Presents
DEATH VALLEY Credits Annie Gunn...... Katrina Law Billy Rich...... Lochlyn Munro Jamie Dillen...... Victoria Pratt Roy Dillen...... Nick E. Tarabay Greenstreet...... Kelly Hu Lucas Kern...... Jeremy Ratchford Holly Fields...... Juliette Beavan Lyla Dahl...... Cela Scott Marco……………………………………………..Brad MacPherson
Director...... TJ Scott Written by...... TJ Scott & Brad MacPherson Executive Producer...... Wence Sulda Producer...... Taylor Williams Producer...... Brad MacPherson Producer...... TJ Scott Co-producer...... Jennie Yamaki Co-Producer...... Bert Kish First Assistant Director...... Mark Wallace Second Assistant Director...... Marie-Helene Riverain Original Music...... 8MM Director of Photography...... David Herrington Unit Production manager……….……...... Jennie Yamaki Editor...... Bert Kish Sound Design...... David Crocco Property Manager...... Cela Scott Script Supervisor...... Juliette Beavan Camera Operator/Key Grip….….…….…..Keith Andreen Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist………….…..Natalie Vincetich Sound Mixer/Boom Operator….…………...Sean Beavan Production Assistant...... Kimberly Cohrs Production Assistant...... Christopher Coulter
Website www.DeathValleyPictures.com
Distributor Indican Pictures 1041 North Formosa Avenue Formosa Building – Suite 221A West Hollywood, CA 90046 (323) 850-2667 (800) 862-6234 www.indicanpictures.com
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Synopsis
A blood-soaked a woman runs down a barren desert road toward the oncoming Police Cruiser. Later safe in a spartan interrogation room, she recounts her story.
The night before, only a few hours into a drunken courtship, the woman, innocent actress Annie Gunn, and hotshot LA producer Billy Rich decide a quickie Vegas wedding will finish their night right. Tourists Roy and Jamie Dillen agree to come along as witnesses to the intoxicated bliss.
Screaming down the back roads of the California desert, the bash is in full swing until a turn in the road reveals a semi-nude woman firing a gun at them. The car swerves. Not quick enough. They hit the woman and the four travelers crash into a ditch.
Now the car’s wrecked, the woman’s dead, and the desert looms large. And there’s not an answer in sight.
It doesn’t take long to realize there’s little chance of traffic on the secluded road, so they set out on foot to find rescue. Drunk, bruised, and battered, they all must discover who their companions really are, while keeping their own secrets buried.
As heat and hunger take hold, tempers flare and truths are revealed. Then when one of the group turns up dead, it’s a matter of choosing sides and staying alive.
DEATH VALLEY is a desert noir thriller that mixes brooding suspense, high tension, and human desperation to ask, who do you know, who do you trust, and how far do you go to claim what you want?
Technical Information
Running Time…………………………………………………..88 Minutes Format………………………………………………………….1:78 High Def Sound…………….….………………………………………….Dolby Stereo Country……………………………………………………………………….USA Language……………………………………..…………………………English Genre………………………………………………………………………Thriller
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Key Cast and Crew Biographies
Born in Philadelphia and raised in South Jersey, Katrina Law is developing a resume guaranteed to start turning heads in the entertainment industry in 2014. With roles in notable television series including CSI: Miami (CBS), Legend of the Seeker (ABC), and Chuck (NBC), plus supporting and lead roles in independent films such as Knuckledraggers, Lucky Numbers, Emmet's Mark, The Learning Curve, and Bottom Feeders to name a few, Law’s name is becoming synonymous with an unshakeable talent and drive combined with a stunning, unique look unparalleled in the business to date.
Law starred as "Mira" on the hit STARZ series Spartacus. In 2014, Law made her debut on The CW's Arrow, as the recurring DC comic book character "Nyssa Al Ghul." In the comics, it's revealed that Nyssa is the love child of Ra's al Ghul, making her the half-sister of Talia al Ghul, whom Marion Cotillard portrayed in The Dark Knight Rises.
Lochlyn Munro started his acting career after a serious sports injury ended his dream of playing professional hockey. A talented musician, Lochlyn turned his attention to the performing arts. While playing music in various clubs around Vancouver, British Columbia, Lochlyn studied drama and improvisational comedy with many of the industry's top professionals, including the late Susan Strasberg. Having done a lot of stage work, Lochlyn then jumped into the television and film world with instant success. Lochlyn landed roles on various American projects such as 21 Jump Street, Wiseguy, and Charmed.
After numerous guest roles and leads on TV shows and films, Lochlyn landed a role in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. He has gone on to show tremendous range throughout his acting career by creating memorable characters in such films as Dead Man on Campus, A Night at the Roxbury, Scary Movie, and most recently, his starring role in Death Valley.
On her first audition, Victoria Pratt landed a role on John Woo’s Once A Thief, soon leading to her becoming a series regular. Next came a recurring role on Xena and later, the lead in both Cleopatra 2525 and Mutant X.
Victoria next shifted to film, including roles in What Love Is, Murder At The Presidio, and Journey To The Center Of The Earth. She has also appeared in several pilots, as well as roles on CSI, NCIS, Cold Case, Ghost Whisperer, Life, Lie to Me, and Castle, and her lead role as an undercover homicide detective on the ABC series Day Break.
Victoria’s most recent movies include Christmas Twister, A Nanny’s Revenge, The Virginian, the noir thriller Death Valley, A Daughter’s Nightmare, Patient Killer, and June. Currently, she’s enjoying a recurring role as Casey on Canada’s longest running hour-long drama, Heartland for CBC, and has also recently secured a publishing deal for her very first novel, Double Down.
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Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Nick E. Tarabay made the move to New York City after high school to pursue college in New Jersey and explore the city. He enrolled himself into classes with T. Schreiber Studio, appeared in several off-Broadway plays, and quickly fell in love with the craft. Nick landed his breakout role in 2008, starring on the Starz critically acclaimed series Crash based on the Oscar winning film. Tarabay’s relationship with Starz continued after Crash and in 2009, he secured the series regular role of “Ashur” in Spartacus.
Some of Tarabay’s additional television credits include: Believe, The Sopranos, CSI: Miami, The Unit, Without a Trace, NCIS, Detroit 1-8-7, Common Law, Burn Notice, and Major Crimes. In 2013, Tarabay made his feature film debut in Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams’ STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. Since, Nick has appeared in independent features Death Valley and The Veil.
Globally recognized for her starring roles in feature films like X-Men 2, The Scorpion King, and Cradle 2 the Grave, Kelly Hu has also appeared in dozens of TV shows, most recently starring in hit series Arrow, Warehouse 13, and The Vampire Diaries. Kelly is also renowned in the world of animation and video games, marked by her roles in such titles as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Phineas and Ferb, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Mortal Kombat X. Always memorable in each role she inhabits, Kelly’s also a prominent player in the world of independent film, with notable turns in a variety of titles like Stiletto, The Air I Breathe, and the upcoming feature Death Valley.
Best known for his seven seasons on the hit CBS series Cold Case, Jeremy Ratchford’s extensive resume includes roles in such films as Oscar-winner Unforgiven, Leatherheads, Angel Eyes, and Fly Away Home. Jeremy earned his first Gemini nomination for Best Actor in the TV movie Small Gifts, receiving two more nominations for his portrayal of Jack Pogue in the TV series Blue Murder. Most recently, Jeremy has appeared in Showtime’s Shameless, TNT’s Perception, Netflix’s Longmire, and Lifetime movie of the week One Angry Juror. Notable upcoming appearances include roles in the films Lost on Purpose, The New Republic and Death Valley.
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TJ Scott is a Film and Television Director/Writer/Photographer based in Los Angeles. His recent TV work includes directing the hit series Spartacus for Starz, Gotham for Fox, the critically acclaimed BBC America series Orphan Black and Copper, the Netflix original series Hemlock Grove, The Transporter for HBO/Cinemax, Constantine for NBC, ‘Black Sails’ for Starz, and ‘12 Monkeys’ and Bitten for Syfy. TJ recently completed the indie movie Death Valley, which he co-wrote, directed, and produced.
His previous movie Deadliest Sea was nominated for five Gemini Awards in Canada, including Best Movie and Director. TJ has also directed award-winning episodes of Xena, Hercules, ‘Nikita’, and his episode of Playmakers was listed by the American Film Institute as one of the Top 10 episodes of television of the year.
As a writer, TJ’s Tracers, starring Taylor Lautner, has recently been released and his bio pic Vivaldi is being produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. In addition, Chris Columbus has signed on to direct his script The Secret Lives of Road Crews at Paramount. TJ has also directed his own scripts Mayday, adapted from the Nelson DeMille novel for CBS, Blacktop for HBO, and Legacy, which opened the Las Vegas Film Festival.
As a photographer, TJ’s coffee table book IN THE TUB is scheduled for worldwide release in November 2013. TJ has also been published in 24 magazines, shot twelve magazine covers, and produced 250+ pages of editorial and fashion content.
Brad MacPherson is an LA-based film and television screenwriter, producer, and director, as well as a published writer and photographer. Having written and optioned multiple projects, Brad also wrote, directed, and produced the award-nominated short film Benny.
Brad recently completed the feature Death Valley, which he co-wrote and produced, and is now developing the features The Switch, Annalee’s Blood, Mary Ellen, and Sideshow Champion, In addition, Brad is also in pre-production on the comedic digital series Dead Gen.
New Orleans born and Los Angeles raised, Taylor Williams produced the documentary Of All The Things, which premiered at SXSW Film Festival, won Audience Awards at Sarasota, Nantucket, and Palm Beach film festivals, and was included on indieWIRE’S Best Undistributed Films of 2008. After writing and producing a handful of shorts, Death Valley is Taylor’s first narrative feature as a producer. Taylor also recently produced the feature film LAMB, is currently developing the feature film Brave New Jersey, and is near completion on his directorial debut with the short film, The Drive.
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David Herrington - Starting as a commercial Director of Photography, David has shot hundreds of commercials, winning numerous awards including a Bronze Lion (Cannes Film Festival), several Bessie Awards (Canadian Advertising Awards), and the coveted Commercial CSC award for his work on Fridgidaire, I Am A Chef.
Amongst his numerous features and television, David began with Pippi Longstocking for ABC Circle Films (nominated for a Daytime Emmy), shot Blues Brothers 2000 for John Landis, Missing for three seasons, 2nd. Unit on Shoot ‘Em Up, and has been nominated twice for Gemini and Emmy awards.
During his distinguished career as a picture editor, Bert Kish has cut such notable shows as La Femme Nikita, Power Play, and won the Gemini for his work on John Woo’s Once a Thief. His feature credits include Top of the Food Chain and Cypher starring Lucy Lu and Jeremy Northam. Most recently, Bert has worked on NBC’s The Firm, Netflix original Hemlock Grove, and SyFy’s 12 Monkeys. As a director, Bert’s been nominated for both a DGC and Gemini award, and has helmed numerous TV and film projects, including Intimate Stranger, Snow Bride, and The Haunting of Sorority Row.
Sean Beavan & Juliette Beavan - 8MM was founded by international legendary music producer/mixer Sean Beavan, renowned for his groundbreaking work with Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, No Doubt, Guns N' Roses etc., and his multi-talented wife Juliette, who has been described as “Jessica Hart meets Billie Holiday.”
Championed by tastemakers worldwide, including Nic Harcourt, Geoff Boucher of the LA Times, Antiquiet, CraveOnline, and Jason Pettigrew of
Alternative Press, they are one of the most licensed artists in the business (Underworld: Awakening, I Frankenstein, Being Human, Pretty Little Liars, Grey's Anatomy, Nip Tuck, Nikita, One Tree Hill, Shark, Cold Case, Moonlight, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and on). Their inventive self-shot cell phone video of Stunning was the #1 Most Watched Music Video on YouTube on its release, and their critically-acclaimed smoldering live performances have made them a favorite with venues across the country.
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Director’s Statement
The goal of a movie like Death Valley, for me as the Director, was showing how four people’s lives can unravel permanently in a very short period of time when adversity and bad luck strike in a fleeting moment. This is a story about characters with secrets locked away for good reason…and it’s about the transformation in these characters when an inciting incident brings all those secrets to the surface.
Working with brilliant actors who had to make these dark revelations and transformations on screen, in long scenes on location, shot in a short period of time, was a thrill. We assembled a wonderful cast of actors - all who I had directed in the past – each with talent, energy, chops, and passion. My mission was to guide that energy, give it a story-telling frame, and capture it on film.
A life-long goal of mine was to film in Death Valley. The rules and regulations are very strict for filming in the National Park. So as filmmakers, we wrote the script specifically to those requirements. That translated to a tiny cast and a tiny crew who all had to wear many hats. I, for example, was a Writer/Producer/Director/A-Camera Operator/Stills Photographer. Every person involved wore that many hats.
Death Valley is a ‘character driven’ movie with no stunts or visual effects, so we tried to give it a timeless feel. We carefully choose a color palette, wardrobe style, vehicle, editing style, and score that would not tip our hand to what year or decade we were in. This attention to detail was all in an effort to create a visually cohesive ‘look’ so the viewer’s focus was on the characters and their ever-twisting story.
On a Cinematic level, we steeped the movie with an old school ‘Noir by Day’ style - composing frames with very deep focus, solid frames, and deep Technicolor-type saturated images. We specifically framed the unique Death Valley landscapes as a setting that would lure the characters, and hopefully the audience, into its seductive jaws.
The film was created by a tiny cast and crew comprised of best friends and family who love making movies and are all at the very top of their game in the film industry. None of us ever worked harder. None of us ever felt as fulfilled. And at the end of the day, we hope it all shows up on screen.
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Contact Brad MacPherson 10001 Venice Blvd, Ste 400 Los Angeles CA (310) 488-3799 [email protected]
www.DeathValleyTheMovie.com www.facebook.com/deathvalleythemovie Twitter: @DeathValleyTheMov
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