In a not-so-distant future, a young woman - looking to escape the monotony of her dull life - joins a new social platform, IDYLL, that allows users to experience the decadent lives of their favorite influencers through advanced VR technology. As she grows more addicted to inhabiting the seemingly paradisiacal life of the effervescent influencer/pop-star, Victoria, she increasingly neglects her own basic needs before coming face-to-face with the reality of the life she so envies.

THE SET UP:

We begin our film in the POV of a fun and exciting night out. That night comes to an end when the alert comes up on our screen that our "Session" is over. Not worth the $3.79 it costs to add an extra hour, we are brought back to reality where we meet our main girl and realize it was her POV we were just in. Her drab life and dreary apartment are very different from the world she was just experiencing.

THE INCITING INCIDENT:

When her friend suggests she should pay extra to live the "Premium Lives", our girl decides the extra financial hardship is worth the escape from her life. The more she "becomes" Victoria, the more addicted to this exciting and easy-going life she becomes, where everything she could ever want is just an upgrade away.

THE BUILD:

Our girl begins upgrading the IDYLL experience, first spending more time and money in the IDYLL world.... then, adding extras such as inviting other IDYLL lives to join. Now she gets to interact with all of the people she has been following her whole life, fully ingratiating herself into the social and romantic world she has been idealizing. She keeps going, buying the upgraded version that immerses her in the world even more with tastes, smell, and touch until finally she takes the experience to...extreme levels.

THE SPIRAL:

Her personal life and finances in the trash, she finally resorts to taking drastic actions to make her dreams come true in real life.

OUR GIRL:

Our girl is your average American girl. A desire to be more and to escape her world primes her for manipulation. The social media world around her constantly presents her with the idea that her world is lesser than that of IDYLL's. While her life isn’t great, it’s not lacking any more than the majority of people.

Her building frustration comes from being given a taste of Eden; a dream that is ripped away from her every time she is forced to take off the headset and return to reality. It is that pain which causes her to eventually lose touch with reality and ultimately push her to the point of desperation.

VICTORIA FOX:

Victoria Fox, a "premium life" influencer on IDYLL has the perfect life: dream house, perfect body, fabulous style, loyal and fun best friends, and a handsome, successful boyfriend. Or at least that's how it all appears to our main girl.

The IDYLL world entrances its users, and our audiences alike, with it's exceptionally vibrant and colorful atmosphere. We are only pulled out of IDYLL's "lifestyle porn" by recurring notifications (such as payment reminders, upgrade offers, etc.) that appear as holograms and by each time our girl looks in the mirror and sees Victoria's picture-perfect reflection staring back at her.

The IDYLL world, and its intoxicating fixtures, quickly becomes our girl's drug of choice. Much like a heroine or meth addict, she dedicates herself to chasing that high, and the more time she spends in that world, the more painful it is to return to reality. Every time she's ripped away from IDYLL, the real world - which at first seems only slightly duller - becomes increasingly bleaker, as indicated by minute but deeply impactful changes in tone and atmosphere. Once she has fully depleted her finances and can no longer afford her pricey addiction, she feels she has no choice but to seek out that Utopia in real life.

This story is important now more than ever as I believe we are on the brink of this film becoming our future. The more time people spend idolizing the posted lives of others, the more their self esteem sinks. We live in a constant state of dissatisfaction. We walk around with our heads down wishing we could live up to our potential, not realizing the people we idolize are only a presentation. A fiction. A false and curated world. We long for something that doesn't exist for anyone.

With A.I. and V.R. rapidly evolving, this story might become our reality.

As a recovering addict myself, I am all too familiar with the idea of “Compare and Despair” (an old AA slogan). But even with ten years of sobriety under my belt, I am constantly in danger of falling into other means of addiction. 

The rise of technology and its negative impact on our world is a topic very close to my heart. I was blown away and terrified by the documentary “The Social Dilemma.” In it, creators of Instagram, Facebook, etc. share how these apps are designed to keep its users on the app, constantly addicted, and constantly spending more money. Just like the pharmaceutical companies, they are building dependency. 

Director/Writer: Austin Cauldwell

Austin Cauldwell is a Los Angeles based director, writer, actor, and acting teacher. After studying drama and film at Vassar College, he moved to New York where he worked Off-Broadway in The True by Sharr White and Intimacy by Thomas Bradshaw at the New Group. Film/TV credits include: Switched at Birth, NCIS, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, NCIS: New Orleans, The Affair, The Rachels. He previously directed all episodes of the comedic web series, Rhinebrook, which he also co-wrote and co-created, and has directed for the stage. As an acting coach he has helped shape the performances of countless actors including Nat Wolff, Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Henrique Zaga, Austin Abrams, Gabriella Bloomgarden, Caitlin Carver, David Thompson and many more.

Director of Photography: Julia Pitch

Julia Pitch is a Director and DoP, nomadic in nature, she rarely finds herself in one place for long. Raised in Texas, she currently lives in LA. From a young age Julia found herself questioning her surroundings, her identity and the voices of authority. It was from this place that she was spurred to make art. Her visual sensibilities are influenced by her fine art background, and she studied Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. 

Julia’s entry into film started by holding a camera, searching for ways to bring motion to her paintings. The hand-held physical exploration of camera movement and how it dictates tone led her on a technical journey, resulting in her DP’ing a feature film, The Country Club, in 2019. Julia prides herself in creating safe working environments that not only foster growth, but allow people to thrive. 

Producer: Cronin Cullen

Cronin Cullen is an award winning actor, producer, and filmmaker, splitting his time between New York City and Los Angeles. Cronin’s acting work spans TV, Film and Theater. His work can be seen on Netflix, Hulu, Showtime and more. 

In 2021, Cronin produced and acted in a pilot co-created with five friends called Camp Greenwood. In 2022, it premiered in Shonda Rhimes' Series Fest, winning Best Director (Kourtney Bell) and Best Comedic Performance (Melaine Mahanna). It won various other awards on the festival circuit including two at the Catalyst Content Festival: Best Director (Kourtney Bell) & Best Comedic Ensemble and Best Pilot at Nashville Film Festival. They now have a showrunner attached and have begun their pitching journey. 

He recently produced a short film starring Raye Levine Spielberg and Sawyer Spielberg in NYC. They were in the final round at Sundance and received the Panavision New Filmmakers grant due to the vision and originality of this project. He is currently in post-production on a short film, 12 Hours. Their team is proud to have launched their Seed & Spark crowdfunding campaign at the start of the Austin Film Festival.

Producer: Olivia Wendt-Fijal

Olivia Wendt-Fijal is a dedicated Actor and Producer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Los Angeles, Olivia moved to New York at the age of 15, where she later graduated from the Professional Children’s School before completing her training at the Atlantic Theater Company. She then transitioned into a role as a producer at a prominent advertising agency in New York, where she contributed to the production of commercials for notable brands such as Benjamin Moore, CNN, Zillow, and more. After four successful years in production, Olivia decided to pursue her passion for acting full-time.

With a deep-seated love for storytelling and a desire to bring characters to life, Olivia is committed to honing her craft and making a meaningful impact in the world of entertainment.

Producer: Sean Akers

Sean Akers began his film career at Zachary Quinto’s Before The Door, working on the Oscar-nominated MARGIN CALL and ALL IS LOST (Robert Redford). He produced BANSHEE CHAPTER, the first 3D film released for Oculus. Appearing on the TV series THE CHAIR, Sean represented Before The Door on set of both NOT COOL and HOLLIDAYSBURG, served as executive producer of Seth Green’s directorial debut, CHANGELAND, and produced Joanna Gleason’s directorial debut, THE GROTTO. Sean founded and runs FLMKR, a production and distribution company based in LA.

VFX Supervisor: Nathan Procell

Nathan Procell is a colorist and VFX artist based out of Los Angeles. He has worked on national commercial campaigns for companies such as Grubhub, Cadillac, and Urban Decay, music videos for major artists like Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, The Foo Fighters, and many more projects for big name clients. Hailing from Madison Wisconsin, Nathan has been working professionally for six years, and strives to bring his artistic eye to everything he touches and works on.