Setting location

 We decided to use an abandoned car park that we believe used to be factories. This is because you can take photos from various angles to make this one area appear to be several places. It also has an old abandoned building. This building contains old broken machinery and is covered in graffiti. The area is usually quiet and is quite monotone in with the right lighting. This area is perfect for our dystopian opening as no one goes there; it looks old; and is very run down.

Scouting Locations

The first three photos were taken by us and they are of an abandoned car park that is smothered with rubble and many forms of brick. It is also covered in graffiti and looks like no one has been there in years. The next two photos are stock photos. The first one is an abandoned railway station in Birmingham city centre. It opened in 1893 and closed in 1966 and hasn't been used since. The second photo is from the inside of the Royalty Cinema in Harborne. The cinema opened in 1930, but the cinema closed in 1963 and was used as a bingo hall until 2010. It is no longer used, but is still standing.

Storyboard

Here is the storyboard for our production. The numbers correspond with the numbers per clip on the time line and the numbers for each shot.

Shot List

This is the shot list for our opening. They are numbered as they correspond with the numbers on the timeline and storyboard. The first three long shots will be of abandoned/run down areas.

Time Line

The time line for our production; in seconds. The length of clip may alter when it actually comes to filming and editing, but for now this is the plan. Each section is numbered so that it corresponds with the shot list and storyboard.

Aurora

Mood board for how we envision our protagonist, Aurora. These images show her weapons, costume and a part of her personality.

Script - altered

These are the first alterations made to the script.

These are the second lot of alterations made to the script.

Script - First Draft

Scene one - Aurora stands alone in an empty space, upright and emotionless (almost robotic). The camera turns and when it is facing Aurora again she is with a group of friends, joking and laughing, clearly having fun. Once again the camera rotates and when it is back on Aurora she is once again alone staring at her destructed scenery, emotionless and upright.

Scene two –The camera pans out showing Aurora’s costume; layer upon layer of ripped and damaged clothing, gloves and scares to protect from dust, sturdy but scuffed boots. Her hair blows in her face as she surveys the area.

Aurora (Non-diegetic voice over): This is it. This is life now. I remember the way it was; everyone was so concerned with how they looked and what they were going to do with their lives. There’s no time for things like that anymore, no time to worry, no time to think. There’s no time for weakness in this world. No time to live. I just exist now, exist, run, and hide. Hide from what’s out there.

Scene three (takes place during voice over)- Aurora sits alone in an abandoned car park, which is now her home. She writes in her journal as it is her only way to stay sane. She writes about her feelings even though her face shows no emotion. However, her eyes are glassy hinting that she upset, but is trying to be strong. This goes on while a voice over of Aurora’s thoughts can be heard.

Scene four (also takes place during voice over) – The camera follows her as she gathers what little she has and slowly makes her way out of the abandoned car park and towards an empty field.

Scene five (another narration clip) – Aurora walks to an abandoned building that appears to be an old school. She decides to look around as it looks like a good place to stay the night. She begins to settle down and hears a noise. She immediately hides as she knows it is the infected and does not have the strength to fight it. As she hides, she sees it walk past her hiding spot. Luckily she goes unnoticed.

Synopsis

A lone, female survivor, Aurora, has to fight for survival in her new, desolate life. A sudden infection killed billions of people and contorted many, which turned them inhuman. Only one safety camp in the nation remains due to the others being overrun with the infection. Aurora travels alone in the hopes of finding the safety camp. While avoiding the infected on her journey, she comes across another survivor. They make a pact to find the safety camp together and survive.

Planning Ideas and Final ideas

A mindmap on our initial ideas for our production.

Final Ideas:

Themes - isolation, implied danger

Setting - deserted, rundown area, open space

Iconography - rubble and bricks

Characters - lonely protagonist, teens/old friends (for when the main character thinks about her past). We also decided to remove the infected character from the opening as we thought it would be adding too much into two minutes.

Focus group - two

Our second focus group watched the opening of The Hunger Games and then answered some questions about the openings conventions. This helped us figure out what our audience will expect, which helps us perfect our planning and our final product.

Focus group

Our focus group viewed the opening of '28 Weeks Later' on YouTube and then answered questions about what they saw. This will help us plan our production as we know what a fraction of the audience is expecting.

Audience research part two

This is qualitative data we received about the protagonist and props within the dystopian genre from our survey.

7)The things highlighted in yellow and pink are similar points made about the protagonist and props within the dystopian genre and the things highlighted in orange are ideas we will use for our production.

8) Weapons is highlighted in yellow as many of our respondents said that the protagonist would have a weapon. The things highlighted in orange is where the respondents hinted at a weapon, but didn't explicitly say a weapon. The things highlighted in pink are the ideas that we liked and will use in our production.

Audience Research

These are the qualitative and quantitative responses we received from our survey.Some responses helped us form ideas of our narrative structure and what our protagonist will look and act. The answers helped us discover our target audience and helped us develop our ideas.

Summary of openings

This is a summary of our findings from analyzing the openings of films.

Children of Men analysis

I had to use the trailer to show what my analysis is based on as I couldn't find the opening anywhere on the internet.

Z for Zachariah analysis

I could not find the opening on the internet, so I've decided to use the trailer to show what my analysis is based on.

I am Legend analysis

I could not find the opening on the internet, so I've decided to use the trailer to show what my analysis is based on.

Twelve Monkeys opening

Analysis of Twelve Monkeys' opening sequence.
This is the only available clip of the opening on YouTube.

The Hunger Games opening

Analysis of the opening in The Hunger Games.

This is the main opening, but I watched on and analysed another minute of the film.

28 Days Later Opening

Analysis of 28 Days Later's opening sequence.
This is the only available clip of the opening scene on YouTube.

Initial Ideas

A mindmap we did on the different films within the dystopian genre and the possible conventions. We did this because we agreed on basing our production on the dystopian genre.