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Thank you SO much for all the donations that came in!

Especially in these times amid COVID-19 and all its accompanying uncertainties,

we are very grateful for all your contributions.

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We will continue the project with the money raised and will start another campaign later in the year. You can already sign up for it via the link above.

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

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THE STORY

When the artificial intelligence in control of a military space station decides to launch an unprovoked, all-out nuclear strike on an enemy nation, it is up to the AI’s creator and a maintenance technician to stop it from annihilating half the globe.   

GUARDIAN is an original sci-fi short we've been working on for the past two years. It is designed as a stand-alone piece of entertainment that is not just another proof-of-concept short that will leave you hanging off the side of a cliff. Instead, it's a complete story that delivers twists and turns, action and emotions, and a final resolution with a surprising twist.

CAST

CREW

THE REAL STARS OF GUARDIAN 

What makes GUARDIAN such a special project for us is not just its story, but also the incredible trust and dedication our crew have given us along the way.  Everybody, without exception, went above and beyond anything we have ever seen in helping us realize our vision.

Our team of set builders alone worked countless days (and sleepless nights) on end to create an actual space station that provided us with the most amazing playground any filmmaker could ask for.

OUR GOAL 

We want GUARDIAN to go toe-to-toe with blockbuster features, both in terms of storytelling and visuals. And while we made sure that every visual effects shot was done in service of the story, GUARDIAN’s ambitious premise meant we still had to push the limits of what was possible. 

That’s how we ended up with a total of over 350 VFX shots for 30 minutes of runtime which, proportionally, is on par with a fully financed sci-fi feature or high-end series.   

OUR CHALLENGE

So far, our small but dedicated international VFX team has done an amazing job of laying the groundwork and completing a number of major tasks. We have completed a number of designs and 3D interiors, as well as 3D set extensions, character models and animations, match moving, compositing work, motion graphics, and many more. But there’s also a lot of work that still needs to be done. 

At our current pace, this would take about another three years. However, given the latest technological and geopolitical developments, the time for releasing GUARDIAN is now. With its timely premise, it sits right at the intersection of science and fiction and captures important issues our world is currently grappling with.   

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are at a cross-roads. We could either lower our quality standards and rush this project across the finish line, or seek additional funding to make sure it’s not just done on time, but also done right. 

And since this project has inspired so many people to devote a substantial amount of their time and talents, we feel that we owe it to both our team and you, our audience, to make sure that the final product lives up to its fullest potential. 

That's why we're asking you to consider joining our effort and supporting our campaign at whatever level you can. Every donation, no matter how large or small, will put us one step closer to the finish line, which ultimately is to entertain you with a film that will hopefully bring you the same joy we felt while making it.

WHY GUARDIAN MATTERS

We live in an era of technological change that's transforming our society.  Much like the industrial revolution 200 years ago, where physical work was replaced by machine labor, our current digital revolution replaces human thought with artificial intelligence. 

With artificial intelligence likely reaching true consciousness at some point within our lifetime, the question is what exactly that consciousness will look like. Will it be cold and machine-like, or is there something inherent in complex cognitive structures that will transcend pure logic and give rise to true empathy and human-like emotions?

Embedded within this question is another, often overlooked one: Artificial Intelligence will not come into existence like organic life forms. Instead it will be consciously created. And that opens up a very disturbing thought: who should get to design and shape those intelligences, and whom can we really trust to have our best interests in mind?

With GUARDIAN, we're trying to examine these questions through the lens of an action-thriller set in a chilling vision of our future. A future that is nearer than we might think.

RISKS AND CHALLENGES

Guardian is an ambitious project, and while we're done with the physical shoot and many of the visual effects, there still is a lot of work left to be done. Fortunately we have an extremely passionate and qualified team of VFX artists who are ready to push this project across the finish line. A fully-funded Kickstarter campaign would allow them to devote themselves completely to their tasks and finish their work in months instead of years. However, due to the complexity of the various tasks, we cannot promise an exact finish date.

Series Project

But we are not stopping there. There are also plans to turn the short film into a series pilot or to use most of what we already have as part of a short form series of around 6 x 7 minutes. Our producers will tell you a little bit more about that in the clip below. So so stay posted on everything happening with GUARDIAN via Social Media or through our project updates.