In a post-apocalyptic nuclear fallout shelter, a young scientist bothers their team leader with a series of progressively inane HR requests.
SUPERCRITICAL
John Osment is a southern-born filmmaker with a lot of experience in a lot of different things. Coming from an art school program throughout his childhood leading to a multidisciplinary career, John has landed in the world of film. Commercial film, to be exact. Commercial work. Commercial editorial. With experience in editing, sound design, music composition, photography, and ancient Egyptian history, John has turned to directing his first short and plans for more (you have no choice.)
I have a lot of love for snappy comedies and wanted to bring something traditionally experienced in our day jobs into an interesting setting. Simply put, I created a workplace comedy. Initially, I thought it would be retroactively funny to make it thrilling, scary, and tense—all for a payoff that’s just someone asking for personal time off. It’s a not-so-subtle play on what it feels like to be bothered by nonsense while dealing with… everything. Fittingly, I wrote this in the summer of 2023 when the sky in New York City was essentially blood-red. I was still receiving emails.
For the cast, we have the hilarious Misha Brooks, who starred in the Paramount+ mockumentary series Players, by the creators of American Vandal. Amanda Bruton, a perfect choice for an angry boss with a tender heart, has been on national Broadway tours and has had many guest roles on television.
On the crew side, DP Alexandra Bock is an incredible talent with festival nominations under her belt, including Cinequest, Hollyshorts, and more. The crew also has experience with Marvel, Disney, and numerous commercial productions.
I’m immensely appreciative of my cast and crew who brought their best to my debut short film. I’m incredibly proud of it.
Director:
John Osment
Writer:
John Osment
Producer:
Russ Emanuel, - Mark Brenes, (The Assassin's Apprentice: Silbadores of the Canary Islands, Clown Fear, Hit List) - Angela Joseph, (Arena Wars, Bermuda Island) - Charles Mesa, (Geostorm, Parched, Dolphin Tale) - Hayley Ulmer, Producer (Them, Thanks To Her, Red Woods)
Talent:
Misha Brooks, "Junior Scientist" (Connescence, Players, Italian Studies, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) - Amanda Bruton, "Head Scientist" (Orange is the New Black, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Billions, The Punisher, Search Party, High Maintenance) - John Osment, Music Composer - Aria Song, VoiceOver Cast (9-1-1, Yellowstone, For All Mankind) - Derek Shetterly, VoiceOver Cast (US National Parks, Porsche) - Lee Hunter, VoiceOver Cast - Sydney Amanuel, VoiceOver Cast (Princess Cut, Glass Cannon Network) - John Osment, Music Composer - Aaron Schoonover, Casting Director (Severance, Junction, City On Fire, Orange Is The New Black) - Alexandra Bock, Director of Photography (If I Could Just Die, Blackbird, This Is Our Home, Morning Glory) - Laura Valenti, Production Designer - Michael Bryson, Editor (Wall Street Journal, Gucci, Target) - Alex Jimenez, Colorist (Bo Burnham: INSIDE, A24's BEEF, Gaslit, Feud: Capote vs The Swans) - Sam McCoy, Assistant Director (Thanks To Her, Nova) - Nicole Lehrman, First Assistant Camera (Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Chestnut) - Jamal Solomon, Camera Operator (Mpower, Angelfish) - Jon Alvarado, Gaffer (The Assistant, Janes Wants A Boyfriend, Not Black Enough) - Greg Costa, Key Grip (The Assistant, Lucy Dacus: Night Shift, Evil Lives Here) - Dexter Dugar, Swing (Disney, A Good Dream) Aisha Hamid, Hair & Makeup - Noah Williams, Production Assistant - Liz Ran Yang, VFX (A24, Krishna, Marvel, Google, The Americans) - T Terressa Tate, Mix and Sound Design (Ms. Guidance, NBA, Old Stone, Afterward)
Year Released:
2024
Country:
U.S.A.
Length:
00:17:18
