Based on a novel concept Rory Joscelyne first wrote in 2008, the screenplay was updated and shortened to create a proof-of-concept in film work to create the short.
The original novel piece required a less sophisticated roll-out of bathroom scanners and household dispensary equipment. In 2018, technology had rolled out so much that a more realistic approach was possible - utilizing apps on smartwatches and drone-based delivery services in order to achieve the same goals.
For this short (not the feature), two characters were removed for the purposes of keeping the story focused around Joanna. This included the owner of the cafe (A character called Dipal) Joanna and Greg visit, adding some comedic levity to the piece, and a scene with Greg's father (Jack Snider) which provides context to why Greg is so aggressive in his job. While these were great scenes, they over-complicated the short.
The cyberpunk visual theme was chosen due to the gritty but eye-catching nature of the genre. Rarely attempted in the UK Indie film scene, it was decided that the mild futuristic edge would be well suited to the intense lighting of cyberpunk, with director Rory Joscelyne and cinematographer Dan Keeble meeting up three times to distinguish the short's visual design. Blade Runner, Terminator and Demolition Man, among others, were referenced in these meetings as influences.
The original novel written by Rory Joscelyne in 2008 - 2010 was completely lost in a hard drive failure in 2010. After a motorbike accident in 2018, where Rory broke his right shin in four places, his parents found an early printed copy of the story in their attic. While largely incomplete, Rory used this (and his lengthy spare time) to create the short, however as far as he was aware there was no more story. With no clear villain for a feature, it would have been impossible and he even told the cast/crew this during production.