The story was inspired by the sights along California's highway 395 in the Eastern Sierras; all of principal photography was captured either on or within two miles of the road.
The project was originally conceived just so filmmaker Nicholas Thurkettle could get some cinematography practice while enjoying a road trip with his longtime friend and collaborator Nikki Nina Nguyen; drawing on her cosplay background to create a sci-fi character he could film in different environments. As the story expanded, they decided to make it a proper short film, adding more gear and a crew collaborator - three people constituting the entire production team.
At one point, the crew vehicle became stranded in snow. One shot in the final cut was filmed while the crew awaited a tow.