USS Berserk – Sparks
Before the Sun Set on USS Berserk
A Cinematic Short Film From 2 Tree Studios
Created by J.P. Ray
A high-intensity, visually rich sci-fi short, USS Berserk – Sparks brings to life a pivotal moment aboard the starship Berserk, where a routine engineering shift erupts into chaos.
Amid a plasma conduit explosion, two officers, Master Chief William and Lieutenant Merril, lock eyes across the engineering bay, igniting a mix of adrenaline, tension, and unexpected chemistry in the heat of crisis.
This standalone cinematic short is adapted from the larger story Before The Sun Set on USS Berserk, combining painterly sci-fi realism with intimate character drama and stylized action.
Logline
When a plasma conduit explodes aboard the USS Berserk, a veteran Master Chief and a sharp-witted lieutenant must respond fast before the warp core destabilizes, sparking not only a life-threatening emergency, but an unexpected personal connection in the heart of chaos.
Project Overview
Deep in the engineering decks of the USS Berserk, a long shift grinds toward its end when an unexpected explosion disrupts the plasma relays feeding the warp core. As alarms blare and sparks rain down, Master Chief William and Lieutenant Merril move in perfect sync, shouting commands, closing valves, reversing plasma flow, and racing against suffocation as the heat climbs.
But beneath the tension lies something more: unspoken attraction, mutual respect, and the unmistakable spark between two officers who’ve spent years avoiding what they feel.
USS Berserk – Sparks explores the humanity inside sci-fi pressure, the intimate moments forged in danger, and the flicker of connection that can appear even in the cold metal heart of a starship.
This cinematic short serves as the first screen adaptation within the Berserk universe, establishing the ship, the tone, and the characters who will later helm larger stories within the IP.
Themes
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Pressure, leadership, and duty under fire
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Emergent attraction in the heat of crisis
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Gritty sci-fi engineering realism
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Teamwork forged through danger
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Humanity within high-stakes technology
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Sparks (both literal and emotional)
Project Details
Format: Cinematic Animated Short (Unreal Engine 5, festival-ready)
Genre: Sci-Fi Drama, Character-Driven Sci-Fi
Stage: Pre-Production (storyboards, previs, lighting development underway)
Created by: JP Ray
Studio: 2 Tree Studios
Seeking:
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Unreal Engine cinematic animators
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Lighting & look-dev artists (painterly realism)
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VFX artists (sparks, plasma, smoke, warp core effects)
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Sci-fi festival and distribution partners
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Speculative fiction collaborators and producers
Visual Tone & World
The engineering bay of the USS Berserk is a world of steel, steam, and light:
glowing plasma conduits, teal warp-core pulses, flickering sparks, and a gritty painterly aesthetic inspired by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The visual style blends:
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High-contrast chiaroscuro lighting
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Painterly, stylized sci-fi textures
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Cinematic DOF and warm/cool color interplay
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Tight emotional close-ups and sweeping engineering wides
The tone balances intensity and intimacy, an explosive engineering crisis layered with the subtle tension of two characters who connect in a moment neither expected.
Contact
Interested in collaborating, animating, funding, or representing this project?
Let’s talk.
Storyboard samples (PDF)
Previs & shot list (PDF)
Script excerpt (PDF)
Look-dev references (WIP)