Friday, 5 December 2014
Thursday, 4 December 2014
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Updated Script
We decided to update our script for the first two minutes of our opening film as we believed our previous script was too long and we would not be able to fit everything in within the two minutes thirty we were allocated.
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Treatment #2
Two minute sequence
Title: Pandemic
Duration: 2 minutes
Summary of Sequence:
Our short sequence will start with a normal day to day life of a nurse checking on a patient (whom the audience cannot see) and bringing the patients brother, Seth, in to see him. Seth will seem agitated and stressed when he is talking to the patient and leave abruptly. When Seth visits the patient again he will strangely leave a gun and a note on his bed side. Later, our main character, Rudy, wakes up from his coma and we see him struggling to climb out of bed and is fatigued. Therefore, he shouts the nurse for maintenance and his brother. When Rudy manages to stand up, he falls and comes into contact with the note and gun his brother has left him, he reads the note. Once he has read the note he seems shocked and tries to leave his hospital room as quickly as possible, but it has been barricaded. Once to the he is on the corridor he comes into contact with a zombie and runs away, trying to push it over. The zombie chases Rudy elevator in which he uses the gun to shoot it. The zombie dies and the sequence ends with Rudy knelt in the elevator and the door closing.
Suggested elements:
- A gun
- Note
- Hospital props (i.e drip)
- Nurse clothing
- Fake blood
- Blooded clothing
Title: Pandemic
Duration: 2 minutes
Summary of Sequence:
Our short sequence will start with a normal day to day life of a nurse checking on a patient (whom the audience cannot see) and bringing the patients brother, Seth, in to see him. Seth will seem agitated and stressed when he is talking to the patient and leave abruptly. When Seth visits the patient again he will strangely leave a gun and a note on his bed side. Later, our main character, Rudy, wakes up from his coma and we see him struggling to climb out of bed and is fatigued. Therefore, he shouts the nurse for maintenance and his brother. When Rudy manages to stand up, he falls and comes into contact with the note and gun his brother has left him, he reads the note. Once he has read the note he seems shocked and tries to leave his hospital room as quickly as possible, but it has been barricaded. Once to the he is on the corridor he comes into contact with a zombie and runs away, trying to push it over. The zombie chases Rudy elevator in which he uses the gun to shoot it. The zombie dies and the sequence ends with Rudy knelt in the elevator and the door closing.
Suggested elements:
- A gun
- Note
- Hospital props (i.e drip)
- Nurse clothing
- Fake blood
- Blooded clothing
Treatment #1
Full Film
Title: Pandemic
Duration: 120 minutes
Audience:
We aim to certificate our film at a 15, therefore our main audience would be teenagers and young adults. We believe this is a suitable age rating due to the plot of our film, which some viewers under the age of 15 may not be comfortable with watching. Also, the graphics and gore in our film we believe not to be suitable for persons under the age of 15.
Distributor: Hammer Films
Film summary:
In 2014 a global outbreak of a seemingly unstoppable, viral pandemic sweeps across humanity. Converting people into monsters, known as zombies, with the tendencies of a cannibal and a craving for human flesh. Those infected with this virus cannot come back to life and remain in a reanimated state.
Four weeks after the outbreak, a lone survivor, Rudy wakes up alone oblivious as to what has been arising whilst he has been in a coma. The audience get insight into what has been happening during this time as flashbacks are shown of regular visits from Rudy's brother, Seth.
Rudy is isolated in a world full of the undead. Determined to find his brother, Rudy stumbles through the hospital to find the exit and comes to a close encounter with a zombie and manages to kill it, when exiting the hospital he is saved by a army survivor group. Knowing the group is his only chance of survival, he joins the group who agree to assist him to locate Seth. On their journey, the group come across many zombies on their journey to safety. The army group who Rudy is travelling with are trying to head to London, England, to try find a cure for the virus which has effected majority of the earth.
Throughout the film, there will be flashbacks of Rudy's life before the apocalypse to give the audience insight to why Rudy was in a coma and what if life was like. The film revolves around Rudy trying to find Seth and any friends he can contact to join his group. Rudy ends up travelling to London with the Army group where they find out that there is not a cure for the virus which has been found yet. However, Rudy does find Seth in the end of the film. The film ends with a cliff hanger, in which the audience see an extremely large amount of zombies coming for Rudy and his group while they have low supplies, to possibly connote a sequel.
Suggested Elements:
- Guns and other weapons
- Large amount of zombies
- Fake blood and flesh
- Old, worn out clothing
Title: Pandemic
Duration: 120 minutes
Audience:
We aim to certificate our film at a 15, therefore our main audience would be teenagers and young adults. We believe this is a suitable age rating due to the plot of our film, which some viewers under the age of 15 may not be comfortable with watching. Also, the graphics and gore in our film we believe not to be suitable for persons under the age of 15.
Distributor: Hammer Films
Film summary:
In 2014 a global outbreak of a seemingly unstoppable, viral pandemic sweeps across humanity. Converting people into monsters, known as zombies, with the tendencies of a cannibal and a craving for human flesh. Those infected with this virus cannot come back to life and remain in a reanimated state.
Four weeks after the outbreak, a lone survivor, Rudy wakes up alone oblivious as to what has been arising whilst he has been in a coma. The audience get insight into what has been happening during this time as flashbacks are shown of regular visits from Rudy's brother, Seth.
Rudy is isolated in a world full of the undead. Determined to find his brother, Rudy stumbles through the hospital to find the exit and comes to a close encounter with a zombie and manages to kill it, when exiting the hospital he is saved by a army survivor group. Knowing the group is his only chance of survival, he joins the group who agree to assist him to locate Seth. On their journey, the group come across many zombies on their journey to safety. The army group who Rudy is travelling with are trying to head to London, England, to try find a cure for the virus which has effected majority of the earth.
Throughout the film, there will be flashbacks of Rudy's life before the apocalypse to give the audience insight to why Rudy was in a coma and what if life was like. The film revolves around Rudy trying to find Seth and any friends he can contact to join his group. Rudy ends up travelling to London with the Army group where they find out that there is not a cure for the virus which has been found yet. However, Rudy does find Seth in the end of the film. The film ends with a cliff hanger, in which the audience see an extremely large amount of zombies coming for Rudy and his group while they have low supplies, to possibly connote a sequel.
Suggested Elements:
- Guns and other weapons
- Large amount of zombies
- Fake blood and flesh
- Old, worn out clothing
More Research into Locations - Post-apocalyptic Horror
Derelict/Isolated Locations
The most conventional location for a Zombie-horror film is an abandoned setting usually in a large city area to highlight the emptiness of the world during the apocalypse. Furthermore, it shows the ratio of remaining humans to zombies and highlights how they have taken over the world. Another reason derelict locations make good settings for post-apocalyptic horror films is that the silence creates a peculiar atmosphere for the audience that is intriguing.
An example of an isolated location is in the film '28 Days Later' when the main character is walking around London and there is nobody in sight.
Another conventional isolated location is abandoned houses or buildings. These are common due to the feeling of being safe and away from all of the chaos. However, they can also make characters feel unsafe if the scene is set at night time due to the unknown of what is lurking around.
Overrun Locations
Public locations are used in zombie films usually that are overrun with zombies which creates tension for the audience. Also, when a character is in danger it has the audience on the edge of their seats and characters are more likely to be in danger when in an overrun city. Overrun locations make a good setting for zombie-horror films as they create scenes with a lot of action and unease for the audience. It also compares the amount of zombies in the world with the amount of humans left in the world to connote to the audience how they have actually taken over the world and become the majority and are domineering.
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| Derelict city |
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| Scene from '28 Days Later' |
Another conventional isolated location is abandoned houses or buildings. These are common due to the feeling of being safe and away from all of the chaos. However, they can also make characters feel unsafe if the scene is set at night time due to the unknown of what is lurking around.
Overrun Locations
Public locations are used in zombie films usually that are overrun with zombies which creates tension for the audience. Also, when a character is in danger it has the audience on the edge of their seats and characters are more likely to be in danger when in an overrun city. Overrun locations make a good setting for zombie-horror films as they create scenes with a lot of action and unease for the audience. It also compares the amount of zombies in the world with the amount of humans left in the world to connote to the audience how they have actually taken over the world and become the majority and are domineering.
Research into Genre - Mise en Scene
Costumes & Make-up
Mostly all characters in apocalyptic horror films have torn and damaged clothing, some who have been close to zombies or suffered from an injury will have blood on them. In terms of makeup, zombies mainly have the most makeup put on them to make them appeal and for the audience to be convinced they are dead and rotting. Their faces are pale almost like a light grey colour to imply that they have no life. It is also common for zombies to have flesh on their face/neck and darkness around their eyes. One of the common things in zombie costume is contact lenses, which make the zombie look more gruesome and unappealing.
The photo on the left is an example of what sort of make-up look we are going to attempt on our zombie actors. This make-up look consists of a greyish face and fake blood/flesh placed around the face. We believe this is the most believable look for a zombie, also it will appeal the most to our target audience due to it not being too gruesome or too immature.
Makeup for the main characters can vary depending on their situation and how they have survived. For the survivors who have had a rough time and have come across many zombie attacks, they will usually be filthy, covered in blood and have ripped clothing. Those who have found a safe place and are fortunate to have found running water, will be clean, may have bruises from previous zombie fights, but may still wear ripped clothing as they may not have spares to change into if it is ruined.
The photo on the right is an example of what our survivors will look like. They are not clean and look like they have had a rough time during the apocalypse. They also have blood on them to imply they often come into contact with zombies.
Location & Props
Zombie films are normally set in derelict, isolated locations to show the audience how alone the characters are. Also, the isolation not only shows the empty world, but also how vulnerable the characters due to the overrun zombie world with not much hope of safety.
Props in zombie-apocalypse films are mainly weapons to keep the survivors safe. This is also to show how unsafe the world actually is and helps the characters feel less scared. Furthermore, when the plot is focused on a family or someone who has lost their close family/friends they may have photographs that are often focused on throughout the film to show the great significance they have to the remaining characters. Also, to outline the loss of many people during the film. Other props may include religious props such as the Bible which greatly contrasts the whole idea of the film, as the dead have come back to life which seems unreal and not an act of God. The Bible may be used throughout zombie horror films to show characters still have hope that one day the world will return to its normal self, and also to pray to God for their safety.
Mostly all characters in apocalyptic horror films have torn and damaged clothing, some who have been close to zombies or suffered from an injury will have blood on them. In terms of makeup, zombies mainly have the most makeup put on them to make them appeal and for the audience to be convinced they are dead and rotting. Their faces are pale almost like a light grey colour to imply that they have no life. It is also common for zombies to have flesh on their face/neck and darkness around their eyes. One of the common things in zombie costume is contact lenses, which make the zombie look more gruesome and unappealing.
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| Zombie make-up close up taken from 'The Walking Dead' |
Makeup for the main characters can vary depending on their situation and how they have survived. For the survivors who have had a rough time and have come across many zombie attacks, they will usually be filthy, covered in blood and have ripped clothing. Those who have found a safe place and are fortunate to have found running water, will be clean, may have bruises from previous zombie fights, but may still wear ripped clothing as they may not have spares to change into if it is ruined.
The photo on the right is an example of what our survivors will look like. They are not clean and look like they have had a rough time during the apocalypse. They also have blood on them to imply they often come into contact with zombies.
Location & Props
Zombie films are normally set in derelict, isolated locations to show the audience how alone the characters are. Also, the isolation not only shows the empty world, but also how vulnerable the characters due to the overrun zombie world with not much hope of safety.
Props in zombie-apocalypse films are mainly weapons to keep the survivors safe. This is also to show how unsafe the world actually is and helps the characters feel less scared. Furthermore, when the plot is focused on a family or someone who has lost their close family/friends they may have photographs that are often focused on throughout the film to show the great significance they have to the remaining characters. Also, to outline the loss of many people during the film. Other props may include religious props such as the Bible which greatly contrasts the whole idea of the film, as the dead have come back to life which seems unreal and not an act of God. The Bible may be used throughout zombie horror films to show characters still have hope that one day the world will return to its normal self, and also to pray to God for their safety.
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| Example of weapons used in zombie films |
Research into Genre - Story line
Story line
Conventional story lines within the post apocalyptic genre tend to have similarities. Story lines tend to consist of a main focus on either a survival group or individual who are searching for lost family/friends and trying their best to survive. The main similarity is that the conventional story line of a zombie-horror is one of two plots;
1. The film will start pre-apocalyptic where everything is normal. The story line will then lead up to how the apocalypse will begin, normally focusing on one particular family or individual and following their route to survival and all the obstacles they may try to overcome on their way.
2. The film starts already during the apocalypse with the world overrun with zombies. The overall plot focus is usually on an individual who has so far managed to survive the apocalypse. This individual may then find a survival group and join them to hopefully find safety.
Conventional story lines within the post apocalyptic genre tend to have similarities. Story lines tend to consist of a main focus on either a survival group or individual who are searching for lost family/friends and trying their best to survive. The main similarity is that the conventional story line of a zombie-horror is one of two plots;
1. The film will start pre-apocalyptic where everything is normal. The story line will then lead up to how the apocalypse will begin, normally focusing on one particular family or individual and following their route to survival and all the obstacles they may try to overcome on their way.
2. The film starts already during the apocalypse with the world overrun with zombies. The overall plot focus is usually on an individual who has so far managed to survive the apocalypse. This individual may then find a survival group and join them to hopefully find safety.
Saturday, 29 November 2014
Audience Questionnaire
Name:
Age:
Occupation:
1. Do you understand the story line of Pandemic?
2. What genre do you think Pandemic is?
3. Who do you think may want to watch our film?
4. What age certificate would you expect it to be?
5. What locations do you expect it to be set in?
6. Do you enjoy the zombie-horror genre?
7. How could we improve our film?
8. Would you recommend it to a friend?
Age:
Occupation:
1. Do you understand the story line of Pandemic?
2. What genre do you think Pandemic is?
3. Who do you think may want to watch our film?
4. What age certificate would you expect it to be?
5. What locations do you expect it to be set in?
6. Do you enjoy the zombie-horror genre?
7. How could we improve our film?
8. Would you recommend it to a friend?
Friday, 28 November 2014
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
RESEARCH INTO THE SAME GENRE
WORLD WAR Z
PLOT: Former UN employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his wife and two daughters enjoy a nice family breakfast. Gerry tells his youngest daughter he has quit his job to spend more time with his family. He sees on the telly some news about strife and talk of martial law. When sat in traffic taking his daughters to school, riot begins to arise in the city as hordes of zombies begin to attack and infect people. These zombies move extremely fast and when they bite someone the survivor turns rapidly.
Gerry and his family survive the attack and find themselves safe on a US navy aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean run by the UN. Deputy Secretary-General Thierry Umotoni asks his former employee Gerry to go with a group of soldiers and a scientists to go back to land to find a cure for the outbreak. Whilst gerry fights against zombies he realises that some people seem to be immune to the zombies almost as if they are one of them. Whilst travelling to CDC lab, the plane becomes infected with zombies which causes the plane to crash however, Gerry and his companion manage to survive.
SIMILARITIES: Similarities between our film and World War Z is that our main character will be retired from a very masculine job, as he needs to have that sort of background to be able to fight against a race of zombies. Also like World War Z, our character will be very caring towards his family however in ours the only family our character has left is his brother.
PLOT: Former UN employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his wife and two daughters enjoy a nice family breakfast. Gerry tells his youngest daughter he has quit his job to spend more time with his family. He sees on the telly some news about strife and talk of martial law. When sat in traffic taking his daughters to school, riot begins to arise in the city as hordes of zombies begin to attack and infect people. These zombies move extremely fast and when they bite someone the survivor turns rapidly.
Gerry and his family survive the attack and find themselves safe on a US navy aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean run by the UN. Deputy Secretary-General Thierry Umotoni asks his former employee Gerry to go with a group of soldiers and a scientists to go back to land to find a cure for the outbreak. Whilst gerry fights against zombies he realises that some people seem to be immune to the zombies almost as if they are one of them. Whilst travelling to CDC lab, the plane becomes infected with zombies which causes the plane to crash however, Gerry and his companion manage to survive.
In the CDC lab, Gerry believes that if you are ill or infected with another disease you are camouflaged to the zombies. One half of the lab is safe where as the other half is infested with 'zeke' (zombies). He walks through to the other side of the lab and into a room full of deadly pathogens. when he takes as much as he needs he realises he can not escape as the zombies have crowded him, so he decides to inject himself with a deadly pathogen and test to see if his hypothesis works. Luckily he was correct and he manages to escape freely into the other half of the hospital. The film ends with Gerry reuniting with his family. We also see helicopters dropping packages down to land containing the injections used to become camouflaged from zombies.
SIMILARITIES: Similarities between our film and World War Z is that our main character will be retired from a very masculine job, as he needs to have that sort of background to be able to fight against a race of zombies. Also like World War Z, our character will be very caring towards his family however in ours the only family our character has left is his brother.
RESEARCH INTO GENRE
Zombie Genre
Our film genre is one of a zombie apocalypse, i'm going to research into this genre and find out what is to expect from the zombie genre in a film. Also into the background of the genre. This will give us many ideas of how to portray the mood and actions of our characters in our movie. Zombie's also tend to feature under the Horror and fantasy genre.
Zombie's
Zombies are fictional creatures, commonly acted as though they are mindless, reanimated human corpses with a hunger for the flesh of living humans. The popularity of zombies has sometimes led to them been taken out of their usual element of horror and thrown into other genres, for example 'Shaun Of The Dead'. The 'Zombie Apocalypse' concept, in which the civilised world is brought low by a global zombie infestation, has become that of modern art.
The Name Zombie
How the creatures became to be called zombies is unclear. One of the first so called 'Zombie' films, 'Night Of The Living Dead' made no reference to the word 'Zombie' at all. They were described as ghouls. The word zombie was first used in Romero's 1978, 'Dawn Of The Dead', although only used once in dialog.
The characteristics of which our zombies should undertake is like a stumbling action when walking, as obviously this shows they do not have full control, and obviously not 'alive' technically. The zombie above and to the right is similar to how we want our zombie to act, he is stood at an angle and slouching.
Our film genre is one of a zombie apocalypse, i'm going to research into this genre and find out what is to expect from the zombie genre in a film. Also into the background of the genre. This will give us many ideas of how to portray the mood and actions of our characters in our movie. Zombie's also tend to feature under the Horror and fantasy genre.
Zombie's
Zombies are fictional creatures, commonly acted as though they are mindless, reanimated human corpses with a hunger for the flesh of living humans. The popularity of zombies has sometimes led to them been taken out of their usual element of horror and thrown into other genres, for example 'Shaun Of The Dead'. The 'Zombie Apocalypse' concept, in which the civilised world is brought low by a global zombie infestation, has become that of modern art. The Name Zombie
How the creatures became to be called zombies is unclear. One of the first so called 'Zombie' films, 'Night Of The Living Dead' made no reference to the word 'Zombie' at all. They were described as ghouls. The word zombie was first used in Romero's 1978, 'Dawn Of The Dead', although only used once in dialog. The characteristics of which our zombies should undertake is like a stumbling action when walking, as obviously this shows they do not have full control, and obviously not 'alive' technically. The zombie above and to the right is similar to how we want our zombie to act, he is stood at an angle and slouching.
Secondary Character Profile Idea
Name: Seth Truman
Age: 28
Occupation: Legal hunting shop owner
Personality Traits
Our secondary character, Seth, will portray an independent, reserved man. He overpowers everyone he comes into contact with, including his brother Rudy. Despite his ascendant temperament he is very family orientated due to his close bond with his brother and will do anything for him.
Function in Narrative
Seth is the secondary character in our film and will portray a masculine man. He will have concealed caring aspects for his brother Seth, which shows their close bond. Seth and Rudy are best friends and have always been since they were young, Seth shows this when he gives Rudy his necklace as his emotions are revealed.
Appearance
Seth is well maintained and the audience can tell he cares for his appearance. However, he looks manly and has manly features. Seth is taller than Rudy, however Rudy is also tall. Seth will wear different clothing each day he is shown on the film, but they will all have connotations of a huntsman. Seth will always go to visit Rudy before he goes to work, therefore his clothes will be clean.
Our secondary character, Seth, will portray an independent, reserved man. He overpowers everyone he comes into contact with, including his brother Rudy. Despite his ascendant temperament he is very family orientated due to his close bond with his brother and will do anything for him.
Function in Narrative
Seth is the secondary character in our film and will portray a masculine man. He will have concealed caring aspects for his brother Seth, which shows their close bond. Seth and Rudy are best friends and have always been since they were young, Seth shows this when he gives Rudy his necklace as his emotions are revealed.
Appearance
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| Similar to what hat Seth will wear |
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| Seth will wear camouflage trousers |
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Main Character Profile Idea
Name: Rudy Truman
Age: 24
Occupation: Mechanic and a part-time hunter
Personality Traits
Rudy is a domineering character who shows aspects of kind heartedness throughout the film. As well as this, Rudy is strong and a practical hands on purpose, due to his occupation of a mechanic. Also, as in his spare-time, he hunts animals this shows that he is good at shooting and is patient.
Function in Narrative
Our main character, Rudy, will portray a man at first who is oblivious to a zombie outbreak. However, when he understands what has happened when he wakes up from his coma and takes a look around heroic like aspects are revealed within his character. He steps up from being an ordinary man, into a fearless discerning man. The audience can tell that Rudy is a family orientated man as immediately after he wakes up from his coma, his only concern is his older brother Seth whom left him his beloved hunting gun for protection, alongside a note stating this will not be there goodbye and they will meet again.
Appearance
Rudy looks exhausted at the beginning of the film, due to extreme deprivation of food/drink leading to a fatigued appearance. He will have long stubble and messy hair. He will also have a hospital band on his wrist to show that he is a patient at the hospital.
Rudy will also have on a hospital gown, however it will be clean unlike the other props we use in the film outside of his hospital room. This will contrast against the messy elements to show how he has been safe whilst in his coma, compared to the other citizens who have been infected by the virus.
Age: 24
Occupation: Mechanic and a part-time hunter
Personality Traits
Rudy is a domineering character who shows aspects of kind heartedness throughout the film. As well as this, Rudy is strong and a practical hands on purpose, due to his occupation of a mechanic. Also, as in his spare-time, he hunts animals this shows that he is good at shooting and is patient.
Function in Narrative
Our main character, Rudy, will portray a man at first who is oblivious to a zombie outbreak. However, when he understands what has happened when he wakes up from his coma and takes a look around heroic like aspects are revealed within his character. He steps up from being an ordinary man, into a fearless discerning man. The audience can tell that Rudy is a family orientated man as immediately after he wakes up from his coma, his only concern is his older brother Seth whom left him his beloved hunting gun for protection, alongside a note stating this will not be there goodbye and they will meet again.
Appearance
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| This will be similar to the wristband we use. |
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| This will be similar to the gown we use. |
Character Profile - Zombie
Our film opening will include two zombies in which are present throughout most of the scenes. It is important that we do useful research into how our zombies look and act. However, both zombies will have no distinct differences because all zombies act the same. We have found inspiration for make up from many pictures online link the ones shown below:
We have decided that our zombies will have mainly a grey look for death but also covered in blood to give them a more realistic gory look and to give the impression that they have turned into zombies from recent events. We will also use white coloured contacts to give a deadly look and use liquid latex to create an uneven textured complexion. We then decided that our zombies need to have some kind of mark to indicate that they have been infected by another zombies giving the impression that there is more zombies around. We have found inspiration from a series of images but have agreed on having a bite mark on either their arm, neck or leg like the one below:
The costume of our zombies is very important in making them look as realistic as possible. We have decided that the nurse looking after one of our characters- Rudy, will turn into a zombie therefore we will have to make the nurse gown look dirty and cover it with blood in order to indicate to the audience that she has been infected and now appears as a zombie. The other zombie will wearing a white gown covered in blood and dirtied up because she used to be a patient to try be treated when first infected but has escaped therefore leading to the infected zombie nurse. The gown will look like the one below which indicates shes been away from the hospital for quite a long time:
The way our zombies move is influenced by other films and clips we have seen like the walkers from walking dead. We found that most zombies stare and are reaching out to something just like in the gif shown below:
We also found the way that zombies walk is in a slobish slow way almost like they are struggling to hold their body and limbs up, like the gif shows below:
We have decided that our zombies will have mainly a grey look for death but also covered in blood to give them a more realistic gory look and to give the impression that they have turned into zombies from recent events. We will also use white coloured contacts to give a deadly look and use liquid latex to create an uneven textured complexion. We then decided that our zombies need to have some kind of mark to indicate that they have been infected by another zombies giving the impression that there is more zombies around. We have found inspiration from a series of images but have agreed on having a bite mark on either their arm, neck or leg like the one below:
The costume of our zombies is very important in making them look as realistic as possible. We have decided that the nurse looking after one of our characters- Rudy, will turn into a zombie therefore we will have to make the nurse gown look dirty and cover it with blood in order to indicate to the audience that she has been infected and now appears as a zombie. The other zombie will wearing a white gown covered in blood and dirtied up because she used to be a patient to try be treated when first infected but has escaped therefore leading to the infected zombie nurse. The gown will look like the one below which indicates shes been away from the hospital for quite a long time:
The way our zombies move is influenced by other films and clips we have seen like the walkers from walking dead. We found that most zombies stare and are reaching out to something just like in the gif shown below:
We also found the way that zombies walk is in a slobish slow way almost like they are struggling to hold their body and limbs up, like the gif shows below:
MAIN CHARACTER IDEA
Name: Rudy
Played By: Ellis Tiffany
Age: 23-26
Personality:
Rudy will be a a big family man who is kind at the heart and willing to look after anyone, but externally he will be a strong and fearless man, not to be scared of the zombies at any point. Before the apocalypse he was just a normal man, doing a boring job. I want the audience to know that Rudy cares for his family right from the start, as he will have a letter from a family member alerting him of the outbreak, and that is the only thing that drives him forward. Once he has broken out into the unsafe environment which is outside, he is going to be a strong individual who will take no nonsense from anyone he thinks is not all that they seem.
Appearance:
Rudy's appearance is going to be scruffy and he may look quite weak at the start. This is due to him being in a coma for a long time. He will have a beard which is scraggy as he cannot shave. His hair will have grown out and be greasy etc. He needs to have a hospital band on one of his hands which shows that he was admitted to the hospital initially.
Rudy will also wear a hospital gown, however this will be clean as this will contrast against the mess that is outside. It shows that Rudy will have been well looked after when in the hospital, and that someone obviously cared about him a lot to keep him safe and well.
How He Acts:
Rudy will walk with limp, and once he gets out of the hospital bed for the first time he will stagger and fall over knocking things all over. He will not be aware of most things and be drowsy due to him just waking from the coma. Rudy will not be healthy at all and will be hungry and thirsty as he has not drank or eaten for so long.
Played By: Ellis Tiffany
Age: 23-26
Personality:
Rudy will be a a big family man who is kind at the heart and willing to look after anyone, but externally he will be a strong and fearless man, not to be scared of the zombies at any point. Before the apocalypse he was just a normal man, doing a boring job. I want the audience to know that Rudy cares for his family right from the start, as he will have a letter from a family member alerting him of the outbreak, and that is the only thing that drives him forward. Once he has broken out into the unsafe environment which is outside, he is going to be a strong individual who will take no nonsense from anyone he thinks is not all that they seem.
Appearance:
Rudy's appearance is going to be scruffy and he may look quite weak at the start. This is due to him being in a coma for a long time. He will have a beard which is scraggy as he cannot shave. His hair will have grown out and be greasy etc. He needs to have a hospital band on one of his hands which shows that he was admitted to the hospital initially.
Rudy will also wear a hospital gown, however this will be clean as this will contrast against the mess that is outside. It shows that Rudy will have been well looked after when in the hospital, and that someone obviously cared about him a lot to keep him safe and well.
How He Acts:
Rudy will walk with limp, and once he gets out of the hospital bed for the first time he will stagger and fall over knocking things all over. He will not be aware of most things and be drowsy due to him just waking from the coma. Rudy will not be healthy at all and will be hungry and thirsty as he has not drank or eaten for so long.
Monday, 24 November 2014
Research - Genre
Our film idea has had many influences from other already released films. Our inspiration has come from films and TV series such as the walking dead and films like World War Z and 28 Days Later. The Walking Dead has a genre of post apocalyptic horror drama which is similar to our film because they both have the exact same genre but they are shot differently and the walking dead is a TV series where as ours is a film. World War Z has the genre of apocalyptic horror novel which again is the same genre as our film but it is set during the zombie apocalypse so we can create an idea of how zombies look and act and how civilians react to them which is good for our flashback scene at the beginning. 28 Days Later has the genre of a post apocalyptic horror which is good because we are able to see the effects after a zombie apocalypse which will help with choosing settings and seeing the state they are in which we can get inspiration from for later on in our film.
The characters in The Walking Dead such as Shane who turns into a zombie is good for inspiration to our film because we can watch how Shane's actions look from before he's a zombie and when he's a zombie and we can get a sense of how we want our zombie character to look like and idea of ye different costumes and make up needed to make our zombies look as 'realistic' as possible without looking animated or silly in any way. We can also look at Shane to see how turning into a zombie effects the way they speak and how they move and looking at this to try recreate our own zombies without them looking and sounding too cliche.
The characters in The Walking Dead such as Shane who turns into a zombie is good for inspiration to our film because we can watch how Shane's actions look from before he's a zombie and when he's a zombie and we can get a sense of how we want our zombie character to look like and idea of ye different costumes and make up needed to make our zombies look as 'realistic' as possible without looking animated or silly in any way. We can also look at Shane to see how turning into a zombie effects the way they speak and how they move and looking at this to try recreate our own zombies without them looking and sounding too cliche.
-conventions
-storylines
-iconography
- characters
-music
-setting
-style
Final Storyline Idea
In 2014 a global outbreak of a seemingly unstoppable, viral pandemic sweeps across humanity. Converting people into monsters, known as zombies, with the tendencies of a cannibal and a craving for human flesh. Those infected with this virus cannot come back to life and remain in a reanimated state. Four weeks after the outbreak, a lone survivor, Rudy wakes up alone oblivious as to what has been arising whilst he has been in a coma. The audience get insight into what has been happening during this time as flashbacks are shown of regular visits from Rudy's brother, Seth. Rudy is isolated in a world full of the undead. Determined to find his brother, Rudy stumbles through the hospital to find the exit and comes to a close encounter with a zombie and manages to kill it, when exiting the hospital he is saved by a army survivor group. Knowing the group is his only chance of survival, he joins the group who agree to assist him to locate Seth. On their journey, the group come across many zombies on their journey to safety. The army group who Rudy is travelling with are trying to head to London, England, to try find a cure for the virus which has effected majority of the earth. Throughout the film, there will be flashbacks of Rudy's life before the apocalypse to give the audience insight to why Rudy was in a coma and what if life was like. The film revolves around Rudy trying to find Seth and any friends he can contact to join his group. Rudy ends up travelling to London with the Army group where they find out that there is not a cure for the virus which has been found yet. However, Rudy does find Seth in the end of the film. The film ends with a cliff hanger, in which the audience see an extremely large amount of zombies coming for Rudy and his group while they have low supplies, to possibly connote a sequel.
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Storyline Idea
Storyline idea: zombie thriller
Characters
Paul (man in coma)
Nurse
Beginning
Paul wakes up in a hospital alone after being in a coma, the building is empty but when he leaves the hospital, He soon realises that there has been a zombie apocalypse. As the film progresses he is faced with the struggle of trying to survive without being noticed by the existing zombies. He is often faced with difficult situations and always comes close to being infected.
Characters
Paul (man in coma)
Nurse
Beginning
Paul wakes up in a hospital alone after being in a coma, the building is empty but when he leaves the hospital, He soon realises that there has been a zombie apocalypse. As the film progresses he is faced with the struggle of trying to survive without being noticed by the existing zombies. He is often faced with difficult situations and always comes close to being infected.
Middle
During the opening scene, the man is instructed to take medication which has been left for him and when he does he is faced with a series of flashbacks of the zombie outbreak before his accident. These flashbacks will be presented by broken camera shots, fade whites and fuzzy jump shots. Most of the opening of the film will appear dark with the use of dark lighting and just direct lighting on the man, the medication and the drip which will highlight what the audience should be paying attention on. The dull lighting for the rest of the room will give a more sinister appearance and give the audience the impression that he maybe the only survivor and the hospital he's staying in is run down. This indicates that something may have occurred to make the hospital appear this way. Just before the opening scene ends a time lapse of a dying flower will be used which will be iconic to how the world has changed since the man has been in a coma and it also indicates how the mans feeling; run down and feeling like the life has been drained out of him.
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Research - Possible Distributor Of Our Film
Hammer Films is a possible distributor of our film. Hammer Films is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies — and, in later years, television series. During its most successful years, Hammer dominated the horror film market. In May 2007, the company behind the movies was sold again, this time to a consortium headed by Dutch media tycoon John de Mol, who announced plans to spend some $50m (£25m) on new horror films.
They have distributed lots of horror films in the past. They are a UK based company. When I researched them i found that they were best known for a series of 'gothic horror films' made from the mid 1950's through until the 1970's. The popular horror films that they have distributed include...
-The Woman Black (2012)
-Dracula (1958)
-Frankenstein (1959-1974)
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Research - Possible Distributor of Our Film
Our film is a apocalyptic horror genre so we have to be careful about which distributor we use so we don't give the wrong impression towards our films. One possible distributor could be
Monday, 10 November 2014
Research - Audience
There are lots of factors which could affect our target audience. I believe that the main age of the audience will be elder teens, right through to the age of 30. However although people may argue that our audience is aimed at 18+ only, we cannot target to that audience as we are not of that age ourselves, so in order we need to ensure that in our 2 minute clip we do not show anything too 'horror' like. Which I do not think will occur as our clip is to establish I personally think, and get accross the message of what has actually happened.
The aged rating in which I am leaning towards is a 15, as I believe that 15 year olds are nature enough to watch a zombie thriller, yet to go lower than that to a 12, I believe that they will not be mature enough and may find a few things disturbing. According to the BBFC, the following things can be shown in a 15 rated movie...
-Strong violence
-Frequent strong language
-Portrays of sexual activity
-Strong verbal references to sex
-Sexual nudity
-Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
-Discriminatory language or behaviour
-Drug taking
World War Z
This film includes a lot of similarities of the ideas we have for our film was rated as a 15 by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). This backs up my idea of the clip being rated as a 15, due to the similarities and this being of a zombie break out nature.
This film includes a lot of similarities of the ideas we have for our film was rated as a 15 by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). This backs up my idea of the clip being rated as a 15, due to the similarities and this being of a zombie break out nature.
Research - Possible distributor of our film
To decide on a film distributor for our film, we first researched various UK film distributors. One distributor we researched was Hammer Films.
About
Hammer Film Productions is based in the UK. Hammer is best known for a series of Gothic 'Hammer Horror' films. The company has also produced sci-fi, thrillers, film noir and comedies. In its most successful years Hammer dominated the horror film market, this is one of the main reasons why I chose to research this film distributor. Furthermore, Hammer Films had worldwide distributions and financial success. It has also had distribution partnerships with major US studios, such as the extremely successful Warner Bros. These are also reasons why we believe Hammer Films would be a suitable and beneficial film distributor for our film. Also, Hammer has made many horror films before, therefore ours being a 'Post-apocalyptic Horror' film, it will already have sufficient knowledge on how to produce, distribute and exhibit a successful horror film. Due to Hammer being an independent film company, they will deal with low budget films. This is suitable for our film due to our budget being low. Therefore, the equipment we use will not be of a low budget, but Hammer will be able to work with this as they have before with their other low budget films.
Hammer Film Productions
The Curse Of Frankenstein - 1957
Wake Wood - 2010
The two above films are two films Hammer films has distributed. They both have a similar plot as they both are based around bringing the dead back to life, whom then go on to kill multiple people. This makes Hammer Films more suitable to distribute our film as they already have experience with films that involve the dead coming back to life, as our film is mainly based on the dead (zombies) this is a benefit for us.
About
Hammer Film Productions is based in the UK. Hammer is best known for a series of Gothic 'Hammer Horror' films. The company has also produced sci-fi, thrillers, film noir and comedies. In its most successful years Hammer dominated the horror film market, this is one of the main reasons why I chose to research this film distributor. Furthermore, Hammer Films had worldwide distributions and financial success. It has also had distribution partnerships with major US studios, such as the extremely successful Warner Bros. These are also reasons why we believe Hammer Films would be a suitable and beneficial film distributor for our film. Also, Hammer has made many horror films before, therefore ours being a 'Post-apocalyptic Horror' film, it will already have sufficient knowledge on how to produce, distribute and exhibit a successful horror film. Due to Hammer being an independent film company, they will deal with low budget films. This is suitable for our film due to our budget being low. Therefore, the equipment we use will not be of a low budget, but Hammer will be able to work with this as they have before with their other low budget films.Hammer Film Productions
The Curse Of Frankenstein - 1957
Wake Wood - 2010
The two above films are two films Hammer films has distributed. They both have a similar plot as they both are based around bringing the dead back to life, whom then go on to kill multiple people. This makes Hammer Films more suitable to distribute our film as they already have experience with films that involve the dead coming back to life, as our film is mainly based on the dead (zombies) this is a benefit for us.
Research - Genre:
Mise en Scene
In the first scenes of Season 1, Episode 1 of The Walking Dead, the main character, Rick, is shown in a hospital room from a high angle shot to establish his surroundings. We can see that props have been placed there to connote the duration of absence his room has had from other people such as nurses.
The props used are a vase with dead flowers in to signify the passage of time. Furthermore, a close up is shown of a stopped clock to imply that due to the world technically at its end, time has also stopped. Other props used in the hospital room are general hospital equipment such as a drip, a bedside table and other electrical facilities needed in a hospital room. The room is conventionally white, and looks very immaculate which is also conventional for a hospital room.
Similarities
In our film, we will use props that are conventional in a hospital room, such as a drip and a hospital bed. We want to also use props to signify a long passage of time, we will most likely use flowers and a get well soon card to signify how long it has been, the card will stay normal but the flowers will have deteriorated.
The Walking Dead (TV Series)
In the first scenes of Season 1, Episode 1 of The Walking Dead, the main character, Rick, is shown in a hospital room from a high angle shot to establish his surroundings. We can see that props have been placed there to connote the duration of absence his room has had from other people such as nurses. The props used are a vase with dead flowers in to signify the passage of time. Furthermore, a close up is shown of a stopped clock to imply that due to the world technically at its end, time has also stopped. Other props used in the hospital room are general hospital equipment such as a drip, a bedside table and other electrical facilities needed in a hospital room. The room is conventionally white, and looks very immaculate which is also conventional for a hospital room.Similarities
In our film, we will use props that are conventional in a hospital room, such as a drip and a hospital bed. We want to also use props to signify a long passage of time, we will most likely use flowers and a get well soon card to signify how long it has been, the card will stay normal but the flowers will have deteriorated.
Research - Similar Characters:
Shaun - 'Shaun of the Dead'
Shaun is portrayed as an average, ordinary, immature man. In the begin of the film the audience immediately know how docile he is due to him being totally oblivious of the Zombie outbreak whilst walking the streets in the morning. However, when the Zombie apocalypse arrives he is takes the lead role among his family and friends, becoming the dominant man he needs to be. Throughout the film a hero is born within Shaun as he matures and makes it his destiny to save his mum, girlfriend and friends as they are his main priority. He decides becoming the hero will help him win his girlfriend back.
Similarities
Shaun and our main character, Rudy, share similar aspects throughout our film. Rudy is also oblivious of the zombie apocalypse like Shaun, but only due to him being in a coma. Rudy will also be portrayed as an ordinary character in our film. However, when the apocalypse outbreaks he will step up to be a fearless, superior man who always makes reasonable choices in a broken world. Furthermore, like Shaun, Rudy's prioritizes his loved ones in the outbreak and aims to save them. Despite him not knowing where they are he sets out to find them and does not rest until he does.
Shaun oblivious to the zombies
Gerry - World War Z
Gerry is portrayed as a god-like hero throughout World War Z. He has the overall screen time and is the main focus of the film. Furthermore, Gerry is a man who is very family orientated and would do anything to protect his wife and kids. Therefore, he takes giant risks to try find a cure for the zombie apocalypse and comes to many close encounters with large groups of zombies. He even injects himself with a chemical which may be fatal, just to see if it may possibly make him immune from the contact of zombies.
Similarities
Gerry has stereotypical aspects of a main character in a zombie-horror film, such as; he is seen as a hero and takes charge of many situations, dominating them. We see this as a similar aspect to our main character Rudy as although he is firstly oblivious to what has been going on whilst he has been in a coma, he straight away takes charge of the situation and uses his common sense to think of quick, efficient survival techniques in which he can use to find safety. Also, when he joins a group of people, despite them being from the army, he is eventually seen as the leader even though they have a higher authority over him.
Jerry taking the risk injecting himself with harmful toxins
Shaun is portrayed as an average, ordinary, immature man. In the begin of the film the audience immediately know how docile he is due to him being totally oblivious of the Zombie outbreak whilst walking the streets in the morning. However, when the Zombie apocalypse arrives he is takes the lead role among his family and friends, becoming the dominant man he needs to be. Throughout the film a hero is born within Shaun as he matures and makes it his destiny to save his mum, girlfriend and friends as they are his main priority. He decides becoming the hero will help him win his girlfriend back.
Similarities
Shaun and our main character, Rudy, share similar aspects throughout our film. Rudy is also oblivious of the zombie apocalypse like Shaun, but only due to him being in a coma. Rudy will also be portrayed as an ordinary character in our film. However, when the apocalypse outbreaks he will step up to be a fearless, superior man who always makes reasonable choices in a broken world. Furthermore, like Shaun, Rudy's prioritizes his loved ones in the outbreak and aims to save them. Despite him not knowing where they are he sets out to find them and does not rest until he does.
Shaun oblivious to the zombies
Gerry - World War Z
Gerry is portrayed as a god-like hero throughout World War Z. He has the overall screen time and is the main focus of the film. Furthermore, Gerry is a man who is very family orientated and would do anything to protect his wife and kids. Therefore, he takes giant risks to try find a cure for the zombie apocalypse and comes to many close encounters with large groups of zombies. He even injects himself with a chemical which may be fatal, just to see if it may possibly make him immune from the contact of zombies.Similarities
Gerry has stereotypical aspects of a main character in a zombie-horror film, such as; he is seen as a hero and takes charge of many situations, dominating them. We see this as a similar aspect to our main character Rudy as although he is firstly oblivious to what has been going on whilst he has been in a coma, he straight away takes charge of the situation and uses his common sense to think of quick, efficient survival techniques in which he can use to find safety. Also, when he joins a group of people, despite them being from the army, he is eventually seen as the leader even though they have a higher authority over him.
Jerry taking the risk injecting himself with harmful toxins
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
RESEARCH: CHARACTERS
Rick, The Walking Dead.
Rick from The Walking Dead is the main character in the TV show. This is how I want our main character to be in our short movie. He is a very assertive character. But like he is shown here in the first episode, he is confused and you can clearly see the reason that he was in hospital for in the first place before the virus broke out. This then gives the audience the idea that something is going wrong without actually knowing it yet, as you think 'why would he be allowed out of hospital early when he is not fully healed?'. Rick stays calm right through the whole TV show, and I believe that is the characteristic we want of our main character, to stay calm throughout our short movie.
Rick is typically calm, smart, a good friend and father, but will often stubbornly cling to his personal strong moral code, which has resulted in numerous bad calls and extra stress within the group. Rick's greatest fault, perhaps, is his uncanny ability to place responsibility on himself and set for himself goals that are impossible to reach. This has, on various occasions, put Rick at ends with both Lori and Shane, and often weighs heavily on his mind. Despite his faults, his combat skill and general care for all members of the group have led him to be looked up to, and allowed him to take the leadership role within the group. http://walkingdead.wikia.com/wiki/Rick_Grimes_(TV_Series)
Brad Pitt's role as 'Gerry Lane' in World War Z
Gerry again is a strong character that has to take charge and become a leader within the situation he is in. Exactly what our main character needs to do, he steps up to the mark. This is one main characteristic our character needs. Also he becomes independent, which is exactly how our character is going to be as in the storyline he has no one. I want the character in our movie to take on the characteristic which Gerry uses well to his advantage. It brings his past into the movie, making him feel like he's in his element and that he really excels in the situation, due to his boring life before all of this happened.
The film stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who must travel the world to find a way to stop a zombie pandemic. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z_(film)
Overall the research on characters has helped a lot, said have found a lot about how I want our character to be portrayed. I would like him to seem as though he is a strong and independent person within the situation, and that the situation has brought out the independence which he once didn't have. Although I want it to seem a shock at first, he could then come out of his shell and embrace his situation. However we would only do that if we got the chance to film a longer clip.
Storyline Idea
beginning
The beginning is of our main character, Rudy, waking up from a coma, as he was stabbed in the arm and lost a lot of blood. The first shot of our film starts with a point of view shot where the characters eyes are closed. He opens his eyes slowly and all his vision is blurry. He hears sounds of screaming and groaning, shot fires and things smashing. However, when his vision becomes clear the sound disappears and he realises there is no sound at all and he is in a derelict hospital which is completely empty. He sees a note on the table beside him with some dead rotten flowers, symbolising that he has been in a coma a while. Also accompanied with the note is a loaded gun. The more reads 'The dead have taken over, by the time you awake from
this all humanity will have been lost. Here's a gun to protect you, you'll
need to get them in the head. Don't worry, I'm with a group of survivors and we have a safe place for now. I also got the scumbag who stabbed you. Seth' . Seth is Rudy's younger brother. When we see Rudy reading the note, we hear a voice over of Seth reading the note. When Rudy reads the part of the note about him being stabbed, he looks at his left shoulder to see him in bandages. He then has a flashback to the moment when he got stabbed. When it goes back to the present time he picks picks up the fun and the note and heads out for an exit. The lights in the hospital are sensored so he walks into a dark corridor and the lights come on. As he continues to slowly stumble down the corridor the lights continue to turn on however, he sees one corridor with the lights already on and realises there must be some sort of movement on that corridor. He believes it will be a zombie so he avoids using the corridor andhappens to find a way out. Outside the hospital is a huge scattered pile of dead bodies, both human and zombies. He carries on stumbling through the streets until he stumbles over due to his lack of energy and due to him becoming fatigued. The camera is a very low birds eye view shot of Rudy laid on the floor and it rises up. As the camera rises it's fades out to white which could symbolise heaven, and that Rudy has died. He gets rescued by an army crew in a helicopter who takes him to safety on a big ship in the middle of the sea.
Middle
The middle of my film will Rudy has joined a group of army soldiers who are going back to land to look for a cure. Rudy offers to take part as he is a brave. character, and also as he made a deal that if he goes then they will help him search for his brother. Along the way in the journey the group comes across a lot of problem including zombies and humans. One incident caused the death of the group leader, meaning Rudy takes charge. Also, another incident included a group of survivors who have taken hostages to be bate for the zombies, one of them being a one armed Seth. This causes Rudy to lash out and kill all the enemy group. Seth goes back to the boat for treatment as the group continues to search for a cure.
Ending
In the ending, the group go to a lab to find the items they need to find a cure. Whilst in the lab the group is contamintaed with some sort of other virus as they are testing things on a zombie they have chained up, almost like a dog on a lead. Unfortunately the crew become weak and the zombie breaks out and get them however, Rudy is able to escape with all the gear they have taken but grows weak and stumbles over. As you think the film is over and Rudy is hopeless, a certain face walks over and helps Rudy up, it's Seth. He comes in a helicopter with another group of soldiers who carry him to safety into a chopper. The film ends with the helicopter taking off and Rudy saying 'I'm sorry, I couldn't do it, i wa...' however Seth interrupts and says 'We found a scientist, he knows exactly what he's doing and you have everything we need' There is then a little grin from Rudy with grows to laughter from them both and the final shot is an establishing shot of the destroyed city and the helicopter flying high above back to saftey, symbolising they are 'on top of the world'.
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