Sci-Fi Short Film - "Lancer 21"

Рет қаралды 859,003

7 ай бұрын

After an incident with an unknown vessel a group of fighter pilots get more than they bargained for when they are ordered to investigate another signal inside the restricted area.
Check out the VFX Breakdown video HERE:
• VFX Breakdown - "Lance...
Starring: Michael Forsch, Taylor Kilgore, & John Dimarco
Directed/VFX by: Dan Ciraulo
Cinematography by: John Dimarco @DiMarco3

Пікірлер: 603

@gabe9125 6 ай бұрын

"Heat level critical, shutdown sequence initiated" We got some Mechwarrior/Battletech fans in this house, folks

@AdamStephens 3 ай бұрын

I noticed that too. As soon as I heard that I thought "Ruh roh, I'm in danger!"

@MostlyPennyCat 2 ай бұрын

Critical Hit too

@daspolecat 2 ай бұрын

I miss the days of FASA - Clan Wolf, Clan Jade Falcon, Clan Wolverine - the unnamed clan

@JettMann8 2 ай бұрын

Right here, I thought the SAME THING

@MostlyPennyCat 2 ай бұрын

@@daspolecat Smoke Jag-waaaaaaaaaaaR

@jonnoble5624 6 ай бұрын

The perfect example of why "show, don't tell" needs to become the filmmakers' mantra again. I could go on and on but I'm afraid I wouldn't do it justice. It's a six-minute masterclass really.

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

Absolutely flattered by your high praise. Thank you for taking the time to give it a watch!

@nicholassmith7730 6 ай бұрын

Show what? Some text slowly teletyping onto a CRT while bleeping on "advanced spacecraft"? Engine noises in the vacuum of space? Manned fighters? Fighters that for some reason have to roll to bank in space like they are using flight surfaces in atmosphere? This is 90's SciFi with 2000's CGI. (No offence @TheDarkpathfilms) I love this and subscribed but I love this for what it is and what it is isn't a "masterclass". It's good, old fashioned, SciFi.... But my microwave has better tech than your spacecrafts UX. =P

@jonnoble5624 6 ай бұрын

Immediately after the creator says how flattered they are, your instinct is to tear into my comment? Very well. Everything in this short film is accomplished with establishing shots and atmosphere. There’s no unnecessary dialogue, exposition, or text scrawl. The tension is established and story told wholly through the visuals, showing the creator understands their craft. I did not NEED complex visuals made with bleeding edge technology to fulfill its goals nor to prove its value. It accomplished exactly what it set out to do and did so perfectly. I’m not going to argue with you over anything other than the ill-considered placement and timing of your comment. The creator was obviously very happy with my comment and your attempt to ruin that “shows” a great deal about you as well. If there was a masterclass for etiquette and manners that I was aware of, I’d direct you there immediately.

@nascar33car 5 ай бұрын

Do tou know what "show don't tell" means? Or did you never finish basic English?

@TheRyujinLP 5 ай бұрын

@@nicholassmith7730 Why not maned fighters? Despite the hype (and that's all it is, hype) AI isn't going to replace humans in high skill areas like that any time soon if ever. All AI does is effectively really high end copy/pasta. It's not thinking, it's not plotting. It's not even aware of what it's doing.

@Scarletlord 6 ай бұрын

He actually always survives and always dies, the perfect loop. A prison until the end of all things, that's my kind of horror.

@michaelbarnard8529 6 ай бұрын

No, he dies in a personal time loop, and the rest of the universe goes on without him.

@everrybody 6 ай бұрын

Its always cool to see the top comment is a major spoiler

@Scarletlord 6 ай бұрын

@@everrybody So get in the habit of watching before reading. 😘

@Kohlenstoffkarbid 6 ай бұрын

He does just one round in this loop and it ends for him when he dies. So just a normal one time death for him.

@everrybody 6 ай бұрын

@@Scarletlord the chat box is visible before the video even starts

@aieeegrunt 3 ай бұрын

“Set Condition One”, the helmet lights and shape, the blocky build of the Athena, so much BSG style and I love it

@leefinthewind2311 20 күн бұрын

Part of what’s so good here, in addition to the visuals and writing, is the radio chatter. The key is to sound bored, like this is what you do every day. When people sound excited over the radio it makes it feel fake.

@loadtoad 7 ай бұрын

This would have made a GREAT Battlestar: Galactica episode! Absolutely loved it!!! RIBBIT!

@markphillip4512 7 ай бұрын

Bsg is being rebooted as we watch this

@loadtoad 7 ай бұрын

@@markphillip4512 OUTSTANDING NEWS!!! Thanks so much!

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! That means alot! Absolutely love BSG

@timisoutdoors 6 ай бұрын

@@markphillip4512 Whaaaaaaaaaaaa!?

@EduardoRamosMontijo 6 ай бұрын

That was my thought too! Could definitely feel the BSG world vibe in this! Loved it

@GySgtRay 7 ай бұрын

The acting and graphics were SPOT-ON.....well done! I'd love to see more of your work!!

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

Really appreciate the compliment and thank you for taking the time to give our little film a watch! We're hard at work on another Sci-Fi short!

@CammieRacing 5 ай бұрын

Finally, an intelligently written sci-fi that doesn't need to feed us hand to mouth with what's going on and simply allows the viewer to be engaged.

@jennaskylark 2 ай бұрын

@@jonlittle5032Are you really that oblivious that you have to ask such an incredibly ignorant question?

@Ralampos 2 ай бұрын

@@jennaskylark Of course he is, it's too Dumb of a Concept to Understand. Who begins with thinking, oh yeah, Temporal Storm. Temporal Anomalies Do not exist, because there is no such thing as an Anomaly.

@danielc2701 24 күн бұрын

@@Ralampos Never mind anomalies, I'm wondering who in their right mind shoots something down before even confirming what it is. Can you imagine one day their President comes for an inspection and they decide "Woo, unknown ship, let us shoot it down!". Definite career boost that one /s.

@Nicholas_Chen_ 7 ай бұрын

This is absolutely stunning. The nods to other scifi masterpieces are brilliant and you captured the desolation, mystery and claustrophobia in deep space very well. ❤

@DarkPathVFX 7 ай бұрын

Thank you! The piece is definitely an homage to many Sci-Fi classics that have influenced us. Really appreciate you giving it a watch!

@gapjunction11 5 ай бұрын

@@DarkPathVFX Are the dangling chains in the hangar a nod to "Alien"?

@nymalous3428 6 ай бұрын

The computerized voice sounds like it comes from Mechwarrior 2 (4:36 "Autopilot engaged," 4:46 "Heat level critical," 4:48 "Shut down sequence initiated," 4:52 "Shut down sequence aborted"). Nicely made.

@goatfish480 6 ай бұрын

Yep! i'm glad other people got that. Makes me feel old though now too

@user-pl4iq3sb6v 6 ай бұрын

That was definatley bitching betty

@lukasvrana6388 5 ай бұрын

Noticed this as well. And got some Freespace 2 feelings too :D

@goatfish480 5 ай бұрын

@@lukasvrana6388 that game was amazing and so so hard

@goatfish480 5 ай бұрын

My personal favorite was wing commander 2.

@crissscoot2128 6 ай бұрын

This video is top notch and the twist was perfect. I started laughing at the exact moment the pilot also started at the end. I freaking love it!

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for giving it a watch!

@BensPokePlace 6 ай бұрын

That Voice - Unmistakable. The Computer Female Voice from MechWarrior 2. All systems nominal.

@Jasey357 6 ай бұрын

Great short! Thanks, I even spotted the Mechwarrior voice effects. Made me smile 😉👍👍

@nymalous3428 6 ай бұрын

I'm glad I'm not the only one who recognized that. Brings back memories. :)

@Takenmynameandmycat 5 ай бұрын

Bitchin’ Betty rides again…

@MorteWulfe 5 ай бұрын

@@nymalous3428 hehe I recognized it too!

@ToddWaid1 6 ай бұрын

Very nicely done. I love the creepy storm. Gave me major Event Horizon vibes.

@davidstanleyblake923 5 ай бұрын

Speaking of which , Event Horizon was such a great movie

@GiovanniV69 3 ай бұрын

yes! Great reference! It does have that feel.

@RadoslavNedyalkov 7 ай бұрын

That was one intense opening sequence and MindF story arc for 6:26 minutes, most Hollywood "masterpice" need at least 3 hours to tell the story you told...just saying. Epic shor ❤

@DarkPathVFX 7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed it!

@Shorts11327 4 ай бұрын

I thought the opening credits was great. Maybe next time they could list the names a bit slower and maybe try to make the credits account for 75% of the next short film. That was the best part

@thalon1 7 ай бұрын

an amazing short film with nods to Battlestar Galactica, and amazing special effects well done

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

Thank you! We definitely tried to pay homage to BSG

@st6jimslayer341 6 ай бұрын

by the looks of it to harlock space pirate as well, from the carrier/battleship design@@DarkPathVFX

@Orion40000 6 ай бұрын

I...I think I might need to go have a lay down after this. I can't imagine what that man was thinking when the realisation set in. Bravo, guys. Bravo.

@DarkAssassin274 2 ай бұрын

Very well done short film.. It just drove me nuts how he was rocking through the ENTIRE thing... Straight and level flight up to the storm did NOT need it.

@kinghamsterswarren653 4 ай бұрын

I love that you used soundbytes from the game, MechWarrior 2, for the female AI voice. I played that game so much, I know the dialogues. It was a nostalgia trip for me. The film was interesting too!

@killerbees1199 4 ай бұрын

I knew I recognized the Athena voice!

@blacklion8208 5 ай бұрын

Loved the laugh at the end by Lancer 21 when he saw himself on the screen. It connected to the laugh right at the beginning of the vid... Great short (loop), thanks for posting.

@ashemgold 4 ай бұрын

Yes, haunting.

@pseudonym5872 6 ай бұрын

Gotta love the MechWarrior "Bitchin' Betty" cockpit warnings near the end...

@GiovanniV69 3 ай бұрын

Apache pilot? Great reference to MW though. I also got a Space: Above and Beyond vibe.

@DadrickOriginal 6 ай бұрын

Love the Mechwarrior sound effects.

@n1vg 6 ай бұрын

Came to see if anyone else noticed that. It's been 28 years and those sound still do something to my brain. I can hear "target is beyond inspection radius" playing in my head, too.

@Ahdtsjjjtdyhjryik 6 ай бұрын

>>HEAT LEVEL CRITICALSHUTDOWN SEQUENCE INITIATEDSHUTDOWN SEQUENCE ABORTED

@micksmith7867 6 ай бұрын

That calm voice. My first pc game back in 95. I wish they would release it for the modern pc

@kn1ght722 6 ай бұрын

Who could forget the best betty this side of the Inner Sphere lmao

@centerfield6339 16 күн бұрын

My first time watching the Battlestar Galactica miniseries I was blown away with a VFX crash zoom to a brief out of focus then into focus shot of distant spaceships. I'd never seen space battles look so real before. This really brought me back to that moment. Thanks!

@DarkPathVFX 16 күн бұрын

Thank you for the high praise! Lancer was definitely influenced by BSG.

@onebeingeverybody 19 күн бұрын

Mech warrior 2 nostalgia yesss

@DarkSideofSynth 2 ай бұрын

Great work on all levels. Well done! Nice and engaging.

@soumyamty Ай бұрын

Great movie and very deep message: Never be too quick to attack a friendly target That's instant Karma right there Very disturbing but amazing movie

@DarkPathVFX Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the short. Appreciate the high praise!

@Telyzan 5 ай бұрын

THE PUBLIC DEMANDS MORE!!! Excellent job!

@Murrminator 3 ай бұрын

That was excellent, the plot twist at the end was completely unexpected and the visual effects were superb. I would love to see a full length movie from ya’ll. Bravo!

@DarkPathVFX 3 ай бұрын

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

@fleepflorp2347 7 ай бұрын

Really interesting, can’t wait to see more.

@DarkPathVFX 7 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

@TheExperimentalFreak 2 ай бұрын

Loved this, wow! The outcome gets more terrifying the more you think about it

@fachkraftemangel8463 2 ай бұрын

Crisp, rough, love it. Congrats.

@syrhassan116 7 ай бұрын

Nice job... Why do I want to play Mech Warrior now?

@EvolvedTactical 6 ай бұрын

Very well done! Also, the Sidewinder tone for missile lock was a nice touch.

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

Thank you - thought we'd slip that little sound effect in there =)

@livingchutoy5422 6 ай бұрын

Ok. Can I say something? The Athena? Just the design of of, the way she crept into the light, the sheer aesthetic of the ship? I s*** you not. I felt a disturbance in the Force. Like every, single, solitary Star Destroyer in the whole of the SW universe just collectively crapped their pants and turned tail for Alderan crying "Not It!". I love this ship!

@robdead4550 5 ай бұрын

Reminds me of the sort of short stories comics like 2000AD used to do. Really great work, I was engaged every second.

@dorianfilippits2339 6 ай бұрын

Absolutely incredible Story telling, have not seen something this high qualitry in a long time I cant find the words to properly describe how well made this short film really is

@morenofranco9235 25 күн бұрын

A particular type of Hell. Excellent story.

@canadadelendaest8687 5 ай бұрын

The music nails this

@DarkPathVFX 5 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@CharlesHuse 6 ай бұрын

Wing commander: I know you just shot yourself down. You still coming to work tomorrow, right??

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

Brilliant! lol

@fbi9009 6 ай бұрын

feels like smth that could be straight out of warhammer really put into perspective how chaotic the warp is (pun intended)

@jennaskylark 7 ай бұрын

That was not terrible. So I take it the "storm" was some kind of temporal disruption and Lancer 21 ended up shooting himself... right? Well, that's what I got from this. Subbed cuz I want to see what else you guys can do.

@DarkPathVFX 7 ай бұрын

You nailed it! We appreciate you giving it a watch!

@wilsonrawlin8547 7 ай бұрын

@@DarkPathVFX For a roughly 6min clip, very well done and a nice quick mind trip that closed very well.

@philmcclenaghan7056 7 ай бұрын

@@Athanasius1964lol how could you not

@MattU4970 6 ай бұрын

Yup. The whole "Interstellar" movie in 6 minutes.

@atitslan4776 8 күн бұрын

Great job on effects regarding the ship and fighting for a 6 mt flick

@stulliboy4422 5 ай бұрын

classic timelap and tempural circut. Nicely done

@RealBLAlley 5 ай бұрын

Very well done, with a level of verisimilitude we rarely see these days, especially in SciFi.

@ryry187 7 ай бұрын

MechWarrior 2 betty computer voice Nice 👌👌

@huskyfrank9058 5 ай бұрын

What makes this better are the voiceovers taken directly from the legendary Mechwarrior 2 PC game.

@letsgetserious4048 2 ай бұрын

Better than the last 3 Star Wars Movies.. Well done

@blueplanetoff 16 күн бұрын

The design of space fighters and the helmets... I smell some Battlestar Galactica inspiration here :D Anyways, great short film

@bottlethrower1544 3 ай бұрын

Love the MS DOS gui. It is the future

@actuallyrealcover 5 ай бұрын

This deserves unlimited budget. I'd love to see it as a movie.

@calebweigt732 2 ай бұрын

Beautiful!

@stormwing9123 6 ай бұрын

That was Bitching Betty as the cockpit controls. Mechwarrior. Fuck yeah.

@deliriumarts 3 ай бұрын

Oh wow. Atmosphere and suspense, absolutely! Very well-constructed and leaves you wanting more!"

@WarbirdPhoenix 2 ай бұрын

The laugh coming out of the storm was creepy enough,but knowing the origin was even creepier. No monsters,no hostile aliens,just a never ending loop of being killed by yourself as you go insane.

@williamdrake1535 2 ай бұрын

I wonder the light blob at 0:59 is real footage or CGI, if it is CGI, it is one of the best I have ever seen

@wascal 6 ай бұрын

lol the Bitchin Betty from Mechwarrior dialogue was awesome

@TelekinesisStudios 5 ай бұрын

GREAT idea. Superb technical execution.

@GiovanniV69 3 ай бұрын

Space: Above and Beyond feeling, or BattleStar Galactica. Excellent. Well done.

@hoorayforhawksbills 5 ай бұрын

It was those damn Jade Falcons wasn't it? A Dezgra state of affairs. 😛

@sarahstarchild8495 4 ай бұрын

Whoever did the sound really liked Mechwarrior XD

@corbett10291 2 ай бұрын

I know I'm late to the party but I loved the F14 tone

@Flobinton 6 ай бұрын

Haven't heard that Bitchin' Betty in a long time.

@ashshadownight Ай бұрын

Hah nice Battlestar Galactica vibes with this!

@Mayflower-Yev 6 ай бұрын

Love how they actually use modern fighter combat instead of the basic Sci-Fi tactics of dogfighting. Most of space warfare is definitely going to be missiles and LONG range arty either way basically pretty much nothing for short range.

@johnprezioso270 5 ай бұрын

Story was neat, but what sold it was the great atmosphere.

@gilbertdarisse4705 6 ай бұрын

This has more story to it than some blockbuster movies released by major studios now a days! Great job!

@notmyself2533 5 ай бұрын

So true Hollywood would need 3 hours tell this story this was simply horrifying

@necroticism 2 ай бұрын

Glad you gave love to the classic MW3 bitchin' betty SFX.

@Cybertop110 Ай бұрын

For those of you wondering about why the pin-up image at 2:43 , pay close attention at 1:48 ;)

@petescott 6 ай бұрын

If I hadn't of guessed the twist in the first minute, it would have been the best Dust movie yet haha.

@androssthered1157 4 ай бұрын

Great stuff. Loved the MechWarrior heat levels Easter egg.

@MoruganKodi 5 ай бұрын

feels like BSG 2004 all over again. I love it.

@2NangMan 5 ай бұрын

...That heat level critical and shutdown warning is ripped straight from MechWarrior 2... And I dont mind at all!

@andrewgoldin675 3 ай бұрын

that dude with a motorcycle helmet, in the beginning, is DEFINITELY rocking side-to-side while sitting on a swivel chair

@ducatirottie 19 күн бұрын

not bad! not bad🙏🏽💪🏽👏🏾

@cpt_kenzo 5 ай бұрын

Absolutely perfect story telling. Expertly done!

@crightbrayons8416 3 ай бұрын

I remember those computer voice lines!! Battletech from way back in the day.

@richardede9594 3 ай бұрын

Great stuff. If this was a full-length feature about the time-rift it'd be great. Well done all involved.

@droopy0266 6 ай бұрын

First comment: absolutely brilliant and I love the nod to Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica in your ship designs. Good job.

@DarkPathVFX 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much 😀

@vaporition 3 ай бұрын

this was really good.... had a feeling though. Soon as he let it fly i was thinking that was a bad idea

@kn1ght722 6 ай бұрын

Really cool yall used the Mechwarrior 2 computer voice in some parts. Well done!

@thrutheturnstyles 7 ай бұрын

This is incredible. Absolutely well done!

@coolerman_13 5 ай бұрын

I stumbled upon a few other VFX studios doing these short films and it led me here. great work.

@MissionReloadedGaming 5 ай бұрын

hahaha love the battlechatter and various alarms from all my favorite shows and games. XD

@Unther 6 ай бұрын

"Action stations, action stations - set condition 1 throughout the ship!" Oh, it felt great hearing this again...

@minkmonk5646 5 ай бұрын

comment for the algorythm! Im very impressed! Cool AF

@rintintinman9223 4 ай бұрын

That was Excellent,,,, the mood was dark,, and remained that way,, till a little enlightenment,,, then it got REAL Dark.

@Speedbob2438 2 ай бұрын

I'd recognize that Bitchin' Betty anywhere. Great show, Dark Path

@sydnarevocram5649 6 ай бұрын

Does anybody else notice Pink Floyd’s Welcome to the Machine sample? The similar Brain Damage maniacal laughter?

@hagvaktok 6 ай бұрын

Thunderstorms in outer space - quaint!

@koviyovas8325 3 ай бұрын

i like the IFF detail

@theraynestorm 5 ай бұрын

I like the MechWarrior audio clips. Haven't heard that in years!

@CybershamanX 6 ай бұрын

Love the use of the Mechwarrior 2 "bitchin' Betty" voice. Fun little short! Bravo! 😎🤘☮

@paratrooper508 5 ай бұрын

lmao the mechwarrior 2 audio for heat levels

@mycroft16 6 ай бұрын

Masterfully told! That was a lot of fun. And a cool twist. I love a good infinite loop story. Great visuals. The Athena is awesome looking.

@TurinAlexander 6 ай бұрын

Reasonably well made, but honestly, saw that ending coming a mile away. I was really hoping I was wrong about it, but nope.

@pondafarr 3 ай бұрын

I love how the "critical hit", "overheat warning" and "shutdown overridden" sound effects were cribbed from Battletech games lol

@zeroman228 2 ай бұрын

Ok, have no nothing to say about the clouds in space, but thunder? Seriously? In vacuum? (9/10)

@jessicameow614 4 ай бұрын

If he hadn't immediately fired before having a visual then they would have discovered the paradox within the EMP field.

@ttrestle 6 ай бұрын

I guessed it the moment I heard that first laugh but still good.