A mobster film that has been finely tuned and scripted by the author himself, Carl Nicita.
The sets are being built, the cement shoes poured, and the actors have gathered to begin filming on this very ambitious project.
Not wanting to wait around for the perfect time and opportunity, Hectic Films is doing what they do best. Putting their feet to the ground, their eye to the camera, and making Blockbuster style films on budgets that would terrify even the most Indie of filmmakers.
Speaking of which, I know a guy who knows a guy who can get you in the credits and some other amazing perks if the price is right. Whattaya say?
Head over to Indiegogo to check out the campaign that is up now.
Normally you gotta be a Made Man to get a deal this good, but we trust you. We can trust you, right?
I just got some more insider news for you as well. Come here. A little closer. Don't worry about the plastic on the carpet, I'm having the place painted soon.
We recently were hired to shoot reality star Frenchy Morgan's newest music video Stripperland. It was an interesting shoot to say the least and we had a lot of fun working with Frenchy and Jenna Urban on the shoot.
We even scored some shirts from SYC FUK Clothing which is showcased in the music video. Pretty EPIC! Check out their website here: http://sycfuk.com
We had a great time and were able to shoot at some pretty interesting locations, including Angels Cabaret for all of the strip club scenes. Oh yeah and we were at the beach too. Which if you are following us on Facebook you would have already scene the awesome behind the scenes 360 video of the shoot. Here is a quick behind the scenes shot from our instagram:
We even shot on the beach! That will mark 2 music videos I have directed that had a scene on the beach. Here is one of those epic 360 videos:
All these nice pictures were taken by Brandon Rose! Also the video will make its premiere 9/23 in Hollywood! Be there or be something.... Anyway keep checking back on our blog and Facebook page for more updates of cool stuff! Please help us spread the word and share this blog! Much Love!#teamhecticfilms #musicvideo
Jason Mitchell is a busy man, that’s why I had to slip into the recording studio at Epixx Media Group and lock him in an audio booth to hit him with five quick-fire questions about his involvement with Hectic Films newest short film Descensus.
The others left the room and Jason made his way into the booth to set up equipment, I knew opportunity was presenting itself so I slapped at the lock on the door and as he spun around to see what was happening I smashed the intercom button and said, “Looks like you have time for an interview now.”
His eyes narrowed and my leg started to tremble in fear so I reached deep and found the courage needed to drag a chair towards me. I sat down and tried to relax as he fogged up the glass between us in a quiet rage.
I grinned knowing he wouldn’t destroy his own studio just to get at me and asked through the intercom, “As a Director, what are the top three things you always like to do before a production starts filming?”
He did the unthinkable at that moment and grinned back as he replied, “I really like to go through the script and dissect it thoroughly, to give myself a practical aspect of how to approach bringing everything together. Secondly I get a list of people together that I would need to bring the project full circle, and lastly, I think about what type of equipment I want to use to achieve the look I have in mind.”
Feeling like things might actually work out here I pushed ahead with the second question and asked, “How did you get started in filmmaking?”
Jason turned the handle on the door of the audio booth and I watched in horror as it opened. Apparently, the lock didn’t work at all. Jason was a professional though and answered, “I actually started with music videos. It was a good place to start because there is so much involved with making music videos that the experiences helped me to more easily make the jump into filmmaking. Also shooting weddings helped me because you are a one man band when shooting weddings, it’s a ‘run and gun’ mentality, you have to do everything from audio to film to edit on the fly. Shooting weddings really can help to polish your skills.”
Jason was still grinning as he walked over to the studio door and twisted the lock. I actually heard it click home and jumped up from the chair. Whatever filmmaking questions I had thought of ahead of time completely vanished and in a panic, I blurted out, “Is the book always better than the movie?”
Jason turned towards me then, a new sparkle in his eye. The grin even wider as he replied, “For me, the movies are always better because I know all the time, effort, and technology that goes into making them. Books are deeper and more forgiving in the fact that you can imagine what you are reading with infinite possibilities but when shooting a film there are so many elements that come into play to create a single vision it just isn't fair to compare them.”
I didn’t realize I was backing away until I slammed against the wall and a picture fell to the floor, glass shattering from the frame. I glanced down and noticed it was a family picture. “Oh, God no.” I whispered. Jason was slowly walking towards me now and I tried to distract him with another question, “You cut your Hectic Films teeth on Descensus, but you are not a first timer, where else can we see your work?”
He pushed the chair I was sitting on earlier out of the way and replied, “Actually surprising enough, Descensus is one of the first short films I have done. It was really a great experience for me. I got to test myself in different facets of filmmaking. I am looking forward to directing, shooting, and editing many more shorts and hopefully work my way into feature films in the near future.”
He stood before me now, close to the same height but seemingly looking down from high above as I tried to cower away but had nowhere left to go. I tried a smile and asked, “Skittles or Gummy Bears?”
He grabbed a loose cord from the table and started wrapping both ends around his fists as he smiled and answered, “Red Vines.”
Sometimes fate has a way of bringing two people together. That is exactly what I told the cops when I was recently arrested for allegedly “kidnapping” one of the actors from Hectic Films upcoming short Descensus. In reality, all I did was stalk him to a local warehouse outlet store and corner him behind the produce section so I could throw some fast paced questions at him and hold a banana towards his face.
He was a little startled and had that wide-eyed look of appreciation in his eyes when I first shoved him back against the tomato bin and fired off the first question, “Sometimes film sets can be a little intimidating for cast and crew on the first day. You have an uncanny ability to break right through that awkwardness and make everyone feel at home. Is this part of being an actor or just the natural way of Darin Juarez?”
Naturally, my charming good looks and smooth way with people set his mind at ease once he realized I just wanted to ask about his acting and he replied by screaming, “Help!”
Realizing that this was going to be a short interview I repeated the question as security swarmed down on me. Once I was handcuffed Darin answered, “I gotta say, thanks for those kind words. I had no idea that was happening. I know how stressful being on set is for everybody so, I guess I just try to keep that in mind and be nice. Plus, if there's one thing I hate it's that barrier between us all when we first meet! I make a pretty strong effort to be open and obliterate that mama jamma!”
I asked if that meant I could be freed and he shot a look towards the security guards and shook his head back and forth real quick.
Security was already talking into their shoulder microphones and asking for police to be called so I blurted out the most important question I had, “If a fan wanted to buy you a present, should they go with a snow globe or stuffed animal?”
Darin’s eyes darted to the snow globe that was embedded in the front of my pants and I gyrated my hips a little to make the snow swirl for him. “Stuffed animal!” he answered.
I tried to hide my disappointment as a tear came to my eye, and swallowed my hope as I said, “It’s clear you can act, but I heard you also like to write. Any writer credits in the works that we should keep an eye out for?”
As the sound of loud police radios came from the front of the store, Darin answered, “I've got a sci-fi about a fighter pilot being recruited for a top secret project to fuse his consciousness with a combat A.I., two series pilots about musicians coming up from nothing--one about a metal-head, the other about rappers. Then there's some sketches, a scene about a spy couple, and that YouTube series I was writing called The Death of William Draper.”
As the police arrived, they changed out my handcuffs I guess so security could keep theirs and asked me if I had any identification. I ignored them and asked Darin, “How would you describe acting if you could only use two words?” I think the cops said something but I only had ears for Darin and waited for him to reply. Finally, he shook his head and grinned, “Damn... I thought this was going to be an easy test. I am to consolidate the whole of what acting means to me, has been to me and where I hope it will continue to lead me, into two magnificent words? Okay. ‘Soul Threshing’.”
I may have gotten a little dreamy eyed at that and as the police dragged me away, I yelled out one last question, “Where can people go to find out more about Darin Juarez?”
Even the cops stopped dragging me at that point and turned to wait for an answer. Darin said, “If you really want more... I'm on:
Instagram @darinjuarez
Principle photography is underway on Hectic Films newest production, Descensus! This dramatic little Indie Film based on a poem by Terry McGhee will star Rickey Bird Jr. as Cole Weir, the normal everyday suburban husband who begins his day in mundane normalcy but who quickly stumbles onto the path less traveled and always feared.
With Jason Mitchell and Rickey Bird Jr. both handling the reins of the Directors chair and Justin Cummings donning the Director of Photography hat, you can expect a thrilling spiral down into the depths of the darkest parts of our hearts, where shadows dance, and regrets are only a step behind.
Joining and often times helping Cole along on his journey is an all star supporting cast of both old and new Hectic Films alumni. From the always impressive and towering on screen presence of DT Carny, the always welcoming personalities of Jason Sanders and Ernesto Gomez, to the new and beautiful April Marion King, Descensus is sure to set both your heart and your mind on heightened alert.
Check back often as we hope to bring you a more in depth look into the crew and production of Descensus as it unfolds.
Hectic Films has begun script break down and casting on an upcoming short film project titled "Descensus" which will take us on a journey to find just how far a man can fall in a single day.
It’s time to shelve those outdated books you picked up in film school and hope they appreciate solely as a collector's edition somewhere down the road. Rickey Bird is here to bring you the only pocket project indie film book you will ever need.
From the exciting first thoughts to the nightmare of post-production marketing, Cheap Movie Tricks will give you the direction you need to navigate those sometimes daunting paths of indie filmmaking.
We’re talking hands on, “This is how we did it!” know how, not regurgitated dribble that has been boringly passed down from book to book over the years with little updating, except for some occasional sponsored industry standards which are out of most indie filmmakers price range anyway.
I had a chance to corner Rickey Bird in a home improvement store parking lot late one night to ask the following questions about the book.
Tell us about the book Cheap Movie Tricks:
It’s a really fun book. I teamed up with Nicholas Belardes and Mango Media to create this very cool book. That really isn’t just a book but a tool that you can keep with you to help you on your journey. There are some really good problem-solving tips that can get you outta tight spots while your filming. This is a book for the filmmaker by the filmmakers. It’s not some wishy washy BS. It has been dubbed the “Punk Rock” style of filmmaking. That’s totally my style. Just get out and get it done no matter what!
How is this book different from others?
It’s really different. It shows you a basic overview of how to create a short film for under $2000. To help people break away from the studio version of doing things (aka the really expensive way) and do things cheaply. Teaching the tricks you need to know to stretch your buck to the fullest. This is a basic style of filmmaking that I have been doing for over 10 years with short films and feature length films. Think of it as a text book written from years of trial and error filmmaking crammed into a small package.
Is this book only for people who want to get started in filmmaking?
No, this is a book for everyone that wants to start as well as those currently making films. This isn’t like any industry handbook, this is the extreme indie film handbook. This book goes from concept to film festivals and feature deal proposal. Does the book have Pictures?
Yes it has pictures and links for videos to go the extra mile for the filmmakers. Behind the scenes photos from a lot of Hectic Films projects and also some cool poster work. Very cool stuff!
What do you hope will happen with this book?
Honestly, I hope it gets people off their asses and motivated to shoot film. It is, in my opinion, the greatest art form in the world, that can also include any art form in it. From books to music in a film, I think it’s awesome. Video is the king. I want to help lay the ground work to get others motivated to create and give them the motivation they need to follow through to the end!
