Story:

Nearly 2 years after her death, Jason Shepard struggles to keep the real and virtual world separate while trying to hold onto the memory of his late fiancé.

Jonathan Roberts
Writer/Director

Jonathan Roberts is an award-winning filmmaker who has written and directed over 20 short films including, Beyond Reverie, Forward and Recovery One. As a senior in the Film & TV Production program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Jon has learned to visualize film in new and exciting ways. Immersing himself in different filmmaking methods, studying other filmmakers’ visions and process and being taught that everything in the frame is deliberate, he has discovered his own cinematic voice. His mentors and extensive experience as Director, Screenwriter, Producer, First AD, Director of Photography, Key Grip and Editor have inspired Jonathan to continue his pursuit of a career in filmmaking.

Charles Lee
Producer

Charles Lee is a Korean-American producer, and an Oscar-qualifying director & screenwriter studying Film & TV as a senior at NYU Tisch. He has produced many award-winning projects, some of which at an international level, including Stygian Path, Recovery One, and Loop. Additionally, Charles has a passion for G&E, stunt/fight choreography, and acting. A long-time collaborator with the director, Charles and Jonathan share a strong and unique narrative voice. Together, they seek to tell stories of many perspectives to the world through the lens of their characters, in hopes of capturing the wide spectrum of the human experience, both in reality and the surreal.

Audrey Roh
Producer

Audrey Roh is a Junior at NYU Tisch studying Film and TV. While this is only her second year producing, she has packed quite a few sets into the past few years. She has done everything from boom operating, and Assistant Directing, to producing. Audrey continuously challenges herself to use those experiences to hone her producing skills. She has come to love problem-solving, the little bit of chaos that comes with making a film, and taking care of her friends and crew, which she sees as the producer’s first priority.

Christopher Josiah
Producer

Chris Josiah is a sophomore at New York University studying Film Production with a double minor in Producing and The Business of Entertainment and Media Technology. He has worked on numerous sets over the past two years. He is currently working on an NYU Advanced Thesis Project as a producer and as an Assistant Director on an NYU Intermediate Project. Chris has also worked as a development intern for a Disney owned production company.

Derin Egrikavuk
Director of Photography

Derin Egrikavuk, is a cinematographer and recent graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Film & TV Production. Growing up in Istanbul, Turkey she developed a strong interest in filmmaking, taking the opportunity to explore and gain inspiration from contemporary Turkish auteur cinema.  Derin moved to New York to pursue her film career in an international environment. Since then, she has sharpened her knowledge and experience as DP on numerous short films and music videos. As the Director of Photography, Derin is eager to use her skills to bring the story of Illusory to life.

Aristotle Spyropoulos, Ph.D., PE
Director of Engineering

Dr. Spyropoulos holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Engineering. He’s an alumnus of NYU and a leading expert in technology solutions. He creates user-friendly interfaces featuring simple designs and effortless use of custom applications. He is an acknowledged expert in computer vision and machine learning. Aristotle’s expertise is being put to use in the production of the short film Illusory, written and directed by Jonathan Roberts.

Timmy Beckmann
VFX Supervisor

Timmy Beckmann is a freelance editor and VFX artist currently earning his BFA at NYU Film & TV with a minor in Game Design. He’s worked with companies such as Discovery and ESPN and contributed his talents to countless NYU films. Inspired by the older masters Freddie Wong and Andrew Kramer, Timmy has pursued VFX since he was 14.

Samantha Joia
Production Design

As a writer/director with a keen interest in color, Samantha Joia aspires to convey stories through her production design. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Film and Television at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Samantha has led the art department for several music videos and Tisch senior thesis films. She couldn’t be more excited to join the crew of Illusory.

Dylan Lenze
First Assistant Director

Dylan joined the Illusory team as First A.D., where he brings his deep experience to the production, including previous roles as director, editor, 1st AD, cinematographer and producer.

Originally from Los Angeles, Dylan is a recent graduate receiving his BFA from NYU’s film and television program at Tisch School of the Arts. Based in New York, Dylan focuses on commercial and branded content and gained valuable experience working for companies such as Vox Media, NBC, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Lionsgate. He is passionate about filmmaking and creating great content for companies. He’s traveled the world making documentaries that have a positive social impact.