[dpcraig]

My link
...the trailer for the film. Make sure you watch it in 1080, as youtube compresses and darkens footage most times.



AS:VS (short specs) - Evan Shandling is a college student soon to graduate. During semester/holiday break, he decides to do his thesis film - this film will be the bulk of his final grade. Evan decides to travel to rural Northern Mississippi and document a small business struggling to survive in today's current failing economy. To further exploit his theme, Evan chooses a business that really shouldn't have to make cutbacks at all - an emergency response team called, AS:VS - At Stake: Vampire Solutions.

Very much like shows such as Axe Men or Deadliest Catch, this film comes across in a verite' style of interviews, expose's in and around town and also following the AS:VS team on the job. It's a bit of a social commentary but not preachy at all. It's quite a dark comedy, but it's not insulting for any audience, as plausibility stays firm. Everything you know about vampire mythology is revised and grounded into science and medicine for realism that has long been lacking. Most of all, it is very much about people dealing with and surviving a growing epidemic. Far too long have vampires not been scary. They always are so up front in our faces, made to be cool, superheroes, we like them or want to be just like them. I changed all of that by simply taking them out of the limelight and putting them back into the shadows - talked up and built up through regular people fearful of their lives. I respectfully made them monsters again while also creating a fun experience of a tale...one that already has the same director and production crew requesting a follow up. What's great is that I'm fully ready to do so, and it shouldn't disappoint. In fact, it's going to be even more intense.


I wish that I could reveal set photos of the vampires and such, but the current plan for promotion is to hold back on those. What you will be able to see (there are 5 online so far) are some makeshift podcasts by the AS:VS team answering random folks' questions. You can find them at the film (business) website, or you can simply find them on youtube by searching " ASVS webcast " specifically. You will also start to see several promo pictures soon, too. I will try to post all that I can in this thread as well.

I can't wait for you all to see the film.

[Jack Frost]

I'll check upon it once I get enough of free time. Exams can be rather time consuming.

[Craig]

Looking forward to seeing it.

[dpcraig]

Saturday night - July 9th (2011) was our first, mass test screening for the film. We kept it private for two reasons: One - we had only 140 seats in the theater, and by having 85 extras as vampires in the finale scene, there went most of the seats. It was just cast/crew/location owners/press. Two - so many fests out there won't take your film if it has "premiered" elsewhere already...sucks, but that's the deal, so we're playing the game so to speak.

The results: We absolutely have a great film on our hands. I knew that most wouldn't know what exactly to expect, as the film is more of a dark comedy (not at all a gorefest, though gore is there in parts). Everyone laughed as intended throughout the film, applauded, oohs-ahhs and then applauded even more at the end. I don't think I've ever had the chills like that before...definitely not for a good reason...haha.

So..going forward, I say to keep your ears peeled about AS:VS - At Stake: Vampire Solutions. I think we may well be making some noise, decent fest showings and should still make it into some decent conventions for free screenings. I hope it makes it into several regions to screen because I really want everyone to get a chance at seeing it (of course, dvd will happen anyway). I think everyone will enjoy the world I created in the film...and I think you'll want the eventual follow up film(s) that we are already asked to outline (which is the aspect of all this that is really blowing my mind right now...and I am so very ready to get going).

Also - I know that I haven't been to the forum so much in a consistent pattern, but I promise you that this and several other films I'm doing FX for are the reason why. I will always be a member here and will never stop coming around. I hold you all in high regards...as friends...as peers...as equals. Just know that only busy-work will keep me away. Oh, and no matter what happens...fortune or whatever...I'm always approachable. Hell, I want to meet all of you guys more than anyone may ever want to meet me...haha. "Friends" is how you get further along in anything per life, and it's sad that some folks can't figure that out. I will never forget that...never! You guys rule.

[dpcraig]

MAJOR UPDATE:

Hey, Gang. We are currently locking the contract to use a known song in the film, and before we've even received a single yay or nay per any of the festivals we've submitted to...we are already about to have a handful of conference calls for distribution purposes, both domestic and overseas - finding out that the Eastern Block of Europe isn't just one sale - France, Germany, UK, Spain and then China, Japan, Australia are each their own distribution deals individually. I enjoy learning the business side of it more than I thought, so it's pretty cool. Oh, and the imdb credits for the film are finally trickling up/into place. They definitely take their time confirming and then listing things.

Also, I told you guys that I'd be scarce due to my first, Union film doing FX. We are just now at the halfway point of filming. Gatlinburg, TN was a real stint of work, too. It was hot, we were bug food if we didn't spray or dress well enough, but at the same time, it was beautiful locations. I must also add that filming with the Red Cam...geez...it makes all of my FX look like it belongs in the Louvre' in France or something. That Cam is freaking amazing. I told the primary actress about this website, too. Hopefully she'll end up a fan or on the site eventually. She was the lead actress in Automaton Transfusion, she dropped out for a bit and is now back to acting full time again. She's just done bit parts for TCM 3D and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. According to her, TCM 3D sets are separating the actors 24/7 from Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface) except only for when they are shooting scenes together...something about his new, disturbing look and creating psychological tension to get much better effects onscreen. The film sounds like it may surprise us all if not just in technique of direction alone.

I'll try to get more news and hopefully be back to the site more frequently by mid-September.

[Craig]

Awesome stuff mate. Any idea what Gunnar Hansen's involvement with TCM 3D is exactly?

[dpcraig]

Gunnar is in fact Leatherface again...but he has a new look.

[Craig]

Awesome

[dpcraig]

I'm about to leave for on location filming again. I'll be back Sept. 12th...hopefully with more news.

[Craig]

Yeah, I'm confuesed to who is actually playing Leatherface?

[dpcraig]

Okay...here's full story, now that I have better understanding. Gunnar was supposed to play a bigger part in the film but is ill...not sure what, hopefully not major. He was brought in with the idea that he was Leatherface again, and in a way, he is. Mostly, it was a ploy/trick against the entire cast to not truly know who was Leatherface or about his new look so that when the actual guy came at them for the first time on camera, well, you get 100% shock/terror/horror from whatever cast member(s). It sounds like a bad joke/prank, but I swear this is what I was told actually happened.

[dpcraig]

Bump - a link to the trailer for the film is now atop the first post of this thread.

[dpcraig]

Thank you, Sir. Distribution options are still ongoing. We're fielding more VOD offers than anything, too. It really promotes where the whole industry it going. I'm sending out more press kits this weekend (for peeps to get on Monday morning - bazing)! I've got my fingers crossed on a certain company, too. I'd love for them to have it.

In other news, we are now filming the follow-up film. We won't rush to do a third one afterwards, though. We've all agreed to that. There was so much more to tell and more to prove that the first film couldn't all fit in, so the second film was obvious for us to go ahead and do.

[dpcraig]

I can finally announce (because the contract is finally in place/sealed/done/good-to-go) that the song, "The Same Place" by CENTAUR is in the film. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to get that song in the film. It really does make a HUGE difference for it. Well, it's all perfect and ready to show the world, as soon as fests/cons start accepting it - hitting them all up, now, big time.

Here's a link to the song - My link - the band was formed just after the band HUM broke up. The same frontman, Matt Talbott continued on with his brand of thick guitar, slightly spacey, groove-heavy songwriting. This particular song builds just right and kicks ass just right. It really does make the film's climax emotionally and tonally just right.

[Craig]

Awesome stuff mate, well done

[dpcraig]

Wow, wow, wow. AS:VS will screen at the On Location: Memphis International Film Festival. I thought I'd be against a hometown fest because of the obvious outside thoughts on it - that, "of course, you made your home fest." But...the reality is that it's an INTERNATIONAL fest and also one that seemingly never takes genre films. They have a 13 year track record of taking documentary features, serious dramas, Oscar nominated short films and the like. Yet here we are...we've gotten a dark comic, horror film into the fest...and...it's one of only five fictional, feature films accepted. Trust me, I know we had plenty of competition from more serious, dramatic films made in the area.

I was also announced to submit to Mad Monster Party Con / Film Fest in Charlotte, NC. I'm sending them screeners stat!

Any fests or cons coming up soon near any of you guys...let me know. I'll contact them and make every effort to get the film screened there.

[dpcraig]

Okay - AS:VS screening tally so far:

OLM Int'l Film Fest - Memphis, TN April 19-22
Mad Monster Party Film Fest - Charlotte, North Carolina March 23-25
---------------------------

still waiting to hear from:

Chicago Fear Fest (really want this one) - Chicago, Illinois April 13-14
Dark Carnival - Bloomington, Indiana October 19-21
Mile High Horror Fest - Denver, Colorado October 5-7
Horrorhound Weekend #2 - Indianapolis, Indiana (ultra-really-really want this one) Sept. 7-9