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BOTS

BOTS is a comedy short about a woman that grows suspicious of a housefly she believes is watching her. She finds a conspiracy theory about insect drones, and the war begins.

  • Steve Beta
    Director
  • Steve Beta
    Writer
  • Loudbyte
    Producer
  • Ton-Essa La'Rocque
    Key Cast
    "Toni"
  • Steve Beta
    Key Cast
    "Clar"
  • Ton-Essa La'Rocque
    Director Of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 15, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    650 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Red
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Steve Beta

Steve is a director based in Los Angeles. Born in Russia, his family migrated to Chicago, where he developed an interest in filming and producing skateboarding videos. The action sports videos were Steve's introduction to working with professional editors and a great lesson in motivating and inspiring on-camera talent.
Filming became a passion after moving to New York, where Steve studied filmmaking at New York Film Academy and acting at William Esper Acting Studio. Steve produced and starred in a six-week theatrical run of William Mastrisimone's 'Cat's Paw.' The play taught him how to cast talent and was an invaluable learning experience on the significance of marketing and sales. In 2010, he co-founded Loudbyte, a production company offering web commercials and music videos. Steve helped clients get high-quality content with creative solutions on tight timeframes and budgets. In 2020, he wrote, directed, and edited 'BOTS,' a comedy short that won a best actress award, a finalist for best director, best narrative, best comedy short, and was nominated and officially selected for several short film festivals. Steve is currently writing his first feature film, a comedy-drama.

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Director Statement

Written during COVID lockdowns, BOTS is a film about the loss of personal privacy and anonymity from the abuse of technology. The ability to peer within our private homes is the natural progression of surveillance.

But why would someone want to spy on people to such a degree? "Nothing is enough for the man whom enough is too little." Epicurus.

I take my visual inspiration from neo-noir films, specifically dark images that reveal only the necessary elements. I hope to introduce the audience to an entertaining story where nothing is as it seems and inspire a conversation about privacy.