Sci-Fi Short Film: 'How Is This The World' | DUST

A mother befriends a burnt-out hacker to help search for her son in virtual reality.

"How Is This The World" by Sadie Rogers

Connect with the Filmmakers:

"How Is This The World" Credits:
Written & Directed by Sadie Rogers
Produced by Grace Hahn & Sadie Rogers

Associate Producers
Anneliese Blanchard
Mike McNamara
Breeden Morrison
Nancie & Bill Rogers

Director of Photography Eon Mora
1st AC Thomas Molash
Gaffer Christian Mejia
Addt’l Gaffer Tony Santiago
BTS Photography Greg Stephen Reigh

Production Designer Amanda Brinton
Set Dresser Linda Wyatt

Costume Designer Kate Grube
Costumers Kirrah Perkins
Maddie Tollner
& Umnia Khan
Hair & Makeup Tiffany Anderson
Choreography Maureen Janson

1st AD Grace Hahn
Unit Production Manager Kara Kittel
Key PA Jack Birdsall
PA Charley Guptill
PA Brian Daniher

Editor John Sawyer
Post Production Supervisor Troy Lewis
Visual Effects JSF Post Production
Additional Visual Effects Troy Lewis
Location Sound Mixer & Sound Mixer
Rob Davis

***

Starring
Hanna Dworkin as Elise
Matt DeCaro as Bernie
Hunter Bryant as Raj
Raven Whitley as Zoe
Sadie Rogers as Chloe
Mari Marroquin as B
Eva Marie McDermott as Nancy

with
Maggie Suma
Anne Sites
Maris Wimmer
Malic White
Molly Hewitt
Xavier Lagunas
Javi Aya
Gaby Labotka

and
Annika Demarte
Eli Demarte
Claire Ivey
Lily McCartney
JJ McNeal
Kommodore
Brandon Partner
Zoe Mateja
Katie Mateja
Anthony Johnson
Sarah Serabian
Caitlin Kusack
Julia Skeggs
Alexa Ulrich
Malice Aforethought
Sybil Lestrange

***

Music
Forest Music
Composed by Carolyn O’Neill

WABDMYC
Written & Performed by No Men

Accidental Effigies
Written & Performed by WINGTIPS

Dungeon
Composed by Sadie Rogers & Carolyn O’Neill
Mixed by Adam Stilson at Decade Music Studios

Analogue
Written & Performed by Born Days

Color Correction Services provided by Company 3
Colorist Tyler Roth
CO3 Producer Mario Castro
Assistant Colorist Liz Fornago

#DUST #scifi #shortfilm

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[watchdust]

Love the music? You're not alone. Here are the songs featured in "How Is This The World"

[catbertz]

Absolutely loved the mom actress. She delivered the emotional arc and humanity that sold the whole idea. Great short!

[rogerssadietube]

Hello! Thanks for watching! We are so excited to be on Dust. Hit us up with any thoughts or questions. Cheers. - Sadie

[sophial.]

Virtual reality is the new drug. A way to escape a fragile and sometimes disappointing world. People in the future will literally try to get high on life. A very poignant and relevant concept. Good job.

[billmurray]

This lady looks like a candidate for
Mother Of The Year.
Her kid does all the work while
she slacks off watching VR.

[davedogge]

2021: "Hi Bethesda, my name is Mary Salthouse, I lost my son playing one of your games Skyrim, he hasn't left his bedroom in 48 hours.".

[fiftycalguru]

Absolutely one of the best concepts and deliveries I’ve seen on dust in a while. I was engrossed in that story and the ending left the perfect amount unsaid.

[AnexoRialto]

This would make an interesting idea for Netflix-type series. The VR flop houses like opium dens in the 19th century.

[jasbails]

I hope he realises how important his mother is before she's gone for good.

[kaylaw.]

Omg this should seriously continue. I know it's only a short, but THERE'S A WHOLE WORLD were this could go! Love it!

[KentoLeoDragon]

Wow. Mom, the hacker guy and the VR guide/mom were so well acted. Bravo. What a strange world. Mom wanted to see her son, but didn't seem all that concerned about how his body was being cared for. How is this the world, indeed.

[nicolebogda]

Seeing the look on the mother’s face. She was lost knowing how happy and in love her son was, and why ruin such beauty with the horrors of the outside world? She understood. Her acting with her face alone had a “Bill Murray” type moment. I thought it was beautiful.

[rembvanrijn]

one of the few genuinely original pieces of work from the ‘Dust’ stable:very easy to imagine this scenario as a reality in 20-30 years, maybe less.

[lloydrobert]

Using the songs as potent narrative was genius! Enthralling story, so poignant and beautiful!

[mimerthebeamer]

Scared me that this could become a reality for the next generation. Parents please pull the plug.. and let your kids play outside and develop their own imagination 🙏🏼💫

[seanhoare]

This film reminds me of the Arthur C Clark novel 'The Lion of Commarre' where the protagonist discovers the 'sleepers'...

[jclowe]

Dust is one of the best channels that I've subscribed to.

[HandgunSafe]

Sadie Rogers, I liked this film a lot, but I love the music you did. If I'm reading the credits correctly, that last tune is your work. That was freak'n amazing. I can hear Cocteau Twins in there, and a lot other influences. You've obviously been studying the greats. Now I want to listen to everything else you've done.

[flymypg]

Wow, that was so beautifully done. The music was an in-front character. The camera work, staging and lighting was just so "there", so clever without going over the top. I loved every one of the people. The simple script gave the actors room to act. I'll watch this again and again.

[jbirdmax]

One of the many aspects of this art that seems often overlooked is sound design. This film so effortlessly captures the importance in good sound design. The casting was perfect, the acting was ether really really good or it’s just a byproduct of the fantastic directing. The lighting was also phenomenal.

To everyone involved from the janitor to all the actors and actresses to the director to DUST:
Bravo 👏