Some people involved in filmmaking are kind of full of themselves and very self-important.

Jon Hill is nothing of the sort.

Jon is a Columbus boy who made a name for himself in Atlanta and then moved to Los Angeles.

I run into his parents, Jon and Claren Hill, every now and then and they tell me what their son is doing. Talk about proud parents!

But they have every reason to be that way.

Jon, now 44, graduated from Columbus High School in 1985 and went to Columbus College for two quarters, “trying to figure myself out.” He played trumpet in the Columbus College Jazz Band. He also played in a group called the Little Bobby Taylors and often played at the Loft.

Then he went to the Savannah School of Art and Design and graduated cum laude with a degree in photography in 1991.

His work can be seen in a show that’s hanging in Hong Kong right now.

He also made a short film called “The Farm,” which stars an actor named Garrett Brown, and is making the rounds of film festivals.

First big win

I’m a little ahead of myself. Back in 2002, Jon took part in the 48-Hour Film Festival in Atlanta. His short film, “White Bitch Down,” won Best Film and top awards for cinematography, sound design, the script and directing.

It’s a crazy concept -- on Friday night, every director who shows up receives the same character, prop and a line of dialogue. The director pulls a film genre out of a hat. A script is written and then the movie is cast, shot and edited. All in 48 hours.

After winning in Atlanta, “White Bitch Down” went to the National 48-Hour Film Festival and won Best Film in 2003.

2-minute test

Now Jon is at it again.

This time, he entered the Dances with Films Film Festival’s 2-Minute, 2-Step Short Film Challenge.

For this one, you must have a script written and approved.

“You get one hour to set it up,” Jon said. “Then you have four hours to shoot and edit and turn it in.”

Each film is two minutes long.

“When you start shooting the first piece of footage, they start the clock,” he said.

The clock is stopped only in the event of power outages or equipment failure.

His short film is called “The Last Stand” and he won first place in June.

It’s kind of a zombie movie. You never actually see a zombie, but you’ll hear them.

Jon laughs as he said the zombie sounds are made by the crew, standing around, grunting and moaning.

“It’s less a zombie movie and more about the couple, specifically that awkward moment when the hero and the heroine are about to connect,” he said. “We are all so programmed to get used to that moment happening. And in this case, the moment goes horribly wrong.”

It’s actually the first time Jon has co-directed anything. He’s working with Tommy Smeltzer. The script, about two pages long, was written by Brian Sack.

“I’ve wanted to work with Brian for a long time,” Jon said. “The work is really great. Getting the right people ...”

The two actors are Ethan Erickson and Torrie Bogda.

He just finished “Laugh at My Pain,” Kevin Hart’s comedy concert film, and Jon is currently working on a horror movie and a coming-of-age movie.

“I have one more year to become an overnight success,” he told me.