PRE PRODUCTION
The development process for each project is different. This one began with the hellish vision and a floorplan.
I grew up on 80's Horror films, the monsters, the blood and the fun of it all. I wanted to take that DNA and mix it with my love of Film Noir. Toss in a punk rock attitude, scumbag villains, lots of neon, barroom brawls, fangs, a wicked storm, the will to survive and you've got the Desert Moon.
FANGS BLOOD & ACTION
This is a peek and my development process, from script to previs and beyond.
EVERYTHING BEGINS
ON THE PAGE
LOG LINE
A diner full of strangers must band together and fight for their survival against tornadoes, vampire gangsters and bloodthirsty monsters.I want the audience to have fun. It's going to get dark and very bloody and if I've done my job... Entertaining as Hell.
INT. DESERT MOON - FRONT OF HOUSE
Wanda continues to sing and read her newspaper. She beams at a full page ad "OPEN CALL Singing Competition, Los Angeles, New Voices Welcome!" She flips the page and reveals another headline. "THE LAST FEEDING. 25th anniversary of the BLOOD FEUD that never ended." Her song comes to an end.DING! Javier hits the service bell.
JAVIER
Order up! You've got a good voice Wanda.
She rolls her eyes and puts the paper down.WANDA
Thanks.
JAVIER
No really, I mean it. I don't understand why you're wasting your time around here.
WANDA
Javier, this place would fall apart without me.
She whisks the plates of food away.JAVIER
There's a whole world out there you know?
WANDA
Sounds like you're trying to get rid of me.
JAVIER
Maybe.
Wanda hip-checks the jukebox on her way to the corner booth.WANDA
Well it's not happening today.
CONCEPT ART
A lot of development takes place in the pages of my sketchbook. Character designs, thumbnails, comic book pages. Sometimes I'll storyboard entire sequences. It's fun when it's all part of the same world.
CHARACTER DESIGNS
Every character should have their own voice and style. Their physicality leads to personality and that feeds back into the story.
STORYBOARDS
When I began this process I planned on drawing the entire film. Here are a few panels from the Into Montage and a clip from the 1st Animatic.
DESIGNING THE DESERT MOON
As I was storyboarding, I realized every shot was a different perspective of the diner, the tables, the chairs, salt shakers. To make things easier on myself I decided to extrude my floorplan.Inspired by classic American diners and Googie architecture, I drew a few sketches. Then I dove headfirst into SketchUp and Twinmotion. My first 3D.
THE UNREAL EXPERIMENT
Why previs my film?
Communication. Unreal Engine allowed me to prep Camera Lenses, Lighting Setups and Blocking for general timing.Making a feature is a huge responsibility that involves a lot of moving parts and a lot of people. Previs is a great blueprint for production.