Adventurers traverse hand-drawn dungeons, battle skeletons, and meet their grim fates one by one. That's the whole premise of Lightning Scar, and it's also a fair description of a certain kind of Tuesday night around a kitchen table with dice in hand. Director Dangerq Charles and band leader Christian Klepac, both tabletop RPG devotees, built a lo-fi medieval fantasy out of miniature sets, animation, and kooky composites — every element handmade, from foam dungeon gates sculpted in a driveway to roughly fifty pieces of original hand-drawn art.
The result screens at FilmQuest as a short that argues, cheerfully and with some sweat equity, that the visual vocabulary of fantasy is far wider than the genre's prestige default. Charles isn't chasing Game of Thrones on a fraction of the budget. He's chasing silent comedy, Karel Zeman, and anime, and letting the seams show where they're interesting.
Key Takeaways
- Lightning Scar began as a music video for Charles's neighbor's band, Bronco Forte, and grew into a tabletop-RPG-inspired fantasy short.
- Nearly every shot in the film is a VFX shot, built from miniatures, hand-drawn artwork, and composites made entirely in-house.
- The production crammed an enormous shot count into two primary days of filming, including a warehouse "stage" day on one of the hottest weekends of the year.
Charles spoke with us about handmade fantasy, driveway sculpture, and why joy is the point.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
Lightning Scar came about because I had been wanting to make a medieval fantasy film in this style, and my neighbor needed to make a music video for his band. We're both big fans of tabletop RPGs, and we decided to create a story that feels like something from that world.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, creatively or logistically?
I think the most challenging part of Lightning Scar was just cramming the insane number of shots we did into two primary days of filming — with our "stage" day being the hardest. We rented a warehouse downtown because we needed a big space, but it smelled like garbage and had no AC, and of course it was one of the hottest weekends of the year.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
The part of Lightning Scar that feels most like me is definitely the visual style and approach. It's a mash-up of a bunch of things that I love, like silent comedies from the '20s, Karel Zeman's trick films from the '60s, and contemporary anime.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
I think the hardest creative decision was just committing to doing everything ourselves. We sculpted the miniature dungeon gates out of foam in my driveway, our PD Brian created about 50 pieces of original hand-drawn artwork, and I think all but maybe three shots were VFX shots.
How does your film fit within, or push the boundaries of, its genre or form?
I think it's easy to default to wanting fantasy to look "realistic" — people in costumes running around majestic landscapes, that sort of thing. We obviously didn't have the money to make anything that looks like Game of Thrones, but we didn't really want or try to do that. There are so many potential visual approaches to fantasy stories, and I think people are hungry for stuff that looks different.
How has this film shaped or shifted the kinds of stories you want to tell next?
I'd love to make a feature film set in the same stylistic universe as Lightning Scar. I love fantasy, and I want to keep making movies that feel stylistically exciting and defy mainstream expectations of the genre.
What does it mean to have your film selected for FilmQuest, and where do you see the film going next?
We're excited to have Lightning Scar selected at FilmQuest — this is my first year attending, but I've heard nothing but great things about the audiences and filmmakers here. Beyond that, I'd love for Lightning Scar to continue finding audiences online. It's already up on YouTube, and I hope it will be one of those videos with a long life that people discover and send to their gaming groups or nerdy friends.
At the core of all your work is a desire to do what?
At the core of all my work is a desire to experience joy.
Main Cast & Crew
- Danger Charles — Director
- Ellin Aldana — Producer, Cinematographer
- Christian Klepac — Band Leader, Story
- Bronco Forte — Band
Filmmaker Opportunities
💛 Fund your next project with fiscal sponsorship
Have a project in the works? As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Cinematography for Actors Institute can accept tax-deductible donations on your film's behalf — a door-opener for grants, foundations, and supporters who want to back your work. We've serviced over 100 projects to date and helped route over $800,000 in funding to filmmakers. Explore fiscal sponsorship →
📬 Grant deadlines and festival opportunities, straight to your inbox
The CFA newsletter rounds up grants, festival calls, and community news for independent filmmakers — the kind of opportunities that are easy to miss and painful to miss. Join the newsletter →
🎬 Focus on the creative — we'll help with the logistics
Production Management, CFA's newest member program, launches this November: production insurance and workers' comp, payroll, film permits, gear rental coordination, SAG-AFTRA compliance, contract drafting, production consulting, and crew recommendations — handled by a team of working filmmakers, à la carte or all in, in partnership with Creative Access Group. It's waitlist-only until launch. Join the waitlist →
League of Filmmakers is published by our parent organization, the Cinematography for Actors Institute — a 501(c)(3) dedicated to education, community, and capital for underrepresented filmmakers and actors. Learn more about CFA →
