Sci-Fi Short Film "What Once Was" | DUST | Flashback Friday
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- An interstellar mission crash lands on an abandoned earth now devoid of life and water. In a race against time and resources they must not only survive the elements but face what once was.
Survival is only the beginning.
"What Once Was" by Sean G. Penberthy
More About "What Once Was":
A century after Earth was abandoned, a returning salvage mission crashes on the planet and maroons the surviving astronauts in a wasteland, devoid of life and water. In a race against time and resources, the remaining crew must search for a deserted launch facility and soon discover that their greatest threat isn’t the environment, but each other.
A message from the filmmaker:
The idea came from the challenge of telling the story about a broken family and how each of them is dealing with the pieces that are left. On top of that I wanted the story to be based in the science fiction world, but also not rely on visual effects and keep as much of it as possible, practical. The idea is to throw the audience into a world that was familiar but also something empty, stark and alien at the same time; something that would reflect the family’s current emotional state. I wanted to build a world that was much larger and felt deeper than the time we were confined to. There’s definitely a story before where we pick up and there is certainly one after we leave our characters, but I wanted to focus on the crux, the turning point where it all goes awry. That’s where the interest lies, that’s where the emotions boil over. The film gives a glimpse into this world and touches on the depth of their emotions, sending us on a journey that proves that the past often dictates the future, and knowing who to trust isn’t always as clear as it seems.
More about the filmmaker:
Writer, Director and Producer Sean Gregory Penberthy grew up in suburban Michigan where he attended various Art Schools and learned to hone his skills in Painting and Sculpting.
At 22 he joined the Military and served as a MARSOC Marine through wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon his return, he concluded his education and graduated from California State University, Northridge School of Film & Television Arts with a degree in Cinematography. He found his first production jobs working for visual effects houses Method Studios and Company 3 employed as a digital artist on such films as “Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides,” “The Tree of Life” and “Let Me In”.
Having learned the foundations and importance of detail in high-budget filmmaking, Sean began creating his own content by writing and shooting commercials and music videos for local businesses and musicians. With limited funding, he was forced to refine his skills in all aspects of filmmaking serving as his own Writer, Cinematographer, Editor and Visual Effects Artist. His first directorial hit was a music video “The Edge of Glory,” a story about equal rights that received international acclaim and more than 20 million views.
Branching out, Sean moved on to work as a Producer and Editor in network television helping to create shows for National Geographic, TLC and Discovery. Recently he completed the short film; “What Once Was” having won Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture on the festival circuit. He is currently in production on the short film “Lost Archipelago” and a yet to be titled feature film, due out in 2020.
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#DUST #scifi #shortfilm
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That vinyl cushioned 1960's era chair at the end... been looking for one of those for a long time. It's worth coming back to earth just for that chair...
🤣👍
My thoughts are that any short movie that makes a person think or reflect on life or certain aspects of your life is a winner to me . I love things like this that just kinda makes a person emotional . I give it the thumbs up .
With all of these eloquent reviews, I feel that I must append: "Bummer dude, looks like you're hosed".
Not all scifi needs to have high action content. Thought provoking and leaving you wanting more. WELL done!
Dang. Sad, but a great movie! There musn't necessarily be a 'happy ending[' to have a great movie. Thank you, DUST!
Happy Ending…😅
A well-filmed story whose message can be interpreted in different ways. Probably it’s about the fact that you need to value your loved ones, because grievances are forgiven and time can’t be returned. But the transience of time should serve as a reason to value your loved ones more, and not to deceive yourself. That woman didn't want to face the truth, which is why everyone ended up getting hurt. Although maybe I got it all wrong, in any case, I think I'm smart enough to distinguish noteworthy work from nonsense, and this story definitely deserves attention. 👌
Wow! This one got me. Excellently done!
I was left wanting more. Well done. And I’d also say that the talent was an even spread.
🤘🏼❤️🤘🏼
Peace and Lots of Love from Mumbai India ❤️💯👌✨
Definitely a case of style over substance. The visual directing was superb, and the acting was really good (unlike many of these sci-fi shorts), but the story itself was lacking, depressing at best to completely void of any direction or meaning.
I'm very glad to see these kinds of comments, since I also couldn't say with certainty what the point of this short film was. Thank you for the fact that now I won’t consider myself stupid !
@@cinemartin3530 I don't know - if you didn't get the point of this short then maybe you should consider yourself stupid. Just saying.
So robot kids sabotages mission, kills everyone, except 3. Then they perish. Great story bro... Nice development, but I think you forgot to write an ending or present a point.
Nice cinematic effects.
I love this little movie, it is so very sad. I was so sad watching this movie, but I love this movie, brings back some very sad memories - I just can't stop crying......
Thank You So Much....
Very Much Enjoyed It............
Now the 3rd time watching.........
Yes George...I agree. Many of us have tragic stories we don't share with the world but can relate internally with this... Unfortunately, this is the case throughout the planet now.
🦿Looks like the Kid🦾 won the Custody Battle💀
🐼 Big Panda Bear Hugs from a 70 yr old grandma in Texas, USA and by the way l'm subscribed and l hit Like. 🐼 ❤
I am so confused.
The A.I. replacement daughter manipulated it's way into a "You're all going to die ďown here" situation, after a short time deliberating the uselessness of the crew.
Yep. Shut it off. Not for me.
I think it was a very interesting concept.
Excellent, Dust 4 Hollywood 0...As always.
It was good the first time. Its still good.
Very nice.
Omg I’m homeless. My so was killed last year and he had to wait while I begged for help to at least get him creamated. He’s with me again now. He would always tell me. Mom your my best friend.❤ I feet like a failure because I can’t afford to bury him.
Funny thing I've learned about the human body: it goes through X amount of water per hour no matter what you do. Conserving or rationing drinking water does nothing to slow this down.
Not true... Breathing heavy and throught the mouth have statistically profound variance. 🧠
Anyone else annoyed that they couldn't see the credits?
So what was the robots reason for sabotage? This makes no sense.
✨⏳✨
Penberthy is a Cornish surname, dude must have Cornish heritage👍
If you need a paragraph of text to explain the story then you haven't made a film that tells us a story. Thus, the film is incomplete and doesn't work as intended.
To me, It shows the other side of the story. When all hope is lost. I always prefer to see some sort of escape and victory for the protagonist. I guess, it was not to be found here.
Nice story DUST _bUDDY
Started out well but turned out to be very disappointing and just ‘meh’
Time is realitive, precious, and a burden
Great analogy of suffering and survival in the midst of adversity.
The back ground music is much too loud !!!! Makes it hard to understand the dialogue !!!
don't worry. you didn't miss a thing... Dust is really lossing it's relavance.
Like most Dust content, this was simply the art of production values far outweighing the art of story telling.
Why do i still watch Dust? Occasionally there's the odd gem, but in reality, it's down to the two old H's - Habit and Hope.
@@000aleph Lol, yeah 👍
👍👀
369 👍's up DUST thank you for sharing 😅
It was very sad, but I had hope in the end. I was expecting the woman would be revieled as a robot, too. In other words, something for him to mourn with.
Interesting, but still too many dangling threads, before and after a brief glimpse into this moment, like a window into a much larger story. Superbly acted, much credit for the production, but this could have been expanded to a much longer and larger production, maybe a feature length film waiting for its future moment of inception.
Yes!
Ill thought out waste of time. No continuity, no explanation. Barley a storyline. Jusy a bully with control of the water
🤔
So why did small wonder want to be alone on the planet?
🤔
Good cinematography. good costumes. good acting. etc.
🤔
How could it be a support robot, a cunning predator and a corporate employee all at the same time?
Are there plot holes to be ironed out?
🤔
All I ever see with these robot, android, synthetic human stories is an adaptation of something Isaac Asimov thought up 70 odd years ago.
I think this is a beautiful story.. Well done..
Seven minutes in and had to read read comments if going to continue watching the rest... that's always a bad sign of a dud movie.
I watched a few DUST films, but this is the first one I didn't like. It was too grim, too passive and pointless, One could seek something in it, but the form overgrew the content.
Nah....time watches us at the bottom of trap...😂
😎
Engrossed in the realm of online storytelling, I've been diving deep into short tales for days now. It all started when TH-cam threw one my way, and since then, I've been on a rollercoaster ride of sense and nonsense. Occasionally, a story clicks, but most just leave me thinking, "Well, that's time I'll never get back." Still, I keep scrolling, hoping to stumble upon those rare gems that make it all worth it. It's become a sort of routine-wading through a sea of randomness, hoping for that one story that makes me pause and think. And so, I continue, losing hours to this digital pursuit, unable to break free from its grip.
Strange and sad
I read through hoping to find the actors names
Me too.
_Working ._
The confrontation scene in the beginning is like a goddamn master class in acting where it switches from one character to the next into the next but, I am no expert but the conveyance of emotion and anger through each individual character and the nonchalance and the honesty of the AI, it was all so beautifully acted and written I really felt that. I don't like a lot of movies nowadays mainly because they're low budget and one of the big differences in a large-scale production and low budget isn't always the special effects it's location, what I mean to say is a lot of movies take place in one or two locations like a sitcom, and to me there's just not enough visual stimuli going on. but I guess that's not it at all. after watching this I realize it's not the visual stimuli or lack of. being in one location it's just bad acting or lack of acting skill. and watching this I realized that good actors can do more with less, they don't need big set pieces they don't need a whole bunch of locations, like they're filming a episode of Miami vice. they need soul you don't have soul without raw talent what I mean by soul is when you have that thing it makes you real and without talent it's like a person without a soul it's just an animated automaton some of these actors and actresses are just Frankenstein's monster with beauty. when you have that soul, you can become the character you can emote you don't always need to cry on command to be able to emote. I don't even know where all of these thoughts are coming from I saw this scene and I was affected I was profoundly affected I actually didn't even have to concentrate I absorbed it. it actually made my day it was beautiful. I am so sorry that this rant went on and on but it showed me something about my own life and me being a lifelong movie lover why I don't like modern movies because most of them are straight to video nowadays and they're in one place I realize that that's not it at all it's just a paycheck for the actors and actresses they don't even bother to put out their best then I see something like this and it woke me up and I realize that you don't need to go a bunch of different places you just need to have the passion you need to have the soul. and closing thank you for this thank you very much
The music at the beginning is of poor quality, as if it was recorded illegally in a movie theater.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:04 ⏳ *El tiempo es fundamental en la trama de la historia y afecta todas las vidas de los personajes.*
02:56 💧 *La escasez de agua se convierte en un problema crucial para los personajes mientras luchan por sobrevivir.*
04:38 🚀 *La misión espacial resultó ser un viaje de ida, y no se esperaba que nadie regresara a casa.*
06:35 🔍 *Se revela que alguien manipuló la órbita de la nave, lo que llevó al accidente y a la tragedia.*
09:01 😡 *Los personajes tienen conflictos personales y emocionales relacionados con la creación de un ser artificial.*
12:10 🐺 *Se comparte una historia que refleja temas de traición y engaño en la narrativa.*
15:04 💔 *Los personajes enfrentan momentos emotivos y de despedida en medio de la adversidad.*
Made with HARPA AI
Useless.
Bom
And the point is…the only thing that will eventually be the only survivor is the kid whose not really a kid?
sadly I don't think there was one. Just a waste of 20 minutes of a lot of people's time.
@@NWTejas good point.
Ok as far as it went, limping. Find a writer. Finish the plot.
Boring... Acting and Drama, for nothing... Waste of my time.
Huh? With a budget that I presume is quite generous, you should aspire to match your content/stories with your visuals and production quality. There is a gulf between the two and it is frustrating. This is beautiful nothing.
Best wishes.
I'm assuming her husband and child were both recreated as Androids by her.
good film
"Twilight Zone" did it better.
Sorry but this one was boring
Despite of differences and difficulties both men have good haircuts and shaved cheeks so they will eventually overcome all difficulties their so called coexistence
BORING! ..
It isn’t central to the story line, but why make it a one-way trip? To force a repopulation of the planet? Did the artificial girl perceive a threat? What?
A reply to another comment was the original poster didn’t understand the message. The message in the title. I don’t get it either and would appreciate an explanation.
Crap
never trust a fkn robot..
Pretentious, ponderous, pointless. A triumph of style over content and meaning.
9.5 minutes of shouting in a wasteland. I'm done.
Is it just me but 3 ad's? What is happening with this channel?
Gloom and Doom. Don't care for it. 👎
WTF was that? Slow tedious pointless... and then nothing. You hit the trifecta.
Visualbullshit.
The only thing sci-fi about this is that they are wearing spacesuits….rubbish
Based on the comments. I won't watch it. This means it's a very poor storyline or poorly thought out in getting whatever across including nothing. Next!
Repost of film I watched a long time ago. Meh.
That's why it's called "Flashback Friday"
Alright. Yes, yes, that's true. >end a comm.
Tatplah 👁ini 👁jg kau lepas lagi. In english, Got to perceive, never let go, Furthermore, .. between the eyes or this 🎮
First comment 😅