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2006 TABLOID WITCH AWARDS PRESENTED IN SANTA MONICA
by Thomas M. Sipos, managing editor.
[December 16, 2006]
[HollywoodInvestigator.com]
"Just do it!" That was the consensus advice given by 2006 Tabloid
Witch Award-winning filmmakers to aspirants everywhere. The filmmakers
shared their advice after a public screening of their horror films at the Santa
Monica Public Library on December 9, 2006. The Tabloid
Witch Awards are sponsored by the Hollywood Investigator to discover
new horror filmmaking talent.
"Writing
is key," said Aldo E. Serrano. "A lot of people have ideas, but never
write it down. It's about writing and acting." His advice was
seconded by Rolfe Kanefsky, who added, "No matter how slick your film looks,
it's all about the characters. If you don't care about the people,
you don't care about what's going on. So you have to find characters
you like, and find actors who can portray that."
Serrano
added that he tries to avoid visual effects, although it's hard to avoid
CGI on an indie budget. Eric Morgret and K.L. Young advise investing
much time on the script and on casting. This means many rewrites
and many auditions.
"Not only
writing, but finishing what you start," added Kanefsky. "A lot of
people start, have ideas, and never follow through. If you're looking
for money, no matter what the budget, investors want to feel that you're
responsible and will give them a viable product." Predictably, every
panelist declined to identify their investors.
Bill Whirity's
advice was succinct: "Just shoot it!" Kanefsky concurred: "Doing
something rather than studying the theory."
After
the panel, filmmakers and actors gathered outside the library's screening
room to receive their Tabloid Witch
Award trophies.
2006's
big winner was Nightmare Man, which won a
Best Horror Feature Film for Rolfe
Kanefsky, Best Actress for Blythe
Metz, Best Supporting Actress for Tiffany Shepis, and Best Music Soundtrack
for Christopher Farrell.
Metz told
the Hollywood Investigator she is currently producing a documentary called The
Solutions. "It's about how everyone can heal from anything. Cancer, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, AIDS." The
Solutions examines alternative health remedies such as raw living and
organic foods, breathing and yoga, and enzyme and oxygen therapies.
"They
found
the cure for all cancer, all disease, in 1930, which is oxygen," said Metz. "If you have enough oxygen in your body, no disease can exist. Cancer
and disease are big business, and it's sad that the truth isn't being filtrated
to the public. People can really heal these things. But there's
the disclaimer before everything: check with your doctor before you practice
yoga, check with your doctor before you do anything. So we're not
being told all the amazing healing remedies that exist for us."
Metz also
recently submitted an audition reel to Josh Whedon and Joel Silver for
the new Wonder Woman project. And she's just finished appearing in The
Craving Heart, a drama about soul mates and true love.
Tiffany
Shepis says she "just wrapped Dark Reel. It's based on a murder that happened in 1958. We're a film crew shooting
in L.A., and Scarlett May's ghost returns to mess everything up." The film also stars Lance Henrikson, Ed Furlong and Tony Todd. Shepis
also finished Sugar Creek Killer, about a
stalker in the woods, and is soon to start shooting a Bonnie & Clyde
film.
 A large contingent of Strange
Aeons's Seattle artists flew to Santa Monica for the Tabloid Witch
screenings, including director Eric Morgret, writer K.L. Young, producer Marth
Christensen, and actors Erick J. Robertson & Jerry
Lloyd (who was the Best Supporting Actor Tabloid Witch). Morgret
said that he, Young, and Christensen are seeking money for several new
horror projects, including Sunset, Fear
Itself, and some "Lovecraft-oriented things."
Jerry
Lloyd recently completed Bullets, Blood and a
Fistful of Cash (inspired by Lock,
Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). "I play a very bad, bad, bad
man," said Lloyd. He's currently filming The
Angry Sea, a horror movie about a sea monster, set in the 1780s. "It's a challenge because it's all being done on green screen."
Aldo E.
Serrano accepted an Honorable Mention trophy for Moloch,
and Juan Rodriquez took home Best Cinematography for the same film.
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Bill Whirity took home an
Honorable Mention for writing and directing Zombie Island.
Apart from working on a feature
length screenplay version of Zombie Island, Whirity is working on a new
script called Raptors. It's about Raptors. (The man has a penchant
for titles that pretty state what the film's about!)
The Hollywood Investigator
will continue to follow the the future successes of its Tabloid Witch Award-winning
filmmakers and actors! Stay tuned! |
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Alone filmmaker Kenny Selko was unable to attend the screenings, but met with
the Hollywood Investigator on Tuesday, December 12th, to accept his Honorable
Mention trophy.
He continues to work on other film projects.
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It's not
too early to enter our next search! We're reviewing entries as they arrive.
And if you're
a filmmaker, actor, musician, or writer who doesn't do horror -- we want
to hear from you too! Email or snail mail
us about your project, and if we're intrigued we'll cover it or invite
you to submit a report! |
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Copyright 2006 by HollywoodInvestigator.com
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