Experiencing Interruptions?

true_self.exe

Logline: A young woman becomes obsessed with the perfect alter ego living inside
of her computer, and must embrace her insecurities in order to free herself from the ego’s
overbearing pull.

Synopsis: A young woman's insecurities rise as she browses through flawless images of women on her computer. Upon taking a selfie within an application called "true_self.exe", she sees her selfie transform into her perfect, idealized alter ego. This ego pulls the young woman into a hypnotic trance, in which she has a psychological experience which forces her to come face to face with her own insecurities.

  • Victoria Cruell
    Director
  • Nga Weng Chio
    Composer
  • Ethan Zeitman
    Sound Designer and Mixer
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Psychological, Thriller, Mental Health, Coming of Age
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 18, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Southern California
  • Student World Impact Film Festival

    June 19, 2023
    World Premiere
    Semi-Finalist for Best Super Short Film
Director Biography - Victoria Cruell

From a young age, Victoria has been captured by hand drawn animation and the magic of making a character come to life. Her early interests have led her to pursue extensive education in animation studies. She attended college in North Carolina, where she is originally from, at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she earned her BFA in Filmmaking, with an Animation concentration. In 2021, she earned a Certificate of Achievement from Gobelins, l'école de l'image, after being accepted into their 2D Animation Online Summer School. Most recently, she completed her MFA degree in Animation and Digital Arts at the University of Southern California.

Victoria is excited by any project that gives her the opportunity to draw and paint. She enjoys narratives which are heartfelt and psychological, which reflect the inner-emotional experience. She likes using her art to capture a character’s personal moments and emotional states. In her work, she often creates stories which stimulate self-reflection. Her goal as a storyteller is to create characters and worlds that are relatable and believable to her audiences, and to tell stories that authentically portray diverse perspectives, empowering both women and underrepresented communities. She hopes to one day reach a place where she can share her art with audiences through a wide variety of creative outlets, and work on a series of impactful projects which touch people’s hearts.

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