Tunnel Rat
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror
Set at the height of the Vietnam War, a soldier braves an underworld of tunnels where every inch of darkness, every timid crawl forward, could hold certain death.
Tunnel Rat
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror
1 Campaigns | California, United States
31 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$4,630
Goal: $10,000 for production
Set at the height of the Vietnam War, a soldier braves an underworld of tunnels where every inch of darkness, every timid crawl forward, could hold certain death.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
TUNNEL RAT is a psychological horror immersed in a truly nightmarish setting— trapped underground, behind enemy lines, and with something far worse lurking in the darkness. This film highlights a piece of forgotten history, detailing the effects of secret tactics on the survivors of the Vietnam conflict.
The story follows Private Saul Cassero, a US Marine a few months shy of the drinking age, who has the unfortunate disposition of being shorter than his brothers in arms. That means when it comes time to flush the enemy out of their dark, booby trap infested hideouts, Saul has strict orders: search & destroy. But what Saul does not realize is that the weapons his squad has to deliver are not typical munitions. In a real-life, actually conducted, covert psychological operation (PSYOP), the CIA developed a mind weapon, meant to convince the enemy that the dead walk the earth. If napalm was the fire to sweep away jungle, then this PSYOP was the fuel for the nightmare— and Saul caught in the middle. As Saul progresses through the subterranean maze, having near-death experiences and close calls, he not only starts to feel that he’s going in circles, but that something else is there with him. And when he faces that unfathomable evil, there is no going back. Even after Saul escapes, clawing his way to the surface, he’ll never truly be free. Every time he closes his eyes, that darkness will always be there.
This is a film that combines my two passions: horror and history. And more often than not, the two meet when trying to understand the other.
I find that history is the greatest teacher, and Horror is the freest medium through which you can. I love Horror films because they have been the trailblazing genre. Horror was the first place for untold stories, and this is no exception. It is an open secret that the United States had “secret wars” in the cold war and used experimental weapons on enemy, civilian, and citizen alike. I wanted to explore this setting, and I couldn’t think of a weapon more horrific than PTSD.
Amid the grotesque, I find this to be a deeply intimate work about descending into a personal hell and scrapping yourself out of it.
— Jacob Bernstein
We are in the tail-end of our development phase. We have secured our crew and are now working on financiers. The concept of this project revolves around a one location shoot that has been designed to streamline the production process once started. If the project can be greenlit, the funds raised will determine the scale of the remaining pre-production with the fabrication of our tunnel set. The largest part of our budget ($4,000) is planned for this construction alone and we have selected Production Designers who have given us quotes for this set within our budget and timeframe. The rest of the production budget is set towards filming in 16mm, equipment, and renting studio space.
Meeting these requirements, principal photography will be in Los Angeles late this summer at the perfect time for film festival submissions. Our film festival circuit is projected to last one year to ensure we screen at the targeted festivals.
Comps: Apocalypse Now and Jacob’s Ladder mixed with Barbarian and The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Taking on the challenge of filming in 16mm is not one taken lightly or merely for aesthetic reasons. While we love the unique feel that this medium brings, we have chosen it as the vehicle to represent the film because we want to delivery an unmistakable, authentic, cinematic experience. With our lowlight scenes, we will be leaning into the Tungsten stock look with rich blues, vibrant greens, deep reds, and dark, grainy shadows. Evoking a bygone era of both grindhouse schlock and 70’s New Hollywood auteur cinema. Frames composed of both grime and clarity.
Horror-wise, we are equally leaning into the one location aspect with The Autopsy of Jane Doe a perfect example of how we are trying to leverage a concept and explore it as the confined setting evolves with the unfolding narrative. Other recent comps include Exit 8, Backrooms, and Iron Lung.
Character:
Saul’s journey mirrors the grimy aesthetic. His arc is one of decay, as the things that made him who he is are slowly stripped away. While he spends most of the film in darkness, as more light is introduced, the more we see of him, less remains. With every repetition, every violent act, what makes Saul himself is lost. Regardless of the outcome, of whether or not the monsters he faces are real or imagined, any sane, rational, human, normal part of him is dead.
There are so many ways to support this project!
Are you a die-hard horror fan?
A history buff?
This story is for YOU!
Share this campaign with friends, family, and any film lovers.
Follow us on social media—
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/set_in_stone_productions/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@setinstoneprod
And don’t be shy. Reach Out if you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you.
Every bit of engagement amplifies our reach and helps us towards our goal.
Thank you for reading and helping us bring this project to life!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Tunnel Set
Costs $4,000
We are re-creating the tunnels of the Vietnam War by hiring seasoned industry professionals to build a modular set.
Studio Space Rental
Costs $1,200
When shooting on 16mm, we want to film in a controlled environment where we can be sure not a inch of film is wasted.
Sound Design
Costs $1,500
As we are shooting MOS, we want to provide the best sonic experience possible.
Shooting on 16mm
Costs $400
The heart of our project. Shooting on rental 16mm cameras, processing and developing the footage for the unmistakable aesthetic.
Practical SFX Makeup
Costs $1,500
We want to bring you some serious gore and we'll need a bucket of blood (or two).
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jacob Bernstein is an LA-based independent filmmaker and writer with extensive experience from micro-budget productions to established IPs. After working at Legendary Entertainment within development for Minecraft (2025) and writing the treatment for Street Fighter (2026), Jacob founded Set in Stone Productions to uplift overlooked gen z filmmakers and to support projects that would otherwise go unmade.
In his first year, he won Hollywood Horrorfest “Best Short Script,” and his first short film about mental health crises “Routine” (2025) was selected for multiple festivals such as the Glendale International Film Festival and Hollywood New Directors. He recently wrote and produced a short thriller, “STUCK” (2026), that has been submitted to festivals for consideration this spring.
He is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a passionate storyteller no matter the role.
Brady Berryhill is a Cinematographer, Gaffer, and Set lighting Technician. Currently operating out of Los Angeles, CA. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Brady has built a brand on clean professionalism and dynamic filmmaking with recent collaborations such as Kesha and VOUGE. He has traveled the world pursing his love of cinematography and brings expertise in shooting on analog film cameras.
Ethan Land is an American Film Director and Screenwriter. After getting his diploma from Oak Park High School in 2020, Land went on to study film at the University of California Santa Barbara and worked on dozens of short films and music videos. After he graduated, Land went on to work on Hometown (Television pilot, 2024), Saturday Night Live's 50th season (2024), and Naked Gun (2025). He now works to write and direct his own projects but will still work to help others in their projects like Tunnel Rat as an Assistant Director. He is super excited to step in the world of Vietnam and bring forth Bernstein’s vision to life.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
TUNNEL RAT is a psychological horror immersed in a truly nightmarish setting— trapped underground, behind enemy lines, and with something far worse lurking in the darkness. This film highlights a piece of forgotten history, detailing the effects of secret tactics on the survivors of the Vietnam conflict.
The story follows Private Saul Cassero, a US Marine a few months shy of the drinking age, who has the unfortunate disposition of being shorter than his brothers in arms. That means when it comes time to flush the enemy out of their dark, booby trap infested hideouts, Saul has strict orders: search & destroy. But what Saul does not realize is that the weapons his squad has to deliver are not typical munitions. In a real-life, actually conducted, covert psychological operation (PSYOP), the CIA developed a mind weapon, meant to convince the enemy that the dead walk the earth. If napalm was the fire to sweep away jungle, then this PSYOP was the fuel for the nightmare— and Saul caught in the middle. As Saul progresses through the subterranean maze, having near-death experiences and close calls, he not only starts to feel that he’s going in circles, but that something else is there with him. And when he faces that unfathomable evil, there is no going back. Even after Saul escapes, clawing his way to the surface, he’ll never truly be free. Every time he closes his eyes, that darkness will always be there.
This is a film that combines my two passions: horror and history. And more often than not, the two meet when trying to understand the other.
I find that history is the greatest teacher, and Horror is the freest medium through which you can. I love Horror films because they have been the trailblazing genre. Horror was the first place for untold stories, and this is no exception. It is an open secret that the United States had “secret wars” in the cold war and used experimental weapons on enemy, civilian, and citizen alike. I wanted to explore this setting, and I couldn’t think of a weapon more horrific than PTSD.
Amid the grotesque, I find this to be a deeply intimate work about descending into a personal hell and scrapping yourself out of it.
— Jacob Bernstein
We are in the tail-end of our development phase. We have secured our crew and are now working on financiers. The concept of this project revolves around a one location shoot that has been designed to streamline the production process once started. If the project can be greenlit, the funds raised will determine the scale of the remaining pre-production with the fabrication of our tunnel set. The largest part of our budget ($4,000) is planned for this construction alone and we have selected Production Designers who have given us quotes for this set within our budget and timeframe. The rest of the production budget is set towards filming in 16mm, equipment, and renting studio space.
Meeting these requirements, principal photography will be in Los Angeles late this summer at the perfect time for film festival submissions. Our film festival circuit is projected to last one year to ensure we screen at the targeted festivals.
Comps: Apocalypse Now and Jacob’s Ladder mixed with Barbarian and The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Taking on the challenge of filming in 16mm is not one taken lightly or merely for aesthetic reasons. While we love the unique feel that this medium brings, we have chosen it as the vehicle to represent the film because we want to delivery an unmistakable, authentic, cinematic experience. With our lowlight scenes, we will be leaning into the Tungsten stock look with rich blues, vibrant greens, deep reds, and dark, grainy shadows. Evoking a bygone era of both grindhouse schlock and 70’s New Hollywood auteur cinema. Frames composed of both grime and clarity.
Horror-wise, we are equally leaning into the one location aspect with The Autopsy of Jane Doe a perfect example of how we are trying to leverage a concept and explore it as the confined setting evolves with the unfolding narrative. Other recent comps include Exit 8, Backrooms, and Iron Lung.
Character:
Saul’s journey mirrors the grimy aesthetic. His arc is one of decay, as the things that made him who he is are slowly stripped away. While he spends most of the film in darkness, as more light is introduced, the more we see of him, less remains. With every repetition, every violent act, what makes Saul himself is lost. Regardless of the outcome, of whether or not the monsters he faces are real or imagined, any sane, rational, human, normal part of him is dead.
There are so many ways to support this project!
Are you a die-hard horror fan?
A history buff?
This story is for YOU!
Share this campaign with friends, family, and any film lovers.
Follow us on social media—
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/set_in_stone_productions/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@setinstoneprod
And don’t be shy. Reach Out if you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you.
Every bit of engagement amplifies our reach and helps us towards our goal.
Thank you for reading and helping us bring this project to life!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Tunnel Set
Costs $4,000
We are re-creating the tunnels of the Vietnam War by hiring seasoned industry professionals to build a modular set.
Studio Space Rental
Costs $1,200
When shooting on 16mm, we want to film in a controlled environment where we can be sure not a inch of film is wasted.
Sound Design
Costs $1,500
As we are shooting MOS, we want to provide the best sonic experience possible.
Shooting on 16mm
Costs $400
The heart of our project. Shooting on rental 16mm cameras, processing and developing the footage for the unmistakable aesthetic.
Practical SFX Makeup
Costs $1,500
We want to bring you some serious gore and we'll need a bucket of blood (or two).
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jacob Bernstein is an LA-based independent filmmaker and writer with extensive experience from micro-budget productions to established IPs. After working at Legendary Entertainment within development for Minecraft (2025) and writing the treatment for Street Fighter (2026), Jacob founded Set in Stone Productions to uplift overlooked gen z filmmakers and to support projects that would otherwise go unmade.
In his first year, he won Hollywood Horrorfest “Best Short Script,” and his first short film about mental health crises “Routine” (2025) was selected for multiple festivals such as the Glendale International Film Festival and Hollywood New Directors. He recently wrote and produced a short thriller, “STUCK” (2026), that has been submitted to festivals for consideration this spring.
He is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a passionate storyteller no matter the role.
Brady Berryhill is a Cinematographer, Gaffer, and Set lighting Technician. Currently operating out of Los Angeles, CA. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Brady has built a brand on clean professionalism and dynamic filmmaking with recent collaborations such as Kesha and VOUGE. He has traveled the world pursing his love of cinematography and brings expertise in shooting on analog film cameras.
Ethan Land is an American Film Director and Screenwriter. After getting his diploma from Oak Park High School in 2020, Land went on to study film at the University of California Santa Barbara and worked on dozens of short films and music videos. After he graduated, Land went on to work on Hometown (Television pilot, 2024), Saturday Night Live's 50th season (2024), and Naked Gun (2025). He now works to write and direct his own projects but will still work to help others in their projects like Tunnel Rat as an Assistant Director. He is super excited to step in the world of Vietnam and bring forth Bernstein’s vision to life.