Documentary - The Next California Earthquake

About this project

The Next California Earthquake is a feature-length documentary film about "the big one". You know, that massive earthquake that has been talked about for decade after decade but hasn't happened?

This film is focused on what the top scientists have to say about the risk of "the big one", and how people can prepare for when and after it happens. They say that a major earthquake is certain within our lifetime. How do they know? Could they be wrong?

A computer model shows the extent of Southern California's last "big one"

Who's In It?

The film features the expertise of Dr. Lucy Jones (California's "Earthquake Lady")

Also in the documentary are Dr. Kate Hutton (Head of Caltech's Seismology Lab and California's other "Earthquake Lady"), Dr. Thomas Jordan (head of the Southern California Earthquake Center), and Dr. Debi Kilb (Seismologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography).

What Has Changed?

As you may be aware, there is a big budget disaster movie in the works called "San Andreas" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It's due out on May 29th, 2015.

One of our primary interview subjects, Dr. Thomas Jordan, was the science consultant for that movie, but it turns out that the makers of the film decided to ignore his advice in favor of special effects. Well, that's Hollywood. No surprise there.

But we want to make sure that people can learn the truth about "the big one" before it hits theaters in a typically exaggerated fashion (and before it happens).

Drone footage over the Salton Sea, where the San Andreas Fault ends

Fires burning in San Francisco after their last "big one", measuring 7.8

Final Stretch Goals

Every penny (minus Kickstarter's fees) will go straight to the "The Next California Earthquake" film budget. Documentary production costs add up quickly, and private funding can only take us so far.

Your money goes directly to:

Web distribution
Netflix distribution
iTunes distribution
DVD distribution
Transferring the footage to solid-state drives, greatly speeding up the finishing process

In the midst of editing "The Next California Earthquake"

Clearing rights to music
Clearing rights to archive footage
Submitting the film to festivals
Fulfilling the rewards in this campaign

The money raised will enable us to get the film where it belongs, in front of your eyes before Hollywood and big budget San Andreas do for California office workers what Jaws did for beachgoers.

If you're unable to donate to the project, please help us by spreading the word about it. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more:

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Risks and challenges

Most filmmakers ask for money at the very beginning, before the project has started. Doing it after filming and after most of the editing is done is a much fairer process.

That way, our supporters can contribute in confidence, knowing that we've already done the majority of the work. The Next California Earthquake is 90% complete. Thousands of miles traveled back and forth from one side of the state to another, 30+ hours of footage have been whittled down to 1 and a half. Now, we just need your help to bring it across the finish line and get it out there.

Should the Kickstarter not be funded, we still plan to release the film, but it will take significantly longer and we wouldn't be able to guarantee the same quality we intended for it.

We are dedicated to making the best end product that can be made, and it's imperative that we stay on top of rising post-production costs.

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