Decommissioned
San Francisco, California | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Thriller
Decommissioned is a tense sci-fi thriller about the future of warfare.
Decommissioned
San Francisco, California | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Thriller
1 Campaigns | California, United States
54 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$16,496
Goal: $30,000 for production
Decommissioned is a tense sci-fi thriller about the future of warfare.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hello, and thank you for joining our Decommissioned journey!
DECOMMISSIONED is a grounded military story with a sci-fi angle. Think The Hurt Locker meets Oblivion. It's set in a near future where the U.S. has been ravaged by a civil war, and in the aftermath we follow two soldiers on a fateful mission to track down two rogue combat drones. This is a science fiction story, but it's about real technologies that are being developed or refined today.
In the aftermath of a brutal second civil war, two soldiers are tasked with decommissioning experimental combat drones that have been unleashed on a rebellious population.
They find the experimental units - but when the drones show signs of being more intelligent than they should, these soldiers find themselves at the mercy of the two rogue combat drones.
One soldier survives by outsmarting the combat drones. What awaits her is a shocking discovery … and a terrible choice.
This film will be produced in May of 2025, and the Combat Drones will be mostly practical costumes made by master puppeteer Brandon Johnson. You might have seen Brandon's work as the Spiritwalker - and this film will utilize his talents to bring these combat drones to life. We'll also be using visual effects to enhance practical costumes, but we're excited to make a film that will feel tangible.
As we automate warfare with commodities like robotics and AI, Decommissioned invites audiences to consider the ethical implications: How might such technologies influence how we value—or devalue—human life? Our hero faces a choice between following her orders or following her conscience, which is an age-old question magnified by technology that has literally dehumanized her fellow soldier.
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I've spent the last decade working at the intersection of film and cutting-edge technology, helping leading innovators tell stories about how their emerging technologies will impact human life on a personal level. I'm currently the host of Hard Reset, a docuseries about the people, ideas, and technologies that invite us to re-think everything we know about the world, so I often get hands on with these technologies while they're still being developed. This often feels like living one step into the future. For the most part my work has been focused on helping tell the positive side of that future, how these new ideas will shape our lives for the better - but there are darker stories to be told, and this is one of those.
.jpg)
For the most part I do believe that technology will be used to enrich human life - the arc of history suggests that’s the case, but I also know that we need to tell stories about their dystopian potential if we don’t want to accidentally realize it. Science fiction is a way of rapid prototyping the future - allowing us to explore the promise, and the perils, that await us.
I also think this is an especially urgent story in the context of how polarized and bitter our nation's political dialogue has become, and I hope it helps remind us that we have more in common than our political system would have us believe.
We are already deep into pre-production and we're planning to film in Mid-May. As of this moment we've narrowed our locations down to two candidates, and we're finalizing the cast.
The drone costume construction is well underway, and we can't wait to share more images as they're completed!
Your funding is vital to making sure that this project can continue with the resources it needs to be a success! Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing updates as the last few elements fall into place, and we'll also be sharing some great behind-the-scenes content with our followers and backers.
Our plan is to take this project to Film Festivals and distribute it online as a Proof of Concept for a feature film. We'll also make sure that backers who have reserved a look at the film will have access to it before anyone else. We're hoping to build an audience and a community, and by joining that community you're the people we're most excited to share this film with!
We also have a few really fun incentives for our supporters - including Official Cast & Crew Caps, 3D Printed Replicas of the Scout Drone or even a unique prop from the film.
We'll also be documenting a lot of the behind the scenes journey on our Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/decommissionedmovie
We realize that our current goal is already pretty ambitious, so I hesitate to think about stretch goals - but it's something we're thinking about! The story of Decommissioned is meant to be an introduction to a larger world, and this short film is a proof-of-concept for a feature film. Any money we raise beyond our production budget will immediately be put to use in developing that feature story.
What is that story? We're not going to say too much, but it follows our characters, including one of the drones, as they try to protect an innocent child and expose a terrible crime.
They face off against an even more deadly opponent in the ruins of our society as they try to preserve the core of what makes it worth saving. We can't wait to make both the short and the feature film, and we know you'll love these stories as well.
Thank you again for your support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production
Costs $14,500
This film will take a lot of people's time and talent to make it happen - and we need to compensate these artists for bringing this to life
Catering + Craft Services
Costs $4,000
Food is the engine of a film! We need to feed the cast and crew, and make sure there's enough supplies on hand.
Lodging + Travel
Costs $5,000
We're filming out in a pretty remote area, so we'll need to accommodate anyone who can't safely commute to the set.
Talent
Costs $3,500
Our actors need to get paid! We're filming this under a SAG contract, and an actor's time is valuable.
Location Fees
Costs $3,000
We'll be filming in remote areas that were affected by recent fires. There are protocols, permits and special access needs for filming.
Share this update!
About This Team
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Nicholas Tucker
Writer / Director / VFX Artist
Nicholas Tucker is the director, co-creator, and host of the show Hard Reset. He’s directed narrative films, vision films, documentaries, and commercials for some of the biggest companies in the world. He’s a voracious reader of science fiction novels, science publications, and comic books. His job takes him to see the places where the most cutting edge technology in the world is being developed, where he gets a sneak peek at the future we’ll all soon be living in.
.jpg)
Brandon Johnson
Puppeteer / Costume Maker
To craft realistic props and costumes, we’re working with Brandon Johnson, known online as the creator of the captivating spiritwalker puppets. He’ll build and perform as the drone in Decommissioned, and build the other major props. Brandon is an extremely talented puppeteer and costume designer. His Spiritwalker and Ghoul costumes are a sensation on TikTok with 6 million subscribers, and YouTube with 2 million subscribers and over 1 Billion views. He’s also done work for several major studios, and collaborated with recording artists like Doja Cat. He’s not only agreed to help build and perform as the Drone character, but also to promote the film on his social channels.
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Tim Sessler
Cinematographer
Tim Sessler is an accomplished commercial cinematographer, who has also worked on films such as Cherry, starring Tom Holland, and Hustle, starring Adam Sandler. He recently finished shooting the feature film After, directed by Michael Marantz. His work on Nick's previous short film Corrections helped to set it apart, and his eye for visual composition is unmatched. We’re thrilled to have him on our team again.
.jpg)
Taylor Hamilton
Executive Producer
Taylor Hamilton is an Emmy-winning producer and Senior Vice President for Confluential Films. With a background in commercials and documentaries, he is the former head of film for the legendary firm, Frog Design. He is the co-creator of the docuseries Hard Reset for Freethink Media.
.jpg)
Camille Getchell
Producer
Camille Getchell is an incredibly talented producer with a long career in film and television production, including studios like Paramount, HBO and Ubisoft. She has collaborated with Nick on multiple film projects, and has always created and fostered a seamless production. Camille brings decades of professional boots-on-the-ground production experience to Decommissioned.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hello, and thank you for joining our Decommissioned journey!
DECOMMISSIONED is a grounded military story with a sci-fi angle. Think The Hurt Locker meets Oblivion. It's set in a near future where the U.S. has been ravaged by a civil war, and in the aftermath we follow two soldiers on a fateful mission to track down two rogue combat drones. This is a science fiction story, but it's about real technologies that are being developed or refined today.
In the aftermath of a brutal second civil war, two soldiers are tasked with decommissioning experimental combat drones that have been unleashed on a rebellious population.
They find the experimental units - but when the drones show signs of being more intelligent than they should, these soldiers find themselves at the mercy of the two rogue combat drones.
One soldier survives by outsmarting the combat drones. What awaits her is a shocking discovery … and a terrible choice.
This film will be produced in May of 2025, and the Combat Drones will be mostly practical costumes made by master puppeteer Brandon Johnson. You might have seen Brandon's work as the Spiritwalker - and this film will utilize his talents to bring these combat drones to life. We'll also be using visual effects to enhance practical costumes, but we're excited to make a film that will feel tangible.
As we automate warfare with commodities like robotics and AI, Decommissioned invites audiences to consider the ethical implications: How might such technologies influence how we value—or devalue—human life? Our hero faces a choice between following her orders or following her conscience, which is an age-old question magnified by technology that has literally dehumanized her fellow soldier.
I've spent the last decade working at the intersection of film and cutting-edge technology, helping leading innovators tell stories about how their emerging technologies will impact human life on a personal level. I'm currently the host of Hard Reset, a docuseries about the people, ideas, and technologies that invite us to re-think everything we know about the world, so I often get hands on with these technologies while they're still being developed. This often feels like living one step into the future. For the most part my work has been focused on helping tell the positive side of that future, how these new ideas will shape our lives for the better - but there are darker stories to be told, and this is one of those.
For the most part I do believe that technology will be used to enrich human life - the arc of history suggests that’s the case, but I also know that we need to tell stories about their dystopian potential if we don’t want to accidentally realize it. Science fiction is a way of rapid prototyping the future - allowing us to explore the promise, and the perils, that await us.
I also think this is an especially urgent story in the context of how polarized and bitter our nation's political dialogue has become, and I hope it helps remind us that we have more in common than our political system would have us believe.
We are already deep into pre-production and we're planning to film in Mid-May. As of this moment we've narrowed our locations down to two candidates, and we're finalizing the cast.
The drone costume construction is well underway, and we can't wait to share more images as they're completed!
Your funding is vital to making sure that this project can continue with the resources it needs to be a success! Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing updates as the last few elements fall into place, and we'll also be sharing some great behind-the-scenes content with our followers and backers.
Our plan is to take this project to Film Festivals and distribute it online as a Proof of Concept for a feature film. We'll also make sure that backers who have reserved a look at the film will have access to it before anyone else. We're hoping to build an audience and a community, and by joining that community you're the people we're most excited to share this film with!
We also have a few really fun incentives for our supporters - including Official Cast & Crew Caps, 3D Printed Replicas of the Scout Drone or even a unique prop from the film.
We'll also be documenting a lot of the behind the scenes journey on our Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/decommissionedmovie
We realize that our current goal is already pretty ambitious, so I hesitate to think about stretch goals - but it's something we're thinking about! The story of Decommissioned is meant to be an introduction to a larger world, and this short film is a proof-of-concept for a feature film. Any money we raise beyond our production budget will immediately be put to use in developing that feature story.
What is that story? We're not going to say too much, but it follows our characters, including one of the drones, as they try to protect an innocent child and expose a terrible crime.
They face off against an even more deadly opponent in the ruins of our society as they try to preserve the core of what makes it worth saving. We can't wait to make both the short and the feature film, and we know you'll love these stories as well.
Thank you again for your support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production
Costs $14,500
This film will take a lot of people's time and talent to make it happen - and we need to compensate these artists for bringing this to life
Catering + Craft Services
Costs $4,000
Food is the engine of a film! We need to feed the cast and crew, and make sure there's enough supplies on hand.
Lodging + Travel
Costs $5,000
We're filming out in a pretty remote area, so we'll need to accommodate anyone who can't safely commute to the set.
Talent
Costs $3,500
Our actors need to get paid! We're filming this under a SAG contract, and an actor's time is valuable.
Location Fees
Costs $3,000
We'll be filming in remote areas that were affected by recent fires. There are protocols, permits and special access needs for filming.
Share this update!
About This Team
Nicholas Tucker
Writer / Director / VFX Artist
Nicholas Tucker is the director, co-creator, and host of the show Hard Reset. He’s directed narrative films, vision films, documentaries, and commercials for some of the biggest companies in the world. He’s a voracious reader of science fiction novels, science publications, and comic books. His job takes him to see the places where the most cutting edge technology in the world is being developed, where he gets a sneak peek at the future we’ll all soon be living in.
Brandon Johnson
Puppeteer / Costume Maker
To craft realistic props and costumes, we’re working with Brandon Johnson, known online as the creator of the captivating spiritwalker puppets. He’ll build and perform as the drone in Decommissioned, and build the other major props. Brandon is an extremely talented puppeteer and costume designer. His Spiritwalker and Ghoul costumes are a sensation on TikTok with 6 million subscribers, and YouTube with 2 million subscribers and over 1 Billion views. He’s also done work for several major studios, and collaborated with recording artists like Doja Cat. He’s not only agreed to help build and perform as the Drone character, but also to promote the film on his social channels.
Tim Sessler
Cinematographer
Tim Sessler is an accomplished commercial cinematographer, who has also worked on films such as Cherry, starring Tom Holland, and Hustle, starring Adam Sandler. He recently finished shooting the feature film After, directed by Michael Marantz. His work on Nick's previous short film Corrections helped to set it apart, and his eye for visual composition is unmatched. We’re thrilled to have him on our team again.
Taylor Hamilton
Executive Producer
Taylor Hamilton is an Emmy-winning producer and Senior Vice President for Confluential Films. With a background in commercials and documentaries, he is the former head of film for the legendary firm, Frog Design. He is the co-creator of the docuseries Hard Reset for Freethink Media.
Camille Getchell
Producer
Camille Getchell is an incredibly talented producer with a long career in film and television production, including studios like Paramount, HBO and Ubisoft. She has collaborated with Nick on multiple film projects, and has always created and fostered a seamless production. Camille brings decades of professional boots-on-the-ground production experience to Decommissioned.