What would you do if you could stop time? That’s the premise of a new short science fiction film being shot in Bradford... but only if its makers can beat the clock themselves.

The young production crew behind the movie System11 are planning to fund it through the online Kickstarter scheme which allows people to pledge money to get creative projects off the ground, giving the artists money up front.

Kickstarter has been hugely successful in the US, but has only recently come to Britain. The fledgling Crimson Reel production company – made up of friends Aidan Rawnsley, Ben Miller, Connor Crowther, all 20, and Ryan Firth, 22 – have until February 16 to attract pledges totalling £4,000 so their project can be funded.

Aidan, of Thornton, says the cash will be used to buy or hire film-making equipment to enable them to film System11, which they plan to do in various locations around Bradford and using, where possible, Bradford-based technicians, film crew and actors.

System11 will be a gritty movie set in a parallel universe where some individuals have the superpower of stopping time. The movie explores the ethical fall-out of having such an ability, and also what happens when a shadowy organisation – the System11 of the title – decides to take control over the emerging super-powered people for its own ends.

Aidan has written the script and the team have already been scouting locations around Bradford. Using social networking to plug their project, they’ve even attracted the attention of an Ilkley-based cinematographer who has promised them his time and the use of his super-expensive RED camera – a piece of kit the team say they could never afford to buy or hire themselves.

Aidan describes their movie idea as in a similar genre to the recent time-travel smash hit Looper, starring Bruce Willis. He said: “We’re aiming to make a 30-minute movie which we will then apply to show at various film festivals around the country.”

Ben added: “The thing with Kickstarter is it’s all or nothing, so if we don’t hit our £4,000 target we don’t get anything. Then we’ll have to start looking at alternative methods of funding.”

This will be the first dramatic project for Crimson Reel, though they have done short corporate videos for leisure centres in Bradford. Aidan added: “We intend to use the movie to get some attention and our ultimate aim is to make System11 into a full-length feature movie.”

Supporters who pledge at the Kickstarter page can promise to pay various amounts to get packages including memorabilia and even their name in the credits as a thank-you.

l Visit crimsonreelstudios.com or Kickstarter at kickstarter.com/projects/81484859/system11