Feedback

Well done on getting your questionnaire and some location/actor photos uploaded. However, you are still lacking some key elements of the research and planning. Make sure you are filming regularly, and blogging about this as soon as possible afterwards; your first filming diary was posted 14 days after the filming took place, and nothing has been posted for 9 days. You must regularly update your blog. You should also be uploading any online tutorials and writing about what you have learned from them.

Targets:
Storyboard - this is now a matter of urgency
Initial script
Certification research
Practice titles created and uploaded

REMEMBER All filming complete by 20th December.

Sound Track - Creation

Me and Ryan spent a few hours thinking about and creating a sound track for our trailer that we felt would work well. The music would start soft with an acoustic guitar, matching the solemn feel of the clips flashing up of the main characters past. Once around 20-30 seconds have passed then we would introduce the more high action scenes into the trailer, with this sudden change in visual we would have to match that sudden change in emotion with the music. This would be done by a bass line become very prominent, followed by heavier guitar and drums, this continues for another 20-30 seconds and then brakes off into a guitar solo section, in which the bass and drums continue but with less prominence. After around 10-15 seconds of that then the music would return to the heavier of the music sections but would slow down and eventually end with the acoustic guitar coming back in for a few seconds.

 

Allowing the trailer to end with the same feel that it began with, showing that as the days go on within this film of isolation, there are moments in life which pick up, the danger increases or something new gets added to the equation. But all in all it was always return to the feeling of being alone with no comfort.

Possible Extras?

We like the idea of having other characters within our story, but as we have set our main protagonist as a teenager set in isolation fighting for survival.

We feel that the best way to incorporate other characters within the story would be to have them as characters that Alex can come across. This includes new enemy's for him to make and new friends for Alex to find trust in. But from finding friends he increases the chances of being found by gangs and the chances of running into zombies.

Adding in new characters means we can explore the different ways that Alex will interact with each character, then choosing the best reactions and trials they would have to go through we can add them into the trailer and cut out the parts that we feel don't add much to the story.

The Infected

When watching old zombie films they seem to focus more around the idea of the dead coming back to life and popping up our of the closest cemetery to attack the passing humans. While modern day zombie films take the view of a infection. Whether that be because of the military or because of a everyday virus mutating to survive in the harshest way.

We have taken the view of a infection that has been caused by nuclear warfare between Russia and U.S.A. This idea comes from the idea that the two countries fired nuclear rockets towards each other but being shot down by anti-air attacks causing the fallout to set mainly upon the United Kingdom, slowly spreading towards Europe and the U.S, but as they saw it coming they were able to set defenses and keep the infection at bay for now. The UK was taken by a storm that has effected all the people within the country. Adding to the catastrophe the US and Russian nukes were slightly different, causing different mutations and infected to come from these. Increasing the risk for the survivors of the fallout.

Casting - Mathew Beacham - Character: Alex

I have been cast in our trailer as the main character, Alex.

This is because I have the acting experience of 6 years. This allows me to be able to play a convincing character that we need within our film. Also befitting that it makes it easier for us to organise to find filming days.

We view Alex around the age of 15-19 placing me around the acting age for this role. The age allows us to use the stereotype that teenagers are hot-headed, show offs but also bringing in the fact that they are starting to mature into adults. These aspects are going to be increased completely, due to the infection spreading though out the earth. Tensions are going to be high between Alex and anyone he meets.

Alex lost his mother to the infection and separated from his father. Alex has been forced to care for himself and to treat anyone he meets as a possible threat, until proven otherwise. Alex's faith in humanity is slowly fading after his camp being ransacked by bandits and watching a live execution of people who were 'believed' to be infected. Finding comfort from his own isolation he find this was of life easier as he does't have to worry about the well being. Although he does long for a companion. Still being a hormonal teenager he still feels strong emotions of depression, happiness, love and hate. meaning these will have a high effect upon his judgement of people, whether these be true or not, Alex has learnt to trust his gut.

Location - Leatherhead, Swan Center

We chose the Swan Center as a filming location because it allowed us to get footage of masses of people, living their every day lives.
These shots would be used to show a flashback of our Protagonist, Alex, remembering what his life use to be like before the mass contamination.

Allowing the trailer to get a break from the constant feel of danger and hate, taking them to a sight that they will be able to relate to and sympathies for the character.

Recording Diary 1

On the 31st October, We went out to get some footage.
After meeting at 11 we went to the park to discuss what the plan was for the footage what we wanted to get, after looking through the props we had brought to use we realised that the SD Card that is used in the camera was missing. We then went into Leatherhead town to get another SD Card as a replacement. After inserting the new SD Card we went to the centre of town and got some scenery shots of the time before the apocalypse that we would use as flashback memory's for our main protagonist, Alex.

We tested out different shots that we would be able to use with the infected, using the camera as a first person view of either a human being chased by an infected, or as a zombie attacking a human. Featuring a knock over of the camera, this allows us to show the feet of a character without spoiling who they are to the audience.

Looking at costume, we got some of the items that we thought Alex could be wearing, We wanted to spray paint a florescent yellow hat black, When we began to spray the hat the paint turned out to be red. After debate, we realised that the way that the paint sprayed made the red paint look like blood, we decided to keep this as it gives the audience the impression that there has been a lot of death around Alex that he has directly influenced of witnessed.

Location - Leatherhead, Masion Gardens

Mansion Gardens provides a location in which shows an open garden, showing the beauty that is man made, showing contrast to the ugly present of the humans being infected with this highly degenerative virus.

Providing a prime location to show characters, hiding, running, or even a confrontation between characters.

Casting Change

Originally we planned on having a group of mixed teenagers as our protagonists, meaning we are able to use the different characteristics to explore different views about the infestation.

We were planning on filming over the half term, but after planning and confirming a date that actors could do, people began to cancel. Causing us to have to change the date of recording. This was not much of a problem as it was easy enough to change the date, the problem came when the actors were unable to do this date as well, then after another attempt at getting a date, that turned out the same way, we decided that it was going to be too difficult to get everyone on a day that they could all do. Forcing us to not be able to film.

Due to the actors being unreliable, we are forced to rethink the casting and character. In response to the problems that had been brought up we have decided to re-script and cut the extra characters out. The script that we have created is easily changed to fit a film following the path of two individuals rather than a group of six/seven.

Location - Leatherhead Meadows

One location that we are planning on using is Leatherhead Meadows. We feel that this will be a good location for a zombie film, the location is isolated and open. Perfect location to show people attempting to survive on their own, or to show a large number on zombies.

We feel that the use of an open ground will allow the trailer to show the characters in a number of different locations. Getting different shots and showing at different times of the day to show the constant threat.

Also providing the natural look of the location gives a contrast to the scene. From the actors you see panic and frustration, trying to stay alive with this new danger, while the location gives natural beauty, peace and tranquility. This gives the characters a prime location to have their 'base' as it gives them a place to retreat to and relax without having to worry about the ever-growing threat.