Experiencing Interruptions?

On the Internet, Nobody Knows You're a Dog

While watching a romantic comedy, a man insults and teases the characters until they confront him from the screen.

  • Olivia Dance
    Director
  • Olivia Dance
    Writer
  • Olivia Dance
    Producer
  • Andrew Van Wilpe
    Key Cast
    "John"
  • Ilona Chesanovska
    Director of Photography
  • Olivia Dance
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Fantasy
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 22 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    Czech Republic
  • Country of Filming:
    Czech Republic
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Prague Film School
Director Biography - Olivia Dance

Olivia Dance grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she went on to study documentary filmmaking. At age 19, due to the war, she fled to Prague, Czech Republic where she is currently based. That same year she attended a narrative filmmaking course at Prague Film School where she wrote, directed and edited her short film “On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog”.

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Director Statement

I’ve been unsettled by how easy it is to judge others online, shielded by the anonymity of our screens. The film’s title comes from the expression: "On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog." that highlights our ability to present ourselves online however we want without having to face the consequences.
Through this film, I hope viewers consider how they would react if confronted by the characters. Would this experience humanize the two-dimensional images that we scroll through daily? Or would it make us more aggressive and bitter? After all, when overwhelmed by content, sometimes we just need a moment of looking out the window to break the cycle.
The biggest production challenges were shooting with a green screen and recording two sides of the dialogues separately. This required a lot of detailed planning for the edit to work, especially it being my first ever short film.
However the cast and crew made the shoot a remarkably smooth experience despite the lack of rehearsals and shortage of people. Some even tackled multiple roles: the actor, assistant director and gaffer all managed sound recording throughout the production. At one point, the crew began assisting with lunch, saving us a lot of time and allowing us to wrap early. This was a shoot that set the foundation for my creative confidence and very meaningful friendships.