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SPECIALISED
AUTOMATED
MACHINE
334
A
!

Q U I R K Y

U n i t e c
2 0 1 5
G r a d u a t e
F i l m
W r i t t e n
b y
A m y
Y a t e s
D i r e c t e d
b y
M i k e
K u m a g a i

S C I - F I

R O M A N C E

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Faced with the prospect of love between artificial

intelligence and a human, SAM and Chris must figure
out what is real in order to know what they really want.

In a boutique supermarket, Specialised Automated Machine 334, a

curious and lively artificially intelligent check out operator, wants
to see the world. Inquisitive and bored, SAM wants to live a life
like the people she serves at the counter. And along comes Chris,
the awkwardly charming computer programmer who sees
something peculiar and mesmerizing in SAM.
As Chris tries to uncover the truth behind why hes so fascinated
by SAM, and SAM tries to hide it, a cat and mouse game of
introspection, self-examination and acceptance unfold, ultimately
asking the question; what is artificial, what is real?

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LOCATION BRIEF
Food Land Supermarket & Cafe
Food Land is a fairly small boutique supermarket, located in
Glendale, Auckland. In a trendy move towards the romantic idea
of the farmers market, Food Lands goods are of the same ilk as
its milieu; proudly locally grown produce, handmade preserves
and pickles, organic cheese and milk, specialist delicatessen
goods.
Wood, chalkboards, thoughtful displays and light fixtures,
handwritten fonts, all add to the boutique feel of the supermarket.
As the customer moves through the space, they feel a homeliness
about the place in direct contrast to the specialised automated
machine that man the check outs.
Food Land also sports an upmarket caf, selling coffees,
baguettes, and various other boutique foods. Its a place were
shoppers can sit and enjoy the environment provided by Food
Land.
Food Land attracts a customer that values (and can afford) the
romantic idea of the farmers market, the convenience it provides,
the specialist goods it sells, all while maintaining a metropolitan
lifestyle. These customers are busy folk with affectionate ideas of
the countryside, yet choose to stay in the city.

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LOCATION/ART BRIEF
Storage Room
The storage room is a clean, sparsely populated area that
houses SAMs recharge station. It is the location in the film that
feels as though it is in the future; the complete opposite to the
organic farmers market motif that Food Land has.
In the fairly large storage room, the fittings are concrete and
steel, absent of wood and other organic material. The walls are
a sterile white, there are metallic pipes and polished metal. The
storage room more closely resembles a mixture of a computer
data storage room and a hospital waiting room.
The recharge station itself resembles a large computer unit
with a few flashing LEDs and racks of computer equipment. The
gurney that SAM lies on is of a simple vinyl design. Oddly,
there is a pillow at one end. When SAM recharges, the back of
her connects with the larger recharger behind.

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LOCATION/ART BRIEF
Schultzs Office
Although Schultzs office is fairly small and cramped, it is neat
and tidy. Schultz takes great care of his office; his many Food
Land booklets stacked tidily, his pens and pencils arranged by
colour.
On the wall hang Schultzs three-month certificates in business
management, food safety, and most importantly, team
leadership. There are also a couple of pictures of his niece and
nephew with his younger sister, as well as a postcard from his
parents when they were in Thailand.
The computer monitor itself is of generic design, probably a
little old (Food Land doesnt regard updating their computers
as a huge priority), but still looks sparkly and new. Near to the
computer resides a squeezy bottle of unnatural cleaning spray
and a small cloth.

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LOCATION BRIEF
Chris Apartment

Chris apartment is relatively small, but it is modern and cared

for. Chris attention to detail in his living space gives the
impression that hes thought about where his various things go
he has collectable toys placed on a shelf next to the his
couch, a little sliding tray that holds his laptop computer.
His interests in computers and sci-fi dictate his lounge room
he has a few posters of some old sci-fi films Short Circuit, Dr.
Who, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Tron.
Above all however, it is a comfortable place where Chris feels
at home. His couch has large cushions, the interior lighting is
soft in the evening, and the city lights from outside cast a
mirage of colour that Chris feels at home in.
It is a far cry from SAMs recharge storage room.

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CHARACTER BRIEF
Sam
Sam, a mid-twenties, girl next-door type, is a secretive pilot
artificially intelligent robot checkout operator at the supermarket,
Food Land. She is fully self aware of her own consciousness, her
role as a check out operator, and what (or what not) that role
requires.
As a fully self aware moral agent, although not supposed to, she
subconsciously dreams of exploring the world and leaving the
confines of the supermarket; she dreams of meeting other people,
of seeing the world and of expressing herself through her diary.
She is lively, enthusiastic and curious - although sometimes a
dreamer and loses the required concentration in her job.
Ultimately, she is motivated by her curiosity to leave the
supermarket, and to experience all that the world has to offer.
Perhaps part of her programming, she fully rejects the idea that
shes not human and believes that shes as human as anyone else.
Sam has brown hair and darker features with bright and
illuminating eyes, a bob style hair cut and is of medium height.
Her build is slight, and she has fair skin.

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CHARACTER BRIEF
Chris
Chris is computer programmer in his late-twenties. Hes fairly shy
and not very confident socially, sometimes coming off as comically
awkward, but is extremely smart and competent in understanding
programming.
Chris has had long-term partners in the past, and his initial
fascination with Sam is based on his curiosity that she might be a
robot, and this leads into his physical attraction to her after
thinking that shes real.
Faced with the fact that he knows that Sams robotic and is AI, but
still very much attracted to her, Chris decisions comes down to
what he deems as real (are AI robots as valid as real humans?).
But he is open-minded, fair and trusting of AI and of Sam, and
believes his attraction to her is as real as any other.
Chris has soft features and a trusting air about him. He is slightly
scruffy with medium hair and light stubble, and is of medium build
and height. He has an illuminating smile, and has a soft posture.
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CHARACTER BRIEF
Schultz
Schultz, in his late 30s, and is the proud long serving manager of
Food Land, as well as the person responsible for the specialised
automated machines.
Schultz has worked at Food Land for many years; he appears
meticulous, ordered and strict, however people easily see through
this and see a man trying to overcompensate for his lack of control
in other parts of his life, although means well. Through this, he
appears quite comical.
Underneath Schultzs faade he feels a strange connection with
SAM 334. Hes aware that shes just a robot, but treats her tenderly
and applies humanistic qualities to her. He feels a strange sense of
responsibility for her and cares about her outcome.
Schultz is a slightly bigger man with a soft stature. His appearance
is impeccable; he has a full yet tidy moustache, with slick and
immaculate hair. Through his daily role as manager his expressions
appear uptight, but beneath this we see a relatively harmless and
innocuous man.

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CHARACTER BRIEF
Repair Technician
The
Repair
Technician
is
a
seedy
computer
programmer/technician who deals specifically with specialised
automated machines, and is called to Food Land after the
manager, Schultz, sees that SAM 334 isnt behaving correctly.
Comparable to Chris, the Repair Technician works in the field
of computers programming, but deals with robotic engineering
as well. However what sets the Repair Technician apart from
others is that he rejects the idea that SAMs have humanistic
qualities, and sees them as merely objects for humans to utilise.
The Repair Technician is doesnt fare well socially, preferring to
bury himself in his robotics. This shows when faced with the
outside world, often making inappropriate and bizarre jokes.
He is in his early thirties, tall, with a somewhat messy
demeanor. He wears smart casual clothes that are a size too
big, with a brightly coloured thick tie.
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THE LOOK, THE CUT

Specialised Automated Machine 334 has a clean and sharp
veneer about it we want our camera look to enhance the
futuristic style of the film.
SAM334 will use low contrast, high exposure lighting with a
blue grade to give a futuristic sense of the world that SAM and
Chris reside. Our framing is wide to capture the physicality and
comedy of the characters, with beautifully rendered closer
shots to show the emotional arcs throughout the story.
The dream sequences open a window into the way that SAM
sees the world. Half-speed with the lens whacking technique
create shifting focal planes, light spill/flare and bursts of colour.
The result is beautiful ethereal effect, perfect for SAMs
dreams.
The films tone is sharp and lively and the cameras editing and
coverage will reflect that. Snappy editing around the
characters dramatic and comedic beats gives us a tight,
compact film, whilst enhancing the space where our story is set.

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VISUAL REFERNCES

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VISUAL REFERNCES
Dream sequences lens whacking

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THE SOUND
Specialised Automated Machine 334 plays on a key binary of
organic v. artificial, and our music/sound design plays a key
feature in getting these points across.
As a motif for the interactions between SAM and Chris in the
supermarket, light-hearted, organic and upbeat music sew the
two characters together, exaggerating the chemistry between
the two.
SAMs storage recharge station is the only overt science fiction
location in the film. Synthetic music fills the clean and spare
void of the room as our Schultz, Chris and Repair Technician
enter SAMs space.
During the climactic moments of the film, tension is achieved,
both thematically and tonally through a mixture of natural
thumping percussion with synthetic components throughout.
The cavernous space that is Super Organics gives a disquieting
reverberation as our characters move about room, particularly
as Chris sneaks through to find SAMs recharge room.
Note: Please see the website for references.

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ART DEPT.
Specialised Automated Machine 334s play on the binary of
natural v. artificial provided plenty of scope for art department
and production design. From the natural surroundings of
Super Organics and Chris house, to the artificial milieu of
SAMs recharge space, our world is constantly riding these
worlds.
Super Organics, our near future supermarket, has all of the
farmers market trimmings. Wood, linens, paper and glass all
organic, all eco-friendly, package the grocery items at the
store.

Variegated tulips, once the

most popular varieties due to
their striking colour patterns,
represent beautiful eyes, see make up/costume.

To oppose the Super Organics, the storage room (see location

brief) is our only science-fiction location in the film. The space is
dictated by a large and over-bearing computer unit with blue
LEDs serves as SAMs charger. As SAM sleeps at night, she lays
on a hospital style gurney.

- Pro Flowers, history of tulips.

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COSTUME/MAKE UP

SAM

M A C H I N E

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Chris

S a m 3 3 4 . w e e b l y . c o m / c o s t u m e m a k e - u p