On Set With “The Quantum Terror”

Wow, it’s been awhile! Sorry about that, it’s been an extremely busy summer for me. With classes, job stuff, family gatherings, covering up several murders, & being on the lam, I barely had a moment to myself. Don’t worry, though, I’m back! Yay! That’s…that’s good, right? Guys?…G-guys?…huh…anyway, I have a lot of stuff to tell/show you guys! From my experiences on several film sets to interviews with several filmmakers/actors, there’s a lot to cover for the next few weeks.  What should I start with first? Well, with a little film known as The Quantum Terror, of course!

So, back in May, I was invited to the filming of a trailer for an upcoming indie film named The Quantum Terror. It’s a small production (starring one of my closest friends, Jordan Michael Brinkman) by Christopher Moonlight, a man who helped out one Alec Gillis with a little film known as Harbinger Down. Moonlight’s film is about, as the film’s Facebook page puts it, “the twin sister & ex-boyfriend of a missing grad student leading their friends down a labyrinth of dark tunnels inhabited by an alien entity, in search of her.” Oh, & the entity is a tentacled monstrosity, by the way. Which if you ask me, that increases this film’s overall badassery by at least 200%.

It’s being filmed in Austin, TX, so it was only about an hour drive from where I live. When I arrived there (driving the very talented & skilled Jordan Michael Brinkman…seriously, he’s a cool dude), I was warmly greeted by the cast & crew, & was shown to where they were going to film part of the flick. Even though it was just a garage, it looked magnificent! There were grey walls put up, & a tunnel made from scratch, making it really seem like some sort of underground tunnel system. I was impressed that such a stage could be made with such a minimal budget! It’s inspiring. It made me want to make my own short film…so I did! I mean, it’s still in production…I got all the acting scenes shot, so I just have to do the scenes with practical effects & such…but that’s a topic for another article. We’re here to talk about Moonlight’s film, dammit!

Speaking of Chris Moonlight, what a great guy! He was so friendly, & you can tell just how passionate he is about this film. Every time he spoke of it, you could just feel his enthusiasm soak into your body & infect you until you were just as excited as he was. He’s a man who knows what he wants, & knows how to portray his visions onto film. Being an aspiring screenwriter myself (never been to film school, but that’s not going to stop me), I was impressed with how he could keep the script fresh. It wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill monster story about a couple of college students being hunted down by “Movie Monster #765”; oh no, this was something else entirely. I can’t spoil anything for you guys, not that I would want to anyway, but you’ll just have to take my word on it when I say that this film is going to be something special.

Of course, I can’t talk about this film with a clear conscience without mentioning the other talent that’s helping to make this film a success. I know what you’re asking:

“But Julian, other than Jordan Michael Brinkman, who else is starring in this film?”

Well, I’m glad you asked, Julian…I mean, readers…*cough cough*…To answer the question, the characters in the flick are being brought to life by an greatly talented cast made up of Kristin Cochell, Mike Gassaway, Jordan Micahel Brinkman, Matt Blackwell (Whoa! Are we related? Do I have another brother?), Paula Marcenaro Solinger, & Dimitrius Pulido. While I didn’t see Ms. Solinger or Mr. Pulido while I was there, I can speak for the rest of them! Each is very talented, & brought 110% to the table!  Mike Gassaway stole the show, in my opinion, with how much energy he put into his role. He put so much aggression in one take, that I actually thought he was real angry for a whole minute…& I’m usually really good at reading people (that’s what I tell myself, at least)! He did multiple variations of his character, giving enough options for the director & himself to pinpoint exactly what they wanted. The whole cast is fantastic, & I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the finish product!

Special Makeup FX Artist Jenna Green (who competed on Face Off, & created many of the monsters in Army of Frankensteins) is assisting in making the film’s crawling chaos be as frightening as it sounds. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her on a complete different film set (funny how life works), & she is just…just awesome, you have no idea. She’s extremely talented at the craft!  Mr. Moonlight himself is also helping the practical effects (that’s right, practical effects), as well as the horror movie fanatic/remarkable Brent Dickerson. Paul Dubiel & Anthony Gutierrez are the men who have the honor of filming this horrifying Lovecraftian adventure.

Wow, now I’m just stating off facts. That’s not my style, I’m supposed to be energetic! Exciting! Full of life! Crying in a corner!…er, I mean…Exciting! Well, let’s fix this. The experience of being on this film set climaxed (heh heh heh) when I was offered to be one of the animatronic tentacles for their trailer! These tentacles, sent to Mr. Moonlight by Alec Gills & Tom Woodruff, Jr. (THE Alec Gillis & Tom Woodruff, Jr. of studioADI), were just…just…awe-inspiring! They were so cool! You would turn a lever & they would go one way, then turn another lever, & it would go another way, I was so excited! Here I was, using a prop made by the man who’s studio created the Graboid from Tremors (among other things, but I love that movie), & I couldn’t be happier. So, when you watch the trailer, just know that one of those the tentacles is being operated by yours truly.

Well, I’m out of practice! Hopefully I can get back into the groove of things & amaze with even better writing in the future, but personal fulfillment isn’t the point of this article. No, the point was to make you all aware of an awesome indie movie about an interdimensional alien with tentacles terrorizing people, & what’s better than that?

To help support the flick, check out their Indiegogo page here!

To see the trailer & more of what’s happening behind the scenes, check out the video below!