Jack has gone missing. Without any warning, the life of Ross—a shy, solitary boy— shatters, leaving him to pick up the broken pieces of his best friend’s disappearance. As Ross navigates the world without his dear friend keeping him grounded, a series of unfamiliar faces, uncomfortable emotions, and unanswered questions consume him. Now, he faces the decision to take control of his life. The night before his disappearance, Jack shares a piece of advice with his best friend—“break out of your shell.”
This tragedy is the premise of the search.—a short film by director David Bernstein. This film is directed entirely by the junior, who personally committed to every stage of the production—writing, filming, and editing. With the addition of Bernstein’s mother, the film features a handful of South High students: Ugin Sun, Zack Davis, Alyssa Wong, Jonathan Jun, and Jessica Tamari. After months of relentless work and countless revisions, the film premiered on YouTube in the beginning of the summer of 2024.
During the early stages of production in March 2024, Bernstein originally intended Ross to be a lonely teen going through the five stages of grief after losing his best friend. But that framework restricted the development of both conflict and character, so Bernstein started over. He organized his ideas by placing sticky notes on his wall and then adapted these scenes into a more cohesive screenplay with symbols and motifs.“What I wanted to do with the search. was to make [a piece] on my own terms—where I could have full creative freedom, no big team telling me what to do. I could actually have time to put it up to my quality standards,” says Bernstein.
After developing the idea, Bernstein spent about two months compiling a cast and drafting the script. The filming process lasted throughout the fourth quarter of the 2023-24 school year. Having edited scenes along the way, Bernstein was able to release the film in just 20 days after ending production. Admittedly, creative choices and lines were often altered on the day of shooting; still, the scenes progressed smoothly in the end.
The prominent theme of loneliness is one that the student director hopes to portray—“The main thing I want viewers to take away from my story is that you should really try to put yourself out there. Don’t sit idly by and wait for things to happen,” said Bernstein. Like Ross, everyone has experienced loneliness at some point in their lives—especially high school students today with diverse friend groups and non-traditional means of socialization. By opening himself up to new people, Ross gained friendships that he otherwise would not have. Bernstein hopes the audience is inspired by this message. “If you actually put yourself out there, explore the world, and go after the things you desire, you never know what could happen,” he said.
Senior and actor Ugin Sun drew from his own experiences to portray Ross. Sun said, “I could definitely relate to Ross; during eighth grade, I completely shut myself out from my friend group.” Especially with barriers hindering his relationships during the pandemic, Sun eventually felt that maintaining his friendships was too much effort. “I had this [mindset] that they would get bored of me. I felt less of a person than the others, who were more popular [it seemed,]” Sun said. Now, he has learned to let go through acting, where he enjoys the creative freedom to express himself. Acting satisfies his fundamental need to be heard, which we all share.
Throughout the search., viewers might notice a recurring symbol that represents Ross’s internal growth as he forms new relationships—a stick of gum. He initially rejects these friendly gestures, symbolizing his denial of reality. By refusing the gum, Ross attempts to avoid the truth that he must step outside of his comfort zone. In the film’s final scene, Bernstein ties up loose ends with a satisfying acknowledgment of the gum, reflecting Ross’s transformation.
Bernstein sees his past in Ross’s character and hopes that viewers can draw parallels to their own lives. He still carries regrets from middle school—missed opportunities to form connections, explore new interests, and take initiative. Most of all, he hopes the film inspires his audience to step away from the screen and into the world with a new perspective. “I think [producing] this film gave me a lot of confidence. It made me realize that I can bring people together and accomplish things that I previously didn’t think were possible for me. After this film, I find that I am actually taking in the theme of the movie. I am breaking out of my shell.”
