Found-Footage Horror Feature 'JTX Witch Movie' Sets Desert Shoot in Apple Valley, CA for Fall 2026

An independent found-footage horror feature is taking shape in Southern California's high desert, and crew and talent looking for work on a lean, location-driven shoot have plenty of lead time to get on the radar. JTX Picture Company has announced that its untitled witch project, currently going by the working title JTX Witch Movie, is in pre-production and casting with a principal photography window scheduled from October 23 through December 11, 2026, filming in Apple Valley, California and the greater Los Angeles area.

The project is written and directed by Julius Thomas Trimble, who is also handling casting duties at this stage. Trimble is the creative engine behind JTX Picture Company and appears to be shepherding this as a passion-driven independent production with a tight, hands-on approach. That kind of single-creator control is common in the found-footage genre, where the aesthetic of the format often demands an intimate production style and a director deeply embedded in every layer of storytelling. Trimble's dual role as writer and director signals a clear personal vision for the material, and crew coming aboard can expect a collaborative, filmmaker-led set rather than a large studio infrastructure.

The logline is straightforward and commercially savvy for the genre: four podcasters get lost on a desert trail and capture something on camera they were never meant to see. Found-footage horror has proven remarkably durable since the late 1990s, and the desert setting gives this project a distinct visual identity that sets it apart from the forest-and-cabin template that still dominates the subgenre. The podcast-as-framing-device is a contemporary update that should resonate with younger audiences, and the desert location offers genuinely eerie, isolated imagery that is notoriously difficult to fake on a stage.

JTX Picture Company is the production banner behind this project. As an independent company producing original genre content, JTX is operating in the tradition of scrappy, filmmaker-owned labels that have driven some of the most inventive horror of the past two decades. No studio distributor or streaming platform has been announced at this stage, which is typical for an independent feature this far from its shoot date. The absence of a presale or distribution attachment does not diminish the opportunity for crew, but it is worth noting for anyone assessing long-term project stability.

Apple Valley sits in San Bernardino County, roughly 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. It is a well-regarded shooting destination for productions that need authentic high-desert landscapes, with its wide open terrain, Joshua trees, dramatic rock formations, and reliably clear skies. The area has hosted everything from music videos to independent features drawn by the visual power of the Mojave environment. Because Apple Valley has no major studio infrastructure of its own, productions based there typically draw from the deep Los Angeles crew pool, giving Southern California-based crew a strong advantage in pursuing this project. The production is also listing Los Angeles as a filming location, suggesting some work may be based closer to the city before or after the desert sequences. The October-to-December shooting window means the crew will be working in cooler high-desert conditions, which is actually ideal for outdoor location work in the Mojave compared to the brutal summer heat.

Given the found-footage format, this production is almost certainly operating at the micro-budget or ultra-low-budget tier. That means a lean crew structure, small department sizes, and a premium placed on resourceful, experienced collaborators who are comfortable working in a stripped-down environment. The format by design favors small camera packages, natural or minimal lighting setups, and location sound over post-heavy production pipelines. Crew who thrive on independent projects with creative latitude and a direct line to the director will find this kind of shoot appealing. The production is likely pursuing a SAG-AFTRA Ultra Low Budget or Modified Low Budget agreement for on-camera talent, though union status for below-the-line crew has not been confirmed. Emerging crew members and recent film school graduates looking to build desert location and genre credits should take note.

With filming more than a year out, this production is still in its earliest organizational stages. Casting is actively underway, and key crew conversations are likely just beginning. That lead time is an asset for anyone who wants to get in early. Full production details, contact information, and crew list updates for JTX Witch Movie are available now on ProductionList.com. Bookmark the listing and check back regularly as the production moves deeper into pre-production and department head hiring accelerates ahead of the fall 2026 shoot.

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