Atlas and Smith, along with Strathairn, are all neighbours in Dutchess County, New York, where The Onyx Project was filmed with local law enforcement officers playing Henderson’s troops. Smith and Atlas said in interviews that they financed the project and software development independently—it cost under $200,000—after putting out some unsuccessful feelers to Hollywood and other potential corporate backers. Their hope is that future projects built around the software will include documentaries or educational videos with thousands of links that viewers can click to take them wherever their interests may lie.

Atlas noted The Onyx Project was very much a movie-making endeavor. For example, the story was written to keep the audience engaged, using a few director’s tricks. The mystery in the story is not revealed until the end.

Perhaps Strathairn sums up The Onyx Project’s aspirations when, as colonel, he remarks of the army in one scene: “We seek to innovate but it is tradition that binds us together.”

—RICHARD SIKLOS / The New York Times