We have to go back to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to find the roots of Garo Setian’sAUTOMATION. A machine, a construct, built in man’s image. It will walk like him, talk like him . . . but can it feel? Can an artificial intelligence handle all of the the complexities of a human? If you prick it, it will not bleed, but it can simulate pain. If you tickle it, it will not laugh, but it could simulate laughter. RoboCop and Short Circuit are in part, about machines dealing with that veritable head full of bad wiring we call the human condition. We have the built-in propensity to be all right and all wrong in the same sentence. So if a machine were to feel the betrayal of a lie, be heartbroken by the bitterness of a romantic rejection; if we wrong it . . . will it not revenge?
Setian’s film packs an enormous subtext for an independent production, but the small budget hasn’t stopped this cast and crew from firing on all cylinders. A workplace robot, AUTO, transforms into a killing machine when he discovers he will be replaced by a more efficient model. AUTO fears being terminated and will stop at nothing to prevent his own destruction. The human employees must band together to stop him before it’s too late.
A few words from the Director:
It seems every day there is another news story or article concerning the threat of machines replacing people in the workplace. We are also seeing stories about the development of robots that can learn to behave more human by observing human behavior.
So what would happen when a robot with this ability to learn, replaces humans in the workplace, but then faces the prospect of being replaced by more advanced technology? Our movie AUTOMATION is a cheeky take on this concept.
Our goal was to tell an interesting and timely story with characters the audience cares about. So despite the film being a satire of corporate cost cutting and planned obsolescence, there is a true heart to the movie in the relationship between Auto and Jenny.
We are so grateful to our talented cast and crew of pros who came together out of love for this script, and the desire to make something fun. We hope the audience finds AUTOMATION an entertaining 91 minutes that is funny, exciting, has a few surprises and is ultimately kind of moving.
KH: You join a great tradition of suit performers, like Anthony Daniels and Doug Jones; is that a mantle you aspire to?
JK: ABSOLUTELY! The performances that Doug Jones manages to portray through all those layers of special effects make up is just unmatched. There is something to having your character be presented as real as it possibly can be. I love C3-PO, and would love to have met Mr. Daniels but we were in the strong capable technical hands of @evilted_smith, master at what he does, prop armor, weapons, helmets, guns.
KH: What was your first impression upon reading the script?
JK: It really felt like a winner right off the bat, but then they kept adding layers to the characters and back stories which only enhanced the emotional center of the movie. This movie really does have a heart of gold.
KH: Garo, the director, has come from a prolific career as an editor, how do you feel carried over to his directing style?
JK: He wasn’t an asshole at all! Just Kidding …. he was open to suggestions, and worked great with his first AD And DOP. He had a vision for scenes and how they would cut together and he really brought all that to life on the screen.
KH: Actors infuse their own life experience into the characters they play; what did the part you played bring out of your own personality and in turn, what did you find the role demanded of you?
JK: Before starting onset I took some intense acting classes at the Clu Gulager school of acting here in LA. Clu is literally an old time cowboy (Gunsmoke, Bonanza) and really told me how it was and didn’t sugar coat anything. His advice on how to present the robot to the world and how he would interact back was some of the coolest memories I have in almost 5 years of Acting and Cosplay here in LA.
KH: Do you think the world is truly ready for a machine with the complexities of human emotions?
JK: GOD NO, we can barely keep our own emotions under wraps. Let’s work on becoming better people ourselves before we try and perfect the human being in a robot form.
KH: If you were to wake up one morning to find all that you are transferred into a robotic body….what would you do?
KH: Tell us a little of your journey leading up to AUTOMATION?
SK: I had been filming a lot of strictly horror films and was really excited to shoot something that was also mixed with syfy elements. I’ve known Garo as well as Esther for quite sometime and I was really stoked that the right project had come up for us to finally work together.
KH: What was your first impression upon reading the script?
SK: I actually really fell in love with Auto and loved his relationship with Jenny (Elissa Dowling). As much as the script was fun and quirky I really appreciated that bigger questions were being presented in the story about future A.I. and how companies are facing a lot of conflicts on saving money versus employing humans. I was a little thrown off by Susan because I’m used to playing villains in horror but I really didn’t want to play Susan as a villain. There’s a rule in acting of not judging your characters. I really wanted to find humor in Susan as well. I thought that there was a lot of fear of failure in Susan which is why she had so many guards up. I don’t want to give anything away but I really wanted the audience to forgive her and be able to root for her as well. What I loved about the script was that it had a lot of quick jokes and was a fun ride too. It’s a gift when you’re doing an indie film and they don’t take themselves too seriously. I think that’s what makes a B movie really worth watching and kinda anoints it into an instant classic.
KH: Garo, the director, has come from a prolific career as an editor, how do you feel carried over to his directing style?
SK: Knowing Garo as a friend and how excited he was about directing carried over in his enthusiasm about the project. As an editor I think it was hard for the cast at first to understand how carefully the film was already edited in his head. I won’t say that’s a bad thing when someone has the amount of editing experience Garo does. It’s just a different style as an actor you kinda have to take that in but not allow your work to be results based. Garo is an extremely kind, somewhat careful, super respectful human- he goes out of his way to be a nice guy. I felt like he was open to all our ideas about our characters. But, there’s a point as the director where they sometimes have to kind of take the wheel and drive. Sometimes, especially on shoots that have limited days it means not always being the nice guy. It was exciting to watch Garo grow in a short time into a director who knew what he wanted and trusted that. They say a movie is made three times; first writing the script, then shooting and again while editing. Sometimes you work with a director who you think is amazing on set and then you see the film and you’re like oh no! They don’t understand pacing or the overall tone of the story. Watching the final cut; I was blown away by the finished film. His attention to detail was just lovely and the movie is consistent in tone- that’s not always an easy thing when your film is a mix of genres.
KH: Actors infuse their own life experience into the characters they play; what did the part you played bring out of your own personality and in turn, what did you find the role demanded of you?
SK: I related to Susan because I’m naturally a pretty nervous person but I can be pretty relentless in getting what I want. I touched on this before but I thought Susan should have a little vulnerability. I love the idea of people showing who they really are in stressful situations.
KH: Do you think the world is truly ready for a machine with the complexities of human emotions?
SK: I’m giving myself away here but I graduated highschool right as the internet was becoming available for everyone. I personally don’t believe we were really ready for that kinda barrage of information. So, the idea of a machine able to generate emotions is terrifying to me. I think the purpose of technology should be to bring people closer and make life easier but I don’t think it should ever be a substitute for real human interaction. The biggest problem is relationships are all about compromise and fear of rejection. I’m afraid that robots would be a one way compromise from the robots- when to grow as people we both have to be willing to risk rejection and also to learn from it.
KH: If you were to wake up one morning to find all that you are transferred into a robotic body….what would you do?
SK: Find a very high bridge and jump.
Here is a link where you can see where AUTOMATION is available to view or purchase…
Podcasting Them Softly 