The document discusses conventions of the post-apocalyptic genre in film. It notes that the genre depicts the end of the world through disasters that destroy modern civilization. Common conventions include survivors banding together, abandoned and dangerous settings with limited resources, and a focus on survival against deadly threats. The target audience is typically older teens and young adults who find themes of darkness and violence appealing. While many post-apocalyptic films follow conventions like community, isolation, and death, the author proposes a film with only two scientist survivors living in fear and accepting their new reality, with one eventually dying to the virus.

1. Conventions of the
Post-apocalyptic genre

2. What is the post apocalyptic
genre?
The post apocalyptic genre is a very modern genre in film
and hasn’t been around for all that long. However the
concept of it has been around for quite a while and
frequently used throughout history. The genre mainly
came from popular literature such as the successful more
recent film ‘I am legend’ which was based on a book. The
term post-apocalyptic literally refers to the end of the
world as we know it. This is typically shown in films/books
through huge disasters which could include the effects of
a virus, war or even the failure of modern technology. It
could even be the opposite of that and it could be the end
of the world due to advances in technology, such as in the
film Terminator where robots take over the world of
humans.

3. Some influential films in the
genre
George A Romero’s dead series
Night of the living dead
Dawn of the dead
Day of the dead
28 days later
28 weeks later
Quiet earth
The terminator
I am legend
Survival of the dead
Planet of the apes
Mad max

4. What kind of target audience
does this genre have?
Generally speaking it tends to target older teens and
young adults. So from around 16-30. this is because the
content in this type of film is more appealing, and excites
this demographic. This specific genres style of dark
themes and violence also is targeted more to the male
gender thus these types of films use these themes and
conventions to make it more appealing. Due to scenes of
violence, post-apocalyptic films such as 28 days later are
quite clearly not meant for the younger audience to watch,
they would be scared more than actually enjoy the film.

5. What are some of the
conventions behind the
genre?
There is generally a tight knit community of protagonists. (The
Walking Dead)
There are bound to be some survivors, otherwise the film is
going to be extremely boring. (any post-apocalyptic film pretty
much)
Abandoned and isolated locations. Because it’s the end of the
world nothing is going to be running, there is evidently going to
be litter scattered everywhere, and limited electricity and
resources. (I am Legend)
Deadly and dangerous environment. (28 days later)
Deadly, dangerous antagonists, there is always one guy who
wants to put a spanner in the works. (The Walking Dead is
definitely the worst one for this, 100%)

6. More conventions of the
genre
Survival , this is obviously going to be at the crux of any
end of the world situation, staying alive! (again pretty
much any film)
Death, well someone has to die…don’t they? (Starship
Troopers enjoyed killing off a ‘couple’ of people)
Living in constant fear. (I think anyone lives in fear if they
know that it is the end of the world)

7. Are we going to follow these
conventions?
For the first one, yes we are, we want to have the married
couple as the only two people in the film and we want to portray
a sense of gratefulness as they both know that this is all they’ve
got now.
Well yeah same as the first one. We will have survivors,
obviously.
This is probably our biggest one and will 100% definitely be
following it, we need to give the impression that it actually is the
end of the world and not an ever growing modern society which
is what we are actually living in.
Yes we will be following this one as our characters will be
wearing hazmat suits when they want to go outside.

8. Continued…
We wont really be following this convention because there isn't
anyone else in the film other than the two scientists (who are the
protagonists) to be an antagonist.
We really want people to understand that this genuinely is the end
of the world, there is barely any hope for any survivor. Obviously
because the male protagonist is going to be killed off by the virus,
and give the implication that it was his wife that killed him at the
end of the film, which shows that it is survival of the fittest.
Pretty much just follows on from the last point, yes someone is
going to die.
This is quite a hard one because in many ways we are going to
show the couple without fear and that this is their life now and they
just have to accept that and get on with it, so no I think we are
going to go against this convention but of course after talking to our
audience we can always change this idea.