are slowly passing thru the hour glass, kinda like the opening to DAYS OF OUR LIVES. We were set to get together but Allison got sick, my in-laws paid us a visit and my son had his spring break. But I did save a ton of money by switching to Geico! Not really. I promise we’re still trying to update and I apologize for the delay.
Ladies and gentlemen, we were supposed to get together and shoot more episodes last week on Allison’s spring break but she was coming down with something. The girl has not been very healthy this winter. She’s running herself into the ground with two SeaWorld shows, school and possibly work though I think she quit since the SeaWorld gigs came up. But what do I know? Remember when we were 19 and had a million irons in the fire? You can do it but it will catch up to you…as it has Allison. But I hope she gets well. MALO CASA is nothing compared to the health of a loved one.
We’ll keep trying to finish the show. The good stuff is coming up and I’m really excited about shooting it not to mention I have the story for the sequel ready to go. Unfortunately Emily won’t return my emails or phone calls so I think she’s flaked on me. I don’t blame her really. She’s been waiting to come in and we just haven’t been able to speed up the process. Deb is still good, I talked to her and she’s ready and waiting patiently.
Spring is here and San Diego is in full bloom. The city is filled with flowers and vibrant colors. It’s an awesome place to live! Take care and we’ll be back soon I hope.
Folks, life certainly has it’s frustrating moments doesn’t it? They say the real character of a man is revealed under duress. So I’m gonna be as calm and cool as I can be.
Sorry but there won’t be any updates for awhile. The cast and myself are very busy and it’s proving a difficult task to get us together at this time. Ultimately the episodes were going to be cut down and shaped into a film which I will enter in the gazillion film festivals which have erupted all over the world. Which brings me to my next point of frustration…
The idea for MALO CASA started a little over a year ago. I put on my indy filmmakers cap and thought to myself - “Hmm, the whole Blair Witch thing hasn’t been done in awhile, that will work for this project.” Remember, everything in life is cyclical especially in the film industry. Now look what we have - CLOVERFIELD and DIARY OF THE DEAD. Characters using a camera to document chaos and zombies. That’s just f*!#^*g great! Oh well, what d’ ya gonna do? Oh, and how do you like all the hand-held stuff in movies today? The freakin’ camera is all over the place like the operator has ADHD. Is all that necessary? We shoot MALO CASA hand-held and you don’t see Allison’s camera zipping all over the place. I don’t know about you but I’m really getting tired of it.
Thanks for your support and we’ll be back ASAP. Ciao…
Sorry folks but sometimes life just happens…we do all we can to schedule updates every Saturday but I had company visit, Peggy went out of town and Allison is sick so there will be no update on the 23rd of Feb. Hopefully we’ll have time next week to shoot more episodes. Thanks to all of you for your kind words and feel free to ask questions because I really don’t know if people are interested in the process of filmmaking so I hesitate to write about our experiences.
I can tell you it’s frustrating to be halfway through the story and here it’s nearly March. There are two cast members who haven’t even been introduced yet. When this began I imagined it taking a couple of months to complete. I told Deborah we’d shoot her stuff before Thanksgiving…last year. WOW! That’s embarrassing just from a producing standpoint but mistakes have been made through no one’s fault and I will learn from them.
The good news is I do have the story ready for MALO CASA 2 if I decide to do another. MC2 will be shot in a traditional style of filmmaking more like a cable or network show would be with shots and edits and music. I’m pumped about it but the future of MC2 rests on what happens with the current MC.
Wow…I’m so sorry I haven’t been diligent in keeping up with this blog. When December rolled around Allison had finals and showcases for agents in S.D and LA. Peggy was busy auditioning/shooting other projects so we took the month off. The holidays arrived and my family and I went out of town. But the last two weeks we have shot episodes so hopefully we’ll roll forward without interruption.
I’d like to thank those who’ve kept up with the series. I liken myself to an amateur Cassavettes whose work revolves around character studies, human nature and characters you learn to love or hate but always care about. I love human behavior and if you’ve looked at the website and read the backstory of the previous occupants of the house you’ve probably figured out the power of the casa. Having said that then you realize the characters have been changing though perhaps they don’t appear to have at first glance. The thing is, the characters couldn’t change overnight hence the perceived slowness of the story. But all the setup is done now as you’ll see.
A couple of comments for budding filmmakers out there. We’re shooting in a 4:3 ratio and in 60 frames per second to give the series a realistic feel. This is a 16 year old filmmaker who probably doesn’t know much about actual filmmaking yet so that lack of experience should be seen on the screen. Same for shot composition though Allison does do a nice job. We look at the person shooting also instead of into the lens of course because of the flip out LCD which the shooter is using. Danielle wouldn’t know at this point to ask us to look at the lens instead of to her.
Once again, thanks for the support and spread the word about the show. In the future we will have interviews with the remaining cast members and myself. If you have any questions or comments please submit them. Be safe…
Dave
Well, the fire was north, east and south of the casa but we never got the call to evacuate. There was a voluntary evac for the area but we never went…just loaded the cars and waited, watching news coverage every minute for two days. If it weren’t for the choppers we’d have been in trouble. They truly saved the day along with our neighborhood…no doubt. Thank you firefighters and to all who called or sent emails asking how we were. We were lucky this time.
I’ve noticed there have been quite a few web series debuting in the last month. I checked out a few, they look good. The internet will be home to the next wave of web networks eventually and webisodes will blow-up in popularity. We’ll see big budget projects with known actors at some point but for now it’s pretty much indie filmmaking.
MALO CASA is no-budget indie filmmaking. Not “low budget”, NO BUDGET! I pay the ladies gas money and feed them. We don’t have a crew, no music, no lights except for the camera light. It’s truly a labor of love for us to do. I wanted a realism like “BLAIR WITCH” had and I think we’ve accomplished that. We’re on episode 6 now and things are gonna begin to escalate. The family has been in the house for a nearly two weeks but Danielle has only documented the last five days. The power of the house is beginning to control their lives and soon will take over completely.
Thank you all for keeping up, spread the word and send us an email with some love. Knowing people are into the story keeps us going.
Hi everyone,
EARTH: YEA!!!!! The role of Amber Cook has been cast and her name is Emily Hornsby (no relation to Bruce, I asked). Her enthusiasm and flexible schedule won her the coveted part…yea, right. Not quite coveted huh? No-budget filmmakers out there beware - finding people who can act and will work for free is difficult and I do understand that we all need to make ends meet. Be patient and you’ll find someone. We’re all looking forward to working with Emily. When she appears the series will shift gears and things will become mighty grim for the Massey family.
WIND: As I sit here in beautiful San Diego the wind is blowing really hard and it has for over 24 hours with the weatherman saying it will continue until tomorrow night or Wednesday. The kind of wind that keeps you up at night and spreads -
FIRE: As I sit here in beautiful San Diego there are wildfires burning all around, fueled by the wind and dry vegetation which is also all around. We could be evacuated at any minute and we’re ready. Pictures, documents, clothing and the dog. All the rest will be left behind so if “MALO CASA” doesn’t update, you know why. Funny, everyone thinks CA will be destoyed by an earthquake…it’s gonna be fire that does us in.
Take Care,
Dave
Hi all. Sorry I haven’t posted lately, just been busy. The actress attached to play Amber dropped out last week and I’ve been trying to cast the role as well as I’ve been writing my pieces for an online magazine I write for. If you like music check it out it’s at www.thetubmusic.com. It’s graphic extensive so if you don’t have broadband or better you won’t be able to access it, sorry. Not to mention we continue to shoot scenes for the series. Sunday, Allison and myself shot three scenes and tomorrow Allison, Peggy and myself are going on a road trip. We gotta get out of the house every once and awhile!
Casting a role sucks! I post on LACasting and wait for responses. I got 53 total and then I search for the look I want Amber to have. Then I have to contact the girls, talk to them about the part. I thought having the series up and running would make it easier to cast. I dreamed actresses would be dying to do it…NOT! Look, I understand. They have to drive down to San Diego, they’re not getting paid, they don’t know me, whatever. But when they don’t respond to phone calls and emails I send them? Peggy hit it on the head. She said “they’re not serious about acting.” I agree. It sounds good but so many really don’t want it. If they did they’d have the ambition Allison, Peggy and Deborah show everytime we talk. Deb has been attached with Allison since May or June and she knows she doesn’t come into the show until later but she’s never wavered. She’ll say keep me in the loop and let me know when I’m needed. Trust me, when she does appear the whole series will shift gears. It’ll be freakin’ awesome! So, the search for a new Amber goes on…wish me luck!
Well, it’s September 26th, the first three episodes are in the can and I’m gonna release the first one to the world in the next few hours. A lot of work and thought has gone into MALO CASA and I hope it will get noticed. They say a good story will catch on and readers will find it. I hope that’s the case cause if it is…we will get the attention of many viewers. But I’m worried that in this world of “JACKASS” style entertainment and the sense that no one has patience anymore to let a story develop, perhaps the only people to watch our devilish tale will be friends and family.
If that is the case…so be it. Chalk it up to experience for all involved. But I will try to get the word out there, to as many that will listen and give CASA a chance. And I hope if you like it, you will help spread the word as well. I envision it will take awhile for viewers to jump on board, could be a year or more. Could be after all the episodes of season one are on display. That’s ok…I’m a patient man. Enjoy!
An indy filmmaker has to work with what is available. My biggest asset would be the house my wife and I own. So I try to develop some kind of story where I can use the house which also becomes a controllable environment as opposed to shooting exteriors in and around San Diego. My love for the horror/thriller genre automatically kicks in and a haunted house story emerges. But I don’t want to do a typical haunted house movie because most of them are boring to be honest. Exceptions - THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (original), THE HAUNTING (original), and my fav, an old one - THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD.
So I walk around for days thinking, brewing up ideas for a house and a family in that house. I love psychology, if I were to do it all over I think I’d have been a psyche major at Carolina. I love to figure out what makes people do the things they do. As I write this the parents of missing 4 year old girl Maddie McCann, who was searched for far and wide, are being considered suspects in her disappearance. WTF? How does this happen? Stuff like that saddens me and fascinates the hell outta me. Anyway, I begin to think about the dark thoughts we all walk around with in our heads, the dastardly deeds we think about doing but we don’t for any number of reasons the most obvious being compassion for our fellow humans…and jail.
So I have a family who move into a house and suddenly find themselves acting on their own individual dark thoughts. Why? What force is causing this to happen? If I told you now I’d have to kill ya…no spoilers here, sorry. Please tune in and watch what unfolds.
Dave