Local filmmaker wraps up second movie.

By Vince Meehan

Tierrasanta resident Steve Weinberger is currently wrapping up production of his second movie Second Chances. Once that happens, Weinberger will need to shift gears in order to “sell” the finished movie so it can be released nationally. Weinberger describes the movie as an “R-rated comedy film” which centers around the life of his lead star Ryan Ochoa, a very recognizable young star known for his recurring role of Chuck Chambers on the Nickelodeon series iCarly.

The movie also features a troupe of kid show alumni such as Jason Earles, known for his roles as Jackson Stewart in the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana and Rudy Gillespie in the Disney XD series Kickin’ It. Zachary Gordon from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Amber Frank from Nickelodeon. And from the adult’s pool, Seth Green adds his star power to the movie as a veteran of the genre being represented by Second Chances.

Weinberger says the story revolves around Ochoa’s character Nick Stone, who hooks up with his ex-girlfriend and ends up going down the wrong path from there. That’s where the shenanigans begin and things begin to snowball. Weinberger describes the movie as a cross between Little Miss Sunshine and Dude, where’s my car?

“Basically the movie is about the lead actor Ryan Ochoa – who was in my last film The Samuel Project, also shot in San Diego – who plays kind of a down and out actor who’s trying to get back into the business,” Weinberger said. “He used to be in a kids show ¬– which he actually was in real life – so originally the project was supposed to be like a mockumentary, but we ended up making a whole film about it. Its fiction, but some of it is based on his real life because he is a Disney kid, a Nickelodeon kid, and has dealt with some of the struggles that come along with it later like getting blacklisted for roles after he faded out of that child star phase.”

Weinberger shot the movie in San Diego including Tierrasanta, Seaport Village and a small taco shop in Bay Park called “JV’s” which played a pivotal part in casting the lead actor. JV’s is located in a small strip mall on Morena Boulevard and has a cult following not only from the residents and workers in the area, but also the heavy metal aficionados who spill out of the music venue Brick X Brick which is across the street after a show.

Ryan Ochoa and his brothers Raymond, Robert and Rick used to visit the taco joint religiously when they were younger because their dad owned a furniture store in the area. Later, when all four of the brothers made it into the acting world, they would stop in to say hi and order food. Eventually a wall shrine of photos featuring the brothers began to take shape and is still there to this day. Weinberger had a close friend that stopped in to JV’s with his daughter to pick up some burritos and Ryan Ochoa happened to be in there. His daughter recognized him from iCarly and began to chat with him. Weinberger had mentioned that he was looking for a young male for his first movie The Samuel Project and his friend thought Ochoa might be a good fit. So after contacting Ochoa’s agent, a deal was signed for him to star in the movie. Additionally, In Second Chances, Robert plays Ryan’s brother in the movie, and their real life sister Destiny also appears in the film.

Other names in the movie include Carolyn Hennesy who starred in the TV show General Hospital as well as Dawson’s Creek. Another wellknown personality is Noel G who is a character actor who specializes in East LA gangsta roles in movies such as Training Day and Fast and the Furious. And in his directorial debut, Dave Venghaus is on board the production. Venghaus has movie credits as First Assistant Director in such movies as Spider-Man, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Quiet Place Part 2.

Weinberger says that San Diego is a great place to shoot a movie, and has very talented people to draw from to be on the crew. “San Diego has a great film industry, we really do but what we lack is a traditional studio. We just don’t have set studios like they do in Georgia, So, that’s a big issue that there is no place to kind of camp out and shoot. But it’s such a great place to shoot because everybody’s so welcoming here.”