Producer & Production Design
A delusional tech CEO passes off his CFO in a robot suit to an investor, leading to absolute chaos when the "robot" gets a little too realistic in combat.
For this sketch, I produced and designed the world to feel genuinely cinematic. We filmed in an actual startup office to ground the satire in a real corporate environment, and hired a professional stunt performer to execute the escalating physical comedy and fight sequences. By strategically using lighting and the robot mask, we signaled a dramatic tonal shift midway through the sketch. The moment the real robot fights back, the lights shift to red, and the mask's design immediately communicates danger. This visual language escalates the stakes from comedy to genuine threat, transforming what started as a bumbling tech CEO disaster into an actual moment of peril. Rather than relying solely on a polished costume, we leaned on lighting, camera work, and visual composition to create the illusion of a sophisticated AI robot.
The production design challenge came when our second robot suit arrived late. Rather than compromise the vision, I improvised and built a makeshift childish robotic costume from cardboard boxes and aluminum foil. A solution that actually became a crucial storytelling tool. The constraint forced us to be more creative with our production design choices. It's a perfect example of how resourceful problem-solving on set can actually enhance the cinematic quality of the final piece.
Written by Austin Nasso & Ian Michaels
Director Austin Nasso
Producer Lana Spehar
Director of Photography Christy Knudson
Written by Austin Nasso & Ian Michaels
Director Austin Nasso
Producer Lana Spehar
Director of Photography Christy Knudson
