Film log: 09th December (Sunday) – Field near Halfway House

On sunday morning, we walked with the equipment to the chosen location behind ''The Halfway House'' pub in Whitworth. Although we hoped for some frozen dew glazed over the marshlike field, the windflow sweeping across the high, amber hued grass accentuating the atmosphere of emptiness against the grim backdrop of naked, lifeless and blackened trees. We began by quickly filming Kieran as a reporter, which I set up facing an active road simply to show that there is life at this point. When we were editing at school we felt that the intro sequence of the trailer was lacking the clues needed to imply the possible causes of the cataclysm in the film; so we decided to film several sharp shots of action and put them into the static sequence to mix it up as opposed to having on single sequence of static followed by an atomic blast, which in hindsight appears sloppy.

Continuing on from this, I set up the angles of the fight scene between Max and Kieran, to keep the drab environment in the frame. I had to arrange the fight scene differently to how we planned initially to fit it into the setting and look more 'organic' and less contrived. I concluded that in future any fight scenes should incorporate the setting during the planning stages, otherwise, on the day of filming, we sometimes waste time having to change the devised shots. We mutually agreed to carry on with the rest of the shooting without the meticulous detail we generally put into every shot, reasoning that it was too time consuming and every second hurt in the blistering cold.

I played my role in the production as an actor again today also, resuming my part as the 'damaged journalist' protagonist. I performed as best as I could in order to reduce the need for retakes and press onwards so we could get back home in the warmth. After that, we subsequently went home because we decided beforehand that there wasn't much else to do.

Film Log: 21st November (Wednesday) – Office with Curtis

During the schoolweek, I employed the help of my friend, Curtis, to play the role of our main antagonist - the Enclave government leader. I felt he fit the sophisticated yet menacing role we were going for, especially when we fitted him with a suit, which he kindly provided himself. On the day of filming, we used our free hour to film enough shots to convey Curtis' character being the antagonist as a surmisable result of the trailer, though with some enigma surrounding him.

We started by going to our deputy head's office, as the chosen location, and he gave us some privacy to film. We positioned objects in the setting, such as chairs and computers, to make the setting appear like a workstation doubled up as a meeting room, though also containing elements that connote warfare and action. This included us introducing some of our own props for this, including toy gun replicas (for which we asked permission from the school to use out of public, which was granted) and maps sprawled over a table in the centre of the shot. In addition to this we added the composite of homely features, like the Union Jack pillow, to give the room unusual character and comfort which, making a contrast in juxtaposition to the malicious intent of the antagonist and neglect of the country, we thought would make a good effect.

The actual filming ran smoothly as the room was easily accessible and accommodated our equipment nicely, allowing us to make full use of angles in the room. Then we tweaked the settings of the camera to make the picture darker, giving that 'underground gloom' as if the facility is located underground, secluded from the hazardous wastes above. It also made the shots appear sincere and further boded the possibility of the character in the shot being shady, similar to the setting. We had to look for features that would create the connotations, and denotations, needed for us to introduce a character's archetype in a tiny frame of time.

Once the filming had been done, we went to our Media lesson and edited the footage in Pinnacle.

Film log: 17th November (Saturday)

We arrived at the abandoned, decrepit factory near Spotland in the morning and set up our equipment within close proximity of the areas boundaries. We filmed some shots of the buildings facade, and a couple of long shots showing myself and max running from the area to connote some element of peril, though without delving into the source of that peril which forms enigma codes. Following on from this, we made the most of the drab, overcast weather by filming Max and I roaming a road. Kieran manned the camera whilst I had to play my role. For the shot-reverse-shot I used the steady cam to film Max in his role, and he the same for me. Furthermore, we shot a snappy fight sequence including Kieran and myself. I set up the camera angle and then subsequently performed a tackle on Kieran who was portraying a henchman.

We did confront a couple of problems here, such as the sporadic rain showers which sometimes intruded upon the shots we were trying to create. It also meant we had to protect the integrity of the camera with our coats etc. whilst it rained which, given the on and off nature of the rain showers, became time consuming and equally irritating. Fortunately, what boded as another problem, soon became an opportunity to advance our project. A group of local kids came across our filming area and, instead of causing a fuss, suggested I go with them to scout around the abandoned factory with them as they were familiar to the area, so I did hoping I could discover areas of interest and then feed back to the group who remained where we started.

After exploring the building and racking up numerous ideas to discuss with the group, I headed back to inform Max and Kieran. Soon we were inside and making the most of this hidden gem of a location though I had to carry the equipment, again. Inside we met a group of men who were doing a photography project who also advised us on the buildings interesting areas. Being a tad bit of a silver tongued devil I even managed to employ the use of two of them to be in our production as the two gasmasked me; an area of improvisation that I, and I'm sure everyone, believes will contribute to the overall quality of the projects end result.  I filmed the shots in the map room, abandoned storage rooms and the high angle panoramic of the horizon and factory ground from a smashed out window on the facade. Overall, the day went well and we got the work done that we had planed to, with the addition of another unexpected but great shot.

Risk Assessment

Each of the locations we used came with their own risks, but we took steps beforehand and minimalised the possibility of injury and any other risks to ensure filming was safe.

Moors

We filmed on the moors for a brief period in the morning which caused some complications. Due to the austere laws in place regarding the public use of anything that could be perceived as an offensive object, such as toy guns etc, and our desire to use at least one exterior shot exposing the gun to connote the constant hazards of a post apocalyptic world, we had to be resourceful in our use of this in order to keep within the law. We were also limited to one exterior shot because of this. Taking all of this into account, we were forced to keep the gun hidden in the bag with only the stock of the toy rifle in sight; I personally found this looked effective anyway, as opposed to conspicuous carrying of it. The shot only lasted a matter of seconds and there was no risk of anyone misinterpreting the situation.

Home Cellar and School Office

The aforementioned constraints to using exterior shots with toy weaponry meant that we had to do interior shots instead, either on our own property or on property where we had permission (our school for example). The law permits this. However, we still had to be cautious at school, making sure that none of the equipment was visible when in the rest of the school grounds as this is not allowed, for obvious reasons.

Factory

The majority of our filming was done at two factories. There were many people around these factories which caused a bit of trouble filming as some of them were stealing lead and copper, which brought up the risk of them stealing our equipment if left unattended. Once inside the factory there were broken glass on the floor which we had to avoid as well as watching out footing as we walked as files and paint were spilt everywhere, however there were adults there taking pictures who helped us around the building. The buildings were both structurally safe, so there wasn’t any need to worry about it collapsing and being unstable.

Institutional information

10. Institutional information – Think about the genre of the trailer you want to make and give the names of real film producers/studios and distributors who would release your film and a planned release date. (You need to show understanding of institutional issues and fully explain these choices). Download their logo and explain stating why they would be appropriate for your production.

A few studios that have done Post-Apocalyptic films:

Silver Pictures:  an American film production company who produced Book of Eli. All movies after Ricochet have been distributed by Warner Bros and its subsidiary New Line Cinema, which we could use as our distributors due to their links with Silver Pictures. It is important to choose a company that have at least some experience with the genre we have, even if it isn't a hugely common one.

Their logo is very enigmatic, using a futuristic square shape. The silver logo on a black background helps it to stand out, as well as connoting modernity, which seems to be important to their image as a contemporary film production company – this can be seen more clearly in their logo animation, as CGI is used to create a futuristic, city-like landscape; showing that the studio is looking to the future. http://vimeo.com/22075879

2929 Entertainment: has a hand in many different media outlets e.g. film and television production, film distribution, theatrical exhibition, home entertainment, television, and syndication. They produced the Post-Apocalyptic film ‘The Road’.

This logo is more traditional, and doesn’t hint at much, apart from possibly the target symbol which resembles a reticule which subtly hints that they produce action-orientated films. The colours used are also quite varied, with blue, black, orange and white which may connote they have lots of variety in the productions they have worked on. This is true if you look at the many films they have produced from many different genres.

Original Film: produced I Am Legend among many other blockbusters such as xXx, Evan Almighty and Fast 5 which shows they have a very good track record of big films. On their website they state this “Original: A Commercial, Film, TV, Digital and Music Video company housing Cannes Gold Lion winning directors, editors, and motion graphic artists that creates innovative content across all forms of media … and of course, in an original way.”  http://www.originalfilm.com/

The logo is similar to Silver Pictures’ in the colour scheme and tone it has employed, using a black background with a silver, sans-serif font. Although it is more detailed, in that it has used a gradient, metallic colour which makes it look as if light has been shined onto it, and it looks more professional than just a standard grey or silver.

Overall, we think Silver Pictures are the best production company for our film, as they have a good track record and links with Warner Bros. who are one of the big American distributors allowing us to reach a worldwide audience, with the actual film, our trailer and advertisement. Their logo is also quite enigmatic, and futuristic, which fits well with our film as it is Post-Apocalyptic, and set in an ‘alternative future’, which is what Book of Eli is also about. Having our production available to distribute in America and Europe means we would be selling to massive and lucrative markets, with the added benefit of plentiful technology allowing the public to access our film website and any corresponding games, music and competitions. We will include the institutional to the trailer to give key information and also promote our movie as a hollywood 'tent pole' production, given weight by the credibility and good reputation of the companies. 

George Miller

George Miller produced the Mad Max Trilogy of films, which are some of the best renowned and respected films in the Post-Apocalyptic genre. He co-founded Kennedy Miller Mitchell Productions, where he made this trilogy and it became the most successful film production company in Australia. They have produced other big budget films such as Babe and Happy Feet which have both been critically and commercially well received.

                                                    

Hughes Brothers 

The Hughes Brothers directed and co- produced the Book of Eli with Silver Pictures, which would make the creative and co-operative process with them much more hassle free, as they have worked together before, and achieved a good result. They have also worked with Warner Bros. before, which would also make distribution to a wide audience a much smoother process.

Problems on shoot

When filming, it is imperative that you and your group are fully prepared and organised to the utmost standard otherwise potentially challenging circumstances may arise. Some variables can be easily averted by planning to do filming at certain times of the day, evaluating the surroundings and checking weather forecasts. However, other variables can be unpredictable and spontaneous, such as people interfering with filming.

People entering filming area

People entering the area of filming is often an unpredictable circumstance whilst shooting; especially in areas nearby populated areas or that attract dog walkers, runners and chavs. When we filmed close to an abandoned factory in Rochdale, some filming was briefly interrupted by a small posse of kids aiming to loot the place of any diminished amount of copper, although they did help by finding ways into the factory for us. Later on in the day at the same location, a group of men, filming and taking pictures themselves, inadvertently entered some shots/made noise in the background which spoilt a few shots. Obviously, all this required to prevent was to inform them of our filming and the conditions we needed for it to work as we planned. Once again, this meet resulted in more help, when two of the photographers possessed gas masks and volunteered to be in the production. The same group gave us all some practical, lightweight respirators which proved to be useful in the dustier recesses of the building.

Weather

Though weather can be unpredictable sometimes, such as the sporadic rain showers we were subject to one weekend of filming that WASN’T forecast, it is generally easy to avoid problematic weather conditions like rain and gusty wind by accessing forecasts. Simply planning around times of bad weather is a start, but you must also take daylight hours into account. For instance, with winter drawing nearer, the time we have to film after school is drastically reduced since darkness sets in around 4 30 – 5:00pm and that is the time we get home on a typical day. Therefore, we have to film at the weekends on days that all members of the group are free.   

Sometimes it is inevitable facing film-unfriendly weather conditions which means the group should be dressed appropriately, that means plenty of warm and waterproof clothing when outside. This was made easier by the fact that we required coats and warm clothing for our actual production.
Wind was another weather condition that complicated filming due to the sound often overwhelming the dialogue in shots, meaning we had to adjust where and how we were filming to reduce this. It also made filming increasingly difficult when the weather got colder. Again, this is rectified by wearing suitable clothing, including gloves and wind resistant clothing. Sometimes the sound cannot be resolved and you have to just make the most of the situations.

Lighting

Lighting in buildings can be a problem; if there is too much or too little light in the environment it can ruin the mood of the shot, or even make the shot completely illegible. In addition to this, when rooms are partially shadowed and then partially deluged with light, the shots can come across obscured and therefore useless. Although this can be tricky because relocating to another location isn't always available, we did prevent some shadow problems by bringing a torch with a wide lighting radius.

The Law

Obviously the law isn't a problem, it is put in place to protect us, but, following the set rules regarding use of toys/replicas resembling real weaponry did cause strife with our initial plans to shoot several exterior shots with toy gun replicas. On the first day of filming we researched the field around this issue and discovered that we were not permitted to do exterior shots with replicas unless we got authorisation from a local council, but that would take weeks. Precious time that we did not have. Instead, we had to to replace the exterior shots with improvised interior shots at our homes (and a school office with permission during a lesson so it wasn't bustling with students). We did want at least one exterior shot with the replica so we decided to put it in the bag, which would conceal the majority of it and only reveal the rifle butt. 

Feedback from Rough Cut, and improvements needed.

We were unsure where to take our trailer by the point we were required to make a rough cut, so the feedback from other groups was extremely helpful considering they will be a demographic we want to please. The trailer at this point was far from what we want in the final product, and we know this. We just needed others opinions to decide how to structure the trailer in a satisfying way. 

The good elements

• Lots of good, atmospheric shots, but needs to be more like a trailer - remove some or cut them shorter. Be less precious about each individual shot. 
• The music choice is very good and accentuates the melancholy of the story and general atmosphere.
• Lots of enigma. Maybe too much, requires some changes.
• Made it very clear that the world, or area, has suffered a cataclysm - good job considering it's very hard to do nearby towns etc.

Very Rough Cut Improvements

1. Remove car sounds and other annoying background noise. Affects the overall quality.
2. Add dialogue scenes + news reports for narrative exposition and characterisation
3. More sound effects.
4. Start with disruption, then create pace and drama to separate parts - structure. 
5. Add more colour filters such as Chroma key to wash out certain colours and keep a gloomy atmosphere of desolation. (some shots appear slightly too colourful for instance). 
6. More action - perhaps in montage.

Production Shoot: 15/11/12

Thursday 15^th November

This time we filmed some dialogue as from a class feedback session on our rough cut, it was obvious that more narrative elements such as dialogue would be needed to firmly establish the narrative. So we filmed some lines in time for before it went dark. Then when it did go dark, we improvised and used a flashlight to act as a ‘search light’ which helped add to the atmosphere. I was in my role again, so I mostly just acted, but also helped to set up the shots and we came up with some ideas through improvising with the areas in the location that were available to us.

After this we went to a construction site where which we thought would add some more variety to the scenes. Here we again used a flashlight, and got some more lines with body language as well. This part of the filming went less smoothly, as we couldn’t hear the dialogue too clearly on the camera, but we will improve this by adding voice-overs if needs be. Like last time, I just acted in this part, but me and Tom brainstormed some ideas for dialogue and helped Kieran set the camera up appropriately.

Production Shoot: 27/10/12

Saturday 27^th October 

Today, we found a river bed that acted as a nice location for some environment focused shots to get across a post apocalyptic feel, as the sky was very grey and it began to rain. We managed to capture the rain and the mood came across well, but because of the rain we had to shield the camera from it to avoid any damage. We could have waited for the rain to die down or perhaps use an effect in Pinnacle which would have been easier perhaps. We have decided that next time, should it rain, that we will use an umbrella to keep the camera out of the rain; this is simpler and more effective, although sound may be affected by the impact of the rain on the umbrella.

At the river bed I was filmed with Tom mostly as our characters were looking across the water and we also tried to film some dialogue where me and Tom improvised some lines together.

We then continued to the factory where we filmed some good action shots of us running for the action portion of the trailer and some other miscellaneous shots. This went smoothly as we had planned it out before hand and stuck to the shot list, as well as our previous use of this location. We could have possibly filmed more if we wanted to but we felt enough footage had been filmed.

Here I was again being filmed mostly as me and Tom are the main focus of the trailer, we filmed some POV running shots with the steady cam that look very professional and action movie-esque. This meant that today we managed to film a good variety of shots and locations, meaning that it was a successful day overall.

Props: The development and creation of the Hobo Stove.

The prospect of including a Hobo Stove, a primitive yet practical improvisation of a household cooking device, into our production was inspired by the concept of survival which is a major theme. Commonly, Hobo Stoves are used outdoors in survival situations by homeless people, and even backpackers, due to their simplicity and versatility, with the same effects as conventional household cooking apparatus. It is also quite widely recognised as a mean of survival in harsh times. Therefore, we thought it would be an ideal way to portray the inhospitable setting and quickly show the survival needs necessary, without going into much depth (which is impossible in trailers).

This stove may be built from a discarded tin can of any size by removing the top of the can.

Punching several small holes near the upper edge, and a larger hole on the side of the can near the bottom for fuel and air. The bottom of the can is not removed, as the stove would then be less intense and the fire might spread from it.  Fuel is placed in the can, along with dry leaves, sticks amd moss to burn, and ignited. Convection draws air in through the bottom orifice and heat comes out the top. A cooking vessel may be placed on the top. The bottom hole may face the wind for more heat or it may be partially covered with scrap metal if the fire is too hot.

Permission for Copyright Material.

Dear If These Trees Could Talk (Booking/Management),

I am Tom Mallinson and I am currently studying A level Media, amongst other subjects, at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Sixth Form in Rossendale, Lancashire. At present, my group and I have been tasked with creating a trailer that we soon decided should be a post-apocalyptic thriller. During the storyboarding process we all agreed that the use of the song "Malabar Front" would be the optimum accompaniment to the trailer as it will create the ideal melancholic ambience we are seeking at the beginning of the song whilst also embodying the grit and action, that we plan to implement into quickly paced montages in the trailer, with the songs stirring guitar and drum pieces. This will also exhibit the degree of planning we have put into this coursework and prove we aren’t just throwing in just any song into the mix. This is where we need you.

The mark scheme highlights that no copyrighted music is allowed in the production, other than music that has been permitted by the publishers and has been shown to do so. So ultimately, in accordance with the mark scheme rules, this email is just myself, and my group, formally enquiring over permission to use the aforementioned song during the middle and end sequence in our A2 level coursework trailer. Of course, we will mention the songs contribution to our final piece with full regards to copyright owners and publishers. In the event that your company does not govern the rights of usage for this said song then any help in navigating us in the right direction would be highly appreciated.

Thank you for your time to read this e-mail.

Yours faithfully,

Kieran Brooks, Tom Mallinson and Max Lake

We also contacted the publisher rights for The Ink Spots classic ''I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire'', EMI Publishing. After a conversation with the Andre Carroll, the music licensing assistant of the company, we were informed that a fee of £200 would be attached if we exhibited our work on any public area, such as Vimeo. This of course didn't meet our needs as we have to publish our work onto Vimeo upon completion so regrettably we had to abandon the idea to use mellow 40's blues to both accentuate the melancholy of events in the film whilst also contrasting from the action.





Make Up

Make-up

We will use make-up to really make the war veteran (Max), and the journalist (Tom) look believable to the audience. For Tom we plan to make him look more ‘beat up’ and hence changed by the conditions he has been in, this will connote he has stayed there for a while. For the War veteran on the other hand, he will appear filthy, beaten up and connoting he has been in the blast area for a while.

Pictures of us applying the special effects make up:

Instructions taken from Ehow.

Fake Wounds

1. Place 1/2 tsp. of petroleum jelly into a 4 oz. mixing bowl, and add red food coloring to it. Mix the petroleum jelly and the food coloring together with a toothpick until mixed.

2. Add 1/2 tsp. of cocoa powder into the jelly mixture. The cocoa powder will darken the mixture to make the wound seem fresh.

3. Tear one square of toilet paper into two to four sections, depending on the size of the wound. Place one piece of toilet paper against the skin, and cover it with the red jelly-cocoa mixture using a Popsicle stick.

4. Slightly pinch the edges and sides of the paper with the thumb and index fingers to mold the wound. Use the toothpick to slightly lift areas in the center.

Fake Bruises

1. Create a bruise that is 2 to 3 inches in diameter by patting one light layer of red eyeshadow onto the skin using a foundation sponge. Make an irregular circular shape on the skin's surface for a realistic look.

2. Cover the red eye shadow with one layer of brown eye shadow. Apply the color evenly over the painted area, while permitting 1/2 inch of the red eye shadow to remain on the outer edges.

3. Add a layer of purple eye shadow in the center of the bruise, 1/2 inch in from the brown eye shadow. Lightly spread out the purple eye shadow to the edges, over the brown, with your fingers.

Fake Cuts

Wet the end of a black eyeliner pencil, and draw a line across the desired area of the skin.

Trace over the black eyeliner line with red lipstick. A true red or brick red will work best. Using the tips of your index fingers, spread the lipstick out from the center to the outer edges.

Blot one light layer of purple eye shadow over the red lipstick with a foundation sponge. This will create an "infected" cut look.

Place fake blood from a costume store down the center of the cut, if a fresh cut look is desired.

Fight scene: How to make Fake Blood

Title and Logo Ideas

Title

Possible names for our film so far have been ‘Burning in the Skies’ which resembles the nuclear missiles and explosions tearing through the sky, also signifying the end of time. ‘Burning Jacobs Ladder’ was another name we had as Jacobs ladder was a ladder to heaven which the Patriarch Jacob dreamt about, therefore the burning can symbolise the severed connection from heaven as well as connoting the nuclear explosions once again. ‘Crack the Sky’ was the other possible name we came up with as nuclear war has effects on the atmosphere and the disruption it has had on civilisation.

Other names in which we came up with, but aren’t using are ‘Beyond the dying light, fading light, fifteen winters, 23:57, minutes to midnight, the birth and death of a day, shadow of the sun, solitary wasteland and shadow of the day’

Production Logo

For our production logo, we have had ideas of having the progression of man from apes with it ending in a man with a gas mask on. This would then show how we have evolved from apes towards men but, the gas mask would suggest that we have progressed into war or inhospitable conditions due to the connotations linking towards gas mask  Therefore this links well with the genre of our film with it being a post-apocalyptic. If we used this logo idea, a possible title of our film could be ‘Revolution’, but with the ‘R’ added as if it was added or graffiti’d on.

Another idea for a production logo is that it shows a man removing his face with something else inside of it. This is quite surreal and disturbing as the face is merely acting as mask for something controlling it deeper inside. Not only does it evoke a neurotic and dark nature but it is also open to multiple interpretations that can all essentially correspond with the film genre we are making; the dark nature of it would link well with our film trailer, but would also be able to link to other films easily due to it having no distinctive links with other genres. If this logo idea is used, we could use the title ’big empty’, ‘host’, or ‘writer’s bloc productions’ etc. as they can all relate to the logo in some way. The ‘writers bloc’ also plays on ironic humour slightly as it suggests the production group are lacking imaginative and fresh ideas, yet they have mustered up an entire feature with an accompanying trailer.

Trailer Structure

Logos of distributor and producer where music starts.

Shot of Tom walking which gradually gets over exposed connoting there has been an explosion.

*Nuclear Warning message* -Harry Shearer for BBC over video of a nuclear explosion.

Tracking shot across the wall, showing pictures of victims of the explosion

Tom scavenging with radio announcement over it: “This is the Prime Minister. Stay in quarantine; I assure you, everything will be alright.” Could zoom into radio.

A conversation between the journalist and the war veteran establishing a relationship between them.  – done at Waterfoot. Tom to Max: “Friendly!?”            Max to Tom: “I’ll be whatever you want for that can of beans” (Improvise)

Cuts to another conversation at night (around a fire. Possibly Res). Tom: “I just want to escape this place, forget my past”.                     Max: ”I know a way out, but I’ll always wander these wastes”.

Panoramic shot with montage of news report “Global economy is in meltdown. *static* Food supplies short. *static*Revolution is upon us. Shot of Kieran in field looking lost, Tom points gun at him, shoots the gun and then fade to black.

Enclave sat in a room (any room with chiaroscuro lighting).He slams shut his laptop and then he marks a map whilst saying “they’re here” when pinning it. Then it will jump cut to him cocking his gun.

Montage of dialogue which will be a non-diegetic voice over once we’ve finished editing: “Tom? TOM!” Journalist: “We gotta leave!”-  POV shot of Tom running.

POV shot of Tom looking at the picture then dropping it in an over the shoulder shot. Non-diegetic voiceover, Tom: “I knew this place once. I knew these people, I knew these streets. I knew myself”. Over “I knew myself” the curb stomp is shown then goes black.

Title of film is shown.

Bible quote is shown either as a voice over or text, using it as a tag line for the film.

Final shot containing either atmospheric shot or one liner from a conversation.

Release date and website is shown, as well as other institutional information.

Script

Excerpt of Nuclear Warning message by Harry Shearer for BBC

Radio Announcement from the Prime Minister:

PRIME MINISTER

This is the Prime Minister. Stay in quarantine; I assure you, everything will be alright.

EXT. WATERFOOT - DAY

A conversation between the journalist (TOM) and the war veteran (MAX) establishing a relationship between them.

TOM

       Friendly!? 

MAX

   I’ll be whatever you want for that can of beans

EXT. COWM RESERVOIR - NIGHT

Cuts to another conversation between Tom and Max at night around a fire.

TOM

I just want to escape this place, forget my past.

MAX

I know a way out, but I’ll always wander these wastes.

Montage of news report:

NEWS ANNOUNCER

“Global economy is in meltdown. *Static* Food supplies short. *Static* Revolution is upon us.

INT. COWM RESERVOIR - NIGHT

Enclave sat in a room (any room with chiaroscuro lighting).He slams shut his laptop and then he marks a map whilst saying “they’re here” when pinning it. Then he cocks his gun.

EXT. COWM RESERVOIR - DAY

Montage of dialogue with a non-diegetic voice over:

MAX

            Tom? TOM!

TOM

We gotta leave!

Non-diegetic voiceover of Tom:

     TOM

I knew this place once. I knew these people, I knew these streets. I knew myself.

Locations

In Waterfoot, behind a fish and chip shop facing Cordey's, is a decrepit house with boarded up windows, fire damage and all its copper and wiring nearly completely scavenged; I noticed this was an ideal place to film since it can symbolise what survivors must do to survive in our dystopian setting. Adjacent to this location is a useful route onto the river that runs through town. Even better news is that this route leads to where the river stems and appears akin to a dried out river basin which I personally think gives a strong ''wasteland'' ambience, especially once we incorporate Chroma keys and grey filters in the editing process. Following the river down a few yards there is an old mill/factory that has been left abandoned and as a result is now beset with weeds and overgrown foliage; a perfect component for the 'Chernobyl' aura and the feeling of desertion, death and even hopelessness. In addition to this, the area is quiet and riddled with run down metalwork and material, both common in post-apocalyptic settings. The most ideal factor for using this location is its proximity to school meaning we could film either straight after school or during lessons when it is still visible, as opposed to having to trek to a location and run the risk of it going dark early as it tends to do in the autumn.

In the end we didn't prompt for the Bacup location as it was under construction the week after I found it, meaning we couldn't get permission to film there due to health hazards and possible interference with working employees. 

Our next location was a burnt out and disused mill in Whitworth nearby Healey Dell and opposite a motor garage. The actual destitute mill is surrounded by a useful material 'dump' dotted with shattered walls and heaps of abandoned miscellaneous items littered about the perimeter. The windows of the building are mostly boarded up and an assortment of plant life riddles the exterior, some even bursts into the inside through fissures in the ceiling and walls. The rusted and dilapidated corrugated steel roofing is partially torn down, leaving a grotesquely shaped hole from which a deluge of murky light meets equally murky pools of rainwater and debris. The far corners of the mill are shrouded in gloom, and in the mid-ground what was once probably a loading bay for trucks and HGV's is now an unsettlingly dark abyss all of which evoke fear and venture. Ruptures in the walls reveal rusted piping that connects to filthy machinery, some of which have collapsed into metal corpses on the ground, whilst areas of erosion echo occasionally as rain drops trickle down the jagged sides and disturb murky puddles. The place is silent too, which is probably the most appealing aspect of the building; overall it fits perfectly with our ideal image of a place to shoot. 

Also in Whitworth is a wooded area next to an industrial estate and football pitch that is shadowy, rank with shrubbery and relatively quiet. We opted to shoot some dialogue shots at this location due to rampant nature spreading into man-made areas (which would happen in a post-apocalyptic setting as nature’s growth would be unchecked. A better, Hollywood CGI rendered version of what we were going for would be Post-Apocalyptic Manhattan in I Am Legend). 

In addition to this, we found a long abandoned facility near Spotland in Rochdale which is vast enough to cover an array of shots appearing to be in different locations. The main building in the epicentre of the area was once an asbestos manufacturing plant until recently when it created alternatives to asbestos up till it became defunct (the place has already been emptied of any volatile or potentially dangerous material so we're safe to be shooting in this location). Traversing through the centre of the area, and continuing on towards a dark wooded area (which we may also use), is a land subsidence containing a shallow river. There is a point where the river dries out below a bridge and looks desolate and evokes a sense of struggling to survive. The bridge can also act as a vantage point from which we can do some high angled shots. Inside the building, there are traces of humanity but they are scarce and diminished which is perfect to fit in with our post apocalyptic tale. Although deserted, the building has an uncanny feel to it like it still harbours ghosts of the past which we would like to encapsulate into our production, yet it is only a trailer and this would be a difficult task. 

We also used our deputy head teacher’s office as an FOB for the enclave antagonist in our plot. The room is neat, orderly and easily facilitated all the props we included, such as the Union Jack pillow. We used it as an idiosyncrasy of the setting that connotes a homely, mild mannered atmosphere whilst also acting as a contrast to the enclave’s destructive attitude towards Britain (they have had some role to play in the apocalyptic incident). Another clear advantage of using this location is that we can access it during school hours, alleviating us of any travel plans, and with very limited downsides. The room fits well with the chosen temperament of our antagonist since we opted for him to be of a suave, mellow and surprisingly amiable for a villain. An antagonist of the same ilk as a typical 'Bond Baddie' requires a suitable setting and the reasonably sophisticated room for a country wrought with desolation is more than sufficient. With the right camera angles and working of the rooms dark spots and curtains, we can make the room feel like it is isolated from the chaos of the world i.e.  underground in a bunker or a completely different location. 

Dialogue

Dialogue Ideas

Narrative exposition 

*Nuclear Warning message* -Harry Shearer for BBC

Journalist to War Veteran: “Friendly!?”

''Why shouldn't I just kill you now?'' ''Because if you wanted to kill me, you'd have done it already.''

WV to J: “I’ll be whatever you want for that can of beans”

Command to Enclave: “Contain the area. Don’t let word get out”

Enclave: “Roger.”

Montage of dialogue: “Tom? TOM!” Journalist: “We gotta leave!”

Radio Announcement: “This is the President, stay in quarantine; I assure everything will be alright.”

Montage of news report “Global economy is in meltdown. *static* Food supplies short. *static*Revolution is upon us.

Narrator: “I knew this place once. I knew these people, I knew these streets. I knew myself.

Character:  (laughs manically) Did you see it? Did you feel the swift hand of god as he struck down the unrighteous hordes? Pillars of smoke and blood will fill the air, and crack the sky.

(but the world held its breath; now it’s not the place I once knew.)

No food, no water, no life.

"God formed man out of the dust of the ground. Until the dust you will return."

OTHER

Journalist: “We had everything, everything we could’ve ever wanted. Now we have everything we never wanted.”

Journalist: “War has changed too much, should’ve listened to that Einstein fella.”

Army Veteran: “I’ll die, you’ll die, just accept it; the world’s gonna die!”

“Life and death are supposed to be extremes; not the same thing.”

“Well, my life is that of investigation, and I’ve found out you’re not worth investigating.”

“I need to expose the truth; expose the truth and things can go back to the way they once were.”

The Road- radio announcements at the start whilst showing destruction of the earth, dramatic dialogue between characters, mentions their goal/objective

Book of Eli – uses a lot of voiceover from the protagonist giving narrative exposition, also stopping due to action sequences,

Bible Quotes  

"Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" – spoken as a eulogy at many funerals, from a text in the Book of Common Prayer.

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God: (name). We commit her body 

to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless her and keep her, the Lord maketh his face to shine upon her and be gracious unto her and give her peace. Amen.

The phrase is inspired by one that originates in Genesis 3:19, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. The Bible makes several references to dust, one of the first being in Genesis 2:7,

"And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the Earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The Sun shall be turned into darkness, and the Moon into blood, before the coming great and awesome Day of the Lord, and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the Name of the LORD shall be saved."

Revelation 6:6, 8

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts...
And I looked and behold, a pale horse
And his name that sat on him was Death
And Hell followed with him

Construction: Ideas for Shot list

Shot list

1.       Shows Tom walking

2.       Shows him scavenging

3.       Shows him again

4.       Pre-recorded footage

5.       Panoramic shot of a desolate area

6.       Shot of a wall/memorial

7.       Bible quote graffiti on a wall

8.       Shows Tom with Max (dialogue focused)

9.       Shows enclave guy. (dialogue)

10.   Really quick paced, gun fire, someone shouts a name and it goes black.

11.   Shows a POV shot of Tom looking a photo

12.   Extreme long shot of a deserted building

13.   Close up of conversation

14.   Medium shot of conversation

15.   Over the shoulder shot

16.   Running hand held with steady cam

17.   Cuts to medium long shot of building

18.   Zoom into a radio (radio announcement continues into next shot)

19.   Top down shot looking down on Tom walking

20.   Montage of dialogue – medium shot

21.   Close up shot

22.   Medium shot of curb stomp followed by

23.   POV Shot of curb stomp in motion

24.   Crab shot of location with sign showing ‘SOS or survivors’

25.   Tracking shot

26.   Panning shot

27.   Shot of Tom checking corners

28.   Comes round corner

29.   Medium shot of food on counter/table

30.   Quick POV pan from Tom looking at another door as a can being dropped can be heard. (cuts to black)

Title of the film appears

31.   Low angle shot took from behind the door as Tom opens it.

32.   Close up of his reaction (fade to black).
(Alternatively)

33.   Over the shoulder shot high angle (looking at photo/memorial etc) then drops it.

34.   Medium/ long shot of head raising and walking off into distance.

(Bible quote/ dialogue over this)

(alternatively)

35. Darkness, close up of match being lit (then a sound and end trailer or..

36. Long shot of extremely dark room with just the match.