Free Money is a short Sci-Fi Comedy written and directed by Mwanzi Johns (MJ). This fun and futuristic film takes place in Toronto, 2034 and imagines potential technology, life and government control. MJ and I both share a passion for world building, and this project allows us to conjure up prospective designs and cultural possibilities.

Ari Body Draft #3

Our first task was to design a domestic robot called “Ari” which would be situated in the main character, JT’s home. Designed to fulfill tasks such as vacuuming, housekeeping and cooking breakfast, Ari is a product of the tech company “Nimbus” that, much like today’s Google and Apple, has a monopoly on the world’s technology.

Ari's Robotic Arm

In order to create realistic VFX, Ari incorporates existing robotic arms from Bostom Dynamics. The challenge was to design an approachable robot that combined real technology with both MJ' and my personal vision.

Version 2 Draft

We came up with several drafts, but locked down on this combination of body, arms, legs and accents before the final draft was conceived.

Detector Draft

My responsibilities included designing supplementary props such as JT’s cellphone, laptop, and nanobot detector.

JT's Apartment Moodboard.

As we are still in the pre-production process, MJ and I are currently developing the mood board and color aesthetic of the film. This mood board illustrates JT’s apartment and displays some of the props we’ll be purchasing for Set Dec towards the end of February.

Props are soon to built and shooting is set to begin in mid-March.