Post Apocalyptic Planning: Mise en Scene and Props

For the opening, we require numerous types of Mise en Scene for different scenes within the piece.

The Wooden Cabin Scene:

For all of the shots within the wooden cabin, we require the Mise en Scene to be fairly sparse to show to the audience that this is not a planned visit for the Protagonist and that he did not plan to be awakening in this location. To put this idea across to the audience, we want the colours and props within the scene to be sparse but related to the character (e.g. the characters walking staff and rucksack etc.)



Props:

The Protagonist required certain props to show to the audience that he had been surviving in this post apocalyptic world for a lengthy amount of time. In order to do this, we came up with the idea to add a walking staff to his costume design along with a rucksack. We wanted the walking staff to suggest to the viewer that this character ventures around the landscape, constantly searching for other survivors and new places to set up camp.





We wanted the rucksack to suggest to the viewer that this survivor has been, again, surviving for a lengthy amount of time and has collected numerous items along his travels. As well as this we wished to suggest that the character themselves feels as if they need this rucksack in case of any important objects becoming a necessity for his survival.

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Final Constumes

For the opening, we came up with final designs for the costumes that both characters will be wearing.

I have shown these below:

The Protagonist (Joey):



"The Mysterious Man":

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Make Up

For the film, we required Jake, our main character, to have a sort of "dirty, rugged" look about him. For this, we needed to use different types of dark coloured make up to give his character this "Survivor" look.



In the end, we resulted with this final "dirty" look that we felt properly emphasised the idea of this character surviving every day in harsh conditions that often leave him rugged and dirty.

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Locations

The wooden cabin

For the piece that we will be creating, we require a "wooden cabin" type building to shoot the majority of the shots in. This "wooden cabin" is going to be the location in which the Protagonist wakes up and is met by a mysterious character who seems to have brought him there.

We have chosen the location we are going to use for this scene.

We will be shooting these scenes in the Wooden Cabin in the back garden of one of the members of our group.



We felt that this location was perfect for what we wanted to shoot as it showcased the homely elements of the wooden cabin but still kept the mystery of the location due to the bland colourings of the walls and the emptiness of the scene itself.

(Dartboard was removed from the scene whilst shooting as it went against the mise en scene that we required)

Barren Fields / Forests





For the opening, we also required barren fields and forested areas. For this, we chose certain public parks such as Brierly Park as we felt that the forests and fields there, along with the conditions brought on by the weather, would be perfect for shooting in order to make the scene look empty and abandoned.



As shown by Google maps, Brierly Forest park is made up of fields and forested areas that are perfect for us to shoot various scenes of the opening in.

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Progress of Script Writing

For the piece that we are creating, we require scripts for the different sections of the opening; inside the flashback and outside of it.

Below, I have posted the rough idea of the script that will we use as a guideline within the piece in accordance to dialogue.

First scene in the wooden cabin:

(Jake awakens and begins to search around the room he is in in confusion but appears to be injured, he lies back onto the table that he woke on and rests)

(Mysterious character enters the room)

Mysterious character: Ah, so you're finally awake, I've been waiting for you.

Joey: (confused) Where am I? Who are you?

Mysterious Character: (Not paying attention to Joey at all (messing around in a draw etc.)) That will all become clear soon, but first, I'd like to know what you can remember.

Joey: What I can remember? I can remember the apocalypse like it was yesterday, explosions, quakes, the whole thing. I was so scared, my family...

(Looks blank for a second in thought)

Joey: I was lucky to get into the bunker when I could, three days we were in there waiting for everything to calm down. So many people died in there...

(Close up on Jakes face)

- Enter Flashback -

Flashback:

Joey: For the past three months I believe; I've been doing my best to survive; I've been doing my best to search for survivors, to search for an explanation as to why this all happened. I've been searching for help. Its been so hard, but what made it harder was that one day, the last day I remember, I felt like I was being constantly followed. Anytime I turned to look for what was following me though, there was never anything.

(Close up on Joey by the fire)

Joey: Then that night, I was settling down to rest for the night and I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me and then from there, I don't remember anything, its all black.

(A bag goes over Joeys head and the scene fades to black)

- Exits Flashback -

Post Flashback:

(Fades back in to a close up on Joeys face)

Joey: (Slightly angered) And then the next thing I know,  I wake up here with some random geezer asking me questions. You still haven't answered my question, who the hell are you and why am I here?

Mysterious Character: I think it's time I explained this whole thing to you. Come with me.

(Both characters exit the room)

- Scene End -



Post Apocalyptic Planning: Film Opening Pitch

We presented our pitch to a group of an idea and were given feedback and extra ideas that we could use within the piece. The video of this is shown below.



Post Apocalyptic Planning: Costume planning for Opening

For the piece that we are going to create, it is crucial that we have costumes that fit the characters within the opening.

There are to be two main characters within the opening that are both surviving within this post apocalyptic world but are part of different groups and we wish to make this apparent within their clothing.

The "real" main character is going to be an lone survivor who has been searching for the past few months for other survivors or someone who can explain as to why the apocalypse happened.

We want to dress this character in more green and brown colours of clothing that will show that he has had to keep himself hidden within different environments just in case he is not alone.

He will be dressed in:

- Some form of hat

- Some form of jacket (Thick parka / Army Jacket)

-Dark coloured trousers

- Heavy-wearing boots

- A rucksack

- A walking staff or stick (optional)

I have placed a rough idea of what the characters clothing will look like below.

The more "mysterious" character will be dressed in the same sort of colours to show that he too has been trying to keep hidden within the environment when required.

However, we wish to dress this second character in lighter clothing to show to the audience that, as the storyline suggests, he is part of a separate group of survivors that are working together to find other survivors etc. and this requires him to move around more frequently and quickly and so he needs lighter clothing.

We plan to dress this character in:

- A long, lightweight parka (not shown in example)

- dark shirt or t-shirt

- Dark trousers

- Heavy - wearing boots

Below, once again, I have placed a rough example of what this character will be dressed like.

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Weather forecasts for the Filming Day

We have planned to begin, and hopefully conclude, filming on Sunday 16th November and so I require to research into the weather forecasts for that day to prepare for the weather that we are faced with.

The weather forecast given by (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcrn5r3ub#?fcTime=1416009600) has shown the below results:

This shows that the weather on the day that we plan to film on is going to consist of rainy weather.

I believe that this will add to the idea in the film that the worlds weather systems are slightly out of sync in relation to how they used to be.

This also shows me that the sun will be setting at 16:09, meaning that we will be able to film any scenes that require dark conditions at an earlier time which will allow our filming to be an efficient process that we can carry out at a relatively fast pace, whilst also ensuring that we have all the shots that we require.

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Sound design and soundtracks

Within the opening that we plan to create, we will require different forms of sound that will need to be non-copyright. In order to do this, we may use some forms of Foley sound as well as researching into non-copyright soundtracks.

Sound effects

For the piece, we require a sort of bass sound to hit as the main title screen for the film is shown. I have researched into different ways of making bass sounds and have come up with a couple of ideas that we could use.

Vocal Creation of a bass sound

One way in which we could create this bass sound is by having a member of our group physically make a deep "boom" type sound into a microphone and use editing software in order to manipulate it to perfection.

Using a bass drum

A second way of creating this sound would be by simply using a bass drum and recording the sound it makes to place into our piece.

Soundtracks

For the piece, we require a soundtrack that suggests to the viewers that the world is almost "empty" and "mysterious", despite the fact that it is the same world that they have always lived in. Below I have posted a selection of these tracks:



I have chosen Far Out Man - Jingle Punks as the soundtrack that is most likely to be used within our opening. I feel it is the most perfect of the three tracks that we found and will fit perfectly within the storyline of our piece.

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Photographic documentation of actors

Characters

Name: Jake Brough
Character Name: Joey
Age: 16
Character Age: 18
Short character profile: Brave; survivor; world-wise; confused about his surroundings; memory is sparse.

Name: Sam Claxton
Character Name: Mysterious Man
Age: 16
Character Age: 18
Short character profile: Part of survival group, appears to be the figure head (or some form of important member) for this group; concerned for the survivor he appears to have captured; wishes to utilise the protagonist and the skills that he has within his own group of survivors.

Post Apocalyptic Planning: Moodboard of our Opening

I have put together a moodboard that showcases different elements of our film. This is shown below:

I have shown on the moodboard a selection of words that relate to the piece we are hoping to produce.

- Confusion: Our main protagonist is going to be a survivor of the apocalypse that has awoken in a new, mysterious location and is going to be confused by his surroundings and the injury that he has.

- Survival: Shots of the protagonist surviving across the devastated land will be shown throughout our piece and it will be made clear to the audience that this protagonist is good at the surviving that he does.

- Loneliness: We are going to make it clear to the audience that this protagonist is lonely in this world and has lost all family and friends.

- Bravery: This loss of family and friends and the will to carry on surviving will show to the audience that there is a huge sense of bravery within this character.

- Distress: The loss of the protagonists family as well as waking up in this mysterious location will cause the protagonist distress.

- Natural Disaster: It is going to be made clear that the apocalypse has occurred due to natural disaster.

I have also used different photographs within my moodboard in order to show different elements of the opening.

- Barren fields: Barren fields and abandoned areas are some of the locations in which we are going to be utilising within the piece.

- Volcanoes, floods etc.: These are the spontaneous forms of Natural Disaster that were repeatedly occurring that managed to wipe out the population.

- Lightweight Parka - This is what the "Mysterious Character", who will enter the room and question the protagonists memory, will be wearing, to show that he has also been surviving but is attempting to dress lightly so that he is able to escape any danger if needs be.

- Forested area: This is the final location of the piece, the protagonist will be setting up a fire to settle down for the night when he will be captured.

- Rucksack: As he is surviving, the protagonist will be carrying a rucksack that contains his essentials for survival.

- Campfire: The protagonist will be setting up a fire at the pivotal point within the film when he is captured by this mysterious group.

- Heavy duty boots: These will be worn by characters in order to emphasise the idea of hard-wearing clothing that is required to keep surviving throughout any condition.

- Walking staff: The protagonist will be shown to have one of these in order to help him walk through any terrain and to be used as a weapon when needs be.

Post Apocalyptic Research: Title Sequence Analysis #2 - Iron Man Three

Title Sequence Analysis

Iron Man 3

I have decided to analyse the title sequence for the film "Iron Man Three". The title sequence gives the viewer a sense of the genre of the film from the outset.



The use of numerous scenes that involve violence and action suggests to the viewer immediately that the films genre is action and adventure. The use of the main character from the film itself gives the audience a slight amount of background information into the film and suggests to them that this character is going to be some form of hero fighting off any enemies etc.

The first title shows the directors name, this has been a consistent factor throughout the title sequences I have looked at. This shows to me that the Director, being one of the most important people within the creation of the film, is placed first within most title sequences in order to show their importance; I will have to take this into consideration when creating my own opening if title sequences are used. Also, the transition between scenes from the film being placed into this red, comic-like tone is used in order to suggest to the audience that the origin of this films storyline comes from comic books and that the main character is a comic book hero.





The text used within the title sequences is made up of simple, bold, yellow text which links directly to the comic-book origins of the storyline and gives the viewers a sense of the genre of the film from the outset.

Post Apocalyptic Research: The Conventions of the Post Apocalyptic Genre

The Post Apocalyptic genre offers an unimaginable variety of ideas that directors, producers and writers can twist and control in their own ways in order to develop a storyline from the incredible amounts of diversity that the idea of living after the end of the world can give.

 

Consistently, producers are distributing films that suggest the idea of living alone after the end of the world and fighting for survival. At some point within these types of films, the main protagonist is also met with another survivor and is often shown to be surprised at the understanding that they are not the sole survivor of the apocalypse. This type of storyline has been shown in films such as I Am Legend.

 



 

Another convention of Post Apocalyptic films is the idea of Zombies roaming the earth for eternity and slowly destroying any form of humanity. This form of post apocalyptic film has been used in collaboration with the comedy genre; this is shown through films such as Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland.

 

 

 

Although it is commonly used in collaboration with the genre of Comedy, the zombie invasion idea is used in more serious matters as an idea or a possibility of what could potentially take place if a "Zombie Apocalypse" were to happen and follows characters as they search for cures or reasons as to why the outbreak has happened. Films that use this more serious interpretation of the idea include World War Z and the aforementioned I Am Legend.

 

 

 

Along with all of these ideas used through the genre of Post Apocalyptic films, there are more original and diverse ideas that don't involve the outbreak of a virus or sole survival. Films such as Children of Men showcase a more unique idea of apocalypse in the way that the film depicts the human race as slowly dying out and no children being born to replace the older generations.

 

 



 

 

 

This research has shown to me that the conventions of Post Apocalyptic films mainly follow a specific idea of survival but the way in which this can be done allows for limitless scenarios within the storylines of films and film writers can play around with these ideas and create completely unique storylines. It has also shown to me that these conventions can allow this genre to be used in collaboration with other genres due to the vast plethora of diverse ideas that can be given from the genre itself.

Post Apocalyptic Research: Attracting the Target Audience

Films and other kinds of media all use different methods collectively in order to attract their target audiences into purchasing and viewing their product.

 

 

There are numerous ways in which this is done and these include:

 

 

The use of storyline

 

 

The way that the storylines are used within films and television are iconic tools in the way that producers attract their target audience. For example, if the target audience of a certain type of media is for younger viewers, the storyline will often be based around people of similar ages to the target audiences in question. If the target audience is for a more older age range, the storyline will sometimes be based around older people.

 

 

The target audience of the product would also change the way the storyline is used and played out in order to attract them. For example, a film for a younger target audience could include more colourful aspects; a hero to save the day and a happy ending. Whereas a film for an older target audience will include more violence, action and detail within storyline.

 

A scene from the film Django Unchained, a film for an older target audience, that shows a man having his arm savagely ripped from him by a dog.

 

The advertisement for the Disney film UP which shows connotations of happiness and colour with the target audience of children in mind.

 

Trailers

 

Film trailers are one of the main ways in which producers and the production and distribution companies attract their target audiences.

 

Trailers are short, often 2 - 3 minute, breakdowns of the films storyline that are shown on television during advertisement breaks and at the beginning of films in the cinemas. They are used in order to build suspense and hype around the full release of the film; show briefly what the film itself is about and to introduce any characters that are important to the storyline itself. This allows the target audiences to get a sort of "sneak peek" of the film in order to determine whether they are interested in viewing it or not.

 



 

 

This is the trailer for the film Shrek 2. It introduces the characters and gives an idea of the storyline that the film will offer. It also suggests to the viewer that it is a film that is aimed for family viewing.

 

 

 

The trailer for the 2014 film Ouija however, shows a completely different storyline. It shows a horror storyline that could be aimed at most viewers above the age of 18. It does this through the use of almost "Spooky" music and the dark scenes shown.

 

Characters

 



The way the characters are shown to the audience through the different aspects of themselves is a way in which the target audience can be attracted to a film. The way in which the characters are clothed can attract the target audience in the way that, if the characters are dressed in any way that is noticeable or relatable to the target audience, it may influence them to view the film more. For example, if the character is dressed stylishly and is in line with any current trends, it may influence a younger, more teenage, audience to view the film.

The way that the characters are presented from the outset is a factor that will attract the target audience. The way a character is portrayed within the opening of a film will cause the audience to lay judgement on that character throughout the film itself. For example, if a character is shown to be a type of hero or good person, this will attract most audiences as they will wish to view any future endeavours he or she may face.


This research has suggested to me ways in which I can attract my target audience and ways in which I would be able to attract them if I was to produce a full length film.

 

 



Post Apocalyptic Research: Classification Categories

Classification Categories are the suggested ages of people that should be watching specific films. These are usually shown in coloured shapes in the bottom corners of disc cases for films or are shown separately on the trailers and advertisements for films themselves.

 

 

In the UK, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) have set several Categories that include the following:

 

 

 

 



 

Films rated "U" are classed as being "Suitable for all ages"

 

 

 

Films rated "PG" are classed as requiring "Parental Guidance" when viewing.

 

 

 

Films that are rated as "12A" are classed as being "Cinema releases that are suitable for 12 years and over".

 

 

 

General media content that is rated as "12" is classed as being "Suitable for 12 years and over"

 

 

 

Films that are rated "15" are classed as being "Suitable only for ages 15 and over"

 

 

Films that are rated "18" are classed as being "Suitable only for ages 18 and over"

 

 

Post Apocalyptic Research: Production and Distribution Companies

Production and Distribution companies for Post Apocalyptic films

I have researched into particular companies that could be interested in distributing my product and have come up with the following companies.

Warner Brothers Studios



Warner Brothers studios are undoubtedly one of the largest film distribution companies on the planet and I believe that they would be one of the best companies to distribute my product as they would have the funding to produce it on a large scale and take an idea like the one I will be developing and take it to another level of originality and ingenuity.

 

 

2929 Entertainment

 

2929 Entertainment are an American film distribution company that was founded in 2000. They own and work with Magnolia pictures who are able to place companies films in theatres. They have, in the past, produced popular post apocalyptic films such as The Road which shows they have had experience within producing the genre of film that I am producing.

 

 

Village Roadshow Pictures

 

 





 

I believe that Village Roadshow Pictures would also be a good company that would be interested in distributing a film of my selected genre due to their experience with films of the same genre such as the widely popular I Am Legend that they, as a company, were able to produce on a large scale with the large budget they had.

 

Strike Entertainment

 

 

 

Strike Entertainment are also a good company that could produce and distribute my film due to their previous experience with post apocalyptic films, such as Children of Men, as well as the fact that they would be able to produce and distribute my film on a large scale.