The animated, sci-fi short film EXT is a futuristic reimagining of the classic Japanese film Seven Samurai.

Set in an ice-covered Toronto in the 24th century, AEGIS - a humanoid war machine - leaves its digital homeland and ventures out into the real world on mission to liberate a server installation occupied by a powerful enemy.

Accompanying AEGIS on its mission are five similar yet distinct machines united under one goal: to ensure the survival of their digital world.

The short film made its world premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival as part of the Animation Day segment of the event.

EXT is the brainchild of its creator and director, Adrian Bobb.

During our interview, Bobb shares the inspiration for the short film and his experience making it as a first-time animation director.

The trailer for your forthcoming sci-fi animated film EXT is dazzling. What is the film's premise?

The film is about a distant future where a team of robot-clad, digital humans fight their way through a nature-reclaimed Earth (now called the E-X-T) in order to reconnect a server tower vital to the survival of their digital home world (aka the I-N-T).

The press for the film describes it as a futuristic reimagining of the classic Japanese film Seven Samurai. What is it about that film that inspired you to do a science fiction take on it?

It's very difficult to create an ensemble film and not be influenced by Seven Samurai, but beyond the obvious, stylistically, I wanted to achieve a sense of mystery and timelessness by emulating some of Kurosawa's use of environment, composition, anticipation, and silence. 

Also, thematically, the idea of a transitioning time was a huge inspiration for me.

In the world this story takes place in, three immortal digital generations are in the midst of a civil war after centuries of stagnation.

The old watch - the world they grew up in - disappears around them, while the young aspire for a future they can participate in. This mission to save their world from the outside will be the only thing that brings them all together.

From the trailer, EXT has a very stylized, almost photo-real animation aesthetic. What influenced the look of the film?

It's funny, because I wanted the more fantastic elements to feel realistic and the realistic elements to feel artificial. While we certainly didn't have the budget to go full Chappie in regards to realism, I feel we were able to accomplish a level of realism that is at least half-way there.

What sets EXT apart from other science fiction films about the advent of true thinking machines?

EXT is what might happen long after most sci-fi films end. It's not so much about thinking machines as the line that separates machines from organics is long gone during the time this film takes place. 

After the advent of technology that is able to digitize a human mind, a great emigration occurred that led many desperate people to leave their organic bodies behind and live an immortal life online.

While that initial moment was wrought in controversy, our story takes place centuries afterwards when the question isn't so much do machines have souls, but, how different from your ancestors can you be and still be classified as human?

You have a background in animation and visual effects. How did that prepare you to take the lead and direct an animation film - and were there any challenges during production that surprised you?

After working in the video game/film/animation industry for 10 years, I've garnered a lot of experience in understanding how to make films like this cheaply and with a skeleton crew.

Aside from a few areas within the pipeline that required some of the best artists I've befriended over the course of my career, I did everything from writing, story-boarding, designing, and digitally building each character which, while time-consuming, cut costs significantly. 

I also made sure that I, and some of my crew, had time to learn which, sadly, is not something every studio offers when working on a project.

What was your proudest moment during the production?

I would have to say that my proudest moment during the production was rendering out the final shot in the film which included all five main characters - the robotic members of Team Nomad - sharing the screen together in a Seven Samurai-eque group shot.

Voice-acting can make or break a animated film. How exacting was the process for selecting the voice cast?

Luckily, the voices within the film were also done by the live-action actresses in the film. Both actresses, Cara Gee (Camina Drummer, The Expanse) and Zoe Doyle (The Silence), gave terrific performances that helped guide the narrative of the short as well as provide a more human element that the audience could relate with.

When can the general public expect to see EXT?

We still have a few more fests to visit this year, but we are hoping to release the short online in the Fall/Winter.

Where can our readers go online to learn more about EXT and your other projects?

Everything involving EXT and our other upcoming projects can be found on my website at adrianbobb.com or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/exocentricpro/  and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/exocentricpro/ under our production company Exocentric Productions.

Watch the intriguing and dazzling official EXT trailer here…

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