PROJECT: TEETH is the monster movie we’re not waiting for permission to make.

Production begins next month on a standalone proof-of-concept: a brutal, otherworldly nightmare where cosmic horror is made physical, grounded, and human. We’re building creatures with real weight, presence, and consequence - you won’t just watch them, you’ll feel them. This is a creature feature with teeth.

The Story

A family of three - Alessia, her sister Charlotte, and their father Pops - are driving through rural Oregon at night, each of them carrying something they’ve been avoiding. Grief. Guilt. Fear.

And something out there seems drawn to it. Feeding on it.

They arrive at a town food festival that should be packed. Instead, it’s empty.

Alessia slows the truck to a crawl. The deeper they go, the clearer it becomes: something terrible just happened here.

Then they see the bodies.

Alessia throws the truck into reverse. Time to get out.

Suddenly, a woman stumbles out of the darkness, blood pouring down her face. She slams against the passenger-side window and begs to be let in.

Inside the truck, they freeze. No one reaches for the lock. For a moment, it feels like there’s still time.

Then something moves behind the woman. A flash of a violent, unreadable shape. Then -

KRRRUNCH!

The woman is torn apart against the windshield. Her body remains pinned there for a split second before it’s ripped away, smearing her across the glass in a burst of blood and bone.

And that’s when we reveal our original, uniquely terrifying monster - we’re calling it “TEETH”. You’ll get why when you see it.

It crashes into the truck, engulfs its prey, and FEEDS in a way that feels raw, physical, and impossible to look away from. Trapped inside the vehicle, Alessia and her family are forced into a fight they can’t escape.

This proof-of-concept is a contained, high-intensity sequence from our sci-fi horror feature about the monsters we carry, and what happens when they finally take shape.

The Vision

We’re shooting a two-day sequence to prove we can deliver studio-level creature horror on our own terms. This is a visceral, standalone scene that gives us the leverage to greenlight the full feature.

Most digital monsters feel weightless and uninspiring. We love cosmic horror: creatures so foreign and strange they defy categorization. We want them to feel real, visceral, and genuinely unsettling. Our goal is to use surreal design to manifest the internal monsters we all carry. We’re taking the struggles that are hardest to face and making them physical.

The Location

I left Los Angeles for Portland to help build a film community that thrives outside the traditional studio system. Working with local artists at The Haven and the Portland Houdini User Group has connected us with people who prioritize technical storytelling over industry fluff. The Pacific Northwest is the ideal laboratory for creature horror. Its atmosphere is heavy and the forests are naturally cinematic.

We are digitizing these environments during production. We use state-of-the-art techniques like photogrammetry and Gaussian splats to turn raw location data into digital twins of our sets. This tech anchors our creature work into actual real world Oregon. We don't need a Hollywood zip code to produce something monstrous. We just need a clear vision and enough teeth.

Our Resources

Our experience spans massive commercial sets and lean, independent shoots. This project is the technical evolution of our combined work. We bring a broad network of specialists and organizations usually reserved for major studios, giving us a reach for talent and resources that typically requires a much larger budget.

Monstro Lab's studio infrastructure is purpose-built for a high-end VFX pipeline. My background in commercial directing provides us with an established post-production suite, allowing us to bypass the rental overhead that often bloats independent budgets. Because the base infrastructure is already covered, every dollar raised goes directly into production. Your contribution goes directly onto the screen.

The Gameplan

PROJECT: TEETH is our first major step toward building the larger MθNSTRθ LABS universe: a creator-driven world of monsters, cosmic horror, sci-fi storytelling, and experimental filmmaking made outside the traditional Hollywood system.

We believe this is a moment where independent creators can finally build cinematic worlds without waiting for permission from studios. MθNSTRθ LABS was created to take advantage of that moment, combining practical filmmaking, creature design, cutting-edge VFX, and grounded human storytelling to create horror that feels immersive, emotional, and real.  

PROJECT: TEETH is our flagship feature film project, and this campaign is funding production of a standalone proof-of-concept scene designed to show exactly what this world can feel like onscreen. This is not a teaser or mood reel. It’s a fully realized sequence built to demonstrate the tone, atmosphere, creature work, and emotional stakes of the larger feature film.

Timeline

Preproduction is moving quickly. Since we’re pulling this scene from a finished feature script, the world is already defined. Now we’re locking in the look. Casting has started, and we’re already tapping into our local network to build the team.

Production begins in Portland in June with a two-day studio shoot featuring a local professional cast and crew, practical effects work, and extensive behind-the-scenes coverage from our friends at HUMBLD Media. 

Once production wraps, Alex will spend the summer in post-production. He’ll handle the edit and wrangle digital set pieces from our environment scans. He’ll work with his team to build the creature's FX, rigging, and animation in Houdini. Rendering and compositing will happen in Nuke. He’ll then finish the sound design and final color in-house.

Our goal is to have a polished version of the proof-of-concept completed by late summer. When it’s ready, our backers will be the first to experience it. 

This fall, we’ll begin sharing PROJECT: TEETH with producers, executives, filmmakers, and creative partners throughout the industry as we pursue development of the full feature film version, which we estimate would require a budget in the range of $5 million.

Campaign Goal: $5500

Outside of this, we’ll continue growing MθNSTRθ LABS as a larger creative community centered around worldbuilding, filmmaking experimentation, and behind-the-scenes transparency. We’re building a hub where the technical process is shared as openly as the result.

Our initial fundraising goal is $5,500. This covers the core production costs for the proof-of-concept, including renting a local studio to create the controlled horror atmosphere we need. These funds also go directly to paying our cast and crew. Supporting local artists and businesses is how we build a real film community here in Portland. Reaching this goal ensures we have the foundation to bring this nightmare to life.

Stretch Goals

$10K: We push the proof-of-concept beyond the “MVP” version by hiring additional creative collaborators during post-production, including VFX artists, concept artists, and creature specialists. We’ll also expand backer rewards with more behind-the-scenes content, concept art, and exclusive production materials.

$30K: We begin investing in additional MθNSTRθ LABS projects currently in development, including experimental shorts, web series concepts, and other creature-driven stories connected to the larger universe we’re building.

$100K: We can independently produce a season of OTHERWORLDLY, our ambitious sci-fi horror web series at the center of the MθNSTRθ LABS universe. 

$5M: The dream scenario - we independently finance and produce the full feature film version of PROJECT: TEETH.

If this world excites you - if you want to support ambitious indie horror, practical creature filmmaking, and original sci-fi storytelling made outside the system - we’d love for you to join us.

Help us build MθNSTRθ LABS and bring PROJECT: TEETH to life.