- [Announcer] Funding for this program has been provided by, (upbeat music) (pencil scribbling) - Hi, I'm Olivia, and welcome to "Young Creators Studio", a space to showcase some of the best youth-created films in our area.

This season, we're at the beautiful Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey.

All across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, middle school and high school students have been hard at work creating stories in both the classrooms and on their own, just for you.

So sit back and enjoy.

- Hello everybody.

My name is Professor Jeremiah Watson, and I strongly advise you all to stop what it is you're doing right now, and give us your full attention before your forced to return to your regular scheduled program.

- In a stunning turn of events, local teenager and tennis team captain, Carrie Capella, has been abducted by aliens.

- C'mon, wake up!

(Rose moaning) Rose, look the mirror's glowing!

- The mirror's what?!

- It's glowing!

- I'm sorry, where are my manners!

(Jason crying) Better?

(Jason yelling) (soft rock music) - Science fiction is one of the most popular genres in television and movies, especially right now, and while some of these stories can be out of this world, they also explore topics like history, culture, and creativity.

Whether you're an avid "Star Wars" fan, love "The Twilight Zone", or "Stranger Things," I can guarantee that you'll enjoy today's student films focusing on sci-fi.

(pencil scribbling) (car horn blaring) - Ah!

Jesus H. Christ!

This lady's a joke!

I had my my signal on everything!

People like this are why I don't go out anymore!

Lady, if you don't start respecting the rules of the road this instance, I'll have to do something I'll come to regret!

Not like you'd care!

All right!

You asked for it!

(deep ambient trance) Wait, we're on?

Oh.

Hello everybody, my name is Professor Jeremiah Watson, and I strongly advise you all to stop what it is you're doing right now and give us your full attention before you're forced to return to your regularly scheduled program.

Don't turn away from the channel!

Don't turn away from the channel!

Your life may never be the same because of it!

At at least I hope it won't.

Have you ever felt you were destined for something greater, something beyond yourself?

Something beyond what you believed even others could achieve?

Well, you and I should get a drink sometime, because the two of us, we have a lot in common.

It was a January afternoon.

The world was weary, and the sky was laced with depression.

I had just pulled into my local Kroger's parking lot, when this vindictive wench of a woman decided that the world had just randomly switched its sense of direction, and had now begun to revolve around her.

She cut me off, scraping my bumper!

It was like a searing knife being lodged into my skull, and I had to just, (yelling through gritted teeth) You know, something!

Luckily, I had just come back from the nearby golf course.

I was coming off a six stroke hole in one high, and I felt like I could take on a bullet train with my bare hands!

I took my trusty five iron, and I welled in that lady's windshield like there was no tomorrow!

It felt like I just won the big game!

And the team was dousing me with a big bucket of serotonin!

Every strike that landed on that woman's windshield filled me with a sense of invigoration that I hadn't felt in years, maybe ever!

Something had awoken within me.

Something that set me apart from all those other posers and jack-offs you find in your local shopping mall parking lot.

But by the time the fuzz had shown up, it was looking like my days as a free man were numbered.

So I counted my blessings, took off, and hoped those extra leg days would come in handy.

To get to the point of it all, I had never felt more alive.

We've created something that allows the user to utilize what we like to call their dormant potential energy.

Once you get within a 10 foot radius of one of society's countless weaklings, like the lady where I bashed in her windshield, (laughs) my invention will overtake the synapses in your brain, enhance your muscle mass, and send you on a euphoric rampage, the likes of which you've never felt before!

Or your money back.

Now, my legal team has informed me that if we do go to court for this, which we most likely will, we can't actually specify who these supposed weaklings are in society.

Frankly, I think it'd make it a lot easier for evolutionary purposes, but hey, I guess it leaves a little bit of the surprise factor in there.

(phone ringing) Hold on a second.

He's here?

Excellent.

He's arrived!

- Yo, is this the drug testing facility?

- Why, yes it is.

You're about to become the apex predator you never let yourself believe you were.

- Okay?

- Today, we're demonstrating the effects of our new serum, and to see if you're a lowlife beta scumbag, or if you're a true alpha hiding amongst the sea of degeneracy.

- Yo, hey, why don't I get one of those?

- I only have one.

Don't touch it!

Now, my silly little legal team has advised me to tell you that if you are one of these aforementioned lesser beings, you may spontaneously wither way into dust.

Just a little bit.

It's just your physical form.

It's, well, physical form degradation proceeded by body convulsions, muscle tightening, and overall core meltdown, but, aside from the death part, it's relatively painless.

I wouldn't worry about all that if I were you though.

I mean, it is just basic Darwinism, right?

- Yeah, yeah, definitely.

- No!

You're wrong.

It's advanced Darwinism.

Hey, just remember you are contractually obligated to keep on that if that does happen.

I have the paperwork right here.

Listen, how long have we known each other?

There should be trust here.

I don't wanna see any backing out in the camera work either, acting all scared, like, "Oh no!

I don't wanna see this guy wither away into dust!

Blah."

Not that we need to worry about that.

- You seem very all over the place.

I don't know if I feel very comfortable being around you in general.

What are you doing?

- I'm taking your dimensions.

- What's he doing that for?

- To see how much dust we'll need to clean up in the event that you wither away.

Yeah.

We're gonna need the vacuum!

- No one's over there.

- Looks like an able-bodied young man to me.

Got some meat on his bones, face of a winner, spirit of a champion, I'm assuming.

- I'm really having second thoughts about this.

(heavy static) - [Announcer 2] And now back to your regularly scheduled program.

Oh (beep) my life!

They're trying to take back the airways!

We're running out of time!

What the hell is this organization, man, that I can't find a damn thing!

Oh, okay.

There it is.

Yeah.

Okay.

That was a little bit of an overreaction, but, you know, it's whatever.

Well, good luck, buddy!

(slashing) (subject screaming) - Make it stop!

You monster!

- Me, the monster?!

- You're the one who hides his weakness from the world to slither your way through life!

The weak must perish, and the strong must survive!

Now let's finish the job!

(slashing) (explosion booming) (couching) What's happening?!

This can't be!

(coughing) I thought I was one of the chosen ones!

- [Camerawoman] What do I do?!

- Tell me, am I dead?!

Were I ever just a clod in the army of society?!

- Oh my god!

- My demise is ultimately an act of heroism!

The sooner I am gone, the better!

See you on the other side!

(laughing maniacally) (explosion booms) (ominous ambience) - Hey, is this Johnson & Johnson & Johnson Attorneys at Law?

I feel like I've heard that name, like 50 times before for a law firm, so I just wanna make sure I'm getting the right guys.

Yeah.

Listen, you saw the broadcast, right?

Okay.

You should probably drop all that stuff.

Representing a guy with 15 lawsuits against Kroger's isn't the best look for you, especially now that he's, you know, (inhales through teeth) Oh, I'm sorry.

Was that disrespectful?

The dude tried to murder his own test subject on live television as a display of his masculinity!

Should we have a moment of silence?

Oh, go shove it up your Johnson & Johnson & Johnson!

(upbeat synth wave plays) (light ambient music) - Four, (clears throat) Four, six, seven.

Hello to any extraterrestrial life.

It's me, Laura from Earth.

I don't know if you've been receiving any of my messages, but from monitoring recent satellite feed, I know you are coming soon.

If you are to abduct anyone, I would make a valuable and helpful candidate slash prisoner in intergalactic travel.

I will be waiting.

Bye.

One small step for me.

(upbeat synth music) - Oh, Laura!

You'll never believe it!

Carrie just got abducted by aliens!

(music abruptly stops) - Carrie?

- Yes, Carrie.

You know her.

Captain of the tennis team?

Nevermind.

- In a stunning term of events, local teenager and tennis team Captain Carrie Capella has been abducted by aliens.

Now, we here at STQR want to assure the commonwealth that only one person was taken, and they show no signs of returning.

Nonetheless, stay safe out there, and let us all keep Ms. Capella in our thoughts on prayers.

I'm Jason Walters for STQR.

(electronic buzzing) - Hey, little stupid.

Stupid idiot girl.

This must suck.

This must really suck.

Spent what?

Your whole life trying to make the aliens take you?

And then even they don't want you.

(laughing turns to crying) - Um, Laura, the news ended 20 minutes ago.

Why are you still staring at the screen?

How are you holding up?

If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine.

- Of course I do.

- I know you do.

- I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

My chances of success were infinitely small.

- Well, at least you tried.

Most people don't even think to try to be abducted by aliens.

- Tried and failed.

And now I'm stuck here with, I wouldn't expect anyone to understand.

- Enlightened me then.

- You wouldn't understand what it's like to devote your whole life to something and try so hard, and still, - Carrie is probably being dissected right now, and you are acting like this is the end of the world!

- I never said that.

My whole life is ruined.

I thought I was exceptional.

I guess I really am little stupid idiot girl.

- Then I'm a little stupid idiot girl, too.

- Why do you keep trying to make this about you?

- Laura, for the past six years, my whole life has been about you.

I've been here for you.

- I never asked you to do that.

- And I never asked you not to go with the aliens, but you're here now, Laura.

- Where am I supposed to go from here, anyways?

- I have a few ideas, and I'll be here, too.

After all, I still think you're pretty out of this world.

Oh, and Laura, there's something I have to tell you.

(hopeful synth continues) - Why do you want a mirror?

(rock music) - I want a mirror just to have a mirror.

- Mm.

What about that one?

- Oh yeah.

That's cute.

You know my style!

I like it.

- $17?

Yeah.

- Yeah!

That's not that bad.

This one.

- We gotta get the one from the back, though.

- Where should I put this?

- Let's see.

- Ooh, over there.

I'm hungry though.

We goin' eat.

- I want some Chick-fil-A.

- Mm!

Who gonna pay for that?

(laughs) - Yikes.

My mom's cooking downstairs.

- All right, alright.

- Just to let you know, I'm sleeping over.

- Okay.

Don't take all the bed space, though.

(both laugh) (ominous electronic beeping) (door hinges creaking) (shimmering sound) (ominous electronic beeping) - Oh my God, Perla, they found us.

- I guess they put the mirror in the same spot as ours.

- Why are you not excited?

This has never happened before.

- I mean, I guess.

- [Rose] You have got to hide that book.

They cannot know what this world is about.

You have to go.

(ominous electronic beeping) - Rose!

Rose, wake up!

- What?

- Rose!

Look!

The mirror's glowing!

- The mirror's what?

- It's glowing!

- Girl, I'm going back to sleep!

- Go, no!

Get up, get up!

Get up!

- What?

- Get up!!

I'm not going!

- You're fine!

- No!

- Damn!

It's not, - Get up!

Go check!

(Rose sighs) Oh!

(shimmering sound) (shimmering sound) Ow!

Augh!

Ow.

- You okay?

- Yeah.

(ominous synth music) Is anyone gonna say something, or?

- (speaking in foreign language) - What language are you guys speaking?

- We come in peace.

- (speaking in foreign language) - Hey.

I know it's weird, but this is world 46.

- What's that on the screen?

- [Perla] Nothing, it's just a really big clock.

- Oh, okay.

Well, I think we're gonna head back.

- [Rosa] No!

No!

(speaking in foreign language) - Look around, and we'll stay here, watching the door.

- Okay!

- Oh.

- [Pearl] I don't trust 'em.

- (chuckles) You don't trust yourself?

- [Pearl] Oh, mm-mm-mm-mm, this is not the time.

- Come on!

Let's just go see around, like, Come on.

I don't see anything.

- Is that a duck?

What is this?

- Oh, let me see.

- I'm sorry.

- Look what that says.

It says the clock on the wall is the time you have left until this world ends and the new world comes.

- Should we really do this?

I feel bad.

- (speaking in foreign language) - You can't stop pretending you don't know how to speak english.

(clock ticking) - You can leave by getting your copies and bringing them into your world.

The only issue is, if they leave while you cross and your world disappears, you'll disappear, too.

- Come on.

(Pearl blows) No.

I knew something was up with them!

Ain't that some dejavu?

- Hey, cut it out, Rose, 'cause it's not funny.

It's not funny.

- Wait, wait.

I think I have something.

I've seen this before.

- If we say mirror open up the door, like, four times, - Do we, like, hold hands?

- You wanna hold hands?

Okay.

- [Both] Mirror, open up the door.

Mirror, open up the door.

Mirror, open up the door.

Mirror, open up the door.

(ominous electronic beeping) (clock ticking) - Ah, let's go!

- Let's go!

We're back.

I told you the book was right.

- That was an adventure.

- That was weird.

- Come on, we gotta get rid of this stuff.

Goodbye.

- Nice job.

- Goodbye.

- Nice job.

- Goodbye.

(ominous ambience) (Jason whining) - Morning, beautiful.

How'd you sleep?

(Jason gasping) Sorry.

Thought it was a little toasty in here, so, put on the AC.

You know, I remember that day.

I went to the store with my son.

There was this old woman in front of us.

Yes.

Things kept falling out of her cart.

My son, he's a good kid.

He ran over to help her.

He's a good kid.

A really good kid.

It's such a shame, those things so far out of your control, but you would know something about that, wouldn't you?

Wouldn't you?

Wouldn't you?!

(Jason crying) I'm sorry, where are my manners?!

(Jason coughs) Better?

- (yelling) Help!

- Have you heard that old saying?

If a tree falls in the middle of a forest and no one's there to hear it, does it make a sound?

I always thought that was funny, about perception versus reality.

(chuckles) So here's how this is going to go.

We're gonna have a nice conversation.

Okay?

- Where am I?

- No.

No, you're doing it all wrong.

We'll start again.

We're gonna have a nice conversation, okay?

- How are you?

- I'm fine.

Thanks.

How are you?

- Please!!

Please, just let me go!

I don't know your kid, I didn't take him!

You got the wrong guy!!

- Do I?

- Please, I have a son of my own!

I can't even imagine what you're going through right now!

But I didn't do it!

Please, you gotta just let me go!

(crying) Please.

I would never hurt a little kid.

I just don't understand.

- You don't understand?

How the hell do you think this is going to go if you don't understand?!

- How much longer are you gonna keep me here?

- Well, that depends on you.

- I already told you, I have nothing to do with any of this.

- I don't believe that.

- (sighs) (police sirens wailing) I'm calling your bluff.

- What?

- I don't think you're gonna hurt me.

I think that, after keeping me here for, what, two, three days, you're too scared to kill me, and you're too proud to let me go.

- Excuse me?

- You heard me.

Your kid must have just wandered off.

It's quite easy to get lost in the woods.

Have you ever actually been around when a tree falls?

It makes quite the noise.

(ominous ambience) You can feel it, too.

The earth shakes, and then it's deathly quiet.

(banging on door) Time's up!

- Weaverly Castley!

You're under arrest for the unlawful restraint of Jason Bits!

- Thank you, officer.

- You have the right to remain silent!

- And I'll send Michael your regards.

- Everything you say can and will be held against you - You okay, Mr.

Bits?

- [Officer] in a court of law.

- Yes, thank you.

(rock music) - Thanks for tuning in to this episode of "Young Creator Studio".

Catch up with us online at Whyy.org/youngcreatorstudio to see our latest videos, or to submit your own films for next season.

I'm Olivia, and I'll see you next time.

- Don't turn away from the channel!

Don't turn away from the channel!

Your life may never be the same because of it, at least I hope it won't.

- I guess I really am a little stupid idiot girl.

- Then I'm a little stupid idiot girl, too.

(rock music resumes)