I especially liked jetbaby' s trailer thingies, they really add to the atmosphere. But about the farm: let the kid watch the personnel evacuate towards the shelter, then show him crying and add a trail of smoke in the background (bomb descending). The father or mother runs towards the kid to get him into the home shelter/ basement but fails, they get vaporised by the blast. Don' t worry about violence; war and wasteland survival ARE all about violence.
The past few days I' ve been thinking about certain things and came up with this as a sort of story or plothook.
Have the 5 year old Sera and her family run through a mass of people, hastly trying to get transportation out of the city. This takes place about an hour or so before ground zero; looters are .. er.. looting stores, things erupt in a lot of violence as passers by are cought in the melee and such. Have special riot squads deploy on an intersection and secure all fleeing people. One of them gets the order to fire into the rioting and looting mass, he hesitates but continues nonetheless. Have Sera watch this. Due to the panic that ensues the family then gets separated. Possibly have Sera get a special thingy from her mother or such. In a split second Sera gets separated and is left alone while the mass of fleeing people push her family further away from her. She cries and yells. Have a kind old man pick her up and take her into one of the trains/busses/other transportation devices. She' ll come to call this kind old man grandfather later on. He' ll watch over her when they reach the shelter and will tell stories of places far beyond where wildlife and animals teem and life is bliss. One day he' ll take her there to start a new life.
Some years later have someone attack the shelter. Keep most frames black and only use lighting when guns are fired. Have almost everyone killed. The children will be abducted to work as slaves and such. At this moment have Sera loose her trincket.
Many years later you can have her returning to the shelter and retrieve it. You can be vague about the conditions she lived in as a slave and how she came to be here. That' s a plothook you can explain later on.
Damn, now my fingers are itching to write a scenario down and make a short movie myself. Well, I hope this thing is usefull for you.
Need help with post-apocalyptic movie
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CloudNineGT
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Those are some good ideas for her development Calal, and if I may I'm going to expand on them. If Sera were to witness a massacre (make this firing serious, killing at least 20-50 people) then when she kills, every now and then scenes of extreme violence would bring back this blocked out memory. Never during combat or while killing, but after when her adrenaline wears off (the way rob describes her it seems like she fights mostly in a adrenal, impulsive way) Should she see the bodies of those she killed later or even just dead bodes, leave her wracked with sobs, possibly nauseating her. Flashbacks. For when she comes into contact with those she killed, introduce an aspect of self-hate for what she has done, or hate for the world that forces her to face this horrorshow. Maybe she finds a solace from her guilt in combat, feeling the adrenaline and forgetting her problems, but creating a vicious cycle. Euphoric in combat, emotionally destroyed afterwards. If you do chose to follow something along this line, rather than crying introduce the element of her becoming violently sick. I feel it conveys more emotions.
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Megatron
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perhaps instead of a vault massacre they could just get rounded up by soldiers. She and her buddys work as slaves until one day she nearly gets raped, so she does some ninja moves and pulls his balls out of his ass. She then gets his gun and has a REVOLUTION against soldier men and THATS THA END!
But nearly all her buddys get killed or group together and lynch her. As she's swinging from the noose she has an EPHIPHANY so does some more ninja moves and escapes.
Yea, she's on a mission from GOD you see :wank:
But nearly all her buddys get killed or group together and lynch her. As she's swinging from the noose she has an EPHIPHANY so does some more ninja moves and escapes.
Yea, she's on a mission from GOD you see :wank:
Calal- I'll need to condense the farm scene a little so it doesn't take up too much time, but what you described is essentially what the sequence will be like. As for the violence factor, don't you worry- I can assure you that there will be many plentiful helpings of carnage throughout the series. 
I definitely like your idea of having Sera's family seperated in the panicking crowds of people before the impact. However, I'm having a hard time choosing between this idea or one of the others we have come up with so far. To recap, here's a list of the ideas we've been able to come up with for how Sera is seperated from her parents.
A) Sera becomes seperated from her parents (for the sake of simplicity, let's assume for now that Sera is an only child) as they are attempting to make their way through the frenzied crowds. She either makes her way to shelter on her own, or is brought to safety by someone else.
Sera's family is able to reach the shelter together, but upon arrival they find that the shelter is full and its inhabitants will not allow anyone else to enter. Sera's parents beg the shelter guards to take their child, and the guards mercifully allow Sera to enter. Sera must part with her parents forever, and it is at this time that her parents could possibly give her a keepsake to remember them by.
C) Sera and her parents are all admitted to the shelter, where they hide safely until the bombs have fallen. Weeks later, the shelter's inhabitants are massacred by survivors from the outside looking for food and other supplies. Sera survives the slaughter (perhaps her parents' bodies act as shields, protecting Sera from the bullets) and emerges from the shelter, alone and deeply traumatized, after the looters have left.
Those seem to be the 3 most appealing choices. Which of these sounds the best to you guys? Or does anyone have any more ideas on the subject?
Anyways, moving onto the next part of your story idea- your idea of the riot squads being deployed seems questionable. It occurs to me that if the entire country's population knew that a nuclear attack was imminent, there would be few attempts by officials to enforce the law and keep citizens under control. Wouldn't it make more sense to simply show a few confused cops or military personnel making a futile attempt to maintain order by firing on the crowds? Of course, I could be wrong- please feel free to comment further on this.
Moving on, there are some problems with the idea about the grandfather-type figure and the idea of children being captured and used as slaves. I feel like if we were to use that idea, it would lead the story in an entirely different direction than what we currently have planned. If we used this idea, the focus of the series would shift a lot more towards Sera's history and her life as a young girl. I would prefer to keep the movie more focused on the present and future of Sera's character, than on the events of her life as a child. However, I am in no way saying that I don't like your idea- I just don't think it fits this particular story. If you're eager to make your own short movie, you should! I bet you could put your idea to much better use than I would be able to. Whereas I would only be using your idea as a vague history for my character, you could use your movie to tell the entire story of the child's life as a slave and his/her eventual escape to freedom. Give it some thought. : )
CloudNine- Once again, you have given some very good suggestions. We could tie this all into the idea of Sera becoming suicidal at one point. Perhaps in one episode she massacres an entire group of men in a burst of adrenaline, but upon witnessing the carnage and hearing the screams of the dying soldiers, a series of violent and sickening memories suddenly come rushing back to her- memories from the massacre she witnessed as a young girl, and the things she had to endure in her growing years. After the powerful and abrupt flashback, Sera breaks down into tears and/or becomes nauseated. After she has calmed down, she considers ending it all. She holds her weapon to her head and prepares to squeeze the trigger, but then hesitates, has second thoughts, and silently lowers the weapon. She sits in silence for several minutes, shaken and afraid, and a new side of her character is shown that we will not have seen beforehand.
I find it interesting that you feel a character can convey more emotions by becoming sick than by crying. I personally feel that the opposite is true, as I tend to associate nausea with things like witnessing a scene of intense carnage or something else that is truly disgusting, and crying as a more emotional response, to things like sadness or fear. For a character like Sera, it seems more appropriate that upon remembering some painful memories from her past, she would simply break down into tears or possibly even enter a state of shock. However, I definitely respect your opinion and ideas, so please expand on this if you disagree- I am curious to hear more on your views of the subject.
Megatron- LOL, I love it. Especially the part where her friends get pissed off and lynch her.
I definitely like your idea of having Sera's family seperated in the panicking crowds of people before the impact. However, I'm having a hard time choosing between this idea or one of the others we have come up with so far. To recap, here's a list of the ideas we've been able to come up with for how Sera is seperated from her parents.
A) Sera becomes seperated from her parents (for the sake of simplicity, let's assume for now that Sera is an only child) as they are attempting to make their way through the frenzied crowds. She either makes her way to shelter on her own, or is brought to safety by someone else.
Sera's family is able to reach the shelter together, but upon arrival they find that the shelter is full and its inhabitants will not allow anyone else to enter. Sera's parents beg the shelter guards to take their child, and the guards mercifully allow Sera to enter. Sera must part with her parents forever, and it is at this time that her parents could possibly give her a keepsake to remember them by.C) Sera and her parents are all admitted to the shelter, where they hide safely until the bombs have fallen. Weeks later, the shelter's inhabitants are massacred by survivors from the outside looking for food and other supplies. Sera survives the slaughter (perhaps her parents' bodies act as shields, protecting Sera from the bullets) and emerges from the shelter, alone and deeply traumatized, after the looters have left.
Those seem to be the 3 most appealing choices. Which of these sounds the best to you guys? Or does anyone have any more ideas on the subject?
Anyways, moving onto the next part of your story idea- your idea of the riot squads being deployed seems questionable. It occurs to me that if the entire country's population knew that a nuclear attack was imminent, there would be few attempts by officials to enforce the law and keep citizens under control. Wouldn't it make more sense to simply show a few confused cops or military personnel making a futile attempt to maintain order by firing on the crowds? Of course, I could be wrong- please feel free to comment further on this.
Moving on, there are some problems with the idea about the grandfather-type figure and the idea of children being captured and used as slaves. I feel like if we were to use that idea, it would lead the story in an entirely different direction than what we currently have planned. If we used this idea, the focus of the series would shift a lot more towards Sera's history and her life as a young girl. I would prefer to keep the movie more focused on the present and future of Sera's character, than on the events of her life as a child. However, I am in no way saying that I don't like your idea- I just don't think it fits this particular story. If you're eager to make your own short movie, you should! I bet you could put your idea to much better use than I would be able to. Whereas I would only be using your idea as a vague history for my character, you could use your movie to tell the entire story of the child's life as a slave and his/her eventual escape to freedom. Give it some thought. : )
CloudNine- Once again, you have given some very good suggestions. We could tie this all into the idea of Sera becoming suicidal at one point. Perhaps in one episode she massacres an entire group of men in a burst of adrenaline, but upon witnessing the carnage and hearing the screams of the dying soldiers, a series of violent and sickening memories suddenly come rushing back to her- memories from the massacre she witnessed as a young girl, and the things she had to endure in her growing years. After the powerful and abrupt flashback, Sera breaks down into tears and/or becomes nauseated. After she has calmed down, she considers ending it all. She holds her weapon to her head and prepares to squeeze the trigger, but then hesitates, has second thoughts, and silently lowers the weapon. She sits in silence for several minutes, shaken and afraid, and a new side of her character is shown that we will not have seen beforehand.
I find it interesting that you feel a character can convey more emotions by becoming sick than by crying. I personally feel that the opposite is true, as I tend to associate nausea with things like witnessing a scene of intense carnage or something else that is truly disgusting, and crying as a more emotional response, to things like sadness or fear. For a character like Sera, it seems more appropriate that upon remembering some painful memories from her past, she would simply break down into tears or possibly even enter a state of shock. However, I definitely respect your opinion and ideas, so please expand on this if you disagree- I am curious to hear more on your views of the subject.
Megatron- LOL, I love it. Especially the part where her friends get pissed off and lynch her.
Damn straight.Yea, she's on a mission from GOD you see :wank:
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CloudNineGT
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In response to A B and C, they all sound good, but possibly a little bland unless they are made up right. A has some possibilities, maybe even the soldiers who massacre her parents could rescue her. I’m getting a little bit of an idea for a scene right now: Soldiers are stationed to guard.. something.. Possibly a shelter. They are given orders to hold their fire, but are nervous. One man breaks the lines and runs at a soldier, and he opens fire, causing massive panic throughout the crowd, and causing other soldiers to fire. This goes on for maybe 30 seconds until a higher ranking officer manages to control the firing. Sara, being a little girl, might have been short enough not to get hit, or something of the like. At this point, the officer sees her amongst dead bodies, grabs her, and hands her to someone stocking a shelter/one of the refugees.
Not the most fantastic idea, but hey, its an idea. As for sick vs crying, my case is this: In a male situation, throwing up would be a less emotional response, but from a feminine standpoint, it is the more extreme if the two. I have known quite a few girls who when extremely emotionally distressed actually make themselves physically sick. Also, crying presents to me only emotions of sadness, remorse, exc. Feelings such as guilt, fear and revulsion are much more visceral, you can feel them weighing on your chest, heavy in your stomach. If you feel crying is more appropriate, go for it. Just consider that there are different ways to cry, and the cutie girl one is without a doubt not the appropriate one for this scene.
Not the most fantastic idea, but hey, its an idea. As for sick vs crying, my case is this: In a male situation, throwing up would be a less emotional response, but from a feminine standpoint, it is the more extreme if the two. I have known quite a few girls who when extremely emotionally distressed actually make themselves physically sick. Also, crying presents to me only emotions of sadness, remorse, exc. Feelings such as guilt, fear and revulsion are much more visceral, you can feel them weighing on your chest, heavy in your stomach. If you feel crying is more appropriate, go for it. Just consider that there are different ways to cry, and the cutie girl one is without a doubt not the appropriate one for this scene.
Sorry about the long delay, I've been having a number of computer problems over the last few days and was not able to access the internet until tonight.
Anyways, CloudNine, I agree with you that those 3 ideas I listed are somewhat unoriginal. I was planning to either expand on one of them in a way that made it more interesting, or at the very least, use them as placeholders until I could figure out a better idea.
I definitely like your suggestion for Idea A. The only thing that needs to be worked on is the issue of time- in its current state, this sequence would take far too long to fit in with the pace of the preview. If we can figure out a way to speed things up considerably, this idea will be a very good candidate. Right now I'm quite tired so I'm sort of at a loss for ideas, but I'll definitely be thinking about it and I'll let you know if I come up with anything good. Would anyone else care to comment or share their ideas on the subject?
Now, in regards to the sick vs. crying thing- I see your point. I think I'll wait until I'm actually planning out the scene before I try to decide on whether or not I want to use the idea of Sera getting sick in response to her flashback. Sick or not, she will definitely be crying as well, and I can assure you that I'm well aware of the different ways in which a person can cry, and will be sure to choose an appropriate way for the scene. I think that more than anything else, I like the idea of Sera going into a state of shock when her memory comes rushing back to her- falling to the ground, shaking violently with her eyes clenched shut, and breathing heavily as the tears run down her face.
But like I said, I'll wait until I'm actually planning out that particular scene before I concern myself with all of that- right now I need to deal with the immediate questions about the preview and the overall storyline.
Anyways, CloudNine, I agree with you that those 3 ideas I listed are somewhat unoriginal. I was planning to either expand on one of them in a way that made it more interesting, or at the very least, use them as placeholders until I could figure out a better idea.
I definitely like your suggestion for Idea A. The only thing that needs to be worked on is the issue of time- in its current state, this sequence would take far too long to fit in with the pace of the preview. If we can figure out a way to speed things up considerably, this idea will be a very good candidate. Right now I'm quite tired so I'm sort of at a loss for ideas, but I'll definitely be thinking about it and I'll let you know if I come up with anything good. Would anyone else care to comment or share their ideas on the subject?
Now, in regards to the sick vs. crying thing- I see your point. I think I'll wait until I'm actually planning out the scene before I try to decide on whether or not I want to use the idea of Sera getting sick in response to her flashback. Sick or not, she will definitely be crying as well, and I can assure you that I'm well aware of the different ways in which a person can cry, and will be sure to choose an appropriate way for the scene. I think that more than anything else, I like the idea of Sera going into a state of shock when her memory comes rushing back to her- falling to the ground, shaking violently with her eyes clenched shut, and breathing heavily as the tears run down her face.
But like I said, I'll wait until I'm actually planning out that particular scene before I concern myself with all of that- right now I need to deal with the immediate questions about the preview and the overall storyline.
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CloudNineGT
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Either way the emotions that are conveyed sound powerful enough to get the message across. I thought most of your issues with the preview had been figured out, were there any particular elements you are yet to solidify?
I do see what you mean about the story being a little long to fit into a preview, though by all means her story need not be conveyed in the preview alone. It could make for a more engaging plot if bits and pieces were revealed as time goes by. Memories can be brought up by sights, or simply when she has some down time. Every now and then she well be traveling, perhaps it would be a good idea to devote an entire episode later in the series to her memories. What are the modes of transportation available to her anyway? Any sort of animals left anymore (a la Mad Max and the camels) An interaction with a non-human but still sentient creature could also strengthen her character, as I understand you want her to be a loner of sorts.
I do see what you mean about the story being a little long to fit into a preview, though by all means her story need not be conveyed in the preview alone. It could make for a more engaging plot if bits and pieces were revealed as time goes by. Memories can be brought up by sights, or simply when she has some down time. Every now and then she well be traveling, perhaps it would be a good idea to devote an entire episode later in the series to her memories. What are the modes of transportation available to her anyway? Any sort of animals left anymore (a la Mad Max and the camels) An interaction with a non-human but still sentient creature could also strengthen her character, as I understand you want her to be a loner of sorts.
Once again, sorry for the long wait- I've been completely swamped with schoolwork lately and haven't had any time to write a good reply. I just finished a huge project that's been eating up all my free time, so there shouldn't be any more delays.
Anyways, you bring up a good point- it might make things more interesting if I reveal Sera's history throughout the entire series, instead of giving it all away in the preview. An episode dedicated to her history would be a nice change of pace, and since she spends a lot of time travelling, it could fit into the series quite easily.
In response to your question about her mode of transportation- cars are the primary means of conveyance for just about everyone living in the wastes. The survivors need something that can serve as both their transportation and their shelter, since they must constantly be on the move while searching for food and other necessary supplies. Cars are also useful because they can be equipped with weapons and used in combat. Because of this fact, gasoline is an extremely valuable resource, on the same level of necessity as food, water, or ammunition.
Sera uses a variety of vehicles to travel, driving whatever she can find, repair, or steal. In the first episode, she goes through a couple of different cars, but I plan on eventually having her find a battle-equipped vehicle that she keeps throughout the rest of the series. I was planning on having this happen at the end of the second episode, although I need to come up with a plausible way for her to find the vehicle.
On the subject of animals, there are probably a number of non-human lifeforms left in the wastes, though I have not considered using them in the series at this point. It isn't out of the question, but animals pose a much greater challenge than vehicles, from an animator's standpoint. When I want to include a vehicle in the movie, I can simply find a premade 3D model and import it into Flash using a 3rd-party 3D program. However, if I wanted to include an animal, I would have to hand-draw each shot of the creature (something that may prove difficult, as I don't have much experience drawing animals), and any animated shots (walking animations, for example) would have to be drawn out frame by frame, which is an extremely time-consuming process.
And finally, you asked what elements I still needed help with. I think I've got all the ideas I need for the preview, except for some minor things which I can figure out on my own. Right now, I just need to finalize Sera's backstory and her purpose in the actual series, and a few other things related to the story and the series as a whole. However, I have recently made some decisions that I should mention before I discuss this any further.
After giving it a lot of thought, I have come to the decision that I've overcomplicated a lot of the elements of the series. There are some things I'm trying to fit into the story that aren't really necessary, and I'm spending a lot of time worrying over things that don't really serve a purpose. This is not going to be a long series (it will probably only consist of 4 or 5 episodes, plus the preview), so I need to simplify things or else the series will end up rushed and confusing, not to mention it will take far too long to produce.
I think that first of all, I'm getting too wrapped up in trying to give Sera this really intricate background. I've always intended for the series to be based on Sera's present and future, and if I give her some complicated past, it just means that I have to devote more time to explaining her history and less time to the events of the actual series. Of course, she needs to have some sort of history, and I'll definitely make references to it throughout the series (as we've discussed), but I just don't feel that it's necessary to worry over giving her some complicated backstory.
Secondly, I've been spending a lot of time trying to come up with something amazing for the end of the series, but now I'm realizing that in this case, the journey is more important than the destination. I think the fallout shelter idea (Sera learns about a massive shelter hidden in a remote location, and the series is an account of her journey to this shelter) serves quite nicely as Sera's destination. If I use that idea, I can focus on the adventures and changes that Sera experiences on her way to the shelter, instead of spending a bunch of time building up to some huge climax.
Lastly, I have decided that the whole concept of the hunting machines is somewhat unnecessary at this point, and only serves to further complicate the series. If the series were longer and I had more time to expand on the story behind the machines, I would love to include them; but in its current state, the series would just work better if I left them out. And as an added bonus, it means I don't have to spend a ton of cash on all the 3D models I would need for the hunting machines.
By eliminating those factors, the series will run much more smoothly, and I can devote more time to the actual story. Having said that, there are only a few things left for me to decide on. I still need to decide on Sera's history, though it doesn't need to be anything particularly complex or original. Any one of the ideas we have already discussed would be just fine. Also, though it won't really be a cause for concern until much later, I do need to decide on what will happen once Sera reaches the fallout shelter at the end of the series.
Other than that, there are a few minor issues I still have to decide on, but I'm pretty sure I can figure those out myself. Let me know if you have any ideas or comments on what I mentioned above, or if you have any more questions about the series. Thanks again for all the help you guys have given me, I really appreciate it.
Anyways, you bring up a good point- it might make things more interesting if I reveal Sera's history throughout the entire series, instead of giving it all away in the preview. An episode dedicated to her history would be a nice change of pace, and since she spends a lot of time travelling, it could fit into the series quite easily.
In response to your question about her mode of transportation- cars are the primary means of conveyance for just about everyone living in the wastes. The survivors need something that can serve as both their transportation and their shelter, since they must constantly be on the move while searching for food and other necessary supplies. Cars are also useful because they can be equipped with weapons and used in combat. Because of this fact, gasoline is an extremely valuable resource, on the same level of necessity as food, water, or ammunition.
Sera uses a variety of vehicles to travel, driving whatever she can find, repair, or steal. In the first episode, she goes through a couple of different cars, but I plan on eventually having her find a battle-equipped vehicle that she keeps throughout the rest of the series. I was planning on having this happen at the end of the second episode, although I need to come up with a plausible way for her to find the vehicle.
On the subject of animals, there are probably a number of non-human lifeforms left in the wastes, though I have not considered using them in the series at this point. It isn't out of the question, but animals pose a much greater challenge than vehicles, from an animator's standpoint. When I want to include a vehicle in the movie, I can simply find a premade 3D model and import it into Flash using a 3rd-party 3D program. However, if I wanted to include an animal, I would have to hand-draw each shot of the creature (something that may prove difficult, as I don't have much experience drawing animals), and any animated shots (walking animations, for example) would have to be drawn out frame by frame, which is an extremely time-consuming process.
And finally, you asked what elements I still needed help with. I think I've got all the ideas I need for the preview, except for some minor things which I can figure out on my own. Right now, I just need to finalize Sera's backstory and her purpose in the actual series, and a few other things related to the story and the series as a whole. However, I have recently made some decisions that I should mention before I discuss this any further.
After giving it a lot of thought, I have come to the decision that I've overcomplicated a lot of the elements of the series. There are some things I'm trying to fit into the story that aren't really necessary, and I'm spending a lot of time worrying over things that don't really serve a purpose. This is not going to be a long series (it will probably only consist of 4 or 5 episodes, plus the preview), so I need to simplify things or else the series will end up rushed and confusing, not to mention it will take far too long to produce.
I think that first of all, I'm getting too wrapped up in trying to give Sera this really intricate background. I've always intended for the series to be based on Sera's present and future, and if I give her some complicated past, it just means that I have to devote more time to explaining her history and less time to the events of the actual series. Of course, she needs to have some sort of history, and I'll definitely make references to it throughout the series (as we've discussed), but I just don't feel that it's necessary to worry over giving her some complicated backstory.
Secondly, I've been spending a lot of time trying to come up with something amazing for the end of the series, but now I'm realizing that in this case, the journey is more important than the destination. I think the fallout shelter idea (Sera learns about a massive shelter hidden in a remote location, and the series is an account of her journey to this shelter) serves quite nicely as Sera's destination. If I use that idea, I can focus on the adventures and changes that Sera experiences on her way to the shelter, instead of spending a bunch of time building up to some huge climax.
Lastly, I have decided that the whole concept of the hunting machines is somewhat unnecessary at this point, and only serves to further complicate the series. If the series were longer and I had more time to expand on the story behind the machines, I would love to include them; but in its current state, the series would just work better if I left them out. And as an added bonus, it means I don't have to spend a ton of cash on all the 3D models I would need for the hunting machines.
By eliminating those factors, the series will run much more smoothly, and I can devote more time to the actual story. Having said that, there are only a few things left for me to decide on. I still need to decide on Sera's history, though it doesn't need to be anything particularly complex or original. Any one of the ideas we have already discussed would be just fine. Also, though it won't really be a cause for concern until much later, I do need to decide on what will happen once Sera reaches the fallout shelter at the end of the series.
Other than that, there are a few minor issues I still have to decide on, but I'm pretty sure I can figure those out myself. Let me know if you have any ideas or comments on what I mentioned above, or if you have any more questions about the series. Thanks again for all the help you guys have given me, I really appreciate it.
Okay, never say "unoriginal" again. EVERYTHING is unoriginal. Every single idea is used in some sense or another already by some othe rhuman being at some point in time. Does a classic story line about love and romance, a man trying to save his wife from the evil captors, make it a bad idea? It is all in how you USE the idea. Just being "original" doesn't make it good. If you want original make it about a talking pig whos life goal is to fly into the sun, but along the way finds OMG WTF talking human? The object is not to be "ORIGINAL" so much as to be "INTERESTING" in your project.
Sorry about not replying to the above before but I forgot about htis thread, but here we go.
As far as her memories, don't have her vomit to those. That would be ... I dunno. It just wouldn't seem "right." Vomiting at what she is SEEING (i.e. murder/death/kill/pain/violence) would be acceptable, but only to a certain degree. What was her life like since the war? Did she grow up around violence, death, blood, gore, etc? If this is the case, she wouldn't shed a tear for anyof it, much less vomit. It is simply a fact of life. She was raised knowing that that is how life goes, it's hard, it's bloody, it's kill or be killed. No sense of self hate exists for you when you go to the store to buy a candy bar to fill your stomach does it? How about when you buy a hammer to build your home? Would you cry and vomit when you take a swing at a burglar that leaves a brief second weakness? There would be no shame in doing what is the norm. Perhaps some tears for the knowledge that there is a better way, but to be sick over it? To hate it? To hate DOING it? It is unfeasable. Especially when in her character traits he has stated that she charges into battle without worry or care of risk. This is the trait of someone who basks in the battle, or at the very least doesn't care about the risk, much less death.
I don't really have patience to read through all of hte below, but can you give me a brief summary of HOW she grows up? The time period between being separated from her parents and the beginning of the movie?
As far as being separated from her parents/having them killed/having a keepsake, why not have her parents and her and any siblings standing in a crowd walking towards a shelter, but being held back by guards. Another crowd member, screaming to be let in (with an "or else!") reaches into his pocket for a .... (we assume gun) -the guards open fire. The crowd is massacred, brief flashes of individuals in the crowd being shot, guards' faces with the muzzle flash on them. Her parents are pushed back in the rush of people, but Sera doesn't understand. She stands still, her parents fight the crowd, as the edge of the crowd nears them, they too are hit by gunfire. The mother and father drop to the ground. The gunfire stops. Sera stands bewildered, crying. She sits down next to her mother and father, bawling. (If you wanted to add it for later, the siblings body wouldn't be visible {OMG! PLOT DEVELOPMENT/FORSHADOWING}) The commanding officer and his soldiers advance through the corpses, you can see wounded people reaching out, crying out, people still running away. The officer grabs Sera who is hugging her mother's neck. The officer wrenches her away and as she is pulled away screaming, her mother's necklace is in her hands. ----EDIT---- As she is carried off show the corpse of the man that we assumed was reaching for a gun, holding a wad of cash out stretched in dead fingers.
As for shortening the farm scene. have a child standing at the edge of a cornfield, and through the lines of corn, a mother/father is screaming her name and running towards her. The child is staring up into space. Camera change to an angle below the shoulder from behind, showig the child's view. Planes flying, jet contrails everywhere, soldiers scrambling around a nuclear missle silo, empty, but still a target. Vaporization.
More later, but my wrists are hurting.too much computer usage.
When is this set?
Edit,a nd as far as "moral" or a "lesson" there really shouldn't be a blatant one. I think that the idea should be to tell a story, not teach a lesson.
Sorry about not replying to the above before but I forgot about htis thread, but here we go.
As far as her memories, don't have her vomit to those. That would be ... I dunno. It just wouldn't seem "right." Vomiting at what she is SEEING (i.e. murder/death/kill/pain/violence) would be acceptable, but only to a certain degree. What was her life like since the war? Did she grow up around violence, death, blood, gore, etc? If this is the case, she wouldn't shed a tear for anyof it, much less vomit. It is simply a fact of life. She was raised knowing that that is how life goes, it's hard, it's bloody, it's kill or be killed. No sense of self hate exists for you when you go to the store to buy a candy bar to fill your stomach does it? How about when you buy a hammer to build your home? Would you cry and vomit when you take a swing at a burglar that leaves a brief second weakness? There would be no shame in doing what is the norm. Perhaps some tears for the knowledge that there is a better way, but to be sick over it? To hate it? To hate DOING it? It is unfeasable. Especially when in her character traits he has stated that she charges into battle without worry or care of risk. This is the trait of someone who basks in the battle, or at the very least doesn't care about the risk, much less death.
I don't really have patience to read through all of hte below, but can you give me a brief summary of HOW she grows up? The time period between being separated from her parents and the beginning of the movie?
As far as being separated from her parents/having them killed/having a keepsake, why not have her parents and her and any siblings standing in a crowd walking towards a shelter, but being held back by guards. Another crowd member, screaming to be let in (with an "or else!") reaches into his pocket for a .... (we assume gun) -the guards open fire. The crowd is massacred, brief flashes of individuals in the crowd being shot, guards' faces with the muzzle flash on them. Her parents are pushed back in the rush of people, but Sera doesn't understand. She stands still, her parents fight the crowd, as the edge of the crowd nears them, they too are hit by gunfire. The mother and father drop to the ground. The gunfire stops. Sera stands bewildered, crying. She sits down next to her mother and father, bawling. (If you wanted to add it for later, the siblings body wouldn't be visible {OMG! PLOT DEVELOPMENT/FORSHADOWING}) The commanding officer and his soldiers advance through the corpses, you can see wounded people reaching out, crying out, people still running away. The officer grabs Sera who is hugging her mother's neck. The officer wrenches her away and as she is pulled away screaming, her mother's necklace is in her hands. ----EDIT---- As she is carried off show the corpse of the man that we assumed was reaching for a gun, holding a wad of cash out stretched in dead fingers.
As for shortening the farm scene. have a child standing at the edge of a cornfield, and through the lines of corn, a mother/father is screaming her name and running towards her. The child is staring up into space. Camera change to an angle below the shoulder from behind, showig the child's view. Planes flying, jet contrails everywhere, soldiers scrambling around a nuclear missle silo, empty, but still a target. Vaporization.
More later, but my wrists are hurting.too much computer usage.
When is this set?
Edit,a nd as far as "moral" or a "lesson" there really shouldn't be a blatant one. I think that the idea should be to tell a story, not teach a lesson.
Last edited by jetbaby on Tue Apr 06, 2004 9:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
off topic? OMG YOU'VE BEEN CENSORED... yet you're still posting. MYSTARY!!!!
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Megatron- there is no moral. It's a story about a person finding reason to live in a world where everything worth living for has been destroyed. Jetbaby put it nicely- read the bottom of his last post.
As for your last question, no, I don't have to animate each frame. Macromedia Flash has a number of methods for animation that don't require redrawing each individual frame. However, I do have to do some frame-by-frame drawings for some of the more complex animations. Animals would not be much different from humans, other than the fact that the humans are necessary to the story and animals aren't; they would just mean more time spent drawing.
jetbaby- good point. Although when I say "unoriginal", I don't necessarily mean that it's been done before, I mean that it's somewhat overused. Still, I agree with what you're saying; as long as the idea is well done, it doesn't matter if it's been used before or not.
And while I understand what you're saying about the whole vomit thing, I have to disagree with some of it. For example, it would be perfectly understandable to vomit or cry after punching out a burglar who let his guard down. Once your adrenaline rush had worn off, you would realize the danger you had been in, and the fact that you could have been killed, or maybe you just don't like hurting people, regardless of what their intentions are. People vomit for many more reasons than just what they see or are subjected to; it's just as much of a reaction to what a person is feeling emotionally.
Anyways, moving on, Sera's life, from the point where she loses her parents to the beginning of the series, will never be fully detailed in the series, because in Sera's mind it is nothing more than a blur of violence and suffering. She was forced to rely on her most primal instincts, killing constantly in an animalistic fashion, in order to gather enough food and water to survive. Killing became second nature to her, and over the years she perfected her method of survival by travelling from town to town and killing anyone who stood between her and the basic necessities she needed to survive. She suppressed and soon forgot her painful memories of the past, and it is at the beginning of the series that these memories begin to resurface.
I must say, you have a very good idea for the scene with her parents. I love the idea of Sera pulling the necklace off her dead mother's neck as she is pulled away; it's probably the best idea for the keepsake that I've heard yet. I'll definitely keep that in mind, and whichever idea I end up using, it will most likely contain some elements of your suggestion. Thanks!
And finally, in response to your last question- the exact year is unknown to the characters in the series, but the war probably took place about 10 years from present day, Sera was about 6 at the time of the war, and she is about 20 years old in the actual series. So, after doing some simple math, I would assume that the series takes place around 2028.
...what about them? Are you asking if I will have any, or if I'm looking for any, or what?also: voice actors?
As for your last question, no, I don't have to animate each frame. Macromedia Flash has a number of methods for animation that don't require redrawing each individual frame. However, I do have to do some frame-by-frame drawings for some of the more complex animations. Animals would not be much different from humans, other than the fact that the humans are necessary to the story and animals aren't; they would just mean more time spent drawing.
jetbaby- good point. Although when I say "unoriginal", I don't necessarily mean that it's been done before, I mean that it's somewhat overused. Still, I agree with what you're saying; as long as the idea is well done, it doesn't matter if it's been used before or not.
And while I understand what you're saying about the whole vomit thing, I have to disagree with some of it. For example, it would be perfectly understandable to vomit or cry after punching out a burglar who let his guard down. Once your adrenaline rush had worn off, you would realize the danger you had been in, and the fact that you could have been killed, or maybe you just don't like hurting people, regardless of what their intentions are. People vomit for many more reasons than just what they see or are subjected to; it's just as much of a reaction to what a person is feeling emotionally.
Anyways, moving on, Sera's life, from the point where she loses her parents to the beginning of the series, will never be fully detailed in the series, because in Sera's mind it is nothing more than a blur of violence and suffering. She was forced to rely on her most primal instincts, killing constantly in an animalistic fashion, in order to gather enough food and water to survive. Killing became second nature to her, and over the years she perfected her method of survival by travelling from town to town and killing anyone who stood between her and the basic necessities she needed to survive. She suppressed and soon forgot her painful memories of the past, and it is at the beginning of the series that these memories begin to resurface.
I must say, you have a very good idea for the scene with her parents. I love the idea of Sera pulling the necklace off her dead mother's neck as she is pulled away; it's probably the best idea for the keepsake that I've heard yet. I'll definitely keep that in mind, and whichever idea I end up using, it will most likely contain some elements of your suggestion. Thanks!
And finally, in response to your last question- the exact year is unknown to the characters in the series, but the war probably took place about 10 years from present day, Sera was about 6 at the time of the war, and she is about 20 years old in the actual series. So, after doing some simple math, I would assume that the series takes place around 2028.
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CloudNineGT
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Oh man, I didnt see your previous update. Good job on deciding to uncomplicated he series, it must take a good bit of the work off of you and will probably make her story a more enjoyable 5 episodes. The issue of her background to me should be ideal up until the bomb, and then coddled for some years by a group of survivors. During that time she may or may not have gotten combat experience, but for whatever reason (possibly her rescuers were killed later, compounding her feelings about mass killings) she ends up on her own once she is of the age 16-20, best if about 17-18 I think. From there it plays simply; she survives by whatever means necessary, blocking out bad memories with the thrill of fighting and just not thinking while she has down time. An interesting point you have probably already addressed is when the series starts her. What is she doing? I was left with the impression that she is doing the same thing she has done for years, but eventually finds hope in a vault, and maybe her humanity in the search for it.
When she reaches the fallout shelter, I am in favor of mild success. She should once again deal with people on a social level no matter the condition of the vault, and perhaps it would be more powerful for the vault to be hardly functional but more of her stopping point where she comes to terms with herself and learns to be a person once again. A small ill supplied village of ragged survivors would seem desolate, but its springing up around the vault would be nice, kind of a hope for the future and a sign that Sera has reached a new point in her life.
When she reaches the fallout shelter, I am in favor of mild success. She should once again deal with people on a social level no matter the condition of the vault, and perhaps it would be more powerful for the vault to be hardly functional but more of her stopping point where she comes to terms with herself and learns to be a person once again. A small ill supplied village of ragged survivors would seem desolate, but its springing up around the vault would be nice, kind of a hope for the future and a sign that Sera has reached a new point in her life.
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Megatron
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Yes.RobsH66 wrote:...what about them? Are you asking if I will have any, or if I'm looking for any, or what?also: voice actors?
meh, it sounds a little animarific. Mothers necklace? Some tomboy who'll probably try too hard? TEH EVIL SOLDIERS? Next you'll be having the key to the vault is the necklace or some shit. I don't mind unoriginal ideas, so long as they aren't too cheesy.
Why are the soldiers just killing everybody? They're people too. I doubt they'd stand outside a fallout shelter while bombs are falling just too keep people back, they'd just lock them out. It's kind of stupid too have soldiers potrayed as faceless robots all the time.
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CloudNineGT
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I think that’s the point, they are people. They are all extremely concerned with their own safety, guarding a vault that is being loaded but not sure they will be allowed in. A man leaps at one, and he looses it and starts firing into the crowd. This unnerves the other soldiers and sends the rest of the crowd into a frenzy causing other soldiers to have to fire. Maybe this soldier makes a break for the vault entrance, attempting to shoot his way into safety. Its more than possible a few soldiers would try it, and maybe they even succeed and seal the vault doors with a baby Sera inside and her parents (alive or dead) outside.
Your right though, it does sound all too anime. I guess that’s why I want to introduce a much more emotional side to her, and make her not just some anime girl who kills shit like there is in every other show. The necklace is stretching it, and maybe it could change it to something a little more pitiful. A soldier gives her a canteen to make her shut up, her parents have her carrying her own suitcase, something like that?
Your right though, it does sound all too anime. I guess that’s why I want to introduce a much more emotional side to her, and make her not just some anime girl who kills shit like there is in every other show. The necklace is stretching it, and maybe it could change it to something a little more pitiful. A soldier gives her a canteen to make her shut up, her parents have her carrying her own suitcase, something like that?
shit inever finished my idea. read it again.
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Megatron
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Here's how I'd do it:
Nukes get fired for whatever reason. You don't seem to need a good reason to start a war anyway, so it's not that important. Sera lives with her father, a general for the military. Her Father and her go into a vault.
A couple of years later her Father got skin cancer. As he lay on his death-bed, intoxicated from all the pain-killers, he told her of a faraway land him and his wife used to visit. He gives her some location, like a room in a hotel or something then dies. With nothing left of her previous life and a small goal, she ventures out of the vault.
If you needed something from the past life perhaps you could have some jewellery from her mother. Though instead of being some heart on a gold chain or some cliche shit, perhaps it could be too small for her and slowly chokes/strangles whatever part of her body, though she still wears it. I guess this could also be a metaphor, but it's pretty obvious and sounds a little cheesy. A bit better than a necklace though.
As for the character I'd just make her silent, though she talks a lot through monolouges? I'd make it so she kills without feeling, mabye smiling slightly as she drags out certain deaths. For instance I'd have Sera fuck some guy for information, then afterward cut his dick off. Instead of jumping all over the place around a car, just let it smash into her then let her walk away from it afterward with a broken leg.
Nukes get fired for whatever reason. You don't seem to need a good reason to start a war anyway, so it's not that important. Sera lives with her father, a general for the military. Her Father and her go into a vault.
A couple of years later her Father got skin cancer. As he lay on his death-bed, intoxicated from all the pain-killers, he told her of a faraway land him and his wife used to visit. He gives her some location, like a room in a hotel or something then dies. With nothing left of her previous life and a small goal, she ventures out of the vault.
If you needed something from the past life perhaps you could have some jewellery from her mother. Though instead of being some heart on a gold chain or some cliche shit, perhaps it could be too small for her and slowly chokes/strangles whatever part of her body, though she still wears it. I guess this could also be a metaphor, but it's pretty obvious and sounds a little cheesy. A bit better than a necklace though.
As for the character I'd just make her silent, though she talks a lot through monolouges? I'd make it so she kills without feeling, mabye smiling slightly as she drags out certain deaths. For instance I'd have Sera fuck some guy for information, then afterward cut his dick off. Instead of jumping all over the place around a car, just let it smash into her then let her walk away from it afterward with a broken leg.
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CloudNineGT
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Good ideas, all. I'm surprised nobody had introduced the idea of sex before Megatron. She is bound to encounter rape, if not be raped herself, and being in her 20's sex is a very real possibility for her. An important issue to address is how much sex is in this series. Does she ever masturbate? Its not such a weird thing to include, after all she is a person. Just don’t go all porn on us. Do you want to have any sort of fan service? You made her pretty sexy looking, but does the series ever deliver? I'm not in favor of the whole porn idea but its more than possible that is naked sometime during the series. If you do for gods sake put a realistic pair of tits on the girl though, not some of those fucking cherry nipple pink balloons.
Hmm. Not sure where to start, so I'll just reply to each individual message in the order it was posted, like I've always done.
Cloudnine (first post)- The whole idea of Sera being raised by a group of survivors is something I considered a while back. At the time, it didn't really fit with the story I had planned, but now that we've changed things around quite a bit, it might make a good addition to the storyline. If I do decide to include that as part of Sera's history, I think I most likely won't give any clues about it during the preview, and will wait until the history episode to touch on the subject. It would make for an interesting plot development, and maybe Sera's recollection of her days spent under the care of the other survivors would bring out a new side of her personality, or bring back some feelings of compassion for other humans- feelings that she had suppressed for most of her life.
You asked what Sera is doing when she is first shown at the beginning of the series. As you assumed, she is doing what she has done for the past several years, travelling through the wastes in search of the necessities she needs to survive. The first episode follows Sera as she drives into the ruins of Los Angeles, the location of a huge free-for-all as hundreds of survivors battle for the few supplies left in the burnt-out city. Upon entering the city, her vehicle is destroyed and she is left stranded in the midst of a violent firefight, forced to find a way back out of the city or die trying.
Anyways, I also liked your idea for the end of the series- it gives a message of hope and ends the series on a good note. I would have to make sure it coincides with the rest of the series, and doesn't seem out of place, so I think I should probably finalize the plans for the rest of the series before I concern myself with the ending. But in any case, I'll be sure to keep your idea in mind, as I feel it has a lot of potential.
Megatron (first post)- you need to be a little less vague in your questioning; I'm still a bit confused as to what you're trying to find out about the voice actors. If you're asking whether or not there is any voice acting in the series, then the answer is yes- although Sera is most likely going to be silent throughout the series, there are quite a few speaking roles for other characters. Some voice acting has already been included in the first episode, and there will definitely be a number of speaking roles in the series' future (the preview in particular comes to mind). Now, if you're asking if I'm currently looking for any voice actors, the answer is no. There will most likely not be any more speaking parts in the first episode, since it is primarily action, and I'm not going to concern myself with finding voice actors for the preview until I have actually written out a complete script and have finalized the dialogue. As far as future episodes are concerned, I'll worry about that when I get there.
Your other comments confuse me as well. What's wrong with the idea of the mother's necklace? It's not a huge, pivotal centerpiece to the story, it's just an item that Sera carries with her, something that reminds her of a happier time. I'd much rather just use a simple device such as a necklace, than try to come up with some novel idea that contains a bunch of symbolism and whatnot. Like I said, I don't want to overcomplicate things. And who is the "tomboy that'll probably try to hard"? I assume you're talking about Sera, but I would hardly refer to her as a tomboy- her character is that of a person who has been subjected to unimaginable horrors, leaving her emotionally destroyed and placed in a world where she can only survive by killing others. She's not just some chick trying to look tough. And I won't bother replying to the whole thing about the "evil soldiers", as I feel CloudNine summed up my feelings on the subject rather nicely.
CloudNine (post 2)- Well put on the subject of the guards. Anyways, I'm all for giving Sera an emotional side, but she's a fighter first and foremost. Her keepsake doesn't have to be a necklace, but I don't want to give her something big and unorthodox that she has to lug around with her everywhere she goes. A suitcase or canteen would be out of the question for someone who has to be constantly on the move with as few things to keep track of as possible. Something she could keep in her pocket would be much more reasonable. And again, I don't want to worry too much about coming up with some amazing idea for her keepsake- it's not meant to be a vital part of the story, it's just something small that she cherishes as the last trace of her previous life. And furthermore, regardless of what I decide to end up using as her keepsake, it does not have to be something entirely original. I still agree with what jetbaby said, about how it's more important to make things interesting. Sure, necklaces have been used for similar purposes in plenty of other stories, but I think something should be said for the way Sera obtains the necklace: instead of it just being given to her, she tears it away from her dead mother as she is pulled kicking and screaming into the shelter. It symbolizes how desperate she was for things to stay as they had always been, and the fact that even though she has completely adapted to the new world, she still clings to her last tie to the life she once led (even if she can't remember what that life was like). It hints at the fact that even though she now seems perfectly at home in the wastes, deep down inside she still wishes for the kind of life that was so unjustly taken from her.
jetbaby- nice addition to an already good idea. The only issue would be that of the time constraints, whether it would interrupt the pace to go into that much detail when showing the massacre scene. I'll keep it in mind for when I'm writing out the script, though, and I'll see if I can find a way to fit it in. If not, there's still a chance I could save it and use it for the episode that reveals Sera's memories.
Megatron (post 2)- Your idea for Sera's history, while interesting, is exactly the kind of background I'm trying to avoid. With a history like that, Sera's focus would have to be shifted to finding this 'faraway land', which would change the direction of the story considerably, and would shift the focus of the series more towards Sera's past than her present. Like I said before, I'm much more in favor of a simple history that allows me to spend more time focusing on Sera's present and future.
And as a side note, after all that talk about not using unoriginal/somewhat cheesy ideas like the necklace, how is this any different? It's a good idea and all, but I don't see how it's any less of a cliche than the idea of using a necklace as a keepsake.
And on the subject of Sera talking, I think I've pretty much decided at this point that she will remain silent for the course of the series. I've never really liked the idea of having Sera narrate her own story or speak through monologues; I feel like it would remove the audience from the sense of reality and immersion that I'm trying to achieve. Narration is fine for some movies, but I don't think it really fits the mood of this one.
As far as the whole sex thing is concerned, read my response to CloudNine's post below. I found it quite interesting how you worded the final 2 sentences in your post- you made it sound like after Sera chopped off the guy's weiner, it would bounce around the inside of the car and then smash into her leg, breaking it. I certainly hope that's what you mean because I love the idea and will probably commit an entire episode to these events.
CloudNine- I'm sorry to say that sex is pretty much out of the question for this series, for a number of reasons. Maybe if the series were longer, or if I were producing it as a full-length movie, there would be room for some scenes of that nature without compromising the feel of the movie. But at its current length, I think any sex scenes would seem rushed and out of place. Also, I want to be able to present this series to a relatively large audience, and with the inclusion of sex I'd be losing a quite a few potential viewers. Furthermore, it seems to me like the idea of sex goes against Sera's character- the loner who trusts no one. Like I said, if the series were longer I might have had room to develop a possible relationship with another person that would allow for sex, but it'd be pretty hard to fit something like that into the series as it stands right now. As far as masturbation is concerned, I'm sure that Sera is no stranger to self-induced pleasure (things get lonely out there in the wastes), but that doesn't mean I have to actually show her in the process. Once again, maybe if the movie were longer I would consider it, but in the series' current state, it would just seem awkward.
However, even though I'm not including any explicit sexual content, there's still plenty of room for some sexy scenes. I designed Sera as a hottie, and I'm not gonna let that go to waste. I don't know yet if there will be nudity (probably not for the first couple of episodes, but I may decide to include some later in the series), but rest assured that any who are interested in seeing some T&A will get their fair share.
Ass!
Cloudnine (first post)- The whole idea of Sera being raised by a group of survivors is something I considered a while back. At the time, it didn't really fit with the story I had planned, but now that we've changed things around quite a bit, it might make a good addition to the storyline. If I do decide to include that as part of Sera's history, I think I most likely won't give any clues about it during the preview, and will wait until the history episode to touch on the subject. It would make for an interesting plot development, and maybe Sera's recollection of her days spent under the care of the other survivors would bring out a new side of her personality, or bring back some feelings of compassion for other humans- feelings that she had suppressed for most of her life.
You asked what Sera is doing when she is first shown at the beginning of the series. As you assumed, she is doing what she has done for the past several years, travelling through the wastes in search of the necessities she needs to survive. The first episode follows Sera as she drives into the ruins of Los Angeles, the location of a huge free-for-all as hundreds of survivors battle for the few supplies left in the burnt-out city. Upon entering the city, her vehicle is destroyed and she is left stranded in the midst of a violent firefight, forced to find a way back out of the city or die trying.
Anyways, I also liked your idea for the end of the series- it gives a message of hope and ends the series on a good note. I would have to make sure it coincides with the rest of the series, and doesn't seem out of place, so I think I should probably finalize the plans for the rest of the series before I concern myself with the ending. But in any case, I'll be sure to keep your idea in mind, as I feel it has a lot of potential.
Megatron (first post)- you need to be a little less vague in your questioning; I'm still a bit confused as to what you're trying to find out about the voice actors. If you're asking whether or not there is any voice acting in the series, then the answer is yes- although Sera is most likely going to be silent throughout the series, there are quite a few speaking roles for other characters. Some voice acting has already been included in the first episode, and there will definitely be a number of speaking roles in the series' future (the preview in particular comes to mind). Now, if you're asking if I'm currently looking for any voice actors, the answer is no. There will most likely not be any more speaking parts in the first episode, since it is primarily action, and I'm not going to concern myself with finding voice actors for the preview until I have actually written out a complete script and have finalized the dialogue. As far as future episodes are concerned, I'll worry about that when I get there.
Your other comments confuse me as well. What's wrong with the idea of the mother's necklace? It's not a huge, pivotal centerpiece to the story, it's just an item that Sera carries with her, something that reminds her of a happier time. I'd much rather just use a simple device such as a necklace, than try to come up with some novel idea that contains a bunch of symbolism and whatnot. Like I said, I don't want to overcomplicate things. And who is the "tomboy that'll probably try to hard"? I assume you're talking about Sera, but I would hardly refer to her as a tomboy- her character is that of a person who has been subjected to unimaginable horrors, leaving her emotionally destroyed and placed in a world where she can only survive by killing others. She's not just some chick trying to look tough. And I won't bother replying to the whole thing about the "evil soldiers", as I feel CloudNine summed up my feelings on the subject rather nicely.
CloudNine (post 2)- Well put on the subject of the guards. Anyways, I'm all for giving Sera an emotional side, but she's a fighter first and foremost. Her keepsake doesn't have to be a necklace, but I don't want to give her something big and unorthodox that she has to lug around with her everywhere she goes. A suitcase or canteen would be out of the question for someone who has to be constantly on the move with as few things to keep track of as possible. Something she could keep in her pocket would be much more reasonable. And again, I don't want to worry too much about coming up with some amazing idea for her keepsake- it's not meant to be a vital part of the story, it's just something small that she cherishes as the last trace of her previous life. And furthermore, regardless of what I decide to end up using as her keepsake, it does not have to be something entirely original. I still agree with what jetbaby said, about how it's more important to make things interesting. Sure, necklaces have been used for similar purposes in plenty of other stories, but I think something should be said for the way Sera obtains the necklace: instead of it just being given to her, she tears it away from her dead mother as she is pulled kicking and screaming into the shelter. It symbolizes how desperate she was for things to stay as they had always been, and the fact that even though she has completely adapted to the new world, she still clings to her last tie to the life she once led (even if she can't remember what that life was like). It hints at the fact that even though she now seems perfectly at home in the wastes, deep down inside she still wishes for the kind of life that was so unjustly taken from her.
jetbaby- nice addition to an already good idea. The only issue would be that of the time constraints, whether it would interrupt the pace to go into that much detail when showing the massacre scene. I'll keep it in mind for when I'm writing out the script, though, and I'll see if I can find a way to fit it in. If not, there's still a chance I could save it and use it for the episode that reveals Sera's memories.
Megatron (post 2)- Your idea for Sera's history, while interesting, is exactly the kind of background I'm trying to avoid. With a history like that, Sera's focus would have to be shifted to finding this 'faraway land', which would change the direction of the story considerably, and would shift the focus of the series more towards Sera's past than her present. Like I said before, I'm much more in favor of a simple history that allows me to spend more time focusing on Sera's present and future.
And as a side note, after all that talk about not using unoriginal/somewhat cheesy ideas like the necklace, how is this any different? It's a good idea and all, but I don't see how it's any less of a cliche than the idea of using a necklace as a keepsake.
And on the subject of Sera talking, I think I've pretty much decided at this point that she will remain silent for the course of the series. I've never really liked the idea of having Sera narrate her own story or speak through monologues; I feel like it would remove the audience from the sense of reality and immersion that I'm trying to achieve. Narration is fine for some movies, but I don't think it really fits the mood of this one.
As far as the whole sex thing is concerned, read my response to CloudNine's post below. I found it quite interesting how you worded the final 2 sentences in your post- you made it sound like after Sera chopped off the guy's weiner, it would bounce around the inside of the car and then smash into her leg, breaking it. I certainly hope that's what you mean because I love the idea and will probably commit an entire episode to these events.
CloudNine- I'm sorry to say that sex is pretty much out of the question for this series, for a number of reasons. Maybe if the series were longer, or if I were producing it as a full-length movie, there would be room for some scenes of that nature without compromising the feel of the movie. But at its current length, I think any sex scenes would seem rushed and out of place. Also, I want to be able to present this series to a relatively large audience, and with the inclusion of sex I'd be losing a quite a few potential viewers. Furthermore, it seems to me like the idea of sex goes against Sera's character- the loner who trusts no one. Like I said, if the series were longer I might have had room to develop a possible relationship with another person that would allow for sex, but it'd be pretty hard to fit something like that into the series as it stands right now. As far as masturbation is concerned, I'm sure that Sera is no stranger to self-induced pleasure (things get lonely out there in the wastes), but that doesn't mean I have to actually show her in the process. Once again, maybe if the movie were longer I would consider it, but in the series' current state, it would just seem awkward.
However, even though I'm not including any explicit sexual content, there's still plenty of room for some sexy scenes. I designed Sera as a hottie, and I'm not gonna let that go to waste. I don't know yet if there will be nudity (probably not for the first couple of episodes, but I may decide to include some later in the series), but rest assured that any who are interested in seeing some T&A will get their fair share.
Ass!
Last edited by RobsH66 on Wed Apr 07, 2004 12:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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CloudNineGT
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That’s a fine ass, and I wasn’t really advocating for fan service(ick), just asking if there would be any. It sounds like all these ideas are getting pretty solid, with only a few minor details left to be decided such as what the item she has is and how she got it. Megatron had some interesting ideas about it being an undersized piece of jewelry from her childhood. I feel that this idea holds a stronger statement and that the item should be sort of useless, maybe a pearl earring of her mothers or a cheap bead necklace that she wore as a kid. Just stay away from the gold locket type thing.
Ooh, I agree, no lockets or anything like that. I pictured the necklace as just a simple piece of jewelry, like an old earring or anything else. I guess any piece of jewelry would work fine; I just really like that idea of Sera tearing it from her mother's body as she is pulled away. Also, I was planning on Sera just keeping the item in her pocket, instead of actually wearing it, to reduce the chance of it getting damaged or falling off during battle. Do you think it would be better if she wore it, or not?
