Virgin Mary Xmas

VMX finally makes it to IMDB!

2010-12-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

VMX has finally been added to IMDB! Wahoo! Some cast and crew are still being added.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1791672/

Another one of our projects gears up for festivals!

2010-12-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

Stoners! We have another project that is about to hit festivals called VIRGIN MARY CHRISTMAS! It's a dark comedy short that stars Cherami Leigh, Katy Rowe, Jeff Hoferer, and Rebekah Kennedy!

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=335933089479&set=a.431430119479.225411.177665184479#!/pages/VMXmas/177665184479

Production Blog: http://www.virginmaryxmas.blogspot.com

VMX is finally complete!

2010-12-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

Festivals here we come! Wahoo!

Throwing Stones the teen horror web series...

2010-11-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

Hello VMX fans!

While VMX lingered in post-pro, we had to focus our thoughts on our latest project: The teen horror web series THROWING STONES. But we PROMISE you VMX will finally see the light of day! In the meantime - head on over to:

Throwing Stones Official Site: www.throwingstoneswebseries.com

Throwing Stones Production Blog: www.throwingstoneswebseries.blogspot.com

VMX Sound Design is done!

2010-07-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

VMX sound design is DONE! David Rosenblad KICKED OUR ASSES! You have no idea how good this sounds? They should give out Oscars for best sound design on short films! So what's next? We add the credits and a few other quick things, then this sucker is ready for the festival circuit!

Long time, no post...

2010-07-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hello VMX fans!

Long time, no post. We'ved been keeping busy behind the scenes with our other project BUTTERSCOTCH the feature film while we've been waiting on VMX's sound design to be finished. It's nice to have another project to work on while you're waiting for another so you don't drive yourself crazy. More on the BUTTERSCOTCH front later. You can always go to www.butterscotchfilm.com or hit us up on our FB page (these links can be found here on the right hand side).

So...it looks like we will finally be gearing up for the Fall Festivals now that VMX's sound design will be done by later next week! Yes! You heard us right! We had hit some snags, but it looks like we should finally be in the clear. Once it's done, Jason and I will finally get to see the finished project! We've kinda forgotten what it looks like. Then from here VMX goes back to cinematographer Ron Gonzalez so he can make sure the ending credits are swell. But this shouldn't take long. Then it will be GO TIME! We promise to keep you posted on all the deets.

With this news it meant we had to start working on the DVD concept art. Virgin Mary (Cherami Leigh) looks like pure evil and we like it! It's as if Dana (Katy Rowe) has no clue as to what's about to happen in the pictures we chose to feature on the DVD case! Here's some rough pics of what the front and the back of the DVD will pretty much look like.

In the meantime...Mary Christmas, bitches!

Sound design will be done next week!

2010-04-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

VMX sound designer David Rosenblad says our sound design should be done by next week! Wahoo! So while we wait on sound we are gearing up for possible festival selections, ordering DVDs and cases, etc.

Here's a great pic from VMX make-up artist Karen Cripe that she took on the set of Cherami Leigh (Mary) and Katy Rowe (Dana).

Some of VMX's cast and crew are spotlighted on Channel 5 news for their latest project!

2010-03-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

VMX's Cherami Leigh (Virgin Mary), DP Ron Gonzalez, and 1st AC Kingslea Bueltel are featured in this Channel 5 news story about the feature film Beyond The Farthest Star featuring Barry Corbin and others! Check it out!

Just copy and paste the link.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/Lights__Camera__Action__In_a_Sleepy_Texas_Town_Dallas-Fort_Worth.html?__source=Watch%20This&autoPlay=true

PS: Kingslea - nice purple socks.

VMX Spotlight: Rebekah Kennedy!

2010-03-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

VMX's Tennie (Rebekah Kennedy) pretty much lives in our spotlight. Check out her latest short film TAKING ADVANTAGE.

Synop: A business man and his mistress plot to murder his wife only to find out everyone has a plan of their own.

You can sign up for this short film's FB page by copying and pasting the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/takingadvantagefilm?ref=ts

VMX Spotlight: Rebekah Kennedy!

2010-03-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Team VMX wants to congratulate our very own Rebekah Kennedy (who plays TENNIE in Virgin Mary Christmas) as she currently films her horror feature HOUSE HUNTING! HH (written and directed by Eric Hurt) features Art LaFleur (A Cinderella Story, The Santa Clause 2, the hit TV show The Practice), and Marc Singer (Beastmaster, Eagle Eye, The Young and the Restless).

Here's the synop:

If the American dream for most families is buying a house then for the two families headed to what they think is a simple open house, their dream is about to become a nightmare. We meet our two very different families as they search for the perfect house to call a home. When both families show up at the deserted farmhouse it quickly becomes clear that something is not right. After finding a terrified girl in the woods, and discovering that every attempt to leave the farm takes them right back to its front door, the horror of the situation sets in. Stuck in this purgatory together for days, they're haunted by a vengeful former owner bent on destroying them from within with the simple declaration that only one family will call the house a home. As the days stack up and the families search in vain for a way out the group dynamics dissolve into chaos. The acres of bare woods and fields stretching out from the house become a maddening prison they must endure until one family can ultimately overcome the other and call the house a home.

We love you Rebekah!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1608368/

Team Butterscotch (same team that is bringing you VMX) made it into our final film festival...

2010-03-13T19:34:00.001-08:00

We are proud to announce that Butterscotch the short is an official selection of the 2010 Kansas City Film Festival!

The Kansas City Film Fest: a new name for a new combined festival bringing the best of the KC Jubilee Film Festival—their long running, juried shorts fest—with KC’s oldest film festival, FilmFest KC, offering curated programming of great international and independent feature films.

This festival will mark the end of our festival run. We're feeling a little bitter sweet.

Congrats to the amazing cast and crew!

We made it into the Carrollton Global Examiner!

2010-03-10T12:43:00.001-08:00

The same team that is about to bring you VMX made the news! Our former project BUTTERSCOTCH made the Global Examiner in Carrollton. Check it out!

Okay, so what next?

2010-03-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

Now that we're finished with color grading - VMX has now officially been shipped off to David Rosenblad for sound design. Sir Reel Sound revently moved locations, so it might take a little extra time as David gets settled in to his new studio. We will keep you posted.

VMX Spotlight: Cherami Leigh and the VMX & Butterscotch crew!

2010-03-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

Cherami Leigh (VMX's Virgin Mary) and many of our VMX and Butterscotch crew members are back in our spotlight! They will be taking part in the upcoming feature film Beyond The Farthest Star that stars D.B. Sweeney (Eight Men Out, The Darwin Awards, Brother Bear, No Man's Land, Fire in the Sky), Renee O'Conner (134 episodes of Xena: The Warrior Princess, Hercules, Boogeman 2), and others. This feature shoots in Dallywood!!!

- Cherami Leigh plays Anne - D.B.'s daughter
- Ron Gonzalez - DP
- Kingslea Bueltel - 1st AC
- Andy Lohrenz - Gaffer
- Seth Hall - Grip
- Mike Gonzales - 2nd 2nd AD
- Sam Crutsinger - Data Wrangler
- Brad Harper - Sound Mixer

(*This is who we have at press time)

Synop:
A twist of fate brings the national spotlight to a forgotten Texas town and a once famous preacher has an opportunity to regain his former glory or seize one last chance to restore his fractured family. Narrated by his fifteen-year-old daughter, we watch as Adam Wells, a minister driven by the prospect of achieving greatness as the next nationally-syndicated TV Evangelist lays down his opportunity at “celebrity” and even his own life in order to become something even greater... A loving husband and father to his wife and daughter.

Copy and paste these links into your browser to learn more about Beyond The Farthest Star!

http://www.beyondthefartheststar.com/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Beyond-the-Farthest-Star/170290344732?ref=ts

Many members of the VMX crew are mentioned in the Ft. Worth Business Press!

2010-03-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

We've mentioned here about cinematographer Ron Gonzalez, Di Editor Sam Crutsinger, and other members of the VMX and Butterscotch crew working on Tom Huckabee's festival hit CARRIED AWAY. Here's a great article on the Ft. Worth Business Press talking about the Ron, Sam, more great crew, and the Red Cam!
Just copy and paste the link into your browswer. Blogger is not cooperating today.

http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=12062

Here's our official VMX movie poster!

2010-02-28T18:42:00.001-08:00

The AMAZING Anne Fleitas has outdone herself. Here's the officially licensed Anne Fleitas Virgin Mary Christmas movie poster!

Some cool news...

2010-02-27T15:50:00.001-08:00

Wahoo! It is OFFICIAL! Butterscotch (Team VMX's former project) made it to IMDB as the feature film version! Here's a screen cap! Only members that have IMDBPro can see it at the moment. Regular IMDB users can at least see that the actors are going to be in the movie. Working on making it public to everyone. Stay tuned.

Team Scotch made the Ft. Worth Weekly!!!

2010-02-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

We were very excited to find out that we made the Ft. Worth Weekly this morning! Wahoo! Thank you Kristian Lin for doing the story!

Blogger is being mean. Please copy and paste the link.

http://www.fwweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2641:butterscotch-isnt-sweet&catid=60:reviews&Itemid=388

Just have to share...

2010-02-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

As many of you know - our other short film BUTTERSCOTCH is getting close to finishing its festival run. We just got into San Diego IndieFest and Charleston International. Well, today the wonderful people at Charleston International's FB page they posted this about Scotch AND our trailer:

Charleston International Film Festival Like dark comedy? Check out Butterscotch at this year's CIFF in April. 3 people that meet in a suicide therapist’s waiting room decide to go on a trip of a lifetime to plan their perfect funerals. Directed by Academy Award finalist Jon Keeyes.

THANK YOU Charleston! Total class-acts!

Color Grading today!

2010-02-23T03:16:00.000-08:00

We color grade VMX today with Omar and Sam! Rumor has it that VMX's 1st AC Kingslea Beultel and still photographer Anne Fleitas will be dropping by as well. To be honest, the raw footage is so good it's current state - that I'm not sure what you could do to this thing to make it better. But 99% of the movies out there go through the color grading (or some call it color correction) process.

For those you don't know what color grading is:

Color grading is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture or television image, either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. The photo-chemical process is also referred to as color timing and is typically performed at a photographic laboratory. Modern color correction, whether for theatrical film or video distribution, is generally done digitally.

PUMPED!

VMX Spotlight: Virgin Mary...

2010-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

VMX's own Cherami Leigh (Virgin Mary) is back in our spotlight! Cherami will be guest starring on this week's ABC lawyer show "The Deep End." For those who didn't know - the show shoots here in Dallas that stars Billy Zane (Titanic) and Mehcad Brooks (True Blood). Cherami plays the role of "Sarah." So make sure to tune in or set your TiVO's for Thursday night! We love you Cherami!

Butterscotch makes the front page of the Carrollton Leader Star!

2010-02-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to James Roth of the Carrollton Leader Star for doing a nice article about us! Copy and paste the link (Blogger isn't being nice htis morning)

http://www.planostar.com/carrollton_leader/front/

Sammy, baby!

2010-02-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

Sam Crutsinger, known for his work on such movies as the animated hit Ant Bully and the recent Oxford Film Festival Winner Carried Away, is prepping our Virgin Mary Christmas footage this morning and getting it ready for color grading! He says it's looking great! Thanks so much Sam for taking time out of your busy schedule for us!

We're all set for color grading!

2010-02-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

Edits are locked and loaded. We're all set for color grading with Omar next Tuesday!!!

VMX edits are DONE!

2010-02-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

The VMS final edit is COMPLETE! We're so excited! It's getting to be shipped off to the amazing Omar Godinez for color grading!

Okay, seriously now... :)

2010-02-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Team Scotch is proud to announce that we are an Official Selection of the 2010 Charleston International Film Festival! MovieMaker Magazine has called this festival: "One of the top 25 coolest festivals" and "One of the top 25 fests worth the entry fee!" Congrats to our fantastic cast, crew, post production team, and t...hose who donated to help make this thing happen!

Can this week get any better?

2010-02-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

We just found out that our last project BUTTERSCOTCH is an Official Selection of the 2010 San Diego Indie Fest! Congrats to cast, crew, post production, and all the people who donated to help make this thing happen. Wahoo!

Here's some more behind the scenes pics from VMX make-up artist Karen Cripe!

2010-02-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

Rex Sikes Movie Beat RULES!

2010-02-12T20:54:00.001-08:00

We know this is the VMX go-to production blog, but we feel the need to keep our believers updated with our other project as well called BUTTERSCOTCH if that' okay. Rex Sikes MOVIE BEAT posted our D Magazine article on his site! On Rex Sikes Movie Beat he interviews he interviews celebrities, film makers, and people making it happen on air radio, television, and the web. Thanks so much Rex!

http://www.rexsikes.com/Rex_Sikes_Movie_Beat/Hot_%26_Fun/Entries/2010/2/12_What_Does___Jason_Priestly___Corbin_Bernsen___Lindy_Booth___Debra_Jo_Rupp___Jon_Keeyes___Have_In_Common.html

We made it into D Magazine!!!

2010-02-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

Our last project BUTTERSCOTCH made it into D Magazine! Wahoo!!!

http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2010/02/11/jason-priestly-and-other-celebs-to-star-in-film-written-by-carrollton-middle-school-teachers/

Here's some more cool screen caps to tide you over!

2010-02-10T10:28:00.001-08:00

Butterscotch Cast Signs On!

2010-02-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

As many of you know - Jason and I had a previous project called BUTTERSCOTCH the short. We announced the cast today for BUTTERSCOTCH the feature on our Scotch and VMX pages. Head on over now to check it out!

Updates...

2010-02-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

We are well into the editing phase of VMX. You have no idea of how truly happy we are. This thing is EVERYTHING we wanted it to be!!! The chemistry bewteen Cherami and Katy is INSANE. We only have a few tiny tweaks to make on the edit and then it should be off for color grading with Omar and sound design with Rosenblad.

Here's a quick screen cap of Dana (Katy Rowe) yelling from the stairwell.

A shout out to the best crew!

2010-02-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Remember us telling you the story of how when we wee shooting BUTTERSCOTCH that DP Ron Gonzalez and his crew had to pull an all-nighter from the Arizona Desert where they were filming Tom Huckabee's feature CARRIED AWAY to get in Dallas on time to shoot our short??? Well, Carried Away just won BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE at the Oxford Film Festival! Congrats to their crew! Many of the crew have worked on our projects Butterscotch and Virgin Mary Christmas. This just drives home the fact of how special and important you make us feel.

Cherami Leigh is back in the VMX spotlight!

2010-02-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Make sure you tune into the acclaimed HBO film Temple Grandin tonight on HBO! VMX's own Cherami Leigh (Virgin Mary) stars as a mean college roommate! We love you Cherami!

2nd version of edit is done!

2010-02-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

The second edit of VMX is now COMPLETE with Chad Cox's musical score! We are so proud of this thing. Color grading is the next step!

Still goofing around with Anne's artwork...digging the font.

2010-02-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

Goofing around with Anne's artwork...

2010-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Jason returns from Sundance...

2010-02-01T03:11:00.000-08:00

So Jason finally returned from Sundance on Sunday night. Jason runs the award winning AMAT Film Academy at RL Turner High School. This was the third time his class was chosen to attend Sundance. It was pretty cool getting his text messages with his updates and his mobile uploaded pics. So I thought I'd share a few with you. He got me pretty pumped up about the writer and director stories about how they got stars to attach themselves to their movies. Not to mention the Ryan Reynolds action movie that takes place in a coffin for the entire film called BURIED. That's Vinny Chase from Entourage in one of the pics. Once the dust settles we will return to our second round of edits for VMX.

Congrats to VMX script supervisor Eve Butterly!

2010-01-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

VMX script supervisor Eve Butterly was pretty much putting on a clinic when she was on our set. We were so excited to found out that with her extensive resume that Eve would work on our little film. Thank you so much Eve! With that said, Eve was asked to be the script supervisor on the new Collin Hanks/Bradley Whitford show Code 58 that that shoots here in Dallas! Wahoo!

From the Dallas Observer:

Shooting started January 26 on Code 58, the FOX series formerly known as Jack and Dan that will star, among others, Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford. Unlike ABC's The Deep End, which premieres January 21 and turns Dallas into Los Angeles, this one will be very local. As in, per FOX's release this week: "DAN STARK (Bradley Whitford, The West Wing) was once a big-shot Dallas detective." Matter of fact, Code 58 is a Dallas PD dispatch signal for "routine investigation," and producers have been touring DPD HQ in recent weeks to prep for shooting...

To see the rest of the Dallas Observer article you can copy and paste the link below.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/code_58_colin_hanks_and_bradle.php

Katy Rowe is back in the VMX spotlight!

2010-01-31T07:29:00.001-08:00

Katy Rowe plays "Dana" in Virgin Mary Christmas. And our Dana just finished shooting a fantastic photoshoot with Shanda Kerr! Katy was nice enough to give us a sneak preview! Thanks so much Katy! You look fabulous!

www.katyrowe.com

Katy's FB fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Katy-Rowe/220243197465?ref=ts

A little plug for some friends...

2010-01-29T12:19:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to give a shout out to BUTTERSCOTCH star REECE RIOS's latest feature film called TRAVELING that's being shot here in Texas.

TRAVELING is the story of three people who have never really had a family that find that connection on a road trip to Austin. Andrew (Reece Rios) is a man lost; hitchhiking from Phoenix to Austin, he meets Jen (Melissa Odom). On the road herself to drop her niece Kaylee off in Taylor, Texas, Jen offers Andrew a ride. What happens to the three of them on this trip changes each in ways they would never expect.

You can check out my friend writer/director Rachel Gibson Shepperd's production blog to learn more about Reece and her film here:

http://www.cameracrewfilms.com/Site/Traveling.html

One last low-res screen cap...

2010-01-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here's one last low-res screen cap to tide ya over.

More fun with Anne's artwork and some low-res production stills...

2010-01-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

Seems like VMX star Rebekah Kennedy lives in our spotlight!

2010-01-27T17:20:00.001-08:00

We just wanted to congratulate VMX star Rebekah Kennedy on accepting her upcoming role as Natalie in the short film IN ETERNITY!

Here's some info on the film:

Aiden and Alexa – a mid twenties, young married couple - find their lives turned upside down when Aiden is diagnosed with cancer that has gone undetected and is now terminal, giving him only two weeks to live.

While many couples would spend the last two weeks of their lives together trying to cherish every moment, burying the inevitable sadness, Alexa’s grief sparks an anger in her that ironically makes her relationship with Aiden worse than before.

It is only by Aiden’s kind actions toward Alexa, realizing more than her how short his time is, that Alexa can learn how to properly deal with her broken heart and the people around her when tragedy confronts eternity.

You can check out IN ETERNITY's FB page here! Just copy and paste the link (computer having issues with making links tonight).

http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Eternity/115869844921?ref=ts#/pages/In-Eternity/115869844921?v=info&ref=ts

Here's two quick pics to satisfy your needs today...

2010-01-27T17:12:00.002-08:00

DP Ron Gonzalez is back in the VMX spotlight!

2010-01-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Virgin Mary Christmas DP/Co-Producer RON GONZALEZ is back in the VMX spotlight! Ron has TWO projects in the Texas Black Film Festival!

Ron directed, produced, DP'd and edited "The Night We Died" which has been selected to compete for best narrative! VMX crew Andy Lohrenz gaffed it, and Kingslea Bueltel was the 1st AC and was also the assistant editor.

Ron was also the DP on another selection called "Changing."

Congrats Ron!!!

http://www.texasblackfilmfestival.com/FestivalGuide.html

Composer Chad Cox back in the VMX spotlight!

2010-01-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

We're excited that our first rough edit of VMX is done and composer Chad Cox is already starting to work his magic on the score! Chad did an amazing job on BUTTERSCOTCH our previous short.

Head on over to his web site to learn more about this amazingly talent!

http://www.chadcoxoriginalmusic.com

Anne has given us some more pics!

2010-01-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a few more pics! Some fantastic crew pics are coming soon!

Jeff Hoferer is back in the VMX spotlight!

2010-01-26T06:18:00.000-08:00

Jeff Hoferer a.k.a. Billy Zane's stunt double but equipped with real hair, was Mr. Bates in Virgin Mary Christmas. I'm so proud to call this class act of a guy my friend. As we have mentioned before here at Team VMX - Jeff has a populat web series called Dallywood. They just posted their season finale. Click the link below and check it out! Go back and watch the other episodes if you haven't already. You'll be glad you did!

http://www.thedallywood.com

Rough edit almost complete...

2010-01-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

We're almost through with the rough edit of VMX. Only the last scene to go. Getting pretty darn giddy.

Here's some more pics for everyone courtest of Anne Fleitas!

Two more...

2010-01-25T03:21:00.000-08:00

Playing with Anne's artwork...

2010-01-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

Lots of updates!!!

2010-01-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

Bart here. I apologize for not updating the blog for the first time since we started this process. I've been sick on and off. Almost back at 100% now.

We are well into the editing phase of VMX! And I have to say if you could only see our smiling faces! The chemistry between all the cast and crew was just amazing. The shots we got. Geez. Speechless.

Anne sent me a whole slew of pics. So each day I will posting more and more. So keep coming back to check in on the blog each day for more!

So basically, you lied to God...

2010-01-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a teaser that still photog Anne Fleitas sent over to wet your appetites. I'm really sick today, so it is all I can do to type this. More to come. This is Evil Mary. Click on the pic to see even more evil up close and personal.

So hopefully this pic will speak a thousand words as to what this project is all about. Love to Anne and to everyone who made this happen. -- Bart :)

And that's a wrap!

2010-01-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

So as I finally loaded up my car and left the set last night just after 10:00 PM, I drove home with this sad feeling. These great people that we've been working with to make this thing happen are now gone. Not sure when we will see some of them again. Some sooner than others. You find yourself growing so close to people on the set. New friendships made. Old friendships instantly grow stronger. And everyone was there to make our story come alive. Jason did a great job directing. And as the co-writer it was great to see all the crazy ideas we had come to life each time he said "Action." We promise to keep you posted each step of the way - from pictures from the set, when we will have the cast and crew premiere, when we send it off to festivals, our the feature-length version that the short is based on is coming, and what our amazing cast is up to with their endeavors. Here's a pic that Chris Johnson took of make-up artist Karen Cripe of putting scratch marks on "Tennie's" (Rebekah Kennedy) neck.

XOXOXO Bart :)

Tech Scouting...

2010-01-15T12:16:00.001-08:00

Our DP Ron Gonzalez just finished his tech scouting of our location. Come to find out high school bathrooms aren't really condusive to filming movies. Which is why we will be filming our girl's bathroom scene in the boy's bathroom stalls. Good times.

We scored our Prego belly!

2010-01-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

In VMX we have a pregnant teen. And we here at Team VMX of course want to be authentic as possible without having to go as far as to have our actress to shove some lumpy pillow under her shirt. Today we scored our belly! I pick it up at 1:45 today. We even have two we can choose from. But here's a pic of an empathy belly I found on the Net. Ours will be cooler.

VMX Call Sheets...

2010-01-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

Call Sheets were sent out to the Cast and Crew! One step closer. Two days til shoot!

Loves the VMX cast!!!

2010-01-14T09:19:00.001-08:00

Countdown...

2010-01-13T19:05:00.001-08:00

Well, it pretty much looks like we are almost set to go for Saturday's shoot. Just a few more minor details to cross off our list.

Bring it!!!

Schtuff...

2010-01-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

Today we found out some of the extras that wanted to be in our film weren't getting our responses due to e-mails landing in spam. Nice. They were probably thinking we didn't like their headshots or something. But all should be good now. Locked and loaded.

Another busy day here at Team VMX:

- Finalized the script from the changes we made from the table read
- Sent new script over to the actors
- Made a Wal-Mart run for drinks for the shoot
- Finalized who we want to be our "special" Extra actress who has a funny key part (and she was totally excited about it!!!)

Five days til the shoot!

Analyzing our great crop of Extras...

2010-01-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

This morning Jason and I started analyzing our great crop of Extra's headshots and where we wanted them for some of the crucial scenes. We have a great looking group!!!

VMX still needs 2-3 more EXTRAS!

2010-01-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

We could still use just a few more Extras that look like they could be juniors or seniors in high school! Please no, "I'm thirty seven, but I always get carded and all my friends all say I look like a high schooler." We need this to be as authentic as possible!

So if you know someone who has always wanted to see what a movie set is like, be a part of such an amazing cast and crew, help build your resume, then let us know! We need to firm up names.

* IMDB credit!
* Meals will be provided.

Location: A school in Carrollton, TX on Saturday January 16th (NEXT SATURDAY)

Time: TBA - will be close to early morning. Will need to plan on being there all day.

So here's what you do:

Send your name, a pic of yourself, and your age (all Extras MUST be 18 or older) to:

virginmaryxmas@gmail.com

Bring it!!!

Director's shot list now complete...

2010-01-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Jason finished off his shot list and fired it off to our DP Ron Gonzalez and our First Assistant Director Mike Gonzales. Another thing we can cross off our list! For those who don't know much about the movie making process - most movies aren't shot in order. They are shot based on when you can get a certain location a big part of the time.

Random thoughts from yours truly...

2010-01-09T20:53:00.000-08:00

So I get up this morning to find an e-mail from Jason talking about another idea he had for a shot for VMX. And of course I type back with my thoughts. Type, type, type. And then that idea sparks another one. And then another. And we get to typing back about this and that. And then the phone calls come. So I tell Jason - this last week loads of ideas are gonna hit us on with this thing. And then it hit me. Because we have so many people who are BELIEVING in Virgin Mary Christmas - we've been able to check so many things off our list of things to do on the pre-pro side (catering numbers are now turned in, we almost have the amount of Extras we need, only a few tiny things we need to focus on from the master prop list) that we are still able to actually focus on the creativity of TELLING THIS STORY. Wow. And in (7) days we will be giving birth to our baby. And here's the kicker. I couldn't have asked for better people to be in the waiting room with us.

A shout out to our own Rebekah Kennedy!

2010-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

We are here are Team VMX are big supporters of our cast and what they have going on out there in the film, TV, and commercial world. We wanted to give a shout out to our own Rebekah Kennedy who plays TENNIE in Virgin Mary Christmas. Her film "De Lune" was directed by Christopher Whalen with the Art Institute in Dallas(2009). The trailer is NOW available! So check it out! We love you Rebekah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzap39lKr5c

Casting Call: VMX needs a few more EXTRAS!

2010-01-08T05:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to everyone who has put out the word that we need some Extras to play students. The support from everyone (as always) as been amazing. We could still use just a few more Extras that look like they could be juniors or seniors in high school! Please no, "I'm thirty seven, but I always get carded and all my friends all say I look like a high schooler." We need this to be as authentic as possible!

So if you know someone who has always wanted to see what a movie set is like and be a part of such an amazing cast and crew, then let us know! We need to firm up names. Meals will be provided.

Location: A school in Carrollton, TX

Time: TBA - will be close to early morning. Will need to plan on being there all day.

So here's what you do:

Send your name, a pic of yourself, and your age (all Extras MUST be 18 or older) to:

virginmaryxmas@gmail.com

Bring it!!!

Script Read-Thru details...

2010-01-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

So we had our script read-thru on Tuesday and I promised some more details for those who didn't know what went on at these kinds of things. So here ya go!

We had some great laughs! This was such a good time. I really didn't want to leave. We (being our two leading ladies Cherami Leigh and Katy Rowe, Casting Assistant Matt Moore, Artwork/Photog/Wardrobe Anne Fleitas, Jason, and myself) read through the script, cleaned up a few tiny things of dialgoue, analzyed the character's motivations in each scene, talked about the overall direction of the film, and ate some tasty grub. Plus, finalized the wardrobe - mainly Cherami's plethora of good options in her suitcase purse (biggest purse I have ever seen)! Sadly, our "Tennie," Rebekah Kennedy, couldn't join us because she was pretty much throwing up on people and stuff. So we told her to stay home. But she was missed dearly. And our DP Ron Gonzalez was pretty sick too - because he had been sick in bed for like five days or something.

So here's some pics that Anne took. Sadly, since she was taking the pictures she didn't get in them. :(

God, I so love our Team.

PUMPED!

Blessed...

2010-01-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

Last week VMX did a spotlight on Which Wich? who are supporters of the arts and friends of ours. And in that spotlight we talked about Gari Gonzalez who introduced us to Jeff and Courtney Sinelli from Which Which? Gari and her husband Rick were also Extras in our last film BUTTERSCOTCH.

Today we just have to do a VMX spotlight on the greatness of Gari and Rick Gonzalez. This morning we found out that they personally would like to also help feed our amazing cast with breakfast on the day of our shoot! I mean...wow! Who does this!?! We'll tell you: Gari and Rick. On Butterscotch they were the last Extras to leave making sure we got all the shots we needed. They even helped move things for us. Thank you guys soo0o0o0o0o much for believing in our writing and what we do. We are so blessed.

Here's some pics of Gari and Rick. One of them was taken on Rick's cell phone on the set of Butterscotch

Gari and Rick...once again such the MVPs.

Casting Call: VMX needs (15) EXTRAS!

2010-01-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

VMX needs (15) EXTRAS that look like they could be juniors or seniors in high school! Please no, "I'm thirty seven, but I always get carded and all my friends all say I look like a high schooler." We need this to be as authentic as possible!

So if you know someone who has always wanted to see what a movie set is like and be a part of such an amazing cast and crew, then let us know! We need to firm up names. First come, first serve. Meals will be provided.

Location: A school in Carrollton, TX

Time: TBA - will be close to early morning. Will need to plan on being there all day.

So here's what you do:

Send your name, a pic of yourself, and your age (all Extras MUST be 18 or older) to:

virginmaryxmas@gmail.com

Bring it!!!

Countdown...

2010-01-06T09:18:00.001-08:00

12 days. I wish we could could speed up time. This thing is consuming my every thought.

Things we can check off the list:

- Wardrobe finalized
- Script read-thru with actors
- Script finalized
- Master Prop List identified

Things left to do:

- Finalize crew
- Start enlisting Extras to play students
- Gather the items we need for the prop list
- Finalize the catering numbers for Which Wich?
- Making grocery list for breakfast for the cast and crew

Gotta love pre-pro!

VMX Crew Spotlight: Sound Supervisor/Sound Designer David Rosenblad

2010-01-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

So I get home from a great script read-thru (more on that on a different blog post that will be coming up soon) and I get a message from Sound Supervisor, Editor, Designer master David Rosenblad that he is on board Team VMX!!! I mean could our night have gotten any better?!? Do you know who David Rosenblad is??? This is a guy who has worked with rock legends such as Cheap Trick and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Pretty much did every Jon Keeyes film. Mega hit TV shows like Quantum Leap and Northern Exposure. Movies like Wyatt Earp, The Mighty Ducks, and City Slickers. Should I go on??? Indeed I shall. We were introduced to David by Jon Keeyes when we did Butterscotch. We had such a great time in his studio.

Check out David's amazing bio:

Sound designer, composer, guitarist, mixer & music producer (and company president) David Rosenblad has spent the last twenty-odd years in almost every aspect of the sound and music industry, hence the slogan (company subtitle): “for anything that’s heard”. Coming out of the Electronic Music Department of the University of North Texas, he embarked on a career as a recording and concert live engineer and producer as well as a sound designer for the theater earning the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre award for Sound Design in 1984. He has also won numerous Telly Awards.

David was the primary post sound editor/mixer at Dallas Sound Lab for many years ,then formed the company DRM Productions in 1989 (incorporating in 2000) continuing to produce and mix for recording artists as varied as Herbie Mann, Café Noir, Larry Austin, Freddy Fender, The Vocal Majority, Everclear, Josh Alan, Pop Poppins, Cheap Trick, Cornell Dupree, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Flaming Lips, Maynard Ferguson, Brave Combo, and Barney the Dinosaur, while developing work in all aspects of post audio, sound design and music creation.

Here's some places on the Net where you can find out more about David:

DRM sir reel sound:

http://www.drm-sirreelsound.com/Site/Welcome.html

Butterscotch

www.butterscotchfilm.com

IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0742377/

David - you RAWK our whirl!

Script read-thru!

2010-01-05T03:23:00.000-08:00

We have the big script read-thru with the cast later today! Very exciting!!!

VMX Crew Spotlight: Anne Fleitas

2010-01-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

The amazing Anne Fleitas...

Anne came into our lives last year when Director Jon Keeyes saw her portfolio and liked it so much that we asked her to come on board for still photography on BUTTERSCOTCH. We were so impressed that when we were gearing up for VMX there was no question that we wanted her back. But this time we were going to make her in charge of the entire ART DIRECTION of the film! AND...head up WARDROBE with Kristen Smith. AND...assist with CASTING. AND...of course STILL PHOTOGRAPHY. When you have a true multi-talented artist like Anne - we pretty muched decided we would utilize every bit she was willing to give us.

Here's the quick run-down on Anne:

Anne works in graphic design for the fashion industry, as well as photography(portrait, your stills, and corporate photography).

Here's a look at some of her work from the VMX poster, to Butterscotch stills, to other models.

Anne...we appreciate letting us consume your life. Kisses.

Here's some links where you can find more of Anne's work:

IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3522995/

Butterscotch FB page with loads of pics:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47972059733&ref=ts

Countdown...

2010-01-04T03:14:00.000-08:00

13 days until the shoot...

A little word about our sponsor...

2010-01-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

Which Wich? - our lovely VMX sponsor, is having a cool opp for their Texas stores. They are offering their wiches for $0.99 on Wednesday, Jan 6th (all day,but only in Texas). If you haven't tried one, now's definitely the time.

www.whichwich.com

Wardrobe officially out to the leading ladies...

2010-01-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

We have a fine Wardrobe department over here at Team VMX that consists of the lovely and the talented Anne Fleitas and Kristen Nelson. They know this script. They know these characters. But more importantly...they know their clothes. They officially sent out their ideas to our leading ladies with links to websites, fashion magazines, and that sorta thing. Thanks Anne and Kristen. Cross another thing off our list.

Countdown...

2010-01-03T13:50:00.001-08:00

14 days...

VMX Crew Spotlight: Production Manager/Co-Producer Mike Gonzales

2010-01-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

We literally met Mike Gonzales for the first time when he showed up on the set of BUTTERSCOTCH to be a PA (Production Assistant). We shook hands, and within moments Director Jon Keeyes was calling out "Action." And to see Mike Gonzlaes in action was enough for us to ask him to be our production manager/co-proudcer on Virgin Mary Christmas!

Mike Gonzales started in the film industry in 2007 working as assistant to Mr. Zeihl on the feature Exit Speed starring Desmond Harrington (Dexter, Wrong Turn), Lea Thompson (Back to the Future franschise), and Fred Ward (Road Trip, The Right Stuff, Armored). From then on he has worked as a PA on multiple Indie films in Texas and has been climbing his way up the AD (Assistant Director) ladder. One day Mike hopes to direct and produce more Indie films in Texas.

Here's a look at Mike's resume:

- The upcoming EX-TERMINATORS starring Heather Graham (The Hangover, Boogie Nights), Amber Heard (Pineapple Express, Zombieland, Never Back Down), Joey Lauren Adams (Mall Rats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), Farah White (Jon Keeyes’ Suburban Nightmare, Miss Congeniality, Bandslam)

- The upcoming feature CARRIED AWAY written and directed by Tom Huckabee (exec. Produced Frailty with Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, and DP Ron Gonzalez

- THE BEACON starring Teri Polo (Meet the Parents)

- And numerous other projects such as music videos, Television shows, and more...

Here's some places on the NET where you can find out more about Big Mike:

Carried Away:

http://www.carriedawaythemovie.com/The/Home.html

The EX-Terminators movie trailer:

http://www.alltrailers.net/exterminators.html

Offical site for Exit Speed and The Beacon:

http://www.sabbaticalpictures.com/

Butterscotch:

www.butterscotchfilm.com

IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3195709/

Mike - we can't wait to see you in action on VMX!

VMX Crew Spotlight: Make-Up Artist Karen Cripe

2010-01-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

Whether it's a fashion show, music video, TV commercial, feature film, or a short film, there is one name in this town that is the go to person if you want your models, stars, or actors to look like a bazillion dollars under those lights: KAREN CRIPE! We had the pleasure of working with Karen on our last project BUTTERSCOTCH. You can imagine how excited we got when Karen signed on to Virgin Mary Christmas!

If you don't know Karen's resume, well, we have no problem giving it ya!

Karen is a freelance media makeup artist and cosmetic designer her experience in the beauty industry includes working with top Hollywood makeup artist , broadcasting, record label, music videos, and celebrity clientele. Pro blender and formulator includes high fashion glamour, aging makeup, lacerations, bruises, and facial hair. Collaboration with industry professionals and proven artistic ability to bring out the characterization on film and video. In depth knowledge of color analysis, history of color, lighting, wardrobe, and demanding needs of high exposure HD media clients.

Some of Karen's projects include:

- REACH FOR THE SKY directed by 3-time Oscar winner Alan Chan (Rebekah Kennedy from VMX was in this!!!)

- BUTTERSCOTCH directed by Academy Award finalist Jon Keeyes

- DIRTY RED directed by M. Legend Brown

- Several features and short films, TV commercials, fashion shows, music videos, and more.

You can go to these places on the web to find out more about her work:

Karen's web site:

http://www.makeupart.tv/index.html

IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3267735/

Karen - we can't thank you enough and we're looking forward to seeing you on set January 16th!!!

Countdown...

2010-01-02T13:16:00.001-08:00

15 days til shoot...

VMX Crew Spotlight: DP Ron Gonzalez

2010-01-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

I never get tired of telling this Ron Gonzalez story. Because it is a story you can NEVER forget. WE can NEVER forget. We will always be in debt to this amazing person for being a class-act, a true talent, and a good friend.

Back when we were getting ready to shoot our last short film BUTTERSCOTCH in March of 2009, Scotch director Jon Keeyes knew he always wanted to work with DP Ron Gonzalez and vice versa. And once again we can thank Scotch actor REECE RIOS who had worked with both Keeyes and Gonzalez before for setting this u). And so we locked it in. Got the locations, catering, actor's schedules, and everything else locked and loaded. But then Ron got the call to work on a month long plus feature film called CARRIED AWAY in the middle of the Arizona Desert. So in order for him to make it to Dallas in time to shoot our Scotch he would have to skip his two days off and he and his crew would have to pull an 18 hour all-nighter driving back to Dallas from the desert for a 7 AM call time with all their gear. Then two days later he and his crew would have to turn right back around and make the drive back to the desert to pick up where they left off on Carried Away. I mean, who does that?!? Ron Gonzalez and his amazing crew. So when it came time to look for a DP for Virgin Mary Christmas of course you know who we called. And not only did we want Ron as a DP, we wanted him to help produce the film.

So for those who don't know what what a DP (Director of Photography) is:

Plans, directs, and coordinates motion picture filming: Confers with DIRECTOR, regarding interpretation of scene and desired effects. Observes set or location and reviews drawings and other information relating to natural or artificial conditions to determine filming and lighting requirements. Reads charts and computes ratios to determine required lighting, film, shutter angles, filter factors, camera distance, depth of field and focus, angles of view, and other variables to produce desired effects. Confers with the ELECTRICIAN to establish lighting requirements. Selects cameras, accessories, equipment, and film stock, utilizing knowledge of filming techniques, filming requirements, and computations. Instructs camera operators regarding camera setup, angles, distances, movement, and other variables and signals cues for starting and stopping filming. Surveys set or location for potential problems, observes effects of lighting, measures lighting levels, and coordinates necessary changes prior to filming.

Ron Gonzalez does it all: He's a cinematographer, editor, director, photographer, and he even acts! There's no stopping this guy. His career is growing so fast where his specializes in the latest cutting edge technology of the Red Camera where only a few have been before (Peter Jackson, Steven Soderbergh). Just look at some of his credits:

- The upcoming feature RISING STARS starring Barry Corbin (No Country for Old Men, Northern Exposure, One Tree Hill)

- The upcoming feature CARRIED AWAY written and directed by Tom Huckabee (exec. Produced Frailty with Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe)

- In 2008 Ron and his team won the prestigious Telly Award (and numerous festivals) for the documentary A JOURNEY TO IRAQ

- BUTTERSCOTCH directed by Academy Award Finalist Jon Keeyes (produced over six feature films for HBO, MGM, WB, more)

- HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSIC IN YOU

- The big festival hit THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE (Starring Butterscotch’s Arianne Martin)

- Loads more...

Here's some places on the Net where you can learn more about Ron Gonzalez:

Journey to Iraq:

http://www.journeytoiraq.com/

Carried Away:

http://www.carriedawaythemovie.com/The/Home.html

Butterscotch

www.butterscotchfilm.com

The Other Side of Paradise:

www.theothersideofparadisemovie.com

Ron's Production Company - Deadmen Productions:

http://www.deadmenproductions.com/

IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2029672/

Ron - we can wait to make this amazing movie with you!!!

Wardrobe...

2010-01-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

We started looking at wardrobe options today for our threesome. Daunting, yet fun.

Happy New Year...

2010-01-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone who has been following our little production blog. Our actual production shoots in 16 days! We have lots to prepare for.

And so...the countdown begins.

16 Days

VMX Crew Spotlight: Casting Assistant Matt Moore

2009-12-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

Everything in our little movie world is based on the Six Degrees of Reece Rios (hence our previous short film BUTTERSCOTCH where he played Martin). After all it was the mighty Rios that introduced me to director Jon Keeyes, several actors (VMX's Jeff Hoferer who is playing our "Teacher"), and today's VMX spotlight. Reece introduced me to his good friend, and now my good friend, the multi-talented Matt Moore. Not sure what this guy doesn't do. He acts in commercials, movies, does print work, writes scripts, and helps cast movies. Matt has a keen eye for talent and it was he who brought us our two leading ladies in Virgin Mary Christmas: Cherami Leigh (Mary) and Katy Rowe (Dana). We of course put the all-call out by word of mouth that we were having auditions, but it was Matt who put the bug in Cherami and Katy's ear to audition. What's crazy is that Matt was in a shoot for JC Penny the day before VMX casting began when he told Katy she would be perfect for one of the roles. And the next thing you know it is history.

Quick shout out to Chris Johnson who brought us our amazing "Tennie" - Rebekah Kennedy.

Speaking of Six Degrees - Matt can now officially be linked to the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon himself because he is playing two roles (not one, but TWO) in Kevin Bacon's upcoming movie!

Here's a quick look at Matt's growing career:

- Just shot two roles in the upcoming film SUPER starring Rainn Wilson (6 Feet Under, Juno, The Office), Liv Tyler (Armageddon, The Strangers), Ellen Page (Juno, Smart People, Whip It), and Kevin Bacon (You know who Kevin f-ing Bacon is).

- The upcoming MARDI GRAS starring Carmen Electra, Regina Hall (Scary Movie franchise, Super Hero Movie, Death at a Funeral)

- PREMONITION starring Sandra Bullock (The Proposal, The Blind Side, Speed), Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic 4 movies)

- Played the lead Dan Miller in Academy Award Finalist Director's Jon Keeyes’ horror HALLOW’S END. (Jon also directed BUTTERSCOTCH for those who haven't been paying attention along the way)

- A zillion TV commercials

- More...

Here's some cool stuff of Matt out there on the web:

Matt Moore's demo reel SPOOF:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we6LsvOwSrI

2 Guys in Suits featuring Reece Rios: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rSatK5Ap_E

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1290275/

Thanks Matt for being such a crucial part in this process and we appreciate your friendship!

Working on director's shot list...

2009-12-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

Today brought on the perfect conditions to work on the director's shot list for the script. Once the ball drops tonight, then the official VMX countdown is on.

VMX Spotlight: Which Wich?

2009-12-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

When we shot our last short BUTTERSCOTCH earlier this year - there is NO WAY it could have happened without the gracious support of Which Wich? NO WAY. They jumped in and literally SAVED THE DAY at the last minute. And not only did they save the day, but they truly know how to feed a crew!!!

Jeff Sinelli (Founder of Which Wich?) and his wife Courtney Sinelli (featured writer in D Magazine/Texas Monthly) are HUGE supporters of everything that we do. I can't say enough about these people...these friends of mine. Once again they have asked to help feed our amazing VMX cast and crew! I mean - who does this?!? We feel so blessed.

If you haven't experienced a Which Wich?, then you haven't experienced a good sandwich. Plain and simple. Don't EVEN think about shoving a Quiznos in your mouth.

Here's some info about Which Wich?:

With write-ups in Entrepreneur Magazine, the Dallas Morning News, and countless others, Which Wich? is taking over the sandwich business. Frustrated by the lack of great sandwiches in the quick service restaurant sector and bored of the burned-out brands, Jeff Sinelli (founder and former CEO of Genghis Grill) set his mind to creating a fresh and innovative concept featuring superior sandwiches. No soups. No salads. Just one focus: the best possible “wiches,” served in an edgy, yet inviting environment.

You can find out more about the Which Wich? experience at: www.whichwich.com

Here's two pics:

One of Jeff and Courtney Sinelli, and in the other is Jason, myself, and my good friend Gari Gonzalez (who introduced me to the Sinelli's and who was also an extra in Butterscotch) on the set of BUTTERSCOTCH.

Jeff and Courtney - we can thank you enough!!!

VMX Crew Spotlight: Colorist Omar Godinez

2009-12-29T20:14:00.000-08:00

What do you say when the BEST Colorist in Texas wants to sign up for Team VMX? Better yet, how did we respond when we got the e-mail from Colorist Omar Godinez today? You can pretty much insert little school girl screams of joy and interpretive dance moves on our end. We had the pleasure of working with Omar on our last project BUTTERSCOTCH. Just watching this guy work is fascinating.

For those of you who don't know what Color Grading is:

Color grading is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture or television image, either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. The photo-chemical process is also referred to as color timing and is typically performed at a photographic laboratory. Modern color correction, whether for theatrical film or video distribution, is generally done digitally.

Check out some of Omar's fantastic resume:

- Academy Award Finalist’s Jon Keeyes’ short film Angela’s Body (which was nominated for the Academy)

- The upcoming feature Rising Stars (Barry Corbin and also features VMX's own DP RON GONZALEZ)

- Carried Away (Directed by Tom Huckabee who did Frailty w/ Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe and also features VMX's own DP RON GONZALEZ)

- The hit family TV show Wishbone

- The mega festival hit documentary Torey’s Distraction

- Butterscotch (directed by Jon Keeyes and written by yours truly Van Bemmel/Wheeler) which is currently making its festival run

- Loads more…

You can find Omar on IMDB here for all his amazing credits:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2376235/

Thanks so much Omar for wanting to take part in this fun quirky project!

A quick shout out to one of VMX's peeps...

2009-12-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

We wanted to give a shout out to VMX's Rebekah Kennedy! She's just been nominated for Best Leading Actress as Rachel in MCT's Production of "To Gillian on her 37th Birthday."

Congrats Tennie!

www.rebekahkennedy.com

VMX short script is FINALIZED!

2009-12-29T13:26:00.001-08:00

Jason and I finalized the VMX short script! Sending off to actors! Wahoo!

VMX Spotlight: Katy Rowe

2009-12-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

Last week we gave a shout out to Katy on the day of her big Spirit Camp feature film premiere - so it wasn't a "true" VMX spotlight. So we felt we owed her another one. Katy Rowe will be playing DANA in Virgin Mary Christmas. She's pretty much VIRGIN MARY'S (Cherami Leigh) partner in deal making with the good Lord. Katy has so many things going on right now. Let's see...Katy just wrapped a guest starring role on One Tree Hill, her big Spirit Camp movie premiere and movie release (which you can now get on DVD), and shiny new headshots that she sent our way.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Ms. Rowe's work, here's just a quick glance:

- Played Amber in Spirt Camp w/ Brandon Smith (Jeepers Creepers, No Country for Old Men), Parco Perella (Sin City), Julin (Boggy Creek), and Roxy Vandiver (Witchcraft 13)

- Played Bunny on five episodes of the award winning web series PINK starring Natalie Raitano (hit show V.I.P )

- The upcoming The McG Produced WB series EXPOSED

- Several commercials that you see on a daily basis

- More...

Here's some links where you can find out more about the great Katy Rowe!

- Official Website (you can also find this on our links page):
http://www.katyrowe.com/www.katyrowe.com/Home.html

- Offical Katy Rowe FB fan site: http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Katy-Rowe/220243197465?ref=ts

- Spirit Camp official site: www.Spiritcampmovie.com

- IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3004211/

Thanks Katy for being our DANA!

Tweaking...

2009-12-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

We're adding some slight modifications to the VMX short script to get it out to the actors. Very excited. We orginally going to use real high school students to shoot this - so we kept a few things "cleaner" than we would have liked in order to be PC for the parents of the students involved. But casting real students from the high school gave us too many problems and restraints. So much for trying to keep it real when we couldn't cuss. F-that. Kids cuss. And now we even have real actors than can act more real than a real high schooler. So how's that for real?

VMX Crew Spotlight: Script Supervisor Eve Butterly

2009-12-27T21:23:00.000-08:00

When VMX Production Coordinator Mike Gonzales brought us Script Supervisor Eve Butterly to the team, ginormous smiles came across our faces. Here's someone who has worked on so many AMAZING projects and yet she agreed to do our little film. Wow.

Going to throw some of her credits at you:

- THE BEACON (Teri Polo, Michael Ironside, Ken Howard)

- EXIT SPEED (Desmond Harrington, Fred Ward, Leah Thompson)

- The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team

- The new ABC series THE DEEP END

- The SyFy Channel's MONGOLIAN DEATH WORMS

- Walker Texas Ranger

- Prison Break

- Loads more...

For those of you who don't know what a Script Supervisor does:

A Script Supervisor takes written notes for the editor to use in post production (editing), and keeps track of details on the set to ensure continuity of action during subsequent shooting. The craft is incredibly complex and requires a near-photographic memory, a thorough knowledge of filmmaking, and the ability to coordinate with any department.

You can find out more about Eve Butterly here:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0125313/

Visit Eve’s website at www.scriptchick.net.

Thanks so much EVE!!!

Script read-thru date finalized!

2009-12-27T18:11:00.001-08:00

We finalized our VMX script read-thru date today. Getting closer to the big shoot date. Maybe we should start a countdown on the blog or something to Saturday January 16th. We're doing a few last little tweaks on the short, but nothing big. Wahoo!

VMX Crew Spotlight: Composer Chad Cox

2009-12-26T20:24:00.001-08:00

Jason and I had the pleasure of working with composer Chad Cox on our previous short film - BUTTERSCOTCH. It was a no-brainer when it came time for VMX to look for a composer to ask Chad to sign up. Right now as we speak we're sure Chad has locked himself in his studio hammering out tracks.

Chad comes with a fantastic track record and we couldn't be happier that he chose to be a part of this project.

- Composed/Performed music for the short film "Butterscotch" (2009)
- Keyboard & Back-Up Singer for GRAMMY winner Shelby Lynne
- Composed/Performed music for the feature film "Good For Nothing" (Look/Listen Prod.)
- Composed/Performed music for the short film "Love Is"
- Music for "Lights, Camera, Cuisine" (Wadyko Bros./Food Network)
- Arranged/Performed music for Universal Picture's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" TV trailers
- Piano/Keys for "The Young and the Restless" star Scott Reeves' debut CD
Keys/Vocals/Guitar for Dallas, TX based "Glass Apple: Beyond The Beatles" Band

When Chad isn't composing, he also has an extensive acting resume from the feature film Powder, the TV series Weird Science, numerous TV shows such as ER, 7th Heaven, Spin City, and a zillion more.

You can find Chad at these places:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0184960/

http://www.chadcoxoriginalmusic.com/

http://www.facebook.com/glassapple?v=photos&ref=search#/glassapple?v=info&ref=search

VMX Crew Spotlight: 1st AC Kingslea Bueltel

2009-12-25T21:07:00.000-08:00

We here at Team VMX would like for you to not only know the cast, but the great crew who will be on board this great project. Since it is in fact the holiday season and we did our spotlight on Virgin Mary the other day, then why not keep with the same theme and focus on a KING! Kingslea Bueltel VMX's 1st AC!

If you're not sure what a 1st AC is - here's the definition. Responsibilities include building, transporting and maintaining the camera; changing and caring for lenses; pulling focus; supporting the DP and executing all technical demands. Essentially Kingslea handles the technical side of any camera issues so the DP (Director of Photography) can concentrate on creative, aesthetic aspects of production.

Award-winning Canadian writer/director Aaron Sorensen gave Kingslea her start in the camera department by hiring her as an AC on his Austin-lensed sophomore film Campus Radio. In the year and a half she's worked as an AC, she has crewed 3 feature films, 9 music videos (one of which was nominated for 3 BET Hip Hop awards), 2 documentaries, and 8 short films.

Kingslea has worked for renowned Directors of Photography such as Jan Keisser, Zeus Morand, Graham Futerfas, Khamisi Norwood, and the brilliant RON GONZALEZ who will be VMX's DP.

Kingslea speacializes in the Red Camera. The Red Cam is changing the film industry. Just ask Steven Soderbergh, Peter Jackson, and Ron Gonzalez.

You can find Kingslea on IMDB here:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3288479/

Thanks so much Kinglsea for joining our amazing team! More spotlights on the VMX crew to come!

Anne on assignment...

2009-12-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful Anne Fleitas from Team VMX was on assignment this wintry holiday evening attending mass, and she thought the picture would say it all in relation to our film. We couldn't agree more. Sent from her iPhone.

VMX spotlight: Virgin Mary...

2009-12-23T21:02:00.001-08:00

We here at Team VMX of course had to roll out the spotlight today in full holiday tradtion - our own Virgin Mary: CHERAMI LEIGH! Like you couldn't see one this coming. Cherami is playing MARY in our short film! We are so honored to have her on board! Feel free to IMDB her when finished reading this.

If you want to see her in action - please grab a pen and paper so you can write down all the times you will be seeing her on your TV screens!

- Cherami will guest star as "Sarah" in the 6th episode of the new ABC series "The Deep End" which premieres January 21st, right before "Grey's Anatomy."

- Cherami will play "Marcia" in the HBO biopic "Temple Grandin" starring Claire Danes that will be released in February.

- Cherami is also recording many animated series and will be attending MegaCon in Orlando in February to promote her work. So basically get her autograph now while you have the chance!

- This holiday season you can also catch "young blonde Cherami" in "Holiday in Your Heart," although she shot this film at age 9, it continues to show every holiday season. She plays the young version of LeAnn Rimes.

- Locally, she will be doing an extended run of an original play, "Dream" at Collin Theatre Centre. It is back for 3 nights only due to its success earlier this year. Cherami plays "Ashley" in this honest, uplifting work about holding onto your dreams and what you hold dear.

Without giving away any spoilers - we can't wait to see Cherami and Katy Rowe making and breaking deals with God together on Jan. 16th and watching the aftermath that follows.

Make sure you keep checking back for more VMX spotlights on cast and crew and nifty updates on what we're doing to prepare for this adventure.

Thinking ahead...

2009-12-23T13:54:00.001-08:00

Been searching for the best Virgin Mary costume to use for the upcoming photo shoot if we decide to re-create Anne's artwork. This is by far the best one in my opinion.