Interview with Jude Chun (Director of The Short Film "The Time Agent")

By Justin D Williams 

Otakus & Geeks had an interview with Director Jude Chun about his Sci-fi short film "The Time Agent" which can be seen on Youtube. "The Time Agent" follows an Agent from the future comes to the past to prevent crimes. The only way for him to return to the future is simply to wait. During this time, he must live in complete isolation. This would drive most men insane, but it suits the solitary agent just fine... until one day, when he runs into a girl about to commit suicide.

Otakus & Geeks: You wear many hats on this project serving as a writer and director. Which one was a bigger challenge for you writing the story or directing it?

Jude Chun: I think writing is always the hardest part. Making a film is hard work, but all that work can be meaningless if it’s in service of a bad story. So I like to spend a lot of time in writing, making sure the story is right.

Otakus & Geeks: Can you tell us about a little of the process of filming? How long was the shoot and what was it like on set?

Jude Chun: The main production was 5 days, with several short weekend shoots for the prologue montage. As you can tell from the credit roll, we had a barebones crew, so everyone had 2 or 3 roles to play. One day the actors were building the set, the next day they were acting in it.

Otakus & Geeks: Time travel is usually a very complex narrative to digest but here you made it so easy to understand when it comes to timelines and rules. What inspired you to do a time travel story?

Jude Chun: I had the idea for the prologue for a long time, and I had considered making it into a 5 minute short. But I felt there was more to the story. I began thinking about what kind of life the Agent would live, and how that lifestyle would affect his worldview. But it wasn’t until I found the character of Yeesul that I understood the arc of the story, and the central conflict in the film.

Otakus & Geeks: The characters are very well written and has some room for exploration especially for the Agent. Any chance the story will continue?

Jude Chun: I do have some ideas for a feature film version, but not immediately. Perhaps in 10 years, I’ll check in to see if I have a new take on the ideas in the short. The actors will also be older then, so it could be fun to intercut this short film with new footage in a time travel narrative.

Otakus & Geeks: Can you tell us about any other upcoming projects?

Jude Chun: I’ve just finished a music video for the song God’s Lament, which is in The Time Agent soundtrack. You can check it out here: https://vimeo.com/255673806