Experiencing Interruptions?

You Are Not A Robot

Addressing the struggles of modern living, Aaron White’s "You Are Not a Robot" is a thought provoking and timely discussion of what it means to be human.

  • Donald McQuade
    Director
  • Aaron White
    Writer
  • Katheryn Heffelmire
    Producer
  • Aaron White
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Darrel “Friidom” Dunn
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Matt Hill
    Director of Photography
  • Niki Hunter
    Editor
  • Paul Vasquez
    Co-Editor
  • Darrel “Friidom” Dunn
    Choreography
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Other
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 20, 2019
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Donald McQuade

Donald is a Florida native, coffee addict, and award winning writer/director. His work is highly stylized and informed by a love of the innovative and the unexpected. He studied film at Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. Once in Los Angeles, Donald’s strengths as a storyteller made him a highly sought after script doctor and ghost writer for feature films before transitioning to directing music videos and commercials. As a filmmaker, his work has featured the talents of Ciara, Leah Michelle, John Legend, Regina King and Eva Longoria.

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Director Statement

In the summer of 2014, I was an aspiring filmmaker working a day job in marketing.  This certainly wasn't the dream, but it paid the bills and I was thankful for that.  It was during this time that I was invited to "The Blood They Shed", a one man show written and performed by Aaron White.  Watching him perform, I understood so much of who Aaron was, not only as an artist, but as a person.  We struck up a friendship, infrequently sharing where we both were at in terms of our creative pursuits.  Five years passed, I was still working the same day job and feeling particularly drained.  I felt like I was stuck in an endless cycle of working long hours that prevented me from pursuing anything of meaning.  I felt like I had lost touch with my own need to be creative.  I felt like I was living my life by just going through the motions.  It was during one of our infrequent conversations that I shared all of this with Aaron.  It was then that he brought up a new piece he was writing, "You Are Not a Robot".  The video for "You Are Not a Robot" would become the first project I would direct since leaving that old marketing job.  Rewatching it now, it feels very tied to that moment of transition in my life.  I like to think of it as an anthem of sorts, calling out the traps we all find difficult to avoid while also encouraging us to live with purpose.