Gigi Edgley has such integrity as an actor. No matter what she does, she gives a compelling performance. This character starts off feeling like such silly fluff, but even working with a mere 15 minute frame, I feel I got more character development, more nuance than most actresses manage in a feature length film. She is among a small handful of actors today who remind me of why I fell in love with stories, in the theater, tv, or now the net, and i remain grateful.
Think about how McDonald’s wants to send you food that you order in the meta verse. You would probably receive it through Uber eats and your dyson robot could bring to your living room that your body is laying there strapped to your headset.
Not really, just saying she's now part of the other side. She's a follower now. Or at least that's the choice presented to her. Since it cut off before she decided to follow or not.
@@wheelsndealz Yes, an open end. Makes you think even more about it than a bad ending. But it is a release, that at least she has a chance now. I think the guy was trying to help her, and the real body contact, the gesture of compassion, tapping her shoulder, had an impact on her.
I am impressed by every aspect of this little film. The writing, the CGI, and the performances. What a great way to get across a message in such a short amount of time. Gigi Edgley is one HELL of an actor!! I enjoyed every second of this.
I only know her from her guest appearance in a Fan man Star Trek episode (something to do with Dragons) from the previous decade. She did very good work as i recall...
@@carlosidelone8064 “Actress” is a bit 1950s - archaic and a grammatical aberration. “Actor” is the correct, modern word for a woman who acts. Like “benefactor”, “aviator”, “creditor”, “debtor”, “adjudicator”, “mediator”, “negotiator”, “confessor” etc it’s an inclusive term that applies to both men and women.
@@emperorofpluto Oh please ! Are you also going to call females in line for the throne "princes" ? Actress is a perfectly APPROPRIATE, English term similar to Empress. They are definitely not aberrations.
I thought it was a cool touch how she RUSHED to the door, to try to see the "mail person." Even despite all those followers, she still seemed to want to see at least ONE person in-the-flesh.
This is a warning about how our words, our thoughts, and actions are being more and more influenced by our perceived need to do what others demand of us.
This seemed vaguely similar to The Matrix. Hacking her cage was like taking the red pill. The system "used" her, just like the Machines "used" the humans in The Matrix.
Always love Gigi Edgley. An interesting take on how dependent on social media we have become, and how quickly it can destroy us. We are becoming its servants, when it was (supposedly) created to serve us.
I loved her on Farscape! I remember her on Xena Warrior Princess. That was a long time ago!! I'm glad to see her still working. I wish she had more work. I hope she's happy and her life is good.
OMG. I just realized who you are. My gosh, i didn't recognize you without the alien makeup. I loved you in farscape, and i love you now. Your acting is second to none.
Rodney McKay Which I found interesting because it was such a contrast from X’s characteristics - she dresses so flashily! Gold dress, skyscraper heels... she doesn’t fit her environment, you know she doesn’t belong there. Having said that, I absolutely love the Japanese window. Also, her blanket look mighty comfy!
I would love a room like she was living in with everything coming out of the floor but also giving the space you need - almost better than Star Trek Hollow Suites
Bravo! That was mind blowing - incredible performance by the actors, especially Gigi Edgely. The VFX were seriously impressive and enhanced the vivid realism of a dystopian future that’s not too far removed from the toxic, dysfunctional social media environment of today. Worthy of a standing ovation!
So accurate for the world today. Well acted, well presented, engaging film. When she said "I'm famous", I felt a hint of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.
How can so many DUST videos do so much more content and originality with 15-25 minutes than big named studios can with most TV shows and movies with 60-150 minutes?
FUN FACT: In the initial draft the main character X was fully nude for that last scene. I wanted to make a comment on literally selling one’s body but felt it would have been too harsh if it was a female so up until we cast Gigi it was a male.
@@straak interesting! It's still very heartbreaking for men - no doubt about it - but there does some to be a particular harshness about media and judging women's bodies that really hits you in the gut to watch someone suffer through (despite Gigi being absolutely STUNNING. Perhaps even BECAUSE of it). Oh and PS - I thought being in her underwear was probably even better than if she were nude. It added an element of hurried desperation - I thought that whole scene was... perfect.
@@straak Stupidest thing I've ever read. Sounds like you really want a Hollywood job bad with your bs. Too harsh? It's a good thing you're around to protect and save everyone. LMFAO
FUN FACT: The character name "TE'A" is derived from "Galatea" the Greek mythological character from Pygmalion, which is a story about a statue that was brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite.
Twitter makes you think you're wise, Instagram makes you think you're a photographer, Facebook makes you think you have friends, and Tinder makes you think you're a coveted bachelor. Waking up is going to be tough.
Your assertion is flawed. Those websites and apps don't make anyon anything in particular, or even feel a certain way. Ignorance and stupidity are self perpetuating, and you can't necessarily teach stupid people to value anything. Sheep will be sheep. If people want to drool on themselves, watching inane drivel such as Jersey Shore, TikToks, and the like, then they will do so. Education is the only answer, but to teach what is truly valuable in this world requires far too much time and attention at a young age than the majority of parents are willing to give.
Gigi Edgley (star of Hashtag & Farscape) & the producers of Farscape will be in the comments answering your questions from 10am-11am PT May 28th. Have a question about the film, sci-fi or Farscape? Comment below or reply here.
I love this! First off, the integration of the production team into the social media UI was brilliant... what a fantastic way to tell story and roll credits at the same time! Now, a few questions: Humans as "social media livestock" has become a fairly common theme among sci-fi media, and this short presents one of my favorite (and most terrifying) depictions of it... I'm wondering how the production team came upon this look/ UI for the final version of the social media app? Were there any ideas that were scrapped because they weren't feasible? And lastly, if you could see any current social media platform evolving into the one depicted in Hashtag, which one do you think it would be? Gigi, I loved the beat towards the end when Gil put his hand on X's shoulder and she froze in place. What do you think was going through her mind at that moment? Thanks for an entertaining and thought provoking story, I really enjoyed it!
Watch " The peoples republic of desire" www.imdb.com/title/tt7478112/ .. its this stuff for REAL in China now .. not a film as such but a documentary mind blowing as it is just like this again for bloody real.
That was so dark! Also very Cloud Atlas like, especially at the end, when they "retired" her. Was she a clone, a robot? Clearly, no real free will, no understanding of what it was to be outside of the cage...it was almost like a spiritual awakening...does the cage exist? Millions of people are asking this question right now.
Somebody that actually paid attention and had a grasp on something that is substantially real. Good job. It's very lacking these just for a person to pay attention let alone correctly comprehend if comprehension is anything that they do at all
@@benalpi996 no no .. thank you for making and sharing this .. I am 58 old enough to have see the Matrix when it came out .. this is as fine a short scfi as I ever remember seeing .. so again sir .. THANK YOU.
@@straak no no .. thank you for making and sharing this .. I am 58 old enough to have see the Matrix when it came out .. this is as fine a short scfi as I ever remember seeing .. so again sir .. THANK YOU.
Beautiful synthesis of the matrix and black mirror's 15 million merits and nosedive. This short was exemplary counter-culture media and highlighted the value of science fiction in exposing the harm of consumerism and capitalism.
Love this!❤️ It’s like the three great movies: The Matrix , They live and Virtual Nightmare! The world is artificial and we get caught up in its illusion! Damn, they need to make this a full feature film! This has a serious message in it, just like the above movies mentioned! Peace✡️🙏🏾📿
I wonder, with her subscribers going up and down so quickly, the only way subscribers would go up and down so quickly would be if they were bots. So she was actually entertaining bots left over after the world died. I wonder if in the end there would be no stress outside because there is no outside and by retiring she would be put down, as in dead.
I don't know. With 800 million followers, if she said something 10% didn't like, that's 80 million. And if that thing is tracking in real time, and those 80 million are all a few fractions of a second off, and the new people are the same, it's going to fluctuate wildly. Like watching stocks move in real time. They are all over the place rapidly up and down. Trend is important with data like this, not instantaneous direction.
@@watchdust No, because Gill Smith was there. He is aware of something. He wouldn't let her go to die or into a dead world. Because he let her out of that cube prison.
This reminds me a lot of the Black Mirror episode Nosedive, where social media runs and ruins lives. In both you can see the desperation in the main character's eyes when they start to fall off on social media
Wow! This is one of the best films I’ve seen on DUST. Beautiful acting by Gigi Edgley and excellent writing. Many people don’t yet realize that getting “likes” is the new drug. We need more productions like this.
Great to see her, huge fan of Farscape. Loved the way her attempt to keep up with analytics goals was portrayed as a video game type activity. Good use of space too.
"Within the ranks of the Woke Tribe, no one is pure for long. Those wishing to move up in the ranks will gladly sacrifice the lives of prominent members for decades old offenses. Things previously not offensive are held to the standards of today and punished accordingly. . . The digital stoning begins anew" - David Attenborough
I thought she looked familiar. Especially when she got startled and scared. Farscape was too awesome. Shame they didn't flip it into sub series like stargate. Maybe they will; considering A I is reading this right now and processing it with D-wave computing And nano algorithms from any device, now a days. Food for thought 🤔. Great comment by the way.
So it's a bit like "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster; a bit like "The Matrix", and has tones of Bentham's Panopticon. In other words, a perfect analog of 21st century America. I loved every minute of this brilliant, dystopian film. Bravo to all!
@@marcusevans1171 I do it all the time without issue. Of course, I'm coming from a place of honesty and trying to have genuine discourse....which involves listening to others and being open to the possibility that my initial opinion is based on incomplete or faulty data. Depending on what your motivations are, you're results may vary.
I think a lot of people are forgetting the twist at the end. She was given the choice to follow, meaning she had aged out of influencing and become a follower. At first I thought this was a metaphor for society leaving our elders in the dust to sit in front of a tv and react to the changing world in front of them. But then I realized she was controlled by followers, old people, the whole time she was an influencer. The metaphor is that our elders have shaped our society and control our decisions.
Cool, Gigi is a favorite sifi actress of mine! Loved her in Farscape. And the Star Trek Continues episode "Come Not Between Dragons" and now this short! I'll be back for more and I hope she will be too!
Thank you Steven. Check out: gigiedgley.com for more of my work. I also do Twitch Tuesday - Saturday 5pm Pacific time :) Rockne S O'Bannon is coming on my show today :)
Very extremely well-done! I adore the premise/concept/storyline, the set design, the camera work, the sound design, everything! If this were ever made into a 2-hour movie, I’d watch it in the cinema on opening day (would drag my husband along - duly punching him blind when he ogles X in the shower, of course) and afterwards buy the blu-ray. Good job to every person involved in making this short! And thank you for this excellent addition to my Sci-Fi playlist!
Wow, I can't believe how many good movies hosts this channel. This one felt like the first 10 mins of a big cinema scifi drama! Aside from the technical side, which BTW was all so perfect (lights, cameras, sounds and set design...) the main actress delivered a very emotional performance, with a strong message and really ominous implications. I loved it.
Omg her voice its still the same.. its hard to separate the voice from chiana's blue body.. so cool to see her. And this is a very deep film. Id hate for the world to really become this way. EDIT: the ending was terrifying.. what the heck.. nooooo way.. im staying in the past bruh.. im good with my cellphone. More films with gigi please.. Ka-dargo needs to come save her.. and where is Crichton they should have popped in and saved her.
My favorite book is Rate Me Red by Richie Chevat. It's similar in plot where you're value is based on online popularity but more comical and not as dark as this - Highly suggest if you like this sort of Si-Fi.
Great episode of Dust, and it's nice to see Gigi Edgley again after Farscape! Reminds me of the epic Black Mirror episode 15 million merits in that its a cautionary tail about our humanity being overwhelmed by screens and their requirements.
I honestly do not think Gigi Edgley is capable of a bad performance, or even a mediocre one. She carried this perfectly. The saddest thing about this tale is that the people who should take it to heart are too busy chasing/buying/stealing likes to even watch it.
For the record, we desperately need to stop this future, and anything that resembles it. I know that in a lot of ways it's already like this, but it's not too late...
@Terrence Bullock we are not allowing ourselves to grow I will civilization immature like we need to. We live in an era of instant gratification and 24-hours news networks. We have started to decline mentally, because I want to think for ourselves when technology can do it for us.
This is a well executed, acted and thought out film. Great plot development and the special effects add to the story as opposed to masking a lack there of. Very intune with current societal issues. Looking forward to more.
This is soooooo good.... what sci fi is supposed to do, alert us subtly or hit us over the head so we can see where we are headed!!!! And it ain’t pretty.. thanks for doing DUST!!!! I tell lots of people!!!!
Pretty powerful for a 15 minute skit. I've always been amazed by Ms. Edgley's ability to skip frenetically through an entire range of emotions without it seeming awkward or artificial. When X's joke about there being two strategies for arguing with a woman flops, she goes from cheerful to panic to frenzy and back to cheerful in a blur under the intense performance pressure of her job. Gigi used the same strategy to illustrate Chiana's erratic and unpredictable nature. Crazy sexy to crazy psycho in zero seconds. I wish she had more roles. She's great fun to watch.
Omg.. this film could leave a lesson to a new generation of humankind.. And this film is currently happening in our generation.. Doing things so desperately to become famous no matter what it cost, no matter what happens to their surroundings.. The INVISIBLE CHAIN of modern tech/INTERNET..
I love Gigi Edgley. Such a great actress. Wonderful work on Farscape. I recently saw her on a fanfair Star Trek episode and now another SiFi clip. Great work Gigi!
We foolishly thought , Technologies are our Saviours , without taken into account that , we had created new labyrinths of Soulless Hells for ourselves ... ⚘🌿🗝
WELL done! Although I wasn't quite clear if the lion guy is a saviour or just helping to retire the nonproducers. I like the dichotomy: You're either a social media producer or a social media consumer.
GIGI EDGLEY !!!! Been hopelessly in-love with her since FARSCAPE TV-series. In it she was quirky and super sexy for an Alien. This short proves beyond doubt she's still GOT IT!!! She is certainly more beautiful. Rocked my world for-sure. Wish they would show Farscape again. It was a very strange sci-fi series and not for everyone. I wonder if its out on DVD. Loved the short very well done. Very scary view of a possible future. Could be Prophecy? This also has shades of the MATRIX. I don't know how many caught it at the end, she been reprogrammed before, but has gotten to old, and is now going to be "retired" (terminated).
I appear to have found a real gem of a channel here. I've seen "R'Ha", "Black Box" & now this. Subbed! To start with, X's reality seems like good fun. Then you realise she's trapped, physically & mentally, (until that bloke sets her free). Not that she wanted to leave.
I just made a similar remark to another commenter! The blanket looks superbly comfortable, I think that sleeping under one would feel like being enveloped in fluffy clouds...
So just watched this and I scrolled back in the comments a bit if anyone caught it, but at 5:27 on the letter there are coordinates "41°31'41.0"N 115°03'22.0"W" which is in the USA, Nevada if you drop it into google map. I thought the letter must be important when she reacted like that so I pause at it. 🙂 Also love Gigi Edgley's acting here you can feel that uncomfortable social media craziness.
Gigi Edgley has such integrity as an actor. No matter what she does, she gives a compelling performance. This character starts off feeling like such silly fluff, but even working with a mere 15 minute frame, I feel I got more character development, more nuance than most actresses manage in a feature length film. She is among a small handful of actors today who remind me of why I fell in love with stories, in the theater, tv, or now the net, and i remain grateful.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Gigi is out of this world!
omg that's gigi!?
without the blue skin it was hard for me to know.
@@Shiningforceking I'm more surprised that she legit looks the same as when she was in Farscape. Must be related tangentially to Paul Rudd lol
I thought it was Debra Meadon off Dragon's Den.
@@Shiningforceking Same here. the voice sounded familar but.... i couldnt place it.
Brilliant! There was only one moment that caught me completely off guard: When the AI told her she got mail and it was actual physical mail!
😀
Think about how McDonald’s wants to send you food that you order in the meta verse. You would probably receive it through Uber eats and your dyson robot could bring to your living room that your body is laying there strapped to your headset.
@@whiteladypills Oh geez, that would be even lazier than in WALL-E!
That was her hint, her entire house was a Cage, quite literally the size of a jail cell
It was the only way he could get her out without being exposed.
"I'm famous."
"Not anymore."
This isn't a condolence. This is freedom, and release. This is awesome.
Yes! Good call.
Not really, just saying she's now part of the other side. She's a follower now. Or at least that's the choice presented to her. Since it cut off before she decided to follow or not.
@@wheelsndealz okay, that could be true, but I was thinking more about the tone of voice the guy had when he said it.
@@fleurgymcheurgy9267sounded like condolence to me.
@@wheelsndealz Yes, an open end. Makes you think even more about it than a bad ending. But it is a release, that at least she has a chance now. I think the guy was trying to help her, and the real body contact, the gesture of compassion, tapping her shoulder, had an impact on her.
I am impressed by every aspect of this little film. The writing, the CGI, and the performances. What a great way to get across a message in such a short amount of time. Gigi Edgley is one HELL of an actor!! I enjoyed every second of this.
I only know her from her guest appearance in a Fan man Star Trek episode (something to do with Dragons) from the previous decade. She did very good work as i recall...
. . . Uhhh . . . I think, that she's one HELL of an ACTRESS.
@@tehpw7574 She was great in Farscape too.
@@carlosidelone8064 “Actress” is a bit 1950s - archaic and a grammatical aberration. “Actor” is the correct, modern word for a woman who acts. Like “benefactor”, “aviator”, “creditor”, “debtor”, “adjudicator”, “mediator”, “negotiator”, “confessor” etc it’s an inclusive term that applies to both men and women.
@@emperorofpluto Oh please ! Are you also going to call females in line for the throne "princes" ? Actress is a perfectly APPROPRIATE, English term similar to Empress. They are definitely not aberrations.
Had to laugh....."You have mail".....and letters come through the old mail slot!
After all of that technology.....'mail is mail'
They had to make it seem like she was not in a cage tho ;)
@@mrs.johnson7955
Thanks :)
@@albertchehade9916 No need for thanks:) just adding my observations:)
I thought it was a cool touch how she RUSHED to the door, to try to see the "mail person." Even despite all those followers, she still seemed to want to see at least ONE person in-the-flesh.
True! That was a good one🤣
This is pretty scary. Could just imagine this become our social media standard for every by who want to be like a influencers
No. Because it is not portaited as the standard. She is aupposed to be the number one. And still overexploited. Which makes no sense.
Predictive programming. Theres definitely some truth hidden in there. But what will be and what wont...
Wake the FOCK UP it already is!
This is a warning about how our words, our thoughts, and actions are being more and more influenced by our perceived need to do what others demand of us.
Isn't it ?
The only way you learn in life is to question things. If you never do ask questions, you never learn and are stuck in a cage of your own devices.
Yes
All my life I question everything although not knowing all answers can be bad but am okay to be free even if am sad
This seemed vaguely similar to The Matrix. Hacking her cage was like taking the red pill. The system "used" her, just like the Machines "used" the humans in The Matrix.
True . The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute , the man who never asks a question is a fool for life ~ Confusius
"Submit"
I am absolutely in love with this channel. The short films, their casts, the stories, the camera work. It's all splendid. Kudos! 👏
FUN FACT: Most of "X's" status updates are re-workings, or direct quotes from Will Rogers, an early twentieth century American humorist.
One of the coolest points from reading your rewrites for the first time, Kev!
Don't forget the homage paid to the late great Maya Angelou with the " I know why the caged bird sings" line at the end...Brilliant.
FUN FACT: Your fact is not a fact.
@@lowhanlindsey I think you need to acquaint yourself with a dictionary.
Why not go out on a limb, that's where the fruit is.
Will Rogers.
Always love Gigi Edgley. An interesting take on how dependent on social media we have become, and how quickly it can destroy us. We are becoming its servants, when it was (supposedly) created to serve us.
Black Mirror vibe 👌🏻
HEAVY Matrix vibes 😎.
I loved her on Farscape! I remember her on Xena Warrior Princess. That was a long time ago!! I'm glad to see her still working. I wish she had more work. I hope she's happy and her life is good.
THAT'S why the name sounded so familiar! I was straining my memory through the whole video, trying to place it.
OMG!! Your right that's her!!
Great catch. I knew I've seen her before. She aged well.
One of the most consummate actresses of all time made this theme a success. Nice to see you work, Ms. Edgley.
You rock! Thank you for your support :)
Can't help but love her. :-)
OMG. I just realized who you are. My gosh, i didn't recognize you without the alien makeup. I loved you in farscape, and i love you now. Your acting is second to none.
@@GigiEdgleyChannel THE Gigi Edgley??!?! OMG! Great work in this short masterpiece!
@@GigiEdgleyChannel
Love your work, Chiana was a fantastic character and must have been a blast to play. Peace from Ireland x.
I would watch a whole movie of this, or even better a series. It left me wanting more.
Her room would put most minimalists to shame.
Rodney McKay Which I found interesting because it was such a contrast from X’s characteristics - she dresses so flashily! Gold dress, skyscraper heels... she doesn’t fit her environment, you know she doesn’t belong there. Having said that, I absolutely love the Japanese window. Also, her blanket look mighty comfy!
The future is white rooms and women in tights holding glass tablets.
and she was famous..lol
😂🤣😂🤣😂
Cubicle apartments are the future
I would love a room like she was living in with everything coming out of the floor but also giving the space you need - almost better than Star Trek Hollow Suites
Bravo! That was mind blowing - incredible performance by the actors, especially Gigi Edgely. The VFX were seriously impressive and enhanced the vivid realism of a dystopian future that’s not too far removed from the toxic, dysfunctional social media environment of today.
Worthy of a standing ovation!
So accurate for the world today. Well acted, well presented, engaging film. When she said "I'm famous", I felt a hint of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.
That’s exactly it, I was thinking of that bit too! Great minds think alike etc. etc.
Was thinking of the same thing. Shows how cyclical a lot of this is.
Thank you :)
Or Andy Griffith in "A Face in the Crowd. "
I'm ready for my close-up mr. DeMille
How can so many DUST videos do so much more content and originality with 15-25 minutes than big named studios can with most TV shows and movies with 60-150 minutes?
As a woman in her forties - those desperate cries for "Body shot! Body shot!" near the end had me next to tears. Dang. This was GOOD.
FUN FACT: In the initial draft the main character X was fully nude for that last scene. I wanted to make a comment on literally selling one’s body but felt it would have been too harsh if it was a female so up until we cast Gigi it was a male.
@@straak interesting! It's still very heartbreaking for men - no doubt about it - but there does some to be a particular harshness about media and judging women's bodies that really hits you in the gut to watch someone suffer through (despite Gigi being absolutely STUNNING. Perhaps even BECAUSE of it).
Oh and PS - I thought being in her underwear was probably even better than if she were nude. It added an element of hurried desperation - I thought that whole scene was... perfect.
Where do I subscribe to go uncensored??
@@chada75 haha well, I was talking about ME being in my 40s, but yes, the actress is as well. Which sort of doubly got me in the feels.
@@straak Stupidest thing I've ever read. Sounds like you really want a Hollywood job bad with your bs. Too harsh? It's a good thing you're around to protect and save everyone. LMFAO
A message that will be totally lost on the social media addicts.
FUN FACT: The character name "TE'A" is derived from "Galatea" the Greek mythological character from Pygmalion, which is a story about a statue that was brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite.
Quite a fun fact! Thanks for sharing!
There's a movie I saw years ago called Mad Love that used the name Galatea for the same reference.
My real name is Tea.
@@teastuart6494 Which kind of Tea ??🤔
Thanks for that. I heard My Fair Lady referenced with Pygmalion and I never understood the connection.
Twitter makes you think you're wise,
Instagram makes you think you're a photographer,
Facebook makes you think you have friends,
and Tinder makes you think you're a coveted bachelor.
Waking up is going to be tough.
Oooooohhh, thats tough pill to swallow. red pill or the blue pill? Choose
what about youtube?
@@visancristian8450 RUclips makes you think you’re knowledgeable. Reddit makes you think you’re humorous.
Real talk
Your assertion is flawed. Those websites and apps don't make anyon anything in particular, or even feel a certain way. Ignorance and stupidity are self perpetuating, and you can't necessarily teach stupid people to value anything. Sheep will be sheep. If people want to drool on themselves, watching inane drivel such as Jersey Shore, TikToks, and the like, then they will do so. Education is the only answer, but to teach what is truly valuable in this world requires far too much time and attention at a young age than the majority of parents are willing to give.
Gigi Edgley (star of Hashtag & Farscape) & the producers of Farscape will be in the comments answering your questions from 10am-11am PT May 28th. Have a question about the film, sci-fi or Farscape? Comment below or reply here.
Will there ever b a farscape reunion?
What were the most and least enjoyable aspects of making Farscape?
Is this movie a upcoming future????
I love this! First off, the integration of the production team into the social media UI was brilliant... what a fantastic way to tell story and roll credits at the same time! Now, a few questions:
Humans as "social media livestock" has become a fairly common theme among sci-fi media, and this short presents one of my favorite (and most terrifying) depictions of it... I'm wondering how the production team came upon this look/ UI for the final version of the social media app? Were there any ideas that were scrapped because they weren't feasible? And lastly, if you could see any current social media platform evolving into the one depicted in Hashtag, which one do you think it would be?
Gigi, I loved the beat towards the end when Gil put his hand on X's shoulder and she froze in place. What do you think was going through her mind at that moment?
Thanks for an entertaining and thought provoking story, I really enjoyed it!
@@ZENMASTERME1 , Gigi would give you so many brownie points, but I agree. :D
2,826,351 subscribers liked this short film. I'm one of them.
More movies like this need to made. I love...
Watch " The peoples republic of desire" www.imdb.com/title/tt7478112/ .. its this stuff for REAL in China now .. not a film as such but a documentary mind blowing as it is just like this again for bloody real.
It's an extremely thought provoking script. I adore it :)
Gigi Edgley, and sublime acting too
watch black mirror
Totally agree!!!!
"X has checked into bed. There are MILLIONS of subscribers in this room." Yeah...that's not creepy at all!
on my sidebar : Cold Cave, "People are Poison"
Great, rather frightening short, and Ms. Edgley truly shows her talent in this one.
That was so dark! Also very Cloud Atlas like, especially at the end, when they "retired" her. Was she a clone, a robot? Clearly, no real free will, no understanding of what it was to be outside of the cage...it was almost like a spiritual awakening...does the cage exist? Millions of people are asking this question right now.
Why is Gigi Edgley not in more stuff? She's fantastic!
Thank you Farview :)
RIGHT?!
I know, right?
Get Schwifty 30? She does t look 30 to me...
I’m not saying you lied but, I just have a hard time buying into her being over 25.
Need more grey girl
Somebody that actually paid attention and had a grasp on something that is substantially real. Good job. It's very lacking these just for a person to pay attention let alone correctly comprehend if comprehension is anything that they do at all
First class production vales .. well written and acted .. Thought provoking .. well worth 15 minutes ... watch and enjoy
Thank you.
Thank you, kindly!
@@benalpi996 no no .. thank you for making and sharing this .. I am 58 old enough to have see the Matrix when it came out .. this is as fine a short scfi as I ever remember seeing .. so again sir .. THANK YOU.
@@straak no no .. thank you for making and sharing this .. I am 58 old enough to have see the Matrix when it came out .. this is as fine a short scfi as I ever remember seeing .. so again sir .. THANK YOU.
Beautiful synthesis of the matrix and black mirror's 15 million merits and nosedive.
This short was exemplary counter-culture media and highlighted the value of science fiction in exposing the harm of consumerism and capitalism.
Finally some sci fi that looks like something
Thank you.
xoxo
@@GigiEdgleyChannel X, will u LIKE my body flash???
"Posting question is a violation of the social communication act"
It's really sad. I know actual humans in the real world who strive for likes than anything else.
Its what the world is headed to....sad really
Yup, what is featured in the video is happening right now.
@@nothingsurprisesmeanymore 🤣😂😋😂🤣😂🤣🤣🤣😂🤣🤣I'm am definitely not looking for likes. However, I do see your point! Once again 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@nothingsurprisesmeanymore but I like _your_ comment! 😂😂🤣😂😂😛
I met one last week. A guy on youtube was stressed out and frustrated because he couldn't get any likes on his posts. Poor chump.
Love this!❤️ It’s like the three great movies: The Matrix , They live and Virtual Nightmare! The world is artificial and we get caught up in its illusion! Damn, they need to make this a full feature film!
This has a serious message in it, just like the above movies mentioned!
Peace✡️🙏🏾📿
I wonder, with her subscribers going up and down so quickly, the only way subscribers would go up and down so quickly would be if they were bots. So she was actually entertaining bots left over after the world died. I wonder if in the end there would be no stress outside because there is no outside and by retiring she would be put down, as in dead.
Ooo! Great observation!
😱
I don't know. With 800 million followers, if she said something 10% didn't like, that's 80 million. And if that thing is tracking in real time, and those 80 million are all a few fractions of a second off, and the new people are the same, it's going to fluctuate wildly. Like watching stocks move in real time. They are all over the place rapidly up and down. Trend is important with data like this, not instantaneous direction.
@@watchdust No, because Gill Smith was there.
He is aware of something.
He wouldn't let her go to die or into a dead world.
Because he let her out of that cube prison.
They are abbreviating time. They do that a lot in the movies and comics. DUST can't keep us watchers waiting until subscribers went up or down!
This reminds me a lot of the Black Mirror episode Nosedive, where social media runs and ruins lives. In both you can see the desperation in the main character's eyes when they start to fall off on social media
Wow! This is one of the best films I’ve seen on DUST. Beautiful acting by Gigi Edgley and excellent writing. Many people don’t yet realize that getting “likes” is the new drug. We need more productions like this.
The graphics and editings are amazing!!
Great to see her, huge fan of Farscape.
Loved the way her attempt to keep up with analytics goals was portrayed as a video game type activity. Good use of space too.
Great short film.
Should be mandatory viewing before anyone gets social media.
"Within the ranks of the Woke Tribe, no one is pure for long. Those wishing to move up in the ranks will gladly sacrifice the lives of prominent members for decades old offenses. Things previously not offensive are held to the standards of today and punished accordingly. . . The digital stoning begins anew" - David Attenborough
We already live in this world they call themselves "Influencer"
R/I’m14andthis is deep
Manipulators. They only say what comes from above them.
Influencers are fake. They only want to sell you cosmetics. No power. Just pathetic.
Farscape was def one of my favorite shows and chiana was my fab character
I thought she looked familiar. Especially when she got startled and scared. Farscape was too awesome. Shame they didn't flip it into sub series like stargate. Maybe they will; considering A I is reading this right now and processing it with D-wave computing And nano algorithms from any device, now a days. Food for thought 🤔. Great comment by the way.
She definitely maintained her figure, an impressive feat.
Who could possibly live like this ,it's like a vanity prison.
Simply brilliant!!! This might be nothing short of a masterpiece!!! Everything about it was great!!! Story, actress, writing, directing? AWESOME!!!!
So it's a bit like "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster; a bit like "The Matrix", and has tones of Bentham's Panopticon. In other words, a perfect analog of 21st century America. I loved every minute of this brilliant, dystopian film. Bravo to all!
Thank you! And yes, all the above! 🙂
18 hours of work a day, millions of "friends" and in the end .... thrown away like a pice of sh....t. Great acting of Gigi. Outstanding Short. Bravo.
Followers are no Friends.
Friends are people who do stuff with you. in REAL LIFE.
"Posting a question is a violation..." Here in 2021, that is a real thing.
Not really, but you go on being you, Boo.
@@michaelrichter9427 then be my guest, question any social or cultural norm publicly and see where it gets you... BOO. Lol
@@marcusevans1171 I do it all the time without issue. Of course, I'm coming from a place of honesty and trying to have genuine discourse....which involves listening to others and being open to the possibility that my initial opinion is based on incomplete or faulty data. Depending on what your motivations are, you're results may vary.
@@jasondean88888 You just haven't asked the right question. But, I commend you for engaging with people.
@@marcusevans1171 If I do, what should I expect? Jail?
Oops, that's a question isn't it? Damn, two of them. Probably hard labor for me.
I enjoyed it want more like it Gigi did a awesome job would love to see her in more stuff 😊
👍
Totally
whos gigi
I think a lot of people are forgetting the twist at the end. She was given the choice to follow, meaning she had aged out of influencing and become a follower. At first I thought this was a metaphor for society leaving our elders in the dust to sit in front of a tv and react to the changing world in front of them. But then I realized she was controlled by followers, old people, the whole time she was an influencer. The metaphor is that our elders have shaped our society and control our decisions.
Cool, Gigi is a favorite sifi actress of mine!
Loved her in Farscape. And the Star Trek Continues episode "Come Not Between Dragons" and now this short!
I'll be back for more and I hope she will be too!
Thank you Steven. Check out: gigiedgley.com for more of my work. I also do Twitch Tuesday - Saturday 5pm Pacific time :) Rockne S O'Bannon is coming on my show today :)
OMG, she played Chiana in Farscape, didn't she? I LOVED HER!
This is my favorite short film from Dust.
Why
Probably the best short I've seen this year and so well done by Gigi. Would love to see more!
The Matrix Revisited to a world where people are dominated, conditioned by social media.
Very extremely well-done! I adore the premise/concept/storyline, the set design, the camera work, the sound design, everything! If this were ever made into a 2-hour movie, I’d watch it in the cinema on opening day (would drag my husband along - duly punching him blind when he ogles X in the shower, of course) and afterwards buy the blu-ray. Good job to every person involved in making this short! And thank you for this excellent addition to my Sci-Fi playlist!
Thank you!! We certainly hope to do just that!
Wow, I can't believe how many good movies hosts this channel. This one felt like the first 10 mins of a big cinema scifi drama! Aside from the technical side, which BTW was all so perfect (lights, cameras, sounds and set design...) the main actress delivered a very emotional performance, with a strong message and really ominous implications. I loved it.
Omg her voice its still the same.. its hard to separate the voice from chiana's blue body.. so cool to see her. And this is a very deep film. Id hate for the world to really become this way.
EDIT: the ending was terrifying.. what the heck.. nooooo way.. im staying in the past bruh.. im good with my cellphone. More films with gigi please.. Ka-dargo needs to come save her.. and where is Crichton they should have popped in and saved her.
This is by far the best one yet.
My favorite book is Rate Me Red
by Richie Chevat. It's similar in plot where you're value is based on online popularity but more comical and not as dark as this - Highly suggest if you like this sort of Si-Fi.
Great acting. This is high-end talent, not usual for a short film. How come this actress is not in more actual films?
I see Gigi, I watch. Fabulous work from a beautiful and wonderful actress!
You're a sweetheart. Thank you :)
@@GigiEdgleyChannel Looking forward to your Twitch stream with Rockne!
Chianna! ;-)
WOW! One of the best short sci-fi's I have seen! Excellent!
Great episode of Dust, and it's nice to see Gigi Edgley again after Farscape! Reminds me of the epic Black Mirror episode 15 million merits in that its a cautionary tail about our humanity being overwhelmed by screens and their requirements.
I honestly do not think Gigi Edgley is capable of a bad performance, or even a mediocre one. She carried this perfectly.
The saddest thing about this tale is that the people who should take it to heart are too busy chasing/buying/stealing likes to even watch it.
For the record, we desperately need to stop this future, and anything that resembles it. I know that in a lot of ways it's already like this, but it's not too late...
Yup, lets go extreme route, because we don't want to talk about our societal problems and issues with the increasing dependency on technology.
@Terrence Bullock I never said technology was problem.
@Terrence Bullock I said our increasing dependency on technology is the problem.
@Terrence Bullock we are not allowing ourselves to grow I will civilization immature like we need to. We live in an era of instant gratification and 24-hours news networks. We have started to decline mentally, because I want to think for ourselves when technology can do it for us.
Is this where social media is going?
Best Scifi short I've seen in ages!
This is a well executed, acted and thought out film. Great plot development and the special effects add to the story as opposed to masking a lack there of. Very intune with current societal issues. Looking forward to more.
Thank you for your review!
@@watchdust Thank you for creating something worth watching.
Thank you kindly.
Stellar review! Thank you :)
Thank you! We hope to bring you more! :-)
This is soooooo good.... what sci fi is supposed to do, alert us subtly or hit us over the head so we can see where we are headed!!!! And it ain’t pretty.. thanks for doing DUST!!!! I tell lots of people!!!!
Pretty powerful for a 15 minute skit.
I've always been amazed by Ms. Edgley's ability to skip frenetically through an entire range of emotions without it seeming awkward or artificial.
When X's joke about there being two strategies for arguing with a woman flops, she goes from cheerful to panic to frenzy and back to cheerful in a blur under the intense performance pressure of her job.
Gigi used the same strategy to illustrate Chiana's erratic and unpredictable nature. Crazy sexy to crazy psycho in zero seconds.
I wish she had more roles. She's great fun to watch.
"She's great fun to watch."
You sound like the subscribers.
I believed it all - great expressionist acting, ❤
Excellent, amazing cgi, dialogue and acting.
Very kind for you to say so, sir. Thanks!
This is SO Black mirror. Loved that show
This movie was amazing. I love the Matrix vibes I got from it too. You all do incredible jobs on these!!!!
Thank you so much. We really appreciate it :)
Every episode short this channel provides is Gold. Absolutely entertained.
One of the best videos in a long time.
Why thank you.
guys please make full movies and release them theatrically! your some of movies gives superb social messages
Omg.. this film could leave a lesson to a new generation of humankind..
And this film is currently happening in our generation.. Doing things so desperately to become famous no matter what it cost, no matter what happens to their surroundings.. The INVISIBLE CHAIN of modern tech/INTERNET..
Yes! You're totally right. That's what we hoped to show in making it-- maybe we can turn the tide?
To me this was amazing. Very well done to those who created this .
I love Gigi Edgley. Such a great actress. Wonderful work on Farscape. I recently saw her on a fanfair Star Trek episode and now another SiFi clip. Great work Gigi!
This one is exceptional in every manner. From vfx to story to sound everything hits hard. Great job there.
There is nothing "a bit last season" about Gigi... how dare that woman!! :-)
We foolishly thought , Technologies are our Saviours , without taken into account that , we had created new labyrinths of Soulless Hells for ourselves ... ⚘🌿🗝
Gigi, you're aging gracefully while still putting in a ton of personal work. Keep being you.
Chianna!! 😀, I Recognised Gigi's voice rite away, awesome. I love Farscape its still one of my top 5 shows of all time.
A twist on the Matrix but well done. Would like to see a full movie and how the man plays into the plot.
Thanks for watching and we agree would love to see more of this world and the mysterious stranger.
That makes at least two of us. :-P
Three
Four. A movie would be really good.
five
WELL done! Although I wasn't quite clear if the lion guy is a saviour or just helping to retire the nonproducers. I like the dichotomy: You're either a social media producer or a social media consumer.
Farscape fan here for Chiana!!! Woot!! Awesome job Gigi!!!
Thanks!
A lot there for 15 minutes; very tight and well made. This was good and thought-provoking. Thank you.
GIGI EDGLEY !!!! Been hopelessly in-love with her since FARSCAPE TV-series. In it she was quirky and super sexy for an Alien. This short proves beyond doubt she's still GOT IT!!! She is certainly more beautiful. Rocked my world for-sure. Wish they would show Farscape again. It was a very strange sci-fi series and not for everyone. I wonder if its out on DVD. Loved the short very well done. Very scary view of a possible future. Could be Prophecy? This also has shades of the MATRIX. I don't know how many caught it at the end, she been reprogrammed before, but has gotten to old, and is now going to be "retired" (terminated).
Nice touch ... Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
I toyed with calling her Maya in a rough draft, but thought it might be too cute and mistaken for the software.
Thanks! I thought Maya Angelou would approve of me writing it in, given the circumstance.
I appear to have found a real gem of a channel here. I've seen "R'Ha", "Black Box" & now this. Subbed! To start with, X's reality seems like good fun. Then you realise she's trapped, physically & mentally, (until that bloke sets her free). Not that she wanted to leave.
Some of Gigi best work. Well done my little membari
Getting some serious black mirror vibes which I’m sure a lot of you already knew. Wish they made sequels to some of these short films.
Absolutely fantastic visuals and a Gorgeous actress. Loved it. 😙
Wow, fast paced but so NEAT! Great acting and effects!
My god, the blanket looks like cake frosting.
I just made a similar remark to another commenter! The blanket looks superbly comfortable, I think that sleeping under one would feel like being enveloped in fluffy clouds...
which would make her a cupcake.
I thought it looked like lamb's wool; little curly, puffy bunches, held together with some magic-tech.
I have the same blanket. It's from IKEA.
@@barbarajoseph-adam8337 It's actually quite scruffy. It's from IKEA.
So just watched this and I scrolled back in the comments a bit if anyone caught it, but at 5:27 on the letter there are coordinates "41°31'41.0"N 115°03'22.0"W" which is in the USA, Nevada if you drop it into google map.
I thought the letter must be important when she reacted like that so I pause at it. 🙂
Also love Gigi Edgley's acting here you can feel that uncomfortable social media craziness.