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 Overwatch fan film or that story about the leather-clad girl who hunts cyborgs, 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, scheduling, location scouting, crewing-up, and getting equipment for nothing. Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril series), Jack Conway (producer, Machinima ETC), Vera Vanguard (producer, The Building of Good and Evil), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), and Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica).
When an earthquake destroys the West Coast, a cowgirl named Burke roams the lawless Malibu hills looking for a friend and her own redemption; what she finds instead is bloody vengeance. Participating panelists include Christine Boylan (Constantine, Once Upon a Time), Alan Smyth (Poor Behavior, Leverage), and Johnny Sneed (Trumbo, Love and Mercy).
When Jackie and Michelle agree to accompany their buddy to a haunted house attraction, they grow concerned when they are required to sign a waiver that allows the performers to touch them but prevents them from touching back. Inside, they discover the performers are far more invasive than they should be, and once they cross the line these ass-kickers remind them how ladies should be treated! Participating panelists include Zoë Bell (The Hateful Eight), Heidi Moneymaker (Captain America: Civil War), and Will Corona Pilgrim and Adam Davis (writer/directors).
A middle-aged contract killer must reconcile her life between her ruthless clients and her young, unquestioning son who wants to be just like her. It's kill or be killed when her clients come after her. Participating panelists include Toy Lei (director/writer/actor), Linda Wong (producer/actor), and Edmund Kwan (director of photography).
Danger! Action! Kung Fu! The hunt for the Golden Apple is on, and whoever finds it first will attain the power to control all Kung Fu. A heroic hero, a villainous villain, killing killers, and the fate of the realm hanging in the balance. Q&A after with Josh Blake and Cristian Rojas (co-creators) and Dennis Wallon (cinematographer).
Omer is providing for his mother and sister by taking part as a fighter in an underground club. While becoming a prominent fighter, he finds out that everything comes at a cost. Participating panelists include AmitRuderman (creator/lead actor), Chen Sharon (screenwriter), and Maayan Gutterman (film editor).
The stuntmen and women from your favorite TV shows and movies discuss and answer your questions about the stunt industry. Featuring Jessie Graff (Supergirl, American Ninja Warrior), Esteban Cueto (Iron Man 2, Jungle Book), Tiger Rudge (Star Wars Episode 8), Patrick Stenberg (Jurassic World), and Brian Danner (Sword Fights Inc). Moderated by Eric Cajiuat (The Hit Girl).
Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, this film is set in a future where Earth and Mars are on the brink of war. As the last flight to leave for Earth is about to depart, Martian officers board in search of three saboteurs, and a story of heroism and deception unfolds. Starring Yuri Lowenthal (Dark Knight Returns) and Tara Platt (Naruto, Final Fantasy). Participating panelists include Shahab Zargari (director, Susannah's Lesson), Heela Naqshband (executive producer),andShahram Zargari (screenwriter, Maul Dogs).
In a world where magic reigns, one tyrant is the undisputed ruler. But when magic opens a portal to our world, it's up to a pizza delivery woman to make the most important delivery of her life. Participating panelists include Kyle Roberts (director/producer), Kate Le (lead actress), and Sean Thiessen (writer).
A World War I soldier accidentally time travels to present-day Los Angeles. Filthy, penniless, with no way to prove his identity, he struggles to find way back to his wife in 1918. Participating panelists include Annie K. McVey (director/actor), Guy Birtwhistle (actor/writer/producer), and Amy Motta (Grey's Anatomy, Mad Men).
Chris Ray (managing partner of DeInstitutionalized Films), Gerald Webb (managing partner of DeInstitutionalized Films), and special guest James Cullen Bressack (writer/director/producer) share their collective wisdom on how to independently produce your indie project with a low budget.
Undead dark riders invade a wild west saloon, blasting away everyone in sight. Now only a bad-ass Native American warrior can save the town. A steampunk, supernatural, wild west, epic action-thriller with killer special effects! Participating panelists include Michael Dahlquist (director, Thresher), Jan-Michael Losada (cinematographer, Grrl Scouts), and Trip Hope (producer, The League of S.T.E.A.M.).
In the palm of his hand, a middle-schooler named Bob has the ability to generate limitless amounts of energy. The only problem is that he cannot control his power. After a tragic accident at school, he must evade the cops while learning to accept his ability. Participating panelists include Philip Bastian (The Seized) and Fangso Liu (Limbo).
After a magic trick gone wrong, Lola’s life is turned upside down -- she finds herself in the Otherworld, where she must discover magic and defy danger. Participating panelist include Lydia Dullinger (director/co-writer), Rachel Leigh Shirley (director of photography/co-writer), Aileen Carpenter (producer), and Nicola Newton (production designer).
A short, visceral film centered on a postapocalyptic underground society where miners work for light to survive. But when a dying rebel thrusts the unexpected onto an unassuming worker’s lap, all hell breaks loose. What begins as one man’s race to escape the hostile government quickly escalates into a citywide uprising of the people. Participating panelists include Teddy Cecil (writer/director), Carlos David Rivera (editor), Brad Phillips (VFX artist), and Barrett James (lead actor).
Stuart and Kaylie are enjoying their third date until Stuart reveals a secret that threatens to derail their budding romance. Is he telling the truth, or is it science fiction? Participating panelists include Ben Rock (director), Emily Bell (actor/producer), and Ron Morehouse (actor/producer).
A kind, old maintenance man is in love with the furnace that powers the factory he works at because he thinks it’s his deceased wife. He has to save it from the new owner who wants to replace the furnace and everything else that reminds him of the previous owner, his dead father. Participating panelists include Joe Taranto (director), Amanda Steinhoff (co-writer), and Erik Passoja (actor).
An 11-year-old gypsy girl journeys to the enigmatic mountain summit, assured that an ancient legend can resurrect her beloved mom. Participating panelist include Vlad Aksenov (director), Elena Aksenova (producer), and Stephanie Cood (lead actress).
Winona struggles to parent her daughter, Amber Lynn, who keeps disappearing to rule a magical land. But when a dangerous creature follows Amber Lynn home, Winona must confront the reality of who her daughter has become and the danger she brings with her. Participating panelists include the film’s stars Stacey Moseley (Swan’s Crossing, Bones), makeup artist Crista Llewellyn (Fight of the Living Dead) and writer/director Reed Shusterman.
In Genghis Khan's last days, an encounter with a wizard sends him to the moon. Just as the medieval antihero thinks he's made his greatest conquest, he finds himself on a spiritual quest, realizing the absurd clash between one man's need and the silence of the universe. Participating panelists include Kerry Yang (director), Steve Emmons (writer), and Emily Forman (producer).
In this epic Western adventure, werewolf hunter Jasper Mooney tells tales of his lifelong hunt for a legendary white werewolf -- a creature that has eluded the expert hunter for the last time. Participating panelists include Andrew Fogel (director/co-writer), Duane Matthews (actor/co-writer), and Trip Hope (executive producer).
In the future, a lonely farmer takes up working the fields that once belonged to his father. Seeking improvements, he installs huge robotic all-in-one machines that automatically tend the land. Occupied with improving, the farmer overworks the fields. He finds himself in front of a doorway to the past, which makes him realize his errors and reminds him of the old and simpler farming ways of his father.
Day 2 of this four-day course on micro-budget moviemaking focuses on the specifics of production, from shooting techniques, to lighting on the cheap, to crew positions you need (and don't need), to costuming, props, and set decorating for as little money as possible. Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril series), Vera Vanguard (producer, The Building of Good and Evil), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), Jack Conway (producer, Machinima ETC), and Sean Rourke (writer, Ballistica.)
There are thousands of cartoonists and comic artists in the Seattle area. This film tells the tale of a few. It chronicles both the past and present, featuring artwork, interviews, and festivals. Panelists include Louise Amandes (co-director), Ron Austin (co-director), and Frank M. Young (writer/colorist, Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song).
Kelly Stuyvesant (editor, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Lauren Haroutunian (cinematographer, RocketJump: The Show), Layne McGovern (costumer, Girl Meets World), and Melissa Ellis (re-recording mixer, Star vs. Forces of Evil) discuss breaking into the traditionally male-dominated fields of production. Following Q&A session moderated by entertainment publicist Brittany Sandler.
An in-depth look at Claremont’s monumental run on the beloved series. Using high-profile interviews, the film explores the behind-the-scenes development of notable characters like Wolverine, Storm, and Phoenix, as well as the challenges of creating art within a corporate system. Panelists include Jordan Rennert (producer/cinematographer, She Makes Comics) and others.
Animator. Storyman. Troublemaker. Take an intimate journey through the life and career of the “Forrest Gump” of the animation industry: Floyd Norman. See how this Disney Legend, at 80 years old, the first African American artist at Disney, continues to influence animation and stir up his own brand of “trouble.” Panelists include Disney Legend Floyd Norman (story artist, Disney's animated The Jungle Book) and filmmakers Michael Fiore (producer, Sony Screen Gems' Keep Watching) and Erik Sharkey (director, Drew: The Man Behind The Poster).
Mobile filmmaking is becoming the next big thing! You have heard of movies that used smartphone cameras to shoot, but you may still not be convinced that you can make a movie yourself using a smartphone from your own back pocket! Smartphone cameras now have the capability of shooting 4K -- which makes mobile filmmaking a possibility to be taken seriously. The founder of The International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego Susan Botello (S. Botello Productions) and San Diego mobile filmmakers Luis Juarez (IndieFone) and Rick Naravaez will share the ins and outs of what you need to get started as a mobile filmmaker. Do you need an app? Can you use microphones? How do you stabilize your videos for a smoother more professional look? Do you need a million dollars? Panelist will answer your questions and present some cool filmmaking tools and accessories. Get inspired to make movies, documentaries, promos, music videos, and just about any films using your smartphone as a camera! Learn to edit on the phone (or computer) and share your films with the world. Bring your smartphones and share the world of mobile filmmaking! With moderator Machelle Noel (Supergirl Unburdened, GeekRockTV).
UCLA Extension instructors Dallas King (director and genre-filmmaker, U.Z.L.A.), Peter Gend (VFX producer, The Simpsons Movie), Quinton Peeples (feature film and television writer/producer, Netflix/Marvel’s Iron Fist, Hulu’s 11-22-63), Brooks Wachtel (animation series writer, X-Men, Spider-Man), Robert Bryant (video game producer & author, Slay the Dragon: Writing Great Video Games), and moderator Kim Adelman (indie filmmaker, Just Friends) discuss how they transitioned from a practical day job to a professional career in the creative fields of writing, filmmaking, and gaming. Explore best practices for making the transition to your own dream job and get answers to your questions during a Q&A.
Dangerous. Sexy. All-American girl. The pin up in all her complications, told by the women who live and breathe vintage style. Participating panelists include Kathleen M. Ryan (director, Homefront Heroines), Mitzi Valenzuela (Mitzi&Co photographer), and Kalia Motley (Bang Bang Von Loola).
André Montpetit, also known as "Arthur," passed through Québec’s artistic scene like a shooting star. This extraordinary comic artist and his overactive imagination became widely known in the poster and comic strip world at the end of the 1960s, before disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. If the "Arthur" myth lives on today, the mystery surrounding André Montpetit is complete. Is he still alive? Does he still draw? What is left of his marginal and rebellious life? Via a mosaic of never-before-seen works of art, original animated sequences, and firsthand testimonials, director Saël Lacroix lifts the curtain on one of the era’s emblematic figureheads whom history has long forgotten.
In a dangerous abandoned city, a mother has been bitten by a zombie. Locked in a house with a violent survivor, she must find a way to get her child to safety before her deteriorating mind and body turn her into a monster. Participating panelists include Adam Bolt (director), Matt Miller (producer), and Kelly Thewlis (production coordinator).
A young lady is about to hang her new antique mirror on the wall when someone mysteriously leaves a box on her doorstep. As she gets ready to open it, knocks start to spread around in her apartment. Who is it? Or should we say what is it? Join panelist Maxence Rapp (director).
The film takes place in a parallel, but not so distant universe, in which its citizens are willing to do anything for a job. More specifically, a new pattern of job interviews has been established, during which the finalists answer questions about the position they want; whoever answers wrong plays a peculiar type of Russian roulette.
Day 3 of our course on microbudget moviemaking deals with how to direct actors, organize a crew, and keep them all happy without anybody making a dime. Panelists for the class include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril series), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), Jack Conway (actor, Nazis at the Center of the Earth), Sean Rourke (writer, Ballistica), and actors Megan Rees, Kelsey Walmer, and Bradley Upton.
In this animated short for kids, neighborhood superhero the Bug Zapper is headed for a trap when his birthday invitation is stolen. Meanwhile, Robert's birthday party is infiltrated by the villainous Bumblebeezy, who has never attended a birthday party before. Join panelist Tom Eaton (creator, Bug Zapper comics).
The Subordi-bot is the latest in domestic technology. He’ll cook, he’ll clean, he’ll obey your every command. But what’s this? One has escaped the factory and seems to have a mind of its own! That is, until he collides with a stubborn, spunky little girl and her dead dog. Participating panelists include Dylan Chase (director) and Octevia Robertson (producer).
Christopher Lloyd stars as Dr. Gaulstone, the patriarch of a dysfunctional monster family that includes werewolves, mummies, zombies, and vampires. Frank finds true love when zombies attack the village. Zombie Girl's inevitable decay puts a hitch in their budding romance. Participating panelists include director Dawn Brown (concept artist, Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and producer Warren Manser (concept artist, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice).
Set in a fantasy world above the clouds, follow a pivotal moment in the lives of two lovers as they face a great challenge. Watch as Miko and Tenku fight to survive an attack on their new airship and take the necessary measures to help each other. This action-packed animated short ties together various fantasy/science fiction elements. Directed and animated by Denver Jackson, with Emily Piggford (voice actor) and Marc Junker (composer).
A story about two monsters, Loopi and Gugo, and the only thing they have in common: their love for ice cream. Loopi, a frenetic and very intelligent little blue monster, does everything she can to steal the ice cream from the big and stubborn Gugo.
A father possum reads his kids a story that’s an alphabet of the most dangerous animal of all -- humans! Inspired by the Edward Gorey classic, this black-comedy for kids and parents alike is a hilarious and brutal alphabet of death and mayhem exacted upon animals by ignorant humans. Thirty CGI animals were meticulously crafted and killed by a team of 44 students at Media Design School.
This animated short details the life and times of a neglected traffic signal. Featuring the voice of comedian Patton Oswalt. Panelist will be animator Bill Plympton (Cheatin', Idiots and Angels).
Learn from the makers of the indie monster comedy Terrordactyl as they walk you through the process of how they made -- and sold -- a film with huge battles and monster visual effects way beyond their budgetary constraints. Jason Tobias (star), Don Bitters (co-director/writer/VFX supervisor), Geoff Reisner (co-director/DP/editor), Eric Edmonds (producer), and Christopher Jennings (star/executive producer) will give you tips on how to create a microbudgeted film that will sell -- from preproduction, through a streamlined production and post pipeline, to attracting a distributor and marketing to audiences. Moderated by Fast Company'sSusan Karlin.
A strong-willed teen living in the Middle East is the last in a bloodline of mystically powered women who has been forced to hide her abilities from a world that persecuted her ancestors. When keeping her secret means putting others in danger, Rahma must risk everything to do what she believes is right. Participating panelists include Rakan Sindi (director), Kali Baker-Johnson (writer), and Naomi Rivas (producer).
When a masked gang known as the New World Knights gather illegal weapons for an attack on New York City, it’s up to a mystical warrior known as a Mantamaji to stop them. His powers are untested and he's outgunned -- can he survive this first big challenge? Based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel series Legend of the Mantamaji. Panelists include Eric Dean Seaton (creator/writer/director), Chris Philips (producer, Bella and the Bulldogs), and Nicole Seaton (2nd AD, The Great Indoors).
Fate found Jewish American war veteran Arty Green and threw him head first into the cogs of the American comics industry. Success found some; most were not so lucky. Life, death, and comic books. Panelists include Nathan Boone (writer/director) and John Hatcher (producer).
A group of schoolchildren fantasize about being superheroes to help deal with a playground bully. Participating panelists include Timothy Vandenberg (director, Agatha, 4th and Long) David Kreutzer (director), and John Marchioni (producer, Pieces of Talent).
In this exploration into the nature of reality and perception, a young nurse finds herself caring for a famous comic book writer with dementia. She struggles to find a way to help him escape the terror and loneliness of a world that only he can see. Participating panelists include Tim Larson (director, Before the Border), Anna Rose Moore (lead actress, Land of Fire), and Jeffrey Peters (cinematographer, Dead Season).
Sarah, a nerdy teenager, steals her mom's new car to go on a date with Danny, the boy she is in love with. Little does she know that the vehicle hides a secret that will change their lives forever . . . Participating panelists include actress Karen Strassman (Weeds) and editor Vicente Perez (Weapons of Mass Adiction).
Two officeworkers believe their colleague is the legendary hero “Superior Man.” But how far will they have to go to prove it? Participating panelists include Jake Martin(assistant to director, Guardians of the Galaxy 2), Matthew Benson Walsh (writer, Birthday Boy) and Colleen Klinefelter (writers’ assistant, Workaholics).
Awkward and hideous, Charles Geester wants one thing on the last day of school: a smile from the girl of his dreams. High school, timing, and of course his face complicate his pursuit for the exterior into a journey of the heart as well. Participating panelists include Alysia Anderson (writer/director), Ricky Anderson II (executive producer), and Courtney Brock (co-producer).
Three estranged brothers play detectives in a live-action role-playing mystery game set up by an overzealous gamemaster in the Alaskan wilderness. Participating panelists include Justin Edwards (director/writer/producer), Adam McCabe (lead actor) and Leslie Andrew Ridings (executive producer/cinematographer).
After his beloved sandwich goes missing, a grizzled detective must solve the toughest case of his career. The film is a neo-noir dark comedy inspired by the elements of the classic film noir. Participating panelists include Roy Arwas (director), Tony Delgadillo (cinematographer), and Alfonso Cano (audio director).
Leading up to their big bank robbery, four aspiring criminals discover that they have wildly conflicting, ludicrous opinions on how it should go down. Participating panelists include writer/director Struan Sutherland (Gnaw) and producer André Pettigrew (Some Things Won't Sleep).
A wacky comedic short about the rough yet important relationship between a woman and her personified period. Participating panelists include Kristine Gerolaga (writer/director/actor), Rivka Roffino (Big Red the period), and Shaun Morris (director of photography).
Jenn lives in an underground bunker with her family, protected from the monsters that now ravage the world. This is the day that she goes outside . . . Participating panelists include Caitlin Carmichael (actress, Chosen), Steve Desmond (writer/director), and Aaron Billet (producer).
When a pandemic threatens to turn her father into a violent monster, 18-year-old Max must lead her family through a perilous wilderness in search of a cure. Participating panelists include Merlin Camozzi (writer/director), Tim Lewis (producer), and Hannah Telle (lead actor, Life Is Strange).
Normand is led by horrific visions to a remote cabin where he hopes to prevent his nightmares from becoming a reality. The film is a point-of-view thriller inspired by the grim world of H. P. Lovecraft. Participating panelists include Alexander Crews (director), Chris Barkman (writer), and Guy Iorio (producer).
Marcus, a traveling salesman, checks into a motel for an evening of quiet relaxation only to discover that the voice on his room’s FM radio has other plans . . . sinister plans! Participating panelists include Alex Italics (director of three They Might Be Giants music videos), Brody Anderson (Sheltered Love), and Sean Randolph (actor).
Sarah is traumatized by visions of her husband Drew being taken by aliens. These visions, these dreams, have her living in a world of confusion and self-doubt. They struggle together in trying to figure out what is happening to her. Drew is convinced she is going crazy, but Sarah knows there is something more, something sinister. Together they will confront one the most terrifying experiences a human being can face. Will it destroy them? Or bring them closer together? Participating panelists include Ben Gilbert (director), Premstar Santana (actor/producer), Judith Foster Thompson (executive producer), Matthew Renoir (producer), and John Bennett (sound editor/composer/producer).
A young couple plan and produce a clean-living documentary. Set up all over their house, their cameras capture a parallel version of themselves from another dimension. Their doubles soon begin threatening the unsuspecting couple, who must find a way to close the dimensional portal. Participating panelists include director Russ Emanuel (The Legends of Nethiah), producer Howard Nash (Tiger), writer Julia Camara (Area Q.), lead actress Briana White (Summer in the Water), and Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager).
The final day of our comprehensive course on microbudget moviemaking revolves around what to do after your movie is shot. Panelists will go over the basics of postproduction on your home computer, as well as what software to use for editing, graphic design, sound design, visualFX, and finally, how to optimize your movie for uploading to the internet. Panelists for the class include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril series), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), Jack Conway (producer, Machinima ETC), and Sean Rourke (writer, Ballistica).
The films have been shown, now it’s time to award the recipients of the 2016 Comic-Con Independent Film Festival with their trophies and recognition! Comic-Con’s AdamNeese talks to this year’s trio of judges, filmmaker Eric Jacobus (writer/director/star of last year’s CCI: IFF Judges’ Choice award for Rope a Dope 2), filmmaker Nick Murphy (Spoon Pictures), and editor-in-chief of Rotten Tomatoes Matt Atchity (Sleepy Hallow, Bedazzled, MADtv) about the films and presents prizes and trophies to the winners.
