In the Season 4 premiere, 13 finalists are chosen from a pool of thousands of aspiring filmmakers and travel to Los Angeles to meet the series' judges, who discuss the merits of each contestant's short-film submission before announcing a winner.

After filling key production-staff roles, Effie brings in the location manager to choose LA-area mansions, but Jason thinks none of them match his creative vision. Meanwhile, the production team begins casting the lead roles, and Pete Farrelly and Effie butt heads about Jason's continued resistance to shooting digitally.