Sci-Fi Comedy ~ 6 min.

A father and son work out their issues while battling a time-traveling killer android.

Director Biography Ramin Serry was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs by his Iranian

immigrant physician parents, Dr. Cyrus Serry and Dr. Mahin Hamidi. He received his BA in English and American Literature from the University of Illinois and his MFA in Film from Columbia University’s School of the Arts.

He is a talented writer and director whose films have won many awards and whose work consistently wows the critics. His films bridge genres, ethnic groups and different eras.

Serry is an award winning director and writer, known for Don’t Call It A Comeback and Future Hero short films.

He has written and directed two critically-acclaimed feature films, Maryam and Loveless.

Serry currently teaches screenwriting in the MFA film program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts.

He is currently collaborating with Maz Jobrani on a new family comedy and Serry and his wife, Shauna Lyon, have just written their own web series sitcom.

“Future Hero” (2014), was chosen for official selection at multiple film festivals. This film is the first independent short film to be featured on Stan Lee’s World of Heroes.

It won 1st Place – Best Comedy at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, was nominated best short film at the 2014 Geekie Awards, and will be featured in the 2015 season of the PBS television show, “On Story.”

Film BiographyFilm Biography

Film Synopsis Film Synopsis

"Future Hero" is a science fiction comedy and light hearted short film about a father and son who work out their issues while battling a time-traveling killer android. Slightly irresponsible new father slacks his parental duties and selfishly takes a nap while his wife takes their baby to the park; however he is woken by an android that has come back from the future to kill the baby.

A father teams up with time-traveling the resentful adult version of his infant son to defeat murderous android. And while trying to save infant version of a son, they at the same time save their relationship and their own destiny.

Film Critical Analysis Film Critical Analysis

Future Hero is a sci-fi comedic short film and is a textbook example of storytelling and traditional film narrative structure. The plot itself is not particularly unique or too serious and is basically a genre hybrid between and pays tribute to Terminator and Back to the Future sci-fi films and Doctor Who sci-fi TV series. In its simplicity and predictability the underneath story and the concept of redemption are bigger than they really are. I believe that the story is rooted in director’s own feelings of guilt and self-criticism over his performance as a father. Using familiar topic with a sci-fi slapstick features, director was able to create endearing film full of energy and silliness, all leading to a punch-line that everyone will see coming, even if it only because of how familiar the camera-angle is at the end. The film is family oriented and is challenging very common family and abandonment issues within contemporary society.

This delightfully fast paced film is slightly longer than a comedy sketch but not quite as long as you might expect a short film to run. Most sci-fi short films are over produced using CGI technology. Others emphasise the character or the focus and intensity is put on dialog. Ramin Serry does none of the above and with this film he has challenged genre conventions. The director fully embraced the Terminator visuals and Doctor Who wittiness and spirit references and they became the basis for the entire style of the movie, including the cinematography and the music. The dialogue is witty, the performances are sharp, and the cinematography is crisp and polished in order to depict a hilarious look at the helpless father. The edit style is delightfully frenetic—one punch line doesn’t even have a chance to dissipate before another one is catapulted at the audience’s face.

In this tightly edited short, bolstered by strong leading performance, Serry was able to develop his characters and build his quirky science-fiction world without even breaking a six minute runtime. Future hero as a goofy version of traditional big budget sci-fi is quite funny in the way it makes fun of time travel movies and the conundrums they pose without any casting a critical eye their way at all. 

I have found this short film quite predicable but at the same time inventive for low budget production. Future Hero could so easily expand into a full feature length movie with its lovely characters and writing, though it is thoroughly self deprecating, and unpretentious.

The film even being cliché driven and nothing that happens is really surprising, it is still perfectly consumable for film lovers and is suitable for an online audience.

Leading Characters Leading Characters

Father• Mid 30’s

• Typical immature computer geek next

door type of guy • Urban middle class

casual skater look• Slacker,

irresponsible and couch potato

• Witty, crafty and cocky

• Atypical hero

Android • Well built

• Low budget and goofy costume

•Typical cyborg • Insensitive• Ruthless • Robotised

• Expressionless

Son• Mid 20’s

• Typical cool and slick young professional • Middle class smart

business look• Arm bracelet and

futuristic weapon define him as character from the

future • Wise, responsible and

mature • Handy and cocky

• Fearless and militant

Set / LocationSet / Location

Home• Typical suburban cottage•Young professional home • Relaxed and comfortable • Shabby chic urban design

• Mix and match of traditional and modern furniture

• Ornaments and paintings reveal artistic inclination

Park• Suburban and

traditional • Natural and non uniformed design

Graphic Design Graphic Design

Film Title• Created using CAD such as

Adobe After Effects • Low budget and simple design

• Zoom in & zoom out movement with starry background follows

sci-fi conventions and it is a homage to Star Wars

• Metallic 3D simple sans serif font is futuristic, contemporary

and professional

Closing Credits • Follows mainstream

closing credits film order and structure

• Centered, very simple and clear

design• Font is simple, bold, modern, professional

and easy to read • Straightforward

editing cuts

Technical FeaturesTechnical FeaturesShots & Camera

Movement• Steady still camera

•Over the shoulder medium long two shots following dialogue between

characters • ELS used to establish new

character such as android and new location such as park

•MCU shots used to show facial expression and as an action cut

away • Hand held camera used to follow the character in motion from one

location to the other • Camera is in the line with characters and their POW

• Low and high angle camera used to demonstrate position of characters in

relation to each other • Zoom in & out used to show

mothers confusion and hesitancy • Tracking shot used to follow son’s

disappearance • POW used expectedly in the last

two shots

Editing • Quick straightforward simple

editing cuts • Chronological order of shots

following narrative • No editing transitions

Special Effects • To add goofiness to the film very basic and simple CGI effects used • android voice low pitch enhanced• laser weapon shooting sound and

lighting effect • smoke vanishing effect used in

disappearance of android• horizontal lighting and sound

effect added at the end of the film when son warps back to future

Music• Classic orchestra music

• Music inspired by Star Wars and Star Trek

•Opening and closing credits combined with epic, up tempo

and dramatic composition • Chello playing tense loop to enhance action and it is faded

in and out regarding characters reaction

• Airy, mysterious and quick music segment used to exaggerate characters

confusion • Harmonic, idyllic and

romantic composition used to highlight loving and tender

relationship between son and mother in the park scene and

at the end of the film • High tempo drum dominated

tune used to amplify fight scene

Diegetic or actual sounds are from noises that are happening in the scene that haven’t been edited in, this means sounds like people talking, things like footsteps. wind blowing, etc.

Non-diegetic sounds are sounds that have been added in, this include things music, and sound effects. The non-diegetic sounds were used as mood music and sound effects to create a moment that feels like something dramatic and intense is about to happen. As soon as the music was taken away the feeling of the entire scene changed and the intensity of the scene vanished.Non-diegetic sound effects:• android apparition and speech • weapon laser sound• fight sounds• son’s disappearance