I love this treatment of the scenario - and I absolutely love the idea of the 'letters from the trenches' - an epistolary structure, in which we hear accounts of the waning fortunes of the good soldiers, which in practical terms, is describing the way in which bacteria is becoming resistant. Personally, I think you shouldn't cap the age-range on this - just let it be for GCSE students upwards. I can see how the ending of your film could be properly poignant and properly thought provoking - for this reason: WW1 was called the 'War to end all wars' - it was so horrible that people thought it could never happen again and that we would move into a utopian period of everlasting peace, when instead WW2 happened - unthinkable: the idea that the battle against bacteria, which we considered won, is likely to be but a preface to some other unthinkable conflict aligns beautifully (and chillingly) with your WW1 vibe. The other way in which your WW1-esque setting chimes with your scenario is this: men were sent to fight battles that their superiors knew couldn't be won, which is a bit like people taking antibiotics for complaints that they themselves cannot fix - what a waste!
You've probably done this already, but in terms of colour palate and typography etc. you should take a look at British propaganda posters for WW1:
(You'll notice that the Germans were depicted as 'apes' in propaganda posters, so I wonder if your bacteria might reflect some of that simian brutishness (knuckle-dragging etc.).
I also found this resource (there will be many more no doubt) - genuine letters from the trenches; it would be good to appropriate the idioms of these to give your film that lovely clipped sense of English expression - stiff upper lip and all that:
I think you're really onto something with this framing device, Joe - it's intelligent and melancholy and precise too. I can just imagine you working with a talent voice-over artist too, who can give voice to those letters home... Looking forward to you developing this a whole lot more in readiness for the pitch.
I will most definitely make use of the resources you've linked. I was a tad worried that I may have gone a bit far out with my concept, but I'm glad you can see what I'm trying to do.
I'm writing a draft of the script today. And then doing a few more creature designs, as the bacteria aren't all that resolved at the moment. But I think I'm getting there otherwise.
OGR 03/03/2016
ReplyDeleteHey Joe,
I love this treatment of the scenario - and I absolutely love the idea of the 'letters from the trenches' - an epistolary structure, in which we hear accounts of the waning fortunes of the good soldiers, which in practical terms, is describing the way in which bacteria is becoming resistant. Personally, I think you shouldn't cap the age-range on this - just let it be for GCSE students upwards. I can see how the ending of your film could be properly poignant and properly thought provoking - for this reason: WW1 was called the 'War to end all wars' - it was so horrible that people thought it could never happen again and that we would move into a utopian period of everlasting peace, when instead WW2 happened - unthinkable: the idea that the battle against bacteria, which we considered won, is likely to be but a preface to some other unthinkable conflict aligns beautifully (and chillingly) with your WW1 vibe. The other way in which your WW1-esque setting chimes with your scenario is this: men were sent to fight battles that their superiors knew couldn't be won, which is a bit like people taking antibiotics for complaints that they themselves cannot fix - what a waste!
You've probably done this already, but in terms of colour palate and typography etc. you should take a look at British propaganda posters for WW1:
http://www.iwm.org.uk/learning/resources/first-world-war-recruitment-posters
(You'll notice that the Germans were depicted as 'apes' in propaganda posters, so I wonder if your bacteria might reflect some of that simian brutishness (knuckle-dragging etc.).
I also found this resource (there will be many more no doubt) - genuine letters from the trenches; it would be good to appropriate the idioms of these to give your film that lovely clipped sense of English expression - stiff upper lip and all that:
http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/letters-to-loved-ones
I think you're really onto something with this framing device, Joe - it's intelligent and melancholy and precise too. I can just imagine you working with a talent voice-over artist too, who can give voice to those letters home... Looking forward to you developing this a whole lot more in readiness for the pitch.
Thank you Phil! :)
DeleteI will most definitely make use of the resources you've linked. I was a tad worried that I may have gone a bit far out with my concept, but I'm glad you can see what I'm trying to do.
I'm writing a draft of the script today. And then doing a few more creature designs, as the bacteria aren't all that resolved at the moment. But I think I'm getting there otherwise.
Thanks once again!