and prepare in a professional format; and so it was done.

From that point on, the production efforts to our current studio projects have remained ahead of schedule and delivered for editing with professional prowess. We've begun to see the weak points in a lot of the decisions we made in the casting department, adjusting roles to match the wit and structure to ensure the best quality of production for all of our future viewers. Majidpour can have an intense aura about her on set that tends to intimidate the cast and crew from time to time, but she is one to take her role serious at all levels. She's proven on the MINOTAUR project that she is ready both in character and able to memorize the extensive dialog for the sci-fi series, which required learning techno-jargon at the highest level. In HAVOC 114, she's proven that she can be both a well-centered dramatic and action star; she's definitely had fun pounding and slicing up zombies over the course of the production.

Majidpour's softer and sexier side has flourished in her modeling, when she's made time for photo shoots. Sometimes the shoots are simple, others are extreme and filled with raw energy and excitement. This is part of her high caliber attributes to do things the right way; to perform, promote, present, and when she's done, start it all over again. As I speak [or type], she is mentally and physically preparing herself for the role of Bianca Wolfe for next years release of the ANGELIKA5 Movie, and even more recent than that, she's already penciled in for a role in PIECES OF EIGHT, a series that will begin pre-production efforts in October. Her recent performances demand attention and respect; our cast and crew will tell you that her intensity is very captivating.

If you are able to land this actress in your project[s], you will surely be lucky to have a talented and well spoken actress that takes the craft seriously from beginning to end. She's fun, exciting, and filled with many breathtaking surprises when she's required to do the unthinkable. What I like best about her, is that Majidpour is a solid team player that gets along with everyone, by seeing the value of a project and the imagination to step down and just have fun in front of the camera. In the end, she is a serious person who knows that serious projects require the right temperament for the job. I will give you one warning though, just because she's grinning over something you might say about her performance doesn't mean that she thinks your being cute or funny...she's knows that you're just underestimating her innate ability to kick your ass at a later time!

See Zara Majidpour on our NEW movie trailer for HAVOC 114!

Ride easy, my friends!

Written by D. R. Quintana, producer/director

STUDIO TO START OFF 2020 WITH "LA FUERZA" MINI-SERIES

It may not come to a complete shock that the studio has been working on a new web series-ish mini series called LA FUERZA during the late latter half of 2019, but it may be completely shocking to learn that the new production has been entirely produced in Spanish, for viewing by Latin fans who may have been deprived of a good Indie film in Texas. The studio has completed filming the first episode to the six episode series and plans to have a premiere viewing on January 1st, 2020 for the cast and crew.

Fuerza is the brainchild of D. R. Quintana, who wrote a full feature film under the title of La Fuerte in 2016 during his time crossing the country during several business trips. He says that the original script was written just to pass the time at hotels and to keep him busy during his off time. The initial idea for the series was to include a Vegas-type casino and a large ranch in the middle of West-Texas, but without a solid budget to produce the series the way it was originally intended, the studio pulled talented actors from the Houston area and produced a smaller fraction of the story that will be given a chance to flourish on the smaller screens of the internet.

The series cast is led by veteran actress, Maque Garcia, who takes the part of "Ana" and has worked with the studio on several projects, but most identified for her performances as "Holly McAdams" on The Secret of ANGELIKA5 which ran from 2009 to 2014; produced entirely in Montgomery County. Her other works with the studio have been a plethora of modeling and short films that were received with positive reviews. She has worked on Spanish networks in Houston for over ten years, being featured as a weather lady, traffic consultant and news investigator on Telemundo and Univision stations in Houston, Texas.

Garcia also stepped up her efforts on Fuerza, becoming the Executive Producer, ensuring that the all English written scripts were translated into Spanish properly and to ensure proper performance during screenplay just before filming began. She was beside the director during every take, taking notes, correcting Spanish grammar when required to ensure the best delivery in each scene, and she helped procure a location for the entire series first two episodes. Her tenure as an asset to the studio has proven to be the best element for success as we begin to transition from series projects to full feature films in 2020.

A surprise casting decision was made for Sonia Reyes to play "Teresa" in this new dramatic series. She played her role in a blistering performance as the antagonist for the leading character, even though it was her first time on a set, acting in front of a camera. Reyes came into the scope of Quintana's during the production effort on Wives of Bellaire, which initially went into production in 2018 but abruptly came to a halt. Her small role in a bank robbery as an extra, won Quintana's admiration through a smartly performed [and improvised] interview as a "witness to a crime." 

When the studio decided to put the project into production, Quintana did not hesitate to contact Reyes and bring her to the show. The director felt that the part of "Teresa" required a stern actress to play the character who actually looked the part with forceful facial features and still deliver a sexy look to entice a larger response from male viewers. Episode one is considered one of the best performances by a new comer for the studio and Quintana was very proud of Reyes' delivery at the end of the episode. She is expect to expand her talents to the show for the entire season, playing two roles but delivering dramatic performances to captivate audiences for a possible second extension of the series.

The studio was also desiring a strong male lead for the Latin soap opera-ish series, so Quintana called in another veteran actor for the show, the handsome Omar Scanu. His background has national origins from Puerto Rico, so he has had to adjust his Spanish dialect for Fuerza to match up with the other Latin actors. He has participated in Houston as a professional male model, as a commercial DJ "scratch" performer, and film director. Scanu plays the character of Manuel "Manny" Mancha in the show, a Houston Police Detective who is trying to solve the murder of a local businessman.

Scanu has worked on several projects with the studio from 2010 to 2016; a small role in The Secret of ANGELIKA5 both the web series & the movie which is currently in production, and the leading role in WISHBONES, a one episode sizzle reel that won accolades for dramatic presentation. His addition to Fuerza was no accident as whenever the studio has required the need for a well versed actor for dramatic performance, Omar's name has often surfaced as the best choice for setting his mark in that production as he is always well prepared and provides keen insight to developing likeable solid characters on film each time he takes a role.

Fuerza will also star Dulce Garcia [from Mexico], Salma Flores [of Katy, TX], Huberto Villarreal [of Houston], David Kurfner [of Humble, TX], and Saira Ramos [of Houston, TX]. The series is set to launch on January 1st on a special Facebook page listed here.

 

Bernice Felton R. R.

[Contributing Writer]