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A house with a muderous past...
A parapsychology class hunting ghosts...
What they find is love, fear and jealousy...
And perhaps their own desires...
Each student has a hidden agenda...
Even hidden from themselves...
And the teachers have their own plans...
Eveyone has something to hide...
In SHADOWS.

After DPingthree films for other people, I decided to try my hand at producing and directing a low-budget horror feature. Take a look at the trailer on the demo page.

Shadows was shot in 24p HDCAM using my Sony HDW-F900/3 Alta Vista. The shooting schedule was just 13 days, with eleven days on locationat a beautiful estate in Palm Springs, California.

Shadows was accepted to the Los Angeles FAIF Film Festival in 2005, and was voted by audiences as one the of top two "Best In Festival" films! Amsell Entertainment is handling distribution.

SHADOWS SYNOPSIS

On the surface, Shadows is about a group of parapsychology students who spend two nights in a house haunted by a ghost with a very large knife.

But Shadows is really about love, fear and jealousy, with a little humor thrown in.

Richard (Alex Pertovitch) is using the class as a week-end get-a-way with his new conquest Stevie (Victoria De Mare), but his plans go awry when his fiancé, Debbie (Nadia Valenzuela), surprises him and takes the class.

Another couple has their relationship tested when John (Shawn Barber) has to leave the house because of sense of doom. John’s long-time girlfriend Heather (Rai Alexandra) stays at the house and begins to innocently flirt with Bobby (Derrick Wayne Smith), one of the instructional aides.

Two of the classmates, Angel and Benny (Jenna Allen and Robyn August), start to fall in love. And Star (Erinn Koch) is in a world of her own.

The two teachers were once romantically involved.. Julie (Shellah Garrett) believes in parapsychology, but Paul (Adam Fleck), the other instructor, is more than skeptical. Both of them were at the house 13 years ago when there was an “incident”. Julie plans to use the weekend to prove there was a psychic element. But Paul has his own plans.

All of them should be careful how they treat each other. Lady Jane (Monika Qoshja), the original owner of the house, found her husband (Matt Holbrook) and sister (Kim Balcerzak) in bed and killed them in a fit of jealousy. Since then, Lady Jane’s ghost roams the house at night with her knife, looking for cheating couples (Rebecca Wilkins & Vinnie Bilacio).

The house may look safe and inviting, but everyone has something to hide… in Shadows.

Standing left to right in back: Adam Fleck, Shellah Garrett, Robyn August, Derreck Wayne Smith, Alex Petrovitch, Rai Alexandra, Monika Qoshja, Shawn Barber. Surrounding me left to right is: Erinn Koch, Jenna Allen, Victoria De Mare and Nadia Valenzula.

SHADOWS CAST & CREW LIST

Nadia Valenzuela Debbie

Alex PetrovitchRichard

Victoria De Mare Stevie

Jenna AllenAngel

Robyn AugustBenny

Derrick Wayne Smith Bobby

Erinn Koch Star

Shellah Garrett Julie

Rai AlexandraHeather

Adam FleckPaul

Shawn BarberJohn

Monica Qoshja Lady Jane

Kim BalcerzakLady Jane’s Sister

Matt Holbrook Lady Jane’s Husband

Rebecca Wilkins Starlet

Vinnie Bilacio Movie Director

Abel Castaneda Dead Guy on Lawn

Written, Produced& Directed Dan Donley

Director of Photography Eric Sears

Chief Lighting Technician Todd Nielsen

Key Grip Geoff Stevenson

Grip/Electric Jeff Hamor Jim Brady Tony Banando

Editor Chadwick Perdue

Post Production Supervisor Michael Harrington

Associate Producers Nadia Castaneda Jose Collazo

Production Manager Chuck Jean

Audio Mixer John Franco

Set Decorator Sean Hendry

Blood Effects John Lechago

CREW NOTES

I just wanted to say a few personal things about the crew and cast.

First, and foremost, I'd like to say how hard the lighting crew worked, especially Eric Sears, Todd Nielsen and Geoff Stevenson. Eric and Todd have worked as my gaffers for years.

Going into the project I was the Director of Photography, but I couldn't really take that title. Because I was operating, and because I didn't have time to look at the monitor on every shot, it was up to those three guys to be my eyes. It was also up to them to work ahead when possible to keep up with the shooting schedule.

The great thingis these guys know how I light and they did a great job! Plus, when they were done lighting they did whatever had to be done and that included running boom or even being the audio mixer.

Eric worked nine of the 13 days (two of them sicker than a dog), Todd managed eleven out of 13 and Geoff was there 12 of the 13 days. I wanted to reward one of them with the Director of Photography credit. When I asked them about who it should be, they all declined and said one of the other guys deserved it more. That's the kind of guys they are.

Geoff and Todd said to give it to Eric, so he is the DP of record. But when you see that credit, think of all 3 of them.

I want to also give a special shout out to my ol' buddy Mr. Michael Charles Harrington. Mike and I met in film school in 1979 started Big Sky Productions in 1989. I did the first cut of the film and it was, in a word, horrible. Mike came in and started the real editing.

Mike got his assistant, Chadwick Perdue,to start working on SHADOWS and they both took half the film and started cutting away. They did a great job!

Again, when I askedMike if he wanted editing credit,he declined and asked it be given to Chad. That's the kind of guy he is.

Two people whose work wentuncreditedwas Nadia and Monica. Yes, they're both credited as actresses, but they were also with me all the way through the casting process. They did all the call backs. They were also the make-up, hair and wardrobe on the show. Plus, they helped with craft service and catering (Monika's potatoes, yum!).

Nadia and Monica should have their names in the credits about ten times apiece.

I also have to say a special thanks to Alex and Victoria. Everybody went above and beyond the call of duty, but Alex and Victoria really stepped out. Victoria was helping out as Script Supervisor when Chuck wasn't around and Alex helped grip, move furniture and even did boom for an entire day.

Finally, all the actors. I won't say anything, but I'll let the crew do the talking. Crew people usually don't say anything about talent unless they're really screwing up. But Eric, Todd, Geoff and John all remarked how lucky I was to have great talent and how if it wasn't forthese actors, I wouldn't have gotten through the shoot.

I was planing to use outtakes as part of the credits. There were so few screw-ups, it was impossible to do.All the actorswere professionals. They were prepared, they knew their lines and they hit their marks.

Shadows Cast (click to enlarge)