Groundbreaking Reality Show Reproduces Doomsday Scenario

CHICAGO, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- In less than a month, the reality of doomsday will come to life in a ground-breaking internet-based "reality show" that places a dozen people underground for an entire year to find out how humans would survive a catastrophic event. The Vault, launching April 2010, will be broadcast over the web and for a moderate price the world will have the opportunity to watch what happens.

Spawned by doomsday enthusiast and writer Russ McCullough, The Vault evolved out of Russ's own fears about the end of the world. "I personally believe at least one of the predictions will happen," says Russ. "But for me, the most important question is not, IF it will happen, but what you will DO if it happens?"

Created by a group of business-minded visionaries at Inlighten Film Productions, The Vault will film for an anticipated year, posting daily episode updates to the website. Located at an undisclosed location in the Central United States, The Vault will take place in an original fallout shelter built during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Outfitted with cameras at every angle and little more than the basic supplies they'll need to survive, the cast will be tested in a variety of ways, primarily the isolation itself. There will be no access to LIVE media of any kind including television, radio, newspapers or current events. In addition, there will be no cell phones or communication with loved ones. The Vault will be virtually and literally sealed off from the entire world – we can see in, but they cannot see out.

Advising on the psychological implications of the premise and helping to select the personalities most apt to handle the stresses of the situation is Dr. Larry Grimm of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"We anticipate these cast members will go through a full range of emotions from fear and panic to depression and stress," remarks Dr. Grimm. "The societal norms that typically set the parameters of acceptable behavior will eventually weaken. A new micro-society will develop."

To test this micro-society, there will be organized "interventions" that represent the challenges they would face if this were not a test. They will be asked to make difficult decisions, learn new skill sets, resolve conflicts and ultimately evolve. As in the real scenario, their performance will determine their fate.

The ultimate goal is to see exactly how a group of people would respond if the predictions about society's end come true. It's a group dynamic that has never been tried before, according to The Vault's Executive Producer, John St. Anthony. "We're in uncharted territory here. This is not 'scripted reality.' This is real. No one knows what will happen in The Vault but we believe it's a critical question to answer and we know the world will want to watch."

For more information on The Vault or to subscribe, please visit the website at www.thevault12.com.

About The Vault

The Vault is a groundbreaking internet-based reality show placing about a dozen strangers in an underground fallout shelter for a year. Airing in April 2010, the objective is to see first hand what life underground will be like for a group of strangers who just might happen to survive should the doomsday predictions come true.

About Inlighten Film Productions

Inlighten Film Productions is a visionary media company using break-through production strategies to give voice to innovative, original ideas that ordinarily would not have the capital to hit mainstream media.

SOURCE Inlighten Film Productions