SDCC 2010: ‘Skyline,’ The Low Budget Alien Invasion Movie With Big Budget Effects

Footage and information for Greg and Colin Strause’s upcoming “low-budget” film, “Skyline” debut today and fans who attended the panel got a real treat with what is arguably the most impressive low-budget alien invasion film to date but with big budget effects.

The entire cast and crew — Eric Balfour (Haven), Donald Faison (Turk on Scrubs), Scottie Thompson (Trauma), Brittney Daniel (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and David Zayas (Dexter) — were present and excited to be at Comic-Con to unveil their hidden gem.

We were shown some footage and the trailer which opened to a bunch of friends going to a resort in Los Angeles. In the middle of the night, they are awaken by something similar to an earthquake. But as they head outside they see strange blue lights raining down upon Los Angeles. This was when UFOs began appearing out of the sky and Los Angeles is ripped to shreds as people in terrifying masses are sucked up by massive blue beams of light.

Meanwhile, the main characters are trying to find a way to flee, and they believe the best way is to get as far away from Los Angeles as possible. There are several quick shots of aliens which are said to be entirely organic. They range from giant Godzilla/Cloverfield size to weird smaller creatures with tentacles similar to the tentacles from “Independence Day.”

Greg and Colin Strause have done visual and special effects for “Avatar,” “Terminator 3,” “300,” “Battle: Los Angeles.” Shot entirely on a green screen in Greg’s home, the brothers are responsible for “Skyline.” It was an interesting panel as the brothers spoke about how they understood the typical bloated process of film making, and had wanted to prove that it was possible to go low-budget yet maintain a high-budget look and feel.

With over 800 shots “Skyline” surpassed even major blockbusters. Yet, they were still able to create the film with a limited budget and time (The film only took 11 months to make). By bypassing Hollywood, they were also able to cast who they wanted, including unknown actors that Hollywood otherwise would have rejected.

None of the cast had their own trailers and they all just hung out at Greg’s house in between scenes. According to Balfour, this unique poor man’s trailer allowed the entire cast to bond in a way that it helped their on screen chemistry and performances.

“Skyline” is set to hit theaters November 12, 2010, and is definitely a film that will get everyone’s attending.