Sunday, March 15, 2026

Short Stories

"The Ghost Platoon" After a roadside bomb kills his entire Marine unit, a disgraced plastic surgeon returns home brain-injured and homeless. He discovers he can hear and see the voices of the dead of his passed Marines, leading him to form an underground crime-fighting unit with an LAPD officer who believes he may be the city’s last hope.
ORIGINAL LOCAL SHORT-FORM TV SERIES Palm Springs Stories 4–6 Minute Episodes | TV + Digital | Palm Springs / Coachella Valley
Concept Overview Palm Springs Stories is a collection of short-form, locally produced television segments celebrating the culture, history, personalities, food, nightlife, and iconic lifestyle of the Palm Springs area. Each episode runs 4–6 minutes and is designed for broadcast, streaming, social media, and sponsor integration. The series highlights legendary Hollywood roots, vibrant local businesses, creative talent, and the unique desert lifestyle that defines Palm Springs.
PROGRAM SEGMENTS
The Ghosts of Palm Springs Legendary lives and untold stories of famous movie stars who lived, worked, and relaxed in Palm Springs—told through locations, archival imagery, and cinematic storytelling.
Studio 55 Intimate interviews with Palm Springs authors, historians, and storytellers discussing books, legacy, and the creative spirit of the desert.
The Bartender Behind the bar with Palm Springs’ top bartenders as they craft signature cocktails, explain techniques, and share the stories behind iconic drinks.
Restaurant Row Inside Palm Springs’ most popular restaurants—featured dishes, chef interviews, and kitchen visuals showcasing presentation, flavor, and creativity.
Palm Springs Nite Life A spotlight on popular nightlife venues, lounges, and entertainment spaces featuring live talent, DJs, performers, and vibrant crowd energy.
Frank’s Hideout A nostalgic journey back to the Rat Pack era—reliving the days when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. ruled the Palm Springs entertainment scene.
Desert Exotic Car Kings A look at luxury and exotic car collections from Palm Springs residents and local dealers—performance, design, and passion for automotive excellence.
The Barber Shop Authentic conversations inside local salons and barbershops—interviews with stylists and clients capturing personality, humor, and community connection.
Mangia with the Two Tony’s Visiting Italian restaurants to prepare mouth-watering Italian dishes, spotlighting family recipes, chefs, and old-world flavors with modern presentation.
War and Pizza A deep dive into Palm Springs’ best pizza—special ingredients, dough secrets, wood- and brick-oven techniques, and the personalities behind the pies.
The Best-n Pets Visits to local pet clinics and shelters, featuring adoption stories, veterinary care, and heartwarming visuals that encourage community involvement.
PROLOGUE — The Man Who Didn’t Fear Death Charlie Barrett built his life the way engineers build machines — precise, intentional, and efficient. He wasn’t born into wealth. He earned it. From a garage office filled with salvaged servers and borrowed money, Charlie created Barrett Neural Systems — an artificial intelligence firm that predicted consumer behavior, optimized logistics, and quietly attracted government and corporate attention. Within a decade, he became a fixture in business magazines and conference panels. But wealth wasn’t what fascinated him. Death did. Charlie collected books on near-death experiences. Neurology journals. Quantum consciousness theories. Spiritual doctrine. Occult folklore. At dinners and board meetings he’d smile and repeat the same line: “Death isn’t the end. It’s a transition. And when I go — I’ll be back.” People laughed. Charlie never did.
THE CONFIRMATION A Novella and Episodic Television Series Prologue Bari Province, Italy – 1907 The Adriatic wind blew across the small village south of Bari, rattling the shutters of the DiBari home. Inside, the family worked late into the night. Girolamo DiBari bent over a wooden table cutting cloth while his wife Rosa stitched by candlelight. Their sons sat nearby sorting finished garments into small bundles. Joseph—“Joey” to everyone who knew him—was the oldest. At fourteen, he already understood something about responsibility. Each morning he carried the clothes his mother made from door to door across the village, selling what he could to farmers, fishermen, and laborers. Some days he came home with coins. Other days he returned with nothing but tired feet. But the DiBaris had a dream. America. Girolamo believed that across the ocean a man who worked hard could build a future for his sons. And the man who promised to make that dream possible was a smooth-talking broker named Vito Tasselli. Tasselli dressed better than anyone in the village. His suits were pressed, his shoes polished, and his smile always arrived before his words. “I can arrange everything,” Tasselli assured Girolamo. “Passage to New York. A ship leaving from Naples. Your whole family.” The price was steep. But the DiBaris believed him. For years they saved. Every coin Joey earned selling clothes went into a tin box hidden beneath Rosa’s sewing table. When the day finally came, they carried more than a thousand lire—their entire life’s savings—to Naples. That day would change Joey DiBari forever. THE CONFIRMATION — Suspenseful Synopsis (Non-Violent Version) Joseph “Joey” DiBari grew up with his three brothers in a small village just south of Bari, Italy, where the Adriatic winds carried both hope and hardship. His father, Giralamo DiBari, dreamed of a better life in America and trusted a smooth-talking local broker, Vito Tasselli, who promised to secure the family passage to New York. The DiBari family gathered their savings—more than a thousand lire—and placed their faith in Tasselli’s promise. But when the family arrived at Bari Harbor, their dreams collapsed. The ship’s captain had never heard of the DiBari family. No tickets. No reservation. No record at all. The humiliation of returning home that day changed something inside young Joey. He realized the world did not reward honesty alone—it rewarded those who understood how power worked. Years passed before the DiBaris were finally able to save enough money to leave Italy. From the port of Marseille, France, they boarded a crowded immigration ship bound for New York, carrying little more than hope and a quiet determination to never be deceived again. America was not the land of comfort they imagined. The family survived long nights in New York subway stations and long days of exhausting work. Eventually they moved west to Chicago, a city pulsing with opportunity—and secrets. By his early twenties, Joey DiBari had developed a reputation for solving problems others could not. Calm, calculating, and fiercely loyal, he became known as someone powerful men trusted when delicate matters needed quiet resolution. Soon his path crossed with one of the most influential figures in Chicago’s shadowy underworld—Alphonse “Al” Capone. Around Capone circled a dangerous constellation of rivals: Sonny Mangio, who controlled vice operations… Frankie Bono, who moved contraband through the city’s hidden channels… Lorenzo Caputo, whose schemes could change the outcome of horse races… Jimmy Falcone, whose moneylending empire stretched across Chicago… and Nunzio Bartoli, a mysterious enforcer whispered about in back rooms. Each of them stood in Capone’s way. And Joey DiBari had quietly become the man capable of shifting the balance. What began as a family’s broken promise in a small Italian harbor would ultimately shape Joey’s destiny in America—where loyalty, ambition, and reputation could turn an immigrant dream into something far more powerful… and far more dangerous.
The Skid Row Slasher On a stormy night in downtown Los Angeles, a young woman walking home alone becomes the target of the notorious Skid Row Slasher, while her terrified sister and brother-in-law can only watch the nightmare unfold live through a phone video call. The Skid Row Slasher By Mike Colonna On a stormy night in Downtown Los Angeles, fear spreads as a serial predator known as The Skid Row Slasher continues to haunt the streets. While Kathy and Ron watch a chilling news report about the killer’s latest spree, Kathy’s younger sister calls to say she’s walking home alone from a nearby restaurant in the middle of the rain-soaked city. Worried for her safety, Kathy and Ron stay connected with her through a live phone video call, guiding her block by block through the darkened streets. At first, the conversation feels almost ordinary—until Ron notices a shadowy figure trailing her from a distance. What begins as a tense walk home quickly turns into a nightmare as the couple helplessly witnesses a terrifying encounter unfold in real time. Set against the neon gloom, rain, and isolation of downtown L.A., The Skid Row Slasher is a horror-suspense story about fear, vulnerability, and the horror of watching danger close in when help may already be too late.

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Studio 55 Projects

1. The Blue Column "The Kidnapping" When Frank Bauer, President of the Long Beach Harbor Commission, uncovers a sophisticated drug pipeline running through the Port of Long Beach, he risks his career and his life to dismantle a global trafficking empire rooted in his own backyard.

2. Ghost Platoon After a roadside bomb kills his entire Marine unit, a disgraced plastic surgeon returns home brain-injured and homeless. He discovers he can hear and see the voices of the dead of his passed Marines, leading him to form an underground crime-fighting unit with an LAPD officer who believes he may be the city’s last hope.

Just Minnie and Me Inspired by his calico cat Minnie, young storyteller Nick Colonna creates suspenseful short adventures for readers of all ages—everyday life turns into a world of suspenseful short novella's filled with mystery, adventure, and imagination for all ages. Proving that even the smallest companion can spark the biggest stories.
3. The Witness on the Curb "The Bum Alarm" A homeless man becomes the only eyewitness to the brutal murder of a retired Marine in Long Beach—but coming forward could cost him his life as the killer races to silence the one man society ignores.

4. Gino Bartoli A former pro football star turned blue-collar entrepreneur finds himself entangled with a dangerous associate whose criminal secrets threaten to collapse Bartoli’s roofing and trucking empire—and expose a loyalty he never meant to give.

5. Barrett After a botched Baghdad ambush ignites a blood feud between a decorated private military commander and a ruthless CIA power broker, their decades-long rivalry escalates into a shadow war that weaponizes politics, air power, and global influence.

6. Stringer A former SAS operative living the high-speed life of a Formula One driver uses his elite connections to traffic cocaine—until a corrupt Scotland Yard detective makes him the centerpiece of a dangerous international takedown.

The Ransom Hunter A former MI-6 operative turned Amsterdam bounty specialist tracks and recovers ransoms paid to dark-web kidnappers—while confronting the conspiracy that once put him in prison.

7. Liam & Rocky - Jupiter "The Europa Mission" A man and his loyal German Shepherd leave their Southern California beach town for a mysterious inland journey—unaware that the desert highways ahead will unravel a past neither of them can outrun. Jupiter "The Europa Mission" "Liam Reynolds and his fiercely loyal German Shepherd abandon their quiet Southern California beach town for a remote desert town beneath the shadow of Goat Mountain, they unknowingly step into the center of a highly classified Marine Corps investigation into extraterrestrial signals linked to Jupiter’s moon Europa—forcing them to confront a past that may be connected to a secret the government will kill to protect."

8. The Skid Row Slasher When a young woman inadvertently documents the movements of a serial killer stalking Downtown Los Angeles, she becomes the next target—and the only person who can stop him before he vanishes into the city’s shadows.

9. Gabaldon Landing Strip An abandoned desert airstrip outside Las Vegas, New Mexico becomes the unlikely crossroads for smugglers, federal agents, and a pilot with something to hide—where every landing could be the last.

10. The Man Who Didn’t Fear Death "I'll be Back!" Tech visionary Charlie Barrett builds an AI empire capable of predicting human behavior—but when his own mortality becomes data to be conquered, he sets in motion a chilling experiment that blurs the line between consciousness and code.

11. Hooked When smooth-talking drifter Cowboy Bobby McJunkin thinks he’s about to con an easy mark, he instead hooks into a force far darker—and far more powerful—than anything he’s ever manipulated.

12. The Cave-Takedown "Takedown" "A retired College Basketball coach Dink Getty now with the CIA is held captive in a remote Middle Eastern cave forcing a covert rescue mission that could ignite an international crisis before the execution clock runs out.

Additional Titles – Short Loglines The Chandelier A glittering symbol of wealth becomes the centerpiece of a murder mystery where every reflection hides a suspect.
Charlie Barrett, who's vow was to return after his death.

Legends of the West In a fading frontier town, old-school lawmen confront a new breed of ruthless power brokers determined to rewrite Western justice.

Horror on the Manhattan Subway When commuters begin vanishing beneath New York City, a transit cop discovers something ancient—and hungry—lurking in the tunnels.

The Butterfly Murders A meticulous serial killer leaves rare butterflies at each crime scene, forcing a profiler to confront a pattern rooted in her own traumatic past.

Flynn A controversial media mogul builds an empire on scandal and free speech—until enemies on both sides of the law close in to silence him.

Jupiter "The Europa Mission" "Liam Reynolds and his fiercely loyal German Shepherd abandon their quiet Southern California beach town for a remote desert town beneath the shadow of Goat Mountain, they unknowingly step into the center of a highly classified Marine Corps investigation into extraterrestrial signals linked to Jupiter’s moon Europa—forcing them to confront a past that may be connected to a secret the government will kill to protect."
Stolen Treasure A long-lost war fortune resurfaces, sending rival treasure hunters and international criminals into a deadly race across continents.

Electric Con A brilliant energy entrepreneur hides a billion-dollar fraud behind green technology—until a skeptical journalist pulls the plug.

The Confirmation Joseph “Joey” DiBari grew up with his three brothers in a small village just south of Bari, Italy, where the Adriatic winds carried both hope and hardship. His father, Giralamo DiBari, dreamed of a better life in America and trusted a smooth-talking local broker, Vito Tasselli, who promised to secure the family passage to New York. The DiBari family gathered their savings—more than a thousand lire—and placed their faith in Tasselli’s promise. But when the family arrived at Bari Harbor, their dreams collapsed. The ship’s captain had never heard of the DiBari family. No tickets. No reservation. No record at all. The humiliation of returning home that day changed something inside young Joey. He realized the world did not reward honesty alone—it rewarded those who understood how power worked.Years passed before the DiBari's were finally able to save enough money to leave Italy. From the port of Marseille, France, they boarded a crowded immigration ship bound for New York, carrying little more than hope and a quiet determination to never be deceived again. America was not the land of comfort they imagined. The family survived long nights in New York subway stations and long days of exhausting work. Eventually they moved west to Chicago, a city pulsing with opportunity—and secrets. By his early twenties, Joey DiBari had developed a reputation for solving problems others could not. Calm, calculating, and fiercely loyal, he became known as someone powerful men trusted when delicate matters needed quiet resolution. Soon his path crossed with one of the most influential figures in Chicago’s shadowy underworld—Alphonse “Al” Capone. Around Capone circled a dangerous constellation of rivals:Sonny Mangio, who controlled vice operations…Frankie Bono, who moved contraband through the city’s hidden channels…Lorenzo Caputo, whose schemes could change the outcome of horse races…Jimmy Falcone, whose moneylending empire stretched across Chicago…and Nunzio Bartoli, a mysterious enforcer whispered about in back rooms. Each of them stood in Capone’s way. And Joey DiBari had quietly become the man capable of shifting the balance. What began as a family’s broken promise in a small Italian harbor would ultimately shape Joey’s destiny in America—where loyalty, ambition, and reputation could turn an immigrant dream into something far more powerful… and far more dangerous.
San Pedro Cops A tight-knit harbor patrol unit in San Pedro battles cartel influence, port corruption, and personal demons on the front lines of America’s busiest gateway.
I’LL BE BACK Series Overview I’ll Be Back is a character-driven suspense thriller blending corporate intrigue, supernatural mystery, and emotional drama. The series follows Charlie Barrett, a self-made artificial intelligence pioneer whose lifelong fascination with mortality becomes reality when he dies in a catastrophic accident — only to discover his consciousness remains active. Charlie built a powerful AI company from nothing, becoming wealthy, admired, and newly married to Sheila O’Rourke. His confidence bordered on obsession; he often joked he would return after death. When a late-night drive from Las Vegas ends in a head-on collision, Charlie is killed instantly. His funeral draws hundreds — and his calm smile in the casket unsettles mourners who recall his bold promise. But Charlie’s promise proves true.
He awakens without a body, observing the world in fragments — able to travel through attention and intention, yet unable to physically interact. As he learns to manipulate small outcomes — digital interference, environmental disruption, information exposure — he uncovers disturbing truths: His business partners are exploiting the company for criminal gain Corporate ethics collapse into fraud and drug trafficking. Financial manipulation threatens his legacy Sheila becomes vulnerable to manipulation and opportunists. Charlie evolves into an invisible guardian — exposing crimes and protecting Sheila — while encountering other unexplained entities that hint at rules governing the afterlife. Each intervention exacts a cost, weakening his identity and forcing him to choose between self-preservation and purpose.
The pilot episode introduces Charlie’s life, death, awakening, and first realization that he can still act — setting up a serialized thriller exploring: Consciousness beyond death, Corporate corruption, Technological ethics, Love beyond physical existence. The cost of unfinished business I’ll Be Back combines grounded realism with metaphysical suspense, positioned as a bingeable streaming drama with franchise potential and cross-platform appeal.