We had our next round of filming to finish Super Gabby scheduled this weekend but about three weeks ago producer Sandra Lopez asked me if we were still going to go through with it? My answer was no because we would not be prepared in time and she agreed. Also, a couple of the cast members are unavailable so we are definitely unable to go on at this point and recasting is not an option. So, where do we go from here? Is this the end of Super Gabby and all our efforts? Absolutely not. It's not over yet! I am currently editing a teaser trailer using the footage we managed to shoot. The plan is to use what we have for a new crowd funding campaign, possibly for a feature film version. Our entire cast has expressed their enthusiasm and dedication to finish the film. Various people have also come forward with encouragement and support to help us. What more could we ask for? There is always something new to learn and this has been an awesome learning experience for all of us. You have to face challenges with confidence and move forward. We can't wait to release the teaser trailer! Be on the lookout for that, coming soon.
It's all about perseverance! Adrian Nava Writer/Director
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Take Five has been selected to screen at the Block n' Roll Film Festival at the historic Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, California, on Wednesday, August 26th, 2015. Doors open at 6:30pm, show starts at 7:00pm and runs till 10:00pm. Click HERE for tickets. Take Five Action/Comedy On a quiet night, a peaceful stranger enters a restroom to find a violent situation unfolding. SCREENINGS / AWARDS • 8th Aspiring Minds Film Festival 2013 Pleasant Hill, CA - World Premiere (out of competition) • Pictoclik Film Festival 2013 San Francisco, CA - Winner: Judge's Emerging Filmmaker Award • Las Positas Film Festival 2014 Livermore, CA • Shortz! Film Festival 2015 Chico, CA - Official Selection Principal photography for Super Gabby began on July 16th and continued until the 19th. Our Indiegogo crowd funding campaign ended six days later and we raised a total of $1,235 in addition to non-Indiegogo donations. This was less than we anticipated to raise but it has not discouraged us at all to finish the film, this is independent filmmaking, it takes determination and creativity! The budget was mostly funded by credit card but we hope to offset these costs with our fundraising efforts. I have stepped up as a producer to help producers Veronica Salas and Sandra Lopez to plan the next round of filming later this month. Enough footage was shot for a teaser so expect one soon! Fundraising for the film budget has not ended, we are still seeking support to help us finish the film. If you would like to donate, please contact producer Sandra Lopez at sandra@aztekstudiofilms.com *Check out some screen shots from the film below! We are shooting on a Blackmagic Design URSA digital film camera. *Footage has not been color graded yet. Find the Hero Within,
Adrian Nava Writer/Director TEESPRING We launched a Teespring T-shirt selling campaign – which ended yesterday – to raise money for the film. We sold the minimum amount of shirts required to have them printed and shipped. The shirts were designed for our first film, 'La Vida Loca,' with a circular symbol of the feathered serpent, Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, on the back and "La Vida Loca (The Crazy Life)" in Old English font on the front left chest area. You can still order a T-shirt here but now a minimum of fifteen must be sold for Teespring to print them. PRODUCTION NOTES Introducing Scorpion Girl! In the film, Gabby is a big fan of comic books and she dreams of being a super heroine like her favorite comic book hero and inspiration, Scorpion Girl. We hired the very talented illustrator Christopher Shannon to bring her to life. Here are the initial notes I sent him: I envisioned a Latin super heroine for Gabby to look up to and came up with Scorpion Girl. The scorpion theme is inspired by the scorpion design on the back of El Mariachi's coat in 'Desperado.' I would love for Scorpion Girl to have a variation of this. Scorpions are known for their stingers and at first I didn't know how to incorporate it into the character but I came up with the idea of having her hair pulled back into a long braid with a stinger at the end which she would use by swinging her head. It would be cool to see her attacking a villain (humanoid creature or human) with it on one of the covers. • Age: 27 • No cape • One piece suit (please avoid over sexualizing the character with big breasts and butt as is usually the case with comic book females) • Fit and toned but no exaggerated muscles • Boots • Gloves • Face mask • SG symbol on her chest. Perhaps outlined by a scorpion design? So what do you guys think of Scorpion Girl!? Does she look like she can kick butt or what? FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY Some of our cast members had fight choreography training on Monday at East Bay Karate-Do in Pittsburg, CA with owner/chief instructor, Sensei John Felipe. He has volunteered his time and we are forever grateful. The kids managed to pick up the choreography pretty quick and do it over and over. It was awesome seeing them bring the script to life before our eyes. They definitely put in work and gave it their all! The next training session and rehearsal will take place on location where we will be filming so we're excited to see how it's going to look! COCKTAILS & CATCHUP /// SUPER GABBY INDIEGOGO TEASER TRAILER I have been reaching out to many people to let them know about our crowd funding campaign and one person that responded was Taylor Lambert, a Bay Area actor and co-founder of Coffee & Catchup, a group designed to be a resource for the working actor, a networking venue, and a platform for collaboration in San Francisco. He asked me if I wanted to send them a trailer or clip for a potential screening at their upcoming industry party Cocktails and Catchup to celebrate their one year anniversary. The submission deadline was that same day so I quickly edited the video below and sent it about half an hour before midnight! Just in time, whew! Cocktails and Catchup will be held in San Francisco on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 from 7p to 10pm. 'Super Gabby' producer Sandra Lopez will be attending the event to network and promote the film. You don't want to miss this event! Purchase tickets here. EVENT DETAILS:
San Francisco has become the most collaborative commercial, film, and entertainment city in the US, and Coffee & Catchup has been a big part of that. Join us at PianoFight, San Francisco's best new entertainment venue as we celebrate the incredible networking community we've built this past year. You'll have the opportunity to mingle with casting directors, talent agencies, production companies, local filmmakers, and more. Come out for a cocktail (or two!) for what promises to be the best entertainment industry event of the year! There's something for everyone to enjoy!
SEVERAL SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE: Casting Directors Nancy Hayes, Toni Staniewicz, Gregg Cohen, and Kristen Beck Headshot Photographer Lisa Keating VoiceOne founder Elaine Clark Voice-Over Legend Kathy Garver Talent Agencies Stars and NYLO Filmmakers Ronald Chase and Kuang Lee Entertainment Lawyer Edward Mitchell Tech Company Suitable Technologies Creative Video Agency Glass and Marker Ad Agency Bokeh Inc. The Executive Team at San Francisco SAG-AFTRA and YouTube sensation Karen Cheng! Thank you, Adrian Nava Writer/Director adrian@aztekstudiofilms.com
We are now raising money for our new short film, "Super Gabby," on Indiegogo! This is your opportunity to be a part of the film's production and to help us bring the story to life.
Super Gabby is a family adventure about Gabriela Espinoza, a ten year old Mexican American girl, who dreams of being a super heroine like her comic book hero, Scorpion Girl, but first she must discover where true power comes from when she reluctantly decides to stand up to a pair of bullies and take back the local park. Super Gabby Indiegogo from Sandra Lopez on Vimeo.
We have some awesome perks in return! Perks range from $1 for a social media shout out to $8,000 for Producer credit! Also, the more you contribute the more you get in return such as a movie poster, your choice of a digital, DVD, or Blu-ray copy of the film, an exclusive Super Gabby T-shirt, an invite to the wrap party, VIP tickets to the San Francisco premiere, and a chance to join us on set or a chance to be in the film as an extra!
Our goal is to raise $16,000 for the film budget to cover the cost of pre-production, production, and post-production.
THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE:
Unable to donate but still wish to help? Please share this blog with your family, friends, or co-workers and help us get the word out. This alone helps us very much and we appreciate the effort and support!
Please visit and LIKE the Super Gabby Facebook Page! Thank you, Adrian Nava Writer/Director On May 30, 2015 in Las Vegas, I attended the screening of "Operation Repo: The Movie" at the Las Vegas Latino International Film Festival. The director, Lou Pizarro – creator of truTV's hit show "Operation Repo" and also creator, director and producer of the hit TV show "Fugitivos De La Ley Los Angeles" on Mun2 – was there in attendance. I was excited to meet him because he was supposed to film some scenes for "A Father's Journey" in Baja California, Mexico with us but something came up and he ended up filming them in Southern California with a different crew so we were not able to work together. Little did I know it was going to take nearly two years to finally meet him. I was at the screening with AFJ actor Alberto David Mercado, his cousin and a friend. We approached Lou and he took the time to talk to us, share some stories, and exchange business cards with us. They were going to screen the trailer for Lou's new film, "Psychic Visions," before "Operation Repo: The Movie" so I asked him if he wanted to plug it on our blog. Check it out below followed by the "Psychic Visions" trailer. "Psychic Visions" will be released next year. Until next time, Adrian Nava |
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