Terror on a shoestring

Area-bred filmmaking duo Ty Jones and Aaron Laue spent 2006 hustling to line up investors (they sold 1,000 shares at a hundred bucks a pop for their independent film). Then they shot and acted and stretched every penny in 2007. Now, they’ve done the damn-near impossible: They’ve grabbed their dreams, pinned them down and blown them up into Last Breath, an indie horror flick more big-time moviehouse than Sundance Channel. They even landed award-winning pros such as composer Vincent Gillioz and sound designer Kelley Baker. As much a marvel of economic smarts as film artistry, their achievement might be tough to fathom. Picture turning a 100 Grand bar into a double-chocolate devil’s food cake … of pure terror. At a free seminar at tonight’s Independent Filmmakers Coalition meeting (7:30 p.m. at the Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania, 816-756-3222), Jones and Laue dig into the hows and wherefores and share scenes from Last Breath, stories from the development process and, most important, advice for the aspiring.

Wed., May 14, 7:30 p.m., 2008