HALO 8 Entertainment

HALO 8 Entertainment is an independent film company specializing in genre cinema, documentaries, midnight movies, music driven lifestyle videos, and animation. Its most popular releases include the films Pop Skull and Threat, the animated series Godkiller and Xombie, the fitness yoga franchise, Fitness For Indie Rockers, and the documentaries Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods, Your Mommy Kills Animals, N. Y. H. C., and Ctrl+Alt+Compete. Formed in 2005 by Matt Pizzolo and the producer Brian Giberson as a film production studio, the company has grown to include a comic book/graphic novel publishing division and two DVD Premiere shingles. HALO 8 also has a fashion division, H8LA. HALO 8's film catalog is split between in house productions and third party acquisitions. HALO 8 gained popularity by producing controversial films such as the animal rights documentary Your Mommy Kills Animals. The film drew the attention of the Center for Consumer Freedom, who waged a legal campaign to block its release. HALO 8 has developed tech driven production and distribution strategies such as designing the "illustrated film" format, a cinematic style of limited animation that merges sequential art with 3D CGI, motion graphics, and voice performances in the style of a radio play. HALO 8 has also developed the non linear film format "Ether Films" which adds hypertext and multi platform transmedia functionality to film.

In June 2008, HALO 8 debuted a new comic book publishing arm at Wizard World Chicago with Godkiller (written by Matt Pizzolo, illustrated by Anna Muckcracker). The following February at Wondercon, Halo 8 unveiled its "illustrated film" format that fuses comic books with cinema and explained Godkiller would be released simultaneously as a print comic book and as episodic illustrated films on shortform DVDs. In April 2010 at C2E2 in Chicago, Halo 8 premiered the collected Godkiller illustrated film and announced several new comic book series: The Long Knives (a giallo style revenge adventure written by Pizzolo, illustrated by newcomer Ana Ludeshka), Loaded Bible 2 (continuing the acclaimed Jesus vs vampires series by Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash)), Medusa: Year One (a re invention of the mythic character as a misunderstood heroine), Godkiller 2 (reuniting Pizzolo and Muckcracker), and Black Sky (a Band of Brothers vs Cthulhu series by Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night)).

In October 2008, HALO 8 debuted a unique, multi filmmaker showcase project called Slumber Party Slaughterhouse: The Game, a horror DVD game where each death scene is directed by a different HALO 8 filmmaker and stars actors and actresses from various HALO 8 films. Participating filmmakers included Matt Pizzolo, Doug Sakmann, Joanna Angel, Ramzi Abed, and Kurly Tlapoyawa. Participating actors and actresses included Tiffany Shepis, Masuimi Max, Joanna Angel, Melissa Bacelar, and Katie Nisa. The project premiered at the Halo 8: Films That Kill Halloween festival in Hollywood, where live hosts Joanna Angel, Matt Pizzolo, and Daisy Sparks MC'd the event that mixed pub trivia style gaming with Rocky Horror style audience participation.

In November 2008, HALO 8 announced the acquisition of the Xombie web series produced by James Farr and Epic Level Entertainment's Cindi Rice and John Frank Rosenblum. The March 31, 2009 release date of the Xombie: Dead on Arrival collected series DVD marked HALO 8's entry into distribution of animated films, which was followed by anime style adaptations of the comic book series currently published under HALO 8's publishing arm.

Following the success of Godkiller, HALO 8 ramped up the illustrated film line by growing the slate of its comic book publishing division while also entering into partnerships with other comic book publishers and creators. HALO 8 announced deals to produce illustrated film adaptations of Loaded Bible and Xombie: Reanimated. Shortly after HALO 8 announced the Xombie: Reanimated illustrated film, it was announced DreamWorks SKG is developing a live action Xombie: Reanimated film to be produced with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. During Halo 8's panel at WonderCon 2010, Pizzolo unveiled a first look at his giallo animation The Long Knives, which had recently begun production. Two weeks later during Halo 8's panel at C2E2, Pizzolo confirmed his collaboration with Tim Seeley on Loaded Bible and then unveiled two new projects in development: Medusa: Year One and Ben Templesmith's Black Sky. In September 2010, MTV Splash Page announced that Pizzolo will direct an illustrated film adaptation of the popular comic book series Hack/Slash. In December 2010, a teaser trailer was released for the illustrated film Black Sky, illustrated and created by Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night, Welcome To Hoxford, Choker) and directed by Pizzolo.

In November 2009, HALO 8 launched branded apparel division H8LA, enlisting stylist Aubrie Davis (formerly of Hot Topic and H&M stores) to join the team as Creative Director. Davis began with a line of T shirts based on Godkiller. Actors Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris, and Tiffany Shepis served double duty on Godkiller, performing in the film and modeling the T shirts for H8LA.

Godkiller: Walk Among Us Episode 2 dir. Matt Pizzolo, ill. Anna Muckcracker; with Davey Havok, Lance Henriksen, Danielle Harris, Bill Moseley, Tiffany Shepis, Justin Pierre, Lydia Lunch, Katie Nisa, Nicki Clyne
Godkiller: Walk Among Us Episode 3 dir. Matt Pizzolo, ill. Anna Muckcracker; with Davey Havok, Lance Henriksen, Danielle Harris, Bill Moseley, Tiffany Shepis, Justin Pierre, Lydia Lunch, Katie Nisa, Nicki Clyne
Godkiller: Walk Among Us The Collected Film dir. Matt Pizzolo, ill. Anna Muckcracker; with Davey Havok, Lance Henriksen, Danielle Harris, Bill Moseley, Tiffany Shepis, Justin Pierre, Lydia Lunch, Katie Nisa, Nicki Clyne
Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods dir. Patrick Meaney, Prod. Amber Yoder, Jordan Rennert, Mike Phillips, Julian Darius, F. J. DeSanto; DP Jordan Rennert; with Grant Morrison, Warren Ellis, Geoff Johns, Douglas Rushkoff, Frank Quitely, Dan DiDio, Frazer Irving, Phil Jimenez, Cameron Stewart, Jill Thompson, Mark Waid

Bianca Beauchamp: All Access 2 dir. Martin Perreault
Ctrl+Alt+Compete created by Microsoft; dir. Brian Giberson; executive produced by Daryll McDade, Tina Wood Summerford, Andrew Stephan, John Dorsey; prod. John Formichella, Matt Pizzolo; written by Matt Pizzolo, Brian Giberson, John Dorsey, John Formichella; with Nolan Bushnell, Felicia Day, Veronica Belmont, Cliff Bleszinski, Randy Pitchford, Tim O'Reilly, Simon Sinek, Gary Kremen, Mark Suster, Josh Harris, Steve Rubel, Tommy Tallarico, Tony Hsieh
The New Erotic dir. Ramzi Abed; with Eon McKai, Kimberly Kane, Dave Naz, Vena Virago, Ed Fox, Jack The Zipper, Alejandra Guerrero, Tori Black
Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts dir. Patrick Meaney, prod. Jordan Rennert, Mike Phillips, Julian Darius, F. J. DeSanto; DP Jordan Rennert; with Warren Ellis, Helen Mirren, Joss Whedon, Wil Wheaton, Patton Oswalt, Ben Templesmith, Matt Fraction, Joe Quesada, Molly Crabapple, Stoya, Jason Aaron, Darick Robertson, Phil Jimenez, Cully Hamner