Why My Next Film Will be a Horror Film

I can’t believe I have not posted since May! Why the silence? I got depressed. Why? Someone who loved my script for Alone promised me $$$$ (we are talking the almost 20k) the film would cost. Then said person got laid off from their lucrative job and before I could get my hands on the check the money was gone. I wanted to shoot the film this year, I contemplated a Kickstarter campaign but I don’t have the resources to raise more than 5k on that platform. So I put it aside, I decided to take a break.

During my hiatus from filmmaking and fundraising I attended The Viscera Film Festival in early July. This is one of the most inspiring filmmaking events I’ve attended in the last 10 years of La La Land living. It’s a horror film festival of films directed by women. Unlike every festival I’ve been to, Viscera’s audience was comprised of mostly fans of the genre.  Fans, as in your future audience, as in, these people will support your work because they are loyal to the genre and if your work is good, will be loyal to you. It is these fans that will ensure that your horror film will make its money back and enable you to keep working.

The festival lineup showcased a wide range of films from all over the world. It was liberating to attend a festival where the work on the screen was fun to watch.

I’ve always been a big fan of horror because there’s nothing better than having a good scare in the comfort of a safe environment. I’ve always wanted to make a horror film. My first feature The Brown Widow will be a horror movie so why wait until then?

I was going to make a short version of The Brown Widow but decided to write something different, something simpler but gory that I can shoot in one day because this will again, need to be financed by me! I came up with GHOOOOOOOUL! a slasher film about a young girl in peril who turns the tables on her abuser. Very similar in theme to “Alone” but a completely different story. Did I mention there will be blood and maybe body parts flying around.

My goal is to approach this as guerilla filmmaking 101; smaller crew, 2 non union actors, budget of $1,000 and I will have fun making this one. Once I’ve liberated myself from unions, insurance and location fees, a lot of the pressures that have plagued me as a writer/director/producer will be off. All I need to worry about is getting good performances out of my actors, providing an excellent meal for my cast & crew and convincing my professional friends to give me a day of free work!

GHOOOOOOOUL! goes into production in mid October.

Become a friend/supporter of the Viscera Film Festival

http://www.viscerafilmfestival.com/

https://www.facebook.com/VisceraFilmFestival

Trailer for one of my favorite films at the Viscera Film Festival

How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You!

2012 San Diego Latino Film Festival

On Saturday, March 10th, 2012 The Big Deal shared the screen with some amazing films at The San Diego Latino Film Festival. The film was programmed under the Cine Mujer Shorts Program – films about women or the experiences of women.  

Matt and I spent the weekend at the festival and had a great time watching films and enjoying the festivities. Lisa Franek, Ethan Van Thillo and the rest of the staff did a great job organizing the event.

Below is a list of films and filmmakers that attended the screening and took part in the Q&A.

Two Screenings in March for The Big Deal

I am happy to let you know that The Big Deal will screen at two festivals in March;

Boyle Heights Latina Independent Film Extravaganza - March 2 - 4, 2012

San Diego Latino Film Festival - March 8 - 12, 2012

I will post the exact dates once I get them. If you are in the area, please come out and support.

xoxo,

Lucy

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Imagen Award Nomination

The Big Deal has been nominated for an Imagen Award in the Best Theatrical Short film category. Check out the link below to see all the nominees - I'm proud to be sharing the honor with so many talented and prolific people.

http://www.imagen.org/awards/2011

I'm currently in NYC scouting locations for the next project. I'll post some pictures so you can get an idea of how amazing this film is going to be.

Onward & Upward.

xoxo,
Lucy

Adapting "The Big Deal"

I have a deep admiration and appreciation for a great book.  When Michele Serros gave me the OK to adapt “The Big Deal”, one of the chapters from her LA Times Best Seller book, How To Be A Chicana Role Model, I was flattered, grateful and scared. I wanted to make an adaptation that was true to the story Michele wrote.

I’ve reluctantly come to understand the need for a screenwriter to change things to make a book more cinematic, visually stimulating and/or to tell the story better. As a filmmaker, I had a responsibility to tell the story in the best way possible and as a fan of the book (one of my favorite books of all time) I wanted to see a film that was true to the story in the book. 

I wrote about 10 drafts of the screenplay. The first few drafts had Michele’s voiceovers (as they appear in the book) and in the last 5 drafts I did away with them. Everyone who gave notes on the script told me to get rid of the voiceovers and figure out another way to convey that information. It was hard to get all the juicy tidbits in the script without those voiceovers.  So I made the first change.

Some pictures from the shoot

Catalina Maynard as Aunt Alma & Onahoua Rodriguez as Michele

Michele Serros gives Onahoua some tips on How To Be A Chicana Role Model