Filmmaker’s directions point home

Elia Powers

Nobody can accuse budding filmmaker Vince Masciale of ignoring his

childhood instincts.

His latest short film features a group of pre-teens who covet a

fictional, limited-edition action figure, “Jake Speedwell.”

And none of the under-12 actors cast in “The Great Speedwell

Caper” had a reason to complain about conditions on the set.

“Everyone warned me about working with kids, but they were very

receptive to my direction,” Masciale, 22, said. “I gave them clear

incentives, like saying ‘I’ll give you ice cream if you show me this

emotion.’”

A former Costa Mesa resident who kick-started his film career more

than 10 years ago by lugging a family video camera through his

backyard, Masciale is making a homecoming of sorts later this month

when his 22-minute film shows at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

“The Great Speedwell Caper” plays at 11:30 a.m. April 23 at

Edwards Island 4, and Masciale said he is inviting everyone he knows.

He said the film is a mix between the children’s action movie “Spy

Kids” and the mystery-thriller “The Usual Suspects.”

The movie follows a group of youngsters who discover a Jake

Speedwell action figure in a neighborhood antique toy store. When the

owner refuses to sell them the item, they devise a heist plan. A

chase ensues as the store owner tries to reclaim his possession.

It wasn’t a stretch for Masciale to envision characters who go to

great lengths to own superhero paraphernalia.

“I always loved action figures,” he said. “I had every Batman toy

there was, and I dressed up as him for Halloween.”

Masciale developed the film as a project at Chapman University.

But he said college students were never the target audience.

“It’s a film intended for a young crowd,” he said. “I was looking

to bring it to festivals, and the Newport Beach Film Festival was

something I always was shooting for.”

“I just never thought it would happen.”

Masciale called upon his friend, Jared Romero, to write the

script. Masciale is director, co-producer and executive producer of

the movie. He spent more than $10,000 out of his own pocket to fund

the production, which was primarily shot in Costa Mesa over a span of

four months.

Masciale hired a handful of young actors and put friends in

behind-the-scenes positions. He said everyone involved in the

production participated without pay.

“The Great Speedwell Caper” premiered in September 2004 at

Chapman, and Masciale said professors gave him high marks.

His work was rewarded earlier this year when the film was accepted

to the Newport Beach Film Festival.

“I was really excited for him,” said Adam Genzink, a friend of

Masciale’s, who served as the film’s director of photography. “He

knows what he wants and doesn’t stop until he gets it.”

Masciale’s video-production training began when he was a student

at Costa Mesa High School. He was director of a live, weekly news

broadcast at his school. And he was an intern and later a production

assistant at Comcast Channel 3 News.

“He’s always been ambitious and creative,” said news producer

Valerie Mitchell. “It’s great to work with a person like that.”

Masciale lives in Hollywood and has dreams of working in the movie

industry. He is a full-time assistant editor at a Santa Monica

production company.

He is fine-tuning a website for Reel Vision Films, a small

production company he runs with his father.

Mitchell said she is proud to see Masciale receive exposure for

his work.

“When he talked about being a big Hollywood filmmaker, it sounded

like a big dream,” she said. “But now he’s taking the first step.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

[email protected].