2. DIRECTOR – WES BALL
Wes Ball is an American director, known for directing and producing the Maze
Runner trilogy among a few three short films that he wrote himself.
While my film project won’t be as ambitious as
this, I took a lot of inspiration from the setting
just after the start of the third movie and the
mid point of the second in terms of genre and
colour grading. With the point of my project
being that it’s an extended trailer, I thought that
the trailers for the Maze Runner films were
good at building tension and that the story that
was going to be told were something to enjoy.
One of Wes Ball’s short films is also in this style,
an 8 minute long animated short set in the sort
is setting that I like. The way the films opens in
is quite similar to how I envisioned setting mine
up in the scene I thought about including at the
start.
3. DIRECTOR – NEIL BURGER
Neil Burger is also an American producer, known for The Illusionist, Interview
with the Assassin and the Divergent series. I loved how he
introduced the start which I know can test out
to see how and if I could use that type of
opening for my own project before I have the
actual trailer come in. I like how the film,
being the first in a series, the camera opens
like this and a voiceover narration starting to
bring in the basic context and concept to the
film and why the world is how we’re seeing it
as opposed to what it looks like in the real
world today. While it’s something that I
haven’t decided for or against on my project,
this could be something that could work
quite well.
4. DIRECTOR – GARY ROSS
Gary Ross is known for making the Hunger Games which is one of the
most well known dystopian style of film
from the book series.
“Family entertainment is really very
necessary in our culture. Look how
profitable they are. It's almost not
discretionary. You need to take your family
to the movies.”
“[on minimizing the use of special effects in
directing The Hunger Games (2012)] We
would be doing exactly what the Capitol is
doing if we used 3D. We'd be exploiting
what the book condemns: a mediacentric
society where entertainment in that culture
devolves into spectacle, and that spectacle
evolves into political control.”
5. DYSTOPIAN THEMES
Characteristics of a Dystopian Society:
• Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society.
• Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted.
• A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society.
• Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance.
• Citizens have a fear of the outside world.
• Citizens live in a dehumanized state.
• The natural world is banished and distrusted.
• Citizens conform to uniform expectations. Individuality and dissent are bad.
• The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world.
The Dystopian Protagonist
• often feels trapped and is struggling to escape.
• questions the existing social and political systems.
• believes or feels that something is terribly wrong with the society in which he
or she lives.
• helps the audience recognizes the negative aspects of the dystopian world
through his or her perspective.
6. • Science fiction is often based on scientific principles and technology.
• Science fiction may make predictions about life in the future.
• Science fiction often deals with aliens or with life on other worlds.
• Science fiction can comment on important issues in society
SCI-FI CHARACTERISTICS
While I’m not thinking that sci-fi will be a huge part of my trailer, I still
wanted to look at characteristics typically involved as the film trailers I plan
to look at and have inspired me have elements that fall into this genre.
7. STYLE
I took quite a bit of inspiration
from ‘The Last of Us’ for the terms
of a general mood too and
possibly for my main character
with Ellie. I like how the game is
laid out, introducing characters
into a setting that is the kind of
atmosphere I want to create
where few people are actually
trustworthy.
8. STYLE
Another source of inspiration for the
setting for my project was from the tv
show Supernatural, specifically the
episodes from season 13 where the
characters go to ‘apocalypse world’. I
liked the desaturated colour grading as
it really emphasises the atmosphere
that I think will really help with my
project.
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Anon. Wes Ball. Available: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1226871/. Last
accessed 21st Jan 2019
• Ball, W. (2012). RUIN. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doteMqP6eSc. Last accessed 21st Jan 2019
• Anon. Burger, N. Available:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1139726/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm. Last
accessed 21st Jan 2019
• Anon. Gary Ross. Available: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002657/. Last
accessed 21st Jan 2019
• Anon. (2006). Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics . Available:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson926/Definit
ionCharacteristics.pdf. Last accessed 22nd Jan 2019
• Anon. (-). The Characteristics of Science Fiction . Available:
https://www.eduplace.com/activity/pdf/scifiction.pdf. Last accessed 22nd Jan
2019
10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Anon. (2018). The Last of Us gameplay wallpaper, The Last of Us, PlayStation 4,
video games, Ellie HD wallpaper. Available:
https://www.wallpaperflare.com/static/637/497/167/the-last-of-us-playstation-
4-video-games-ellie-wallpaper.jpg. Last accessed 30th Mar 2019
• Fiddis, R. (2018). The Last of Us Part II Outbreak Day Reveals Ellie T-Shirt, a New
Vinyl Record, Joel Poster and More. Available:
https://www.dualshockers.com/the-last-of-us-part-ii-outbreak-day-ellie-t-shirt-
vinyl-record-poster-and-more/. Last accessed 30th Mar 2019
• Byrd, M. (2018). The Last of Us Part 2: Ellie is the only playable
character. Available: https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/games/the-last-of-
us/58452/the-last-of-us-part-2-ellie-is-the-only-playable-character. Last
accessed 30th Mar 2019
• Hemmert, K. (2018). Supernatural Episode 13.21 Photos: Beat the
Devil. Available: https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/942565-
supernatural-episode-13-21-photos-beat-devil#/slide/1. Last accessed
30th Mar 2019
