an 11-part audio drama

(feature film also in the works)

• Listen now
• Audio trailer
• Visual trailer

A uniquely bold, immersive, almost-non-fiction tale from filmmaker Chris Shimojima.It's an indictment of idealism run amok... of mass formation psychosis... and of our current culture war that's verging into horror...SAFE SOCIETY — a one-of-a-kind satire/psycho-thriller/horror — voices the perspective that establishment Hollywood won't.

AUDIO TRAILER

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"The peculiarities of yesterday are the trends of tomorrow."

An influential woke entrepreneur develops an irrational OCD, making him easily manipulated to absurd and terrifying policy extremes by a fearmongering lobbying organization. Will he wake up before it's too late?

episode 1

"And that's where the stool samples come in?"
"That's the sh*t."

Our Narrator begins "Journey to Tomorrow," an audio series that this year is honoring main character M (he/him/his). A glimpse at his youth shows the forces that heavily conditioned him. In the present, M introduces his company Rooting4U, which delivers personalized plant-based meals.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moment of intense sound design and unsettling voices

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
VINCE PHILLIP as M's Dad
JOHN DOE as Young M
AVA WRUBEL as Farah
LIBBY COLLINS as Emily
ÜMIT ÇELEBI as Gyorgy
ZACK SEGEL as M
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 2

"Feeling the revolution brewing inside him."

M demos the personalized Rooting4U meals and persuades his audience. B (he/him/his) feels the revolution brewing inside him...

CONTENT WARNINGS
Mild language, allusion to body horror and disturbing creatures, moment of sudden shrill and unsetlling sound design

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
ZACK SEGEL as M
ERIC MARQ as B
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 3

"6 feet. 6 feet. 6 feet."

Amidst a global virus, M's coworkers, his wife Sofia (she/her/hers, mixed race, and on the spectrum), and incessant media coverage convince him to be irrationally proactive. Safe Society takes notice.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate language, moments of unsettling sound design and voices

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
DEANNA ANTHONY as Testimonial Voice
ZACK SEGEL as M
ERIC MARQ as B
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
AJ STEIN as Daniel
BRAD FORENZA as Kenneth
TOMASZ GEZA as Defensive Employee
ELENA OUSPENSKAIA, MARC MARTIN-MARTINEZ, ANGELICA GOMEZ, DINANDA KLAASSEN, EDWARD FURS, SEEYALI SIINGH, SID JARVIS as Safe Society Members
LANGSTON FISHBURNE as W
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 4

"Look at my uncovered mouth. Look at my uncovered mouth. Look at my filthy infected spit-launching mouth."

M tries to keep his growing OCD on the down-low. B, now working at Rooting4U, urges him out of hiding. Safe Society Member W (he/him/his, black) pulls the strings.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Mild language, moments of unsettling and intense sound design, allusions to neurosis and demonic possession

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
ZACK SEGEL as M
ERIC MARQ as B
EMMANUEL KERRY as Yann
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
AJ STEIN as Daniel
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia
LANGSTON FISHBURNE as W
DAVID SMILOW as Charles
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 5

"Maggots. Transformed by the power of science."

M is influenced by W. Whites are banished. Boosters are administered. A growing mob is possessed. Dissenting voices are "silenced."

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moments of unsettling and sudden loud sound design, sudden death and suffering, allusions to injections, neurosis, body horror, blood, disturbing creatures, brainwashing, and cult rituals

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
ZACK SEGEL as M
LANGSTON FISHBURNE as W
DINANDA KLAASSEN as Safe Society Member
ERIC MARQ as B
JEREMIAH LOISEAU as Security
RODNEY ROLDAN as Employee
MIDORI NAKAMURA as News Anchor
CAMILA PEREZ SANTIAGO as South American migrant
AJ STEIN as Daniel
BOBBY ALLAN as Nikolai
RICK DUMONT as Follower Rick
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia
EMMANUEL KERRY as Yann
TAMU FAVORITE as Hospital Nurse
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 6

"We will give to Good Nation. And
cripple Rogue Nation with sanctions. Such wars are good. There will be costs, but if you can’t rise to selflessness with us, you’ll be a Rogue sympathizer responsible for the death of innocents."

Safe Society is emboldened to take larger-scale actions to keep the world in crisis. M brainwashes his daughter Lucia. Society crumbles. B's friend Yann (he/him/his) is silenced. "Journey to Tomorrow" ends, but our story continues...

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate language, moments of unsettling sound design and voices, sudden violence, death, and suffering, allusions to neurosis, brainwashing, and cult rituals

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
ANDREA GALATÀ as Safe Society Member Andrea
LIL RHEE as Senator Liu, a Safe Society Member
ROSELIN LOPEZ, LIAM CAVANAGH, ADONIS GUZMAN, ROUDLERSON PIERRE as Ticking Teens
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
AJ STEIN as Daniel
MATTHEW RINI as Critic
QUASHEEM D. HERRING as Rioter
ZACK SEGEL as M
JORIS STUYCK as Max Engel
MIKE DIGIACINTO as M's Friend
RAJIV SHAH as The Watcher
ERIC MARQ as B
EMMANUEL KERRY as Yann
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 7

"If you were to corrupt others
against us, don’t you agree you would have to be doubly shamed, especially as a white skin with basic pronouns?"

B wakes up. M questions, but W sways him to stay the course.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moments of unsettling sound design and voices, suffering, allusions to injections, minor blood, neurosis, and cult rituals

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
RAJIV SHAH as The Watcher
ERIC MARQ as B
ZACK SEGEL as M
LANGSTON FISHBURNE as W
ELENA OUSPENSKAIA, ANDREA GALATÀ, MARC MARTIN-MARTINEZ, ANGELICA GOMEZ, DINANDA KLAASSEN, EDWARD FURS, SEEYALI SIINGH, SID JARVIS as Safe Society Members
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
AJ STEIN as Daniel
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 8

"Gender is toxic."
"Do we know that for certain, for them? What if it's not?"
"What if it is?"

M and Sofia push their young kids deeper into the program, but M soon finds out what that means. Brainwashed Lucia goes with it. Their son Daniel tries to resist.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate language, moments of unsettling and sudden loud sound design, allusions to injections, body alteration, child danger, and neurosis

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
RAJIV SHAH as The Watcher
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
AJ STEIN as Daniel
ZACK SEGEL as M
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia
KELLY GREEN as Mx. Trujillo
ERIC MARQ as B
JULIE VOSHELL, SEAN GORMLEY as Rebels
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 9

"I am nobody, since growing up.... nothing to... identify with.... And right now I have something..... I Can Support Something. And It Makes Me Proud. I Am Important!"

B and a band of Rebels force M to go cold turkey from his neuroses. M escapes from Sofia with his kids.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate language, moments of unsettling, intense, and sudden loud sound design and unsettling voices, violence, allusions to neurosis, child violence, demonic possession, and brainwashing

In order of appearance
RAJIV SHAH as The Watcher
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
ZACK SEGEL as M
EMMANUEL KERRY as Yann
ERIC MARQ as B
JULIE VOSHELL, SEAN GORMLEY, KELLY NIEMAN as Rebels
CHRISTOPHER GOOLEY as Pundit Christopher
MIDORI NAKAMURA as News Anchor
CAMILA PEREZ SANTIAGO as South American migrant
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
AJ STEIN as Daniel
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

EPISODE 10

"Breaking News."
"Emergency Alert."
"Terrorists."
"Shatter that glass."

M, his kids, and the Rebels are hunted by Safe Society, law enforcement, and the mob of indoctrinated, zombie-like civilians.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate language, moments of unsettling, intense, shrill, and sudden loud sound design and unsettling voices, strong violence, allusions to demonic possession, brainwashing, and cult rituals

In order of appearance
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
RAJIV SHAH as The Watcher
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
AJ STEIN as Daniel
ZACK SEGEL as M
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia
ANDREW COBAN as Cop
LANGSTON FISHBURNE as W
MARC MARTIN-MARTINEZ, ANGELICA GOMEZ, DINANDA KLAASSEN, EDWARD FURS, SEEYALI SIINGH, SID JARVIS as Safe Society Members
ERIC MARQ as B
KELLY NIEMAN, SEAN GORMLEY, JULIE VOSHELL as Rebels
EMMANUEL KERRY as Yann
MONIQUE MARISSA LUKENS as Civilian Monique
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

episode 11

"Truly docile. Obedient. And with tamed, limited reproductive ability, ensuring a more manageable global population."

A final showdown between M and W. Children all over are being altered by the program.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate language, moments of unsettling, intense, and sudden loud sound design and unsettling voices, moment of shrill sound design, strong violence, allusions to child danger, body alteration, and cult rituals

In order of appearance
RAJIV SHAH as The Watcher
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
ZACK SEGEL as M
ERIC MARQ as B
EMMANUEL KERRY as Yann
JULIE VOSHELL, SEAN GORMLEY as Rebels
LANGSTON FISHBURNE as W
AJ STEIN as Daniel
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia
PHOEBE HEFFER as Lucia
ANDREW COBAN as Cop
LIL RHEE as Senator Liu, a Safe Society Member
ANDREA GALATÀ as Safe Society Member Andrea
CALVIN KNEGTEN, RYANN MONET HARDEN, MATTHEW MCCOLLUM as Androgynous Students
and
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA as various, morphed by AI

Transcript

press kit

SAFE SOCIETY IS...

... an 11-episode scripted and cast audio drama that satirizes mainstream social trends through horror and thriller tropes. It's about mass psychosis, brainwashing, and the forces that we're pawns to.Episodes are 15-25 min.Acclaimed film director and editor Chris Shimojima (Alberto and the Concrete Jungle) brings his cinematic style to this medium -- with complex sound design, montages, character movement, and spatial dynamics.New AI tech was used to turn Shimojima's own vocal performances into a variety of background voices to supplement the 50-person cast. It was also used to assist with promo visuals. These visuals point to the growing possibilities for the feature film version in development, which will be a pioneering collision of live action and AI.

SHORT SYNOPSIS

An influential entrepreneur develops an irrational OCD, making him the ideal puppet for a fearmongering lobbying organization. He must break free before the nation's children, including his own, are irreversibly modified by the mob he's helping create.

Who's the audience?

Every adult. This is made to provoke, and not to preach to the choir.But those who enjoy social critiques will enjoy it. Fans of satire. Fans of elevated horror. And fans of auteurist film/audio storytelling.

WHY?

Safe Society is anti-establishment in an entertainment world that is largely not, because, well, sometimes it's enough of a goal to hold up a mirror and have some fun.If you need it, private access to the backstory is here.

WHAT NEXT?

The podcast format has proved the most favorable and immediate for this independent attitude, while still making use of some of Shimojima's filmmaking skills.


Safe Society is also seeking investments to be greenlit as a feature film. The Don't Be Fooled team will use AI to expand the visual palette of certain shots and even sequences, streamline production costs, and be on the forefront of the hybrid-live-action-and-AI space.

THE STORY

Safe Society follows M, an entrepreneur who was conditioned by his businessman father to "follow his heart." M starts a food delivery service that offers exclusively plant-based meals, engineered to each individual — a personalization that induces greater loyalty — believing he's doing good for climate and health. This idealism makes the company a success.But as the country deals with a widespread virus that mutates every week, M's impressibility makes him susceptible to the fearmongering all over the news and parroted by those around him. He gives in to irrational OCD behaviors, activating an ominous force tied to the lobbying organization known as the SAFE SOCIETY.One member, W, manipulates M into increasingly absurd social activism, which only increases SAFE SOCIETY'S global power. The ominous force grows...But when the next phase starts — the re-education and physical "de-gendering" of the next generation — M must give up his two kids to the agenda, or finally break free...

CAST AND CREATORS

MORE DETAILS HERE
CHRIS SHIMOJIMA writer/director/producer/editor/sound-designerCHARLIE BRAHAM
re-recording mixer, additional sound designFELIX LINDSELL-HALES
original musicWILLIAM 'GUBI' CHIRIBOGA
co-producer

FULL CAST IS on IMDb and HERE WITH MAIN CAST BIOS.The main cast is:
ZACK SEGEL as M
MARLAIN ANGELIDES as Narrator
ERIC MARQ as B
LANGSTON FISHBURNE as W
JASMINE ASHANTI as Sofia

MEDIA KIT

Art is on the art page.
Logo is here.
A direct link to the visual trailer is here.
And to the audio trailer. Please reach out for anything else you may like.

ACCESSIBILITY

Scripts are available for each episode - in the format of the original production drafts, which have plenty of sound and scene details.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Please consume the show at your discretion. The most common warnings across the episodes include intense and disturbing sounds and voices, and allusions to violence, blood, cult rituals, and other standard horror elements. We do not recommend Safe Society for children.

Safe Society is distributed and licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike International Licence. Details here.That means you can freely:Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or formatAdapt: remix, transform, and build upon the material.BUT, legally:You MUST give appropriate credit to the original productYou MUST provide a link to the licenceYou MUST provide a link to the original product and indicate if changes were madeYou MUST not claim nor imply we endorse you or your workYour work MUST must also have the same creative commons licence applied to itYour work cannot be used for any commercial purposesYou cannot apply new legal terms or technological measures that restrict others from accessing the content.

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