Cann-Abyss
The story follows Juan, a pot farmer who unknowingly plants one of his crops in a human compost burial site - the resting place of young girls from a nature camp who died tragically.
A Short Horror Film
“Cann-Abyss” was chosen as an Award Winner for the West Coast Film Awards! The screenplay excelled in its category!”– West Coast Film Awards
BACKSTORY
My Dad was a Hollywood stuntman – doubled John Wayne in many Westerns and even played Jason in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. When I was only seven, I got to play a Native American Indian boy on the Daniel Boone TV show.
As you can imagine, I was bitten pretty hard by the movie bug. But as I got older, I excitedly shared all my screenwriting, acting, and filmmaking projects with my dad, where I was soundly rebuffed. We’re all hard-wired to our parents in some way, and my whole life, I kept burning my hand on that stove. I was up against a wall that was as big as his ego. It was like being shown how to fly only to have your wings clipped. After his passing several years ago and surviving 2 major cancer surgeries myself, I am finally finding my wings again. Better late than never, as they say.
WHY I’M DIRECTING
I’ve spent years working as a storyboard artist and senior illustrator with the Art Directors Guild, helping shape action and story for projects like Percy Jackson (Disney+), The Old Man (FX), The Orville, and Lucky (Apple+). On Percy Jackson, my shooting boards were even used by ILM for previz work, which was an incredible full-circle moment. Earlier on, I worked as a DP on test footage for Spider-Man 2, developing Doc Ock’s tentacles alongside Sam Raimi and John Dykstra. That experience alone felt like going to the best film school you could ask for.
Over the years, I’ve written, shot, edited, and lived every side of the process — including penning a multi-award-winning feature horror screenplay, CornStalkers – a story built with franchise potential in mind. Directing a feature has been a lifelong goal of mine, and “Cann-Abyss” is the step that gets me there. CornStalkers is waiting in the wings – and this is how I earn the shot to bring it to life.
“CANN-ABYSS”
It’s a supernatural short horror story about reckoning, consequences, and things that won’t stay buried — set in the forests of Oregon during a time when even growing a single weed plant could land you in prison. The story follows Juan, a pot farmer who unknowingly plants one of his crops in a human compost burial site — the resting place of young girls from a nature camp who died tragically.
What grows there… doesn’t stay buried. And the idea isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds — even in death, the elements in our bodies don’t disappear… they return to the earth, and they grow. So if something about this story connects with you — the film, the journey, or just the idea of finally going for it – we hope you’ll help us bring it to life. Because maybe… we planted a seed today. And with your help, it grows.
Billy Dunston, as “Juan,” is a local SAG performer who has built a diverse resume across film, television, commercials, and print. He also served 13 years, completing five combat deployments across Iraq and Afghanistan, and we thank him for his service.
Dan Kyle, as “Ranger Davis,” is an actor, armorer, and creature performer with over 15 years of experience in film, TV, and theatre. Credits include ‘Grimm’, ‘Leverage’, ‘Z Nation’, ‘Jason Rising: A Friday the 13th Fan Film’, ‘The Abandon’, and Motives.
Faye Merridan, as “Tanya,” is a Portland-based actor with a lifelong passion for the performing arts. A graduate of Western Oregon University with a degree in Theater Arts, she spent her time after graduation delving into costume design but felt drawn back to acting. Faye is a new face in Portland’s film scene and is excited for the opportunities ahead.
Sam Kinch, as “Eugene,” is a Portland-based actor, a reader, film fan, musician, artist, writer, and lover of all things comic book. Sam lives life with curiosity and whimsy.
Carson Wright is our director of photography. He’s a Portland-based cinematographer with roots in rural Oregon. Over the past decade, he has shot everything from indie features to commercial work for brands and nonprofits.
Trysta Kelley, our special horror make-up effects guru, comes well recommended to the production. Her expertise in the area of all things undead, proceed her. And her coven of undead girls are guaranteed to dispense their own unique brand of horror.
Cann-Abyss music will be composed by Bryan Brunt (aka Bryvox). Bryan is a Portland-based music producer, songwriter, audio engineer, mixer, and sound designer, originally from the Bay Area. His work has been featured on shows and campaigns for MTV, The CW, and Forever 21.
Howie Askins is our editor and sound designer, and we are damn lucky to have him. He is also a Hollywood veteran film director. Howie’s cult feature, the cinema vérité experience, “Evidence“, is revered by horror critics. This terrifying indie screened at Cannes and has built its reputation through excitedly positive reviews.
2020 - THE PANDEMIC
I’m sure it was like that famous blackout in New York that was followed by a baby boom. The pandemic hit and Covid was running rampant. Many made babies or sourdough bread, but I made a feature screenplay. Not my first rodeo but my first serious go. No cutting corners, this had to be my very best work. After many drafts and a lot of notes from several talented friends, I emerged with the goods: CornStalkers. An original horror feature screenplay with a great story and characters I cared about. I was at the end of a very long road and now I just wanted to make my movie. But was my mission really accomplished? As much as I wanted it to be, it wasn’t. Because by the time I finished it, I had storyboarded the damn thing so many times in my head, it seemed pointless to let anybody else direct it. Afterall I am a professional storyboard artist – that’s not such a stretch, right?
Wrong. I had the daunting task of not only convincing an investor to jump on board for millions, but I also had to show them my directing chops. I was back at the beginning again. Write a short and direct it.
WRITE ON
Someone said, “Don’t look at the entire road ahead of you – just focus on the next six feet. This was good advice for me. Because I had a lot more road to travel to get to my dream destination of directing CornStalkers.
So, join our team of talented filmmakers, actors and artisans. Support the dream. It takes a village to accomplish something this special and with your help we can all together champion this short film to fruition. CornStalkers is waiting in the wings!
2026 BEGINNINGS
At the beginning of the year, I realized I had nothing to show. Yes, I had built a fancy deck for my feature film and directed and edited a cool trailer for it. I even illustrated two one-sheet posters and made an investor explainer video. I was on fire – I thought. You could say I was poised to sell this thing – but then it hit me, I had nothing to show but my storyboards if I wanted to direct it. If I were to sell CornStalkers, I needed a short horror film I could point to and say, “There, I directed that.” So, I needed an idea. An original idea, not a rehash. Something worth spending ten thousand bucks on. So, I set my brain to task. During the pandemic, I learned how to program my brain. While going through the writing process on CornStalkers, while crafting the plot and story, I couldn’t shut my brain off sometimes at night. I mean, I’d be asleep, but my brain kept going somehow – because I’d wake up in the morning and there would be the solution to my problem – like Amazon was hand-delivering it to my doorstep! I almost felt guilty using it in the screenplay. Some “higher mind” shit was going on. So I kept using it. Since then, I’ve heard other writers talk about this, too. It’s just cool and scary-amazing. So, as I said, I set my brain to task. All I had was from a true story of a pot farmer who I met back in the 80’s, who used to space out all his weed plants all over the forest a quarter mile apart and remember where each one was – all to avoid getting busted. That was interesting to me. So, before bed, I relaxed and asked my mind for an idea. In this meditation, I’d plant a seed to channel my favorite writers. The great Richard Matheson. (I used to do his book covers and got to meet and hang with him) Also, his talented son and close friend, Richard Christian Matheson. And finally, William Goldman.
T-ZONED
In the morning, I woke up with a specific Twilight Zone episode on my mind – you may remember the one about the old bedridden lady who got mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night. I looked it up. “Night Call”, by Richard Matheson! Holy crap! The reveal was a storm that downed a phone line in a graveyard, and it was the grave of her deceased husband! Amazon had delivered, and my story was coming to life! It was something about a pot farmer and the dead coming back to life. Lol! The next night, I repeated the same meditation. When I woke up, I grabbed my phone and, unconsciously, started doomscrolling. I immediately came across a Martha Stewart commercial for human composting. I shut my phone off and leaned back, and my brain just crackled. “A pot farmer who unknowingly plants one of his crops in a human compost burial site,” I thought. But what happens?
I wanted a horror genre piece. Tormented souls or something? I lived in Carpinteria in 2018, just down the road from Montecito, California. It was a massive storm and mudslide that took over twenty lives. It happened after a serious fire. These horrific mudslides in Montecito, California, killed 23 people sleeping on the hillside that night.
Such horror, one can’t even imagine, but I can. I talked to an eyewitness, and the details are etched forever in my mind. I borrowed this idea and switched it up a bit: A pot farmer who unknowingly plants one of his crops in a human compost burial site – the resting place of young girls from a nature camp who died tragically in a mudslide. It poured out of me. You can read it below. I’m directing this in July, and I’d love it if you could come on this ride with me. I just wanted to share the story of where it came from and the mystery of inspiration.
Look for the crowdfunding campaign soon! Please support my lifelong dream to get my feature film off the ground!
Mythology & Scientific Framework
