Short Summary

I am an enthusiastic Film Director, Screenwriter and VFX Compositor with a long trajectory and experience in the film industry. My passion and love for this profession guided me in different directions to improve, learn and look for opportunities to express myself through the magic of cinema. I grew up in Mexico, where the opportunities to make a living as a film director are few, so I learned to be productive and creative and stretch every cent to create compelling feature films.

An example is my opera prima, “Adverse Effects,” shot in 18 days with only $40,000, and against all the odds, the movie was an official selection in more than 30 film festivals worldwide. It won different awards for Best Movie, Actor, Screenplay and Director. At the Edmonton International Film Festival, it competed against prominent directors and major studio movies like “The Skin I Live In” by Spanish Film Director Pedro Almodovar.

Best Reviews:

• “Adverse Effects is a slow-burning thriller from Mexico, with echoes of Taxi Driver, Memento, and a dash of Fight Club thrown in for good measure. A stunning feature debut for writer/director/editor David Michan.” –Twitch by Andrew Mack.

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• “A new film from Mexico that is slightly reminiscent of Polanski’s “The Tenant…” Director/ Writer David Michan has crafted a delirious fever dream of a movie that will have people talking for a long time afterwards.”  – HorrorNews.Net by The Black Saint.

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• “Adverse Effects is a kind of modern Diary of a madman. In a plot reminiscent at times of Franz Kafka or David Lynch. – Top 5 TIFF (Transylvania International Film Festival)

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• “At times hallucinating, always dark, David Michan knows how to take the time to build an atmosphere that seems to have influences from Lynch’s surrealism, from Korean cinema in its “physicality” and some touches from Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.” – By Cinefilaerrante.

Currently, I am living in Vancouver, BC. I moved to Canada in 2018 to further develop my directing skills in visual effects. I worked with different VFX studios in Vancouver and Montreal in TV Series and Feature films like “Yellowjackets” from Showtime, “Tales from the Loop” & “Upload”  from Amazon Studios, “The Righteous Gemstones” from HBO, “For All Mankind” From AppleTV, “American Crime Story” From FX, “Those Who Wish Me Dead.” with Angelina Jolie and “Choas Walking” with Tom Holland.

The Project

Don’t Open the Damn Door was an award winner of Best Script at Feratum International Film Fest 2021 with a price of 3 days in-kind camera, lighting and grip packages from CTT Gear Rentals. The Jury was conformed of the distinguished Horror Screenwriters Sandra Becerril & Alicia Carbajal.  (award ceremony https://vimeo.com/760519049)

Don’t Open the Damn Door! is what we usually say while watching a horror movie when the protagonist is about to open the door to the murderer. What would happen if, at that very moment, someone knocked on our door?

In this metafiction story, the spectator becomes the story’s protagonist and, in turn, the one who observes plays the same role but in another parallel dimension. To reflect on the dramatic irony and how much even the certainty of the danger that lies ahead would protect us if we would become the protagonists of the very horror film we are watching.

With an apparently linear narrative that moves in both directions and where they end up colliding the beginning with the end… or vice versa?

This horror-comedy of the ages will have you questioning your reality on the edge of your seat.

Why this Movie?

Nowadays,  we have seen how movies have been completely polarized. On one side, we have “FAST FOOD MOVIES,” which are highly entertaining but lack a meaningful message, which makes them instantly forgettable after the 90 min ride, precisely like a rollercoaster. And on the other side, we have those ART HOUSE 3 hours-long B&W movies, slow phases and long shots that only a specific niche would understand and enjoy.

I firmly believe that movies should be entertaining but also carry a message to the audience that would trigger or spark emotions to make them question our societal flaws and how we can change and evolve to become better human beings.

Don’t Open the Damn Door! as with my previous projects; they are simple and entraining movies on the surface. Still, deeper in the core is a strong message, a criticism of human behaviour on how dumb we can react in moments of distress, even knowing with certainty that the final result is disastrous.

Call for help!

When you are right in the middle of two streams (FAST FOOD MOVIE VS ART HOUSE) is tough to get the budget for your projects. On one side, producers and investors will say that your movie is not commercial enough to make a decent box office. They will see it as an art or film festival movie for carrying a complex and more profound message. But on the other side, Art House producers and film fundings will see your projects as not artistic enough for apparently being too simple and lacking complex meaning. And that is where the big gap has been growing, and thousands of great scripts never see the light.

That’s why your contribution is so significant because you are helping not only a single project or movie, you are backing up and keeping alive the voices of thousands of artists like me trying to balance and rediscover that fantastic experience of watching films again that had a strong message but were so entertaining that you would keep discussing with friends and family many years after.

Please help me end this pointless polarization of films, and let’s get back to entertaining projects with a meaningful and robust message like “Dog Day Afternoon, The Shining, Memento, Pulp Fiction, Existenz, etc.”

Where is your money going?

’40s Style Kitchen

• Estimate: $4500.00​

​Finding a ’40s style Kitching with all the peculiarities will be almost impossible. So the plan is to rent a studio space to build a wide open kitchen and set dress it with all the appliances, props and furniture needed for the suitable time period.

’70s Style Living Room

• Estimate: $3500.00

The plan is to rent a location with multiple ambiences, so we dress each room according to the time period needed for each scene. We will dress the living room with the appropriate 70s-style furniture and props for this specific set.

’80s Style Bedroom

• Estimate: $2500.00

​This ambience would be in the exact location we would rent for the ’70s Living Room. The plan is to set dress one of the rooms and make it look like an iconic teenage ’80s room.

Eli’s Bedroom

• Estimate: $2500.00

This ambience would also be in the exact location we would rent for the ’70s Living Room. The plan is to set dress this ambience as a girly pre-teen contemporary, neat, cozy room to have a clear contrast between Dany’s and Eli’s room, so the audience can understand that Dany lives in the present time, but he is just a big fan of the ’80s.

Contemporary Living Room

• Estimate: $2500.00

This ambience would also be in the exact location we would rent for the ’70s Living Room. The plan is to set dress an ambience as a Contemporary Living Room. If we are lucky enough, we might get a location with a living room with the characteristics needed for this scene, and we could save the set dressing cost.

All American Suburbs

• Estimate: $2000.00

​The plan is to rent an exterior location that looks like an iconic American suburb—quiet, beautiful and perfect front yards. 

Film Stock (Super 8mm, super 16mm, 35mm)

• Estimate: $5000.00

We will use different film stock and formats depending on the time period.

For the ’40s the plan is to use B&W super 8mm film Stock. The ’70s is going to be shoot in Super 8mm Color. The ’80s will be Super 16mm and present time 35 mm.

Develop, Process &  4K Scan

• Estimate: $5000.00

The film needs to be developed, processed and scan to digital intermedia to be synced and edited.

4K DCP Mastering

• Estimate: $2500.00

The final process of post-production. Mastering in a 4K DCP is the standard format for Screening at Film Festivals.

Wardrobe Rentals

• Estimate: $3000.00

We need to rent wardrobes to dress the actors for different decades. ’40s, ’70s, ’80s and present time.

Makeup FX

• Estimate: $3000.00

We need an a FX makeup artist to create the wounds, stabs, scars and blood throughout different scenes in the movie. 

& What You Get

In exchange for your collaboration, no matter how small it is, you will get unique perks, like full access to the thrilling Animatic of “DON’T OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!” Storyboards handmadeand  created by talented artist Adrian Mungia and edited and animated by Film Director David Michán. Sound effects and Music by Sound designer Charlie. Only available to contributors. (https://vimeo.com/760648042)

Or get a Digital Copy of my Opera Prima “Adverse Effects,” a 74 min Feature Film shoot in Super 16mm and winner of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Actor and Official Selection in more than 30 International Film Festival Around the world.

ADVERSE EFFECTS (‘Reacciones adversas’) is a slow-burning thriller from Mexico, with echoes of Taxi Driver, Memento, and a dash of Fight Club thrown in for good measure. A stunning feature debut for writer/director/editor David Michan, Adverse Effects is a Canadian Premiere. 

– Twitch by Andrew Mack, August 23, 2011

This movie never had a commercial release, so it is not possible to buy or rent it, which is a unique opportunity to own it. (Trailer: https://vimeo.com/davidmichan/adverseeffects3)

Or be part of the VIP Screening of “Don’t Open The Damn Door!” for Actors and Crew and see the movie on the big screen before anyone else.

And many more exclusive perks just for you!

We are pretty confident that we will have support from friends, family, fans and all the filmgoers in the look for new and exciting projects like this, but in the rare event that we don’t reach our goal, we will continue ahead with the shooting of the project with our PLAN B.

• PLAN B is: Instead of shooting in 16mm & 35mm, we will use Digital, which could save us around 25% of the budget. It is not ideal, but it is doable.
• Also, we could shoot the movie without the post-production budget (25% less). When the principal photography ends, we could apply for post-production funds from Creative BC (Canada) or IMCINE (Mexico) to finish the movie.

But rest assured that no matter what is the amount we get, this movie will be done, and your funds will be used as promised.

The Impact

As I explained before, you are not backing up a project. You are keeping alive the hope of finding the right balance between entertainment and a meaningful message to the audience. Your contribution is so significant because you are backing up the voices of thousands of artists like me who, without your help, we wouldn’t be heard.
So together, let’s be bold and brave and show the ones in “control” that we are done with the polarization of films. Help me send a clear and loud message, and let’s make sure that they listen because we are Opening the Damn Door!

Before Opening the Damn Door!

As you have seen, I have a long trajectory in the film business. I have done successful projects with a minimal budget and time, proof that is not only my highly successful opera prima “Adverse Effects” but also my second feature film project in development, “Eat Me,” which has aroused much interest from various producers for its great originality.

It has been selected to participate in the pitching market at “Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival ” in Spain and the prestigious “Fantastic Fest” in Austin, Texas, where it won the Morbido/Latam Consultation Award.

Furthermore, I was awarded a scholarship for the Impulse Program for Cinematographic Creators at IMCINE. México. Tutor: Jorge Michel Grau, “We Are What We Are.” Creditor of the economic stimulus of 10,000.00 dollars.
Also, I was awarded the scholarship Fundacion Carolina (Carolina Foundation) in conjunction with the program IBERMEDIA to participate in the 12° Course of the Development of Cinematographic Projects in Madrid, Spain.

I had as tutors the screenwriters David Munoz (Guillermo del Toro – The Devils Backbone) and Alejandro Hernandez (All of the Women, winner of the Goya for best screenwriter 2014).

Quarter-Finalists at the 8th Search for New Blood Screenwriting contest, Awarded as “Excellence Script” with an 8.5/10 score at the Filmarket Hub Script Analysis. Semifinalist at the “Diverse Voices” presented by WeScreenplay. USA
– Official selection in the script contest at the Fright Night Film Fest. Louisville, KY, USA.
– Quarter-Finalists at the Scream Craft Horror Contest in association with the Blood List.
– Official selection in the script contest at the British Horror Film Festival, UK.

BEST REVIEWS
“A highly original, sexually-charged thriller that grips you in from the onset and makes for a swift, engrossing, page-turning read.” – The Black List

“A dark, attention-grabbing screenplay with strong main characters connected by their deviant sexual behaviours.” – The Blue Cat Screenplay

“A memorable and fascinating script that will leave the audience haunted. There is some terrific imagery in this creepy thriller. The script is dynamic and out of the box in terms of boldness.” – Academy Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting.

Before my feature film projects, I directed several short films, among which standouts was “Mexican Dream,” which won three international prizes in Brussels, Germany and Austin, Tx and was selected in more than twenty-five international festivals.

“A True Story,” winner of the short-film competition Radioactive with a cash prize of $10,000. The jury consisted of recognized Film Directors such as Alejandro Inarritu, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro, Guillermo Arriaga, Rodrigo Prieto, Walter Salles, Fernando Meirelles, Roger Avery, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Carlos Carrera, and many more.

Risks & Challenges

• As with any film project, there are many risks, ranging from going over budget and not completing the movie to dropouts from actors or crew during production. Denying these possibilities is lying because situations and problems like this are more common than you might think.  
• Filmmaking is a collaborative art where many talented people come together to express themselves in many different ways to achieve one vision. The problem comes when all that talent is not well organized and directed by a leadership that can filter and order all those ideas and suggestions without letting the artist feel frustrated because of the feeling of not being listened to.
• With many years of experience working with different crews and artists, I have learned how to create a professional and balanced work environment where everyone’s ideas are listening. As the leader and creative creator, I can edit and reshape all those suggestions to fit into the project, minimizing the problems that could arise on set and feeding a team spirit between the crew and artist.
• Time management is another skill that I have developed to be ablealways to find ways to complete complex shooting days. The secret that has always worked for me has a PLAN B. Plan A would be the letter to Santa Claus. Still, PlanB would be what to do in case of emergency, what shots and complex camera setups can be scratched from the plan and wouldn’t affect the storytelling or the quality of the final product. I have learned over the year that a director not only has to be a “Fixer” (problem solver) but also always be one step ahead of the rest and have an escape plan, in the case of Armaggedon.

Money is not all

If you can’t contribute, that doesn’t mean that you can’t help:

• Get the word out and make some noise about this campaign!!!
• You can use the Indiegogo share tools!