Sci-Fi Short Film "Firmware" | DUST

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  • Опубліковано 7 кві 2024
  • A young woman and her decommissioned military droid struggle to escape a nuclear exclusion zone, hoping to find a better life on the outside-- free from the oppression of the forces that keep her there.
    "Firmware" by Calvin Sander Romeyn
    Connect with the Filmmakers:
    / calvinromeyn
    www.roxelcreative.com/
    www.nichevfx.com/calvin
    More About "Firmware":
    1990. 20 years have passed since "The Incident". Civilization has collapsed and national borders have been forgotten. The walled-off "Alcazar Exclusion Zone" has emerged as a small functioning society- a melting pot of survivors from around the world. A young woman and her decommissioned military droid struggle to escape, hoping to find a better life on the outside-- free from the oppression of the forces that keep her there.
    "Firmware" Credits:
    Created by Calvin Romeyn
    Cast:
    Zaraiah - Angel Celiz
    AL1, Old Man - Reece Presley
    Misha “The Exploded” - Sam Krochmal
    Ivan “The Ambitious” - Suksham Shan
    Resistance Leader - Clarie Johnstone
    Tannoy Voice - Miglė Kužmarskytė
    Droids - Sam Romeyn, Reece Presley
    Droids (Voice) - Calvin Romeyn
    Additional Performance Capture - Angel Celiz, Reece Presley, Sam Krochmal, Sam Romeyn, Calvin Romeyn
    Screaming Woman (Voice) - Avery Taylor
    Children (Voices) - Fraser Romeyn, Wesley Romeyn
    Gintars “The Taser Wielder” (voice) - Jessica Wong
    Nikolaj “Dog’s off The Leash” (voice) - James R. Cowley
    Additional Voices - Larry Clay, Jeff Hlookoff, Noah Penner, Angel Celiz, Isaac Kuntz, Emily Wildeman, Jeff Hlookoff, Calvin Romeyn, Sam Romeyn, Welsey Romeyn, Fraser Romeyn
    Crew:
    Produced and Written by Calvin Romeyn, Sam Romeyn, Noah Penner
    Composer - Jose Pavli
    Sound Design - Sam Boulton, Anize Amestoy
    Visual Effects - Calvin Romeyn
    Colour Grading - Brite Point Media
    Lead Animator - Fred Smith
    Animators - Austin Wright, Emily Chin, Calvin Romeyn
    Rigging Lead - Will Inglis
    Additional Texturing - Francois Van Eeden
    FX Artist - Sam Li
    Performance Capture by Beyond Capture, Vancouver
    President & CEO - Graham Qually
    Production Manager - Maeve Russell
    Studio Lead - Vandy Sok
    Animation Supervisor - David Raposo
    Producer - Rommel Cruz
    IT Manager - Eitan Israelov
    Tools Programmer - Sinead Kearney
    Shoot Master - Ryan Basaraba
    Realtime Technician - Parker Hartzler
    Camera Lead - Ali Heraize
    First AD - Matt Lautrup
    Capture Technician - Russell Ma
    Audio Technicians - Carlos Rodriguez, Nathan Aron Romer
    Production Coordinator - Jenny Zinger
    Associate Producer - Mitchell Roberts
    Production Coordinator - Bradley Tyler
    Facial Lead - Albert Poblete
    HMC Technician - Nicole Wheatley
    Facial Animators - Morgan Gonzales, Jessica Gonzales
    Mocap Editors - Guillermo Aguero, Ashleigh Ayers, Audrey Ayoub, Joshua Brown, Andres Ferrat, Andrea garcia de alba, Kendell Maloles, Julian Martinez, Angelo Nunez, Savian Sills
    Brand Manager - Ryan Kearns
    Movement Director - Charles Douglas
    Marketing Manager - Monika Qually
    Financial Controller - Jesse Wirachowsky
    Infrastructure Development - Jamie Smith
    Prop Maker - Kenzo Babin
    Behind The Scenes - Ruby Alstad, Emily Doyle, David Van Dyke, Ben Dextraze
    Assistant (to the) Director - Tina Romeyn
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    #DUST #scifi #shortfilm
    About DUST:
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  • Розваги

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1 тис.

  • @calvinromeyn
    @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +689

    Hey Everyone! Calvin, the director here. Thank you for watching Firmware!
    I'm a full time VFX supervisor and an ever-learning director. This project came about as a personal challenge to learn Virtual Filmmaking in Unreal Engine. And what better way to learn a new software than creating a hugely ambitious short film. Right? Right...?
    I'd love to answer any questions you may have about the making of Firmware, and will be releasing a Behind The Scenes feature soon! All images are rendered out of Unreal Engine with motion capture by Beyond Capture in Vancouver.

    • @ClayMann
      @ClayMann Місяць тому +35

      First of all I got utterly fooled by this initially. I actually thought for a little while there was something wrong with the actress. Maybe a disability of some kind and then it hit me. Oh its ALL computer graphics. That's how good everything looked. Its still pretty tough getting 100% convincing human faces I guess. Her face looked good but it didn't move naturally. The pupils weren't darting around like you see with normal people in a stressed out situation and probably a whole bunch of other things our faces do that are really hard to capture or hand animate in later. But once I got it was all unreal engine, I was fine with it and just enjoyed the visuals and story. It was just that initial thinking it was all real. Well I thought it was all real except the robot that was obviously CG and it looked so well integrated into the scenes lol Unreal engine film making is here, it is utterly wild how good you make environments look and behave. I'm so impressed. The short wasn't too shabby either. I was engaged through the whole thing.
      Oh there was one little thing. The sound of hacking the robot early on, that's a dial up modem sound. I'm old so it brought back childhood memories. It would be good to modulate sounds like that to disguise its origin. When it comes down to such tiny things that stand out, I think that's a testament to just how good everything else is. I would happily watch an entire movie of this quality.

    • @RD-eg4vo
      @RD-eg4vo Місяць тому +9

      Hi Calvin!
      So, did you record the video of characters wearing the motion sensors and then render that to create like this?

    • @NickRomick
      @NickRomick Місяць тому +4

      Awesome job, Calvin! As always!

    • @EgonSorensen
      @EgonSorensen Місяць тому +3

      Thanks, Very impressive - and best of luck and lots of fun onwards :ø)

    • @armynation31B5V5P
      @armynation31B5V5P Місяць тому +5

      Thank you for sharing with us fans.
      I extremely enjoyed it.

  • @reluctant_clap
    @reluctant_clap Місяць тому +520

    My name is Sam Romeyn, co-writer, voice actor, and mocap actor for the soldiers and military droids. I loved getting exploded, tazed, and falling off a box for this film! Thank you dust!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +7

      Yeah you did!

    • @ictviamfortruthgoogleisspa5886
      @ictviamfortruthgoogleisspa5886 Місяць тому +1

      What is a point or purpose of this Cartoon? Sir Cowriter

    • @AutomationDnD
      @AutomationDnD Місяць тому +2

      this was *EXCELLENT*
      super well-done

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      @@john_dougg811 great question. There are lots of great resources online. I highly recommend Double Jump Academy. Otherwise, come to Vancouver :)

    • @chancepaladin
      @chancepaladin Місяць тому +1

      that was the best CGI robot falling off a box I've ever seen.

  • @angelreign_celiz
    @angelreign_celiz Місяць тому +37

    Hi guys! I'm Angel and I play Zaraiah. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the support! I hope for everyone watching, you guys enjoy the artistry and countless hours of dedication that we have poured into this project.
    Thank you to Calvin and his team for trusting me with their vision and to many of our sponsors! Special mention to Dust for sharing our work and allowing us to reach a broader audience! 🎉
    Bleep Bloop Bleep Bloop - AL1

    • @dindin5422
      @dindin5422 Місяць тому +2

      Congratulations to you and the entire team, Angel!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +3

      I'm forever grateful for your passion and dedication to this project since the beginning! You embodied Zaraiah and made the character your own. Thank you Angel! 🙌

    • @watchdust
      @watchdust  Місяць тому +4

      You are an absolute STAR in this film!!! 🌟 We're over the moon having Firmware on DUST. Welcome to the DUST family 🚀.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +3

      @@watchdust Literally wouldn't be the same film without Angel Reign Celiz 💪

    • @mystralz
      @mystralz Місяць тому +2

      You were great Angel. So glad you took the plunge and auditioned for this. You are obviously totally committed to the part and played it with intention. Nicely done!

  • @noahpennerfilm
    @noahpennerfilm Місяць тому +170

    Co-writer and co-producer, here - thanks for watching, everyone!
    @calvinromeyn summed it up well - this project has been years in the making, and it's incredible to finally see it out there. Special thanks to DUST!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +5

      Everyone welcome Noah Penner on his first ever UA-cam comment. Congrats

    • @noahpennerfilm
      @noahpennerfilm Місяць тому +4

      @@calvinromeynAw, shucks. I'll be here all night, folks. 😅

    • @darrenrsmith7119
      @darrenrsmith7119 29 днів тому

      Years in the making??? I can do it better and quicker with my phone lol.. joking 😁
      She did run weird when turning and her eyes seemed to far apart, only those 2 things I can moan about, so I'm now sad I have little to moan about lol..
      Didn't skip or turn of.. so that's a 7/10 from this moaning nob.. good luck with the next one..

  • @jasonsizemore8374
    @jasonsizemore8374 Місяць тому +297

    Poor ol chappie, nice to see he is still making movies

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +6

      :D

    • @Dice-Gamble
      @Dice-Gamble Місяць тому +6

      lool.. Thought the same... lol

    • @lionelk.1739
      @lionelk.1739 Місяць тому +4

      Dude, that's hilarious 😆

    • @thaphreak
      @thaphreak Місяць тому +7

      I was worried no one would recognize his talent and range, I mean come on the guy had a full restomod done for this part.

    • @THX-vb8yz
      @THX-vb8yz Місяць тому +7

      One of the best robot actors out there.....

  • @NeorecnamorceN
    @NeorecnamorceN 21 день тому +58

    Not gonna lie, the human movements and facial expressions are deep in the uncanny valley, but aside from that, acting, setting, sounds, everything was extremely well done. Nice work!

    • @CrankyOldNerd
      @CrankyOldNerd 19 днів тому +1

      Yeah I was struggling with the uncanny valley but great story

    • @theelmonk
      @theelmonk 12 днів тому +2

      I usually can't stand animations, but this was good enough to keep me watching. Realism dropped a bit in the final scene, not sure why.

  • @mystralz
    @mystralz Місяць тому +59

    Nice to finally see the results of all our hard work. Well done Calvin! This looks amazing!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +3

      Amazing work as always Fred. Your animations brought our vision to life! 👊

  • @craigvarey9230
    @craigvarey9230 Місяць тому +126

    DEFINITELY one of the better Sci-fi shorts I've seen in a long time!!! MASSIVE THUMBS UP 👍!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +2

      Thank you for the wonderful compliment!! We're so happy you checked out our film

    • @craigvarey9230
      @craigvarey9230 Місяць тому

      @@calvinromeyn Brother it was excellent. For the first few seconds I thought I was watching live action! I loved the whole look and feel of it...the dystopian landscapes, the character designs...I could go on and on!
      You are very good at what you do that's for sure.
      Now, as for the story...I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was very immersive and you took me through a whole range of emotions while I was watching it. Now if that's not immersive I don't know what is. Great production, great directing (direction?) and great story!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      @@craigvarey9230 Thanks so much for recognizing all those different aspects! As creators we're always hard on ourselves, never thinking anything we do is good enough. So it's really validating to hear when other people connect with something that's important to us. Thanks again!

    • @craigvarey9230
      @craigvarey9230 28 днів тому +1

      @@calvinromeyn No problem! Thank YOU! I know exactly where you're coming from! I am big film fan and I do recognise just what goes into making something great! Take Martin Scorcese...he spent over FOUR years researching for his absolutely amazing movie Gangs of New York before shooting anything. And doesn't it show?!!!
      That's why I was so impressed with your short. It really does show just how much hard work you put into it. Just that short 20 minutes or so sets the scene for what could be a fantastic movie of 90 or more minutes I'm sure.
      What you got on the screen in that short time was skillfully crafted. I mean, a lot of shorts just leave you scratching your head in confusion...like...Eh?! Is that it?...
      I'm very happy to say that your film was a beautifully together and worked perfectly as a short or indeed as one chapter in a much bigger production!
      Kudos!

  • @stevenbottcher5564
    @stevenbottcher5564 Місяць тому +62

    Love this soooo much!!! The fact this was all done in unreal is awesome!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thank you Steven!

    • @goilo888
      @goilo888 Місяць тому +3

      You might say unreal! 😊

  • @nivasantos7653
    @nivasantos7653 Місяць тому +46

    Wow!! I toke time to realize that was an animation!! Superb!!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +4

      What a compliment, thank you! I worked very hard on the environments so I'm glad we fooled you at least for a minute

    • @nivasantos7653
      @nivasantos7653 Місяць тому +1

      @@calvinromeyn Yes, you did, and I liked a lot!!

  • @ToddHofer
    @ToddHofer Місяць тому +73

    I am thoroughly impressed. Finally, a movie with 100% accuracy in the computer systems and operation. Somebody did their homework!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +19

      Oh man. I'm so thrilled you noticed the attention to detail. Technobabble in movies is a pet peeve of mine as I used to work in IT. So when I was coming up for the designs for the screens I tried to make them as pseudo "cinema accurate" as I could. Thanks for watching our film!

    • @ToddHofer
      @ToddHofer Місяць тому +6

      @@calvinromeyn I'm a software and IT Engineer and I"m the same way about tech in movies. I love the little nod to the old IBM's and the Amber monochrome monitor! I'm love to watch a movie where someone actually took the time to get it right. Keep up the EXCELLENT work!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +3

      @@ToddHofer Yeah, it's super rare to see filmmakers take the time to ensure those details are accurate. It's a super niche thing that only like 1% of us notice, but it's so satisfying when someone gets it right. It was so nostalgiac for me adding those details, like the hard drive scanning sector sound effect you hear in the hideout scene too.

    • @ToddHofer
      @ToddHofer Місяць тому +2

      @@calvinromeyn You have a promising future ahead of you. Moat filmmakers don't take that extra little time to get the "Little" things right. When in all actuality, those "Little" things are actually pretty big in the grand scheme. The more realistic a movie is, the more people will connect with it. Those connections is what makes a movie memorable.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      @@ToddHofer Thanks so much Todd. Glad to have met you. Feel free to connect with me on social media! Have a great day.

  • @RussellHixson
    @RussellHixson Місяць тому +22

    I love that technology has progressed to the point that anyone who is willing to learn and put in the time can produce TV/Movie quality work. Kudos! Audio design, performances, colour/grit effects to give it a film feel were all excellent! I was fully immersed.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +2

      Thank you for your wonderful comment good sir. You are truly a beacon of kindenss and and grace amongst the darkness of the world. I'm glad you enjoyed our short film. May your days be long and prosperous Mr. Hixson.

  • @bradjohnson9671
    @bradjohnson9671 Місяць тому +20

    You know when it's done right, it leaves you wanting more.. Well, I want more! Look forward to the behind the scenes feature.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thank you for watching our short film! Check out the BTS on my channel!

  • @tinaromeyn2630
    @tinaromeyn2630 Місяць тому +21

    Such an awesome and amazingly talented crew! Congratulations to everyone who worked on this film!

  • @kevinkall8547
    @kevinkall8547 Місяць тому +70

    Excellent story and marvelous skins. could not tell it was animation until she was moving/running. Computers haven't perfected that yet.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +5

      Thank you for checking out our film! You're right, a still human is much easier to animate. Especially for a small team of animators compared to the resources of a huge studio.

    • @AlexTrusk91
      @AlexTrusk91 Місяць тому +6

      at first I thought she was a real actress too. Great work

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +2

      @@AlexTrusk91 thank you!!

    • @Manuelomar2001
      @Manuelomar2001 Місяць тому

      I absolutely could tell. Her face looked super unnatural

  • @134rwa
    @134rwa Місяць тому +37

    This was absolutely one of the best I've ever seen. I love how the conclusion was actually a new beginning, I want to see more of this story!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +3

      Thank you for noticing that! It was tricky getting the ending just right, having enough of a conclusion with the suggestion of a continuation. Thanks for watching

  • @Randytherumbler
    @Randytherumbler Місяць тому +31

    Whoever Calvin is, I'm pretty sure he'll be awfully proud and pleased to know that his work was superb!
    Outstanding, excellent slightly above average short sci-fi work.
    Almost pure ingenious. Almost legandary. Almost professionally done.
    Would've been better if ol' Chappie had been a military model, instead of him being built for,well, companionship.
    Whatever good that would've done,it had unexpectedly accomplished its mission.
    And, therefore,made its purpose in becoming a servant of the heroic space marines army...
    To overcome the forces of evil.
    Very well,done. 👍😃.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +4

      Thank you for commenting and talking the time to watch my short film. I'm very proud of the work our team created. 😊

  • @FrogdogAndStinkypiss
    @FrogdogAndStinkypiss Місяць тому +21

    I was glued the whole video😅

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      So good to hear that, thanks for watching!

  • @spudeleven5124
    @spudeleven5124 Місяць тому +10

    In a word, BRILLIANT. It's all about the story, and it was very well crafted.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn 29 днів тому

      Thank you so much! I really appreciate that

    • @kevincozens6837
      @kevincozens6837 18 днів тому

      Indeed! Too many current day movies are heavy on special effects and not enough story.

  • @danman4127
    @danman4127 Місяць тому +5

    this is deserving of its own mini series! great work from all involved...I too was fooled at first with the graphics. stunning.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      I take it as a huge compliment that you were fooled by the graphics. I would love to make it a series. Maybe one day. Thank you for watching Firmware!

  • @phillipayoung10
    @phillipayoung10 Місяць тому +17

    Sequel please!!!😊😊

  • @vonSchnoid
    @vonSchnoid Місяць тому +16

    Awesome done! Got a lot of Half-Life vibes to it with that big tower, the rundown city, the humans with gasmasks. Maybe next one can be a Half-Life spin-off?

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +6

      That's definitely in my list of potential future projects. This one was definitely very Half-Life inspired. Thanks for watching!

    • @Sadler2010
      @Sadler2010 23 дні тому

      I got a little Fallout vibe too!

  • @catbert7
    @catbert7 Місяць тому +10

    The police bot trying to jump over the wall was hilarious xD

    • @samuelgoodnews3197
      @samuelgoodnews3197 Місяць тому

      Name please

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Haha thanks! My brother, Sam did that stunt. It was so much fun to shoot it

    • @LH-zz1xj
      @LH-zz1xj 12 днів тому

      @@calvinromeyn That was hilarious Calvin - I loved the ED-209 from Robocop style tantrum when the bot could not get back up.

  • @v8muzik
    @v8muzik 14 днів тому +1

    Imagine this becoming a game. The Graphics alone are insane !

  • @diolemmen6936
    @diolemmen6936 Місяць тому +7

    these running scenes feel like running in my dreams, heavy and slow, but really well made :D

  • @SWEscapePodcast
    @SWEscapePodcast Місяць тому +11

    Well done Calvin!!! 🎉 Awesome short film once again!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Thanks for watching Escape Pod!

  • @rickbiessman6084
    @rickbiessman6084 12 днів тому +2

    WOW. So many things done SO RIGHT. I only now realized the film was over 20 minutes. Felt like a lot less to me, in a really good way. Zaraiah has enough depth to stay interesting throughout the film, and right from the get go we learn what she’s about, with just enough back story for the whole setting to make sense. That’s really difficult to do. And you got it.

  • @benaloney
    @benaloney 29 днів тому +8

    (girl) “You gotta be kidding!”
    (robot) ”I’m not kidding, my humour module is badly damaged…”
    😆

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn 29 днів тому +1

      Hahaha those were really fun lines to write. Thanks for watching!

  • @FROCKLIFFE
    @FROCKLIFFE Місяць тому +11

    So awesome being able to see how it all turned out!!

    • @NickRomick
      @NickRomick Місяць тому +2

      OG Galactic Battles crew!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Wait - is this Fenner from Corridor?

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      @@NickRomick Haha heck yeah

  • @SyntaxScout
    @SyntaxScout Місяць тому +3

    Masterpiece,so much work and dedication was put in this excellent film.

  • @beccamitchell7903
    @beccamitchell7903 Місяць тому +8

    Dude so good! It looks amazing, I'm sure we'll be seeing much more from you. Amaaaaazing job cuz!
    PS: got a good laugh at the special graffiti on the robot in the beginning....lol

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +2

      Ahahaha! Thank you cousin! You're the first person to point out the graffiti. It was really entertaining adding all those easter eggs

  • @marineenigella8062
    @marineenigella8062 Місяць тому +4

    I just wanna point out that the dad in the photo is the VA’s dad irl LMAO its so cool to see

  • @osmia
    @osmia Місяць тому +6

    Thanks for having CC enabled

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +5

      Haha it was a lot of work typing that all out. Thanks for appreciating the effort 😂

  • @The411
    @The411 Місяць тому +15

    Very well done. Gripping tension. Only one criticism, the gas mask filters still had the shipping plugs in the end, can't breathe with those in. I doubt a lot of people noticed though.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +4

      Haha ohh noo. Are you serious!? I didn't even know that was a thing.

    • @noahpennerfilm
      @noahpennerfilm Місяць тому +1

      Completely intentional. They don't breathe like anyone, or anything, else.
      😉

    • @reluctant_clap
      @reluctant_clap Місяць тому +2

      Wow, good catch!

  • @thepilotmaster777
    @thepilotmaster777 13 днів тому +1

    I thought this was real for the first three mins. These are getting frighteningly realistic looking

  • @jonathanmui6764
    @jonathanmui6764 Місяць тому +7

    Wow this was such an incredible story. And great acting 😉

  • @mikeunum
    @mikeunum Місяць тому +10

    More from this, more, more, more please

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      So kind, thank you for watching

  • @The_Opinion_of_Matt
    @The_Opinion_of_Matt 21 день тому +3

    Very strong Half-Life 2 vibes. Good job overall!

  • @MarcopoliPolo
    @MarcopoliPolo 14 днів тому +1

    It was really great hope one day a sequel would be created, story has potentials to be a one night movie maybe a mini serie.

  • @huoshewu
    @huoshewu Місяць тому +4

    Great Stuff. I'm very invested in the whole thing, so good job on that! I want to see if she can get another droid and plug her screwdrive in there to bring her companion back. Knowing she has a literal ticking clock and motivation is fantastic for a story that was only ten minutes long. If you had a middle and end you could easily fill a few theaters. Or maybe get a Netflix deal? I'd binge the whole thing. Can't wait to see what's next, or more of this, if you're so inclined! I think, with VERY LITTLE (that's a joke) WORK, you could easily make a game out of it. Just a thought.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +2

      Thank you for your kind comment! I know we'd all love to see what happens next too. Had a blast working with a really talented crew and amazing actors. I'm excited already for our next project. Thanks again for watching!

  • @lucasjones3338
    @lucasjones3338 Місяць тому +26

    Is Angel Celiz the actor for the main character? She was really good.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +12

      Yes she was! The character was also designed after her. She is superbly talented!

    • @mystralz
      @mystralz Місяць тому +6

      Yes! She was perfect for the part. She played the part with total commitment.

    • @4AFREEPALESTINE
      @4AFREEPALESTINE 18 днів тому

      You all talk like chatbots. Are any of these comments by real people?

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn 18 днів тому +2

      @@4AFREEPALESTINE Yes. I am a real person. I love doing all human things like eating and having conversations with other humans.

    • @4AFREEPALESTINE
      @4AFREEPALESTINE 15 днів тому

      @@calvinromeynAfter watching videos about AI destroying the human race followed by your brilliant short film (series?) Dust, I was feeling a little paranoid. That being said, I'm not entirely convinced you are human... What human says "I like to do human things?"

  • @Mechknight73
    @Mechknight73 18 днів тому +1

    If nobody wanted to make a full movie of this one, it's definitely got potential as the plot of a video game. There are many times during the film that you forget you're watching CGI animation. Very fluid motion, and a story with heart. If you wanted to expand this one further, you could always do the "back story" as to what the nuclear incident was, although save for the lack of Russian script and some buildings, it could almost be "another Pripyat."

  • @josefroque5551
    @josefroque5551 2 дні тому

    I love how realistic the bots move, the part where it got confused about how to overcome the wall was hilarious.

  • @slybri5751
    @slybri5751 Місяць тому +9

    Best dust short in ages⭐⭐⭐

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +2

      I am a master of self doubt so thank you for saying that 🤩

    • @noahpennerfilm
      @noahpennerfilm Місяць тому +2

      Aw, thank you! There's a lot of great competition, though...

  • @theoriginalplatform
    @theoriginalplatform Місяць тому +4

    💥Incredible work! Congrats to all that worked on this!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Thank you for all your help with casting!

  • @Shadow-1949
    @Shadow-1949 4 дні тому

    Absolutely fantastic
    Very well done and I look forward to seeing more of your work!
    Haven’t seen better!
    Thank you

  • @pipersall6761
    @pipersall6761 Місяць тому +2

    What a great little film!! Well done everyone!! I wish it were longer but it is more precious in its limited time form. Thank you!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thanks for watching! Wish we could have made it feature length as well.

  • @deadlly7
    @deadlly7 Місяць тому +4

    This is incredible, everyone who worked on it should be so proud. I’m blown away.

  • @doylebarnett2254
    @doylebarnett2254 Місяць тому +4

    Great job. I love it. One tiny detail that stood out was that too much of the whites of her eyes showed so they looked a little unrealistic. Keep up the good work. I write Sci-fi too.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Thanks for the critique. You're totally right, human eyes are so difficult.

  • @CplHicks31415
    @CplHicks31415 Місяць тому +2

    Love the old "DOS/CPM" computer with old school CRT.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Haha thank you for watching Firmware! It was prob my favorite detail to design.

  • @flyergowest
    @flyergowest Місяць тому +3

    Awesome. Great story. Hope there will be more coming in the future.

  • @JohnnyLevier
    @JohnnyLevier Місяць тому +3

    The best Sci-fi short I have ever seen ! A video game based on this idea would have been cool ! Even a TV-show ! Awesome !

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed our short. Lots more like this to come.

    • @Sm3lldiver_404-wj2ci
      @Sm3lldiver_404-wj2ci 28 днів тому

      I think there is a game with this premise. It's called Metro. Oh wait, there's also S.T.A.L.K.E.R. ...

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn 28 днів тому

      @@Sm3lldiver_404-wj2ci I studied both those games while working on this. And listened to the STALKER soundtrack while writing.

  • @screamingiraffe
    @screamingiraffe Місяць тому +2

    rarely see shorts this good , nice work. Had me thinking 'last of us' meets 'district 9'. This would make for a very interesting web series, perhaps netflix.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Thanks for watching our short! Last of Us and District 9 were to of the biggest inspirations for this piece. Glad it landed for you without being too derivitive. Would love to make more as well. Stay tuned.

  • @jabalengelhard960
    @jabalengelhard960 Місяць тому +1

    Nice short film! The quality of the VFX reminds me of Alita, Battle Angel...this is very good quality and I'm viewing on a laptop :) Thank You to all who produced this film!

  • @DoubleJumpAcademy
    @DoubleJumpAcademy Місяць тому +4

    amazing work!

  • @jonathaningram4672
    @jonathaningram4672 Місяць тому +5

    Brilliant. I often feel like that robot squished in the door.

  • @ltgenx532
    @ltgenx532 Місяць тому +1

    wow the animation is crazy, the storyline and the voice actors did a really great job I have just started learning and creating animation and I wish and pray I had such skill.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thank you! We def worked with some amazing actors. Keep pushing and surround yourselves with talent!

  • @olphotography5555
    @olphotography5555 Місяць тому

    Finally a sci-fi short that is easily to understand! Thank you

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Glad to hear this, thank you! Writing a simple plot was very easy for me because my brain is very simple.

    • @olphotography5555
      @olphotography5555 Місяць тому

      @@calvinromeyn Awesome! Pure Awesomeness!!

  • @MR3DDev
    @MR3DDev Місяць тому +3

    Love seeing more content made in Unreal

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      I had a great time learning it. Looking forward to making more

  • @cat52
    @cat52 Місяць тому +4

    I loved this!!! Please make more short films like this!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thanks for watching cat! I'm brewing up lots more content like this.

  • @87398
    @87398 Місяць тому

    I must admit it is marvelous if you can do a sequel this would be extraordinary

  • @dennisbrantley6925
    @dennisbrantley6925 Місяць тому +1

    Damn that was good, really enjoyed that. Good story.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thank you for watching Dennis!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thanks for watching! Glad you liked the story!

  • @joelbrecknell1557
    @joelbrecknell1557 Місяць тому +3

    Great work Calvinnnn!!

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thanks for watching Joel! Hope your teeth are doing great. You know, from all that clenching while watching this at the edge of your seat.

  • @coldlyanalytical1351
    @coldlyanalytical1351 Місяць тому +6

    Impressed!

  • @RelaxingMusic-gp3st
    @RelaxingMusic-gp3st 13 днів тому

    Took me till before the initial chase at intro to realize this was CGI. 🤯 EXCELLENT voice acting as it was convincing. 🤩🥳

  • @Rouge_7
    @Rouge_7 Місяць тому +1

    Well done. Exceptional storyline that was well programmed. Very enjoyable, so much so I could watch a 3 hr movie or a weekly series.
    I am looking forward to the behind-the-scenes project along with further completed challenges.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Ah so glad you liked it! I know we'd all love the mini series version of this world too. The BTS is on my channel if you want to check it out. It goes into all the challenges and technical details of achiving this. Thanks so much!

  • @kennypersson2556
    @kennypersson2556 Місяць тому +3

    Beautiful! Love it❤

  • @osmia
    @osmia Місяць тому +3

    Brilliant!

  • @enricoceliz6379
    @enricoceliz6379 Місяць тому +1

    So nice, we need more episodes or part 2

  • @averdadeestalafora.2578
    @averdadeestalafora.2578 28 днів тому +1

    Otimo trabalho.
    Ja pode mostra um trabalho para o cinema.
    Parabéns.

  • @kurtweiand7086
    @kurtweiand7086 Місяць тому +3

    Thanks for this!

  • @bullit4x
    @bullit4x Місяць тому +10

    Looks like a video game storyline from 2019.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thank you! It was definitely inspired by some of my favorite games

    • @noahpennerfilm
      @noahpennerfilm Місяць тому

      The vibes. Little bit of Half-Life, little bit of Stalker. :D

  • @stephendavis4241
    @stephendavis4241 Місяць тому

    My assumption is any any military smart enough to plan an attack, can find the logic in the "Firmware" to open the gate. Lots of good SciFi technical details. Nice Work Teams!!

  • @cyremtutorial27392
    @cyremtutorial27392 Місяць тому +3

    Thats my couzin right there. Yeah. ASTIG..

  • @no-prophet
    @no-prophet Місяць тому +3

    This was amazing, congratulations to the team behind the scenes. It's funny that the girl's droid runs BIOS and Windows.

    • @Bonewerkz
      @Bonewerkz Місяць тому +2

      DOS, with dial up modem.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +3

      Haha thank you for noticing my little nerdy details! I loved the BIOS aesthetic and adding those touches for the eagle eyed

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      @@Bonewerkz Good ear, yes that was really fun to add

    • @noahpennerfilm
      @noahpennerfilm Місяць тому +3

      Thank you! I, too, am relieved that Windows will survive the post-apocalypse.

  • @TMFShooting
    @TMFShooting 28 днів тому +2

    Great Film 💯💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

  • @Scheckler27
    @Scheckler27 21 день тому +2

    This is so fun, awesome and entertaining ! Thanks

  • @lucasjones3338
    @lucasjones3338 Місяць тому +3

    2:45 Boston Dynamics bots would have made that climb

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Haha glad you liked the reference

  • @user-zg6lm8gc9t
    @user-zg6lm8gc9t Місяць тому +3

    То что вы делаете - потрясающе!!!

  • @danawhite9823
    @danawhite9823 Місяць тому

    Thanks guys! I really enjoyed this one. I could see this being a really great feature film and would LOVE to play it as a video game as well.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      I know I'd love to play the video game version of this as well. Thank you so much for watching, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

  • @Sadler2010
    @Sadler2010 23 дні тому

    Great job, you have me wanting the rest of the story now!!!

  • @tonydabaloney
    @tonydabaloney Місяць тому +3

    Nicely done and filmed. All the people with brains are warning us about the danger of AI, but at the same time are working hard to make it happen. How about this for a plot. Man creates human/computer interface along with a net of satellites surrounding the earth and then creates a true AI! WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Oh,right, they already made a movie called The Terminator 1,2,3,4,5 of them. SkyNet is almost complete, thanks ,Mr. Musk.😂😂

  • @eddisonlewis8099
    @eddisonlewis8099 Місяць тому +2

    Loved every bit of the movie AWESOME

  • @youaregodspursuit
    @youaregodspursuit 2 години тому

    Well worth every minute here!

  • @redwolfmaddox3986
    @redwolfmaddox3986 18 днів тому +3

    Chappie????????

  • @rogerlau4932
    @rogerlau4932 4 дні тому

    This is very good. Solid plot, sustained tension, logical and realistic visual scenery. No real surprises, and fairly predictable, but still satisfying conclusion. The woman commander's face was nicely. The animated running of our heroine was stilted, however. Everything else was well worth watching.

  • @MultidimensionalBeing124
    @MultidimensionalBeing124 20 днів тому +2

    I can imagine the future of gaming is going to be a blast, we just have to survive the birthing of the new world. hopefully, its not as depicted as it is here. Your team is very talented.

  • @whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306
    @whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 Місяць тому

    The detail is spectacular. Very easy watch for me. Thanks.

  • @lisetteclay7480
    @lisetteclay7480 Місяць тому +1

    10/10 Great film! Hope to see more from @calvinromeyn in the future! Fantastic acting, loved the cheeky Easter eggs throughout the film. Got some good chuckles in 😂

  • @JasonBlack66
    @JasonBlack66 27 днів тому +1

    SO COOL. I would love to see prequels and seque;ls to this. I would like to see it become a saga.

  • @miguelalonso8543
    @miguelalonso8543 7 днів тому

    Many thanks for the amazing work.

  • @woodstoney
    @woodstoney Місяць тому

    Definitely some excellent production efforts! Very nicely done and certainly open for a continuation.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому

      Thank you! It was a huge team effort between many talented artists. We're super proud of the result and would love to continue the story. Thanks for watching Firmware!

  • @merion297
    @merion297 4 дні тому

    Though the girl got into trouble twice due to his unjustified carelessness, and despite the retro modem sound and "A:\YES", it was damn cool. And finally a short on Dust that has a proper ending. 🤘🏼

  • @russ4024
    @russ4024 Місяць тому

    Amazing environmental storytelling, cool world building, loved it! Looking forward to seeing what else this team puts out

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +2

      Glad you enjoyed our short film. I had a blast designing the world and trying to tell as much as I could visually through subtext. Glad you recognized the effort. Stay tuned for lots more!

  • @d23bw
    @d23bw 19 днів тому

    Thank you creators for this wonderfulness. aAreal intense enjoyment bubble. Top.

  • @SyCoREAPER
    @SyCoREAPER 16 днів тому

    Janky walking, unning and frankly the unsettlingly face of the girl, this was pretty damn good.

  • @PennyPincherCoins
    @PennyPincherCoins 8 днів тому +1

    loved it and hope you the best for movie making!!!

  • @tymonjames8577
    @tymonjames8577 11 днів тому

    Liked this one a lot!
    CGI has come a long way.

  • @Reapersleeper47
    @Reapersleeper47 19 днів тому

    I want to see part 2, simply amazing

  • @TheSilmarillian
    @TheSilmarillian Місяць тому

    Cant even imagine the work that went into making this nice one indeed. Was didn't realise it was it was animated in the beginning ,then it didn't matter hello from down under.

    • @calvinromeyn
      @calvinromeyn Місяць тому +1

      Thanks so much! Definitely a lot of work. Feel free to check out the BTS video on my channel which goes into lots of detail on the making of