Photo: Still frame from the movie. AFI shootout in Los Troncos, Quinatana Roo, right before the climax and the conclusion of Capitulo Unus. ________________ While we wait to finish up what is left to shoot on ASH, I am fiercely editing like a maniac. Like an alcoholic in a beer factory....
I've been making adjustments to music, perfecting scenes and editing minor scenes like this AFI shootout pictured here.
Photo: Xavier Lopez (right) and Omar Zuñiga(left) got married yesterday. (we'll miss you... jajajajajaja NTC) _______________ ALSO, a HUGE congratulations and felicidades... goes to OMAR (who plays a hitman in the movie). OMAR Zuñiga got hanged, I mean, married yesterday. Omar and his wife Susana are in Puerto Vallarta enjoying the beach... (yeah right!)... Have fun and wish you the best!
Photo: Still from movie. Some of the beautiful imagery of ASH WEDNESDAY: CAPITULO UNUS. This was shot in San Antonio, TX. This still is from a scene that is 4.5 seconds long... __________________ We are gearing up and preparing for all the shoots that are left. We have 2 complete scenes + a bunch of pickup shots + a lot of audio sound effects and ADR to record.
I have edited ONE hour and THIRTY min. of the movie! And there is still stuff that needs to be edited, by that, I think our final cut will be 1 hour and 50 min, maybe 2 hours with credits, so we'll see...
We're all excited to get back into production. Can't wait...
OH, and thanks to everyone who has been buying and renting EL ESCAPE DE LOS SANTOS! We've gotten a lot of good comments from all around... Thanks again!
Photo: still from movie... DelsoCarrete (Alonso Wheeler) thinking medieval thoughts... _____________ After a slight setback, we are getting off our asses and finish filming this incredible CHAPTER ONE of Ash Wednesday.... We have shots programmed with Ash himself, Jessica, and other quick and easy shoots, and reshoots... No longer will we remain flacid and unused! jajajajajajaja ok, well not completely... The editing process is going extremely well... the scenes are beautiful, horrible, shocking and somewhat insane... See you in the pit!
Photo: Me with my copy of Escape... Very cool... _________________ Me and Alonso picked up a copy of El Escape De Los Santos this past weekend, and it was much better than expected. The menu screen is simply awesome, and all the special features are there... so I am very happy that the movie is finaly out, and I don't have to worry about it anymore... The screening for El Escape (this past friday) was very cool...
Afterwards we showed scenes 8-11 of Capitulo Unus along with the trailer... The reaction was exceptional (as expected of course :-) Hopefully it'll be complete by mid-November and test it for audiences... CANNOT WAIT....
Production is aout to be restarted to shoot the absolute last scenes and some quick pickup scenes, HOWEVER Post-production will take a slight pause in order to produce a corporate video for a client.
El Escape De Los Santos, is a film that took us about 3 1/2 years to make. The first 2 years were spent developing the script, and how the story was to unfold AND that time was spent buying the equipment we needed to do the film (camera, boom mic, cables, editing PC, etc.)
Alonso Wheeler, wrote 2 drafts, and I wrote the 3rd draft. After assembling everything from our script, Alonso and I finally settled on it, and in 2004 we were finally ready.
In March 2004, we started shooting, and finished until February 2005. We were very ill prepared, but we finally got everything shot. I edited sporadically in 2005 due to the fact that I had a real job, BUT I finally finished a FINAL draft in June 2005.
We submitted to ALL of the remaining important film festivals, and we got rejected by ALL of them. Luckily, I had submitted my film to a distributor called Venevision International, they called me very interested in the movie, and offered me a deal on the spot.
Later on we finally got accepted to the Hollywood DV Festival...
In April, ESCAPE was released on Pay-per-view all over the US, on dish network, direcTV, Time Warner, etc...
AND FINALLY TODAY, the movie is released on DVD across retailers everywhere.
But what does this really mean to us? Simply put, this means that there's an audience for our movies, and we now know, we can make a career out of making movies.
Special thanks to everyone who believes in us, and especially those who have helped us along the way.
AND here's another special treat! This is the Behind the Effects section of El Escape, which is also included on the DVD. Enjoy!
If you can't find the DVD at your local store, try Amazon.com or any other reputable online retailer, there are many who carry it. To buy from Amazon click here.
Many people are asking what is included on the DVD, well here's the rundown: -The movie has been changed to a widescreen format -It will include 3 Behind the scenes featurettes -Behind the Escape -Behind the Effects -Behind the Score -Theatrical Trailer -Subtitles in English
ALRIIIIIGHTY THEN... I've been cutting around here and there, and doing some more music for ASH... I just cannot believe it!!! I am SOOOOO close to a rough cut!!! I think that by the end of the month we'll have a rough... but we still have time... ANYWAYS, here's something special for everyone who saw EL ESCAPE DE LOS SANTOS on PPV or elsewhere... To celebrate the release of the film on DVD TOMORROW, we have uploaded the bloopers for El Escape on youtube... We really appreciate everyone who has pre-ordered the DVD! Thanks for the support!
Photos: Stills from the finalized sequence of effects. This was shot greenscreen and put on street. We decided early on to do this because we really did not want to cause any problems with police, or traffic... Another challenging aspect is that the 18 wheeler passes in front of them, so that had to be composited as well, frame by frame, very time consuming, bet very wel worth it... _____________________ ESCAPE DE LOS SANTOS is to be released this Tuesday on DVD across the United States, so check at your local blockbuster. Here's the link: Blockbuster Escape page
If you're having a tough time finding it, just order online at Amazon: Order Escape at Amazon
ASH WEDNESDAY: I was finishing up the visual FX of Delso dumping Cazares in Mexico... looks clean and neat... ALSO, I was tightening the scene where Matias gets kidnapped... It is now more intense and much better looking. The audio sounds a lot better too... ALSO, I have been touching up a lot of scenes here and there, just sculpting and perfecting them. In the coming weeks I am to delve in to to the audio, with sound effects, ADR and more music, so it should be fun...
Photo: Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu after the screening for BABEL _____________ Yesterday, we went on a special trip to Austin to enjoy a screening. The title of the moving pictures that flashed upon us was BABEL made by the incredible Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu.
Like true fanboys, ME, Alonso, Paco and Barco... we trekked all the way to Austin and got there at 4pm... THE SCREENING WAS AT 7:30pm!
We waited, we waited, we went to bathroom a couple of times and we waited some more... When we finally went into the theatre, no one knew who the hell was the Director, or anything about the movie, it seemed that many people went because it was a FREE screening... but whatever...
The lights went down and the projector initiated to display the film. I was enjoying every 24 frames that passed every second, I hate that we HAVE to blink, but s**t, what can I do...
The movie ended, and WOW! It was great and beautiful... Everything was there: The shots, the story, the emotion, THE CLOSEUPS! Incredible!
After that, the Director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu came out for a Q & A session, he answered everything from how he started out, to, that it took him 2 days to film a white pussycat... very entertaining... and very informative... I was in AWE, because ever since I saw Amores Perros I was inspired to make films, so I felt like I was watching Mr. Myagi beat the s**t out of the bad guys... MASTER!
One of the things that I got from him, was the similarities that we share. (not comparing, of course) We don't storyboard. we shoot what feels right at the moment, and we respect and trust everyone who is working in the movie. Of course, we all have different styles of doing everything, but in the end I am glad that he showed a certain humbleness... Not a god-like figure that some pretentious directors tend to get.
And I think, that's what makes it inspiring, because you feel if HE can do it, I can do it...
Photo: Still from El Escape De Los Santos... It's funny because we're still using that gun on Ash Wednesday... We recycle! _________________ El Escape De Los Santos, our first film, is like a gift that... well, you know, you read the title...
On October 20th there will be a special screening of El Escape in San Antonio at: 7 p.m. Radius 106 Auditorium Circle (right across from the Municipal Auditorium) San Antonio Texas , 78205
This screening will be a perfect time to celebrate the release of the film on DVD, which comes out that same week! perfect timing!
The screening will be a part of the Adelante Film Forum which is: "This intensive, three-day conference will bring media industry experts and scholars to the local film community to share secrets and to strategize about the future of independent media. Through workshops and panels, filmmakers will learn how to meet the challenges of the exploding diversity of new markets and genres." More info and calendar of events here: http://www.nalip.org/texas/sananto/TheAdelanteFilmForum.html
I will be present to say a few words, to introduce a "behind the effects" segment AND to present the trailer for ASH WEDNESDAY: CAPITULO UNUS, among other surprises...
Apparently, this is a free event open to the public, but more info will be posted here in the coming days...
On ASH WEDNESDAY, I've been editing ALL DAY LONG... my eyes hurt... but I have my phone service restored... FINALLY!
Photo: DelsoCarrete beating the s**t out of the fiercest killer in Mexico... ______________ It's progress... I have been at it all day, torturing my PC...
I now have a favorite scene that I just cannot help but watch over and over and over... It involves DelsoCarrete torturing the most feared assasin in Mexico, but the beauty of the scene is not what's happening on screen, but what's happening inside his head.
While all this goes on you are viewing this horrible torture scene, yet a mixture of a melancholic piano, a reversed piano, a haunting humming sound mixed with some screams, give you a sense that there's more to it than making justice. The piano itself is absolutely haunting. Thanks to Lando-Rolando Garza for this great melody...
Delso is finally getting revenge for his friend and partner Nestor Pragas (R.I.P. snf), whom he lost in the Tijuana drug wars of 98'. A contract was out for his head after Ash Wednesday finds out that he is an undercover DEA officer. Nestor was tortured for 7 days and was dumped on a well trafficked boulevard. Delso is extremely pissed, and sets his sights on getting revenge to whomever did this to his partner. Delso goes AWOL on the DEA and is determined to get vengeance. This is NOT in the movie, so it is not spoiling anything, yet it does play an important part. It's good knowledge to have before you see Capitulo Unus next year. :-D
In ESCAPE news, we have a GREAT event planned for October 20th, but more details shall be disseminated as soon as I get confirmation... it'll be posted here ASAP. 30 second commercials in Univision can be seen NATIONWIDE promoting the DVD that will come out Oct. 17. MTV.com, VH1.com, target.com, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, Univision.com and many others are accepting pre-orders... Thanks to everyone that embraces EL ESCAPE DE LOS SANTOS. A lot of heart was poured into that movie...
Photos: Special FX preview of the dumping of one of the most fiercest killers in Mexico. Delso Carrete sending a message to Ash Wednesday. _______________________ Well, I've been at work like a little chemist, touching up scenes, continued editing, and have started some FX scenes like the one depicted in the pics.
Crazy weekend with some well-deserved cerveza involved... Hector Hernandez, from the well respected HH Agency in San Antonio, came down and previewed what we have edited so far... He claims "...it makes Running Scared look like Kill Bill"... :-D
Some other folks have previewed the scenes, and it's fun watching the expressions on some peoples faces... very fun indeed... Can't wait till' the movie is finished...
HOLY CRAP! I am up to ONE hour and TWENTY minutes of edited footage! And there's a LOT more scenes left to edit... I expect the final cut will be at around TWO hours (excluding credits), so we'll see how that turns out... YIKES!
You get busy living... or you get busy dying... -Andy Dufrense
Photos: Final product. Everything Black-and-white except Red... Schindler's list effect... The 2nd pic shows the original frame as we shot it. _____________________ I've been patching up effects, and cutting some fresh scenes... I had been working on Filo's imminent date with destiny since last night, but I'm glad I got it right this morning... a lot of clever editing left me with happy sensation. aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh...
Another scene I've been working on is on Ash as young man... the catalystic piece that starts it all (not in the movie, but in the story...), like I said, this has been a piece I've been working on since 2 weeks ago, and I still cannot finish... but it is looking VERY good... There's a lot of special effects here, like this tricky color correction of making everything black-and-white except the color red... final product is going to look great...
I think I'm done for the day... beers? anyone?
PS: I learned today that "ALL that glitters, is NOT gold..." From the new episode of spongebob :-D ta-ta for now...
Photos: Here's Jessica (played by Kristi Gomez)... The 1st picture is the final product, and the orange tinted one, is exactly as we shot it that day... Color-correction can provide us of yet another tool to better tell the story. __________________ Good morning star shine, the earth says hellooooooo! I am still editing and chopping and putting together cuts to make the film. There is 15+ hours of raw footage that we have shot, so I have to crawl through all this material to make the final product. Edited I have an hour and 17 minutes... It is coming alive...
Here's a quick note on color correcting: As I am editing I adjust the colors to my liking, to get a more edgier feel, and the color itself, marks the movie with it's own style of visualization... If we were working with actual film, we would have to send it to the lab, to make these adjustments [of color], thank God for digital!
ALSO, congrats to Patricia Vonne... she was featured in the Austin Woman Magazine: www.austinwomanmagazine.com Her 3rd studio album is in the making, and she is constantly on tour, AND she'll be in Austin at Jovita's... October 7th. more info here: www.patriciavonne.com Her song Soledad, was featured in the incredible, amazing and astounding indie hit El Escape De Los Santos.
Who's motorcyclye is this? It's not a motorcycle babe, it's a chopper... Who's chopper is this? It's Zed's... Who's Zed? Zed's dead, baby, Zed's dead... -Pulp Fiction
I cannot believe it... my 8 year old son Ricky is now venturing into filmmaking... (teardrop) he made this film today with my digital photo camera and my tripod... THEY GROW UP SO FAST! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO It's a short film called "the Yoda Man", it is stop-motion animation...
Photo: Another still from the movie... Gregorio Cazares (Fred Cisneros) before taking on business. ____________________ Many people have asked me what kind of movie is ASH WEDNESDAY? Action, drama, latino, suspense...? To tell you the truth... I HAVE NO IDEA! There's a lot of people with guns and knifes, but we don't focus on that... so I honestly do not know... I've heard people say: "you should do an action film, because, that is what sells" or "the latino films are the ones that the people are watching!" We really, just want to make a GOOD film, and we don't focus on anything else. I hate jail movies, yet "the shawshank redemption" is one of my favorites... I hate corny space movies, yet "star wars" is right up there... I am not comparing ASH with these "greats", it's just that sometimes movies don't have any boundaries. With that thought thought, thanks to everyone who believes.
Screen stills form film: Di Galvan (as an intrepid reporter) + Robbie Flores and Sonia Valdez. Shooting in Piedras Negras, MX, and they were screaming in the middle of the street... awesome shoot... ____________ More progress is being made... I cannot believe how much work I am getting done without a cell phone... nobody called me anyway, but you know... I pretended people would call me... :-D OK folks... more stills from the editing today... You might be asking, what characters are these girls? The answer will be revealed when the shining light bouncing back from the screen is entering your eyes and your brain is processing the story... AND then and ONLY then you will be enlightened! I can't believe we're in October already... gotta get it done...
Photo: Alicia Bloom (Eva Akashi) montage over dramatic music made by "Dude" Ibarra.
__________________ I am still editing feircely... My phone is cut off, so I can't really call anyone to shoot this weekend... s**t. However there is a LOT of editing to do.. so I'll just continue on... I have edited more than an 70 minutes of pure cinematic pleasure... There is a lot of visual effects to do after the rough cut is done... a lot of green screen, and bullet muzzle shots, sound effects, and other effects. So I'll just keep chopping... I wish I could tell you where this still frame (from the movie) goes in the film, but it will spoil a lot of things, but in time, it will all make sense...
Eagle Pass/ San Antonio Texas, Texas, United States
I'm a filmmaker with a street degree in Directing/Editing/Writing/
Our first film El Escape De Los Santos has been published across the US and Latin America.
Our second, Ash Wednesday: Capitulo Unus remains to be published and we are making our third film THE HEART OF TREVIÑO.
www.digitalworkstudios.com
www.twitter.com/chavirovilla
Photo: Still frame from the movie. AFI shootout in Los Troncos, Quinatana Roo, right before the climax and the conclusion of Capitulo Unus.
Photo: Xavier Lopez (right) and Omar Zuñiga (left) got married yesterday. (we'll miss you... jajajajajaja NTC) 
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