Indie Filmmaking Q&A with Jeff Daniel Phillips, Discussing His New Film CURSED IN BAJA

2024/11/12 17:41:31 +00:00 | Jonathan James

Now available on VOD, and heading to Blu-ray and DVD on December 10th, Cursed in Baja is written and directed by Jeff Daniel Phillips, who tells us all about his latest project in our Q&A. From casting to locations, and the challenges of indie filmmaking, Jeff Daniel Philips shares his experience and gives his advice to those looking to make their own film:

Cursed in Baja is a fantastic example of true indie filmmaking. What inspired you to tell this particular story as your latest directorial effort?

I just returned from a horror convention in which I spoke to a group of young filmmakers on how to make low-budget films. Sharing my experiences, I explained the importance of making a list of what you as the filmmaker have access to: locations, props, vehicles, cast and crew. When I returned to LA, I told my producer friend, Kent Isaacs, about the film talk and he listened and then asked me “Why aren’t we making a film now?” I agreed, and we proceeded to make our list, which included a farm in Baja, actor friends, crew members and a chupacabra costume I owned. I wrote the script around these assets, incorporating my early love of the B-movie, creature features, and noir films in writing our anti-hero story.

You’ve assembled a talented cast, including Barbara Crampton, many of whom you’ve worked with before. How was your experience directing this cast?

I came from LA’s underground theatre scene in the 90's—black box, fringe theater. I’ve worked with 90% of our Cursed In Baja cast on stage or at table reads. I more or less wrote each role with a certain actor in mind. It was a very collaborative process and I was open to actors' suggestions before the shoot. In a low-budget venture like this, we all have to come in prepared and focused because we were only going to get 2-3 takes per set up. The actors I chose knew this going in and all came through with performances we were proud of.

The film was shot in both California and Mexico. What factors influenced your choice of locations, and how did they impact the overall vision of the film?

Again, we had access to a friend’s farm in Mexico. We went down to Baja and also shot footage on the streets of Tijuana, shooting as many exteriors we thought we may need. We hit the road with myself, my cinematographer, Keith Coleman and my producer Kent, who not only helped by recording, sound he acted too. When we returned to LA, we had a ranch in Altadena that doubled the farm in Mexico, allowing us to put our local actors in the scenes already established across the border. We had to be both clever and efficient with our tight budget, just as they did with the classic B-movies.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the production of this film, and how did you navigate them?

The biggest challenges were using practical FX for all our horror and attack scenes. We designated several days to shoot these bloody gags and brought in a second cameraman to make sure we captured all the gore we could, knowing we’d only get a couple of takes due to all the blood-soaked wardrobe and prosthetic application FX. It was challenging, but thanks to Ojala FX for being such pros, and having the experience to pull off the epic blood baths of horror.

For our readers interested in making their first film, what advice would you offer to help them on their journey?

Make your list and write down all your assets first. Choose a story and genre you really love because you’re easily going to be married to it for the next couple of years, at least. Do table reads after writing drafts of the script and record them on your phone to really hear how your dialogue plays. Then assemble your team of cast and crew, being open to suggestions of the more experienced members. Their advice can end up saving you money and heartache down the road. Good luck to you; you will need it.

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CURSED IN BAJA is now available on VOD and will be heading to DVD and Blu-ray in December:

"On December 10, Anchor Bay Entertainment takes us South of the Border with a neo-noir thriller, Cursed In Baja, on Blu-ray and DVD. The movie is written and directed by Jeff Daniel Phillips (Rob Zombie’s The Munsters), who also has the starring role.

Pirelli (Jeff Daniels Phillips) gets hired by the elderly patriarch of a wealthy family to retrieve his grandson from Mexico. The assignment is treacherous for the former LAPD narcotics detective, as the previously hired investigator vanished without a trace while in Baja. Beyond dealing with the dangers of the area, Pirelli must fight inner demons that lead to him losing his badge. Can he hope to rescue the grandson when he’s falling apart in the resort town? "