Abstract
Problem: Tim Cain had never publicly discussed his experience participating in Fallout: Nuka Break, a fan-made web series by Wayside Creations — what was it like for a lifelong game developer to step onto a real film set?
Approach: Tim recounts how he got involved through a Game Creators Vault interview in October 2011, his time on set at two filming locations, and the people and craft he encountered.
Findings: The production was a passionate, grueling effort — dawn-to-dusk shoots in desert heat with remarkable props, costumes, and acting talent. Tim was deeply impressed by the actors' ability to instantly transform into character, and humbled by fans pouring months of work into realizing their Fallout vision.
Key insight: Seeing his own passion for games reflected in an entirely different creative craft — filmmaking — was a humbling and amazing experience that Tim had never been asked about in interviews before.
1. How Tim Got Involved
It started in October 2011 with an interview at the Game Creators Vault. Chris Avellone was being interviewed about Fallout and invited Tim along. Zach Finfrock from Wayside Creations was there, spearheading the Nuka Break project. This was right after Tim left Carbine but before he joined Obsidian — in fact, Tim believes it was after this shoot that he talked to Obsidian about coming on board.
Tim was only involved in Season 2 of Nuka Break. Both he and Chris Avellone had bit parts. Tim didn't initially know he'd have any dialogue but eventually got some lines.
2. The Filming Locations
2.1. Eagle Mountain
The first location was Eagle Mountain, an old Kaiser-owned iron mine out past Indio, on the far east side of Joshua Tree. Kaiser had owned the entire community — homes, schools, everything — before getting out of mining and moving to insurance.
Tim was struck by how much the abandoned community looked like Fallout 3: homes falling apart, fenced off, in complete disrepair. A caretaker still lived in one of the remaining habitable houses. Wayside rented a couple of buildings as a base of operations — one for makeup, another where some crew members slept overnight. Tim and Chris Avellone grabbed a motel room in Indio to avoid driving from Irvine every day, since the production wanted everyone on set at sunrise.
2.2. Santa Clarita Gravel Pit
The second location was a gravel pit in Santa Clarita that looked straight out of Fallout: New Vegas — specifically the area with the Deathclaws. This is where Tim got to film his scene shooting someone's eye out.
3. The Red Rider BB Gun
Tim brought his own prop to set: an original Red Rider BB gun that Merrick the Milt had found at a Goodwill store in SoCal and given to him. The production originally planned to have Tim use a different weapon, but when he pulled the Red Rider out of his trunk and asked to use it, they immediately agreed. In his scene at the gravel pit, Tim's character asks "Can I aim for the eyes?" and shoots someone's eye out — a classic Fallout reference.
4. The Production Schedule
The dedication of the crew was remarkable. To maximize natural light, everyone had to be in costume and ready to go by dawn. They filmed until dusk and sometimes past it using artificial lights. Then they'd review dailies — Tim estimates the crew worked 14 to 18 hours a day during the shoot. The filming order wasn't fixed; it depended on available light, how quickly previous scenes wrapped, and actor availability.
5. The Actors
Tim was deeply impressed by several actors and their ability to instantly switch from casual conversation into character:
- Tybee Diskin and Cameron Diskin — The most professional people on set. They constantly checked on others, making sure everyone was hydrated in the desert heat. Cameron played the Ranger; when he put on the helmet his entire voice changed.
- Anna Rose Heyman (Penelope) — Tim had a scene with her. They were joking around casually, then when shooting was called she stepped onto her mark and her face completely transformed. Her character was innocent and sweet, and it was like watching someone put on a mask.
- Michelle Specht (Red) — Funny and terrifying. Tim compared her to a completely psychotic Kate Pierson from the B-52s. She did her own makeup and brought her own gun. Tim didn't have scenes with her but sought her out afterwards.
- Vic Mignogna — Later went on to play Captain Kirk in the online Star Trek Continues web series alongside Michelle Specht.
6. Props and Costumes
- Zach Finfrock's Vault Suit — Handmade, looked especially good on camera even if close inspection revealed the construction
- The Nuka Cola sign/weapon — A large Nuka Cola sign that transformed into a weapon. This prop was later added to Fallout: New Vegas as the Nuka Breaker, named after the web series
- Mark Zorin's Power Armor — Homemade and custom-fitted to Mark. Tim took photos and sent them to Leonard Boyarsky. Since the armor only fit Mark, he wore it in fight scenes even when the character was supposed to be Cameron's Ranger
7. Learning About Filmmaking
For someone who had never done anything outside game development — no theater, no film — the experience was eye-opening. Tim spent downtime watching the cinematography, and cinematographer Matt Ryan invited him to look at the monitors. Tim observed how shots were framed, how action was choreographed, and how actors had to stay within frame of the single camera while fighting, walking, and performing.
8. Tim's Reflection
Tim participated for only four days total — two at Eagle Mountain, two at Santa Clarita — while the full production lasted months. But the experience left a lasting impression. Seeing fans who were so passionate about Fallout that they made characters, costumes, dialogue, scouted locations, built sets, and made props — all to realize a shared dream — was humbling.
Tim noted it still tickles him to show up on IMDb for the role (he believes the character was even named Tim). He'd never been asked about the experience in interviews before, which motivated him to share the story on his channel.
9. References
- Tim Cain. YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5r46aVMIz0