DRIVER 113
by Sahand Nikoukar

Sahand Nikoukar
Follow
DRIVER 113
by Sahand Nikoukar
Sahand Nikoukar
Follow
We are a group of USC film grads embarking on our first feature: a paranoid thriller in the age of surveillance, Big Data privacy, and driverless cars. Intelligent machines are not only replacing our labor, they are replacing our loved ones... so are we driving technology or is it driving us?
We are a group of USC film grads embarking on our first feature: a paranoid thriller in the age of surveillance, Big Data privacy, and driverless cars. Intelligent machines are not only replacing our labor, they are replacing our loved ones... so are we driving technology or is it driving us?
Participating In

Communal Nightmares
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Story
Mission Statement
We are a team from diverse backgrounds seeking to bring new minority viewpoints to the screen. We’ve all seen the cookie-cutter psychological thriller, but I’ve NEVER seen an Iranian-American lead in a paranoid noir film with a soundtrack that is a blend of 60s Persian pop and classic jazz.About The Project
The Production
We've already raised over half of our production budget to shoot the first phase of our film from May 8th-May 15th. This campaign will raise enough to finish Phase 2 of our shoot and get us through post! On top of that, reaching at least 1,000 Followers on this page will qualify us as a finalist in the Communal Nightmares rally! That means we have a shot at distribution with The Orchard and production support from 3311 Productions!
How Can I Be Involved?
It's as simple as that.
Just Click the Follow button on the right side of this page to sign up for email updates. By following us you're joining the DRIVER Team and we will keep you posted on every step of our film production. You'll get Behind the Scenes access to 360 degree set videos and more! Plus, you'll get us one step closer to reaching that magic number of 1,000 followers! Sharing this link with your friends will expand our network of DRIVERs and increase our chances!
SYNOPSIS
While mapping America’s forgotten roads, lonely StreetView driver BRANDON WEST fears he may have captured a murder on his cameras. His Supervisor, BEE KAISER, requests that he return to Mapper Headquarters to log the drive as evidence. But Brandon is compelled to investigate, driven by a dark secret haunting him with guilt. His snooping doesn’t go unnoticed as an anonymous STALKER follows him around town and threatens him to destroy the evidence, or else... Paranoia takes hold and Brandon becomes suspicious of his own devices, fearing he’s being watched and recorded. But there’s no turning back, Brandon is in too deep and the quest for truth may drive him, and us, to the brink of insanity.
THE WORLD of DRIVER 113
This is DRIVER 113's job
His work day is utterly routine: a literal route that is mapped out for him to follow. Navigated by his smartphone, a set of rules and instructions that he must follow to fulfill his daily quota of mapped streets. His days are long daydreams, his sleepless nights punctuated by virtual stimulation and fleeting excitement.
THEN ONE DAY, HE WITNESSED SOMETHING HE WASN'T MEANT TO SEE...
DID HE REALLY WITNESS A MURDER?
IS HE ACTUALLY BEING FOLLOWED?
...OR IS HE LOSING HIS MIND?
THEMES & STYLE
As corporations continue to invest in technologies that undoubtedly make our lives more efficient, are we losing what makes us human? Intelligent machines are not only replacing our labor, they are replacing our loved ones -- we depend on them, we confide in them our deepest secrets, and stare fondly and indefinitely into their eyes. Driver 113 will be a window into this disillusionment and the paranoia related to technology’s invasion of our privacy.
We begin to question the trustworthiness of the sounds and images that are put before us, and slowly our eyes open to his true state of exploitation. An animal in a cage. His humanity fleeting. Our Driver has come to a fork in the road, and his journey will illuminate whether he can choose a different, analog life -- or if it’s already too late.
In the 70s, new portable recording equipment fueled the fear of being spied on. Today, we’ve voluntarily placed these devices all around ourselves without a second thought. The iPhones in our pockets, the webcams on our laptops, the rear-back-up cameras on our cars. Everywhere you look there is a surveillance camera peering down from above or someone is snapping a picture with a phone. We will utilize these non-traditional camera angles to give a sense that there are cameras and microphones everywhere, and that you are always being watched.
AUDIENCE OUTREACH
The arthouse cinema has disappeared as Hollywood proliferates theaters with computer-generated comic book movies. DRIVER 113 is for the cinephiles spread out around the globe who have found a home online to share their passion for meaningful cinema. Our team comes from diverse backgrounds that will only enhance the creative synergy of our process, and bring new minority viewpoints and voices to the screen. We’ve all seen the cookie-cutter psychological thriller, but I’ve NEVER seen an Iranian-American lead in a paranoid noir film with a soundtrack that is a blend of 60s Persian pop and classic jazz. This excites me, and I believe it will reach an audience that will be equally excited to see this fresh new perspective.
Incentives
$15
PRE-ORDER
- See the film before anyone else, as soon as it's clear for release!
$25
JOIN the FLEET!
- Join the MAPPR360 fleet and get your own DRIVER ID#. Who will be Driver 001?
$50
113 PATCH + End Credits Listing
- Get an iron-on Driver 113 patch (2" diameter) as worn by Brandon in the film
- Your name in the film's end credits as Thanks
- Plus everything from above!
$100
Limited Edition BLU-RAY or DVD + Special Thanks in End Credits
- A signed Limited Edition Blu-ray or DVD
- Your name in the film end credits as a Special Thanks
- Plus everything from above!
$250
Be in the film! Get on IMDb as Cast!
- See yourself in Driver 113's StreetView images* OR have your instagram or Tinder "video" profile featured in the film, which also gets you listed on IMDb as a Cast Member!
- Plus everything from above!
*StreetView images in the film will have blurred faces just as they do in our mapping applications to preserve anonymity. This adds to the film's suspense! If you're not in the LA area, we'll find a way to snap a picture of you remotely to incorporate into our footage.
$500
PROP LICENSE PLATE!
We have two more prop license plates! All four of these plates feature in the film.
- Claim either a signed DRVR113 or DRVR1355 prop license plate that will be used in the film!
- Plus everything from above!
Claimed: 2 of 4
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$15
PRE-ORDER
- See the film before anyone else, as soon as it's clear for release!
$25
JOIN the FLEET!
- Join the MAPPR360 fleet and get your own DRIVER ID#. Who will be Driver 001?
$50
113 PATCH + End Credits Listing
- Get an iron-on Driver 113 patch (2" diameter) as worn by Brandon in the film
- Your name in the film's end credits as Thanks
- Plus everything from above!
$100
Limited Edition BLU-RAY or DVD + Special Thanks in End Credits
- A signed Limited Edition Blu-ray or DVD
- Your name in the film end credits as a Special Thanks
- Plus everything from above!
$250
Be in the film! Get on IMDb as Cast!
- See yourself in Driver 113's StreetView images* OR have your instagram or Tinder "video" profile featured in the film, which also gets you listed on IMDb as a Cast Member!
- Plus everything from above!
*StreetView images in the film will have blurred faces just as they do in our mapping applications to preserve anonymity. This adds to the film's suspense! If you're not in the LA area, we'll find a way to snap a picture of you remotely to incorporate into our footage.
$500
PROP LICENSE PLATE!
We have two more prop license plates! All four of these plates feature in the film.
- Claim either a signed DRVR113 or DRVR1355 prop license plate that will be used in the film!
- Plus everything from above!
Claimed: 2 of 4
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
We are so lucky to have such incredible talent banding together to make this film! DRIVER 113 is our first feature film project out of film school. For our whole team this film is a passion project to take our craft to the next level and show what we are capable of doing. Our cast and crew will be a tribe. Our collaborations together started in film school, in college doing theater, or from other projects we've worked on. Throughout film school at USC, our team has made sure to learn as many of the skills and crafts that go into filmmaking as possible, realizing that starting out we have to adopt a do-it-yourself mentality. We are cinematographers, editors, directors, producers, sound mixers, vfx artists, you name it. This practicality has in fact shown us that the DIY mindset leads to more creativity and elevates the art. Plus, it’s more fun!
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