Flavor of the Month

"Flavor of the Month" is a monthly podcast where members of Halo Halo Productions select their favorite short film of the month and interview the minds behind the film. From their inspirations to their struggles to what makes them filmmakers, we take a deep dive into what it takes to be an indie filmmaker.

Making Low-Budget Horror Movies - Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) - March 2024 03/01/2024

Making Low-Budget Horror Movies - Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) - March 2024 Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) Revenge of Mary Sue is a 4-minute film where a podcast host thinks this week's podcast episode will be his typical surprise slaughtering of a filmmaker’s latest film. Little does he know there's a surprise guest just waiting to jump on air. The film stars (Penelope Leo), (Colby Cameron), and (Mary Sue). CORDLESS MICS!!! We talked about how they shot this film in 8 hours, the value of friendship in collaboration, and some cool projects they are currently working on. Ariel also shares the strangest story for how one of their films because popular through a fetish playlist. 00:00 Introductions 01:42 Inspiration behind the creation of Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) 02:50 Joel shares the writing process behind Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) 04:24 Ben Gaumond’s incredible improv skills 06:44 The realism of these absurdist podcasts 09:12 Ariel’s filmmaking goals when making Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) 11:05 What is a Mary Sue? And why choose Mary Sue for the film? 13:06 The easter eggs behind Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) 17:27 The other inspirations behind the creation of Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) 20:40 How to make a film with a low to no budget 26:19 Dealing with the stress of working with low-budget films or films with many limitations 30:20 The collaborative process of working with friends after many projects 34:20 The team shares their food for thought about filming Revenge of Mary Sue (2023) 39:20 In These Very Woods project that is in development 47:30 Where can you find the team? 51:33 The Ready To Burst (2016) fetish story that put Bad Cookie Pictures in the map 53:42 Conclusion and credits If you would like to support In These Very Woods, visit the website to learn more about their other projects, including In These Very Woods. Films Referenced in the Interview Hansen’s Haberdashery Director: Ariel Hansen Writer: Joel H. Brewster Producer: Christopher “Topher” Graham Production Manager: Sasha Tomasky Director of Photography: Laurel K Brown Production Designer: Topher Graham Key Hair & Make-Up: Chey Reimer Sound Mixer: Topher Graham Starring: Nhi Do as Penelope Leo Ben Gaumond as Colby Cameron Ariel Hansen as Mary Sue Grip: Andres Castillo Editor: Ben Gaumond Colorist: Jordan Barnes-Crouse Special thanks to Rob Hunt Project Mouthwash Denise Hansen Ariel Slack Jacquie Doyle Bren MacDonald /episode/index/show/ae9d2c28-4904-4a3e-b115-65c7d5e5a3fd/id/30060953

Building A Story - Grandma’s 80th Surprise (2019) - February 2024 02/01/2024

Building A Story - Grandma’s 80th Surprise (2019) - February 2024 Grandma’s 80th Surprise (2019) Grandma’s 80th Surprise (2019) is a 10-minute dramedy about a respectful young man who is forced to confront his family's rigid traditions as he seeks the approval of the family matriarch, his formidable 80-year-old Grandmother. The film features as Ella, as Curtis, as Grandma Lily and as Ryan In this episode, we talk to (Writer & Director), (Writer & Curtis), (Ryan), and returning guest, (Director of Photography). 00:00 Introductions 03:09 The making of Grandma’s 80th Surprise 07:41 The goals behind making Grandma’s 80th Surprise 21:15 The MAMM experience 31:03 Choosing who will direct and who will act 33:35 Easter eggs while shooting Grandma’s 80th Surprise 42:09 Fola and Curtis’ relationship with Curtis’ grandmother and the Lum family 47:17 The festival success of Grandma’s 80th Surprise 01:00:12 Food for thought and what are you working on 01:09:29 Where can you find the team? 01:11:08 Conclusion and credits For more information about the , visit Films Referenced in the Interview Director: Fola Evans-Akingbola Writer: Fola Evans-Akingbola & Curtis Lum Producer: Curtis Lum, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Marc Yungco, Willan Leung First Assistant Director: Daniela Anania Director of Photography: Marc Yungco Production Designer: Mik Narciso Costume Designer: Anthony Lewis Key Hair & Make-Up: Iya Yujuico Sound Mixer: Chris Corpuz Starring: Curtis Lum as Curtis Lillian Lim as Grandma Lily Myrasol Martinez as Ella Wonita Joy as Mrs. Lam Ricky He as Ryan Simon Chin as Uncle Phil Micah Chen as Young Curtis Mike Ching as Mr. Lam Sharmaine Yeoh as Auntie 1 Jeannie Mak as Auntie 2 First Assistant Camera: Kelly Chow Second Assistant Camera: Elijah Snakeskin Steadicam Operator: BTS & Stills: Paolo Valdez Gaffer: Jared Cheer Lamp Operator: Ethan Johnson Set Decorator: Louisa Birkin, Amandine Dun Boom Operator: Brandon Rinehart Hair and Make-up Assistant: Stacey Koch Editor: Tom Belding Composer: Dave Chick Colorist & Sound Design: Marc Yungco Executive Producer: Fola Evans-Akingbola, Curtis Lum Associate Producer: Natasha Jung Special thanks to Vancouver Asian Film Festival Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon The Lum Family Robert Pon & Pearl Chen Philip Planta Neil Colango Angie Chen Darnele Jacques Susan Narciso Ben Sayo Miren Valdes Peter Planta Donair Dude Davie Street Diplomat Bakery Salathai Thai Restaurant /episode/index/show/ae9d2c28-4904-4a3e-b115-65c7d5e5a3fd/id/29361933

Hail Marie (2021) Outtake - January 2024 01/07/2024

Hail Marie (2021) Outtake - January 2024 After the interview Mik continues to talk with the Hail Marie team. The conversation went for so long that we decided to also air it. They talk about shooting your shot, the importance of asking and Darnelle's 2023 Shits N' Giggles film. Hail Marie (2021) Hail Marie is a 13-minute dramedy about a newly immigrated Filipino family whose youngest son tries to win the respect of his parents by proving he can become more Western than his older, queen-like sister. The film features Darnelle David as the son, Joseph, Gabrielle Jacinto as the sister, Marie, Sigrid Pareja as the mother, and Jason Asuncion as the father. In this episode, we talk to (Writer & Director), (Actor - Jason), (Actor - Mom) and, (Actor - Dad) 00:00 Introductions 01:31 What is Hail Marie about? 09:41 Harley shares his experience as a Filipino-Canadian 13:18 Making a Filipino-Canadian film without a Filipino-Canadian crew 19:04 Lessons learned from Hail Marie 21:25 Cast talk about what they brought into Hail Marie 26:02 The team talk about the experience 31:24 Sigrid finding the casting call for the film 34:29 Jason’s improv skills 36:59 Darnelle’s experience as a new actor 39:45 Some never before heard stories on set 43:23 Sigrid and Darnelle reflect on their first experience as actors 45:25 Hail Marie’s festival run 46:02 Food for thought 52:40 How to connect with the Hail Marie team 61:17 Conclusion and credits For more information about the , visit Films Referenced in the Interview Director & Writer: Arthur Rodger 'Harley' Maranan, Ruel Maranan, Marisol Maranan Producer: Ross Branch First Assistant Director: Liliya Roys, Lesha Jay Vescio Director of Photography: Austin Kwok Production Designer: Samantha Lam Costume Designer: Lesha Jay Vescio Key Hair & Make-Up: Michelle Watson Sound Mixer: Rayce Vaughan Script Supervisor: Isabella Jaramillo Starring: Darnelle David as Joseph Gabrielle Jacinto as Marie Sigrid Pareja as Mom Jason Asuncion as Dad Rebekah Lazar as Joanna First Assistant Camera: Zitong Gong, Jack Bailey Second Assistant Camera: Kirc Cohen Steadicam Operator: Jan Ubeda BTS & Stills: Cameron McCutcheon Gaffer: Sam Lin Key Grip: Jack Bailey Grip: Osmar Wong Art Director: Roohi Kamal Graphic Designer: Simar Kamal Art Assistant: Cheyanne See, Jacob Totti Food Stylist: Autumn Ivancic Hair Stylist: Amanda Herrera, Ivett Duong Editor: Ian Tan Music: Arthur Rodger 'Harley' Maranan Colorist: Cameron McCutcheon Sound Design: Ivan Rodriguez Executive Producer: Arthur Rodger 'Harley' Maranan, Austin Kwok, Roger Maranan, Katherine Ouellette, Ross Branch Special thanks to Vancouver Asian Film Festival Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon Panavision, Shiun Okada, Rowan Jang, Rebekah Lazar, Nessa Aref, Montana Rosalle, Chris Thomas, Authority Media, Darcy LaCouvee, Henry Corbet, Hadron Films, Keyon Slowly /episode/index/show/ae9d2c28-4904-4a3e-b115-65c7d5e5a3fd/id/29275078

Working With Diverse Experiences - Hail Marie (2021) - January 2024 01/01/2024

Working With Diverse Experiences - Hail Marie (2021) - January 2024 Hail Marie (2021) Hail Marie is a 13-minute dramedy about a newly immigrated Filipino family whose youngest son tries to win the respect of his parents by proving he can become more Western than his older, queen-like sister. The film features Darnelle David as the son, Joseph, Gabrielle Jacinto as the sister, Marie, Sigrid Pareja as the mother, and Jason Asuncion as the father. In this episode, we talk to (Writer & Director), (Actor - Jason), (Actor - Mom) and, (Actor - Dad) 00:00 Introductions 01:31 What is Hail Marie about? 09:41 Harley shares his experience as a Filipino-Canadian 13:18 Making a Filipino-Canadian film without a Filipino-Canadian crew 19:04 Lessons learned from Hail Marie 21:25 Cast talk about what they brought into Hail Marie 26:02 The team talk about the experience 31:24 Sigrid finding the casting call for the film 34:29 Jason’s improv skills 36:59 Darnelle’s experience as a new actor 39:45 Some never before heard stories on set 43:23 Sigrid and Darnelle reflect on their first experience as actors 45:25 Hail Marie’s festival run 46:02 Food for thought 52:40 How to connect with the Hail Marie team 61:17 Conclusion and credits For more information about the , visit Films Referenced in the Interview Director & Writer: Arthur Rodger 'Harley' Maranan, Ruel Maranan, Marisol Maranan Producer: Ross Branch First Assistant Director: Liliya Roys, Lesha Jay Vescio Director of Photography: Austin Kwok Production Designer: Samantha Lam Costume Designer: Lesha Jay Vescio Key Hair & Make-Up: Michelle Watson Sound Mixer: Rayce Vaughan Script Supervisor: Isabella Jaramillo Starring: Darnelle David as Joseph Gabrielle Jacinto as Marie Sigrid Pareja as Mom Jason Asuncion as Dad Rebekah Lazar as Joanna First Assistant Camera: Zitong Gong, Jack Bailey Second Assistant Camera: Kirc Cohen Steadicam Operator: Jan Ubeda BTS & Stills: Cameron McCutcheon Gaffer: Sam Lin Key Grip: Jack Bailey Grip: Osmar Wong Art Director: Roohi Kamal Graphic Designer: Simar Kamal Art Assistant: Cheyanne See, Jacob Totti Food Stylist: Autumn Ivancic Hair Stylist: Amanda Herrera, Ivett Duong Editor: Ian Tan Music: Arthur Rodger 'Harley' Maranan Colorist: Cameron McCutcheon Sound Design: Ivan Rodriguez Executive Producer: Arthur Rodger 'Harley' Maranan, Austin Kwok, Roger Maranan, Katherine Ouellette, Ross Branch Special thanks to Vancouver Asian Film Festival Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon Panavision, Shiun Okada, Rowan Jang, Rebekah Lazar, Nessa Aref, Montana Rosalle, Chris Thomas, Authority Media, Darcy LaCouvee, Henry Corbet, Hadron Films, Keyon Slowly /episode/index/show/ae9d2c28-4904-4a3e-b115-65c7d5e5a3fd/id/29275038

Surviving Unexpected Scenarios - Parabola (2021) - December 2023 12/01/2023

Surviving Unexpected Scenarios - Parabola (2021) - December 2023 Parabola (2019) Parabola (2019) is a 15-and-a-half-minute drama about a Japanese-American single mother, who struggles to reconcile with her father, Musashi a notorious Yakuza enforcer following his release from prison. The film features Mayumi Yoshida playing the mother, and Hiro Kanagawa, playing the Father. In this episode, we talk to (Writer & Director), (Producer), (Producer), (Actor - Izanami), (Hair & Make-up), and (Still & Tattoo Designer) about the creation of the short film. We discuss the challenges faced in making a highly ambitious film, the importance of kindness, and one of the craziest days of production the team has ever experienced. 00:00 Introductions 01:38 How the idea of Parabola was born 06:45 Phoebe Miu as Izanami 10:58 The creation of the tattoos 15:03 The immense work of the crew during pre-production 17:09 Crazy 8s experience 19:35 The insane day 3 where everything went wrong 25:50 On the stress of the shoot and the value of a good team 31:39 Trying to shoot a film in Vancouver with snow 37:19 Lee’s philosophy to directing during indie films 38:55 On Parabola setting a high bar for people-centric filmmaking 45:52 The highlights of the team since Parabola 57:42 How to connect with the “Parbola” team 61:17 Conclusion and credits For more information about visit Films Referenced in the Interview Resident Alien (2021-) Swan Song Blue Eyed Samurai Shogun Ink Master Director & Writer: Lee Shorten Producer: Phil Planta, Brittany Lum-Cho Production Manager: Irma Leong First Assistant Director: Theo Kim Director of Photography: Angelica Anzures Perez Production Designer: Neil Colango Costume Designer: Angela Ganderton Key Hair & Make-Up: Iya Yujuico Sound Mixer: Jakob Weber, Emmy Sainz Location Manager: John Alviz Starring: Mayumi Yoshida as Makoto Hiro Kanagawa as Musashi Peter Shinkoda as Luke Phoebe Miu as Izanami William Budijanto as Matthew Darryl Quon as Toshiro Sophie Ramos as Young Makoto Yuta Takenaka as Hiroyuki Alex Barima as Lloyd Ron Chartier as The Wolf Laura Carly Miller as Carly Second Assistant Director: Robert Richards Assistant Director: Rachelle Francoeur Camera Operator: Jeff Zwicker First Assistant Camera: Brian Cheung Second Assistant Camera: Negin Khazaee, Marc Yungco Loader: Reed Kierce Peacemaker Filmworks Team: Chris Wiseman, Ryan Ennis, Andrey Chibisov Stills: Jan Colango, Angel Lynne EPK: Chloe Cruz Art Director: Athena Han Supervising Art Director: Wenke Li Art Assistant: Christine McCabe Graphics: Noémie Thirion, Christine MacCabe Assistant Costume Designer: Shelby Shukaliak, Mayumi Yoshida, Katrina Salisbury On Set Costumer: Emma McKay, Shelby Shukaliak, Katrina Salisbury Assistant Hair & Make-up: Alison Jeffreys, Gabrielle Dugré Desrochers, Katrina Kardynal Tattoo Art: Angel Lynne, Frankie Hodge, Alexandria Tanguay, Iya Yujuico Gaffer: Indiana Camilleri Key Grip: Michael Debarrros Best Boy: Samuel Stefanini-Taylor Lap OP & Grip: Paula Muraira, Maria Acevez, Joshua Mao, Sebastian V. Buck Balloon Technician: Peter Hagge Dolly Grip; Steven Maki Property Master: Frazer Nygard MacLean Assistant Property Master/On Set Props: Dana Bontempo Props Builder: Brendan Murphy Props Assist: Brendan Murphy, Manon Pille Set Decorator: Nadia Saliba, Walden Cameron On Set Decorator: Noémie Thirion On Set Dresser: Mik Narcisp Lead Set Dresser: Jane Spencer Set Dresser: Samantha Lam, Kallista-Dittrick Katevatis, Diane Lee, Joe MacDonald, Rachelle Francoeur Swamper: Joe MacDonald Boom Operator: Andy Liu Assistant Location Manager: Diana Petrova, Dean Donlon Location Production Assistant: Berlin Lu, Greg Whelan Traffic Control Person: Genelle Palana, Diane Lee, Sarah Amerongen Picture Car Coordinator: Collin James Head Truck Driver: Riann Smit Editor: Dominic Lester Composer: Samuel Kim Post Supervisor: Manpreet Babra Assistant Editor: Nathan Young Digital Compositor: Jordan Barnes-Crouse Colorist: Kipp Lightburn Translations: Mayumi Yoshida, Hiro Kaganawa Supervising Sound Editor: Jeff Hilman Sound Designer: Derek MacPherson Sound Mixer: Doug Paterson Foley Editor: James Neves Background Audio Editor: Benjamin Paul De Caiman Assistant Production Manager: Shelby Shukaliak Production Coordinator: Stacey Douglas Assistant Production Coordinator & Assistant to Producers: Katrina Salisbury Story Editor: Ric Beairsto Directing Mentor Jonathan Tammuz Casting: Rebecca Davidson, Sheriz Tambanilla Additional Casting Services: Breakdown Services Co-Producers: Theo Kim, Irma Leong, Willan Leung, Alicia Bernbaum, Ingo Lou Associate Producer: Sophie Caird, Nathanael Vass, Kent Donguines, Alexandra Staseson, Mayumi Yoshida Executive Producer: Paul Armstrong, Erin Mussolum Background Performers: Hayley Gray, Mike Li, Alina Anghel, Nevin Burkholder, Bill Yuan, Nach Dudsdeemaytha, Carolyn Yonge, Nathania Bernabe, Kamila Jones, Jackie Hanlin, Jordan Svenkeson, Ana Laura Ochoa, Gerardo Malpica, Theo Kim, Rebecca Strom, Ben Jones, Leslie Appleton, Lawrence Davidson, Mathias Retamal, Roberto Lanzas, Tamara Juozaitis, Leslie Kwan, Chris Carson, Alannah Bergman, Nick Wong, Armin Karame Sponsors: Peacemaker, Lorne Lapham, Fusion Cine, Sims, Novo Lighting, Falcon Armoury, 3LMedia, Fritzworks Printing Services, Tindahan - Stella Dasa Belda, Mount Pleasant Furniture, MYJ Fabrication, Craft Cinema, TGK Films, Pelham Bishop Auto, NWT Professional Media Association, Fiber-Tek, Cineworks, Side Street Post, Big World Sound, Hollynorth Special thanks to Crazy 8s Ric Beairsto, Jonathan Tammuz, James Moke & City of Surrey, Eric Chen, Bryan Fredericks, Dale Rechner, Clark & Page Casting, Alisa Luke, David Pink, Hello Goodbye Bar, MIA, Sai Woo, Joshua Mao, Trish Salisbury, Brian Salisbury, Penkse Burnaby, Mayhem TV, Sofie and Rudy Custodio, Thomas and Lyna Brennan, Yolanda Alviz, Go Studios, VFS, Burnaby Youth Custody Services, Nach Dudsdeemaytha, Adam Chan, Planta & Ho Family, Simon Chin and Joel Reimer /episode/index/show/ae9d2c28-4904-4a3e-b115-65c7d5e5a3fd/id/28631528

Shooting A Film In 48-Hours - White Lady (2022) - November 2023 11/01/2023

Shooting A Film In 48-Hours - White Lady (2022) - November 2023 White Lady (2022) ** SPOILER ALERT ** We recommend watching the film first before coming here to watch their interview. The link is above. Or you can find it in our "Flavor of the Month" playlist on YouTube. Thanks! A Story about unrequited love and revenge. It follows a young man haunted by the ghost of his ex-fiance in their place of employment. In this very first episode of Flavor of the Month we interview members of the creative team behind the film: Marc (Director), Carlo (Actor) and Paolo (Writer). We talk about the filmmaking process for making a film from script to completion in only 48-hours, the challenges they face, and also all the fun stories of collaboration between the team. 00:00 Introductions 03:36 Inspirations of the film 08:00 The writing process for “White Lady” 13:40 The original cut vs the director’s cut 17:07 The filmmaking process for “White Lady” 25:19 Carlo’s experience as an actor on the set of “White Lady” 32:00 What made this project so special 38:13 Pulling off a horror comedy 39:49 Creating Lissa Neptuno’s White Lady character 43:12 The universal appeal of “White Lady” 45:33 The festival success of the film 50:42 Current and future projects 57:06 How to connect with the “White Lady” team 57:50 Conclusion and credits For tickets to the 2023 Shits N Giggles Film Competition, visit: Films Referenced in the Interview Grandma’s 80th Surprise (2019) Reverse (2021) Yellow Door: '90s Lo-fi Film Club (2023) Woomates (2023) Director: Marc Yungco Writer: Paolo Valdes Producer: Joere Estremadura, Marc Yungco Director of Photography: Peter Planta Starring: Lissa Neptuno as White Lady/Lisa Carlo Fortin as Carlo Gabrielle Jacinto as Abbey Philip Planta as Phillers Jason Asuncion as Det. Jason Moheb Jindran as Det. Mo’ Props/Set Decoration: Rikki Facette Costume Designer: Cassandra Guevara- Clark Hair/Make-up: Jessica Kim Lu Gaffer: Austin Kwok Assistant Camera: Aaron Wang Key Grip/Dolly Grip: Jared Cheer Grip/LX Swing: Bianca Gueco Costume Assistant: Jared Lim Make-up Assistant: Chris Carvajal BTS: Shaun Liew, Nathan Yan Editor: Ian Tan, Marc Yungco Composer/Sound Mixer: Harley Maranan Post Sound/Colorist: Marc Yungco Special thanks to Run N Gun Film Competition Shits N Giggles Film Competition Polygon Wire Management Inc Rare Spirit Clothing Company /episode/index/show/ae9d2c28-4904-4a3e-b115-65c7d5e5a3fd/id/28482167

Flavor of the Month

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