Well, we just about made it through week one before the press showed up. See the article here: VANGUARDIA NOTICIAS

Joel (our director) claimed that he wanted to shoot this film on the down low, not attracting any attention – especially that of the press. But my gutty parts tell me otherwise. Look at that “working pose” he strikes in the Vanguardia article. Something tells me he’s enjoying this. And here are some more photos from the week!!

Actors Ben Chamberlain and Kristen Barrett

Kaelin (actor) getting bloody ...

Gabe, Eric, Joel, and Mike involved in man talk

We didn't know how to film the scene where the car hits Ben without making it cheesy. So we just hit him.

We're filming with this stud, Ernesto D'Alessio. The senoritas love him.

Ernesto's adoring fans show up all the time and he delivers autographs like I deliver high fives. Quite freely.

More soon. Thanks for tuning in.

After a couple weeks of burdensome/rewarding pre-production, we start filming today (in less than an hour from this posting). The remainder of the crew arrived safe and relatively sound last night, just in time for the fun. At this point, I think we’re all too dumb to be worried about all the mishaps that I’m sure are lining up at our doors, but if we thought too much about the sanity of this venture, we wouldn’t be down here even attempting it. Our fearless leader and director, Joel Vallie, sets the tone. The motto for this production: “Don’t worry.” Ha, tell that to my innards.

Posted below are a few pictures from our location scouting, courtesy of Chad and his now trendy Hipstomatic-ical iPhone app. Hope you enjoy.

Exactly what you'd expect Mexico to look like, verdad?

Kaelin Stockwell, our lead actor.

Derek Street and Eric Machiela, perplexed at a location.

Hey look! A happy Derek found the fuse box!

Joel Vallie (on left) scouting with crew.

You boys like Meexxico?!?

After 27 hours, 160 gallons of fuel, eight pounds of fast food, and a jumbo bucket of David’s sunflower seeds, Eric Machiela got the Gorilla van to the Tex/Mex border …

– and met up with Mexican superstar Joel Vallie who guided him over the Rio Grande. We drove a nice three + hours through the mountains, across untouched terrain, on down to Saltillo, Coahuila. (Click below for the lowest quality video of all time.)

Drive to Saltillo — In Video Form!

Why embark on such an adventure? Well, for the next 6 weeks, Gorilla — in partnership with Joel Vallie … and basically the whole town of Saltillo — is going to be heading up perhaps the most all intensive film production that we have ever undertaken. We love the work that we’ve been blessed with over the past few years (and we will continue to partner with clients in our life long goal of world domination), but as filmmakers, we’ve always wanted to produce and be a part of feature films, that is, long-form narrative storytelling.

As life goes, a few years back, we met a missionary/speaker/drug rehab leader/filmmaker, Joel Vallie, living in Mexico who had already directed a feature film, Corazon de Campeon. It was (how to be nice here…?) a quality effort but was limited by low production value in what it could do. In where it could go. Joel told Gorilla about another script he was developing and we jumped at the chance to partner with him, to make this film come alive.

Eric Machiela is first to arrive, laying the tracks for the other guys when they arrive. The other guys being Eric Johnson, Chad Terpstra, Derek Street, Gabe Berghuis, Ben Chamberlain, and Michael Amman. Everyone who is a part of this production is giving so much time and effort, working for tacos, and sacrificing a lot so let’s give them a digital round of applause!

More photos and info will be showing up here on this blog as the production goes along. And just cause she’s adorable, a picture of our makeup lady: