DARK COMEDY. Tommy Ledson is the name, and baseball-bat-vengeance is the game. For protagonist, Tommy, the rain isn’t the only thing that ruins his day. After witnessing the alleged rape of his girlfriend, he is plunged into an uncharted world of contempt and revenge. How to Read Lightning reveals Tommy’s gritty story of his absurdist discovery of meaning in a lightning storm as he, alongside his friend Sonny, plot to wreak vengeance on his girlfriend’s predator with a couple of baseball bats.
How to Read Lightning will be screened in short film festivals including SXSW, Los Angeles, and Sundance. This is a UC Santa Barbara student production written and directed by Shane Spalione, filmed by Tony Ung & Aaron LaRue, and produced by Kyle Thompson, Matt Nish, and Niko Doerschel. Other key crew members include Dana Hill (Production Manager), Dean Tambling (2nd Assistant Director), Tommy Souza (2nd Assistant Camera), Derek Boeckelman (Script Supervisor), Sahar Vahedi (Gaffer), Mark Williams (Sound Mixer), Jon Reed (Boom Operator), Lauren Bailey (Art Director), Roslyn Hernandez (Wardrobe), Jackie Lee (Make-up), Genevieve Sawicz (Art dept.), and Annie Hall (Art dept.).
Any contributions to our short film will be greatly appreciated.