Warm Springs

It's summer in the suburban jungle of Warm Springs, CA. Naive and impressionable, six year old Ryan wants nothing more than to be accepted by his older brother, Van, and his two friends Kevin and Richie; to Ryan, Van and his friends are gods. In reality, the three boys aren’t much brighter than Ryan, searching for trouble just to pass the time in the blistering summer. When Van, Kevin, and Richie steal some fireworks and sneak off one day to go set them off, Ryan forces them to bring him along — and their recklessness combined with Ryan’s overeagerness to grow up places Ryan in harm’s way.

  • Sean Wang
    Director
  • Sean Wang
    Writer
  • Nick De Bellis
    Producer
  • Sean Wang
    Producer
  • Jon Jon Wong
    Producer
  • Fahad Manzur
    Producer
  • Bradley Bundlie
    Key Cast
  • John E. Cusack
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Donovan
    Key Cast
  • Carl Ryan Wendling
    Key Cast
  • Sam Davis
    Cinematographer
  • Rayka Zehtabchi
    1st Assistant Director
  • Tim Deters
    Production Coordinator
  • Rayka Zehtabchi
    Production Designer
  • Sean Wang
    Editor
  • Jenna Neish
    Sound Designer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Coming of Age
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 25, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital Arri Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Sean Wang

Sean Wang is a recent graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. A Fremont — the larger town in which Warm Springs is located — native, Sean spent his youth hanging out with his friends and making short films. When he is not making films, he enjoys skateboarding, traveling, and watching Vimeo Staff Picks, but he finds that he's happiest when he's making things he cares about with people he cares about.

He is a part of Google's Creative 5.

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Director Statement

Told underneath the backdrop of Warm Springs, CA, the quiet but chaotic suburb that was home to the more formative years of my youth, this film was my way of exploring the complicated and uninhibited emotions of childhood. Largely inspired by my childhood experiences and feelings, I knew that if I could capture the wild spirit of the reckless adventures that my friends and I went on, along with the tender moments of intimacy that we all experience, then I could make something special. I hope to have made something that captured what I think is an authentic portrayal of childhood under the microscope of Warm Springs, but resonates with people everywhere.