Different members of the group have been editing different scenes from the film at different times. In addition, certain members of the group are also doing their Bronze Arts Arts Award. Their film making activity as part of the project is ideal for them to complete Part A of the award, and they have been adding photos of themselves in action to their Arts Award books. There has also been some peer mentoring helping the editing process along the way.
With all the scenes in the film shot, the next step is editing. The young people are sitting down in small groups to do this task and tackling one scene at a time. For many this is their first introduction to editing but they are achieving some great results already. Those that are doing the Bronze Arts Award are starting to fill their books, using loads of photos of them in action on set for Part A TAKE PART to illustrate the various roles and creative jobs they had on the film. More editing to come ...
During the last couple of weeks we have been filming a film about a Zombie Apocalyspe. The theme of the story is there are three people in hiding and they all have to leave their safe houses for different reasons. The first person (me) is a character obsessed with taking selfies on her mobile phone but unfortunately has to go into the outer world to get some mascara which she has run out of. The other two wander out because they are chasing after their dog and the other is using Siri on her mobile phone.
Eventually they all meet and the share their excitement on meeting each other as they cannot believe that there are other people alive. However it doesn't last long as they are all tracked down by Zombies and are demolished. The film is finished with selfie girl taking one last selfie with the hashtag 'hashtag being eaten by zombies'. The work was filmed all around Derby and in various places such as in the studio at Derby Theatre and under a train bridge, and also in the offices at Film City and on a bridge near Banks Mill Studios. Various people were involved doing different jobs like filming, acting and directing. Also we had professional make up artists in and a group of young people portraying zombies. WHAT HAVE WE LEFT TO DO? Once again we gathered at Derby Theatre, this time for the final day of production. The list of remaining things to do were an 'Arnie' style news report, some more stop-motion animation, some behind the scenes reflection and vlogging and then a zombie-style dance sequence, possibly for the closing credits. ANIMATE AND THEN ADD SOUNDS!
The stop-motion animation started with a zombie-related theme but then became fairly freeform and anything went ... when the animations were done it was then time to add sound effects and titles to bring the mini films to life. The group ended with a choreographed zombie dance to camera. PICK YOUR TASK AND ROLE The group had a few different film-making tasks today and after some fun warm up games, we split into a news reporter team and an outside pick up shots team. The news reporters were filming parts of the first scene which sets up the premise of the zombie apocalypse as it is happening and the reaction of the world to it. ANIMATION STUDIOS The animation stations were set up and members of the group started working out what kind of scene they wanted to create and therefore what kind of background and setting they needed to make using coloured paper and plasticene. Then the figures were added and the animation could start ... BEHIND THE SCENES
The group finished of with a bit of reflection, filming each other asking questions about the project and taking it in turns to try all of the roles. Then is was sound effects time, with some great atmospheric whispering, screaming and weird phone noises that will all add to the soundscape of the film. MAKE UP! Today was the day the Zombies appeared on set, made up fantastically by Hannah and Alix at Derby Theatre, the actors then got onscreen with our three main characters to bring some danger to proceedings. The Zombies were kind enough to pose for some photos first before getting back into that Zombie mindset. DON'T LOOK BACK! The characters all had scenes where they were trying to put some distance between themselves and the Zombie horde, and the group had found some great locations around the outside of Derby Theatre to use where we couldn't see any semblance of normality. NEW LOCATION After lunch and the arrival of one of our key actors, we relocated to down by the river where we had found some great locations on a recce yesterday. We played out a big scene with eight actors at the same time and then got some great extra shots on a cool tunnel location. JUST TIME TO FILM THE END SCENE
After wrapping outside we headed back to base and set up to film the final scene which is our selfie character taking a final selfie whilst being eaten by Zombies. We used the studio and turned off all of the lights and just used the lights from phones to make it look more dramatic. NEW WEEK, SAME AMAZING-NESS The new week saw the arrival of new group members to add to the existing ones. To welcome the newbies we played a film-themed game of 'Find a new chair if ...' and then dove straight into thinking about how we all survived the apocalypse and what kind of state we are in ... which we wrote and then filmed ... LOCATION RECCES The first part of the afternoon saw us go on a location hunt outside to find ideal places for the film's last two scenes. We needed to find places where there was no sign of normal human activity. We checked out a couple of underpass/tunnels that looked like they could work and then walked along the river and under another tunnel/possible location on our way back. The consensus was that the locations were good and so now we just need some OK weather tomorrow please. DEAR DIARY
Back at base we picked a day number at random [the apocalypse itself being day zero] and wrote down our feeling and thoughts of our character at that point in time. Then we set up some close up shots in the room and filmed each person relating their diary to the camera, with the rest of the group taking turns in the various behind the camera roles of camera operator, sound operator, director, assistant director and clapper person. LET'S GO OUTSIDE ... With one key outside scene to film today, we made up our Zombie for the scene and then grabbed the equipment and set off for a quiet path where the action would take place. In the scene the Zombie in question is not alive in any sense, and so took up a lying position on a bench and we filmed around him ... After lunch there was time for a few more outdoor shots, including some general apocalypse-style shots plus some extra shots for our phone-obsessed character and their montage.
FILM SOUNDTRACK We started the day with a visit to Baby People to listen to the fantastic tracks the young people there had come up with for the film. There were songs to suit a range of moods in the film from upbeat and happy all the way through to an end of the world type sound. The music makers had been working to a brief from the filmmakers around characters and the moods of various scenes. It's important to remember when making a film - the visual side and audio side are both equally important! IT'S NOT RAINING - LET'S FILM AN OUTDOOR SCENE Not far from our base of operations we found a fairly secluded path that was ideal for filming one of the outdoor scenes. The whole scene built up to the tragic moment when the character realises his dog has been ate by Zombies! BACK TO BASE
We then decamped back to our empty room base to shoot an indoor scene, and we were joined by our music makers who now became part of our film crew. The group chose behind the camera roles for the scene before filming a couple of interviews for the behind the scenes film at the end ... LET'S GET FILMING! A quick read through of the script first thing and then we got straight into setting up for the filming of our first scene. The set needed to be dressed to make it look like many days after the apocalypse and then our selfie-obsessed character for the scene was rehearsed and ready to go. We used the fabulous track made by young people at Baby People that will provide the theme to this character's trials and tribulations ... Scene One done by lunch, we then set up and rehearsed for the scenes involving the phone-obsessed character who is always looking to their phone for an answer to anything. The first scene to film was in some dark and dingy places and then we moved on to the moment when the character first steps outside ...
READ-THROUGH We started the day with a script read through, with the actors able to start expressing their characters and everyone getting familiar with the script. On the second read through the characters started to emerge and really take on a life of their own ...
EQUIPMENT AND CREW ROLES
The group went through full production kit set up and then everyone practised the fine arts of bubbling a tripod, focusing a camera etc. Then we sat down and did some interviews and pieces to camera to get into the groove of working as a crew, saying the right things and getting great shots. Lastly we did some test shots on location to see what they looked like. The group got down to the business of creating a script from all of the ideas so far, plotting the story scene by scene and then reviewing the whole thing to make sure it works. The story is based around three characters who initially struggle with coping with a Zombie Apocalypse due to their reliance on technology and associated stuff, but they soon come to realise that they won't last very long unless they adapt and find something within themselves to survive. We then scouted our location for possible places to film [and found loads of good ones!] before going through the story and listing any props we might need for each scene ... next session will be more pre-production getting ready for our first shot.
By Jack BEGINNING we open up with two people (Lucy and Steve) running away from a horde of zomzoms when Lucy looks back and sees Steve being bitten by a zomzom Lucy snaps into a blood rage and flies into action stabbing the zomzom through it’s temporal bone, clutching Steve holding a cloth to his neck “Lucy you have to go save yourself” “I can’t I love yo” Lucy wakes up to the sound of the alarm tears streaming down her eyes it’s been four weeks since steve died and she’s running out of pills for her depression and it’s getting too much she picks up her gun pointing it at her head and freezes she looks over at the chair with the clock on it and realises that it’s the door system warning her that there’s a break in she grabs her sword and heads down the stairs waiting around the corner just as she swings dante ducks “whoa there cowgirl chill” “what the hell are you doing here dante?” “just dropping off some free booze and bacca” lucy picks up her hairbrush and starts doing her hair dante pulls out a bottle of pills “here if memory serves me you’re running low” a sly grin creeps over lucy’s face “cheers dante by the way have you seen my phone charger?” “me I ermmmm nope don’t think I have” lucy looks at dante with a gaze that could kill a cat “wow ok fine it’s up stairs” as the day goes on dante and lucy are walking around the shopping centre looking for more food to scavenge as they leave they notice a zombie caught in barbed wire they laugh as it tries to get out.
We looked at different shot types with the help of a cool Into Film animation and then thought about a scene from our film in six keys shots. Talking through why different shots type might be used a different times in the films and for different effects, we then completed storyboards to help us really start to visualise what the film might look like ... MORE GENERAL STORY DEVELOPMENT ... HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
Trump pressed the wrong red button! Was a mistake but the world was going downhill anyway ... WHO SURVIVES? Those who have had it rough in life more likely to survive … WHERE? Individuals have generally barricaded themselves into buildings. POWER There is only battery power mainly now where it can be found and no phone or other signals SKILLS Some survivors practise there survival skills i.e. fighting to pass the time. Obsessed with working out ways to kill them. VLOGGING Carrying on because it might help the rebuilding of the human race somehow OTHER SURVIVORS Would talk to others but wouldn't necessarily go looking for them. Debate whether happier alone or together. CLOTHING Important to chose the right things. Not smelly, but things that will last, are light but warm and robust. BEFORE THE APOCALYPSE Seeing the characters before the apocalypse - what were they like? WATCHING AND REVIEWING The group watched some short films to help consider theme and film style. CLASS CLOWN elicited various responses around compassion, relate-ability and the use of extreme visuals when trying to get a point across. Watching other short films will help us understand the type of film we want to make and the things that work and don't work so well in other films. CHARACTERS The group started to develop characters for the film, based on group ideas about what people might do come the apocalypse. When we first see them in the film, they will have been on their own for months, so we wanted to try to understand what they had been doing and how they had been coping. So far we have a [1] VLOGGER who has continued the capture their thoughts on camera despite the end of the world, a [2] GAMER who thinks they can transfer their talents from screen to the real world, and [3] PHONE OBSESSIVE who thinks all of the problems are going to be solved through their phone, despite the waning availability of any power sources of phone signals. SURVIVOR DIARY ENTRIES - DAY 159 Dear diary. It's almost been 160 days since the ZomZom outbreak. Last night I made a breakthrough whilst being attacked. I stabbed the ZomZom in the head [through the temporal bone] and it collapsed. I brought it in to see if it is still alive or not. I'm going to check on it after lunch. I'm hungry and tired. My clothes are smelly and damaged [coughs]. I need to find a pharmacy. I think there is one a few streets away. This sucks ... barely any food or clean water. Zombies round every corner lurking in places you wouldn't even think exist. I'm battered, bruised and starving. Hope I find some safety and sanitary solutions soon. All hope for human kind is LOST!!!!
How I survived the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE – STORY QUESTIONS QUESTIONS
How? When? Why? Where? Who started it?. Is there a Safe Zone Or Safe Haven? SURVIVORS They may be indoors. Windows to look out of from their hiding places to try to see what is going on. WHERE DOES THE FILM PICK UP THE STORY TIMELINE You have survived and have found a safe place … WHERE? Underground – sewers through drain/manhole [Everyone flush chain to wash away Zombies] OR Shopping Centre – food and stuff OR Army base THOUGHTS & FEELINGS Relieved to be alive. Distressed being the only one Happy because it is a personal fantasy - I’m so excited … live out fantasy of killing zombies without feeling guilty. Need a Plan A, Plan B and both of these plans to have back up plans ad infinitum. What clothing and footwear have you got on? Need warm clothing, and protective. WOULD YOU SHARE YOUR PLAN? No - Not telling you anyone my plan … FIRST QUESTIONS Are the phones still working? Killing Zombies - Is it kind of murder? Can I get somewhere even safer … get into the walls maybe? Get into a loft. Semi-detached houses might be good. Zombies can’t put a key in lock, lift up a hatch WHAT IS A ZOMBIE A bit of a mess. We are living in a society today where people genuinely can be considered Zombies … i.e. stuck on phones constantly [controlled by our phones] ALTERNATIVE APOCALYPSES What happens if your phone goes to 0%? POSSIBLE JOKE Chesterfield [for example] is full of Zombies – ‘No different then to normal’ The group watched the film ‘The Astronaut’ which has featured in the Into Film ‘Film of the Month’ competition.
WHAT DID YOU LIKE? Liked the detail … the main character playing, making the spacecraft, leaving the house and walking the streets etc HOW WAS THE CHARACTER FEELING? Unsafe, scared … as if the bad stuff in the house had been happening for a while. We could tell by the character's reactions that this wasn't the first time he had heard arguing or similar. WHAT DID HE DO? He ‘Escaped’ to the city at night, but this also was not a safe place either. The character was using escapism, but feels really bad when it doesn’t work. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END? The character finds someone in the same boat/spaceship who understands him. WHAT MADE THE FILM WORK FOR YOU? Use of music/sound effects. We also noted that there was very little dialogue in the film and the audience understood the story using other mediums [visual, music and sound effects]
To get us into the right mindset for thinking about our film idea which is based on surviving a Zombie Apocalypse, we constructed some apocalyptic scenarios using Zombie figurines, who may also feature in the film itself at some point. We imagined the scenes and backgrounds that they would have an experimented by constructing one of the them ...
The purpose of our trip was to inspire the film makers and to see what might happen if our project enters the film we make into next year's Into Film Awards and is lucky enough to get nominated. There are some great young film makers out there across the UK so we had better get busy and give it our best shot ... If we do our best then there is always a chance!
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