OKLAHOMA CITY – There are a lot of time-honored practices that are synonymous with film financing: the handshake deal, the stodgy pitch meeting, the backroom studio politics.
But you know what’s not synonymous with movie fundraising?
A neon-blasted punk rock blowout with door prizes, specialty cocktails, and a decibel-decimating live band.
But that might just need to change after OKC’s own Burns Brothers (Jacob Leighton Burns and Zachary Burns of the local Planet Thunder Productions) blew the roof off of Resonant Head last week to kickstart funding and production for their new punk rock horror flick “Bad Vibes.”
A ghostly, gory thriller-comedy mashup set in the cynical and brain-rattlingly loud world of the punk rock underground, “Bad Vibes” is the first feature-scale production tackled by the brothers since 2023’s deadCenter-storming “Hell Hath No Fury,” and the first feature written and helmed by Jacob since 2020’s head-spinning, deliriously dark “Shifter.”
With a finished script, an over-the-top, festival-ready premise and aesthetic, and “Hell Hath No Fury” standout Leah N.H. Philpott set for the lead, “Bad Vibes” is sure to be a must-see…
One it gets made, that is.
But before that can happen, the guys have to finish securing the funds, and normally that would mean finance meetings, handshakes, and lots of schmoozing.
That doesn’t feel very “punk,” though, and it certainly doesn’t fit the attitude and DIY style of “Bad Vibes.” So instead, they took over Resonant Head, booked propulsive Tulsa punk-rocker Merlin Mason, and held a massive raffle/rock show/rafter-shaking fundraiser party to let friends and OKC film supporters help finance the flick.
“We need the funds so that we can hire the best cast, the best, crew, the best locations, and the best gear,” Jacob says in a polished video presentation shown on the Resonant Head stage in between some high-energy Merlin Mason sets. “So that we can make the best movie.”
Of course, it always helps to sweeten the pot, and the Burns’ are doing that with a whole laundry list of contributor perks, including t-shirts, stickers, signed posters and DVDs, and even producer credits and walk-ons in the movie itself.
“Every little bit helps,” Philpott says in the video, “and we absolutely cannot do this without you.”
But even with a full menu of perks and the decidedly good vibes of the party, the biggest selling point for contributors is clearly the goodwill and acclaim that the brothers have racked up over the years, illustrated by a slew of video testimonials from Oklahoma filmmaking names like Mickey Reece, Laron Chapman, and Cait Brasel.
In fact, it was that goodwill and good reputation that packed Resonant Head nearly to capacity on a Wednesday night, something that even the brothers themselves never expected, and it was clearly an overwhelming and encouraging boost to the defiant confidence and punk rock ethos of the project.
“They say ‘make the movie that you want to see,’” Jacob says in the video. “A punk rock horror tale in the world of mohawks, combat boots, growling guitars, and supernatural beings guided only by their thirst for human souls is definitely a movie I want to see.”
According to the more than $2,500 already raised, a lot of other people want to see it, too.
Especially Zachary, though…
“We can’t half-ass this movie,” he says in the launch video. “We refuse to half-ass this movie. It’s too good.”
To see more about the upcoming “Bad Vibes” written and directed by Jacob Leighton Burns and produced by OKC-based Planet Thunder Productions, including the launch video and the full list of contributor perks, visit badvibesfilm.com.
Catch Brett Fieldcamp’s film column weekly for information and insights into the world of film in the Oklahoma City metro and Oklahoma. | Brought to you by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
Brett Fieldcamp is the owner and Editor in Chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly two decades and served as Arts & Entertainment Editor before purchasing the company from founder Brett Dickerson in 2026.
He is also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
