Our world premier (haha) of Big Red Friday was a beautiful success thanks to the hundreds of people who came out to see it and to Rhonda Moretti and Lou Pimber for sponsoring us at the Tucson Model Magazine Awards Gala.
Our hosts were remarkable and it was really cool to see our work played on a big screen. Thanks and love to all who participated and worked so hard to make it real. We helped raise some money for a local childrens charity as well and that felt good to pay it forward a bit.
The “short film” premier of Big Red Friday (a sectioned 13-minute “teaser” sequence from the full feature) will premier Thursday, December 11, 2014, at the Fox Theater in downtown Tucson, at 6 p.m., as a part of the Tucson Model Magazine’s Awards Gala. Come out if you can.
Here are a few of the Big Red Friday movie posters. Contact promotion designer Domini Giuntoni for more information on the images. Additional images are available through Dom – dgfxphotog@gmail.com
We have been graciously offered an opportunity by Ms. Rhonda Moretti to premier our Big Red Friday short film / trailer / teaser / sizzle reel (pick the term you like) at the Tucson Model Magazine Awards Gala.
The event will be held downtown at Tucson’s beautifully restored Fox Theater on December 11, 2014. The party starts at 6 pm with the model awards, moving to the Big Red Friday premiere and capping the night with bands and booze and socializing. It’s a black-tie event and guarantees to be a fun night.
It will be quite amazing to see what we have done so far on the big screen.
Let me introduce you to some of the cast and crew for Big Red Friday.
There’s not a hat in the film world that Scot Litteer hasn’t worn; producer, director, photographer, graphic artist, editor and musician.
He blends all of those elements of the filmmaking tradecraft together magnificently on Big Red Friday and in doing so highlights who he truly is as a professional in the industry – a storyteller through the use of moving (motion) pictures.
Well before others in the industry embraced today’s ultra-modern filmmaking technologies Scot understood the impact of what was to come and jumped ahead of the competition. He opened shop at Litteer Films and twenty-five years later has lead dynamic film projects coast to coast and internationally as a cutting-edge technician.
At the 2013 the Napa Film Festival, Litteer Films was invited to participate in their “fifty-hour film challenge”. With brand new technology unfamiliar to the competitors, they were given two days to write, shoot and edit a five minute short film. Here is a glimpse into the contest (look for Scoty doing his thing):
Some of Scot’s work can be seen here as well – http://www.LitteerFilms.com
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Big Red Friday is blessed to have a veteran of sound recording and mixing, Fred Porter of Porter Sound. Fred is that guy on set who is the voice of reason, the calm in the storm, and the clear head, all-the-while recording every pin-drop with the finesse of a Swiss watch maker. Not only will you see a beautiful film, with Fred on our team you will hear one as well.
http://www.porter-sound.com/http___www.porter-sound.com/Home.html
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Domini Giuntoni is the Special Effects Artist and still photographer for Big Red Friday. All of the BRF pictures, posters and promotions you see are of Dom’s creation.
During Big Red Friday Dom delivers her distinctive English blend of wicked realism to help create some remarkable – and startling – images.
She owns DGFX Photography, a full service photographic company and operates a controlled access website – The Darklife – http://www.thedarklife.com
Busy, busy – Dom is also in the process of publishing a coffee table book titled “SHUSH” which will showcase her photos and unique insights to the creative process.
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Lou Pimber has become “the acting face of the southwest” gaining notoriety for his roles in film and television on shows like Breaking Bad and Gang Related. His short film Duress which he produced, co-wrote and starred-in has received overwhelming positive attention.
Lou plays the role of “Pim” in BRF, a young and cocky hotshot undercover agent.
Lou’s performance in Big Red Friday is remarkable, but then, a look at his past reveals he’s not faking it. Lou’s path to acting and modeling came after a successful career as an undercover narcotics officer. A violent event on that job and the injuries he sustained steered him in a new direction and as the survivor he is, he’s made the most of it.
More on Lou can be found on his website – http://loupimber.com/
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Louis Quinonez was raised in a “cop” family in South Phoenix and there is no aspect of police work or the personal drama’s it creates that he hasn’t experienced first-hand. He spent his entire adult life as a federal agent first hired by DEA at twenty-one years of age.
Later, as an ATF agent he performed covert assignments in the underbelly of society, polished-up for supervision assignments, fulfilled a passion in several training assignments and retired after a tour in Mexico City during the narco-terroristic Cartel wars as a U.S. liaison to the Mexican government on violent crime.
With an incredible talent for musical performance and creative writing, he translates all those life events into a flair for acting as well as he play’s “Weegie” in Big Red Friday – an agent torn between two adversarial partners. As you will see, like Pimber, it’s not an act for ‘Q’.
Listen for the song Hailstorm in the film, performed by Louie under his musical stage name of Son of the Bad Life.
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Another sick song that will be featured is from a local band known as Arizona Dirtnap. They are powerful.
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Tamara Mack is gorgeous, glamorous and smart as she plays the ex-wife of an undercover agent who’s past zealousness for street work and out of control lifestyle train-wrecked their relationship beyond repair. She really is “all-that”.
“T-Mack” is one of Tucson’s most recognizable personalities not only for her acting but also for her community service, as a clothing designer and, for her successes as a fitness competitor / model and record-setting performances as a powerlifter.
Where to begin for this lady? http://www.tucsonmodelmagazine.com/?p=1427 http://www.swatfitness.com/tamaramack.html http://www.tamaramack.com/ http://allsportstucson.com/tag/tamara-mack/
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Several other “fresh faces” to the big screen will make their film acting debut in Big Red Friday.
Look for brilliant performances from Rafael Estrada, a.k.a. Cuete Lok (stage name for his musical performances, one of which is featured in BRF), Frank Aguirre, Dee Felix, Liz French, Raydeance and Jaime Vanessa.
You will be amazed at how great they perform. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to work with. I am so blessed they are helping me tell this story.
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A very cool fight sequence was orchestrated for Big Red Friday by stunt expert Amos Carver (first pic standing on the left) – an ass-beating extraordinaire! If you are from Tucson you will be sure to recognize many of the actors in that scene. I won’t call them “extras” because they all played an active hand. Everyone worked!
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I am Jay Dobyns. I wrote the above bio’s for my peers and friends.
In Big Red Friday we have a flashback sequence to 1995. The picture above is a demonstration of Dom’s SFX work. On the left is me in 1995 and on the right, faking it present-day for the film. Feel free to comment on the nut-wedgie / cameltoe – you’re going to anyway so I might as well grant advance permission.
“Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it’s usually something unusual.” 1981/Stripes – John Winger/Bill Murray
Anyway, in BRF I wrote a screenplay based on the real events of my life as a twenty-seven year federal agent and borrowing a few other stories from my undercover partners.
Although the story is told in a fictional format it will be authentic and true to the lives that undercover operatives lead.
That is all I set out to do; cut through the fluff and bullshit we are fed about who those people are, what they do, how they do it and taking a harsh look at how it affects them as people and, the people they care about – unflattering, unglamorous, unsexy, unsettling.
The leads taking a break on the set – Pim, Jaybird and Weegie.
Stay tuned for more… We’re just getting started.
The story of Big Red Friday actually started over twenty-five years ago with the successes, mistakes, tragedies and joys I experienced during my law enforcement career.
Roughly two years ago I began to reduce those stories to paper.
One year ago I placed the stories into a movie script format.
In February I began to expose the story to others for input and criticism.
When I started FoFig Films I didn’t have a specific story to produce in mind. I had a concept of what I wanted to do – honor my past profession – but I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to go about that.
I received a couple offers to sell Big Red Friday as a spec script but nothing was blowing my socks off. After some careful thought, I convinced myself that I could tell the story on film myself (well, clearly not “by myself” but you get my point). My first project was right under my nose, I just didn’t know it yet.
Although the Big Red Friday story carries action in parts, it is not a car chase and explosions film. I wanted to write something smarter than that. Big Red Friday is a true-to-life dramatic character study about relationships, conflicts and challenges, and how each character handles and adjusts to those as individuals.
I reached out to some local and Hollywood filmmakers I am friends with and began to develop a strategy to turn this project from a wish into a reality.
I contacted local acting talent as well as some “non” actors who had “the look” I was seeking for certain rolls. I adjusted the roles in the script to fit the actual actor and put them in a position with style and dialogue to deliver their very best possible performance. The cast has professional actors, retired lawmen and some who have lived lives on the other side of the law. All came to the project and unified. My cast is a dream and has been a joy to work with.
Based on the presently limited exposure I have already received some interest in participation from established Hollywood-based acting talent. That is very exciting.
Scot Litteer of Litteer Films believed in the story and shared my vision of it. He has award-winning directing, cinematography and editing awards stacked behind him yet he is the epitome of humility and graciousness.
Scot called in favors from other craftsmen in the movie business – genius cameramen like Sean Lonergan and Jim Scott, and incredible soundman in Fred Porter, lighting and rigging specialists Paul Stapleton Smith and Emily Belleranti – and each delivered their trade with consummate expertise. We agreed to pay-it-forward and have high school aged interns work as Grips exposing them to the mechanics of film making and giving them a start in the business.
Domini Giuntoni came on as special effects expert and further agreed to handle the still photography and promotion. She is a true artist in those fields and her craft will be on display front and center.
Gwen Jones did what Gwen Jones does – covering every dirty, no-thanks job that no one else wants and keeps me in check when I flame out or my head grows to large.
My friend Lou Pimber, a retired Narc turned actor with dozens of films and shows on his resume to include Breaking Bad and Gang Related, agreed to play a key character role. His performance in our promotional short is brilliant. Lou’s advise to our less experienced actors, like myself, has already proven to be invaluable.
Tamara Mack, a seasoned actress, delivers class and style.
My old partner Louis Quinonez plays the part of – wait for it – my old partner “Weegie”. He was a courageous lawman and in his “afterlife” from agent work shows he is a exceptional performer as well.
“Off the street” actors like Frank Aguirre, Cuete Loc, Jamie Vanessa, Brent Pierson and Dee Felix, along with a host of others were fearless, authentic and provide images and performances of both hardness and beauty.
Everyone who has touched this project has been a blessing to me.
The real “star” of the film is going to be Tucson. My city.
As has been the story for my entire life, my successes have rarely been about my skills but rather credited to being surrounded by talent that makes me look much better than I really am. Such has been my case for football, undercover work, writing and now a movie.
Our cast and crew have passion, energy and enthusiasm for the story. That is the formula for success. We all hope to deliver something to you that you will enjoy and that we can be proud of.
Here are some of the promotional images Dom has photographed and stylized, some screenshots from Scot and a few “behind the scenes” pictures. There is much more to come.
Lou Pimber
Young Jay (circa 1995)
Tamara Mack
Louis Quinonez
Frank Aguirre
Cuete Loc
Jaime Vanessa
Brent Pierson
Dee Felix (with her boys)
Behind The Scenes
Big Red Friday the movie is the story of a jaded undercover agent being tracked by a documentary film crew during his last week on the job. It is based on real events from my life and from those of my peers but, told from a fictionalized perspective.
From the world I thrived in – that of an undercover federal agent – artistic creativity or even an interest in it was looked down on. In that life if you were a painter, a musician, a poet, a sculptor, a writer – you were considered soft and too sensitive. Softies don’t survive long or well on the street and they don’t inspire partners to walk by your side. It is a testosterone driven land of violence and intimidation and only those who display it are allowed to rule. Hardness trumps sensitivity.
I had always enjoyed the creative writing process but lacked confidence to show anything I had written. I have always loved movies. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of being taken to the theater by my parents. The Incredible Mr. Limpet is still one of my all-time favorites.
After my book became a New York Times bestseller (No Angel – My Harrowing Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels) my “artsy” balls dropped and I found the courage I had lacked to write and let other people read.
It is one thing to live amongst societies predators pretending to be someone you are not with the life and death consequences that come with that. It is something far different and much scarier to “create” and then expose it to the world. In my mind revealing that side of me has been much more threatening. For years I “acted” in my undercover roles but that was not nearly as difficult for me as it is to “pretend” in front of a movie camera.
Some of my early writings were embarrassingly terrible. They are actually now painful to read. Hollywood producers and directors were not shy about letting me know that. It is a town of broken dreams and crushed spirits. But I kept trying. With “will”, “resilience” and “hope” anything is possible.
I consulted on several films regarding undercover tradecraft and eventually earned some paychecks to work as a writing consultant.
So, I retired after twenty-seven years as a federal agent in January. I set up a very small , a micro-budget independent film company and named it FoFig Films – as in four-figures – as in this is all I had to make a movie. I’ve never been afraid to fail but I’ve always been afraid not to try.
My goal for Big Red Friday is a reasonable one. I intend to create a film that is authentic, relevant and beautiful and find entry into the film festival circuit.
Big Red Friday will not be for everyone. It is told from a harsh world inhabited by dangerous people. My style is raw and blue-collar, a translation of how I conducted myself as an agent.
I have found inspiration from the friends and mentors I admire like Tony Scott, James Frey, Nils Johnson-Shelton, Stephan Gaghan, Don Ferrarone, Christian Gudegast, Angus Wall and Joe Carnahan. If you are not immediately familiar with those names look them up. They are industry leaders in hard-core legitimacy.
What I hope to do is take their devotion to realism and go lower, dirtier, grittier, nastier to really show an audience what the life of an undercover agent is about and hopefully entertain them along the way. With the cooperation of Litteer Films and dozens of other talented cast and crew members, succeed or fail, our collective passion, energy and effort will go all-in to doing something special.
Follow this page and I will do my best to keep you up to date.
Jay
https://twitter.com/fofigfilms / http://www.jaydobyns.com/fofig_films.html
Big Red Friday Movie 