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How do you actually make a sci-fi movie in America? Most people would say you can't—that just trying to do sci-fi is an uphill battle in itself. But hey, where there's a will, there's a way, even if you have to build everything from scratch in your garage. A group of enthusiasts decided to shoot a sort of Blade Runner homage, setting the whole thing within that same universe—if that's how you want to put it—and they opted for old-school practical effects; miniatures, green screens, the whole nine yards, built entirely from zero. The results are honestly kind of hauntingly impressive. Even though it’s just a short film, running maybe half an hour, you have to admit these guys have already managed to spark quite a bit of interest among the public, which is a win in my book. And just so I’m not just spinning yarns here, one well-known forum member actually helped create it and played one of the key roles, so I'm shamelessly stealing his announcement to drop it right here.
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Back in the summer of 2015, nearly two years ago, I spent almost two months in a tiny "DIY" studio on the set of an American Sci-Fi short called Slice of Life, directed by the young Luka Hrgović. Basically, I was lucky enough to land a small but pivotal role as a cop in the film! Despite the absolutely brutal heat—it was pushing 105 degrees on that cramped, sweltering set, thanks in part to those massive studio lights acting like space heaters—those were some of the best two months of my life. But enough about me, let's talk about the movie...
Taking three full years to come together, Slice of Life is a total passion project for a small group of young American filmmakers and Blade Runner fans led by director Ridley Scott’s influence. It’s set in that iconic futuristic Los Angeles we all first fell in love with back in '82. It all started as a tribute to the original classic and the legendary legacy it's built over the decades. But as time went on, everyone involved poured more and more of their free time into making this dream a reality, and Slice of Life quickly evolved into something much bigger than just a "standard homage"—it became its own thing. There were times it was genuinely tough; we were filming in bone-chilling cold and extreme heat, sometimes pulling 20-hour shifts, while trying our best to accommodate everyone's schedules so the crew could stay sane.
Even though it shares the same atmosphere and universe, Slice of Life doesn't follow the story of the legendary Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) or his hunt for replicants, nor does it have anything to do with the upcoming Blade Runner 2049. Instead, the film focuses on the lives of other characters just trying to survive the gritty streets of a futuristic Los Angeles. Specifically, we follow a small-time dealer trying to turn his life around, only for his routine to get messy after an unexpected run-in with a cop that forces him to rethink everything.
Anton Svetić stars in the lead role and also wrote the script. The rest of the cast includes Ivica Pustički and Emilia Habulin, while Hrgović, besides sitting in the director's chair, handled all the visual and practical effects. The cinematographer is Dino Julius, and the original score was composed by Tim Žibrat.
To really nail that tribute to 80s sci-fi and capture that specific retro aesthetic found in classics like Blade Runner and Star Wars, the creators decided to ditch digital shortcuts entirely. They’re doing all the special effects the old-school way—think miniatures, physical models, hand-built sets, rear projection, matte paintings, and practical effects... basically zero CGI. It makes Slice of Life feel like a genuine love letter to the sci-fi genre of the eighties. And honestly, it's pretty wild because every single set and miniature was built from scratch by Hrgović and his crew personally.
Since this whole project is being funded out of their own pockets—which means a massive amount of time, sweat, and cash—the team is planning to launch a Kickstarter campaign soon to help wrap up the miniature filming and push through post-production. They’re really hoping the Blade Runner community steps up to support them so Slice of Life can gain some traction beyond just local circles here in the States. If everything goes according to plan, Slice of Life should finally "see the light of day" by late 2017, though we'll keep you posted on the exact date once it's locked in. For anyone wanting to dig deeper into the project or maybe even chat with the creators, they'll be at SFeracon (May 12th–14th, 2017), where Hrgović and Julius will be presenting the film and hosting a quick Q&A.
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