Posts in Naissance News
Production Blog, Day 8

Day 8 was the first day our cast started to slim down. On set were Dan Fowlks, Danny Brown, and Benedict Mazurek. It was amazing to watch these guys in action. Every take is amazing. We spent most of the day in the Crow’s Landing Brothel shooting scenes and once again our townsfolk were on hand to add to and embellish the shots.

We also had a chance to film another family cameo as Lexie’s dad stopped by the set, went through wardrobe and makeup to become a saloon patron. 

Then we finished our shootout. The revolvers were firing, the shotguns were blasting, and once again, there was blood. 

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
Production Blog, Day 7

Day 7 was one of the first days we were almost completely indoors which was a really nice change of pace from the first 6 days where we had huge chunks of shooting out in the desert, the heat, and the monsoons. 

Back on set were Benedict Mazurek, Dan Fowlks , Zoe Sloane, and Will Roberts. We filmed in the brothel, the jail, Chester’s Office, and had one fun little exterior scene where Dan and Benedict literally drag Will through the streets. 

This was also the day that our Extras arrived! Days 7 and 8 on The West and the Ruthless brought in some of the most amazing Extras that anyone will ever work with. I’m sure it’s different on every film, but these actors weren’t just in the background - they slowly became more like supporting actors for every scene they were in, enhancing it, adding to it, and bringing both some nice dramatic flare and humor to the scenes. 

Oh, and Benedict and Zoe did some pretty great sound effects, but you’ll have to wait and watch the film for those :)

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
Production Blog, Day 6

Day 6 was another big day on the set of The West and the Ruthless! This was the day that our final cast members arrived, Dan Fowlks and Benedict Mazurek as the Crow Brothers, Chester and Christopher. It was also the day that our main location of the Crow’s Landing Saloon and Brothel was completed and it looked unbelievable. The set was dressed with hundreds of old bottles and antique trunks and then it was lit beautifully. 

We started the day back out in the desert and for the first time both Matt Boone and Paul Haapaniemi weren’t covered in blood, well, momentarily, as we shot the film’s open. Also on set were Rebecca Gomberg and Danny Brown filming another round of incredible moments. 

Next up Will Roberts and Zoe Sloane got in some gun practice. A lot since the antique guns weren’t really all that willing to fire on command, but we got the scene and it looks fantastic. 

Then it was time for our epic shoot out. Just gonna go ahead and say, it was a total bucket list moment to be on top of those old western buildings, looking down at the dusty streets as a shoot out took place and the outlaws died in the streets below. #fuckingamazing. 

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
Production Blog, Day 5

Day 5 was one of our biggest days! We had horses, wranglers, live guns, desert, heat, monsoons, stunts, blood, pregnancy prosthetics, make up fx, and a ton of dialogue to get through. This was also Zoe Sloane’s very first day as she jumped into the role of Jacqueline Chaplin joining her fellow cast mates, Danny Brown, Will Roberts, Paul Haapaniemi, Rebecca Gomberg, and Matt Boone on location. 

As the rain came in, the dark skies above, and we were riding through the desert in an old stagecoach - it was a pretty amazing moment, especially with Jake (our on location sound expert) hanging over the side with boom mic in hand. You’re racing the clock. You’re racing the heat stroke, and you’re racing the rain. But in the back of my head - I can’t believe how lucky I am to be on this adventure. 

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
Production Blog, Day 4

The West and the Ruthless Day 4, saw the arrival of Danny Brown, who plays Mary Laclede, Paul Haapaniemi playing Francisco Winchester, and Will Roberts as Emery Chaplin along with Matt Boone as Cole Henry (who was still covered in blood). Our crew also started to grow as well as the production was ramping up! Then it was back out into the desert! 

First up was the stagecoach and it looked iconic with it’s red paint surrounded by cacti and rocks, and “dead” outlaws laying in the dirt. The scenes came out incredible. The heat was beating down on us again, but this time, you could see the monsoons heading our way in the distance. Who knew the Tucson desert got monsoons? There was literally a wall of dust being kicked up from the desert and heading straight for us. 

Luckily, the rest of the day was inside an old jail, and the coming rain brought some amazingly gloomy lighting to the set. Here, Paul Haapaniemi faces off against Will Roberts and there was blood. A lot of blood. And it was awesome. One of my favorite moments from the shoot was seeing just how many people it takes to slit a guy’s throat. Now that’s teamwork. 

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
Production Blog, Day 3

It was another hot day on the set of The West and the Ruthless. We were already pouring sweat by 8AM as we shot beneath some awe inspiring mountains.

We also had the chance to kick off Day 3 by filming a scene in front of the amazing Reno Steam Locomotive. The train was originally used by Ulysses S Grant during the Civil War and then 100 years later it was used in the classic, Once Upon a Time in the West, by Sergio Leone. Now, almost 50 years later, it’s in The West and the Ruthless! Smoke was swirling in the air and it looked incredible. 

Day 3 also saw the arrival of Katelyn Clark, our nun who lives at the mission, as we filmed more breathtaking scenes (literally) with Rebecca Gomberg and Alexander Harris. The scenes included a birthing scene that came out rather chilling. 

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
Production Blog, Day 2

Day 2 kicked off with the arrival of two more of our amazing actors, Rebecca Gomberg, who plays Scarlet Winchester, and Alexander Harris, who plays Grant Morgan. It’s incredible to watch these two in action. From the moment I yelled “action!” out in front of an old church in the desert, Alexander Harris was Grant. It was a real bucket list moment to have him walk in the door of the church in one of those classic Sergio Leone shots. 

Then we headed over to the graveyard to start shooting with Rebecca. The very first thing we asked her to do was scream. Her character has been shot, her husband has been killed, her sister-in-law left for dead AND she’s going into labor. Probably not the easiest thing to start with. BUT THEN the screaming started. I have never heard such guttural, desperate, break your heart screaming like that in my entire life. Then the scene unfolded with her and Alex and it was pure magic.

After that, we headed off to an abandoned train car from the 1800s. It doesn’t get more period than this. Not only did we film another beautiful scene, it was also our first shootout! Revolvers were going off, shot guns were firing, and it was incredible. 

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
Production Blog, Day 1

After months and months of pre-production and preparation, and all the excitement (anxiety?) leading up to that first day, being in Arizona at Old Tucson Studios was pretty f*ing awesome. The cast is starting to arrive, the crew is there, the props are in place, the sets are being dressed, and then there’s the blood. 

The first cast member on set was Matt Boone who plays Cole Henry in the film. Cole doesn’t have it so good. Since, we were shooting out of order, as most films do, he started Day One with his (*spoiler!) whip lashes and bullet wounds. The second he was in costume, covered in blood, and walking down those dusty streets, we knew we had a film. 

It was only 115 degrees that day, so it wasn’t as bad as the day before (when it was 120). We shot in an old blacksmith shop, in the desert, at the old High Chaparral sets that are still out there, and finally at a covered wagon. We wrapped the day with some family cameos. Our 1.5 year old daughter, Azalea, and my sister Natalie (and the film’s copy editor) had some fun hanging out on set with us! 

Naissance NewsNick TrivundzaThe West and the Ruthless, 2016
The Cast of The West and the Ruthless

The West and The Ruthless is currently heading into Post and it looks incredible. This couldn’t have been done without the sheer talent and brilliance of our cast. 

Starring (In Alphabetical Order):

Danny Brown as Mary Laclede

Dan Fowlks as Chester Crow

Rebecca Gomberg as Scarlet Winchester

Paul Haapaniemi as Francisco Winchester

Alexander Harris as Grant Morgan

Benedict Mazurek as Christopher Crow

Will Roberts as Emery Chaplin

Zoe Sloane as Jacqueline Chaplin 

With Matt Boone as Cole Henry

And Katelyn Clark as Sister Ana

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2016
The West and The Ruthless

Our brand new feature length Western, The West and the Ruthless, is based on a screenplay by Nick Trivundza and a story by Nick Trivundza and Lexie Findarle.

Here's the Official Synopsis:

The West and the Ruthless
In the dusty streets of Crow's Landing, outlaws, wealthy plantation owners, runaway slaves, a half Cherokee girl, a pair of brothel owners and a woman days away from giving birth all end up in a bloody shoot out and running for their lives.

Here's what the Black List had to say:

It's "Dynamic, Stylish, Refreshing, Darkly Comedic."

"The script should be praised for a number of reasons; most notably, for its dynamic characters, its unique style, and its engaging setup."

Look for more updates coming soon to westandtheruthless.com

Coming next, The Cast of West and the Ruthless!

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2016
Filming at Old Tucson Studios

We had the amazing opportunity this year to hang out and film at Old Tucson Studios. These last few weeks we've been shooting our Feature Length Western, the West and the Ruthless. 

Old Tucson Studios has been the home of over 300 films and Television shows such as Rio Bravo, Tombstone, Arizona, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Mark of Zorro, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Three Amigos, Young Guns II, Gunsmoke, High Chaparral, El Diablo, Geronimo, The Quick and the Dead, Magnificent Seven, and 3:10 to Yuma just to name a few. 

We've been walking the streets of legends and following the footsteps of Clint Eastwood, Dean Martin, Jimmy Stewart, and Sergio Leone. 

We started production in front of a beautiful old mission with the mountains and desert behind it and we ended in John Wayne's bedroom. 

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2016
Santa Monica International Film Festival

We're currently in the middle of production on our biggest project we've ever done! It's exciting, relentless, amazing, and exhausting and we LOVE IT! But it's always nice to be working away and then get the call that you've just become part of the OFFICIAL Selection for the Santa Monica International Film Festival!

The Film Festival will be held at the historic Aero Theatre on July 23. The festival kicks off at 10AM and heads all the way to midnight before the after parties kick on!

Our animated short, Around the World in 80 Days, is playing along with some other outstanding films and if you're in Santa Monica or in the SoCal area, check it out!

For more details visit the official website:

http://www.smff.org

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2016
Naissance Triple Feature

Naissance is being featured as part of the Open World Animation Festival in Pennsylvania this week! Screenings will include The Umbrella Factory, Jack the Ripper, and Around the World in 80 Days. The Festival is kicking off at the Alternative Gallery with a wide mix of animation and artists from around the world. 

The Festival will be held March 25-27. 

The Alternative Gallery is a pretty awesome place. If you want to check out some amazing works make sure to click on their Shop/Gallery listed below on their official website!

www.thealternativegallery.com

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2016, Early 2016
SoCal Film Festival
Socal.jpg

We're super excited to announce that our short film adaptation of the Jules Verne classic is heading back to Southern California! This February, Around the World in 80 Days will be screening as part of the 11th Annual SoCal Film Festival in Huntington Beach, CA! The festival takes place Feb 10-15!

For more information check out the official website right here:

http://socalfilmfest.com

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2016, Early 2016
More Awards!

What a great way to start wrapping up the year! We just received our award for Around the World in 80 Days, the Presidents Award, for it's showing at the North Carolina Film Awards this year! We also just found out that The Umbrella Factory will be featured in the Journal of Short Film for it's annual release by Ohio State University!

2015 was a really great year for our short films and we're really proud of them and all the folks that helped make them happen!

Around the World - President’s Award North Carolina Film Awards

The Umbrella Factory - Journal of Short Film, Volume 36

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2015
Gold Coast International Film Festival!
GC 2015

This week, the Gold Coast International Film Festival kicks off with films by Morgan Spurlock, Richard Gere, Chloe Grace Moretz (the one and only Hit Girl!), Rene Russo, Oliver Platt, Jason Sudeikis, Rebecca Hall, Amber Heard, Christopher Walken and us, Nick and Lexie! That's right, not only will you see their amazing new films but you can also check out Around the World in 80 Days on the Big Screen this week in New York! There's also going to be some fantastic documentaries on Marlon Brando and Twisted Sister as well as Q&As! (Not to mention all of the other fantastic films and after parties!)

For more info you can check out the official website right here:

http://goldcoastfilmfestival.org

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2015
Around the World Returns to Hollywood!
HOLLYWOOD Weekly

Our animated short film adaption of Around the World in 80 Days is returning to Hollywood for another screening! This November, if you'd like to see Jules Verne Jr hit the big screen again, you're in luck as it'll be screening as part of the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival which is kicking off the 2015 American Film Market!

So awesome.

The  Film Festival takes place Nov. 1st!

For more information head over to Hollywood Weekly:

http://www.hollywoodweeklymagazine.com

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2015
The Umbrella Factory returns to Arizona!
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Want to catch our short film featuring that time bending monkey's paw on the big screen? Well this month there are a bunch of chances to do just that and we're adding another one. The Umbrella Factory will be returning to Arizona and screening at Loft Cinemas! They'll also be playing Psycho. So if you want a little Nick and Lexie with some classic Hitchcock, you're in luck!

The Festival takes place from October 21 - October 25.

For more information check out the official website right here:

https://loftcinema.com/event/loft-film-fest2015/#festfilmschedule

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2015
Around the World is heading to Oklahoma!
atw

We're really thrilled that this October, Around the World will be heading to Oklahoma as part of the Red Dirt International Film Festival! This will be our second year with the RDIFF (we even snagged the Best Animation Award for The Umbrella Factory last year) and we couldn't be more proud!

The Film Festival takes place October 8-10.

For more information check out the official website right here:

http://www.reddirtfilmfestival.org

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2015
The Umbrella Factory Heads to India!
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This October the monkey's paw will be heading home to the "Distant lands of India!" We're absolutely thrilled to be included in the International Film Festival of Shimla this year! The venues look incredible and we're over the moon to mark off another country (and this time a subcontinent as well) that our films have screened in internationally!

The festival will take place October 3rd.

For more information on the festival check out the official website right here:

http://www.iffs.in

Naissance NewsNick Trivundza2015