1. What was one of the most challenging moments you faced while making Does It Come With a Warranty? Did this ‘setback’ change the direction of the final story?

One of our biggest challenges was shooting on physical 16mm film. As most of us were inexperienced in working with film, it proved to be a valuable learning experience for all of us. Only having 400ft of film meant our options regarding shot coverage were limited. This did, however, encourage us to think more deeply about each individual shot and how each shot would more concretely establish our broader message.

2. What was the biggest inspiration behind Does It Come With a Warranty?

We went into production on Does It Come With a Warranty? with the intention of using the location of a farm to create a dreamlike rumination on technology. Our number one aim was to focus on a thematic contrast between the vintage 16mm film and the modern ideas of AI and technology. Most of the story grew from securing the beautiful farm in Ashton as a shooting location, and we worked around that. In the end the story grew from the set factors of location and camera.

3. What message do you want the audience to take away from Does It Come With a Warranty?

We thought it was interesting how the farmer escaped a future world of technology to live in a simple place. This captures the fears of mass industrialisation and technological advancement that is pressing in the modern age. We thought it was an interesting paradox that when the farmer becomes too weak to sustain himself, he has no other choice but to rely on the technology he attempted to escape. When the farmer dies, we wanted to focus on the android experiencing nothingness, as without humanity there is nothing to reflect. We wanted to raise questions about the intersection of modernity and tradition without necessarily answering them.

4. Do you think your film would be received differently if shot digitally? Did you make a conscious decision to shoot on film early in pre-production or as a last-minute alternative?

As our final project at Flinders University, we were given the opportunity to shoot on 16mm film. To take advantage of this great opportunity, we theorized how we could best utilise the opportunity to shoot on film. The idea for Warranty came from the juxtaposition of the film stock with the story and themes, with the central character being a new age android. We thought it would be interesting to explore a very modern story and character with a rustic and old-school aesthetic. The opportunity to shoot on 16mm film was something we were all excited about, and we wanted to maximise this opportunity.