Sci-Fi Short Film "Darkside" | DUST

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Hi everyone!! I'm Spencer, the writer and director of 'Darkside'. Thanks so much for tuning in! Feel free to ask me anything about the making of the film, sci-fi, space travel, or just life in general! I'll be here all weekend :)

[@vruguera-zra-z9440]

OH ⚡⚡⚡⚡

[@thetezz0001]

The audio is all over the place to quiet them blasts so have to turn it up and down

[@Syreal92]

:)

[@oem69]

Great. Congratulations from Germany!!

[@MikkiThaiGuy13]

Hi Spencer, great short film. How much does a production like that cost start to finish?

[@MochaMage]

I worked on the costumes of this short! I'm so happy this film is now public I've been itching to share it with people!! edit: Should clarify, I was a costume assistant, for those praising my work, cause technically im not even credited in the desc 😅 There were 4 of us: 2 designers, and 2 assistants. I did work on the spacesuit but main praise should absolutely go to Tabeni and Alex who pulled an all nighter the night before filming to make sure everythings together! I did make sure everything stayed together while filming tho 😂

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

And did a fantastic job might I add!!!!!

[@carsona5535]

Well you've done a fantastic job! Especially the spacesuit. Its a design I could see us actually using one day. Very reminiscent of the NASA concept designs that came out several years ago.

[@AcapulKero]

Very professional! You should work in Hollywood!

[@nathanwildthorn6919]

Exquisite costume detailing and weathering. So authentic! And well-tailored, I must add. ❤️

[@stevenscott2136]

Is there a reason the helmet was three times larger than it needed to be AND obstructed vision in most directions?

[@Albtraum_TDDC]

I think so too, the wolves are from the far future of "Titan". Do you agree with my whole theory? In the beginning the man and woman had a daughter on Earth. But she died and they were sad. Then the Genesis 1 team had an issue and there was an SOS signal. The man was very qualified and he wanted to go to save them (maybe because he couldn't save his daughter). The woman thought he wanted to run away from their feelings/relationship. But he thought he'd take her with him instead on this "hero's journey" and she agreed (perhaps she felt the same as he). They went on the rescue mission, Genesis 2. One day there was an accident and she died along with the rest of the Genesis 2 crew. Only the man survived. Mission Control suggested to him to return as his ship was damaged and the Genesis 1 people hadn't contacted them at all in the last 6 months. But the man had now lost everything (woman and child) and wanted to press on, to find absolution in rescuing the people. Perhaps he already knew they were dead in his mind, but he wanted to die trying. Desperately sad, tragic. When he landed in Titan, wounded by an explosion during the atmosphere re-entry, he finally reached his destination. He found the SOS beacon and the skeletons of the dead crew of the Genesis 1 mission. He died from blood-loss, while hallucinating of his love (wife). The seed that his daughter had given his wife, fell into the pool of his blood. Perhaps this kick-started the evolution of life on Titan. Or maybe there was some terraforming going on in the following years, but it doesn't matter. Their "blood" mixed with the planet's new biosphere and became part of the cycle of life there. The wolves eating the dead animal are part of that future. The end.

[@joestitz539]

No wolves.. He just died n rotted

[@siobhanconnors1138]

What an absolute honor it was to work on this film. Congrats team 😊

[@Albtraum_TDDC]

All the acting was just right. Not too cheesy, not fake, not grandiose. Very hard to pull off. I guess the editor did a great job too.

[@barrahart]

A stellar performance. Kudos from this scifi storyteller!

[@harshdeshmukh3021]

Whenever, I see short films on Dust.. I don't understand them.. ☺️

[@debrajean9432]

I always need to read the comments to understand the video.

[@markpranke1438]

@@debrajean9432 me 2

[@js7un165]

The special effects in these movies, particularly this one, are amazing. They look so real you don't have to pretend, they just blend in while still being powerful.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you!! We tried our hardest to use as many practical effects and physical sets as we could to build a realistic world 🌎

[@legend9335]

Thanks, I needed cheering up.

[@gringote1783]

FINALLY CLOSED CAPTIONS! THANK U FOR LISTENING DUST!!

[@andreazevedo3707]

If someone could not fully understand the plot, I arranged the story as I understood: - They have a kid. The kid gives a nut to the mother - 2:16 - They lose their child - probably drowned at the lake - 7:49 - She keeps the nut in a necklace, as a memento of their lost child - 7:51 - There is a mission (Genesis I), lost in Titan, sending an SOS signal - 2:35 - He wants to go on the rescue mission, but she accuses him of trying to escape (the loss of their child) - 6:18 - He applies to the mission - 3:17 - It appears that he went alone - 3:40 - But he convinced her to go with him on the rescue mission - 8:08 - There's a critical malfunction, he tries to fix but there is an explosion, that kills the crew - 1:08 - He looks from the outside and sees the corpse of his wife. The inside wall (our view) shows a lot of blood - 1:15 - They advise him to come back - 1:35 - His mission is called Genesis II - 4:11 - He recovers the nut necklace from the body of his deceased wife - 8:15 - He hears the SOS signal again, and decides to continue the mission anyway - 5:46 - He is deadly wounded in the entrance into Titan's atmosphere - 7:12 - The surface of Titan is desolate, no life, just a desert - 7:28 - Despite being wounded, he gathers his last strength to get to the lost crew of genesis I, but it's too late; he only finds a dead corpse - 8:25 - He falls on the ground, to his death - 8:46 - In his last moments, he feels his wife with him, holding his hand - 8:57 - The nut falls on the ground, nourished by his blood, allowing it to germinate later - 9:27 - This was the start of life on Titan, shown by wolves and nature on a totally different Titan (probably a lot of time later) - 9:40

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

You nailed it!

[@bijoybanerjee2352]

Thanks

[@Albtraum_TDDC]

I think so too, the wolves are from the far future of "Titan". In the beginning the man and woman had a daughter on Earth. But she died and they were sad. Then the Genesis 1 team had an issue and there was an SOS signal. The man was very qualified and he wanted to go to save them (maybe because he couldn't save his daughter). The woman thought he wanted to run away from their feelings/relationship. But he thought he'd take her with him instead on this "hero's journey" and she agreed (perhaps she felt the same as he). They went on the rescue mission, Genesis 2. One day there was an accident and she died along with the rest of the Genesis 2 crew. Only the man survived. Mission Control suggested to him to return as his ship was damaged and the Genesis 1 people hadn't contacted them at all in the last 6 months. But the man had now lost everything (woman and child) and wanted to press on, to find absolution in rescuing the people. Perhaps he already knew they were dead in his mind, but he wanted to die trying. Desperately sad, tragic. When he landed in Titan, wounded by an explosion during the atmosphere re-entry, he finally reached his destination. He found the SOS beacon and the skeletons of the dead crew of the Genesis 1 mission. He died from blood-loss, while hallucinating of his love (wife). The seed that his daughter had given his wife, fell into the pool of his blood. Perhaps this kick-started the evolution of life on Titan. Or maybe there was some terraforming going on in the following years, but it doesn't matter. Their "blood" mixed with the planet's new biosphere and became part of the cycle of life there. The wolves eating the dead animal are part of that future. The end.

[@MatthewBennell]

I totally missed the kid dying. I was just thinking to myself how selfish it was for both of them to go to space and leave the kid behind and now they’re both dead. Guess I need to rewatch.

[@afrodiziak4353]

@Spencer Zimmerman "In nature... Nothing is created ... Nothing is lost ... Everything is transformed" Yet, you created... You created a thing of beauty And the beauty transformed into emotion, raw and pure Transformation, as nature does

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you so much for that ❤️❤️❤️

[@peterwheeler4402]

Superb. This is the sort of quality storytelling that needs to be made into full length Sci Fi feature films. Thank you to everyone involved in this and please keep keep telling thought provoking, touching stories.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

I agree!!! Thank you so much!!!

[@m118lr]

..BETTER get NEW ‘proof readers’ and editors for spelling on the placards and labels. Not hitting on the ‘storyline’ and/or plot BUT “quality” in the publishing biz is a thing too I’m sure..

[@dockildare1763]

Totally agree. Outstanding, intelligent, emotional, subtle and skilfully crafted.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

@@dockildare1763 many thank yous, Doc!

[@theofanispatitsas7111]

This right here is a perfect example that with enough talent and passion someone can create a film that is better than 99% of the Hollywood trash that is backed by hundreds of millions. This was a great story, portraying the tragedy of the human condition and at the same time being emotional and hopeful. A complete perfect story told in 10 minutes. Perfect storytelling. You have my utmost respect Sir; congratulations and I hope to see more from you and your team.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Well thank you so much!!! I would love to have an opportunity to make more for you! What was your favourite moment in the film?

[@theofanispatitsas7111]

@@spencerzimmerman9879 I guess I did not have a single moment as a favorite. The film was engaging from the very start and took me through a rollercoaster of emotions, from fear to sorrow to hope and eventually I found myself tearing up while smiling. I loved every minute of it and from the directional aspect I adored the way the story was told, making me understand more as it progressed. This was not forced and you did not use any cheap tricks, instead it came organically and I think this is way harder than most people realize. It was just brilliant.

[@furball8967]

Normally I watch then switch off...but this kept me tuned in throughout. Good effort!

[@Windrider6]

I don't understand why anyone would put this much effort into making us feel bad. This was depressing from start to finish, as it was meant to be.

[@hilaryc3203]

It was a love story. You cannot experience love without experiencing the pain of loss. The amount of pain you feel with that loss, shows how great the love was.

[@js7un165]

Well, it looks like they seeded life, recycled, although at the early animal stages of their evolution. Sort of a nice thing.

[@cliffontheroad]

@@hilaryc3203 sure, but if it is my money paying to watch, I want her found alive. Suspense of thinking her body was there (where it ended, right?) would have required just a little rewrite.

[@osmia]

Thanks for having the CC enabled

[@artheartrc1352]

Watching again. And again. Thank you❤

[@hughbarton5743]

Very nice work, Mr. Zimmerman. Thank you!

[@Fog66]

Finally!!! It's been awhile since I've watched a good one on here.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you! So glad you liked it :)

[@daniel_wilkinson]

Man's name is Bowman. Nice nod to 2001.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Good catch!!

[@joepalladino3467]

Don't forget Cpt. Kirk too

[@FarazP]

Amazing, what a privilege to work on this project!

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

What a privilege to work with the great Faraz Parsa!

[@misterjones8385]

Thank you for all your hard work and for posting on YT. I loved the film. I sat for a bit afterwards and thought about the scenes. I understand the plot. Even the name "genesis 2" to a tip to help a person understand. Seeing saturn hanging in the night sky cinched it. The acorn seed is symbolic in my mind however. I perfer to think his spilled blood and torn suit contained bacteria, virus and fungus that seeded the new world. Certain very hardy fungus are present on human skin, Trichoderma. Aspergillus is a fungus that eats us after we die. Also we are consumed by several species in Penicillium. Genus Mucor also.... Mucor has fruiting bodies that resemble white fur. And then there are the bacteria species. Too numerous to count. I work as a botanist (unfortunately). I can assure you an acorn wouldn't make it on Titan. lol. But maybe in a few billion years the sun turns into a red giant, and the fungus and bacteria from the dead man, maybe preserved, buried in titan's frozen soil, thaw in the warm red light and another billion years later wolves eat their prey. That is how I work the plot in my mind. Thanks Again.

[@sarahjohansson9028]

Amazing! Go Siobhan!

[@ideabrickworks9043]

As a Bowman myself, I approve of this film!

[@craigh5236]

Omg, its full of stars

[@johnkenny240]

a well crafted panspermia tale, where there's a will, life will find a way.

[@bodystorm]

Love the arrival style - the flashbacks so beautifully done.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you! A beautiful film and a big inspiration for us

[@artheartrc1352]

Yes, caught me delightfully off guard

[@kurtweiand7086]

I love how you depicted family 💘. It is so precious. God loves us so much more. He literally died for our sins !

[@artheartrc1352]

@@kurtweiand7086 🕊️

[@1SCme]

0:05 *Note to all short film makers* - these aren't being viewed in a theatre, you need to increase the text size. Don't get me wrong, this is a great short, demonstrating an ability to tell a full story in a very limited time.

[@Datan0de]

I have to agree. I watched this on my phone and had a really hard time with some of the darker visuals. Had to go back and watch it again on a computer.

[@endokrin7897]

I agree with the title text size. But other aspects of the visuals shouldn't be changed to 'fit' on a phone screen, IMHO. I watched this on a phone, but should watch on at least a tablet, and preferably my TV. Don't want the director to zoom in too much and have nothing but closeups. Especially in space, where there is such a huge field of view. 👍

[@Datan0de]

@EndoKrin I agree. Some of the darker scenes could have been a little lighter.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

@@endokrin7897 Thanks for the feedback! It's tough to know how big to make things - this movie played a few times in theatres - but this is ultimately it's home online where most folks will see it. It's always trying to walk the line and make it work for both! I'll keep that in mind for the next one :)

[@TheHomieFedSmoker]

I saw the BTS of this on Reddit this morning! Fantastic work.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Amazing!!! Thanks so much for coming in to check it out!

[@annfarmer9704]

Wow! That one will get your feelers all in a twist,.... Very beautiful with a sweet sad tension. I really enjoyed this.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

We love to twist the feelers around these parts

[@HammadRais32]

Wonderful. I totally felt Christopher Nolan vibes while watching this. Good Job!

[@jamesmorgan3032]

His wife "other half" went first, and he went to save her cause he was already dead without her. Nice emotional enigma.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you!!

[@cliffontheroad]

@@solucaoatende I retract my words of thanks. Too dark, dogs eating who, and when? bleeding but we saw a space suit. Things were missed on 1st viewing but timeline or connections did not jell. This is a revised post. We see him, on the resuce mission, being told of low-fuel, but how then is his wife, who suite up next to him (if it happened really, cause do we not start with him and the question early in the film if he is ready for a long flight) already on the planet? He is leaving, she is in bed. He is Gensis II but her uniform is Gensis I. The film is made, and is deserving of praise, and pride, but I should not have questions. Just because 1 out of 100 speaks up, it does not mean the one is wrong.

[@bjb7587]

@@cliffontheroad Can't disagree. I thought it was me, that I didn't get the connections. Wolves? Eating a horse? Who brings wolves on a space mission? Who picks up the poop? Jr. Mission Specialist?

[@bubbledoubletrouble]

@@cliffontheroad I can only assume you were doing something else while the video was playing, because you clearly see her also getting ready for the mission at 8:09.

[@bubbledoubletrouble]

@@bjb7587 It’s you, and them. Thematically (the whole bit about nothing being created or destroyed, just taking on another form, circle of life, blah blah blah) we’re far along enough into the future-hundreds of thousands or millions of years-to the point where life has evolved to the point where there are canids on Titan. If that’s too improbable for you in a _science fiction_ short, there’s still no need to bring whole wolves. You could store hundreds of embryos of wolves, deer, or whatever else in the space that one adult wolf would take up. Scientists have already managed to grow mice and sheep in artificial wombs in reality.

[@jajaouterspace]

This wonderful film is by far my favorite film on DUST. As mystical and mysterious as the universe itself, it reveals itself like a dream. Scenery, colors, words are of such a unique depth that we rarely experience. Thank you for this timeless mysterious sci-fi masterpiece.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Why thank you!!! That is very high praise - it was really important to us to keep an aura of mystery throughout the film and not be too explicit in how we depict the story - I’m glad it connected with you!

[@eternalchaos4447]

wow..this sent shivers down my spine.. his blood jumped started the life cycle on Titan

[@DiscipleOfHeavyMeta1]

Best one I've seen in a while.

[@Chermtaka]

This was above many many short movies on here. It looked so good and the script was just supreme, I'm still crying writing this. Stellar work from all involved indeed. Thank you.

[@neilphillips3193]

Blown away. That ending shot! Wow!

[@colleencant4112]

Wow! Thought provoking and brilliantly produced. Thank you for sharing.

[@charlesanderson32]

Marvelous film. Thanks!

[@doncourtreporter]

Outstanding. Thank you very much. Great thought-provoking story.

[@brentgraves1151]

I thought it was awesome! Great job to you and your crew.

[@ageofheroes1714]

omg...why i didnt know about this channel before? this is just amazing....thats the first one i watched and im already perplexed, this is incredible....as a big scifi fan, i have to say....congrats...this is a amazing production!!!

[@Soundshepherds]

Composer for the film here, happy to chat music if anyone has any questions or you can hear more of my work at @gregandmusic

[@joepalladino3467]

great stuff here - enjoyed that music - loved the film in general, loved the music even more - loved the clip on your website too - I need to hear more on Bandcamp - good job

[@3gwrites]

hi, was 'Stay' an inspiration while composing your work?

[@Soundshepherds]

@@joepalladino3467 thank you for the support! Sadly I don’t have too much on band camp. Currently streaming platforms and SoundCloud.

[@Soundshepherds]

@@joepalladino3467 you can follow me at @gregandmusic for more music releases coming up

[@Soundshepherds]

@@3gwrites who’s the composer of that track? Not sure if I’ve heard it

[@marcy6161]

This was a really mutilayered beauty. Very elegant in its execution and message. Please do more! I'm a fan❤

[@1minutecomicswalahollywood648]

I Love science fiction.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Me too!

[@IcontroltheTardis]

I loved this story! I rewatched the ending at least 10 times❤️

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

I’m so glad it resonated with you!!! Please pass it along to someone you think might love it too :)

[@nathanwildthorn6919]

​@@spencerzimmerman9879 I'm tapping the 'Share,' arrow as I'm tapping this reply out right now. Bravo! Encore! To you, the cast and finely-tuned crew. ❤️

[@n00bmaster56]

Please explain me what happened in the end I didn't understand about the wolves part

[@tamalyn9210]

Beautiful and touching 💜 💙

[@maxlagewaard8959]

So he turns off the "SONAR" in space. Anyone else see a problem with that

[@endokrin7897]

5:20 I was gonna post this 🤨 I hope I never post anything creative; everybody would be nit picking all the flubs!

[@yonaguska2050]

Brilliant film! Full of emotion and passion. I hope you continue making more like this one.

[@thomasblackburn3953]

Watched again. Great work!

[@michaelwerner1836]

This one was actually quite good. Well done!

[@Hyakman5408]

No happy endings here... But I enjoyed it :)

[@joelsmith4394]

Once more with the view of Saturn that you don’t actually get from any of its satellites, but if that’s the worst critique I can come up with then this must be a pretty good show. Well done!

[@monnoo8221]

as i interpret the data, there is almost a difference of 27 degrees between the inclination of titan's orbit and the plane of the rings relative to Saturn's "equator", which is perpendicular to the rotational axis.

[@timothywilliams1359]

The quote from Carl Sagan is hilarious, considering he was married and divorced five times.

[@alanhealy362]

Outstanding. Great work. Ye should be very proud. I’m looking forward to more 😬

[@brie2076]

I noticed Captain Kirk is dead. Nice touch and I love the film. Great work

[@Jam7pi]

I saw that too. Live Long & Prosper!!!🖖

[@PhilipMurphy8Extra]

Loads of talent here, Great.

[@19ThreeLions97]

This is simply outstanding

[@slugcult1973]

I always make believe that I understand what the hell these short films are about, and hopefully someone in the comments section explains it. And then I'm all like: "Yeah, absolutely. Of course it was the guy all along. And he never actually made it, yeah, I knew that".

[@ApproximatelyCee]

You’re killin’ me. Now I have to go and cry.

[@CannonRanger1]

Fantastic work! I definitely didn't see that one coming. Looking forward to more of your work. 👍

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you so much for the kind words!!

[@seenofruit]

Outstanding!

[@stacymcgee5378]

Damn this was deep . Absolutely love it . Could beat any Hollywood movie easily. Great job with this. 👏👏👏👏

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you, we think sure hope so!

[@michellegay1165]

That was amazing💙💙💙💙💙

[@cowlevelcrypto2346]

Nice callback by naming him Bowman. :P

[@Failte630]

Aaah so sad and I felt very sorry for their little boy.

[@RaineySteelwing]

I... only can say I feel so strong just because I could handle this. I'm so devastated. Everything is hopeless from the very beginning yet I still held a wild piece of hope through to the very end... But the emotions are beautiful just as the dialogues are, I love the landscapes, the style of storytelling... Just wish it was a little less hopeless, although, the idea wouldn't be the same then. Totally worth watching, you won't regret your tears

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

I think there’s a message of hope that, despite the pain, maybe even because if it, life is worth living and people are worth loving

[@kofichemist]

By all standard loved it, it's a great film and I would love it more in the near future if it's a full movie😉

[@hopeslide]

Love you, Spencer! Congrats on a beautiful film. A lot of hard work went into this and you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished!

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thanks so much for all the support buddy ❤

[@durasaxon5131]

Excellent story & script. The creation of the spacecraft was very nicely done. If I had to travel Into the cosmos to find the one I love and she was no longer alive? I will consecrate her life and make an eternal prayer. I would also hope not to die on the same spot that she had. Interesting ending as it was depicted. + Durasaxon + ✝️

[@Albtraum_TDDC]

I think, the wolves are from the far future of "Titan". Do you agree with my whole theory? In the beginning the man and woman had a daughter on Earth. But she died and they were sad. Then the Genesis 1 team had an issue and there was an SOS signal. The man was very qualified and he wanted to go to save them (maybe because he couldn't save his daughter). The woman thought he wanted to run away from their feelings/relationship. But he thought he'd take her with him instead on this "hero's journey" and she agreed (perhaps she felt the same as he). They went on the rescue mission, Genesis 2. One day there was an accident and she died along with the rest of the Genesis 2 crew. Only the man survived. Mission Control suggested to him to return as his ship was damaged and the Genesis 1 people hadn't contacted them at all in the last 6 months. But the man had now lost everything (woman and child) and wanted to press on, to find absolution in rescuing the people. Perhaps he already knew they were dead in his mind, but he wanted to die trying. Desperately sad, tragic. When he landed in Titan, wounded by an explosion during the atmosphere re-entry, he finally reached his destination. He found the SOS beacon and the skeletons of the dead crew of the Genesis 1 mission. He died from blood-loss, while hallucinating of his love (wife). The seed that his daughter had given his wife, fell into the pool of his blood. Perhaps this kick-started the evolution of life on Titan. Or maybe there was some terraforming going on in the following years, but it doesn't matter. Their "blood" mixed with the planet's new biosphere and became part of the cycle of life there. The wolves eating the dead animal are part of that future. The end.

[@skiptindle5976]

That was a great movie short, Just great!

[@tomjones9934]

Good stuff, nice to see some people are still making things these days. Imagine what you could do with a multi million budget.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Oh I’ve been thinking about it 🫣

[@briankirschner1065]

Real nice story! A brave astronaut who had to part with his family and die in vein!

[@TheReverb1]

Hi; he needed to confirm about his Wife, he needed to see to rest in peace

[@bigsarge2085]

Poignant!

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you so much!!

[@markeidt6404]

Excellent film. Well scripted and produced. Really enjoyed watching this video. Kudos to all.

[@Lsw150]

Love this

[@JaimieJo]

Excellent film!

[@frankpatz8708]

While the film is fine, I must point out that going to Saturn is not interstellar, only interplanetary.

[@cdr-sailor]

SONAR? In space? SONAR is sonic -- sound cannot travel in a vacuum.

[@patrick_j_lee]

i'm surprised so few people noticed this.

[@andreazevedo3707]

It could be an acronym for "Scanning for Objects using Narrow-band Attenuation Recognition". 😂

[@scarlettandjesse310]

Beautiful work

[@woodstoney]

Such a sad yet very nicely done film! Great story line.

[@jennifergala]

This looks breathtaking. Amazing story. What cameras were used to film this short?

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

We used the RED Dragon, Bmpcc 4K, and one shot is on a canon 7D - see if you can figure out which one!

[@okancanarslan3730]

superbly made but very tragic movie

[@PhilipRhoadesP]

Very good story, acting and photography! - although it was a little difficult to follow the story in a short - a full-length movie is definitely called for! the blurb says "interstellar mission" - but it is all related to Titan in this Solar System?

[@thejohnwhiteproject5202]

Wow! That was powerful. Thank you

[@jamesherman1350]

Outstanding work. Great storyline and the emotion conveyed by the actor was convincing. I will be watching this again several times in the days to come.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you so much!!! If you connected with it - share it with someone you think might love it too!

[@davyhenry8985]

I really enjoyed this film

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

That warms my heart to hear!!

[@Inprimus1]

Wow. I love it. Keep up the good work.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you! Some behind the scenes content soon to come!

[@christadauria4362]

“Darkside” is the tragic futuristic space mission in spacefaring to reach Titan as Saturn’s moon sounding like the classical Greek tragic story Greek mythology in Ancient Greek civilization.

[@morenofranco9235]

Wow, Spencer & Team. BLOW ME AWAY! This is really powerful. And so moving. I'd love to see the whole story.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thank you!!! Send it along to someone you love ❤

[@geirbalderson9697]

It was so dark i am not even sure what happened. Was it real or just a dream sequence?

[@garyring8306]

it did made not make real sense to me. massive cut scene after cut scene not coherent at all. you finally see his wife went along and died on the mission then of course descending to the planet he is mortally wounded and then finds a corpse on the planet transmitting an SOS.

[@hilaryc3203]

As he searched for the other crew, we're seeing the flashbacks of him and his wife, and we ultimately learn that they both decided to go into space. She went first and was lost, until he found her.

[@garyring8306]

@@hilaryc3203 my take was they both went on the rescue mission. the disaster on his ship with him looking into the cabin with the splashed blood was his wife's death because the other crew members or member on his mission died, they waited to show her picture in that high angle view of crew members and then deceased i assumed the way it was presented it was she died on the same mission as his to rescue the other team. that is how confusing it was with all the over cutting was for me. i am usually able to keep up on movies this one just too choppy.

[@idv1328]

Now that was a really good short!

[@ARWest-bp4yb]

Beautifully done, hope to see more!👍👍

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

We’ve got a limited series in the works!!

[@simondeveg]

Brilliant !

[@solidaritynotes4993]

Who are Jim and Marjorie? Nicely done, BTW, although part of the plot line is a bit unclear. My impression is that he convinces his partner to accompany him on the mission to rescue Gemini I, but a segment of the craft which she is in is somehow destroyed...removing his reason for returning to earth (of course there's their child.........) And then he discovers the remains of Gemini I on Titan, which means the effort was wasted. Yes?

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Marjorie and Jim are my grandparents to whom the film is dedicated ❤️ they passed recently and the grieving process that followed was the inspiration for the film

[@martinfilteau8668]

@@spencerzimmerman9879 Marjorie and Jim would be extremely proud of your work. Dedication brings tears.

[@GregBreden]

@solidaritynotes4993 It was Genesis not Gemini and Genesis puts me in mind of the life creating device from Star Trek II Wrath of Khan, so I thought maybe the lost mission was to send a Genesis kind of device to Titan to make it liveable. Maybe he thought his wife might be resurrected by the process if he sent her body there but he found the Gemini process was not working. Maybe the lack of any living matter due to the original mission failing stopped the process from working so in the end his own blood was the catalyst for life to commence and evolve from his biological cells like in Prometheus.

[@CharlesSmith-io9fp]

I like many, did not see that coming. Beautiful story.

[@allyrafts6387]

love it !!

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Thanks Ally! Pass it along to someone you love!

[@natureboytom]

Hollywood... The superb intelligent storyline, acting, costumes and arthouse quality is the reason I stopped watching Hollywood crap films. DUST and Omeleto are the reason I switched to these Incredibly CREATIVE short story films.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Hollywood, listen to natureboy Tom!

[@ExSpoonman]

Hmm.. I don't know guys, this one tried to do a surprise ending and I don't think it was executed very well. Mainly because you didn't have to do it. Just have the man go out to rescue the woman's crew only to find her dead on Titan. Bam. Still hits the feels without the attempted misdirection. Writer, you overwrote this.

[@Usernumber777]

The idea is that earth received an sos from titan who turns out being her, it’s how spacetime bends the speed of sos sound

[@ExSpoonman]

@@Usernumber777 And? This doesn't address anything I said....

[@ExSpoonman]

@@Usernumber777 and that's wrong anyhow.

[@Usernumber777]

@@ExSpoonman then what was their purpose/ mission in the first place can you tell me..exactly it was a distress signal, which turned out to be her

[@bubbledoubletrouble]

@@Usernumber777 I don’t know where this confusion is coming from. 1. The couple’s child died. 2. The couple *both* joined the Genesis *II* crew on a mission to rescue/recover Genesis I. The woman accused the man of joining the mission just as a way to escape their situation before he suggested that she come with him. 3. Most of the crew of Genesis II died from the explosion, _including_ the woman. That’s why she’s listed on the status panel as deceased at 8:16. So the man feels he has to find out what happened to Genesis I to make their deaths worth it, out of survivor’s guilt, regular guilt for having convinced her to join him on the mission, having no family to go home to, or some mix of all of the above. 4. Man gets critically injured on descent to Titan. He discovers the remnants of Genesis *I* and lays down to die. The woman’s story about how nothing is ever created or destroyed, just taking on a new form-coping with the loss of their child-is the whole reason for the surprise terraform ending.

[@stephenpinkston8300]

Great work! I love all the effort being put into shorts these days...inspiring me to get on to one soon.

[@spencerzimmerman9879]

Make it happen!!! It’s possible!

[@RedBestColor]

I need to See end credits! What are you doing? Show some respect to creators. "subscribe to dust" (facepalm)

[@tuhdogs]

Incredible how this short film has everything that a feature length film has. The compelling story makes you feel for them. Great visual effects, hope, twists and tragedy all make for a great watch in a short run time.