Thursday 27 September 2012

Planning: Post Apocalyptic Conventions

Obviously it is imperative for a trailer to show variety in all its aspects such as location, shots and dialogue. We will achieve variety by using a POV shot from the main protagonist’s perspective, perhaps showing him running, an Establishing shot which scans across the environment in a panoramic sort of style and shots of destroyed/desolate buildings, dried up land, craters and forests which could show hope that perhaps life can continue as it once did.
The genre of our film will be a Post-apocalyptic thriller. Some key genre elements that we will employ are large panoramic establishing shots which will reveal desolate and neglected buildings, connoting death, desertion and devastation. We really want there to be an ambience of hopelessness coming from the locations we choose (grim weather is also needed). We will use Non-diegetic lines from the script over different scenes and will mention bible quotes within it as religion can be seen as hope and a light in the darkness. We will involve a nuclear explosion/ cataclysm at some point to allow the audience recognise what genre the film is and know a bit of what has happened in the film.
We have seen through analysis of this genre that costumes and props help bring believable settings and characters to life. To get across to the audience that the protagonist and other characters he meets along the way are living in a destroyed and desolate landscape, we will make them dirty and scruffy; with characters (maybe even the protagonist) having a dishevelled beard and plenty of winter clothing as obviously there will be adverse weather conditions. Other props will include food cans, bin bags and items that would be scavenged and used in a Post-Apocalyptic setting.
Other ways we will establish genre in regards to sound, will be a dissonant Post Rock song that begins melancholic, intermittently fades out for dialogue and then gradually builds tension to a heavy guitar crescendo. Non diegetic and diegetic lines of dialogue can cross over from scene to scene and can be used as slight narrative exposition. Sound effects such as explosions, gun shots and footsteps will also be added to again build tension and stimulate immersion in the films’ world. Regarding actual content of the dialogue, we have seen from many Post-Apocalyptic films and games, that hope is a big factor in a characters’ survival e.g. in The Book of Eli he carries a Bible and an iPod to keep him entertained, and in The Road the Father and son talk about God to keep them motivated to complete their journey. So we plan to use a Bible quote or two that relates to the narrative.
The key point of focus of our trailer will be the locations we use supporting the points of desolation, although we will expose some form of life other than humans which could also show hope and that there is a chance of survival. Another focus of ours is a time elapse of the sky, showing ever-changing weather conditions and environment.
Marketing points for our film will be that it has a bit of everything within it, such as a bit of action, drama, thriller etc. The director has done films such as ‘The Tester’ and ‘Obsession’ so he can bring in an audience due to his name being behind famous thrillers.
The film will first be shown in festivals such as the Sundance festival and the Cannes festival. It will then go to cinemas across the world being a worldwide release, to cut down on pirating. We would also have worldwide premieres to promote the film.
Our target audience for our trailer is most definitely an adult male demographic, due to subjects of violence, war and a detailed narrative. Usually more female orientated films will include romance and humour, as well as a classic ‘Hollywood’ narrative that is simple to follow, although we will broaden the appeal by showing variety in locations and scenes, containing action, humour and drama together. The film itself will continue to draw these elements together, as trailers that miss-sell the final product tend to annoy audiences and spoil initial high hopes.

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