Comic-Con Film School is back for another four-day, nuts and bolts course on how to make a movie for very little money using available video technology and desktop postproduction software. Whether you're shooting your first vampire film or that story about the leather-clad girl who hunts dimensional refugees, this course will take you from script to final product so that you too can enter your own movie into the CCI-IFF. This first class covers the specifics of preproduction on the cheap, including screenwriting, casting, scheduling, location scouting, crewing-up, and getting equipment for nothing. Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril series), Jack Conway (writer/producer, Fear News), Vera Vanguard (producer, The Building of Good and Evil), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), and Sean Rourke (writer, Ballistica).
Aurora-After his wife is kidnapped by a group of slave traders, Emerson Marks, captain of the airship Aurora, must decide what he is willing to sacrifice in order to bring her back. Participating filmmakers include Chris Kellett and Jeremy Kelly-Bakker (Australian co-creators).
Dust of War-In a post-apocalyptic American Frontier, a soldier fends off a brutal warmonger to rescue a girl fated as the savior of humanity. It's like Star Wars but on the prairie. Participating filmmakers include Doug Jones (Hellboy 1 & 2), Gary Graham (Star Trek Enterprise), and Andrew Kightlinger (writer/director).
Project Arbiter-A WWII sci-fi espionage story about a top secret O.S.S. unit. Captain Joseph Colburn is tasked with using a prototype invisibility suit to infiltrate a mysterious villa on the Polish border. Colburn's mission abruptly begins when his plane is shot down. What is in the villa? What is Mixture 9? Participating filmmakers include Michael Chance (writer/director), Vicki de Mey (producer), Jason Beckwith (cinematographer), and Jesse Boots (VFX supervisor).
The End of Dates-Dennis is finally on a date with the girl of his dreams. As he summons the courage for that first kiss, will a catastrophic alien attack on Earth ruin his perfect moment? Participating filmmakers include Kyle Stafford (writer/director), Mike Mangan (FX supervisor), and Dave Child and Brooke Lenzi (co-stars).
Blind Luck-On an afternoon walk with his owner, a seeing-eye dog momentarily shirks his duties and must choose between his owner and his favorite toy. Participating panelist include Diane Aarts (creator).
House of Monsters-A mummy seeks relief with moisturizer, trying to regain the vitality of his youth to impress a special lady. Participating panelist include Dawn Brown (director).
The Art of Pho-A moving and surreal story about a lovable creature named Little Blue and his friends. An extraordinary sequence of events brings Little Blue to Vietnam's bustling capital Ho Chi Minh City, a.k.a. Saigon, where he learns to master the art of making Pho-Vietnam's ubiquitous national noodle dish. The adventures that ensue set him on a marvelous path of self-discovery.
Summer Bummer-A man about to go swimming imagines what horrors could be lurking deep in the waters of his backyard pool. Bill Plympton (director/animator) talks about his film.
Location scouts work with the director and production designer to translate their cinematic visions to reality by traveling the world to seek out where the movies will be made. Six location scouts will discuss the creative and logistical aspects of their jobs, tell some exciting anecdotes, and answer audience questions. Panelists include Becky Brake (Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol), Caleb Duffy (Thor), Scott Allen Logan (Iron Man 2), David Lyons (Community), Rebecca "Puck" Stair (Terminator Salvation), and Scott Trimble (Star Trek Into Darkness).
Padak-A film about the lives of fish in a seafood restaurant-some fish accept their fate, while others fight to change it. Participating filmmakers include Austin Osueke (producer) and Jongmin Shin (producer).
PostHuman-Set in an adrenalized future of espionage, assassins, and out of control superscience, PostHuman follows a genius hacker and his dog as they help an enigmatic young woman free the remaining test subject of a black ops ESP test lab. Participating filmmakers include Cole Drumb (writer/director/producer), Jennifer Wai-Yin Luk (producer/editor), Jesse Norton (animation director), and Tom Price (storyboard artist).
Skeleton Girl-Millicent, a small orphan girl who lives in a land of make-believe, comes upon an abandoned cemetery where she takes a valuable gem from one of the gravestones. That night, during a spectacular thunderstorm, she begins to hear the tapping of bony fingers on her walls. As a skeleton pays a visit to retrieve what is rightfully hers, Millicent soon discovers why it isn't a good idea to steal from the dead. Participating filmmakers include Becky Scott (executive producer), Leo Wieser (producer, co-director, production designer, screenwriter, animator, technical director), and Amanda Rye (puppet wrangler, props, animator, fabricator).
Star-Crossed-When germaphobe Gideon sends out a plea for companionship, the message reaches Scout, sole inhabitant of a distant planet. Chock full of animation, Star-Crossed is Gideon's adventure: an intergalactic battle for love and courage, the bashful object of his affections, and the adorable amoeba standing in his way. Participating filmmakers include Katie Aldworth (director), Adam Ruckersfeldt (production designer), Lauren Brinkman (cinematographer), and John Wikstrom (producer).
Transmission-In a barren postapocalyptic wasteland, a creature and his dog find a radio with a signal that may lead them to the first sign of other life they have encountered in ages. But is the chance to find new life worth leaving the only home they have? Jared D. Weiss (director) talks about his film.
Scrap Metal-In postapocalyptic New York, a lone robot's only companion is an inanimate screw. But something else lurks within the empty streets...can this unusual friendship survive the threat of the terrible monster Gigaplant? Anthony Straus (ParaNorman) talks about his film.
Debris-September 13, 2001. A lone businessman travels home from New York City, haunted by tragedy and carrying with him a single broken diskette. As his journey continues, memories continue to haunt him, until he is forced to confront his darkest fears, and the man whose life he couldn't save. Participating filmmakers include Anne Walker (writer/director/animator), David Zumsteg (composer), Sandra Holland (sound editor), and Katherine Waddell (animator).
Pro Kopf-Martin's call to his wife is picked up by the maid, who is put in a difficult position due to an indiscretion by Martin's wife with another man. Once the truth is out Martin has one thing on his mind-murder. And he's willing to pay.
Bar Talk-In a dusty Texas bar, a peculiar stranger strikes up a conversation with the lonely man sitting next to him. The more this out-of-towner talks, the more apparent it is he's not from 'round here. Heck, he's not even from this planet! Based on the short story by legendary author Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep). Participating filmmakers include Lowell Northrop (director), Ian Gary (actor), and Garret Price (editor).
Pretty Pictures-Sent to her aunt's home to stay, Laney finds solace in a sketchbook in which she brings her companion Marcy to life. A twisted but ultimately heartening tale of adolescent sexuality, with a fantastical bent. Participating filmmakers include Christina Sun Kim (director), Mick Tolbert (actor), and Michelle Lopes (artist).
The Root of the Problem-In the candy-colored world of 1950s suburbia, a reluctant young housewife suspects that the friendly neighborhood dentist is hiding a horrible secret. But is it just the anesthesia at work, or is there something more sinister hiding below the surface? Participating filmmakers include Ryan Spindell (writer/director), T. Justin Ross (associate producer) and Gregory Tripi (composer).
The Ice Fisherman-A troubled veteran discovers a mysterious creature frozen outside his Northern Minnesota fishing cabin. What follows is a thrilling psychological journey that tests the frayed resolve of this wounded warrior and brings him face to face with his deepest fears. Participating filmmakers include Bob Kundrat (writer/director), Dave Underhill (producer/DP), Pang Maggart (producer), and Dave Lang (composer).
Blue Hole-Michael takes his fiancée Amy deep within the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to a cabin where he plans to propose. Upon arriving, they're attacked by a madman who claims that an eerie pond near the cabin called "Blue Hole" can bring back the dead. Inspired by a true story and a real place in New Jersey. Participating filmmakers include Erik Gardner (writer/director/producer), Michael Alberts (producer/editor), Scott Speiser (actor), and Caitlin Rose Williams (actor).
The Plan-Ben's dreams often mix with his surroundings. Years of self-neglect lead him to look back at his past decisions. Unable to fully comprehend why he took a certain path in life, Ben travels through his twisted, often false, memories, unable to let go. Participating filmmakers include Daniel Fallik (director) and Assaf Ohayon (art director).
