𝙋𝘼𝙍𝘼𝙂𝙊𝙉 | 1980s Sci-Fi Horror Short Film
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ม.ค. 2025
- What if predicting the future had terrifying supernatural consequences?
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"One quiet night in the summer of 1984, an MIT student discovers an unfathomable horror after accidentally inventing a computer program that can predict the future."
‘PARAGON,’ a retro 1980s-style sci-fi horror short film, has captivated audiences worldwide and was an official selection at the Fantasia Film Festival and the Sitges Film Festival-two of the top and most prestigious genre fests in the world.
I’m deeply proud of this project and hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it.
If you enjoy retro sci-fi horror, please share it around with everyone you know!
Ok, sound, music, tone, theme, camera work, visuals, lighting, monster design, set dressing and acting were all… so perfect. Everything Just hit the nail right in the center of the head. Didn’t overstay, didn’t slog or rush. So perfect!
The only thing I had trouble believing was how easily he accepted the predictions as truth, but this is short horror fiction! Totally acceptable premise that he had a deep gut feeling warring with his logical mind that this was somehow, impossibly, true. Absolutely loved it and I hope everyone involved is proud of an amazing creation!
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
And yeah, I've had a lot of people comment on the prediction aspect and I definitely think it's a valid critique. In retrospect I probably would have added a small scene right after he gets the first prediction, where he tests the program on some very small prediction to prove it's telling the truth before getting into the montage to make it a bit more believable, but hindsight is 20/20 obviously lol.
Still, thanks for the comment/feedback and I'm so glad you enjoyed it overall!
@@ColinTreneff yeah, if there is one thing I have learned on TH-cam, any comment I make will have been made 200 times over by much cleverer and probably much ruder people than me lol. But honestly, it doesn’t deserve the level of a “critique” because in my opinion it serves the pacing perfectly and I wouldn’t choose to change it. Just, just *applause* from me, seriously :) be proud
@@benruniko Thank you so much! Means a lot.
@@ColinTreneff I don't think it a fair critique because the program is obviously already operating outside of its parameters. I mean, anyone who ever programed on an Apple knows that this thing is already near magical in just the data is seems to have access to BEFORE it starts making predictions so, it really isn't much of a stretch. Also, this is set in the 80s where the act of spilling champagne on a computer during a massive data download gave it sentience in Electric Dreams so, really? This totally fits.
@@BobBrinkman Hey! Totally understand your perspective and I appreciate the pushback. I do agree the the actual prediction elements in terms of the computer being able to do them / having a program basically act as an encyclopedia in the way it does in the film would have been realistically impossible at the time with that tech, and that WAS definitely intentional - leaning into concepts like WarGames and other 80s films had surrounding the tech of the time as a kind of homage.
But I have gotten a lot of comments from a lot people who have seen it about why Jeremy, the creator, would instantly belive the predictions to be true and not just assume the program is making it up to make me think it might have been better in retrospect to include a little part where he tests it to prove its real, and make it more belivable for the audience from a character perspective rather than a conceptual one if that makes sense.
While I think it is feasible he could believe in his own program, and most people who have seen the film don't seem to have a major problem with it, it probably would have been the safe bet just to add a little testing scene to make it good for everyone, and that I don't think would have really detracted from the story.
It's funny because I showed the script to several of my filmmaking buddies and others before we shot it and no one mentioned that aspect at all, and honestly was only brought up to me once the film was posted online by people who saw it. Getting a wider audience gives you more perspectives haha.
Thanks for your feedback - I really value it and the discussion it prompted!
I did the sound on this! The final product is so radical! I can't wait to show everyone!
Great Job!
The sound design really did it for me
@@R.J.theBad1 Superb job! 👍
Wicked good sound!
Hey RJ your musical score is definitely amazing I had to watch the movie again just to hear the music again and again. Whatever school you went to your music teacher taught you well. You should definitely join Hollywood and become a music director for some of these movie producers. I’m confident that you would do well and get hired in a matter of seconds job well done here
Okay so the Software is selfaware AI that is trying to fight these entities by interfering with their plans by informing people about the future in order to fk it up.
Awesome plot I actually want a full movie on this.
Make It happen Devs!!!
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed and hopefully one day it will be!
What a great movie concept, you've got something going here, hope to see more!👍
@@kurtweiand7086 Thank you, I appreciate it!
Probably the lost soul of Jeremy Wilkins in which the AI is an extension of his soul.
Then why tell someone just to kill them later? That explanation doesn't fit. If anything, the AI seams zealous of the knowledge it provides since it came back to kill him as soon as it saw the backup drive. It's like it doesn't want people to know of it existence or its ability to predict the future.
after the first prediction id be snarkily asking "oh and how do you know" lamo
Haha yeah totally!
Brother, I need more of this. This was fantastic. The atmosphere,music, camera angles, everything was 10/10. I hope this get the attention of the people it needs to get to. Might have just opened my world to short films because I enjoyed every single second of it. I will be watching your career with great interest. Great job, seriously.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it and am so glad you enjoyed!
And this thankfully actually has gotten some attention haha, hopefully one day it can be a larger more realized project, and even if things fall through with the bigger guys, my hope is to do a larger project with this concept on my own if I have to at some point in the future.
In the meantime I will definitely keep making more shorts (though they might not be super frequent) so I promise there will be more to come!
@@ColinTreneff You have a knack for the camera work and world building that is a fact. Much luck to you man, you have a life time fan now.
@@jayw3688 Thank you, very appreciated!
I just wanted to say how much I liked this short. The sound was great. I liked the keyboard clicking. The chosen predictions really rang well with me. Thanks.
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I really appreciate the comment/feedback!
when a " 1980s Sci-Fi Horror Short Film" lands in your timeline, you click no questions asked.
Haha awesome, glad you enjoyed!
Super proud of you Colin, it's been a pleasure to work with you and look forward to what happens next my man!
Thanks Mike! Same to you, I really appreciate it!
This is terrific! The 80's style really makes this film amazing! Very professional, very Polished. Should recieve so much more likes than it has!!!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it!
Did it drive any other 70's/80's kids nuts that the floppy disk wasn't in a sleeve??
Good job on the short!
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
@@ChassitDevereaux traumatizing flashback...
LOL That was the first thing that went through my head! “Well great, that disk is ruined now!”
That scared acting was great! Wonderful concept and 80s feel. Made me feel tense and trapped when he read about the Craftsmen - that painting of a fish in the path of a boat was a nice touch. Really enjoyed (and feared this). Love the music too!
Awesome! Thank you so much for the compliments and I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
That craftsman was looking at him like "are you gonna hand that over or am I gonna have to take you with it?"
If the dude just realized it wasn't worth the risk and forked the thing over he might've lived...
Haha yup! Glad you enjoyed.
I think at that point the Craftsmen had determined he could potentially re-create the program, so he had to go.
@@chrisjones5949 But at that point, I don't think the guy would WANT to try to recreate it. I literally KNEW he was about to just hold that floppy disk up over his shoulder w/o turning around but I guess the guy didn't think of that or figured he was a goner either way.
@@TruthSurge I see your point, but I think the Craftsmen simply did not want to leave a loose end like that. Regardless whether he ever actually *would* create another program, he absolutely *could.* The fact they didn't seem to know about the disk at first suggests their information isn't flawless, so they don't leave it up to chance.
great stuff! These shorts give me more thrills and chills than most big budget horror movies.
Thank you so much, so happy you liked it!
Dude...please make a sequel of some sort. This was the bomb! ❤
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed! And maybe one day I will haha.
The idea of writing an AI for an Apple IIe using BASIC is hilarious if you remember how limited computers of this time were. It also reminds me of the Dodleston case and I was wondering if that was an inspiration?
Hey! Yeah for sure it was a technical impossibility back then, but I was trying to kind of capture the same wonder and excitement people had for computers back then and how they exaggerated what they were capable of (think something like WarGames). I've always felt if it was a cool concept and done well, the feasibility of it doesn't really matter for most people in an audience.
As for the Dodleston case, no I had actually never heard of it before you mentioned this. Super interesting! This film was primarily inspired by films like WarGames, the original 1979 Alien film and H.P. Lovecraft's work and his idea of cosmic horror.
I hope you enjoyed the film!
Hey man, saw your post on Reddit and came here. Really nice work on this!
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks.
Being an 80's kid, I definitely enjoyed this.
The old pc, the floppy disk n everything else. Ohhh and the cool music!
It all was great!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
I know I'm going to sound like I'm probably saying much the same as a lot of these other comments, but f'in amazing. Everything about this film, from lighting, set, props, creature design, build up, overall tension, anxiety inducing moments, acting, mystery surrounding the story (I'm left with questions!) and sound design/music are absolutely on point. I loved every second of this and look forward to hopefully a full-length feature or some form of continuation! Bravo, applause, and one hell of a good job y'all.
Thank you so much for the kind words! So glad you enjoyed, and I really appreciate it!
See if he would have stopped at the Apple prediction, he’d have been set for life!
Haha yup! Glad you enjoyed.
That’s makes no sense it’s prediction but doesn’t affect the outcome it’ll still happen regardless if you ask or not………
So good. All the compliments. Thanks to all involved for their hard work
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate it!
This would make a PHENOMENAL TV Series!!
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed it and I hope one day it can be something more!
Absolutely brilliant! By far, one of the best horror shorts I’ve ever seen. Well done, mate!
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed, and I really appreciate it!
This should be turned into a full fledged horror Sci-fi movie, since its based in 1980's timeline it will be a hit because everyone loves that..Good Job on this movie..
Thank you, I appreciate it and hopefully one day it will be!
But that would ruin the very essence of these short films. That's what makes them so much fun to watch. The level of ambiguity and mystique that usually comes with them is the best part imo.
Damn, everything from the set design, props, casting, acting, music & colours grading - this is amazing. Thanks so much for making this!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it and am so glad you enjoyed it.
this is genuinely incredible dude, can’t wait to see what you do next
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it and I'm so glad you enjoyed!
The idea was strong. The production values are high. The acting is superb. The script was inspired. All in all, a success. Well done.
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
I really like how the scare was executed it was subtle at first but intentional it was very eerie to look at, and it worked so well because of the build up. I love stuff like this.
Awesome, so glad you liked it and I appreciate it! Thanks!
Everything about this is AMAZING and SCARY you´re already an amazing director, congratulations 👏👏👏
Thank you, I really appreciate it and so glad you enjoyed haha!
Came here from the reddit post, this is amazing! The editing is fantastic on this and the colour palette is lovely. Very effective story telling, certainly go to show you don't need a big budget to make something great. This is something that I think would make for a really interesting feature!
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate the comment!
The only time when making a backup is the wrong move! Very nice short!
Haha yup, thank you and I appreciate it!
There's no way he would have believed that the Cubs would finally win a World Series! Lol
Haha yup figured that'd be a fun thing to add in! Hope you enjoyed lol.
One of the most intriguing vids I've ever seen, bravo! 👏
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
Congratulations for the short, I discovered it today, it's an intriguing and mysterious story and it takes place entirely in one room!
Thank you, I really apprecite it and so glad you enjoy!
Really great camerawork and motion for such a claustrophobic set. Really excellent work and I'm excited to see what you put out going forward
Thank you, I really apprecaite and am so glad you enjoyed!
Everything is quite good. Only 2 things didn't land properly:
1- Any 80's geek knows floppy disks are delicate as newborn babies, and not using a sleeve is a sin. Not joking.
2- He accepted the facts quite easily. If he had made some kind of testing on the predictions (like Bill did on Return to the Future) then the plausibility would be stablished and then he would had a solid reason to get so freaked out.
Other than that really god acting, visuals and music!
Hey! Thanks for the comment and feedback. I agree with both points! Especially the second one.
In retrospect I would have added a short moment after he got the first prediction that he could test its abilities (which prove to be true) which then leads in the montage. But it was a learning lesson haha.
Still glad you enjoyed overall, and I appreciate it!
@@ColinTreneffnot sure how you could fact check the future? You did a great job. Thanks. Keep at it!!!!
@@ralphllivrah9551 Thank you! So my thought was he could do something in his room at his desk or something, or a small event would happen (like a specific item falling off a shelf, which Paragon predicted seconds before it happened, idk, something simple but specific like that) which would give enough of a reason for the protagonist and the audience.
Really beautiful, if one day you make a long film about it I will definitely see it!
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I hope one day I can do something longer with this concept!
I enjoyed every second of it. The atmosphere, the plot, music. Very good one.
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate it!
The music immediately hooked me, great job on this would love a follow up or something from this same world
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed and I hope one day there can be some kind of longer form film of this concept!
most enjoyable short I've see here in a long time.. very well paced and executed... Kudos to all involved
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciated it!
love it!! I want a complete film now!!! where did you find the theme music?? i love it
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed! I actually composed the theme music myself!
@@ColinTreneff can you drop a video of that music!! It's Super cool
@@ilcreatoren5846 So glad you liked it, I appreciate it! And at some point I will try to, it's not online publically right now but whenever I do upload it I'll respond with a link to this comment haha.
Got this randomly in my feed. But I'm glad I watched it. Good stuff!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
Wow, that's incredible, man. Technically outstanding. Congratulations! I can’t wait to see more!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate it!
I came from Reddit to drop a like. Keep doing great work!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate it!
Very interesting concept! The music and sound design were pretty neat. And whoever did the subtitles was committed to the cause lol
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
That gave me chills, amazing work, lighting, camera angles and plot, need more.
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate it!
Dudee fkin awesome.. it kept me on my edgee .. i have adhd and cant keep my self focused but u sirr .. made me watch everything. ... U will reach greater heights i promise.. truly a inspiration fr
Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words and I'm so glad you enjoyed!
Bravo, This is the Flavor, I have been missing since 1977
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed.
Really good!! I can't wait for more!!!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
Ohhhhh YES! This was a hell of a ride.
Really liked how it doesn't go in the classic "in the year 2xxx the world will ends" or "You will die blablabla" but goes full Clarke/Bradbury style.
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed and I really appreciate it!
Saw this short film on standard story company, man you have crazy skills. I've already subscribed and eagerly waiting for your next short film.
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I really appreciate it!
Fantastic film!
Thank you!
Hey Collin can I please sample this score?
Well done! I love how suspenseful the film was. Every scene got me to the edge of my seat.
Thank you so much, so glad you liked it!
Is the musical score available anywhere? It's awesome!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed! Unfortunatley the music isn't public anywhere right now, most of it is royalty free stuff which I found off of artlist.io, and while I made the intro, montage and credit music myself, I haven't uploaded the songs anywhere publically. At some point in the future I may upload my songs to this channel but it may be a while.
That was one of the best horror shorts I’ve watched in a looong time!! Great work!! 👍
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
SO SICK!! I made a short film with a similar style, but this is such a huge step up!! Really beautiful work and i cant wait to see more!!
Thanks man! I really appreciate it. Just went to your channel and saw it and it was dope in its own right, so great job on it as well!
Wow. Really wasn't buying the premise but the craftsmanship was so good it still got to me.
Hey! Totally understand, and still glad you liked aspects of it. I appreciate it!
This was pretty damn perfect. GREAT JOB!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
Haven't appreciated any horror shorts lately, this short was amazing to me. Because from my POV random facts that were mentioned was mix of normal to bad outcomes, of which the bad outcomes had negatively effected human society around the world.
I don't know whether these facts were intentional but from my POV all these 'bad facts' were pretty 'upsetting'.
Summing these factors, IMO the static being that attacked 'Paragon' and our protagonist is either - a parallel dimension being living outside time stream or is an alien that have tech to either predict future like 'paragon' does or can travel in time to eliminate factors that may negatively effect their favourable outcomes. This being reminds me of 'Therns' from 'John Carpenter of Mars'.
The protagonist was not a typical over optimistic 'foolish character' who does nothing but stands there as NPC. He has quick thinking and knows what's needed to be done. When he hides in closet that's where the horror begins.
Not to mention the horror build-up was quite 'one-sided', first it began with enthusiasm, next with creepiness and finally with fear.
What's more is that the protagonist was so relatable and they leave no windows to put up question for 'what if' situation.
Nice work guys.👏🏻
Thank you so much for the feedback and comment, super insightful analysis and I really like hearing people's opinions and interpretations on the film.
The negative facts were definitely intentional, wanted to give that foreboding feeling so you are spot on in that regard. I also imagined these beings as cosmic like entities that kind of controlled everything lovecraft style, so your first explanation is probably the closet IMO.
So glad you enjoyed the film and I really appreciate the comment!
What a great short. Excellent production on all levels.
Fantastic, thank you so much for the compliment! I really appreciate it and am so glad you enjoyed it.
Loved the short film! Really hoping to see a full length movie.
Thanks man, I really appreciate it and hope we can make one too!
I love this film. It should be made into a full feature or a series!
@@Susan-u2j Thank you! Maybe one day it will be, stay tuned!
Definitely enjoyed this one! Nice job. 👏🏻
@@royceanne7986 Awesome, thank you!
Wow, this was awesome!! Every aspect was so great and perfect. Loved the music
Congrats
Awesome, thank you so much and I'm so glad you enjoyed!
I'd love to see this get a feature length adaptation. Great work!
Haha hopefully one day, so glad you enjoyed!
Every thing regarding the 70es (my childhood) and the 80's (my teenage) have me at 100%.This short is a little masterpiece and deserves to become a full movie 👍
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate it!
im a big fan of horror movies and scary writings. couldn't find anything worthy during past several years, cos i seem to watch and read everything haha. THIS IS SO COOL MAN! I LOVE IT. as everyone wrote, the music is perfect, visuals, quality omggg. im excited to see other stuff!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate the response and am so glad you enjoyed the film. Thanks!
That was awesome! Can’t wait to see more from you!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
Incredible short film! I saw it on the Sitges Film Festival and it was one of my favourites. I'm currently analysing it as my homework so I must have seen it 10 times 😂
Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed it and I really appreciate the comment!
The idea has some serious potential, and the execution was sleek!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
Now this I would like to see more of, the tension build up was the chefs kiss 😊.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed, thank you!
I’m a short horror & thriller enthusiast. This was so well done.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Great story, actor, great everything. Would love to see this as a feature film.
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed and hopefully one day!
Never thought an old Apple console could be so scary, well done ❤
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Better than Hollywood.
Haha thank you!
This is really rad. Well done to everyone involved. Love the Alien poster, too. Project goals!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely outstanding job. Great attention to detail on 1980's aesthetics.
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
Pretty rad short dude! My family's 1st computer was a Tandy 1000. Looked very similar to this one! Really takes me back!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it.
I would definitely pay to see a full film in the cinema. This was amazing!!
Thank you, I appreciate it and hopefully one day haha!
Fantastic, simply fantastic ! What gave you the inspiration for the script and the craftsmen ?
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
The inspiration for the script came from the computer itself - a buddy of mine had access to it and I wanted to write a film around it because I am a huge fan of those old clunky computer aesthetics.
From there the thought process was "well I have an old computer, maybe lets make a period piece - well should there be a narrative reason it's a period piece? - maybe the computer can predict the future - ok if it can predict the future what's the conflict - maybe there are beings who don't want the future being known?"
It was kind of a piece by piece thing based on what I had access to haha, didn't come up with the idea fully formed.
Truly exceptional storytelling! A perfectly crafted tale. Can't wait to see more.
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate it!
wow. you are an awesome film director! I like this movie. music is so good. and editing is good too. you are nearly genius.
@@winprgmr Haha thank you, so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate the compliments!
my friend suggested this video for me to do a reaction to well done really enjoyed it keep up the good work what a ride
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! And yeah feel free to make a reaction if you want!
@ColinTreneff ty 😊 made one have a epic day 😎
@@ironmanduck Awesome, thanks!
That was awesome!!!
Thank you, I appreciate it and glad you enjoyed!
this one was pretty good, GJ!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
This was amazing! Perfect eighties vibes. Well done.
Haha, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!
This is so great! Great story and great 80-s feeling!!!
@k3lash174 Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
HOW IS THIS NOT FAMOUS?
Haha started getting some good views recently so maybe one day it will be hopefully!
This is great! I’m an 80s child and you did a great job of building tension, but without it being over the top or too “80s” nice
Thank you! I really tried to make it feel authentic so that's so great to hear, so glad you enjoyed it!
Very cool and original. Loved the music.
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
i love this!, at the beginning i thought it was a trailer.... o man, this could be a great movie! good job!
Thank you, I apprecaite it and glad you enjoyed!
Brother you tied together God like visuals and sound! Love it!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed!
Really cool work!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
He needed to check the calendar to make sure of the year lol.
Haha yup!
Now this is great already as a short but it would be great if it will turns in a full movie..
Big shoutout to soundtrack too
Awesome synths work!
Thanks a lot!
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed and I really appreciate it!
This is a really polished and Sleek short film I applaud you for that. I can't help but feel though that it could have been so much more substantial. Pacing was really tight, but in my opinion the first half could have gotten to the point a lot quicker. Overall really well done. I enjoyed it a lot. Please continue to make more stuff!!!
Hey, totally understand your perspective and apprecaite the feedback. Still glad you enjoyed it overall. Thank you, I appreciate it!
@ColinTreneff 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🙏🏽
This is prime time worthy.Outstanding piece of cinema.OMG.
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed and I really appreciate it!
Excellent. Love the retro gear big time !
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed.
Goodlord, this was so tense I could not even stay still on the bed.
Haha thank you, glad you enjoyed!
Very, very good. Great sound design, visual and the guy's acting was superb. Riddler-esque.
Awesome, thank you so much and so glad you enjoyed!
awsome
Thanks!
Loved the short, there were some great ideas, Paragons got to have a sequel.
Thank you, I really appreciate it and hopefully one day haha!