AWAKE HELPS RAISE THE EXPECTATION OF HAVOC 114

A few years ago I was working on a script for a SciFi that was about an alien abduction in New Hampshire, when the name of the band AWAKE fell into my lap from an unlikely source; that source being an actor from San Antonio, a cast member from the now defunct zombie film project "Zombie Reign" - a  now well known San Antonio, Texas indie film that wasted five years of actors and crews lives over the vanity one idiot who claimed to be a professional director. The bands leading member and guitarist, Maksim M. Dragan had been longing for a chance to put their work on a film project for many years and kind of had the feeling that the right project at the right time would bring his band and music some real success.

 

I kept the band in the periphery of my mind until I started working on a project that I thought needed a little surge in the soundtrack of a new film. When HAVOC 114 began to take shape in production, I started thinking about adding more meat to the film and contacted Dragan, asked him if he was still interested in producing some music for another zombie film; but for a real movie production that was surging closer towards completion. He sounded overly surprised and was shocked about me asking to use some of his work for our project, and he reassured me that his band was in the middle of putting together a new track called "I got this" with a new lead singer.

 

There was a little inside joke that had started to form through out the film, as most of the cast on HAVOC 114 had already started to use the line, "I got this" during the production even before Dragan had told me the title of the song he was wanting to pitch for our feature film. Over the course of a few weeks, he kept me up to date with the status of the songs production and the angle that the song was going for. It was at this moment that I began to feel that if the track had some good punch in it, that we could advertise our film with a dark, but a cool ass music video to fuse our ideas together. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, I felt that we would require a recurring promotional ad to run until the final film was released for all to see. We were going to need something new and edgy to keep future viewers fed until we had something crisp and polished to present to them.

 

The day that Dragan contacted me, telling me that the song was complete, I didn't hesitate to download the track and take a listen to it. The opening riff on the guitar was perfect for what I was expecting and the the rest of the performance had my mind afire with the possibilities of the track and the possible punch of success that it would have with a proper music video. I called Dragan suggesting an idea of the band [all dressed in black] performing in a junkyard setting at night, to give the presentation of tough and rugged look for their on camera performance while small segments of HAVOC 114 was playing throughout the video. I wanted the video to look dark, illuminating only the band members faces and their instruments. I think that the local director did an outstanding job in the end.

 

Another month would pass by before AWAKE finished work on their music video performance, which was filmed on video by local Director Josh Bermudez in Monterrey, Mexico, and then the footage was sent to me in Texas for editing. The problem I had then was that we were limited on what good completed film of Havoc was composited and ready for release. But obviously knowing that the song was about being on the highway with a club full of trusted bikers, I thought that showing the soon-to-be infamous "Texas truck barreling through the Texas darkness" at the beginning of the music video would show how professionally Havoc was shot at night; something that has become a staple of what to expect throughout the zombie film we were finishing up at that time.

 

I completed putting the music video together over the course of two days picking some of the better and darker portions of completed scenes, then submitting the music video to  an executive producer for review a day later. We were both excited about the opportunity to have the track for the video and the film, later saying that, "The song grows on you the more you listen to it." We listened to "I got this" while we shot some pool and drank Whisky & coke, getting the feel for song at a high volume. We knew that this would only be the start of bigger things to come for our first studio feature film. We wanted Havoc to be filled with great music of many genre's and this was a fantastic start.

 

For over three months, the "I got this" music video by AWAKE was released on both YouTube and passed around on Facebook circles through several posts. The existence of the video was out there, but the potential of the music video truly wasn't tested until just a month ago, when the video was submitted into the film festival arena, where it won an award for "Best Original Song" at the Paris International Film Festival in France; making it an instant international hit. Passing the news of the videos success to Dragan was a complete hoot, as when I tried reaching out to Dragan, he was busy teaching a student and unaware of the news I had in my possession. I knew that at the time, this wasn't news you just text over the phone, this type of news had to be passed over personally on a video call, one on one. Needless to say, Dragan was in shock when I gave him the word and his excitement was almost too good to witness over our video call.

 

But the news doesn't stop there. The submission of the "I got this" music video continues on, as there are several more indie film festivals to go in 2021. The chances that the news of the already proven winner of one film festival will spill to the next, giving the track from AWAKE several more chances to be heard in other countries and larger venues that will play the track to a larger variety of future fans is a strong possibility. For now, the band presses on and works on newer material, possibly working on a new album. We are so proud to have worked along side AWAKE to help make their dreams come true; it was definitely a team effort and a well earned WIN for the band!

 

Ride Easy, My Friends

 

D. R. Quintana
Producer/Director/Writer

SHAWN WELLING'S NARCO SUB DEBUTES...WILL EVENTUALLY DISAPPEAR, AS ALWAYS

 

INDIE FILM REVIEW - NARCO SUB - Rated [R] I guess - Starring Lee Majors, Tom Sizemore, Robert Lasardo. Directed by Houston's very own Indie Film Scene extraordinaire, Shawn Welling. This movie is about a Navy SEAL and a submarine, written by someone who has no idea what being a SEAL is about and how a submarine actually works!

If you've seen any of the previous Shawn Welling indie films before, "Dark Horse County," "The Last Astronaut", "Toxin: 700 Days Left on Earth," and a few others, you going to get the same feel, same production standard, same-type storyline and plot; same CGI effects; same dramatic entrance by some helicopter, truck or bus, and small cameos by actors of a by-gone age. Other than that, and with a few well placed ratings from the local cast and crew, the finished and well polished production of Deep Water Production films sputter out with a spark of momentary excitement in the local community. Once thing also found in many of Welling's directed works are some unanswered questions that linger each time the credits roll; like, "What happened to that one guy?" - "But if she got away, how did she not notice that?" and some of other small stuff that even the mildest movie goer would see at the end of the film...So yeah, there are some unanswered questions in this film too.

But, NARCO SUB definitely has some value in it. Shawn's eye for capturing scenes on camera has hit the next level as he is finally working consistently with 4K cameras, gimbles, and other little things to raise the production standard. He loves to spend time in pre-production presenting the camera equipment he's using in promotional "behind the scene" photos, when what he should spend more time with is training his circle of actors to actually act wen their required to, write a better script with reinforced character development, and try not to over hype his indie work with long trailers that show the best scenes he's produced. You're going to see many familiar faces within the Houston Film scene in this film, as he continues to use the same extra's who seem to be dying for his attention, film after film, so get used to it.

I'd recommend watching "The Life History of Spandau Ballet" over this monstrosity. But I still step out to support local indie films and no one should be too upset if they spend their money on Amazon Prime to watch this film and see that I am right about the same production value seen in Welling's startling indie film career and just watch the spark of this new project sputter out.  [3.5 of 5 Stars]

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

SCIFI SERIES "ISCANDAR" OFF TO A GREAT START!

Houston, TX - Since production started at the beginning of the year, the ISCANDAR series has started to take a life of it's own, each week the studio sets out to shoot new scenes for the 9 part first season of Aegis Films' new addition to it's studio name. Created and directed by D. R. Quintana, an independent film producer with quite a history of developing and producing extensive SyFy feature films and web series, this long awaited gem of a project has been in several long phases of development with at least four to five recasts in the acting department, and that is just in the last three years.

The hardest part in casting the roles in this series has been the lack of finding actors who can sell portraying military-style officers, keeping in shape, and also being able to deliver the techno-garble of dialog that always accompanies a good SyFy series. Over the course of eighteen months, the studio finally landed just the leading actress for headlining the series; after that, the director will tell you that the supporting actors fell into place in a much-much shorter time.

"For a long time, we wrote scripts and scrapped them," says Quintana. "We spent weeks trying to redefine the series to keep it at an arms length of anything ever seen or heard from in other web series or Sci-Fi shows. All of this was happening at the same time Paramount and CBS were breathing down the necks of other fan productions for Star Trek fan films, limiting them on what could be produced, with time constraints, property usage, and just adding logos, titles, and music for productions created by their own fans. I didn't want any of my original ideas to be wrapped up in some format bullshit that would require to lose all rights to my original work; just so it would wind up in control of a few assholes that are having problems coming up with good entertainment on their own."

So for many years, the ideas, plots, & storylines within ISCANDAR has remained secret to only a few people in the production team. It's only been in the last five months that the studio has released photos of crew uniforms and ship's concept designs for fans to preview on the projects Facebook page. And to the surprise of Star Trek fans who were expecting another fan production, they witnessed a different looking format of production, something more professional and distant from many of the other fan productions in known Star Trek fandom circles.

 

To begin with, the studio had to bargain on the development and design of a new ship with qualities, some technologies, and propulsion systems with a well known CGI gaming programmer in Croatia, by the name of Alex Meshu, to help create the drop ship, ASV ISKANDAR which will make it's debute before the ASV MINOTAUR is ever seen by viewers.

"We wanted an organic feel to the first ship seen by the viewers of the series," says Quintana. "The ship is manned with a small crew, but is highly maneuverable and packs quite a punch in battle. But this series is more about science than it is about space battles and constantly encountering an unknown enemies time and time again. As in real Navy vessels, this smaller ship is meant to be a gentle reminder that something bigger is out there, ready to make it's appearance when things tend to get out of control."

Some interesting incoming emails and notes about the cast has seemed to draw the attention of other SyFy film producers looking to break away from conventional casting for their film productions. The studio has presented female characters thus far who are in fantastic shape, wear their uniforms professionally and also bring a sexiness to the photos released on Facebook and other venues. Off camera, the actresses seem to always be in the best of spirits and there seems to be good camaraderie between the cast and crew; something that the series creator and director demands from his team during production.

"For the series, I wanted the crew to seem like they've been working together for many years," continues Quintana. "Building a good team through some detailed and intensive character development has made way for the cast to understand the parables between their characters on how they have to deal with the duality of being a scientist and a potential deep space warriors."

On and off set communication is the key to the success of any project which requires character actors to portray lone time friendships. The cast of ISCANDAR had done a magnificent job in creating an atmosphere of "military-style respect" between the ranks of of the crew; more-so leading credence to senior officers like, Admiral Tera Escher, prescribing the upmost maturity and military bearing through her entire performance, something that most of the cast and crew make comment on each time Zara Majidpour steps up on the set to shoot her part as the mission commander. The Captain of the series will be played by Dru Rovito, taking the part of Captain Jadrian Quest, a character that will tie-in the timeline between ISCANDAR and the ST-BEYOND series that was launched in April of 2006. It has been said on more than one occasion that the two actresses are very excited to be working together on this series

Quintana added that with the addition of Saira Ramos [as CDR Ka'Jol] into the project has presented some unforeseen grit that wasn't expected during the initial phases of the series screenplay. During the principle shoot of the first episode in Marfa, Texas, the director noticed that her performance far exceeded what was expected from her. Ramos is best known in the studio circles for her work in the Secret of Angelika5 Series that ran for five seasons from 2009-2013 and a recent episode of SPECTRE ZERO. Her part in ISCANDAR has been the perfect fit for a co-star to help launch the series in its debut sometime this fall as the moves to a streaming format.

"We honestly don't know what to expect when season one of the series is launched," added Quintana. "We guarantee solid story telling and some good science in the show. There will be some comedy and a taste of the darker things to come as the series progresses. We can guarantee that there is no "dark government" or an enemy that you can't see. All of the elements to develop a good series will be presented for all to see with a little mischief and mystery to solve along the way."

The studio says that the production to the series, even though it's gone through several stages of progression, produced over the course of seven years, and changed from one set of actors to another, claims that it has all been done on purpose to distance itself from other SyFy productions that have a tendency to mimic Star Trek or Star Wars fan film formats. But the studio admits that it will be up to the fans to decide where ISCANDAR is either just another "chance" film project that will eventually fail or an extension of an older idea that needed a little jump start to make its point.

***This blog entry was developed from studio Liner Notes and Director commentary by Beatrice Holland and Dillon Mason, Q Storm Production Assistant Writers.

NETFLIX’S OZARK SHIFTS DRAMA EASILY INTO SECOND GEAR!

🎥 🎞 Series Review 🎞 🎥  - OZARK - (R) Netflix

Jason Bateman and Laura Linney star in this magnificently written and directed drama series about a Mexican cartel money laundering operation in Missouri. Bateman takes a big part in both producing and directing this fantastically written series which is a surprising and refreshing original series released by the streaming network. There's no real flash, but some powerful acting performances by a team of new young actors that play their parts like seasoned big-star actors.

This is not a comedy at all. There's not even a hint of dark humor in this series, but the series has three outstanding seasons with some great character development and, in Season 3, a believable emotional breakdown between characters!! I am so impressed with the cinematography, that I plan to use their format in future film productions. The cameras and the lenses they shoot each episode in gives the series a dull, darkishly bluish hue that is so captivating that they use the effect in spring, summer, and fall.

I've never been a big fan of Bateman, save is his voice and performance in Zootopia, where he played one of my favorite characters. But is performance in this series is totally dramatic and has great character development from the start of the show. Linney goes from playing a strong wife to an emotional wreck in just a few episodes of the third season, that presents the collapse of her sanity and it's an unfamiliar tool that she uses to help keep her alive; a very interesting avenue for such a prized leading lady!

Shot exclusively in Missouri and a point to make at a local actor from Katy, Texas makes a few appearances in the first two seasons, this series is now heading into Season 4 territory and I can’t wait to see what twist and turns the next season has to offer! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  (5 of 5 stars)

PLEASE CALL MY AGENT FIRST...

Houston, Texas - The Independent Film Scene [IFS], or "film industry" (if it means that much to you), can be a gritty world for an actor who is struggling to learn the ropes about what it takes to work in front of a camera during a production. What might impede progress or success is the fact that most Indie actors refuse to take leading roles when their openly handed out to them; most starting actors that have only filled the roles of an extra or "just a guy in the background" have a lot of doubt in their abilities and this can damage the expected growth of their capabilities and real experience in the field of acting.

Seasoned film directors and casting agents have an eye for what sells and usually a particular script will send off a vibe for a new actor that's required to complete the initial plan for the plot and get the entire film project started on the right foot. So often more than not, the director and his team will start looking through tons and tons headshots. When a good script is approved for production, a search will begin to find a talented lead. They won't be looking for what can just be seen in someones acting credentials, but there's also a search for a certain look in a part; with a certain spirit that can been at first glance, perhaps it's something in the eyes or the smile. 

At the beginning phases of casting, actors aren't graded on the format of their headshot; the team only wants to be sure that the actor presented in the headshot is someone who can walk through the doors of an audition with complete confidence. If the director and his team feel that the looks fit and the actor is malleable, then the right actor has been found to start production even before an audition needs to be arranged.

Many will agree that the way an actor looks can make a director of a project actually go out of the way and reach out for a particular actor to fill the role. With the existence of Facebook and LinkedIn, directors have direct access to actors information and headshots in a matter of seconds. There's a lot of information to sift through, so to make immediate contact with an actor can prove to be the best "bite" than an actor can have in their career of working with new production teams. At this point, the director certainly doesn't care about your resume or the lack of your abilities; he wants to meet up with you, feel your interest through contact and see if you have the same caliber personae as your headshot, to see if you can help with his image of the film to launch in the right direction.

This is not the time for an amateur actor to hesitate or doubt their own abilities or throw down the old, "you need to contact my agent first" pitch. Actors should do their research prior to making a big final decision, but always respect the initial contact as a positive thing with all of the hard work you've put into your Facebook or LinkedIn page.

Think about this for a moment; and we are speaking about amateur Indie film projects, not local commercials or roles as extras in some feature film where no one will ever see you in the film, a high percentage of new actors believe that there is a career in acting, but almost 98% of new actors have to maintain a real job working 40 hours a week to live comfortably, pay the bills, and do acting gigs on the side for lunch money. The other 2% of these new actors who "claim to be making it" in the movie industry, and unless they are a real leading actor in a film or television series, are probably lying about their success and have outside jobs, making a living outside of the acting world. Some of those same actors develop jobs to help "assist" other actors break-in to the acting world, claiming that their ingredients of success are easy to pass on and they can guarantee that their hands-on training or contacts "in the business" can guarantee results if they pay for their services.

This is from a local Houston-based

acting agency whose notorious for 
having favorites in their clientele.

Always keep in mind that some agents can do tricky things to keep your 'planned' career anchored down with very little movement. Make no mistake that some agencies have their favorites, and those with crisp, sharp looks often get the better gigs, even though you may be more experienced for the part or even more talented. It's a funny thing, but if one of their favorites bring in heavy cash flow more often than not, they will be chosen for submission even if you were the original contact for a project. If you find yourself struggling to get work from your agent while others "get the gigs," then perhaps you should consider dropping the agent and managing your own career; you know that it is possible to do that until a better agent comes along.

Consider this blog as fruit for thought. I always suggest that new actors should always start off their careers in theater arts and hone their skills; especially if you want to know the in's and out's of production, direction, performing under pressure, etc. Yes, it's a whole lot tougher to work in theater and win the big leading roles, but the experience in just watching whats going in the pre-production, operational side of each new show is more experience than anything you'll learn as an extra in a film production. If any acting agent tells you different, then you need to start looking somewhere else to earn good paying gigs; especially if you need the cash without giving away a third to an acting agent and still having to pay taxes on the rest!

Good luck in what you decide to do!

...Ride Easy!
D. R. Quintana

SO, NOW YOU'RE A SAG COMMERCIAL ACTOR?

Houston, TX News - There are some jack-asses who are centered around the idea that they're in so good with the SAG universe, that they are spreading the news on YouTube about how your next commercial video audition has a requirement to use RED cameras during it's production, listing photos of the home used and crew requirements for submitting an audition tape!

Everyone knows that working in the SAG universe can be a little hectic at times, but to ask an actor to submit a video audition using only the best camera equipment at the most expensive cost to buy or rent, seems a little absurd and something that can be considered as a "spoiler" for anyone who just can't go to that distance to appease the demands of the SAG commercial producers. Putting out such information could break the pocket books of a hefty number of actors trying to make their mark in the local acting community, or even worse, destroy a few dreams before they have ever begun.

Being a commercial actor can have it's benefits at $89 a day on the SAG rate; I guess, if you think you can live off of that, but I'm very sure that some actors aspire to gain higher applaud in their field of endeavor by winning bigger and more memorable roles in feature films. The Houston Film Scene [HFS] has definitely shifted it's gears as younger actors and crews have begun to surface in indie film festivals, out producing established veteran production teams by using cell phone cameras to beat out the veterans who once claimed to be the pinnacle of the established "film industry." So what does the HFS' do to up the anty?...well, they jump down to knowing everything about making professional commercials and use their SAG status to state how important it is to appease the SAG universe by using equipment that is well out of the range of the newer, better and younger film makers pocket books.

In the years that I've worked in the real film industry,  I have found that video auditions are to be taken seriously, especially after an actor has received a slate that is required for preview from a commercial sponsor. The audition should have good video HD quality and good sound to give a good impression to the agent[s] and the commercial sponsor as well. No where has there ever been a  requirement for the video to be shot on a RED camera or such other 4K or 6K video camera; not for an audition. As a matter of fact, your agent, not the SAG union, should advise you about what requirements they desire for an audition. Most of the time, your agent will suggest whom you should go to to get your audition taped with the right equipment and in the right format.

So, be smart and make sure you're doing everything according to the standard that is set forth by your agent. Don't listen to any YouTube video that was produced locally by a couple of jack-asses who spend more time in front of the camera trying to tell you how to videotape something when they aren't even following the "practice what you preach" method on the production of their informative video.

Nuff said!

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

STAR TREK PICARD FAILS TO DELIVER A BELIEVABLE EXTENSION OF STNG!

🎥 🎞 Series Review 🎞 🎥 - STAR TREK PICARD [STP] - Amazon Prime/CBS All Access - Okay, most people know that I’m a huge fan of Star Trek, but that I especially  don’t like anything that has to do with the J. J. Abrams rebooted crap or Kelvin timeline. 

In STP, there’s a fantastic opening sequence with CGI lens flares that bothered me, but seeing Patrick Stewart back on the little screen was such a relief to my empty SciFi tank.  It was great to see the old NCC 1701-D roaming through the cosmos again, even if it was in a dream sequence. Brent Spiner returned for a cameo as Data of sorts, but with an all new, unfamiliar look [probably due to him being older] just took the nostalgia out of seeing the old crew again; hence, there was a reason why the cast of Star Trek - The Original Series [STOS] stopped making movies. 

Sir Patrick Stewart is looking frail in his old age and the studio has done very little to hide this fact, even using it as a tool in an action scene where he is barely able to gain the strength to help escape on foot. The pacing is slow and there's no real sense of danger throughout any of the performances where it needs to be. This will be a cause for concern for most fans of the old series, but the addition of new "unknown actors" is sure to bring more apprehension to accepting the new format of the show. I think there was an idea during the initial design of the show, but it just lost its course during the production and the clear message was lost about how important this is to the human race and not just the vanity of one man.

However the show took an extra step to be too mysterious, too cerebral, too BLADERUNNER-ish, and filled too many with old ideas; for its own good. The whole “holographic technology” of on tapping glass or watching projections in thin air are not awe inspiring anymore. In the series following STNG, the perfect and clean setting of the series in the past have been turned into a gritty, don’t comb your hair society that has no class or structure for superior intellect. The is no explanation of how the future society had fallen prey to social media again is totally not believable; especially as it was told in STNG that the need for money, television, fame or social media ran its course and that man had found a better way to spend its time...well, apparently not. 

Bringing the Romulans to earth was a nice idea, but reasoning behind it was a little dry in its explanation, and also used as an excuse in J.J. Abrams crap-universe. It doesn't help that Picard's need to take action to save lives against orders seemed a little retrospective of “ST-Insurrection.” Plus, I’m not sure what it is about today’s young female actors having the bad habit of constantly adjusting their hair behind their ears in a gesture of what “looks normal” to most, all while the camera rolls on; the little lady, who plays Data's "daughter" does the gesture five to seven times in one scene. 

Fans can also expect to see new characters being introduced that cross over "gender revealing" shock-jock scenarios which are planned to bring new and old fans to accepting how gender issues are clearly important in the utopian future that Gene Roddenberry designed well over fifty years ago...it's disgusting actually.

The trailers for future episodes looks interesting, so I think I’ll wait for the entire season to load up before I even consider to pay to see it again...you should too.

 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (3 of 5 Stars)

YOUR DIRECTOR IS CLAIMING A "NETFLIX" DEAL ON THIS NEW PROJECT...???...

Houston, Texas - We've been approached on more than one occasion about what the rules are concerning Independent Film projects who are claiming they have a contract deal with Netflix, Amazon, or a distribution compan far away agreeing to help stream this new project or put it out in store on DVD/BlueRays, so they can receive big checks from investors and the like, bringing the project to the next level of success. A lot of new actors and some talented veteran thespians are often dragged into these projects, that sometimes work on scenes for six months to a year, but eventually die out after some investor backed out or the director and his production crew were unable to make a trip to "LA" [Los Angeles] to meet with the right people.

A large majority of these new Indie films start off with a bright burn of fast cash that all seems legit. A smaller percentage manage to contact some big name in Hollywood; usually an actor from the 80's or 90's that's still trying to make payments on his/her new home or a new car. With all of the cash flying around, the local Indie actor sees very little and extras on the set are just an after thought to brag about it on their resumes or IMDB page. But was all the effort worth the trouble?...Many male directors look at casting strong local talent as an open door policy to attracting "hot babe" actresses who just want to stand in the limelight and garner local attention, which can be plenty of pay enough to sate their thirst for being the "big name" in town. Besides, just knowing that the Netflix or Amazon deal is on the wings now, is just a bonus - "Everyone in the world will get to see my work in front of the camera!"

Well boys and girls, I really hate to break it to you on this blog, but NONE of the streaming services like Netflix, VUDU, HULU, Amazon.com or distribution companies work this way; and for sure, investors don't sign paychecks to anyone in the payroll for projects they helped fund. Although investors maintain ownership of a project until they're paid back in full with the percentage of interest promised in a contract, the production team has to maintain the projects budget through a project manager who ensures the entire project's budget is maintained and every cent accounted for and that it is NOT being used for personal again. They also ensure that the project has insurance to cover any loss in the production. Most veteran thespians should already know all of this, but sometimes their minds lax a bit and they slip through and they wind up grabbing a hold of hope.

Hope won't save anyone's ass should the project fail to produce a promised project and funds are misused and not reported to the investor(s). Case in point is an Indie project called "LEGENDS" out of Los Angeles, where Adam Joiner was able to acquire a little of $14Million in investments from South Korea and China with a brilliant script, through a studio company he called Dark Planet Pictures. The entire thing was sham and Joiner was living the high life until he was arrested by the feds; buying two homes and a beach house in Manhattan with the big money. There are accusations that he swindled more people in the U.S. with this project that had a long list of talent that was going to take part as the production team and cast. You can read more about this true story here. And you have to remember, this guy had previous film credentials and, at one time, was even a winner of an Oscar.

Here in Texas, the claims that an Indie film project is being "seen" by Netflix have been brought more times that anyone can count. In Houston alone, it's part of the status-quo; some projects brought up on prior blogs that wound up being bad productions that eventually were only released on the Internet, having some "small change" views on YouTube.com and they turned out to be webisodes of bad formatted shows filled with acting performances you'll wish you never spent time viewing. We posted warnings about film directors claiming "Netflix status" on more than one occasion, but it seems that either the word just isn't getting out or people would rather ride the wave of sex, film and fun until the magic dries up. Some those choices made by first time actors/actresses prove to be a huge burden and many are never seen again in the Indie film making world.

How do you protect yourself?...well, the first thing to do is to do research on the film's director and crew that you've chosen to work with. What previous works have they submitted to Netflix, Amazon, etc. If they have no previous experience, do your best to ask the right questions; "How did Netflix find out about you and contact you?" - "Can I see some of your previous works?" - "Who's going to be the production manager?" - "Is there a budget?" - "Are there camera requirements for the submission?" - If you get crummy answers [or non-answers] to any of these legitimate questions from the director, then you should have a good sense to know that you could be wasting your time on this film project.

Every streaming network has a format that is required prior to accepting any film project that is submitted; especially the type of camera and data sizes for streaming purposes. There truly isn't a point of contact with the streaming service and they never call anyone about the progress of the film as they only accept completed film projects that have all of the proof as required on their home pages; anyone can look this up. The information posted under their submission procedures doesn't change just because you're a director or producer.

And take warning, if you're in an Indie project that has an actual budget that has money being spent everywhere, be sure that the director isn't also the editor, leading actor, and project manager in the project. If any these things are currently occurring in the film project your in, it's time for you to take any losses you may have incurred and step away.