The Creative Process and Screenplay Development for an Original Post-apocalyptic Film
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 137A
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
Post-apocalyptic film is and has been a popular subgenre of science fiction in American film since early in the twentieth century. The intent of this presentation is to discuss the study of the subgenre leading to the process of creating a film screenplay. Divided into three parts, this includes: the study and analysis of post-apocalyptic films, steps in script development, and an overview of the final product. Study included screening historical examples, reviewing the film genre progression, analyzing by type of apocalypse and discussing the relationship between how people’s fears at the time in which the film was created influenced the source and nature of apocalypse featured. A film idea grows out of a deepened understanding of the genre and what motivates viewers’ fascination. Project steps were established, reviewed, and modified while working with the instructor on the process. The final product included: a script sample, an outline, and a “pitch” to the class. Envisioned in the steampunk aesthetic, my screenplay tells the story of a couple who accidently time travel into a future in which they find the Earth and all her inhabitants threatened by catastrophic solar flare activity which is burning off the planet’s atmosphere. They discover that the key scientist working to remedy this crisis is their 27th great-granddaughter, and must return to the past and have children (and thus insure that the woman who could save the earth is born). The pitch includes a slideshow covering the story, crisis, characters, and aesthetic.
Recommended Citation
Commins, Mary, "The Creative Process and Screenplay Development for an Original Post-apocalyptic Film" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 2.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/creativeexpression/2
Additional Mentoring Department
Film and Video Studies
The Creative Process and Screenplay Development for an Original Post-apocalyptic Film
SURC 137A
Post-apocalyptic film is and has been a popular subgenre of science fiction in American film since early in the twentieth century. The intent of this presentation is to discuss the study of the subgenre leading to the process of creating a film screenplay. Divided into three parts, this includes: the study and analysis of post-apocalyptic films, steps in script development, and an overview of the final product. Study included screening historical examples, reviewing the film genre progression, analyzing by type of apocalypse and discussing the relationship between how people’s fears at the time in which the film was created influenced the source and nature of apocalypse featured. A film idea grows out of a deepened understanding of the genre and what motivates viewers’ fascination. Project steps were established, reviewed, and modified while working with the instructor on the process. The final product included: a script sample, an outline, and a “pitch” to the class. Envisioned in the steampunk aesthetic, my screenplay tells the story of a couple who accidently time travel into a future in which they find the Earth and all her inhabitants threatened by catastrophic solar flare activity which is burning off the planet’s atmosphere. They discover that the key scientist working to remedy this crisis is their 27th great-granddaughter, and must return to the past and have children (and thus insure that the woman who could save the earth is born). The pitch includes a slideshow covering the story, crisis, characters, and aesthetic.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Toni Culjak