VIDA

A servant robot must overcome its feelings of imperfection and adapt to free will after being bestowed consciousness by its loving creators.

  • Louis Schwartz
    Director
  • Grant Chauncey
    Writer
  • Matias Montemayor
    Producer
  • Kevin Andrew Grady
    Key Cast
    "Nev"
  • Emily Juliette Murphy
    Key Cast
    "Petra"
  • Levi Petree
    Key Cast
    "VIDA (voice)"
  • Chloe Leis
    Key Cast
    "VIDA (suit)"
  • Ed Ko
    Director of Photography
  • Evan Nowack
    Editor
  • Ryan Lew
    Sound Design
  • Matisse Kellner
    Production Design
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Drama
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 37 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 20, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Chapman University - Dodge College of Film & Media Arts
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Louis Schwartz

Louis is a director who hopes to one day represent the Filipino community in the film industry. He enjoys telling stories that comment on social issues, affecting its audience and shifting perspectives. Besides filmmaking, Louis is an avid car enthusiast who also loves photography, playing video games, and spending time with his loved ones.

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Director Statement

The eyes are useless when the mind is blind. I think we can all agree that independence is a wonderful thing. We as a human race excel in our ability to think freely and create extraordinary feats with our boundless creativity. Although AI technology is growing in its ability to mimic human creativity, it still lacks true humanity, unable to perfect the intricacies of the human mind. As the years go by, I can feel myself shaping into a more independent thinker with far more complex thoughts than I did when I was in my youth. I’m becoming an adult, a real adult, and I’m having thoughts & worries that I didn’t have when I was a happy-go-lucky teenager.

Sometimes I miss the blissful ignorance I had in my youth, when my understanding of the world was so narrow and my concerns were so arbitrary. Back then, disappointment and failure hurt far less than it does now. It was worth it though. Growing from my limited outlook to become a more conscious & independent person has made life far more meaningful. Enduring immense stress is worth it when you’re able to persevere through it. Now love feels so much more fulfilling than it ever did. I’m glad to have grown from my naivety, but in moments of intense stress I can often wish for the simplicity I once had.

The idea for VIDA first came to me during a moment of absolute fear, wherein my emotions overtook my body, paralyzing it. That night I wanted to escape my own mind, I wished I had another. I yearned for the mind of a computer, where every question had an answer based on a series of calculated variables. My exaggerated feelings of doubt and self-hatred would cease if my mind operated like a robot. I would be free of my emotions. From that experience I became interested in exploring the human condition through the point of view of a robot that’s granted human consciousness. I want to portray how overwhelming it would be to go from a child’s perspective to an adult one in a matter of seconds. With VIDA I want the audience to recognize the benefits and downsides of human autonomy. To show the beauty of the world, as well as the harshness of it. Ultimately I want the audience to pursue a life of independence rather than revert to child-like obedience.

- Grant Chauncey, Screenwriter