15-year-old director sparks reading

Griffin Loch hosts table read for his next feature film, which is set for 2020 release

Surrounded by his cast and crew, Griffin Loch’s script for his next feature film was ready for a read-through at his home on Saturday.

Loch was excited to see everyone come together for the first time for the film “A Spark in Nothing,” which Loch will direct.

“‘A Spark in Nothing,’ essentially boiled down, is about a guardian angel in search of redemption after he neglected his child James at a very young age,” he said. “So, when James grows up, he sees he has the chance to redeem himself when he sees that James has one choice of finding true love or being this amazing, violent soloist.”

James’ life becomes split into two realities, but he must coalesce his wishes before time — the film’s real antagonist — cuts his stay on Earth short, hence the film’s title.

With a budget of $15,000, which is coming out of his college fund, the 15-year-old director said he could have worked on the project at a film school, but he thought, “Why not start the education early (and) jump on it?”

Loch began to direct short films in 2008. His first film, “Calling the Shots,” was done as part of his schoolwork as a student at SCVi’s Innovation Studios. This March, Loch’s second film was screened at The MAIN in Newhall. The final screening of “The Adventure of TP Man and Flusher” was presented to a nearly full theater.

“Filmmaking has been something I wanted to do from the moment I can remember,” he said. “I’m not in this to strive to buy the expensive house or make all the money. I have — for some reason — this burning passion inside me just to tell and present stories in the film and cinema media. It’s just that fire inside me that just keeps burning, that’s just constantly thriving to tell new stories and share new experiences. That’s really the thing that keeps pushing me.”

“A Spark in Nothing” is set for a 2020 release.

To learn more about the film and the cast, or to watch the trailer, go to griffinloch.com/ movies/a-spark-in-nothingmovie/.

Ryan Mancini/The Signal Actor Benjamin Snow, third from left, introduces himself before taking part in a script-read of “A Spark in Nothing” at director Griffin Loch’s house.