SIMULATION

A doctor and an android share a nostalgic and an intimate moment aboard a colony space vessel, 12 hours before the crew goes into hyper-sleep for the long journey.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Many of the great science fiction stories seem to ruminate in dystopia and yet, technology and science have historically moved humanity forward over time. We live longer; are more connected; are more knowledgable; and are just beginning to understand our world ecosystem in a way that can easily elicit an enduring sustainability.

If and when humanity creates synthetic life, the narrative shouldn’t be one of conflict, but one of progress and ecological symbiosis. Humans learn love in development; and therefore, if we are to create sentient technological beings one day, it makes sense that they too must be taught complex notions like intimacy and love. An innate recognition of both organic and inorganic programming and simulation will be needed to accomplish this.

In support of futurism, is the deeply connected idea of nostalgia. And I’m not referring to today’s pop-cultural definition which points to 80s revivalism. Nostos (νόστος) Algos (άλγος) refers to the pain felt when we are either leaving or thinking about returning home. If we ever decided to leave our planet, I believe this will be the core feeling of humanity, as those who engage with the technological futurist journey of space travel seek to expand the history of earth’s organic and inorganic life.

PRODUCTION

The production shoot for Simulation took place over 2 days. The actors were shot fully against blue screen at Young and Grumpy Production studio in Brooklyn, NY. on Day 2 a small unit went out to the beaches on Long Island to shoot matching background plates to represent the simulated environment of the film.

PRE PRODUCTION 

The Look

The look of SIMULATION will be static, elegant, and naturalistic. This is not your Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy science fiction look. Instead, we'll create a look driven by natural light and practical environments as much as possible. Movies to take visual reference from: Blade Runner 2049, Dunkirk, and Sunshine. Visual Effects will be driven by practical photography and compositing with minimal digital effects.

Cast / Crew

LOCATION SCOUT

The primary filming location will be Fort Tilden, New York, NY, U.S. Below are images from our first location scout, representing some of the shots we intend to achieve for the film.

Photography by Brian Hollars, DOP