INTO DUST

Into Dust invited to screen at TheShow Austin

2012-01-22T17:37:00.000-08:00

Into Dust screened Saturday, January 14 at TheShow Austin at the 29th Street Ballroom.
Cast and Crew were in attendance, including writer/director Amy Quick Parrish, Erin Taylor (Janey Santiago) Marie DuPont (Pilar), Kole Collins (Carlitos) and Zach Guerrero (Delbert). Co-producer Mark Parrish, Assistant Director Vernon Smith and Musical Composer Richard Bowling were also on hand.

Here are some pics from the Q&A that followed.

TheShow Austin's Val Gameiro (right) interviews Into Dust's writer/director Amy Quick Parrish.

2010-06-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Into Dust is a supernatural action-adventure in the vein of Smallville, a sort of Native American Wonder Woman: The Teenage Years.

A shy teenage girl living in an isolated US bordertown develops the abilities to fight back against the drug dealers who murdered her father.

The story follows Janey Santiago, her friend Pilar and her mysterious mentor Augusto Trueno as they try to keep their town safe from the drug wars. Problems occur when gangmember Oscar tries to recruit Janey's brother, Carlitos, into the gang. Outnumbered, Janey must find the power within her to save Carlitos and defeat the gangsters.

I have also written an hour-long pilot for Into Dust -- it appeals to a slightly different demographic-- it's darker and has more supernatural elements.

Check out all three episodes of Into Dust Season 1!

2010-05-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Watch individual episodes here. All of season one is available ON VIMEO. (But it may take a while to load.)

What People Are Saying About INTO DUST

2010-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

"The last episode was awesome...I mean really. I really liked it a lot!"
"Nice, keep it up, i really like."
"I really like the Into Dust series! Thank you!"
"WOW. Episode three was smokin hot. Awesome job. That camera phone idea was killer. Great score. I give it three thumbs up. Er, I mean two... Yeah. Peace."

"As an Elder of the Brothertown Indians of Wisconsin, I enjoyed “Into Dust.” The Native “Being” theme is great! Natives with superpowers, this is the right time and place." - Steve Bissell

Into Dust Episode 3: Crossing Over

2010-04-20T17:59:00.001-07:00

Episode 3 will debut Wednesday, April 21 at 7pm Central, 8 pm Eastern right here!

Synopsis: Carlitos finds himself in deep trouble when Oscar, Eddie and Len corner him at a convenience store and initiate him into their gang. Can Janey stop them?

Read more on IMDB.com

Check out the new score on Episode 1!

2010-04-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Into Dust: Pilot Episode (new music) from Amy Quick Parrish on Vimeo.

And if you haven't seen episode 2 yet, check it out here:

Into Dust: Into the Desert from Amy Quick Parrish on Vimeo.

Austin Studios - Premiere of Episode 3!

2010-04-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

We screened in HD and it looked great!

Zach Guerrero, Erin Taylor, Kole Collins, Marie Dupont

Stay tuned for Episode 3!

Episode 3 is wrapped!

2010-01-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

photo by Cathy Guerrero

Looks like a green screen, doesn't it? But those are real-live Texas clouds!

What people are saying about Episode 2:

2009-12-12T22:43:00.000-08:00

"Very impressive! Keep it up." -Stewart Schill, Dexter, Battlestar Galactica, I Hate Musicals, Charmed.

"The episodes get better and better!" - a fan.

"I love this show! Keep them up!" - another fan.

"What's the estimated release on Ep. 3? Cuz I am totally hooked." - another fan.

Episode 2 is available to watch here.

Episode 3 in production

2009-12-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Marie DuPont as Pilar, Geoff Ingram as Len, Kole Collins as Carlitos and Michael Vera as Oscar.

Vernon Tuck as Eddie Romero

Cinematographer Robert Murphy shooting a scene.

Into Dust - Episode 2: Into the Desert

2009-12-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

(If it doesn't run well here, try watching straight from You Tube and send it on to your friends!)

Featuring:
Erin Taylor as Janey Santiago
Kole Collins as Carlitos Santiago
Marie DuPont as Pilar
Aaron Reyes as Augusto Trueno
Michael Vera as Oscar Martinez
Vernon Tuck as Eddie Romero

Written and Directed by Amy Quick Parrish
Producer: Amy Quick Parrish
Co-Producer: Mark Parrish
Cinematographer: Robert Murphy
Assistant Director: Vernon Smith
Musical Score: Richard Bowling
Cartoon by: Adam Atomic www.adamatomic.com
Special Thanks: Robert Parrish
Thanks also to: Cathy Guerrero, Veronique DuPont, Debbi Coward, Hays High School

Background actors: Kyle McCoy, Pablo Salazar, Veronique DuPont, Cathy Guerrero, Starr Cruz, Zach Guerrero, Kaitlin Ortiz

Into Dust Television Debut!

2009-11-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

Director Amy Quick Parrish and actors Aaron Reyes and Erin Taylor in the studio to promote the show on live TV!

Scenes from Episode One as it streamed on their monitor on set.

Episode 1 made its television debut on Tuesday, November 17 at 10pm!
Actress Erin Taylor, actor Aaron Reyes and writer/director Amy Quick Parrish were on hand to introduce the episode before it aired.

Here's a link to an article about Into Dust's TV premiere.

To watch the stream from Infynithour's website, here's a link to the archive.

Click on "Choose a specific time." And set it for November 17 at 10:00 pm! (It's pretty grainy because it's live streaming.)
Watch live video from infynithour's channel on Justin.tv

To see Into Dust, Episode One in high quality HD, scroll down further on this website!
Thanks for watching!
Episode 2 is in the process of being scored and will be ready soon!

More Press!

Links to articles about the TV premiere!

1. Web Series Network
2. Short Film Texas

Into Dust FAQ

2009-10-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

FAQ:
Q: Why a web series?
A: My feature screenplay that this was based on was a quarterfinalist in the 2008 Silver Screenwriting Awards and was chosen for the 2nd round of consideration for the 2009 Sundance Screenwriting Labs. I'd like to get the feature produced. So, until I gain financing to produce that feature, I've taken the characters and basic situation from the script and created a similar but different project, a web series, Into Dust.

Q: So is the feature a sequel of sorts?
A: Actually the feature is the prequel-- originally entitled The Adventures of Zara Zancón in Cactus Canyon, it's the story of how Janey Santiago discovered her super powers.

Q: How far along are you in this web series endeavor?
A: Episode 1 is completed. Episode 2 is in post. As soon as it's scored, it'll be ready to go. Episode 3 is in pre-production.

Q: What did you shoot on?
A: John Mace shot Episode One on a Sony EX-1. Robert Murphy shot Episode 2 on a Sony Z1U.

Q: Is this some kind of high school production?
A: No. Though the series is set in a school, the actors were from all around Texas-- from Dallas to Round Rock to Buda. Some are in high school, some are not. We filmed at Hays High School and there were a few teachers and students who ended up filling in small roles, but the rest are professional actors and crew.

Q: What are the actors' other credits?
A: The actors' credits include Richard Linklater's Boyhood, a web series called Emergence, a feature, Upon a Midnight Clear, NBC/Universal's Friday Night Lights, ABC TV's The Deep End, and NFL commercials.

Q: How about the crew?
A: The crew's credits include Friday Night Lights, Predators, Machete, In Search of a Midnight Kiss, Fast Food Nation, Friday the Thirteenth (2009), A Scanner Darkly, Stop-Loss, Periphery, The 2 Bobs, The Hitcher, and many other independent films.

Q: Did you edit it yourself?
A. No. Jason Huggins edited Episode One and John Mace did color correction. Kate Dawson did some additional editing and animation/SFX. Robert Murphy is editing Episode 2.

Q:That's really cool music. Mark Parrish did that?
A: Mark Parrish wrote (and performed) the Into Dust theme, called "Too Much Tequila." Richard Bowling was the composer for the musical score (the music you hear in the desert, as Carlitos sees Oscar by the car, etc.) in Episode 2.

Q: What else have you got?
A: The web series is based on a feature screenplay - a prequel to the story detailing how Janey Santiago got her powers.
I have also written an award-winning unproduced feature script called The Court of Lions, a love story set in Spain during the Christian/Muslim conflict. My first short, a documentary about a Ann Arbor-based band called Hokey Smokes! Frank Allison and the Odd Sox is available on You Tube at this link (here). And of course, many other projects in various stages of development. My writing has been described as "Diablo Cody meets Quentin Tarantino" by script consultant James P. Mercurio. I'm hoping that's a good thing.

Episode 2 is now in post!

2009-10-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

Director Amy Quick Parrish with Marie DuPont and Erin Taylor in dowtown Austin. Cinematographer Robert Murphy.

Carlitos Santiago walks home from school. Photo by Debbi Coward.

Into Dust Episode One

2009-08-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

A teenage girl with super powers keeps the peace in her West Texas town.

Here's what people are saying about Episode One:

"How awesome! This turned out great!"
Kirsten McMurray, Assistant to Richard Linklater

"Congratulations on this!"
Brant Rose, The Brant Rose Agency

"VERY well done. Great message." David P. Pray, Superintendent - Clinton High School

"LOVED it! I really loved a superhero character inside a contemporary Latina schoolgirl and also the naturalistic, verite style used in a story involving special powers. I think it has huge potential for getting noticed, for attracting a large, underserved, super-loyal following. And don't lose the ultra-real style (you know what I mean?) That's going to really set it apart."
-Jill Chamberlain, The Screenplay Workshop

"Good for you, kid." - Chuck Conaway, screenwriter of Waiting for Dublin

"Congratulations, Very cool!"
Deena Kalai. PLLC

"Let us know when the next one's ready!" Infynit Hour TV

why make a web series?

2009-08-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

One viewer requested an interview for a screenwriting publication he's working on.

What made you make this, he asks... My initial response:

1. I am trying to show the world that a teenage Latina superhero can find an audience -- I want to get the feature made! This web series is an adaptation of a feature script I wrote that was chosen for the 2nd round of consideration for the 2009 Sundance Screenwriting Labs and was a Quarterfinalist in the 2008 Silver Screenwriting Competition.
2. To build a fan-base for the character of Janey Santiago-- it's so hard for an original character/story to compete with stories based on toys like Transformers or classic superheroes that everyone's heard of like Batman... I know investors prefer characters and stories based on something that already exists... The obvious choices were to create a comic book or a web series. An agent advised me to go for the web series, so here it is!
3. Frankly, there are very few female superheroes out there. Wonder Woman is the only one who's had real, lasting success. A lot of male comic book writers don't know what teenage girls want so they write for themselves and the results range from ridiculously muscular She-Ras in skimpy, revealing outfits to Mary Jane trying to figure out what kind of dress to wear from the prom. Never mind how rare it is to have a Latino/a superhero depicted anywhere outside of Los Bros Hernandez' Love and Rockets series (and they're not superheroes, just indie comic characters).

More PRESS:
Into Dust has been mentioned in The Austin Film Society's P.o.V Magazine aka persistenceofvision.org! Here's the link.

(This is post-dated because I obviously want the video to be the first entry on the blog. Apologies for any confusion.-- AQP)

Main Characters

2009-07-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Janey Santiago (Erin Taylor)

Pilar (Marie DuPont)

Carlitos and Janey Santiago (Kole Collins, Erin Taylor)

Len Hawkins (Geoff Ingram)

Augusto Trueño (Aaron Reyes)

Janey, Pilar and Janey/Carlitos photos by Gaston Romero.
Augusto and Len photos by Amy Quick Parrish. © 2009, Flying Cactus Productions LLC

Augusto and Janey

2009-07-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Aaron Reyes as Augusto Trueño
Erin Taylor as Janey Santiago

Photo by Cathy Guerrero

2009-07-21T16:17:00.001-07:00

Desert sequence: SHOT!

Cinematographer: Robert Murphy

AD: Vernon Smith
Episode 1 is officially in the good hands of Jason Huggins and John Mace for post-production! Wahoo!

Pilot in the can!

2009-06-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Director Amy Quick Parrish discusses a fight sequence with the cast and crew.
Cinematographer John Mace plans a shot.
AD Vernon Smith puts protective gear on Geoff Ingram for a fight scene.

Danny Studeja, John Mace, Vernon Smith, Amy Quick Parrish

Cast:

Erin Taylor Janey Santiago
Aaron Reyes Augusto Trueño
Marie DuPont Pilar
Geoff Ingram Len Hawkins
Kole Collins Carlitos Santiago
Michael Vera Oscar Martinez
Denise Garcia Vero Delgada
Judy Parsons English Teacher
Mark Parrish Math Teacher
Marjie Kelley Secretary
Zach Guerrero Delbert
Jasmine Sabino Snotty Girl
Jess Rae Goth Girl

Crew:
Amy Quick Parrish writer/director/producer
Mark Parrish co-producer, boom mic
Vernon Smith assistant director
John Mace director of photography school/fight sequences
Robert Murphy cinematographer/desert sequences
Jason Huggins gaffer/sound/editing
Danny Sutedja production assistant
Jim Kolmar 2nd assistant director
Marjie Kelley production assistant
Gaston Romero still photographer/locations
Robbie Parrish still photographer
Jess Rae production assitant
Christian Shirrell gaffing intern, production assistant
Cathy Guerrero makeup

Cartoon of Zarzo Zancón by ADAM ATOMIC http://www.adamatomic.com/

Catering provided by Pairings Catering pairingscatering@yahoo.com

Into Dust on Facebook

2009-06-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Be a fan of Into Dust via our Facebook site!

Background/extra call time: 11 am Saturday

2009-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Call time is 11 am at Hays High School 4800 Jack C. Hays Trail in Buda, TX. Please park in the lot between the building and the football stadium and meet at the entrance by the elbow of that loop near the C buiding. Ask for Marjie, Jess or Jim.

Please come dressed as a high school student (no logos!) and bring a backpack-- no logos, and PLEASE BRING YOUR RELEASE SIGNED BY YOUR PARENTS. The shoot will be approximately from 11-6. Please bring sun screen and anything that will cool you down-- we'll be outside half the day. It's going to be fun!

Thanks!
Into Dust Extras Casting

Into Dust

2009-05-16T10:31:00.001-07:00

Into Dust is a web series about a teenage girl in West Texas who uses her special abilities to keep her town and school safe.

Filming will begin in mid-June in Austin, Buda and West Texas. Contact: writer/director Amy Quick Parrish
Flying Cactus Productions, LLC flyingcactuscasting@rocketmail.com

Amy Quick Parrish writer/director/executive producer
Mark Parrish co-producer
Vernon Smith assistant director
John Mace director of photography
Jason Huggins editor

Amy Quick Parrish (director)
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Amy Quick Parrish began her film career working as an intern for Richard Linklater's Detour Filmproduction and then as an apprentice instructor at the Austin Film Society. Her feature screenplays have won The Spirit of Moondance Award at the 2007 Moondance International Film Festival and placed as a Quarterfinalist in the Silver Screenwriting Competition, Top 50 Semi-Finalist in the Slamdance Screenwriting Competition, and top 15% in the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship. Her first short film, Hokey Smokes! Frank Allison and the Odd Sox screened at the 2008 Detroit Winter Blast. Her latest script was chosen for the 2nd round of consideration for the 2009 Sundance Screenwriting Labs. Into Dust is her first web series.

Vernon Smith (assistant director)
Born and raised in Texas, Vernon Smith shares beginnings at Detour Filmproduction and at the Austin Film Society. After finishing his term at the AFS, he co-founded Rascal Agave-- a film production company that has produced several award-winning short films. On board Into Dust from the beginning, Vernon was a key ingredient in getting Into Dust rolling into production and has been hard at work ever since.

Mark Parrish (co-producer) After graduating from Duke University with a degree in physics, Mark migrated to Michigan and later to Austin, where he now resides. He has worked as a co-producer and stunt coordinator on The Sea Monster's Tale and is hard at work on pre-production for Into Dust.

flyingcactuscasting@rocketmail.com

Flying Cactus Productions LLC is based in Austin, Texas
Filmography:
Hokey Smokes! Frank Allison and the Odd Sox
The Sea Monster's Tale
Screenplays:
The Court of Lions, Winner of the Spirit of Moondance Award at the 2007 Moondance International Film Festival, Top 15% Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowships
The Adventures of Zara Zancón in Cactus Canyon, Quarterfinalist in the 2008 Silver Screenwriting Competition, Top 50 Slamdance Screenwriting Competition and chosen for the next round of consideration for the 2009 Sundance Screenwriting Labs

Photo by Amy Quick Parrish