Fango, Frightmare and all things Super & Scary!

It's been a whirlwind few months! There are so many things in motion for us right now, it's hard to put it all into words. We've finished up two short films, started into post-production on Getting Schooled, started pre-selling Haunted Trailer DVDs on Amazon.com, and many other super cool things that will be listed below!

Let's start with Getting Schooled. First, the fantastic and much-followed magazine Fangoria featured the exclusive release of Getting Schooled's official trailer on their website! For horror fans, this is VERY COOL. They called us "the Breakfast Club of Horror" - and that's accurate! Check it out HERE.

Then, we kicked off our campaign for finishing funds for Getting Schooled. The elusive financing monster can be a pain in the butt sometimes, and we found ourselves UNDER budget but still needing to round up some cash to finish the movie. Please, please show us some support by clicking the link and either contributing (as little as one dollar helps!) or sharing it with your friends and family! We REALLY need you! UPDATE (6/10/14): We made our goal for Getting Schooled. 

In May we also took our movies on the road to Dallas, Texas - to spend the weekend at Texas Frightmare Weekend.  At the Lucky Chucky Productions booth, we sold out of the batch of pre-sales Haunted Trailer DVD's that we brought, and saw successful screenings of three "sister" films! Pine Heart's Courtney Sandifer was the Production Manager (and a corpse) on short horror film I AM MONSTER, which screened on Friday night. Then a much-anticipated film, The Pickaxe Murders Part 3, on which Courtney served as Production Designer, screened to a capacity crowd on Saturday night of the event. On Sunday at TFW, Starship Films/Lucky Chucky Productions screened Conjoined, a horror comedy on which Courtney was a set dresser. Meanwhile, throughout the weekend, Courtney talked up and promoted her upcoming film KIDS VS. ZOMBIES - and it was met with overwhelming enthusiasm!

As a horror fan nerd at TFW, Courtney also got to take a break and meet with THE ZOMBIE GURU GEORGE ROMERO and THE WALKING DEAD'S Scott Wilson (Hershel!). Carl Grimes himself, Chandler Riggs was also present, but we never got a chance to meet him! She also networked with fans, filmmakers, distributors, and horror media folk. One of the media outlets, Horror Movies Uncut, interviewed her about recent work, and the whole interview can be heard in the Youtube clip below.

You can also catch a NEW interview on Thursday, 5/29/14 with the guys from "Talking Terror". They will chat with Courtney from 9pm Eastern/ 8pm Central for about two hours! UPDATE: You can go to this link to listen to the recording.

We also have been getting two short films ready for the festival circuit. Courtney directed "Restorative Justice" for Loesch Productions last year, and it's now ready for screenings. This one is a drama starring Getting Schooled's Tom Long and lovely Houston actress Michelle Elaine. We've also almost finished post-production on "Easy as Pie" - a short drama that Courtney wrote, directed, produced and edited that features an Autism awareness theme. This one stars Sara Gaston, Joe Grisaffi, Katelyn Merricks and Sophia Eden. A clip was released in April as an awareness piece, but the entire film is a touching product and worth the wait to see it in its entirety! The clip here is has an added educational element.

Last, but not least, development for KIDS VS. ZOMBIES is chugging along, and about to kick into high gear! Be on the lookout for a chance to support us this summer in our funding campaign. We have some cool fundraisers planned, and not typical ones! We are ALWAYS interested in talking to anyone willing to help us in these endeavors, so if you would like to be a part of bringing Kids vs. Zombies to life, as an artist, contributor, actor or producer of some kind, please email courtney@pineheartproductions.com ASAP! 

Word is spreading, and our concept is very well recieved - even as far away as France! Check out this article about Kids vs. Zombies from My Zombie Culture. I'd say the world is ready, wouldn't you agree?!

Autism Awareness Short Films in Production

As the weather warms up and development on "Kids vs. Zombies" continues to move forward, we pushed a short film project forward to production  - one that is very close to my heart. "Easy as Pie"  is a narrative dramatic short film about a day in the life of "Karen" and her family. It is meant to show just a peek into one family's experience with this great, mysterious epidemic we call the Autism Spectrum.

"Easy as Pie" shows one mother's struggle to deal with the normal stresses of life alongside the routinely erratic (yes, routinely erratic) happenings of a household dealing with the Autism spectrum. This short film stars Sara Gaston, Joe Grisaffi, Katelyn Merricks and young Sophia Eden (pictured below). The cinematography is by Orlando Briones of OC Films. Check back here or our Facebook page for updates.

As a complimentary piece to "Easy as Pie", Pine Heart Productions is compiling home made videos from other families affected by Autism to create a mini-documentary, just in time for "Autism Awareness Month" in April. We are accepting videos from anyone willing to submit! Please see the instructions below to participate.

In the mean time, enjoy this sweet video starring my daughter and her friends! And take their advice, with the help of Sara Bareilles: Be brave - say what needs to be said!

Thanks for reading and supporting our work.

- Courtney Sandifer

CALL FOR VIDEOS: AUTISM MINI-DOCUMENTARY
Record yourself (or borrow someone else's fingers to hit record!) discussing what Autism/Asperger's means to YOU, choosing 5 WORDS that most describe your experience with it.

This can be done a parent, teacher, service provider, friend or anyone on the spectrum themselves. All ages welcome. Videos can be made on your phone, webcam or a fancy camera. Please make your video between 30 seconds - 3 minutes long & FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS:

 1. Start by introducing yourself. Example: "Hi, my name is ________, and I am a __________ of/with Autism (or Asperger's Syndrome)".
2. Then describe your 5 words that most explain Autism to you. Example: "My 5 words are "She's different but not less." or "Not grief, hope and determination." (Be creative - they don't have to make a full sentence!)
3. Explain your experience with Autism.
4. Either email me the file (.mp4 or .mov) or send through Dropbox.com to:
-----> courtney@pineheartproductions.com <-----
5. I will email you back a release form and then let you know when the movie is edited together! You can share it with everyone in time for Autism awareness month (April)!

November News-ish

We've just rounded the corner into November 2013 and things are clipping along at a good pace for us. Courtney has been busy for the past few months producing a feature called "Getting Schooled", alongside Director Chuck Norfolk. She also did double duty as the Production Designer.

Getting Schooled stars the lovely Houston native Mayra Leal (Machete, Playing House) and is about a group of High School students in a day of detention in 1983, who must run for their lives when a teacher in a wheel chair turns out to be an ex black ops soldier having a murderous flashback. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for a soon to be released trailer.

In addition to actively seeking support for Kids vs. Zombies - in preparation to shoot in the Spring of 2014 - Courtney has also been doing some set dressing and prop work on horror films "The Pickaxe Murders Part III", "Killing Mr. Right" and comedy "Bright Ideas" (starring Jeremy London).

Another cool thing happening now is that you can now see another sample of our work online! The first short film Courtney ever wrote and directed is now available on Vimeo (and is also listed under our "short films" tab). Please take 7 minutes to enjoy "Caroline's Masterpiece" at the link below and let us know what you think!

CAROLINE'S MASTERPIECE



A young woman struggles to communicate with her young art students, when someone unexpectedly dances into her life.

VIEW Caroline's Masterpiece: http://vimeo.com/72208406

Run time: 7:20

Written and Directed by Courtney Sandifer

Cinematography by Michael Allmon

Editing by Tony Reyes

Starring Susan Ly, 

with Ricky Delgado and Patrick Sane

Full credits on IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3106532

 

KIDS VS. ZOMBIES - NOW IN DEVELOPMENT!

KIDS VS. ZOMBIES: Action-packed, gut-busting zombie fun for all ages!

 

Courtney Sandifer was inspired by her own children to create a world of zombies that kids could be a part of, and even become the heroes. The movie, set to shoot in early 2014, will be one that everyone will enjoy - kids, parents, and anyone who enjoys a good, fun zombie flick! Our heroes will use homemade weapons, clever tricks and traps to conquer a town-full of friends and neighbors who have been infected and now want to eat brains.

 

Official logline for Kids vs. Zombies: A young brother and sister work together to outwit a barrage of peculiar zombies, rescue their mom and save the town.

 

Follow us on Facebook & Twitter, to keep up with our progress!

 

If you'd like to contribute in any way or to be a on our list for actors (zombies and non-zombies!), email Courtney@pineheartproductions.com.

 

Initial casting has begun with leads Grace Powell (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4233487/?ref_=sr_1) and Hunter Fischer (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5123134/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1), who will play "Olivia" and "Jack" in the movie.
  

Short Film "Occupational Hazard" Now Available

Fans of horror, or comedy, or horror-comedy might enjoy our short film entry for last year's SplatterFest Weekend of Mayhem. It is now publicly available and posted here for your convenience. It stars some of the best Houston-based actresses you can come by. Allison Keogh as the antagonist, Karina Pal-Montano as the hero, and Susan Ly, Brittany Djie, Tracy Collins and Elizabeth Redpath in supporting roles.


The full credits are listed on IMDB here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396888/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_4. Please give us a "like" and check out our individual pages as well, to see what we're all up to!

"Occupational Hazard" was written, shot, scored and edited over one 54-hour weekend, and included certain elements as designated by SplatterFest (a character, weapon, line of dialog and theme). This version was slightly enhanced by some editing after the competition was over. Thanks for watching!

Synopsis:
A car full of girls pulls up to a mechanic shop, where a stuttering woman with a veiled agenda greets them. The girls are tied up and tortured, when one engages a special power that catches the villain off guard.

(Viewer discretion advised: HARSH LANGUAGE AND GORE)

Refreshed!: A Springtime Pine Heart Update

The past few months have been busy for Courtney Sandifer and the Pine Heart Productions crew. Here are a few updates.

In April, Courtney directed the short film "Restorative Justice", produced by Corky and Elda Loesch of Loesch Productions. The 3-day shoot started at an old, local, out-of-commission (reportedly haunted) prison in Sugar Land, TX and ended at an apartment in The Woodlands, TX. Robert Reese of ITH Productions shot the short dramatic piece, using his Sony FS700 and Prime Lens kit. "Restorative Justice" stars Michelle Elaine and Tom Long, and also features Houston area talent, Janell Peyton, Michael Humphrey, Jordan Ogletree and Howard Calvert. Currently, the short is being edited by John DeJesus, but the finished product should be ready for festivals and screenings by mid-summer.

May 3-5, Courtney attended Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas, Texas to promote the feature comedy "Haunted Trailer". The movie, which Courtney produced and did production design, was selected to screen at the festival and did so to a supportive crowd of a few hundred fans. The weekend was a success for the production, as they are busy preparing for distribution later this summer. 

The Haunted Trailer team, Courtney and Director Chuck Norfolk, also joined their horror friends in a celebration of local indie films at a "Spring Scream" at Outlaw Dave's Worldwide Headquarters in Houston on May 18. This included radio interviews all around (AM 950), including a call-in from California by star Ron Jeremy, and lots screaming by "scream queens".

Pine Heart's documentary project "So, My Mom is an Armwrestler" is still rolling along as well. Michele has competed in both the Arkansas and Texas State Tournaments without Courtney tagging along, and began practicing with a group she found in her home town. The mother-daughter bouts will resume soon, however. This Saturday, June 1st at 7PM, the Houston Armwrestling Association and Outlaw Dave's present an amateur armwrestling tournament, almost exactly a year to the date after our first "comeback" tournament. Houston area friends are encouraged to attend - Outlaw Dave's is located near I-10 at Washington: 6502 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007

Don't forget to "like" Pine Heart Productions on Facebook, and support Courtney by liking and sharing her IMDb page, too. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4258860 

NOW CASTING!

Pine Heart Productions' Courtney Sandifer will be at the helm of a new short film called "Restorative Justice." Produced by Elda and Corky Loesch of Loesch Productions, this narrative drama will be shot over 3 days this Spring.

There are currently 3 PAID roles open, one unpaid principle role and several extras needed. Southwest Casting is helping with casting. Please follow them for future casting calls as well.

PAID Roles:

Nicole – early 20s, Worldly and sharp, emotional but composed and in control

John – 30s to late 40s, a prisoner for 15 years, weathered, worn and remorseful

Amelia – 50s to 70s prison counselor, sweet motherly type but strong and unyielding

 

Non-Paid Principle Role:

Security Officer – Strong, no-nonsense personality

 

Extras:

Correctional Officers and Prisoners – At least 7-8 men or women, non-speaking roles

 

Please submit your HEAD SHOT AND RESUME to rj@loeschproductions.com with the character name (Nicole, John, Amelia, Security Officer or Extra) in the subject.

Auditions will be by appointment beginning January 21st, 2013.